Customer Ratings & Reviews

I was rather eager to see this film when it was announced. The Russians have been cranking out WW2 films as of late to go in stride with the soon to be 75th anniversary of the end of WW2. Plus they got ahold of 25 T-34/85s from Bruma recently in literally WW2 condition and slated for most for use in films. The story starts off in 1942 as the Germans are advancing towards Stalingrad and the main German baddie, In a Panzer Mk III gets into a slugfest with a Russian crew in a T-34. Both crews are knocking out each others tanks, only to duel at the end and both pretty much knocking each other out, but the Russians are taken prisoner. Jump a couple years to 1944, The Russian Tank commander is still defiant , Germans only call him The Tank Man since he's refused to give his name. The German Baddie, now higher in rank , wants to train new Panzer crews on how to fight the newer T-34/85. And with a captured example they manage to convince the Russian to train, but using a female translator who's also a concentration camp captive to bait the Russian into accepting by threatening her. He asks that he can select a crew. How ironically his old crew are still alive and in the POW camp. The captured T-34/85 still contains the bodies of the former crew and the Russians ask the Germans to allow them to bury the bodies. But our Hero has other plans for the T-34, to escape the training grounds and carry on the fight. But the Germans removed all the ammo for the main gun....or did they? The T-34/85 and crew start causing chaos at the training grounds and shoot their way out and are chased by their old foe in a Panther tank. Things to note, the film maker LOVES to show the main cannon shells coming out in slow motion and piercing armor, going through buildings. Much like in the Matrix where the bullets are going by in slow motion and Deo dodges the bullets. Admittedly there are no real Panthers running about for film use, The Russians crafted those tanks for the film and did a pretty good job (But its still a shop created tank, no interweaved road wheels that the Panther had, but straight in line road wheels). Yes, certain scenes are a bit over the top. But for once having a tank getting hit, or a shell ricocheting off the armor and the loud hammering noise inside is featured , which is a really nice touch. I deducted a star for some of the plot, Otherwise I enjoyed it. If only the Russians could follow what the Chinese film makers are doing now for military films (Operation Red Sea is a great example).

I loved the action and I love to watch it over and over again.

This intense Russian POW Escape film is accompanied by an equally spirited sound-track that very effectively amphiphiles the spirit of each scene. The casting of this movie is absolutely superb – all the principle cast was on-point as-well-as the support cast. Additionally, this tough brawling tank saga is superbly choreographed by the Director who knew his business and the cinematographer caught the moment of each scene. It is a stirring and entertaining moving-picture that’s worth seeing again. The Russians really got it right with this saga recorded on film!

Great action watched in Russian language English also on disc .dark realism. Oh my now what do we do. It's a war movie .yet the people stand out vividly in actions , you get hoping an I'm not saying more

Very good movie. it keeps you on edge all the time. some people didn't care for it. But to me it is more realistic of a WW II movie.