Damyn S
The obvious misplaced British and American accents can be forgiven here (as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator effortlessly demonstrates). But the respective characters appear to be immune to the deplorable and barbaric conditions of World War Two’s bloodiest battle. Law and Harris easily dismiss Stalingrad's deteriorating barbarism for a cat and mass vendetta. Meanwhile, soldiers by the millions succumb to the struggle between communism and fascism which the film consciously neglects. As a result, we are treated to an unrealistic love-triangle between Vasily, Danilov and Tania. This fixation by Annaud deviates from the film’s strengthens and overall tone. Consider the early crossing of the Volga by Vasily, note how the film struggles to recapture that same ferocity throughout. Its attempt to reimagine Stalingrad is commendable, but it falls short with its character arcs that merely aid Vasily in-between sniper confrontations. History’s most violent showdown is dismissed in favour of a passionate romance, leaving minimal room to pay homage to the millions sacrificed.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
09/16/24
Full Review
mark g
Great action scenes. The sets are also incredible. Law and Harris are good in the leads. The romance really felt tacked on and less than believable. Does a good job of revealing the USSR's disdain for the lives of their own soldiers. Parts of the movie are great, primarily the battle scenes, but overall the film is merely pretty good.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
08/08/24
Full Review
Godfrey D
Its a really good movie.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/07/24
Full Review
Nathan W
This film started out very strong, and most of the first reel was a pretty accurate and harrowing depiction of Russia's early involvement in World War 2. The battle scenes were complex, realistic, and wonderfully graphic. (Really felt like we were in the thick of it). It did a great job framing how messy and chaotic the Red Army offensive was at that point. No real strategy or anything, just throwing bodies at the German lines, and hoping for the best. I thought it was an immensely effective period piece, and the amount of detail that went into every scene was very impressive. I mean, the costumes, the props, the set pieces, the battlefields... It all looked incredible, and not one thing felt out of place. I thought the CGI might be a weak point for this movie, but it was more than passable for the time. (Not overly relied upon, but hardly noticeable when it was). The score wasn't bad at all, but it got a little repetitive, and didn't always match the tone of the film. (Sometimes it was too upbeat when dangerous stuff was happening). There was quite the pool of acting talent working on this project, and most of the performances did not disappoint. Jude Law brought his usual A-game, Rachel Weisz was especially emotional and moving, and Bob Hoskins absolutely crushed it as Khrushchev. (I only wish the man had more screentime, because he absolutely stole every scene that he was in). Special commendations go out to Ron Perlman, who was witty and amusing for his brief stint, and Joseph Fiennes, who was magnificent and I don't know why he isn't in more pictures. The only person I didn't care for was Ed Harris. It could have been how his character was written, but he didn't wow me, and felt a bit out of place to be honest. Before we get to the stuff that could have been better, I have to offer my praise to the cinematographers. It was such a good-looking film overall. They beautifully captured the horrors of war, which is a major reason why I rated it so high. There was so much variety, so many interesting and creative shots, and it added a lot of visual interest to otherwise dull scenes. That's probably as good of a segue as I'm going to get, but there was a little too much downtime for my liking. The "cat and mouse" game was still interesting, and certainly not without suspense, but it wasn't the most exciting thing either, and it occupied too much of the runtime. (Not enough about the war at large). It kind of had the same problem as "Pearl Harbor". You know, we had great action out of the gate, then it became more of a character drama, and then a romance happened for some reason. (I get that all of this was done to appeal to the masses, but it would have been better to play things more serious, and have German/Russian subtitles instead of everyone speaking English). As I said, the acting was pretty great all around, and the deliveries mostly felt right, but people's attitudes didn't quite match what was going on. (A little bit too calm and cheerful for the danger they were facing). The writing wasn't bad, but the story could have been more focused, as it tended strayed from the main plot. And lastly, I don't know if production was behind, or the film got too long, but the ending felt rushed, and it wasn't the exciting climax I was hoping for. That might seem like a lot of complaints for a four star rating, but it was still the most convincing, and best-looking war movie I've ever seen. The attention to detail was second to none, which is more than enough to erase a few creative shortcomings in my book.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
07/09/24
Full Review
Rory W
Absolutely thrilling based on a very accurate description of the battle of Stalingrad. Others may say the love story shouldn’t be involved when in reality it was part of Visiliy and Tania’s reality to a degree. Must see for anyone that likes WWII movies.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
06/30/24
Full Review
Justin W
Epic masterpiece, one of the best war adaptation. A never get old duel of the century.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/17/24
Full Review
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