In 1972, Colonel Jason Rhodes’ (Gene Hackman) son is declared missing in action in Vietnam, but Rhodes refuses to give up the search. Ten years later he assembles a team of ex-soldiers to rescue his son from a prisoner of war camp.

Uncommon Valour piqued my interest when I was searching for a film to watch thanks to its star, Gene Hackman. An actor capable of delivering some blistering performances who has featured in both critically acclaimed and hugely entertaining films. Yet here was a 1983 release that I had never even heard of. Unfortunately, it became apparent very quickly why it had never surfaced as a film worth seeking out. The problem is not that the premise lacks potential, but that almost every beat plays out exactly as you expect it to.

Uncommon Valour is a thoroughly generic, paint-by-numbers action film. It opens with a montage covering Colonel Rhodes’ decade-long search for his son before discovering he is being held in a prisoner of war camp. Act One sees him recruit a team made up of his son’s surviving war buddies. Naturally, that includes an ex-convict, a businessman, a surfer and, because every film like this seems to need one, a rookie who has never seen combat. Act Two is the inevitable training montage as the group bond and overcome obstacles together. Act Three is the rescue mission itself, where heroism and self-sacrifice unfold exactly as you would expect.

Unfortunately, the execution never rises above the formula, including a rather disappointing ending. It is not helped by the fact that the action sequences and special effects are really beginning to show their age in a film released in 1983.

Gene Hackman does what he can to lend the film some gravitas, but even an actor of his calibre cannot elevate material this predictable. Uncommon Valour is a cliché-ridden, formulaic action film that offers little reason to seek it out today.