Incredible Source Material Makes 'Operation Finale' Mostly Engaging

Operation Finale is a historical drama spy thriller film that tells the story of the time the Mossad was able to locate, identify, and capture the wanted SS officer Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) who was hiding in Argentina. It largely focuses on how, in 1960, Israeli agents Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), Isser Harel (Lior Raz), Rafi Eitan (Nick Kroll), Zvi Aharoni (Michael Aronov), and several others abducted the Nazi war criminal, whom they then had to keep hidden for nine days in a safe house before they were able to smuggle him to Israel that he might stand trial.

I liked most of the film.  I was engaged from the beginning until the part where the Mossad agents grabbed Eichmann.  It was being a thoroughly fascinating thriller up to that point.  However, after that, it got boring at stretches.  The quality tension only began picking up again at its climax; by then, the film was near its end.

It’s somewhat disappointing, really.  The Mossad is considered to be one of the best intelligence agencies – if not the best – in the world, and their clandestine operation to nab Eichmann – an act that understandably pissed off Argentina – is one of their most badass moments.  Thus, I was expecting much of this movie – which, as far as I know, is the first movie to tackle this story.  Prior to watching it, I was picturing that it would be around the level of Munich and Argo, two historical spy films that are somewhat similar to it.  It isn’t, unfortunately.

But that’s just me.  I can totally see others getting completely satisfied with this film.  It’s, after all, by no means a bad film.  Not really.  It definitely has a decent amount of interesting aspects – chiefly thanks to the source material – and those may prove ample to others.

Still, I believe that this incredible real-life story deserved a better cinematic execution than what Operation Finale has had.