R | 1h 29m | Drama, War, Action | 2025
As far as originality is concerned, there’s not much of it to be found in the now two “Sisu” movies. At various points aping the “John Wick,” “Mad Max,” “Rambo” franchises, and at least half of Quentin Tarantino’s entire back catalogue, these movies still manage to play out as wholly original works.
The 2023 first installment (“Sisu”) was set in 1944 during the Lapland War between Finland and Germany. Lead character Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is a former Finnish commando turned gold miner.
Soviets for Germans
In “Sisu: Road to Revenge” (“Revenge”), it’s 1946 and the bone of contention is the Soviet Union’s annexation of an area of Finland known as Karelia. This hostile takeover resulted in the displacement, death, or the removal of the national identity of over 400,000 Finns.Merely seeking peace and quiet retirement, Aatami crosses into enemy territory for the sole purpose of dismantling the home he shared with his deceased family and reassembling it at a more placid location.
But like wildfire, news of Aatami spreads fast and the Soviet hierarchy wants Aatami killed “at any cost.” To this end, the Soviet army dredges up Yeagor Dragunov (Stephen Lang), a war criminal currently in a Siberian prison.
Dragunov is promised his freedom and an unspecified amount of money for the deed, should he be successful. For about five minutes, this seems, in theory, to be a relatively easy task.
It’s clear that Dragunov is aware of Aatami’s crafty reputation and stealthy fighting skills, which is why he sends hapless minions into the void, where they quickly become grease spots in his target’s hands.
Indestructible
After dispatching a few guys on foot, Dragunov uncorks four guys on motorcycles who wear welding (read: bulletproof) helmets, all to no avail. The same goes for three planes dropping bombs.As with “Sisu,” “Revenge” was written and directed by Jalmari Helander, who also happens to be Tommila’s brother-in-law. In most instances, one might think some degree of nepotism might be at play here, but that’s not the case. Both men had established careers before collaborating in 2022. In the case of the two “Sisu” movies, the participation of each man is needed for the spectacular results.
Let’s be real clear about one thing: These two movies aren’t for everyone. They are violent, but no more so than the films mentioned in the opening paragraph. Here’s a good qualifier: Did you think “Saving Private Ryan” was too graphic? If so, don’t see “Revenge,” it’s not for you.
If, on the other hand, you feel violence is a needed component of an authentic war movie, particularly a World War II movie based in fact (as the “Sisu” movies are), you should put it at the top of your cinematic dance card.
Unlike the usual industry approach, Helander divided both films into chapters. This is akin to that of Tarantino in most of his movies, particularly the two “Kill Bill” flicks and “Inglourious Basterds,” his WWII offering that he’s referred to multiple times as his masterpiece.
Language Barrier?
In the first movie, the antagonists were Nazis, and in the second they are Soviet communists. The issue in both movies is that native German and Russian characters speak English. From a marketing perspective I get this logic, but from a “suspicion of disbelief” angle, it constantly reminds me that I’m watching a movie.I give Steven Spielberg huge credit for having the French and German characters in “Saving Private Ryan” speak in their native tongues with accompanying English subtitles. This only increased the believability factor for me and, as a rule, I don’t mind subtitles.
What’s most ironic about both movies is that Aatami has exactly one total line of spoken dialogue.
