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“Merah Putih” (“Red and White”) is a war movie that derives much of its strength from the bangs and the booms, but needs greater depth in order to offer the audience an engaging emotional ride.

Set in 1947, when the Dutch were trying to regain control over Indonesia, the 108-minute film chronicles the tale of a group of young cadets who launch a resistance movement against the foreign invaders.

Directed by Yadi Sugandi, the movie begins with the main characters’ enlistment in Sekolah Tentara Rakjat (The People’s Military School).

The main characters are cadets from diverse backgrounds: Amir (Lukman Sardi) is a Muslim teacher; Marius (Darius Sinathrya) and Soerono (Zumi Zola) come from prijaji families, the Javanese elite class; Dayan (T. Rifnu Wikana) is from Bali and adheres to Hinduism; and Tomas (Donny Alamsyah) is a Christian farmer from North Sulawesi.

The young cadets’ friendship, which puts aside class, racial and religious differences for the common cause of country, laudably restores the currently waning sense of national pride, and epitomizes the country’s pluralistic principle of bhineka tunggal ika (unity in diversity).

After the cadets graduate from the military academy, they attend a celebration party, where they dance to both traditional and Western songs.

But just as the pace starts to feel slow and tedious, the much-awaited battle scenes commence when Dutch troops ambush the party. Most of the Indonesian soldiers are killed, setting up a “Mission Impossible”-style battle between the band of five “brothers” and the imposing colonizers.

At the core, this is a war movie. In that sense, “Merah Putih” provides an unprecedented level of thrills through its heart-pumping gun battles, gory knife killings and stunning explosions — kudos to special effects coordinator Adam Howarth, whose credits include “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Hawk Down.” The movie is definitely a fresh alternative in the local motion picture industry.

Once the movie enters the battle chapter, however, the plot flattens substantially. The story becomes a mere successions of events, instead of an integrated piece with a strong unifying drama, ultimately resulting in a weak climax. “Merah Putih” gives out the excitement of “Rambo,” but not the satisfaction of “Full Metal Jacket.”

It is highly entertaining to the eyes and ears, but it could use more ingredients that would please the mind.

The best performance undoubtedly is by Alamsyah as Tomas, who enlisted to avenge the brutal killings of his family by the Dutch. His portrayal of a soldier’s ruthlessness, made richer by a thick Manadonese accent and raging personality, was consistent and brilliant.

Credit should be given to the director’s decision not to sanctify the characters. Just as the Dutch soldiers are sadistic in killing locals, Tomas and Dayan kill their enemies cruelly and unapologetically — a plus point for the movie’s credibility.

Continuity is a minor problem. In one scene, the characters are involved in an overnight battle in the jungle, muddying up their uniforms. But the following scene, set the next morning, shows them all in miraculously clean uniforms.

The battles bear much resemblance to American war movies and the scoring is predominantly in Western-style as well. While there’s nothing wrong with having a Western influence in an Indonesian movie, considering that the film seeks to portray Indonesian patriotism, the Western elements may have played down its authenticity.

“Merah Putih” is the first installment of the “Trilogi Merdeka” (“Freedom Trilogy”) and was deliberately released near Independence Day.