In 2010 Jalmari Helander delivered one of the oddest but simultaneously most ingenious and refreshing horror movies of the new millennium with "Rare Exports". The success of that film was clearly big enough for him to get noticed in Hollywood and take a shot at making a large-budgeted blockbuster with A-listed actors. We see this happening a lot, by the way: young and creative non-American directors are plucked from their native countries after barely one hit and lured to Hollywood where their careers usually obstruct quickly because they are only allowed to direct lame remakes. But this is where it differs with Helander! Instead of going to Hollyood, Helander brought Hollywood to his beloved Finland for what is one of the most enjoyable, straightforward and unscrupulous action/adventure movies of the '10s. The story is simple yet delightfully far-fetched and over-the-top: 13-year-old Oskari is in the middle of performing a traditional Finnish manhood ritual when Air Force One gets shot out of the air on its way to Helsinki and crash-lands near the boy's hunting turf. Oskari rescues President William Alan Moore from his escape pod and swears to guide him back to civilization before his assailants find him and finish the job. "Big Game" has a couple of strong trumps, namely the chemistry between young Finnish actor Onni Tommila and veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson (in another fresh and surprising choice of role),the magnificently breath-taking Finnish filming locations (although largely filmed in Germany) and the purity of the screenplay. I love how Helander doesn't dive too much into themes like terrorism or overly convoluted conspiracy theories but opted for good old-fashioned and pulpy spectacle. Jackson's portrayal of the US President is also phenomenal. They are basically after him because he's an indecisive and cowardly leader. President Moore's toughest anecdote is a story about urinating in his pants and, in a way, undergoing the bravery ritual is as relevant to him as it is to Oskari. Obviously, there are several flaws in "Big Game" as well, notably how quickly everything and everybody gets tracked in these supposedly giant and impenetrable forests, but you'll gladly accept them. Thanks to the fast pacing, the compact running time and the thrilling special effects, "Big Game" is a massively enjoyable popcorn action flick that comes with my highest recommendation.

The plot elements here can get quite ridiculous, yet I thought the movie was still entertaining, as it's laced with tongue-in-cheek humor and some good performances.

Samuel L. Jackson gives his usual solid performance as American President William Alan Moore, who's on his way to a G-8 conference in Helsinki. However, Air Force One and its fighter jets escort come under attack from surface-to-air missiles, and with the planes defense mechanisms deliberately disarmed President Moore will be forced to evoke an emergency evacuation plan over the wilderness of Finland.

At the same time a 13-year-old Finnish lad, Oskari, has been sent alone into the same wilderness by his father Tapio (Jorma Tommila),and other elders, to prove his manhood by hunting and returning with a slain animal. Onni Tomilla (the real life son of Jorma) is terrific as Oskari, and he often "steals the show" here, as he finds himself in the middle of a terrorist plot to capture and eventually kill President Moore.

The fine actor Ray Stevenson is believable here as a turncoat Secret Service Agent. Also, Mehmet Kurtulus is credible as the psychopath, who regards himself as a big game hunter who wants to capture the President, and then after humiliating him on social media intends to have him stuffed and mounted by a taxidermist.

All in all, if you don't take this movie, ably written and directed by Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander, too seriously it can be an entertaining flick. There's also a twist at the end which I thought worked rather well.

Director Jalmari Helander and child star Onni Tommila achieved worldwide attention with their unusual Christmas-themed horror film RARE EXPORTS, a film which I enjoyed a fair bit. The Finnish twosome have followed it up with this ultra cheesy B-movie action flick that feels like it was devised as DIE HARD in the Finnish wilderness.

The film features an always engaging Samuel L. Jackson as the US President, who finds himself in a pickle when Air Force One is shot down and he's forced to team up with child hunter Tommila as the pair are hunted by various bad guys. A mildly diverting plot line starts off relatively straightforward at first, but the sheer ridiculousness of the scenes that take place means that it soon descends into inanity. The bit where the helicopter drags a freezer through the trees has to be a case in point.

This quasi-magical approach to filmmaking might have worked in RARE EXPORTS, but it makes BIG GAME a laughable action flick. The two leads aren't bad, and the reliable Ray Stevenson is a constant source of enjoyment for this viewer, but that's as far as it goes. Jim Broadbent is his most miscast yet, Felicity Huffman (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) turns up to pick up her pay cheque, and poor old Ted Levine (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) has very little to do. It's a crying shame that the all-round talent here has been so wasted in a spectacular misfire of a movie.