“SISU” Dont Poke The Bear [MOVIE REVIEW]

Sisu is an untranslatable Finnish word meaning unimaginable courage in the face of extreme danger. It is, but as this film will show, it is much more than that. But first, a word of warning. It's an incredibly violent film, but so violent, like a Quentin Tarantino film, that it becomes overly caricatured and therefore worth watching. Count. I am very disgusted and avoid horror and gore. I can't say I'm proud that I enjoyed this movie, but the memory of how outrageous it was makes me smile.

Nazis. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

It is the last months of the Second World War, and the last Nazi troops were ordered to leave their base on the Russian-Finnish border and relocate to Norway. Driving past with their two tanks and trucks full of ammunition, supplies, and captured Finnish "comfort girls", they encounter Korpi. Korpi, a retired Finnish army commando, was looking for and found a gold mine. His backpacks are filled to the brim with pebbles as he walks purposefully home.

They aim their rifles at the fin, find the reserve, and joyfully aim. Thus begins the brutal cat-and-mouse game I've dubbed "Superman vs. Super Race" as Korpi runs for cover and starts throwing mines at his attackers.

Of course, the German commander and his troops are villains with no redeeming qualities. Rapists, murderers, greedy bastards: not enough words to define them. The commander is willing to risk everything to get the gold. He knows, like everyone else, that a retreat to Norway will not mitigate the imminent defeat that will destroy them irrevocably in occupied Germany. But no matter what he throws at Korpi, the faithful Fin survives and finds new ways to torture and kill his pursuers.

Director and screenwriter Jalmari Helander created a western-style film in which Korpi is a resourceful farmer who defeats Apaches in order to kill him. Better yet, consider this scene (in fact, it's as ridiculous as it is gripping) in John Ford's classic Stagecoach, where it looks like John Wayne single-handedly kills his attackers with a reloading shotgun. Now change your mindset and become a heroic native american who defends his home and treasures from vicious cavalry marauders.

With the exaggerated premise that one resourceful and determined strongman can defeat an army (or at least a heavily armed division), this super-violent film will make you roar in approval of Korpi's ingenuity. Best of all, Sisu has a killer ending (literally and figuratively) that will make you smile, if not laugh.

Comfortable girls. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

Kudos to Helander for coming up with this outrageous idea and executing it with bated breath. Kjell Lagerroos' cinematography in Lapland is excellent and Helander is very grateful to editor Juho Virolainen for finding the right pace to suit the director's needs.

This action movie was never intended to showcase the acting talents of the contestants. Jorma Tommila as Korpi is great because she uses her laser-focused eyes to understand her actions. His wounded body is as much a part of his technique as those bullets. Nazis who all speak English are straight out of a Mel Brooks movie. You can almost hear him say "Nazi Schmatzi" as the vicious SS-Obersturmführer Bruno Helldorf, played by Axel Henny, continues his killing spree, sacrificing his men in search of gold. The "Comfort Girls" are not far behind, they come to the aid of Korpi at a critical moment.

Is "Sisu" a great art? I don't think so, but I no longer hesitate to say that I really enjoyed it. A word of caution, there's a lot to enjoy in this David versus Goliath tale. When I think about it, "Sisu" doesn't match the cruelty in the Bible. So relax, go ahead, find innocent pleasure in the fun and wait for this killer.

In English and Finnish with subtitles.

Opening Friday, April 28 at AMC Century 15, AMC Grove 14, and TCL Chinese Theaters + IMAX in locations like Los Angeles County.

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