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Operation Red Sea

Operation Red Sea

2018138 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Director
Dante Lam
Starring
Yi Zhang, Johnny Huang, Hai-Qing, Jiang Du

A squad of the Jiaolong Commando Unit - Sea Dragon, a spec ops team of the Chinese Navy, carries out a hostage rescue operation in the nation of Yewaire, on the Arabian Peninsula, and fiercely fights against local rebel groups and Zaka, a terrorist organization.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Operation Red Sea?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Operation Red Sea streaming on Hi-YAH! via The Roku Channel, Tubi (free) and ViX via The Roku Channel and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Operation Red Sea?

Operation Red Sea earns 10 badges, led by Awards magnet and Crowd Pleaser.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Operation Red Sea worth watching?

Operation Red Sea's Midcredits score is the 73rd percentile of all films, from 13K ratings across 4 sources. 65% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

73rd percentile

Better received than 73% of films

85th percentile among Action73rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)71st
Approval (how many liked it)72nd

67 /100

71st percentile of all films

85th percentile among Action70th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

65% liked it

72nd percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Action73rd percentile among 2010s
65% rated it 7–1035% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 64%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 36 wins / 41 noms overall

90th percentile

13K ratings across platforms

81st percentile among Action90th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$70M
Opening weekend$436K
Domestic gross$1.5M
Worldwide gross$579M

Returned 8.3× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a non-stop action spectacle with heavy military hardware and a clear patriotic message.

Fans praised

  • relentless, gritty action sequences
  • realistic depiction of war brutality
  • strong team dynamics and tactical detail

Detractors panned

  • thin plot used only to string action scenes together
  • flat character development and indistinguishable soldiers
  • overt nationalist propaganda

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive80

immersive war-torn setting

Effects and spectacleDivisive78

large-scale practical and CGI explosions, mixed quality

TensionDivisive78

thrilling, edge-of-seat action

CinematographyDivisive75

impressive shot craft and realistic battlefield visuals

PacingDivisive65

relentless, exhausting for some

CharactersDivisive30

shallow, hard to tell apart, minimal development

OriginalityDivisive30

derivative of Hollywood war films

Plot and storyDivisive25

minimal, just a framing device for action

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 17 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Operation Red Sea like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its subject with full seriousness and patriotic reverence, presenting military operations with gravity and spectacle.
The rideThe film maintains high tension throughout, with the emotional weight concentrated in the climactic assault and its aftermath.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the initial pirate engagement through the rescue and final battle, following a conventional mission structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's heroic sacrifices and successful mission leave viewers with a mix of patriotic pride and sorrow.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe Jiaolong Assault Team is deployed on a rescue and evacuation mission, culminating in an assault on a terrorist stronghold, fitting the mission subtype of quest.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfDutyMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Duty · 2% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of filmsSurvival
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the soldier's unwavering commitment to their mission and the personal sacrifices made to protect civilians in a war-torn environment.
StanceThe film celebrates the courage, duty, and sacrifice of the elite soldiers, presenting them as heroic defenders of civilians and national honor.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Elliot Leung
SettingRed Sea coastal region, fictionalized Middle Eastern country in conflict
MusicThe score blends sweeping orchestral cues with electronic elements to heighten tension in action sequences.

Content guide

Is Operation Red Sea okay for kids?

TV-MA

Operation Red Sea is rated TV-MA. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (96/100), sexual content at minimal (9/100), language at moderate (37/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (5/100) and frightening material at severe (89/100). Overall it is heavier than 80% of TV-MA films.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany18
  • JapanR18+
  • Hong KongIII
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 83% of all filmsHeavier than 80% of TV-MA films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 96%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 6%
Profanity
Moderate
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 15%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 3%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 93%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Operation Red Sea have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Operation Red Sea?

Cast

4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Yi Zhang
as Yang Rui
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Johnny Huang
as Gu Shun
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Hai-Qing
as Xia Nan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jiang Du
as Xu Hong
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Hanyu Zhang
as Gao Yun
Luxia Jiang
as Tong Li
Yutian Wang
as Zhang Tiande
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Fang Yin
as Li Dong
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Henry Prince Mak
as Zhuang Yu
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jiahao Guo
as Lu Chen
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Operation Red Sea?

Movies like Operation Red Sea include Red Cliff II (2009), The Balkan Line (2019) and The Guns of Navarone (1961). Of the 12 closest matches, all are military films, and half are mission stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Operation Red Sea?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.