Mongol

Did anyone else catch this supposed 'historical' spectacle besides me? 🙂 It was released earlier this year...

Official trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6VCcJe9gyE
The narrator in the trailer says: "In Russia, he was considered evil, yet in the East, he was worshipped as a God. Who was he?"

Essentially, we're looking at a Russian production by director Sergej Badrov. The plot follows the early life of Genghis Khan until he unified all the Mongol tribes and began ravaging the world. I put 'historical' in quotes because Sergej decided to turn about 80% of the film into pure fiction—it didn't take long for the Mongols to take offense at that choice. 😁

Plus:
- A Russian film, so the subject matter fits perfectly.
- High production value (comparable to Hollywood standards).
- Filmed in nearly authentic locations (Inner Mongolia in China).

Minus:
- The fight sequences are too brief.
- 80% of the movie is fictionalized.
- The occasional odd Russian interpretation of scenes and twists might not suit everyone's taste. 😁

Ultimately, if you view it as decent entertainment to kill some time, it’s quite good. If you watch it expecting historical accuracy, you'll leave disappointed. The combat is expertly choreographed, truly impressive, but unfortunately too short. Despite being mostly fiction, I personally enjoyed it and would recommend giving it a watch.

I just finished watching the film, and I’d say it’s quite good overall.

The fact that it’s fiction doesn't really bother me much; it isn't some wild exaggeration like what we saw in *300*, for instance. What actually gets under my skin is this:
The pacing during that first ninety minutes or so feels just right, almost perfect... but then, in those final twenty minutes, everything feels incredibly rushed... if they had simply stretched that out for another hour and a half, we could be talking about the film of the year, given all those battle sequences 🙂

But then again, who can say? Perhaps they are just holding their best cards back for Mongol 2 - Ruler of The World 🙂

Really solid

If they had gone with slightly less heavy shading and stuck to some more classic editing techniques—and maybe skipped that one unnecessary script jump since the pacing is already pretty slow—I probably would’ve given it a perfect ten. But even as it stands? It’s a rock-solid nine for me.

A total must-watch!

p.s. In about a month, the Oscar winner "The Forger" drops, so we can start comparing them then. I'm also expecting an American festival screening of "Katyn," especially since everyone knows Americans love Wajdu's work.

There’s a good reason this movie was an Oscar nominee this year.
(A shame it didn't take home the award, but I guess period pieces are still in style. You can't fight it.)
A dear gentleman from this forum sent me a version with Russian dubbing, and even though I couldn't understand a single word they were saying, 😂 the film gripped me instantly. I'm heading to the theater on opening day.
The acting is superb; I have no clue what they're actually discussing, but they seem incredibly convincing. 😬
The cinematography, direction, and costume design are all top-tier.
It’s a true spectacle that didn't rely on millions of dollars in CGI. It feels raw and authentic.

Elizabeth Mendoza43 said:Some sweet old guy from this forum sent me a movie with Russian dubbing, but honestly? I didn't understand a single word they were saying.

What a sin.
Hang on, let's hit AMC. It’s gonna be quick, but man, you just can't beat seeing something like this on the big screen. It's so much better.

Elizabeth Mendoza43 said:There’s a reason this movie was an Oscar nominee this year. Honestly, it’s a damn shame it didn't take home the statue, but hey—war movies are still a classic for a reason. You just can't argue with that.

Look, it’s pretty simple. Like I said before, you’ve got to see the facts for yourself first. You can't pass judgment until you actually know what's going on.
Prisons will always be "in." And look, when it comes to those German-themed remakes, I know we aren't strictly talking about prison settings, but for me, *Life Two* still totally outshines *Panov's Labyrinth*.

Arthur Garcia59 said:What a shame.
I'm just waiting on AMC; it’ll be out soon, and honestly, seeing something like this on the big screen would be incredible.

Well, for now, I need to see it first before I can really judge, like I said.
Camp movies are always popular; regarding another one with German themes, I know it's not strictly about camps, but for me, "Life Two" still beats "Panov's Labyrinth."

Oh, hush! I had to settle for a grainy digital rip because I was dying to see it, and I was worried I wouldn't find a legal way to watch a film from Kazakhstan.

And don't get me wrong, "Life Two" is good too—it's not even specifically about Jews in a camp—but in my opinion, "Panov's Labyrinth" is just superior.

Pavičić gave it a four.

That’s basically like an average judge handing out a twelve.

So, watching the movie...

Heading to AMC later today to catch a movie.

Rebecca Lee said:I am planning to catch a screening at AMC today. 👏👏

You must provide your impressions afterward... I intend to see it myself within the next few days.

Arthur Garcia59 said:Pavičić gave it a four..

That’s roughly the same thing as an average critic giving it a ten out of ten.

So, regarding actually watching the movie...

I feel compelled to chime in again and ask—who on earth does Pavičić think he's fooling? 😕.

darkranger9 said:Make sure you share your thoughts... I'm actually planning on catching it myself in the next few days!

The movie is solid. It didn't exactly blow my mind, but it’s definitely worth a watch because some of the scenes are great. The camerawork and the costume design are 🙏🙏🙏🙏 just way too good.
It isn't overstuffed with special effects, which is a Plus in this case, and I guess it captures that era and mindset perfectly enough..
It's not a perfect ten, but it's one of those "must-see" films.👍

wiredranger30 said:I’ve gotta jump back in here and say it again—who actually gives a damn what Pavičić thinks? Seriously, his opinion is worth absolutely nothing. 😕

I knew someone was going to bring this up eventually.

Look, you just don't care about what any critic thinks. Not one single one of them.
Man, I really miss you. It hurts.

Look, regardless of how I personally feel about Pavičić, you have to admit he’s one of our most respected critics. If he hands a movie a four-star rating, there's a pretty good chance it's actually going to be good rather than a total dud.

Arthur Garcia59, lose the "it hurts me to see you like this" rhetoric from now on.

GENGHIS: WARRIOR OF THE STEPPE
/MONGOL/

DIRECTED BY: Sergei Bodrov
CAST: Tadanob asana, BA Sen, Tegen
RUNTIME: 120 min.
YEAR: 2007
COUNTRY: Germany/Kazakhstan/Russia/Mongolia
SYNOPSIS: Young Temujin—son of a tribal leader—falls for a young Mongol woman named Borse. He stays true to her even after his father is murdered, he's sold into slavery, and Borse is snatched away by a rival tribe. Temujin sets out to rescue the woman he loves, only to realize his true destiny: as a Khan, he must unite the warring tribes and secure a future for his people...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416044/

Anyone seen this yet?

To be honest, I didn't read a single thing about this movie before sitting down to watch it, so I was actually pretty surprised by the direction it took. It focuses on his childhood, his upbringing, and how he eventually became a Great Khan, rather than jumping straight into those massive later conquests. Not that I'm complaining, though I suspect some people might feel let down by how little "fighting" there actually is—especially since the trailer makes it look like a non-stop action extravaganza! My only real gripes were a few moments where the logic just... vanished. For instance, one minute someone is falling through ice into a lake, and then suddenly they’re lying on the snow maybe miles away from where it happened 😕 Or, I'm watching this alone, and then in the very next scene, they suddenly have this small army trailing them. Like, wtf, who are these people and where did they come from? 😬 Other than that, I thought the film was 👍

Also, I heard a rumor that this is just the first installment and they're already planning sequels?

Kimberly Gomez28 said:It actually annoyed me a couple of times when they skipped over the small details. Like, one minute someone falls through the ice into a freezing lake, and then suddenly—boom—they’re just lying there in the snow maybe miles away from where it even happened. How does that even work? 😕 One second she’s standing there all by herself, and then—bam!—next scene she’s leading some tiny little army. Like, wtf? Where did those people even come from? Who are they and where on earth did she pick them up? 😬 Besides that, the movie itself was... 👍

Don't go thinking those are just little things. They really aren't. 😁
The first thing he mentions in his explanation is that prayer to the Great Wolf. He’s always going on about how that deity is right by his side, and how some higher power is constantly looking out for him.
That’s exactly what I meant by that ellipsis at the start. Everything moves along at this slow, steady pace where everything is explained in detail—except for those weird little jumps when someone is aiming for God. But once we're just talking about him alone? One second it's quiet, and the next, boom, you've got an entire army appearing out of nowhere.

Look, I'm totally fine with believing that God has his eyes on him, but I've got my doubts about whether he’s actually sourcing his meat from a local butcher.
That was totally unnecessary. And honestly, those screen dimming every five minutes? I have to restart the whole thing just to see anything; they’re absolute eye strainers. Look, if this entire epic saga about Genghis is already split into three parts, there is zero reason to take that first part and chop it up into ten tiny little segments like, "Oh, now he's born," then "Now he's looking for a bride," then "Now he's peeing in the wind." Give me a break... just get on with it!

Regarding the sequel, the distributor mentioned she’s hoping we'll see part two hitting theaters around this same time next year—you know, like "Shit in the Wind" or whatever they end up calling it.

I have to admit, I hadn't heard much about this movie until I actually sat down to watch it, and frankly, it didn't impress me one bit. The direction is... well, messy? To my mind, the editing is a complete disaster; the plot jumps around so abruptly, and certain things aren't explained at all. MILD SPOILERS: like the aforementioned sinking into the lake and then suddenly finding oneself in the snow. I can play along with the whole divinity angle if I want, but what am I supposed to believe here? That God just teleported him from a frozen lake a mile away and dried him off on the way? Then there’s the scene where the priest is walking through the desert and drops dead; next scene—a woman wakes up and tells her kid they have to leave; next scene—they're standing over the dead priest (all within a single minute of film). What, does the woman just have a sixth sense for dead priests? Did God lead her straight to him? It's terrible. It feels like they only introduced the concept of divinity to patch up all the holes in the script. As for the acting, in my humble opinion, it's mediocre to poor, and the worst part is the leads. Uninspired, lacking any convincing emotion, almost indifferent. The only character who felt somewhat believable and well-acted was Temujin's "brother." And that brings us to the film's biggest flaw: the characters aren't developed enough. Too much time is wasted on minor events while crucial moments are cut entirely, and yet you never truly get a sense of what Temujin is thinking, feeling, or why he's doing what he's doing. The only thing that genuinely impressed me were a few beautiful nature shots and that impressive final fight scene.
You might walk away thinking the movie is a total catastrophe, but honestly, it's just average.

I’ve actually seen this one before, though it was a different production—either a Japanese or Korean version, I think—from around 2007. From what I can tell, everything looks pretty much identical or at least very similar, but I think I'll give this one a watch too.

oooh...
you guys are totally teasing me—I can't even get to the movie yet...
not gonna lie, I usually just grab stuff online, but those "Mongol" copies floating around the web are either stuck with Russian voiceovers or they're in French, so... guess I'll just have to wait for a decent rip.

There’s only one real Genghis Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8U1L...eature=related