Ticket 2 Ride

Saturday Night at the Movies presents: SISU: Road to Revenge.

This is the sequel to the original SISU, which I stumbled across accidentally last year. I had no idea what it was about, other than a World War II story. What a crazy, violent, but entertaining film it was.

A sequel? I didn’t know until a few days ago. Of course, I wanted to see SISU: Road to Revenge. This time, the war is over and Korpi’s (Jorma Tommila) home area of Finland has been annexed by the Soviets. Korpi travels to his abandoned house, where his family was brutally murdered while he was off fighting the war. He dismantles the house to move it to a safer place, in their honor, and rebuild it.

The Soviets know that Korpi has crossed the border into the Soviet Union. Instead of Nazis, this time it is Red Army commander named Draganov (Stephen Lang) after him. Draganov was the man who brutally killed Korpi’s family. Korpi is credited with 300 Soviet kills and has become a legend, much to the chagrin of the Soviet military hierarchy. Draganov will be freed from prison if he agrees to eliminate Korpi. And the chase begins.

Written and directed by Jalmari Helander, who was responsible for the first film, the formula is pretty much the same for the sequel, keep it moving, maximum carnage, impossible action sequences, and inject some black humor into the affair. Helander succeeds on all counts. You won’t believe some of the crazy action, but you aren’t supposed to.

Jorma Tommila is the perfect as Korpi. I don’t think he uttered a word of dialogue in the sequel, but he doesn’t have to. Tommila communicates effectively with his eyes, world wearing features and anguish. Currently 66 years old, Tommila is in good shape for his age, handling the physical demands like a much younger man, but conveying a sense of being worn down by the war. Who wouldn’t be?

The villain, Draganov (perfect name), is played by the usually villainous Stephen Lang. Draganov is every bit the cold blooded murderer, who delights in killing, and barely registers a reaction when his own men die horrible deaths.

If the movie trailer horrifies you, this isn’t the movie for you. The violence is cartoonish, but done with style and creativity. The subject of violence as entertainment is a deep hole, and a discussion I’ve raised a few times. All screen violence is not the same, but if you detest any depiction of violence, I certainly understand.

Currently, the film has a 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

I watched the first film again today, and as much as I like that one