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I just watch the first movie a few days ago and it was because of the sequel actually, if not I would probably just skip leaving it behind considering how flooded we are in content now days, the sequel does not disappoint at all actually cranks everything up a few notches and somehow manages to be better than the original in almost every way possible, probably around 30 or 40 minutes into this thing I was thinking yeah this sequel seems to be done right for what the first movie was, Road to Revenge takes everything that worked in the first movie like the relentless action, the ultra violence, the silent badass main character who refuses to die no matter what gets thrown at him and just goes harder with all of it with bigger set pieces, more vehicles getting destroyed, more insane kills and somehow they even managed to squeeze some real emotion out of it by the end which I was not expecting at all. I think sequel work so well because it just keeps moving forward the entire time literally, the whole thing is designed like a Finnish version of Mad Max Fury Road where our guy is on the run from the start and never stops, the first movie was more contain just one dude with his gold trying to survive but this one throws him into trucks motorcycles planes and trains and each vehicle gets its own crazy action sequence that feels fresh. There is this early truck chase that mixes that classic action movie vibes with the nonestop chasing and with the Sisu style of being cranked up to 11 with gore and violence, then a plane sequence that does its own thing while still feeling like a callback to Last Crusade without doing a carbon copy of it, the whole finale takes place on a train and it gets absolutely nuts there is a stealth scene where he has to move through a room without making noise while dealing with pain which sounds simple but they make it tense then it explodes into shootouts and bombs and pure chaos. Every action scene tries to set the bar higher than the previous one and they never run out of creative ways to put this guy in impossible situations and then find some batshit way for him to get out of it like watching a fkn cartoon but with actual stakes and blood everywhere, the action is relentless and the movie never slows down.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31844586/
- Platform: AppleTV+
Rottentomatoes Rating
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The Finnish culture is all over this movie too which gives it something most action movies do not have anymore an actual personalty, the director wanted to make something that reflected his people their history with World War II how that shaped them and this very stoic way of dealing with heavy shit. Aatami the main character still does not talk much, from what I found about the movie production, the director said if it was up to him this would be a silent movie but you cannot sell that to studios so there is some dialogue but the movie functions without it most of the time, all of that ties into the ending wich I cannot say anything about without spoiling it since its a short movie everything is so tight together. A movie this violent and over the top should not be able to pull off something that emotionally sweet but it does because everything connects back to what matters to this character what he values and what he has left in this world, its not just about revenge or survival anymore there is weight to what he is doing. You get the sense that every brutal kill every insane stunt is driving toward something meaningful and when that payoff comes it hits harder than you expect from a movie that spends most of its runtime blowing shit up and finding creative ways to murder people, the balance between the crazy action and the genuine emotion is what makes this way better than just being another dumb action sequel.
Stephen Lang plays the villain and he is a damn good upgrade from the first movie the guy just has this presence that makes every scene better, the revenge angle is way more personal this time because Lang ties directly into Aatami character past, what happens to his family and why he is doing what he is doing. Its not about gold anymore like in the first one this mission is about everything that matters to him, everything he has left and he will destroy anyone and anything that gets in his way to make sure he succeeds, that personal connection between hero and villain makes all the action feel like it actually means something instead of just being cool looking violence for the sake of it though the violence is still cool do not get me wrong. Lang brings this intensity to every scene he is in and you can tell he is having a blast playing this character, he chews up the scenery without going too over the top, theres this scene where he is just standing still while bullets are flying around him and you can see in his eyes that he knows exactly who he is dealing with and respects it in a weird way. The dynamic between him and our silent badass creates this tension that runs through the entire movie, you know these two are gonna have to face off eventually and when it finaly happens its worth the wait, the final confrontation between them is brutal and satisfying and gives both characters there moment to shine.
The movie also does a great job of using the environment as part of the action, every location feels like it was chosen specifically to create unique set pieces, some felt a bit cliche as it almost speaks to you telling whats going to happen next but still doesnt matter because every other action scene is great. The truck chase through the forest has branches slapping the vehicle and obstacles everywhere that Aatami has to navigate while being shot at by motorcycles covered in armor and grenades, the plane sequence takes place in these tight spaces between trees where the jets cannot maneuver properly so they have to get creative with there attacks wich leads to some absolutely ridiculous moments that somehow work. Then theres the train scene towards the end wich is just non stop chaos from start to finish with our guy having to sneak through cars full of enemies while injured then turn around and go full Rambo when the stealth approach stops working, the way the movie uses each location to its fullest potential feels more than just a cool set with awesome visuals, its like they wanted every scene to feel unique and that it sticks to your mind since thats what basically action movies are, a set of cool scenes that sticks with you, nobody remembers the drama for the most part. The environment gives the movie a very unique Finnish identity, from the frozen landscapes to the industrial settings everything feels real to the place and the people, you get this sense that the director really cares about representing his culture in a way that feels true instead of just using it as window dressing for an action movie.
Overall Road to Revenge is everything a sequel should be, yes call it over the top, yes call it exaggerated but it takes what worked in the original and makes it bigger while adding new stuff that makes it feel fresh and exciting. The action is bigger and more personal and the whole thing moves at this fast pace that never lets up, its the kind of movie that reminds you why action movies can be so much fun when they are done right. I cant say the success of the movie is its short runtime but the movie use it as an advantage because its like it has to cramp a lot of action into a small amount of time considering its about 90 minutes long, not much but it just keeps pumping adrenaline none stop with sprinkles of drama and context. If you liked the first Sisu you are gonna love this one and if you have not seen the first one you should probably watch both back to back as I did because they make a great double feature, this is the kind of sequel that actually makes sense to exist instead of just being a cash grab and I hope we get more movies like this that are willing to take risks and do something different with the action genre. I give it a solid 8 out of 10 its not perfect but its a hell of a good time and exactly what I wanted from a sequel to one of the most fun action movies of the last few years, definitely worth checking out if you want something that balances insane action with genuine heart.
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