The White Storm, formerly called the Cartels War is a dirty, hard crime thriller that explores the concept of brotherhood, sacrifice, and moral dilemma that law enforcement officers face. It is about three friends who are life-long and whose friendship is tested to the extreme when they are on a sensitive undercover exercise to eliminate a notorious Thai drug lord. They have to make a heart-rending decision when the operation goes terribly wrong, as one can survive, and the other one must die. This is a tragic incident that preconditions a revenge, betrayal, and unbreakable friendship ties that remain in spite of years of separation.
The movie is strong in terms of the strong character development and emotional depth. The friendship and past of the three police officers is also very evident and their personal troubles further complicates the story. The action scenes are primal and gut-thumping particularly the heart-throbbing Bangkok confrontation, which is nasty as well as dramatic. The movie manages to bring out the dark and the dangerous nature of the drug trade and the police and it is very realistic in the sense it makes the viewers feel the tense nature of its setting. The direction provides the balance of explosive action and moments of reflection, which makes the story exciting and emotionally touching.
The most useful issue was the theme of guilt, redemption and sacrifice. The moral quandaries of the characters expose the individual sacrifices to their risky professions, particularly when fraternity is challenged severally. The tragic conclusion, the death of the major characters, the final confrontation with the devil had a serious impact, it was a lesson to me that its loyalty and love are quite expensive. The white storm is an engaging and adrenaline packed movie that also heartens, as the viewer reflects on the real meaning of brotherhood and sacrifice.
