Here’s a quick question: in Hollywood movies, which country is often depicted as “coming to save the day”? If your answer is anything other than the good ol’ US of A, what have you been watching?

Yes, many movies have showcased the might and heroism of the US armed forces, who are often seen beating up the baddies and saving civilians from certain doom.

Of course, in real life, many people have things to say about Americans, and not all of them are good. Also, in reality, sometimes it’s the Americans who need to be rescued!

Case in point: in 1993, several US soldiers were left stranded in hostile Mogadishu, Somalia, after their helicopter transports were shot down. The “Black Hawk Down” incident is pretty well known, with director Ridley Scott having made a movie about it in 2001.

There’s just one problem – that movie barely mentions or credits the Malaysian servicemen who helped extract the Yanks from their precarious position.

As reported by AFP, retired brigadier-general Abdul Latif said the “Black Hawk Down” film implied that the Americans did all the fighting, while the Malaysians were “mere bus drivers to ferry them out”.

So, it’s up to Malaysians to correct the narrative! And director Adrian Teh has done just that, with his film “Malbatt: Misi Bakara” released in cinemas yesterday.

“Malbatt” is a retelling of the events that took place during the battle of Mogadishu, from a Malaysian perspective. It follows the Malaysian Battalion (the titular Malbatt), stationed in war-torn Somalia with peacekeeping duties.

One fateful evening, orders from high command arrive: the Malaysian Battalion is to roll out and rescue 70 American rangers from militant-controlled Mogadishu.

With lives on the line, our country’s brave servicemen march into enemy territory and work to complete their objectives, no matter the cost.

It should be noted that while all the Malaysian servicemen in this film have fictional names, they are based on very real people.

On a sobering note, “Malbatt” highlights that one of Malaysia’s sons did not return from the battlefield alive; the credits name corporal Mat Aznan Awang for his sacrifice.

But enough context for now – how does the movie fare? Well, given that it’s by the same director of “Paskal” and “The Assistant”, it’s not shoddy by any means.

First off, it boasts a star-studded cast, with local big names like Adlin Aman Ramlie, Shaheizy Sam, Tony Eusoff, and Syazwan Zulkifli playing various soldiers.

For this reason in and of itself, “Malbatt” is believed to be among Malaysia’s highest-budgeted films to date, and also the first local film to secure a release on Imax screens.

Given its release date, it’s pretty obvious that “Malbatt” is intended to be a patriotic film. True enough, jingoistic messages are interspersed throughout, with scenes of Malaysian soldiers risking their lives selflessly to save those of allies and civilians.

Still, one of Teh’s biggest filmmaking strengths is his depiction of action sequences, and there’s plenty of those in “Malbatt”.

Aside from the melodramatic opening and closing scenes, there’s rarely a moment when the onscreen characters are not coming under fire from some direction.

Teh gives the audience an idea of just how dangerous the situation would have been for everyone involved, and how miraculous it was that casualties were relatively low.

Everywhere the Malaysian armoured convoy turns, an array of enemies awaits them. The city setting adds to the claustrophobia, with barricades turning roads into death traps.

The chaos of modern-day battles is depicted well, with characters forced to make quick decisions based on limited information. One choice or the other could get everyone killed – who would want blood on their hands?

Additionally, audiences learn very quickly that the most dreaded sight for any armoured-vehicle operator is an angry militant with a rocket launcher. Those things are scary powerful!

The film also poses interesting questions, with no easy solutions, about Malaysia’s role in resolving conflicts. “The UN can’t save us! The US can’t save us! No one can!” says one despairing Somalian civilian in a certain scene.

It acts as a cold reminder that most conflicts and crises are neither easily nor quickly resolved. The Somalian Civil War is still ongoing, mind you.

If there are any flaws, it would specifically be in the special effects department. Perhaps funding or time was limited, but the explosions and fires here are not particularly convincing.

Still, if you are willing to overlook this, “Malbatt” may just be the perfect movie to watch this Merdeka. Hunks, guns, patriotism, cheesiness – it’s all there.

As of press time, ‘Malbatt: Misi Bakara’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.