sas red notice movie review

SAS: Red Notice (2021)

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SAS: Rise of the Black Swan Reviews

Not only does this film come across as a poor man’s Die Hard, it is also a poor man’s Under Siege 2, which is… quite something.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Nov 12, 2022

A glossy, testosterone-filled ride that will pass an evening for those who love their action big and blunt. It's unlikely to guarantee Heughans casting as the world's greatest secret agent, but it won't do him any harm either.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 1, 2022

Sam Heughan is a strong action hero fighting terrorists on a train.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 20, 2021

While not a travesty by any means, this premise has been done before and executed better.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Sep 4, 2021

This was a premise that just needed to lean in on its action hero DNA roots harder instead of trying to make a weak thinking man's spy thriller.

SAS: Red Notice is so close to being fun that it's a real shame to see it let down by a lousy script, lazy directing and enough army cliches to fill a dozen Call Of Duty cutscenes.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 15, 2021

As a wannabe series or franchise-starter - McNab has two other books ready for adaptation - SAS: Red Notice will leave even the most diehard action fans feeling left out.

Full Review | Apr 15, 2021

The action is second-rate, and Ruby Rose is an over-the-top villain, but it's amusing to see the film pander to America's idea of Britain: the hero is called Tom Buckingham and owns a stately home.

It's familiar territory, and while tried and tested, the film does lack a sense of originality.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 15, 2021

Undoubtedly, there's an audience for this kind of film - there's plenty of them - but all SAS: Red Notice offers is the routine, the predictable and the stereotypical.

While the direction by Magnus Martens is standard for this sort of action film, it's the script adapted from ex-SAS officer-turned-author Andy McNab's book that is surprisingly character-driven.

The plot is both simple and overcomplicated, but lots of not always well explained detail cannot hide its derivative nature.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 2, 2021

McNab writes pacy, exciting thrillers that offer perfect ammunition for screen adaptations but, in this instance, someone has loaded blanks.

This isn't the most memorable film, but it's a competent actioner that will satisfy anyone who enjoys gritty stories in which one good man goes up against a group of ruthless, well-prepared bad guys.

Full Review | Mar 25, 2021

Bad by design, stupid in execution and soulless in every important and unimportant way.

Full Review | Original Score: 0/4 | Mar 15, 2021

There's no doubt that the film is a little flabby and overlong, but it's never anything other than supremely watchable.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 15, 2021

It's occasionally messy and never subtle, but aesthetically it's deliriously pleasurable and far better than it has any right to be.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 14, 2021

A winner strictly in the action department, but there is also admiration to be found in the messy behavior of its characters. Sam Heughan and Ruby Rose impress both verbally and physically

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 12, 2021

SAS: Red Notice doesn't really know how to articulate the things it wants to say, but if you just look at it as a straight-up action jam you'll have a fun enough time.

With action scenes as inept as the plot is illogical, the film does Heughan no favours.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Mar 12, 2021

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Sas: red notice, common sense media reviewers.

Non-stop violence in fun action-thriller; strong language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

There is a distinction between those fighting to s

Tom is courageous and seeks to save innocent hosta

The violence is relentless, stylized, and sometime

A character plans to propose marriage. Characters

The swearing is strong and frequent. There is one

Characters smoke cigarattes. One lights theirs wit

Parents need to know that SAS: Red Notice is an entertaining action thriller that contains unrelenting -- sometimes graphic -- violence and strong language. Starring Sam Heughan as a former special forces soldier, the movie is set on a train traveling under the English Channel, which becomes hijacked by a…

Positive Messages

There is a distinction between those fighting to save people, and those seeking to destroy them. But both sides are violent to one another. Double crossing, corruption prevalent, but also courage and perseverance. The villains are shown to be anti-establishment and big corporations.

Positive Role Models

Tom is courageous and seeks to save innocent hostages from a terrorist attack, putting his own life at risk. Sophie meanwhile turns down the opportunity for escape to stay and help fellow passengers. Soldiers in the ranks follow orders despite not agreeing with the intent of the mission, which is to attack rather than to save. Characters betray their friends, and their nation.

Violence & Scariness

The violence is relentless, stylized, and sometimes graphic. Shoot-outs take place, bodies carried along the ground. Terrorists use flamethrowers, grenades, and guns, with many explosions. Multiple casualties including some innocent members of the public and workers, like train guards and drivers, though most deaths are nameless villains. Characters are mostly shot, but some are choked. Weapons are aimed at kids and elderly citizens. One character is stabbed in the neck, spitting blood as they die. A character sexually assaults another, placing their hand on the other's crotch without permission.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A character plans to propose marriage. Characters kiss, but that's it.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

The swearing is strong and frequent. There is one use of the word "c--t." Multiple uses of the word "f--k." The language when directed at others is done so aggressively, sometimes intended as death threats. Many other words, such as "whore" and "s--t" feature.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters smoke cigarattes. One lights theirs with their gun. Characters drink wine with food. Champagne is consumed in the afternoon to highlight the start of a holiday.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that SAS: Red Notice is an entertaining action thriller that contains unrelenting -- sometimes graphic -- violence and strong language. Starring Sam Heughan as a former special forces soldier, the movie is set on a train traveling under the English Channel, which becomes hijacked by a group of terrorists led by Grace Lewis ( Ruby Rose ). A multitude of different weapons are used, with death from bomb explosions, knives, guns, flamethrowers, grenades, and choking. The majority of victims are nameless villains and henchmen, but innocent people lose their lives too, with one specific scene, concerning a train conductor, being a particularly emotional watch. Elderly women and young girls are also victims. There is also a scene involving a sexual assault where a woman places her hand on her victim's crotch. The language is incredibly strong, with one use of the "C" word, while there are multiple uses of the word "f--k," often used in an aggressive, threatening way. The distinction between right and wrong is clear, though both sides are flawed. Corruption and double crossing is prominent, with characters betraying their friends and their nation. The leading roles are incredibly brave, and one in particular, Sophie ( Hannah John-Kamen ), a doctor and hostage, is offered the chance of escape but stays to help the other passengers, putting her own safety at risk. Characters smoke too, and alcohol is consumed on occasion. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (2)

Based on 2 parent reviews

Action movie with a strong intellectual point about human psychology

What's the story.

SAS: RED NOTICE follows suspended operative Tom ( Sam Heughan ) as he takes his girlfriend Sophie ( Hannah John-Kamen ) to Paris to propose. When inside the Channel Tunnel, a group of terrorists -- led by Grace Lewis ( Ruby Rose ) -- hijack the train, sending a message to the UK Government: give us money, or we blow up the tunnel. But what they didn't anticipate, was that somebody so specially trained just happens to be on board.

Is It Any Good?

Based on former SAS soldier Andy McNab's fiction book, this is a throwaway action movie that does exactly as it says on the tin. Mostly set in just one setting, and in real time, SAS: Red Notice follows a classic cinematic trope of one man against a whole army of mercenaries, slowly but surely spoiling their fun. With this comes many twists and turns, as you never quite know which character is on which side and who is double crossing who.

While this keeps the audience on their toes, as we build up to the climax, there's very little new here. It's familiar territory, and while tried and tested, the film does lack a sense of originality. Perhaps given the nature of its action-packed narrative, it's a movie that would really benefit from a big screen viewing. Heughan impresses in the lead role, but the star of the show is Andy Serkis , stealing each scene he is in -- though, sadly, there aren't quite enough of them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about SAS: Red Notice's non-stop violence . How much of it was necessary to the story? Did it seem excessively gory or brutal? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

Discuss the language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

Was the distinction between good and evil clear enough in this movie? The terrorists seem to take aim at a corrupt establishment -- did this make them sympathetic? Discuss whether the film's politics are okay in this regard.

Discuss the sexual assault in the movie. How did it make you feel? Did you feel it was necessary to the story? Would you have felt different if it had been a man committing the assault, as opposed to a woman? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : March 16, 2021
• Cast : Sam Heughan , Ruby Rose , Andy Serkis
• Director : Magnus Martens
• Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African actors
• Studios : Vertical Entertainment , Redbox Entertainment
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Book Characters , Trains
• Run time : 123 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : strong/bloody violence and language throughout
• Last updated : July 30, 2023

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‘SAS: Red Notice’ review: inept action thriller plays like ‘Call Of Duty: The Movie’

Army clichés riddle this would-be blockbuster like bullet holes in the side of a battered tank

A ndy McNab’s Channel Tunnel thriller gets the TV-movie treatment and comes off like a bargain bin version of Die Hard , Mission: Impossible and James Bond all rolled into one. Attracting some decent acting talent and featuring a great idea for a claustrophobic action set-piece, SAS: Red Notice is so close to being fun that it’s a real shame to see it let down by a lousy script, lazy directing and enough army cliches to fill a dozen Call Of Duty cutscenes.

• Read more: Ruby Rose: “I’ve been injured a bazillion times – I have a bionic neck!”

“Those are primroses, not pansies!” quips SAS super soldier Tom Buckingham (Sam Heughan, best known for Outlander ) as he snaps the neck of a security guard who was stupidly trying to get away with posing as a gardener. He’s taking out gardeners/goons in Hampstead Heath because his squad has zeroed in on a terrorist cell known as The Black Swan – headed by Tom Wilkinson’s ( Batman Begins , The Lone Ranger ) crazy millionaire and his psycho daughter, Grace ( Ruby Rose ). Andy Serkis is somewhere in the background too – chewing as much scenery as possible as an aggressively cockney commander who may or may not be a secret bad guy. In fact, almost everyone in SAS: Red Notice is a potential double agent, and it falls to Buckingham to save the day single-handed when The Black Swan escape, hijack a Eurostar and threaten to blow a hole in the middle of the Channel.

To make things worse, Buckingham’s girlfriend ( Hannah John-Kamen ) is on board the train, and the bomb threat interrupts their plans for a nice weekend in Paris. Time for Buckingham’s one-man-army to go all John McClane and sneak around the top of train carriages, save all the hostages, and beat up a load of giant henchman with nothing but his wits and his fists.

Buckingham is the kind of guy with two expressions – either smirking as he shoots people, or pulling Joey’s “smell the fart” face as he considers his next move – written as a comically unemotional hero for an audience who presumably miss the old Bond movies before Daniel Craig made him cry in the shower. A lot of credit has to go to Heughan (whose name is often in the mix for the next 007) for wringing as much charm out of the script as possible, and for making Buckingham seem sort of fun, even if he isn’t remotely interesting.

Ruby Rose gets a decent audition for a better film here too, channelling Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to give her generic gun-nut baddie a punk edge that just about makes up for all the slow-motion squinting. Elsewhere, Serkis reliably steals every scene with his barking army sergeant schtick that seems weirdly borrowed from that character in King Kong .

In fact, it seems like everyone is trying their best here apart from director Magnus Martens – saddled with a corny script but still completely unable to add any sense of authenticity, humour, excitement or drama to an action film that actually has a decent setup. Less of a film than a TV special, SAS: Red Notice feels wholly un-cinematic at every turn – too clean, too dull and too cheap to ever match the boyish bravado of the book.

Eventually, a big showcase set-piece in the final act explains where all the money went (if not on Andy Serkis’ salary), but it might have been better used to refine the small details, rework the script, and find a better use for all the actors who deserve something much finer on their CV.

• Director: Magnus Martens
• Starring: Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis
• Release date: March 12 (Sky Cinema)

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SAS: Red Notice: Everything you need to know about the action movie based on Andy McNab's novel

SAS: Red Notice can be your action fix before Bond is released.

SAS: Red Notice is an action-packed movie based on Andy McNab's bestselling novel . 

The film features Outlander star Sam Heughan, who plays an SAS operative that must thwart a group of dangerous terrorists who hi-jack a Eurostar train, with the hope of blowing up the Channel Tunnel. 

With an all-star cast, this high-octane film might be just the thing to keep you going until the new James Bond film finally lands.

How to watch SAS: Red Notice in the US

SAS: Red Notice opens in cinemas on Tuesday March 16. 

How to watch SAS: Red Notice in the UK

The film will premiere on Sky Cinema on Friday March 12.

SAS: Red Notice plot

SAS operative Tom Buckingham is taking his girlfriend to Paris for a romantic break when a group of mercenaries known as the Black Swans seize control of their Eurostar train while it is in the Channel Tunnel.

As the terrorists hold 400 hostages at gunpoint target the British government by threatening to blow up the Tunnel, an unarmed Tom must single-handedly thwart their plans and help the passengers make it out alive.

Despite being injured as the terrorists seize control of the train, Tom and his girlfriend, Dr Sophie Hart ( The Stranger ’s Hannah John-Kamen), are determined not to give up without a fight, and the leader of the Black Swans, Grace Lewis ( Batwoman ’s Ruby Rose), starts to realise that Tom is a little different from your average SAS soldier.

"Tom is a character we haven’t seen before," says Heughan. "Andy McNab has described him as a 'good psychopath' so he’s really unique and it was a challenge to get inside his head. I spoke to Andy about the character’s experiences in the military and how he discovered he has this condition. It’s an amazing action movie, but it’s also an intriguing character study."

With two more books in the series, Heughan believes that his character could return to our screens for more adventures.

"This is a character that comes from all of Andy’s experiences, so it would be cool to make some more of these films. I feel Tom Buckingham might even be the new James Bond — a new British action figure we’ve all been waiting to see."

Who stars in SAS: Red Notice? 

Sam Heughan ( Outlander ) plays Tom Buckingham, an SAS operative who must act fast to save hundreds of civilians when terrorists hijack a Eurostar train. 

Hannah John-Kamen ( The Stranger ) plays Dr Sophie Hart, Tom’s girlfriend who comes from a completely different world, but finds a strength she didn’t know she had. 

Ruby Rose ( Orange Is The New Black ) plays Grace Lewis, the terrorist who leads the attack on the Eurostar train, but meets her match in Tom. 

Ray Panthaki ( Marcella ) plays Prime Minister Attwood, whose government has employed the Black Swans in the past, but is now desperate to hide their connection.

Tom Wilkinson ( The Full Monty ) plays William Lewis, the head of the Black Swans who is furious when Attwood’s government turns against him after years of service. 

Andy Serkis ( Lord of the Rings ) plays George Clements, the army operative who has dealings with Attwood and the Black Swans, but where does his loyalties really lie?

Noel Clarke ( Bulletproof ) plays Major Bisset, Tom’s commanding officer who likes to do things by the book and doesn’t appreciate his cavalier approach. 

Tom Hopper ( The Umbrella Academy ) plays Declan Smith, an SAS operative and Tom’s best friend, who will stop at nothing to prevent him coming to harm. 

Is there a trailer for SAS: Red Notice? 

Yes, there is. Get a taste of the action below! 

What our critics are saying about SAS: Red Notice

SAS: Red Notice   is the type of action flick that wants you engaged with its narrative and its characters. There's plenty of shoot 'em up, bang, bang — don't worry — but there's also plenty of emotional engagement between the players and a story that has a lot more grey area to it than just "good vs. bad." The film struggles in quite a few areas, but its intent does grant it at least a couple of points. You can see what it's trying to do, and you  want  it to nail it. Whether or not it gets there? Well...

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Sean is a Senior Feature writer for TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week, who also writes for whattowatch.com. He's been covering the world of TV for over 15 years and in that time he's been lucky enough to interview stars like Ian McKellen, Tom Hardy and Kate Winslet. His favourite shows are  I'm Alan Partridge, The Wire, People Just Do Nothing  and  Succession  and in his spare time he enjoys drinking tea, doing crosswords and watching football. 

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The Cinema Critic

SAS: Red Notice (2021) Review

Time: 124 minutes Cast: Sam Heughan as Tom Buckingham Ruby Rose as Grace Lewis Andy Serkis as George Clements Hannah John-Kamen as Dr Sophie Hart Tom Hopper as Declan Smith Noel Clarke as Major Bisset Owain Yeoman as Oliver Lewis Jing Lusi as Zada Ray Panthaki as Prime Minister Atwood Richard McCabe as Callum Douglas…

Time: 124 minutes Cast: Sam Heughan as Tom Buckingham Ruby Rose as Grace Lewis Andy Serkis as George Clements Hannah John-Kamen as Dr Sophie Hart Tom Hopper as Declan Smith Noel Clarke as Major Bisset Owain Yeoman as Oliver Lewis Jing Lusi as Zada Ray Panthaki as Prime Minister Atwood Richard McCabe as Callum Douglas Reith as Sir Charles Whiteside Anne Reid as Charlotte Tom Wilkinson as William Lewis Director: Magnus Martens

A groom’s (Sam Heughan) wedding plans are disrupted when a small army of well-trained criminals hijack the Eurostar deep beneath the English Channel.

I saw SAS: Red Notice (also known as SAS: Rise of the Black Swan) widely advertised all over Netflix’s front page. I was very sceptical about it, despite the actors involved. It looked like yet another disposable Netflix action thriller. I went in with fairly low expectations and on the whole it mostly met those expectations. I wouldn’t say I dislike the movie, but I wouldn’t call it good by any means.

SAS: Red Notice does have a familiar setup, pretty much Die Hard on a train, however it isn’t nearly as interesting or fun as it should be. I put that up to the mediocre at best screenplay. The story is unoriginal, and the plot is full of cliches but that’s not enough to sink the movie. However, it is pretty much impossible to care about what is happening. I wouldn’t say it’s boring, but it isn’t all that interesting either, and the plot is rather forgettable. I think the aspect that annoys me most about the writing is the tone. Some of the bad elements of the script are bad cheesy B-movie action flick way, which could potentially allow for some enjoyment. However, this movie actually tries to be intelligent and thoughtful, and somehow ends up worse as a result. For example, the movie opens with Tom Wilkinson going on this long monologue about psychopaths. It does seem to think highly of itself and thinks its clever, and as such play the movie very seriously. This makes the movie hard to enjoy even in a cheesy kind of way. The ending is pretty ridiculous in the way it seems to try to set up a sequel. Even the final scene is rather laughable, containing quite possibly the most boring use of drone footage I’ve seen in a movie. SAS also runs for far too long at 2 hours long, and if it was 90 minutes long, I probably would’ve enjoyed it more. However there are so many scenes which seem to drag on, with tired and run-down dialogue that don’t add to the plot, characters or entertainment, and it just becomes tedious to watch at times.

There are some good actors involved with this movie, unfortunately they are generally all wasted with the very lacklustre writing. Sam Heughan is in the lead role as an aristocratic SAS guy named Thomas Buckingham the Third (not making this up) who ends up in a hostage situation and has to Die Hard his way out of it. I’ve heard it said that this is essentially Heughan’s audition for James Bond, if that’s true, then that’s very unfortunate. He does try his best here, but the role is incredibly boring and bland, and the character is rather difficult to like (and not in an intentional way either). I haven’t seen Sam Heughan in much. but I assume he has charisma in his other roles, however he has none here. There is virtually no chemistry between him or his love interest played by Hannah John-Kamen. She tries her best as well, but also suffers greatly from the writing. The main villain of the movie is played by Ruby Rose as the leader of a group of mercenaries. She did work very effectively as a supporting villain in John Wick Chapter 2, but unfortunately doesn’t quite work in here in SAS, and isn’t that convincing in her part. It doesn’t help that the character is just evil for the sake of it, not that this can’t work, but in this movie it just came across as lazy more than anything. Besides, Rose just doesn’t have the screen presence necessary to make that archetype work outside of the action scenes. The only actor I really liked in this movie is Andy Serkis, who at least looks like he’s having a lot of fun chewing the scenery in his part. Like the other actors, he’s given some really silly lines and moments to deliver, but somehow manages them better than the rest of the cast.

The movie is directed by Magnus Martens, and it really does have a feeling of a straight to streaming action flick, specifically one from Netflix. While the direction isn’t bad, it doesn’t seem to have any style at all, almost like it was directed by a bot instead of a person. There are some decent set pieces that are generally shot, but at times some of the action is shot in underlit hallways where you can’t tell what’s going on. Despite the serious tone the movie goes for and the attempts at making the violence ‘shocking’, it just lacks all the impact that it needed. The fight scenes are weightless, and the shootouts and explosions have some really bad CGI. With that said, the action is watchable and hardly my main issue with the movie.

SAS: Red Notice is a watchable but forgettable movie, which gets worse the more I think about it. The cast are wasted in underwritten roles delivering mostly average performances, the action is generic albeit mostly competent, and the script is borderline bad, if not bad. I can’t say I really dislike the movie that much, but it’s not worth checking out.

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‘SAS: Red Notice’ movie review: Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose in Die Hard on a train

• March 13, 2021
• ★★½ , Movie Reviews

A team of mercenaries-cum-terrorists hijacks a train in the middle of the Channel Tunnel between England and France in SAS: Red Notice , a new action-packed thriller from the Andy McNab novel now streaming on Sky in the UK.

Only problem for the terrorists: they didn’t count on ace SAS counter-terrorism officer Tom Buckingham ( Outlander ’s Sam Heughan) being aboard the train, coincidentally on his way to Paris with girlfriend Sophie ( Ant Man and the Wasp ’s Hannah John-Kamen) to pop the question.

Only problem for us: it takes SAS: Red Notice an entire first act full of backstory, intrigue, and UK politics to get to the action.

The terrorists are led by American Grace Lewis (Ruby Rose), part of a good ol’ family merc group known as the Black Swans with dad William (Tom Wilkinson) and bro Olly (Owain Yeoman). The Swans were hired by British gas company Britgaz (not to be confused with real-life company British Gas), and by extension the UK Prime Minister, to incinerate a Georgian village and ensure the installation of their new gas pipeline goes smoothly.

But when cell phone video of the mercenary rampage goes viral, the Black Swans are branded terrorists and the titular Red Notice is issued, leading to a nationwide manhunt when Grace and company escape the clutches of SAS authorities.

There’s about four levels of political intrigue going on behind the scenes, from the Prime Minister (Ray Panthaki) to Britgaz rep and mercenary go-between George Clements (Andy Serkis), through SAS Major Bisset (Noel Clarke), and down to SAS officers Declan Smith (Tom Hopper, Dickon Tarly on Game of Thrones ) and his buddy Tom.

But when all the pieces are finally put into place, SAS: Red Notice delivers the goods as Tom is taking out terrorists and rescuing hostages deep in the Channel Tunnel, coordinating with his colleagues on the other end as they negotiate with Rose’s vicious baddie. For about an hour in the midsection, SAS: Red Notice hits all the right notes.

For much of the runtime, SAS: Red Notice comes across as an authentic actioner. Former soldier and self-described psychopath McNab is something like the UK’s Tom Clancy, and his story, adapted by Laurence Malkin, feels more credible than most films in the genre.

Heughan is more than effective in the John McClane role, which SAS: Red Notice is careful to paint not as an everyman but a soldier warped by violence and not a world apart from Rose’s psychopath. Climactic scenes between the two almost reach a profound little moment, but ultimately leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Climactic scenes between Heughan and John-Kamen are a total maudlin bust, and even some great drone footage of Paris and Mallorca can’t save them. Following the downer of a climax between the hero and villain, they’re enough to really sour what was previously a taut and exciting action movie and tip the scales for SAS: Red Notice into the negative.

SAS: Red Notice

• 2021 , Andy McNab , Andy Serkis , Anne Reid , Attila C. Arpa , Aymen Hamdouchi , Caroline Boulton , Douglas Reith , Dylan Smith , Ferenc Iván Szabó , Grant Crookes , Hannah John-Kamen , Jing Lusi , Károly Baksai , Kevin Ezekiel Ogunleye , Laurence Malkin , Magnus Martens , Martin Angerbauer , Noel Clarke , Owain Yeoman , Péter Sokorai , Ray Panthaki , Richard McCabe , Roderick Hill , Ruby Rose , Sam Heughan , Sarah Winter , SAS: Red Notice , Tim Fellingham , Tom Hopper , Tom Wilkinson , Ty Hurley

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• SAS: Red Notice

SAS: Red Notice (Action) [Based on Novel by] (2021)

Director: Magnus Martens

Writer: Laurence Malkin, Andy McNab (Based on Novel by)

Stars: Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis, Hannah John-Kamen

Based upon Andy McNab's first entry of the Tom Buckingham series: SAS: Red Notice, takes place in Britain and is supposedly a realistic attempt of recreating SAS operations. Note that this review is written by someone who has not read the books and is not familiar with the source material.

If there's any singular thing that needs to be pre-established besides me not being knowledgeable of McNab's work, it's that "SAS: Red Notice" stands out as one of those films you need to go into with your expectations in check, don't expect a brilliant action film such as the "John Wick" or "The Raid". Instead, enter with the mindset of watching campy late 80's, early 90's type cinema. With that out of the way, Magnus Marten's adaptation of the Red Notice novel has some noticeable casting picks. Firstly Andy Serkis, known best for his mocap work as Gollum in "Lord of the Rings" and Caesar in the "Planet of the Apes", reboots among many roles. Secondly, Sam Heughan, featuring in the romantic history drama "Outlander". And lastly, Ruby Rose, model and recently depicted as CW's Batwoman.  

All mentioned actors serve their purpose but don't necessarily satisfy enough to engage the audience; Ruby Rose comes across best with her portrayal of Grace, who sports a recognisable bowl-cut hairdo. One of her group's most significant assets is that they weren't made to be Russian, a common action movie trope that rarely works out in favour of any film. The worst is protagonist Tom, a rich SAS agent in some respects comparable to Batman, played by Sam Heughan; he is supposed to be a psychopath devoid of human emotion, same as Rose's character, but in the first few scenes, he comes across nearly as sultry as we know him to be in other roles, not being quite as convincing as he needs to be. 

With middling CQC and the soap-opera drama Heughan is too accustomed to, do come some positive's such as having the stretched main sequence take place in the Channel Tunnel, a creative setting reminiscent of the by me beloved Liam Neeson films. Despite not being as brilliant, Marten's work is semi-decent and doesn't take itself too seriously, using a simple plot. Regretfully dramatic choices and the overdone psychopath angle leave it dead in the water, unlikely to have any sequels furthering the Tom Buckingham storyline.

Serve this one up a red notice and eliminate it from your viewing list.

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Movie Review – SAS: Red Notice (2021)

March 13, 2021 by Tom Beasley

SAS: Red Notice , 2021.

Directed by Magnus Martens. Starring Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Noel Clarke, Andy Serkis, Ray Panthaki, Anne Reid and Tom Wilkinson.

An SAS operative finds his romantic getaway to Paris curtailed when a high-value mercenary target hijacks a train in the Channel Tunnel.

The market for tough, British action thrillers has been rather cornered by James Bond. It’s rare to see a genuinely solid action spectacular set in the UK, without Ian Fleming’s 007 quipping and womanising his way through the middle of it. With that in mind, director Magnus Martens’s SAS: Red Notice feels like a rare and rather welcome beast. It’s the sort of movie that Hollywood has no problem churning out – starring everyone from Jason Statham and Vin Diesel to Nicolas Cage and Liam Neeson – but this one has a distinctly British feel.

Outlander star Sam Heughan – often suggested as a prime contender to take on 007 in the future – leads the movie as Special Forces operative Tom Buckingham. Interestingly, he’s a pampered posh boy who grew up in a manor, which positions him quite some distance away from being a Bruce Willis-style everyman in a bloodied vest. After taking part in a raid on a group of mercenaries, he takes a much-needed break by whisking his doctor partner Sophie (Hannah John-Kamen) away to Paris for a romantic marriage proposal. Sadly, he has some truly rotten luck when his cross-Channel train is hijacked in the Tunnel by the psychopathic mercenary leader Grace (Ruby Rose).

It’s a pretty standard action setup, but Martens makes the most of it. The script by Laurence Malkin and Chad Thumann – adapted from ex-soldier Andy McNab’s novel – is elegantly plotted, stringing together thrilling set pieces and crunching action with solid emotional beats. At more than two hours, there’s no doubt that the film is a little flabby and overlong, but it’s never anything other than supremely watchable, which compensates for a multitude of sins.

It helps that Heughan and Rose make for a dynamite pair of leads. Heughan is as charismatic as he is committed to the action sequences, carrying scenes of suave bravado and bruising fights with the sort of aplomb that suggests he would actually make a terrific 007. It’s not easy to make such an obvious posh boy likeable, but Heughan pulls it off in his scenes with John-Kamen and a brief bond he shares with a young passenger on the train. He handles the comedy well too, including a scene involving perhaps the most surprising thing ever seen at the bottom of a train toilet. Or, then again, perhaps not. Anyone who has used the loo on a long-distance Pendolino will likely have some stories.

Rose is a perfect sparring partner for Heughan, physically and verbally. A third-act scuffle between the two is choreographed to perfection and embraces the grubby realism of face-clawing and swinging limbs, rather than the hyper-stylised strikes and gunshots of other action movies. Red Notice is a film willing to go its own way in terms of visual spectacle, with a decidedly fallible hero meeting his match in a smart, ruthless adversary who will never stay down and give up.

When it moves its focus away from Heughan and Rose, though, the movie gets more than a little bogged down. Most notably, there’s an over-arching political plot, involving Ray Panthaki’s prime minister and Andy Serkis as a corrupt military type, which is too complex and labyrinthine for its own good. These extended sojourns into backroom intrigue are much less exciting than the events on the train and only serve to pad out the movie with furniture it doesn’t need. Its bite is much more potent than its bark, but it ultimately spends too long barking.

Thankfully, there’s never long to wait before the film is back with Heughan, Rose and the hard-hitting action core at the heart of this movie. Given the rather variable quality of Sky Cinema’s original outings, this one goes down as a pleasant surprise. As for Heughan, Barbara Broccoli and the Bond team could certainly do a lot worse.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Tom Beasley is a freelance film journalist and wrestling fan. Follow him on Twitter via @TomJBeasley for movie opinions, wrestling stuff and puns.

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Rawson Marshall Thurber ’s “Red Notice” should work on paper. It’s got a charismatic cast sent globe-hopping to beautiful places on a treasure hunt straight out of an “Indiana Jones” movie. How could it go wrong? Well, for starters, Thurber and everyone involved forgot a little thing called personality. Rarely have I seen a movie that feels more processed by a machine, a product for a content algorithm instead of anything approaching artistic intent or even an honest desire to entertain. And while there have been quality blockbusters produced by the Hollywood machine for generations (I miss those days), it feels like we’re increasingly reaching the point where they are so calculated and programmed that the human element is completely drained from them, making them as disposable as a fast food cheeseburger. Worst of all, that “content” approach is pulling the life from stars who have shown so much of it in the past. When the poster for “Red Notice” was released, most people lamented its Photoshopped, bland nature. They didn’t realize how honestly it captured the movie.

Thurber, the director of “ Central Intelligence ” and “ Skyscraper ” (two movies I enjoyed enough on their own terms, for the record), reunites with his muse, Dwayne Johnson , who plays the FBI’s top profiler John Hartley. The film opens with an awkwardly inserted info dump about three coveted eggs that were once the property of Cleopatra. Only two have been discovered, making the missing golden egg into a Holy Grail for treasure hunters, including one of the world’s most notorious criminals Nolan Booth ( Ryan Reynolds ). In the film’s relatively effective opening sequence, Hartley catches Booth trying to steal one of the eggs, inadvertently tying the two for the rest of the film into a classic buddy comedy dynamic—the muscle guy and the fast talker. They battle the authorities, a few bad guys, and another criminal mastermind nicknamed The Bishop ( Gal Gadot ) as they bounce around the world, trying to obtain all three eggs and sell them to the highest bidder.

Films like “ Raiders of the Lost Ark ” and “ National Treasure ” were clear inspirations on “Red Notice” but to say this movies lacks the identity of great action/adventure movies would be an understatement. Thurber’s direction seems to have been simply to put Reynolds, Johnson, and Gadot on camera and allow their screen presence and familiar techniques to carry the story, and one can literally see the weight of that on their shoulders. Johnson has never been this wooden, unable to find the hero or everyman in a non-character. He needs to figure out what's next because he seems to be tired of parts like this one and he's too charismatic to convey tired for the next chapter of his career. Reynolds makes out a little better, but you can almost see him growing weary of his attempts at witty schtick as more of his attempts at humor thud than usual. It feels like everyone thought casting would be all it took to make “Red Notice” charming and then forgot to give their actors charming things to actually do. Oh, there’s a lot of running and a lot of banter, but it starts to blend into cinematic paste.

People have lamented the growing sensation that Netflix increasingly makes product that’s designed to be watched with a phone in your hand, and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this more strongly than while watching “Red Notice.” Made for $200 million, none of that fortune was spent on anything that retains a human touch—it’s the iPhone app of action movies. Look up and see a beautiful person in a beautiful place running or shooting something—go back to your phone. While there are some truly goofy and yet somehow predictable twists, there’s almost no real story here, certainly not a memorable one. And the settings, while often gorgeous, somehow lack personality too. Even the title sounds like something grabbed out of an Action Movie Screenwriter program.

So much money, so much charm, so much movie, and yet it adds up to so very little. “Red Notice” is as disposable a movie as you’ll see this year, something that most Netflix subscribers will have trouble remembering exists weeks later. It sets up a potential franchise in its final scenes (because of course it does)—let’s hope everyone involved forgets about that too.

In theaters tonight, November 4 th . On Netflix on November 12 th .

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Red Notice (2021)

Rated PG-13 for violence and action, some sexual references, and strong language.

116 minutes

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SAS: Red Notice

2021, r, 123 min. directed by magnus martens. starring sam heughan, andy serkis, ruby rose, hannah john-kamen, tom hopper, tom wilkinson, owain yeoman., reviewed by matthew monagle , fri., april 23, 2021.

Good action movies come in all shapes and sizes. Over the past few years, the gap between blockbusters and direct-to-video stuntfests has shrunk to nothing, and action fans know that the right actors and a little bit of budget can go a long way towards an entertaining experience. So don’t let appearances deceive you: SAS: Red Notice might have a silly name and a second-tier cast of actors, but it will likely earn a spot on more than a few Best Action Movies of 2021 lists before all is said and done.

For years, the British government has used a paramilitary group called the Black Swans to quietly eliminate opposition in foreign countries. But when an act of genocide is caught on camera, George Clements (Serkis) is forced to disavow the Swans, sending in special forces operative Tom Buckingham (Heughan) and others to quietly assassinate them. Soon, though, they learn that Swan leader Grace Lewis (Rose) has survived and planned a deadly assault on the Channel Tunnel. Stuck underground with fiancée Sophie Hart (John-Kamen) in tow, Buckingham must eliminate the threat before the Swans – or the British government – deems the train’s passengers as acceptable losses.

Anyone who spent the Nineties in the Action-Adventure section of their local video store will find a kindred spirit in SAS: Red Notice . There’s more than a little Under Siege or Executive Decision in the film’s DNA, a prolonged, wrong-place-wrong-time gunfight featuring a creature of Western foreign policy’s own making. Much of the film refuses to provide the audience with clean emotional stakes, pitting two sociopaths against each other and dropping a third in the middle (Heughan’s Buckingham, a budding killer whose only “humanizing” aspect seems to be that he’s obscenely wealthy).

These sociopathic streaks free the film – at least for a little while – from more conventional story beats. Civilians are gunned down between train cars with ruthless abandon, but director Magnus Martens chooses not to linger on these deaths, conveying the professional apathy of Tom and his enemies with how efficiently they murder their way through the train. Meanwhile, Serkis’ Clements serves as the bloody hand of the prime minister, giving the order to open fire on multiple occasions without heed to the collateral damage this may accrue. “This government is addicted to what we do for them,” Grace tells her father, and nothing in SAS: Red Notice suggests otherwise.

The film’s biggest draw is its most obvious – Heughan, Rose, Serkis, and Hopper, playing to their collective strengths as action stalwarts of the small (and big) screen. Rose is in fine form as the big bad, channeling the same kind of fast-twitch violence she brought in the second John Wick movie . Meanwhile, there’s a bit of John Hurt in Serkis’ performance, with the actor channeling serious lawful evil energy using little more than a majestic mustache and a glass of champagne. The only real casualty is John-Kamen; despite having proven herself deserving of a breakout role, SAS: Red Notice seems to only see her as a foible for Buckingham’s budding amorality.

It is this last element that causes the film to pull up short. For much of its runtime, SAS: Red Notice stages a battleground of soulless government killers. But Martens and screenwriter Laurence Malkin seem to recognize that watching government agents open fire on public crowds might be a hard sell for matinee audiences. Buckingham gets his redemption – or at least absolution – in the eyes of his loved ones, and the overt criticism of the military industrial complex ends on a note of drone violence played as heroism. It’s not the ending we expected, but in this case, the journey more than makes up for an ending that opts to play it safe.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

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May 5, 2023

Matthew Monagle, March 13, 2020

March 12, 2024

March 10, 2024

SAS: Red Notice , Magnus Martens , Sam Heughan , Andy Serkis , Ruby Rose , Hannah John-Kamen , Tom Hopper , Tom Wilkinson , Owain Yeoman

Movie Review — “SAS: Red Notice,” as bad as action films get

It begins with mercenaries massacring a village in the Republic of Georgia, because they won’t accept a gas pipeline scheduled to pass through it. It prematurely climaxes with an attack on a Eurostar Chunnel train, passengers popped without pity by smirking “contractor” villains.

And at every turn, mercs and the military folk commissioned via “Red Notice” to bring them down — by the same British government that hired the Black Swan “contractors” in the first place — make wisecracks and “switch off” to get on with their lives.

“ SAS: Red Notice” is bad by design, stupid in execution and soulless in every important and unimportant way. A terrible script renders respectable actors ( Tom Wilkinson, Andy Serkis ) terrible, and limited “action” stars ( Ruby Rose ) unwatchably awful.

It’s no wonder Netflix changed the title to “Rise of the Black Swan” when they got it. The “brand” was tarnished.

The pithy “Die Hard Lite” punchlines don’t help.

“Was it something I said?”

Wilkinson runs the Black Swans as a family business. Ironically named daughter Grace (Rose) is his heir apparent, chosen over his more lunkish son ( Owain Yeoman ).

A cellphone video of the massacre gets out, the news that they’ll all be arrested (fat chance, “silenced”) is announced on TV long before the raid on their suburban London estate is planned.

Naturally, villains get away. Not to worry. “Posh” Tom Buckingham ( Sam Heughan ), a commando with an estate of his own, got in his share of kills. He’ll sweep reluctant doctor-girlfriend Sophia ( Hannah John-Kamen ) off to Paris, let the police and border control folks round the rest up.

How’ll the mismatched couple travel? Train, of course. Before Grace, who sheds the clever disguise that got her on board, can say “There’s a player in the battle space. He’s armed and trained,” the slaughter begins, with passengers murdered left and right as if all on board realize this is a suicide mission.

The train attack details are interesting enough, if you’ve ever wondered how somebody might attempt something like that (surely some groups have given it a lot of thought).

But the action beats are half-hearted, the plot “twists” unworthy of that label and situations and dialogue ludicrous on an English-as-Second-Language level.

“We’re a lot alike,” is a given, something the villainess is sure to say to Tom. As is, “How many people have you killed?”

A favorite moment? Sophie instantly over-shares with a stranger the next seat over, pre-attack.

“He takes lives for a living,” she cracks. “I save them.”

Andy Serkis plays a ruthless SAS leader who knows “politicians come and go,” that he’s the only constant.

“I’m still going,” he purrs to a captive. “You’re about to stop.”

It’s a messy blood-bath with a “Die Hard” sequel death-count, no real heroes and no one to root for. The best one can say for the cast is I hope their checks cleared.

Veteran TV (“Twelve Monkeys,” some “Walking Dead” spinoff) director Magnus Martens, and screenwriter (“Soul Assassin”) Laurence Malkin?

I hope your checks bounced.

MPA Rating: R for strong/bloody violence and language throughout

Cast: Ruby Rose, Sam Heughan, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Andy Serkis and Tom Wilkinson.

Credits: Directed by Magnus Martens, script by Laurence Malkin, based on a novel by Andy McNab. A Vertical release.

Running time: 2:03

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About Roger Moore

3 responses to movie review — “sas: red notice,” as bad as action films get.

I loved this movie! It was action packed, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Sam Heughan is perfect in this role. He’s easy on the eyes, and pretty convincing as an agent. I didn’t see much chemistry, however, with he and the good Dr. Darn! I would for sure watch a sequel. !

This movie has no soul , no one to empathise with , the plot is diabolical at best , I have not read the book to be honest , but I just cannot imagine it to be as cringeworthy as the movie , they get Wilkinson in to bolster the shoddy cast , then almost immediately , killed him off , serkis should stick to playing monkeys …. very very disappointed indeed . Come back Michael Mann or Paul Greengrass

That’s the right phrase, “no soul.”

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SAS: Red Notice Parent Guide

With no positive themes and a bizarre endorsement of psychopathy, this unpleasant film is not going to be a hit with a wide audience..

Digital on Demand: A group of terrorists have attacked the Eurostar Train in the Channel Tunnel and are holding the passengers hostage. What they didn't plan on was having a special forces veteran on board.

Release date March 16, 2021

Run Time: 123 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

Tom Buckingham (Sam Heughan) is an elite member of the Special Air Service , the special operations arm of the British military. He’s had a very successful career thus far, including an assault on the base of the equally well-trained Black Swan paramilitary group. The Black Swans are a family operation, with father William Lewis (Tom Wilkinson), daughter Grace (Ruby Rose), and son Oliver (Owain Yeoman) working together on violent and off-the-books operations for those who can pay – most recently, a British oil company that wanted to see some villages “dealt with” in order to build a pipeline through Georgia (the ex-Soviet republic, not the US state). But word got out, and the SAS issued a Red Notice on the whole family, authorizing their capture. The Black Swans aren’t an easy target: following the SAS assault on their property, they enact a backup plan to hijack the Eurostar train between London and Paris and threaten to expose their employers unless a ransom of £500 million is paid to their accounts. They just didn’t count on Tom Buckingham being on the train with his girlfriend, Dr. Sophie Hart (Hanna John-Kamen)…and it’s a complication they’ll soon regret.

On the surface, this is a paint-by-numbers action thriller. It’s like half of a Liam Neeson movie …without Liam Neeson (which is, in fact, the only thing going for most of those movies). SAS: Red Notice also exists in the shadow of Andy McNab, the author of the book on which the film is based. Apart from an…interesting military service record in Ireland during The Troubles , McNab has co-authored a book with Dr. Kevin Dutton describing how psychopathy can be beneficial. Now, I’m not going to try to unpack all of that, but it does bleed heavily into the film. And it’s distracting. Instead being a standard action thriller, the movie takes little detours into weird alleys about the benefits of being a psychopath, and why all our psychopathic hero needs is the love of a good woman and not, you know, therapy.

All that aside, this uninspired film won’t be your first choice for family viewing. There is a lot of bloody, graphic violence, including war crimes against some of those townspeople in Georgia. There are also 63 sexual expletives floating around throughout the runtime, which is rather a lot for younger audiences – and for most of the mature audiences I know, too. Mercifully, there isn’t any sexual content or drug use, but I suppose that SAS: Red Notice already had its hands full, what with trying to balance the joy of murder with a canned action plot. It’s a neat juggling act, if you have the moral backbone of wilted lettuce.

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SAS: Red Notice Rating & Content Info

Why is SAS: Red Notice rated R? SAS: Red Notice is rated R by the MPAA for strong/bloody violence and language throughout.

Violence: Many individuals are killed or injured in a variety of ways, including being shot, stabbed, blown up, asphyxiated, and a few incidents of neck-breaking. War crimes against a civilian population are shown which feature many of the same incidents but with the addition of a flamethrower, causing several individuals to be burned alive. Sexual Content: There is a brief non-sexual partial shot of a male posterior. Profanity: There are 63 uses of extreme profanity, 14 scatological curses, and frequent use of terms of deity and mild profanities. Alcohol / Drug Use: Adults are briefly seen drinking socially.

Page last updated October 2, 2021

SAS: Red Notice Parents' Guide

There is a dark history of large corporations using paramilitary and other mercenary groups to intimidate or terrorize communities, particularly in developing nations. Why do you think they are able to get away with this kind of behavior?

Wikipedia: Private military company The Guardian: Coca-Cola boycott launched after killings at Colombian plants

OCCRP: Colombia: Banana Companies Accused of Crimes Against Humanity

ABC News: Murder and payoffs taint business in Colombia

Frontline Club: From Colombia: multinational mining company accused of hiring paramilitaries

NPR: Global Reach: The Pipeline War

Human Rights Watch: Oil Companies Complicit in Nigerian Abuses

Reuters: Shell fuelled human rights abuses in Nigeria - NGO

Amnesty International: Investigate Shell for complicity in murder, rape and torture

Loved this movie? Try these books…

This movie is based on SAS: Red Notice by Andy McNab.

Fans of this kind of intensive action will likely enjoy Tom Clancy novels, particularly Rainbow Six which pits an elite international team of special-operations soldiers against a dangerous cabal of bioterrorists.

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Other train hijackings can be found in The Taking of Pelham 123 , The Commuter , and, easily the best of the bunch, Source Code . If you like the action, the first two are basically Die Hard on a train. If you’re just here for the trains, you can see Chris Pine and Denzel Washington battle a dangerous runaway in Unstoppable .