Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad) (2007)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Brutal, action heavy, Brazilian cop film with a pointless voiceover. Lacks flair, overdoes the violence and is never quite sure where its morals lie.
Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad) Videos & Photos
Movie Info
For decades, the South American metropolis of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has clocked in as staggeringly lethal. Its violence-scarred and blood-strewn ghettos (or "favelas") are regularly patrolled by crazed drug gangs whose open-fire battles with police often spread out onto the main thoroughfares and turn ordinary civilians into casualties. In response, the Brazilian government formed a crack paramilitary force known as the BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais, or Special Police … More
| Rating: | R (for strong violence, pervasive language and drug content) |
| Genre: | Drama, Action & Adventure |
| Directed By: | José Padilha |
| Written By: | Rodrigo Pimental, José Padilha, Bráulio Mantovani, Rodrigo Pimentel |
| In Theaters: | Aug 17, 2007 Wide |
| On DVD: | Oct 28, 2008 |
| Runtime: |
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Cast
as Capt. Nascimento
as Neto
as André Matias
as Capt. Fábio
as Maria
as Rosane
as Edu
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LoginCritic Reviews for Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad)
All Critics (36) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (16)
For nearly two hours, Padilha bombards viewers with senseless, sickening violence for its own sake.
Elite Squad is a relentlessly ugly, unpleasant, often incoherent assault on the senses from Brazil.
Elite Squad can't decide whether it wants to pull the lid back on what urban decay has wrought or simply open up a can of whup ass.
[José Padilha] recariously pitches the squad's brute force as less a necessary evil than the outgrowth of an existing evil -- a no-win situation that mocks liberal ideals and warps conservative pragmatism into domestic terrorism.
It bears a resemblance to viscerally exciting seventies urban thrillers like The French Connection, in which only the fascists could do what needed to be done.
A satisfactory enough cop movie, but not one that people will still be name checking years hence
Audience Reviews for Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad)
This is documentary-style filmmaking at it's most raw and forceful; it'll hit you like a freight train! "Elite Squad" is a landmark of Brazilian cinema. Picking up where "City of God" left off, this film inhabits the same world as that masterpiece but plays by it's own rules and has a fresh new perspective to share. The constant comparisons are almost unjust considering what a singular effort Director Padhilha's movie is. It's got a sense of tension and urgency that most Hollywood action pictures yearn for.
Super Reviewer
An excellent and spectacularly entertaining movie. It`s truly terrific to watch and dose not get boring for a minute and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It packs a pure power-punch of intensity that knocks you flat out with its explosive action, strong performances and brutal honesty. Movies don't get more real or more powerful than this. A masterpiece. Director, Jose Padilha crafts an stylish, dark and gripping police drama like no other. A groundbreaking achievement that earns it`s right to be called a classic. A heart-pounding action-packed thrill-ride that's loaded with pulse-pounding drama and thunderous gun-battles that take you to the limit. A total adrenaline-rush from start to finish. A hard-boiled and exhilarating piece of work that deserves attention. It shows that grim reality of gang-related violence, inner city and police politics that the necessary evil they need to achieve their objectives. The cast is extraordinary. Wagner Moura gives a powerful and sensational performance. I loved this movie. It rocks and rocks profoundly.
Super Reviewer
In the slums of Rio de Janeiro drugs are the currency of choice and the police are in on the action, but when things get really bad it is the job of the Elite Squad to go in and sort out the mess. We follow Captain Nascimento who is struggling to find a replacement as he wishes to quick for when he becomes a father. Two of the potential new recruits are Matias, a dedicated law student and Neto, a headstrong cop stuck working as a mechanic. The film is a brutal look at the hellish lives in the slums, as well as the danger the police put themselves through everyday. We see the Elite Squad, known as BOPE, acting incredibly tough and shooting to kill, but we never once doubt their methods. The film is a thrilling ride, but it is hampered by what seems like a hastily added voice-over which explains everything that is going on, making long periods of the film sound like an audiobook. It also feels like the first chapter of a much larger story, which in a way is a good sign as it left me wanting much, much more.I enjoyed every single character but I really do think the two new recruits should have been the focus throughout.
Super Reviewer
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