Operation Red Sea 2 (2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

“Bigger battles. Higher stakes. Zero room to breathe.”

Operation Red Sea 2 explodes onto the screen with all the firepower, precision, and intensity of a full-scale military invasion—and somehow manages to raise the bar set by its 2018 predecessor. Director Dante Lam returns with a vengeance, delivering a sequel that’s not only louder and bolder, but surprisingly more emotional.

Set several years after the events of the first film, Red Sea 2 follows China’s elite Jiaolong Assault Team as they’re deployed to a volatile island nation on the brink of collapse. What starts as a hostage rescue operation quickly escalates into a brutal, large-scale conflict involving terrorists, mercenaries, and a ticking nuclear threat.

The action? Relentless. From underwater assaults to drone warfare and hand-to-hand combat in war-torn cities, the film feels like a non-stop adrenaline rush. You don’t watch this movie—you survive it. The choreography is gritty, the cinematography crisp, and the sound design practically shakes your seat.

What’s surprising is how Red Sea 2 adds more depth to its characters. Team members who were once just names on a tactical map are now fully fleshed-out, and their sacrifices hit harder. There’s a particular mid-film twist that genuinely stings.

The pacing occasionally feels overloaded—trying to balance too many subplots at once—but the emotional core and high-octane sequences keep it grounded.

It’s still unapologetically patriotic and polished like a military recruitment video, but it’s also a blockbuster with undeniable skill behind the camera. If you’re looking for subtlety, look elsewhere. If you want tactical warfare with cinematic flair and heart-pounding moments? Operation Red Sea 2 delivers.