After the revelation of inventive action in the John Wick franchise, we now get Sisu which serves as a bonkers, no-holds-barred action movie that’s certain to exhilarate.
I can’t think of an action movie fanatic that wouldn’t fall in love with the way this movie presents its action. It’s bold, creative, and visceral, which may leave some audience members shaken up, but others will want to experience it more than once.
The movie begins with a definition of the word Sisu which has no definitive translation but is generally accepted as an individual of white-knuckle determination. It’s 1944 during the Lapland War, and the movie depicts its main character Aatami (Jorma Tommila), as a former war veteran of the Winter War who lives alone except for his dog. He searches for gold throughout his land, and he uncovers a big deposit in hopes of turning it in for cash. Aatami soon comes face to face with a series of Nazis who at first see him as no real threat, but once they discover the gold he possesses, they try to take it from him, but with blood results. Aatami quickly kills any and all Nazis that try to stop him, and he tries to stay one step ahead of them.
Aatami also finds out that the Nazis have captured a group of women, and he tries to liberate them. These women have some tricks up their sleeves.
Sisu is highly inventive and filled with tension in its action, especially in one scene involving a minefield where Aatami has to make sure he doesn’t step on any mines. The suspense is palpable.
Sisu operates a straightforward revenge thriller that gives us a formula we’ve seen plenty of times before, but what makes this movie so special is its gritty, uncompromising fashion. It’s an extravaganza of gratuitous flair.
While a cross between Mad Max and John Wick with a dash of Tarantino thrown in for good measure, this film is still original enough to stand on its own. The comparisons, though, will be inevitable.
It’s not quite as entertaining as the John Wick movies, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie inspires a whole new breed of historical action movies that aren’t afraid to be this in-your-face with its absurd violence.
Sisu is dynamic entertainment.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language.)
