User Reviews

I don't write a lot of reviews, but I felt this one needed one. I finished the series... even after wanting to give up halfway through. Some scenes have incredible dialogue, and the story makes sense and seems halfway believable... then all of a sudden it's like a child wrote the dialogue and the story completely falls off track. I don't think I've ever been so confused at how incredible some episodes are and the acting is fantastic... then the next episode makes no sense and the acting goes down the drain with it. It's almost like the actors know it's childish so they just play along.

The action scenes are amazing. The acting has its ups and downs that flow with the writing. The soundtrack is debatably awful. I have to give it a straight 6 cause the great is just barely outweighing the cringe. Watch it if you're bored, I guess.

They really tried making something good here The actors are good, story is half decent, but it could have been told much better. It's slow paced so the thrill is taken out of it, everything just feels like a drag, like you'd enjoy it better if you play the episodes at x2 speed. Every episode feels like it could be 20 minutes shorter because of how long some sequences and scenes are. I don't know if they're trying to build tension or suspense but it just ends up being dull. I'd say the concept is similar to terminal list, except more politics and it's a rescue mission not a revenge one. A military political thriller. It's just missing that edge of the seat feel. It sucks because the actors are doing a pretty good job, and this series could've been good but it has me literally begging for something, anything; it's like poking a sedated bear or going to the zoo and seeing a lion sleeping, it's capable of great action and awe but it's just lying there instead, like what a waste. Looking at the way the story is progressing, 5 episodes in, it's clearly building layers and getting interesting but the narration is so slow. There are scenes over a minute long were nothing substantial happens. Not every thriller needs shootouts or the like, but have some suspense and tension maybe. Just do something. Please.

First the positives - it looks great, it's shot beautifully. Evans (especially) and Huisman are excellent. The big action set pieces are terrifically staged, tense and compelling.

The negatives - the character of Amber is fundamentally unsympathetic and basically irritating from the start, which is a problem when the whole point of the show is that these people love her so much to go to war to get her back.

Also there is no need for 10 episodes- this feels like - a 4-6 part series stretches out to 10.

Fundamentally flawed but just about worth it for the action set pieces and Luke Evans was a standout throughout.

I'm going to start with the positives here, the action is excellent and every episode that I saw has at least one thrilling action sequence that's worth watching. Luke Evans is playing a very serious role here and I think he's the star of the show, he makes a solid pairing with Michiel Huisman as two co-workers with a family bond. The show starts with Huisman's character (Prince) marrying Luke Evans' (Bambi) sister played by Amber Chesborough, they are both black ops working together. They get a call to jump on a mission, and things goes south from there.

The sequence in the snow had me on the edge of my seat and I was on board for a great show, the sound design is really on-point and I always think it's bonus point when it's shot on location, which they do a lot here. This leads me to some of the issues I have with the series so far, keeping in mind that I've only seen three episodes. Everything else surrounding those action sequences can be lackluster in parts, it's a very cold series and not all characters are likeable which makes it tough sometimes to be attached emotionally. It has some strong moments but not all of it is working, it's at its best during the action sequences.

The story involves a lot of characters because of the political intrigue and I don't think everyone gets their moments to shine so when the action kicks in, there's a certain lack of emotional connection to the spectacle unfolding. Despite some solid acting & directing, I can't help but feel like this is not reaching its full potential, yet. I feel like it's not hitting the target with its political commentary. After 3 episodes, I still want to see where this is going and even if the only reason I'm still on board is because of the impressive action sequences, that's enough for me to stick around a little bit more because they hit with a bang.

My score after 3 episodes: 6.5/10.

Echo 3 is a solid military/political thriller that is absolutely worth watching. It stars Luke Evans, Jessica Ann Collins and Michael Huisman. The story is about a women named Amber (Collins) who goes missing after being abducted around the Columbia-Venezuela border during a political war. Her brother (Evans) and husband (Huisman) are two special ops soldiers who take it upon themselves to go find her and bring her back home. In doing so they have to overcome one crisis after another. The series is beautiful shot and the production value is as good as anything you'll see on a tv show. This is a political war drama that will keep you entertained throughout the series.

Everything feels like a retread of something previously done several times over--a woman gets taken in a foreign country, family struggles to get support from official channels, takes things into their own hands, using their "special" skills and resources. And it's Colombia/South America, so there are rebels, civil unrest, and social commentary involved. Throw in the CIA, military, and special forces, you basically have Echo 3 and every other story like it.

The story starts in Afghanistan, though I'm not sure there's that much relevance there, other than to establish that the leading male characters are members of Delta Force. An incident happens that is meant to create some tension between the characters, but if that's all there is, the audience could have just taken that as a given backstory of their past through a few lines of dialog and flashbacks if needed, without wasting screen time.

Nevertheless, once the story gets going, it begins to take shape, as the situation and circumstances start to spiral and escalate. It is from here that, despite the tired themes, it manages to become entertaining. Is it believable? It struggles to be, but once fully engaged, you'll suspend that disbelief and go along. It helps that Luke Evans is a good actor, and the most likable one in the cast. There are enough action sequences and adventure and production quality to make it worth watching it through to the end of Part One (first three episodes) and look forward to the next installment.

This series is quite misleading the audience, which explains the bad reviews. At first the series looks like a normal CIA story about soldiers, personal issues soldiers and their loved ones have, and a specific incident which requires action. But the story turns out to be far more than that, in fact it is a bold criticism of the role the CIA is playing in international conflicts. Many bad reviews are complaining that the persons in this series are just not likeable. Well, they are exactly as likeable as the authors of this series wanted them to be. People who want to know exactly who the good & the bad guys are will be disappointed in Echo 3, this is more multilayered than that. The action scenes are on point, the gun fights are awesome, camera & picture are tasteful and beautiful, and the music is brilliant. The actors become quite likeable also. Are we the good ones? Not easy to answer, like in the real world. Top notch CIA action series for demanding TV watchers.

Very surprised by the negative reviews, that said I guess I can see how some of the artsy approach and the periodic Jason Bourn like camera work could annoy a few.

Listen, Luke Evan is unreal in this role, one of best performances of the year in my opinion. The story has a bit of Terrance Mallick like camera work every now and then which I appreciate the artistic effort. Binged 8 episodes so far, and went back and rewatched a few.

I love this concept! A new approach.. To conclude, it's a political, journalistic, military thriller with authentic South American scenes.

Luke Evan's doesn't get the acting support necessary by cast to make this Emmy award level. Would hope for a season 2 - only if they're committed to making it better.

Many people complain about "white people killing brown" or something, but: 1. The fact that this operation is used as a false flag by the CIA to generate a war is clearly explained in the series.

2. the moral question is open during all the series. We understand why they would do anything to rescue their wife/sister, but we are also supposed to ask ourselves if what they are doing is really justified.

2. let's remind that the people who are killed are drug dealers, kidnappers, and incredibly corrupt.

The main issue is the wife/sister. She is unlikable, I don't know if this is the actress or the writing but we really do not care about her.

In the original israeli series (that diverges vastly from this one and is also better), the girl was played by one of the most popular singer/actress of the country so you understood why they would do anything. Not here. She is not even pretty.

While the action pieces in Ep. 1-3, 9,10 are very much done in a top-notch with a sense of realism, the rest of the episodes feel rather dragging with nothing much happening throughout. It could've been more tensely packed rather than overly prolonged. Episode 4-6 pretty much involves too much emotional journey of the characters that seem to be relevant to the plot, but it's an action thriller at heart, so maybe it should've shortened those emotional struggle, and combine it more with the action rather than making them stand alone for long period of runtime. Overall, it has done a great job in telling the story, but it also feels like a finished ending.

My review is based in 4 episodes so far, being the first three what they called Part One, and the first episode of Part Two.

I will avoid a summary. I like Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker, Code Geronimo, Counterstrike, Green Zone, the new Jack Ryan tv show and the Final List among others, so I had to watch this one.

Initially it looked very well, with some definition of characters, including their relation and skills that prove how badass are the male characters. The female is supposed to be tough as well, as it is mentioned many times, but it is not shown. Also, the love that the couple has is reminded many times through flashbacks of sex scenes and closeups of smiles and eyes, but it is not really there, I didn't see any chemistry.

In general, the pace is super slow and feels like a movie that has been extended adding failed operations and lots of bureaucracy -politics are mentioned but they are not seen much. Action is not very well shot and feels confusing. Even the character of Luke Evans is described as a Rambo, but he doesn't do much apart from proving to be a good sniper that seems similarly prepared to the commandos Colombian army.

I think they want to transmit to the viewers realism through the frustration of bureaucratic decisions and the confusion of the combat, which is nothing similar to the Final List and similar products. No body combat, everything at distance and with few calculated shots. But then, they lose the realism because a lot of non-sense situations. For example, someone says that they cannot approach the kidnappers place because they would be quickly detected by people in the streets, and they go to the place holding guns in public; they meet an enemy and tell him to go away, who of course warns his colleagues; they arrive to the country and ask to be included in the operation and sure they are; a commando is asked to retire officially when they could have rescued the hostages and few minutes later they decide to come back unofficially; and I could continue with many more stupid situations, which are nicely salted with slow realistic pace.

Then you get some scenes of character frustration and emotional pain with closeups and forced camera shots of now and then, during which you pray to arrive to the next action scene, which will take some time to appear.

At least the characters uncover some more layers in episode 4, showing the flaws of the male characters and explaining the strong bond between the siblings, although it didn't require to wait 4 episodes. And to make it worst, the fourth show many more stupid situations related with the two male characters, but I will save the details to avoid spoilers.

Personally, I'm stepping out here. I wasted more than 4 hours of my life.

Disappointed, I expected a lot from this series, its cast, based on a novel, and I found it disconcerting, nonsensical, with contradictory approaches, it supports violence, it does not support violence, it denounces corruption and on the other hand justifies it, I don't understand where it wants to go, too many contradictions in the script and in its characters, and for what it really counts it becomes too long, stretched out without giving it meaning or going deeper. The protagonist goes from being a CIA agent, and being proud of her brother to questioning him, after being kidnapped and tortured by drug traffickers?, the journalist tells them that they solve it outside of the legal channel in Bolivia, and when they do, she questions them for ending up with some terrorist narcos?. And saving one life deserves so many deaths?. In TV fiction, human life is worth less and less, and then we talk about violence in society, but what are we learning by constantly seeing this gratuitous violence? And since children. A pity.

I loved this series. Unlike anything I have ever seen. Interesting espionage/military angles, with some layered geopolitical themes. The editor really makes his mark here, crafting visual poetry and maintaining urgency in the action scenes. Compassionate choices in showing a multitude of perspectives with the rebel factions and civilians caught in the crossfire. Also it gave me major splinter cell vibes at times which is a good thing! Strong performances by the three leads with special mention to Luke Evans whose Australian accent is buried and you buy his southern drawl. Recommended viewing!!

Let the writers of "Notebook" and "Brokeback" get together and write a "SEAL Team" script. Lots of talking and speeches. Some artsy filmschool stuff. Half the relationships are same sex for some wack reason. Throw in five-minutes of action in every hour long episode. Doesn't make you wanna visit Columbia or Venezuela. As a retired combat veteran, I got bored and can see why I never heard of this show. Wouldn't recommend it. Not sure why I need to write a book here. Seems a bit silly. Go on and on after making my point. Weird, I see 4 line reviews. Oh well. Write and write until green. Then write one more sentence.

It feels like a pretty basic run-and-gun save the hostage who is also the sister, wife, yada yada yada. But it actually morphs into a pretty considered long form story with the same goals as the first episode. It's difficult to do, but I felt it completely nailed it. The script is great, the actors are convincing enough, but the main thing that was compelling was the nuanced way in which each conflict, when escalated to violence, spirals out in believable ways.

They have far reaching repercussions that end up interrogating the manner of which the CIA operates in the Latin American theatre (and others), and why it's not so easy to just go in and kill your problems away. And even when you do hit your target, the longer term effects actually surface in this story, unlike others-where it's just American army propaganda woooo we can do anything wooo.

For the life of me I just canNOT get past the half hour mark of the first episode. I'm sure it's good but that leading lady Who's life we're supposed to care about...I dunno but she's so annoying! And the entire show is hinged on the husband and brother trying to get her back. But she's so annoying that I have no attachment or care if she lives or not. She's like Lori in the Walking Dead season 1 and 2 and the audience were just so annoyed with her they ended up killing her off sooner than expected. This lady is the Lori of this show.

I'm not gonna give up just yet cuz Luke Evans is in it and he's doing great in it. And the plot seems interesting. But I'm gonna have to go back only when I'm in super good mood so I don't get so annoyed with that lady.