Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.
“We’ve seen this somewhere before,” mutters one of the young conscripts as they face yet another combat-hardened officer, and such déjà vu is likely to be shared by viewers – Russia’s Best Foreign Film nom for Oscar ’07 suffering more than a passing resemblance to Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.
The types that populate 9th Company are drawn from across the Soviet Union: romantic Vorobey (Alexey Chadov), artistic Dzhakonda (Konstantin Kryukov), and streetwise Lyutiy (Artur Smolyaninov). After the dehumanising agony of basic training, they’re shipped off to ’80s Afghanistan, where they come under ferocious attack.
Director Fyodor Bondarchuk handles the action sequences impressively but relies heavily on a bombastic orchestral score and slow-motion effects, while the film’s nationalistic sentiments ensure the enemy remains faceless and fanatical.
NO VERDICT
As Hollow Knight Silksong makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reemergence for Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox reminds everyone the Metroidvania is still day one on Game Pass
Superman's David Corenswet wants DC to adapt the animated show storyline where the Man of Steel switches places with Batman: "That would be fun"
A Minecraft Movie Review: "Jack Black's irrepressible star turn helps elevate this video game adaptation"
