Alek Davis I like some Balabanov's movies (Брат, Мне не больно). Can't bring myself to watch others (Брат 2). This one is somewhere in the middle. I like the depiction of life in the mountains. Small things, like Chechen kids always kicking passing prisoners, double-talk of Russian military officials, etc, made more impression on me than the main story line, which, I admit, I cannot buy. Come on: a geeky Russian private turning commando overnight? Seriously? Assuming this is no "Rambo", where everything goes, the expectation is that it has to be somewhat realistic, right? Then someone please explain to me, why Captain Medvedev did not make a call for air support immediately after the attack? How come nobody got hurt during the river escape (and I would not get into the whole premise of the river escape)? Depicting a Chechen commander, who does not understand that there is a difference in exchange rate between US Dollars and GB Pounds reminded me of the old Soviet war movies always depicting German soldiers with moronic expressions on their faces. What was the point of Margaret and Captain Medvedev's liaison? Acting (with exception of Ian Kelly, whom I just wanted to smack) is mostly good. Good camera work and soundtrack. Can't think of any woman who would like this movie, but some guys may.

slon45 Some people complain of the "boring" action scenes, but this is not true. The scenes that occur in villages or other close-quarters situations really are interesting. Many people expect something out of Commando or Total Recall, but that is not how these battles happen. Even at relatively close range, there isn't much that a pinned down, wounded soldier can do. He can shoot back, hoping to hit something, but he is more or less immobile and probably less aware of his surroundings. The battles that occur at range are slow because, well, they are. When soldiers are closing in on a location from, coming over a mountain and moving around, there isn't much you can do, even with a relatively accurate machine gun. You can fire off rounds here and there, but mostly it is about killing at least one or two of them, while conserving ammo for the time when the enemies are closer. You are even worse off with an AK-47 when are long ranges. That's why it isn't so exciting. It is, nonetheless, an interesting and realistic plot. No, the cars don't explode because the hero fired a few rifle rounds from a huge distance.

orbit66 From a British perspective, it's interesting to note the only really poor performance came from Ian Kelly (John), an English actor. Had it not been for his atrocious skills, the film would have been excellent. Casting him took some authenticity away from the film, but then again, why Ingeborga Dapkunaite as (Margaret) didn't have a single spoken line in the film didn't help either! Aleksei Chadov as (Ivan) put in a great performance, and all other elements came together to make good entertainment and a rare look at the Chechen "situation".This is probably one of the most realistic films I've seen gore-wise. Family entertainment it ain't.If you're male, and looking for something different from the usual blockbuster bore-fest, then give this a viewing!

Boris I think this movie is great. A few things upset it a bit, but overall it's very true to the realty of the situation in Chechnya and Russia, which is ultimately what matters to me. I especially like the style with which the movie was shot. It is as if it is made of little pieces each with it's own tagline. It's not philosophical in most aspects; it just shows the reality and well... that's it. If the viewer wants to think about something he/she can, if not just take it as it comes.Plus at least it's honest with the viewer that in ANY war conflict civilians do die, unlike `Black hawk down'.