Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Mehdi Hoffman
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Edwin
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Leofwine_draca
TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION: AGENT ORIGINS - now there's a title to contend with! - is a short, 31 minute action film that seems to have been made purely to sell a video game series made by Ubisoft. I'm no gamer, so I don't know anything about that, but what I can confirm is that this short film is very well made and much better than a lot of full-length action thrillers.First, the bad stuff: there's no real story here, just a collection of action sequences. The setting is an anarchic New York, where a viral pandemic has laid most of the population low and the streets are filled with murderers and looters. The heroes are a group of 'sleeper' agents who must come together to combat lawlessness.I have to say that the action sequences in this film are very well achieved. There are hand to hand fight scenes here alongside free running and some violent shoot-outs. The camera-work is very nicely achieved and although the characterisation is nil you still end up admiring the athleticism of the participants. Although in essence this film is little more than a lengthy advert, it's a really entertaining one!
davidwanderson
Aside from the graphic violence, this movie was pretty good.It was almost a 'Resident Evil 2' like scenario, where a co-op special forces team sweeps through a city, shooting masked bandits on site. At one point a heavy plume of smoke rises up in the distant city sky line; it draws you in to want to go further into the city with the team. I'd have been satisfied just sitting back and watching hours and hours of this kind of footage, but it abruptly ends on a rather good note, though it may leave you hangin' I suppose this is done to entice viewers to check out the game. But $69.95 or whatever video games cost these days, it wouldn't be worth it for the price for someone like me who'd rather watch instead of play.Good movie. Now we need a mini-series. UBSoft missed their calling, they need to start making a Tom Clancy Division television series. I forgot to mention the realistic feeling the movies gives off. The gruesome imagery battle in a modern day civilian urban setting, really entangles the mind for the moment. One could see the horror of war in a reality they could fathom. That and the fact that you really want to see these guys wipe out the criminals and watch the swift hand of justice in action.Note for PTSD victims, DO NOT WATCH.The acting was on par, stunts terrific, story line amazing. I really wish this was the 1st in a line of shows. *Tosses penny in fountain, makes a wish. We'll see...That's it, I'm going to go buy a Playstation. Can't wait for show. Got to get to the bottom of this plume of smoke deal!
Dave B
The 2 previous reviewers obviously don't get the aim of these Live Action episodes for Tom Clancy's The Division: Agent Origins, a video game made by Ubisoft Massive.The characters in these episodes are not represented in the game, they are based on hypothetical back stories for characters that 'could' exist in the game universe. The game is highly customisable and you play the game as a protagonist that you create. There are set characters within The Division game universe but none which are seen in any of these Agent Origins episodes. To add to that these are promotional story trailers for a video game. I repeat - a video game. They are not part of a main feature length movie. So besides already spending thousands if not millions of dollars on already actually making the game, Ubisoft has a marketing/promotional department who probably have a finite amounted budget to use on promotional material such as back story trailers/episodes. If you have actually followed the game's development there has been a vast wealth of promotional videos covering various aspects of the game's features, development, story, community events.Back to the Agent Origins short film, there most likely never would be too much fleshing out of characters, a huge production budget or development of a feature length story - that's what the game is for.If you're a fan of the game you most likely have already seen the Agent Origins shirt film/episodes, and appreciate the production, mini-stories, characters, gadgets/gear, weapons, action sequences, easter eggs, and setting that they're shot in.The Agent Origins live action film series is supposed to be short & sweet, and it hits the nail on the head in regards to The Division's atmosphere, setting, and main game points. The action sequences are exciting to watch with great audio and SFX keeping you in the moment, and the action is not too heavy, with equal snippets of humor, drama, and character and story development thrown in between. There also multiple perspectives shown, such as from the bad guys (Factions), civilians caught in the conflict, and of course the Agents themselves.If you are a fan of the game, or curious about the game, I would recommend this to you to watch.I would also recommend watching Ghost Recon Alphas - another short film made by Ubisoft.
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Tom Clancy's the Division: Agent Origins" is a half-hour live action short film from about a month ago directed by Devin Graham and Adrian Picardi. I am not an expert on the Tom Clancy video game series, but judging from this short film I have not missed a whole lot. It is certainly style over substance. The story is almost entirely forgettable and it's really all about the shooting, firearms and action scenes. Never a convincing foundation for a film. Maybe huge fans of the video games will enjoy it, but I personally found it pretty much completely empty and did not care for any of the characters in here, probably because character development is almost entirely non-existent in this little film. I do not recommend the watch. Thumbs down.