Scott_MSM Four Millennial buddies make money scavenging battlefields for medals and other collectibles. They start out superficial and materialistic. They end up maturing a decade or so in the course of a few days spent in the middle of the Patriotic War in 1942. Only flaw in this fine film, IMHO, is that the director does not show the group giving the cigarette case to the old woman whom they wronged at the start of the adventure. This is mainly an intense war film with some scifi trappings. The four friends rapidly learn that loyalty, patriotism and courage count for more than the latest game or nihilistic hanging out. Very good acting all around though the individual roles are from Central Casting: the ultranationalist, the nerd, the puer aeternus, the potential-to-be-a-leader, the brave female. SPOILER FOLLOWS The action proper begins when the group is approached by an old woman who asks them to find out what happened to her son who was MIA in 1942. The group laughs at her and shines her on-why, oh why, don't we teach our kids to never ever wrong and old woman whom they meet in the wild? Yep, she sends them back to 1942 on the eve of an offensive. Some temporal paradox here but the director crafts such a fine film that these are easily forgotten.

tlc_hatch For me, a Navy brat and AF wife, I found this to be a powerful, moving, emotional film that literally sucks you in. It vividly portrays how much we owe everything we are and everything we have to those brave souls who fought and died in battles just like this, to maintain the freedom we now enjoy and take for granted. I can honestly say this had me from the synopsis! What a clever premise! My hat is off to the creator and writer. It is the perfect moral lesson for those desecrating the graves of fallen soldiers. To experience all the raw emotions that go with war and see in such gut-wrenching detail who these skeletons actually were during their days on earth, alive and breathing was such a revelation. They went from dusty skulls and bones lying in dirt to flesh and blood human beings with feelings, emotions, thoughts and ideas. The choice was theirs and they sacrificed themselves valiantly. The nurse, so beautiful, dedicated and daring, risking everything to crawl in the middle of the battlefield to check the fallen, to protect those she could save. Their leadership, trying to maintain an effective team of soldiers, discipline fairly, and encourage them on. And finally the soldiers themselves, with all their human frailties, the funny, the sweet, the sad, the scared & downright terrified, the loyal, the triumphant and all of them flawed but incredibly heroic. It made it personal. It broke my heart to watch the blindage scene. My favorite part was when Vladimir's character (I think they called him Skull?) tries to scrape off his swastika tattoo. You can see they are visibly shaken and will never be the same. Great period piece, authentic right down to the Mosin-Nagants. Loved the music, very good battle scenes, (I freaked watching the tanks run over their trench!). I was on the edge of my seat which is rare for me! I highly recommend this movie. Not just because its message is so aptly delivered but it is truly entertaining. It was called "Back In Time" when I watched it today on Amazon Prime.

hte-trasme This production started with a good concept: a group of young contemporary men who dig up World War II memorabilia for its cash and souvenir value -- one of whom is a skinhead with a swastika tattoo - - are magically transported back in time to the war itself. While the realization looks very good and I don't have any problems with the script itself, its a long time between sections of dialogue, and it ends up seeming as if the characters and situations have never been fully developed -- which is a shame given such a potentially interesting situation. The period battles are very impressively recreated, but I couldn't help getting the feeling that the producers were so caught up with this aspect of the productions that some of the things that make a really satisfying movie were left out. The love story that there is seems sketched -- the girl resists and then is suddenly completely in love with the hero. In the end, the protagonists feel the terror of battle over glorious-sounding music and return home humbled. Even this feels like it happened so quickly after they were so recently just trying to get themselves out of there, and it seems like sentimentalization of the "Great Patriotic War" as it is known in Russia. In a film that is almost two hours long there is really no need for events to seem as rushed as they do, due to set pieces being given precedence at the expense of characters and scenes. Though it's certainly not a complete failure, given the premise it seems like a missed opportunity.

kanaifu I just watched this film yesterday at the mini festival on the occasion of 9th of May (Victory Day).There were only 4 reviews prior to this one for this movie.Only one review was displayed by default, where reviewer (presumably from another background, not a communist one) slashes the movie as non- worthy. This is absolutely not true.I would argue that if one is to truly understand this movie, he has to either be born and develop in a communist/post-communist regime (such as myself - SFRJ) or be an avid movie fan or be a professional movie critic.This movie at my age (39) and with my family (wife + 2 kids) has profoundly confirmed the ominous situation with Neo-Nazism in Europe and grave future which (possibly) awaits us all.****** spoiler alert ****** Aforementioned reviewer has agitated me, because this movie is not about time travel logic or anything about that. It is but a mechanism to show us deeper meaning.