Borgarkeri A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

milosprole9 This one's very strongly and shockingly violent movie. I loved the first half, but not much of second half, though I really liked the final scene. Incredible performance by Russell Crowe, one of his best ever. I thought the lights and cinematography were amazing. It's very dangerous and disturbing for sure, but also an excellent film! Recommend if you are a fan of The Believer (2001), American History X (1998)..

dcmMovielover In the decaying urban squalor of Melbourne's back streets a gang of racist Skinheads live out a crude existence of nazi-rock parties, heavy drinking, and brutal assaults on immigrant youth. Led by psychotic neo-nazi Hando, the gang comprises Davey (his best mate), Bubbs (the underage mascot), Sonny, Cackles, Brett, Champ and Luke, along with their female 'camp-followers' of two dubious Goths and some tough-talking Skin-Girls. Several scenes (one presumes intentionally) eerily remind of "A Clockwork Orange" which adds marvellously if not chillingly to its overall tone, although the film is otherwise a piece of no holds barred realist cinema.When Gabe, a lost soul and deeply troubled young woman, strays into a back-street pub claimed by the gang as their hangout, the subtle cracks in the dynamics between Hando and Davey gradually unfold. As no-less a violent and unrelenting racist as Davey is, he is evidently a gentler more mild personality than Hando, and is to a large extent in Hando's shadow. As Gabe gets it on with Hando becoming the gang's latest auxiliary, Davey is smitten and his interest is not lost on Gabe, who for her part at least encourages his attention…if not craves it.Then a vicious attack on two immigrant men, which starts as an impulsive act of 'political activism', becomes the beginning of the end for the Skinhead gang and for the relationships between Hando, Davey and Gabe. After a terrifying mass fight against an overwhelming mob of Vietnamese men, which towers leagues above anything I've seen in any other 'gang film' and which arcs the entire middle of the movie, the Skinheads end up well and truly on the run. Resorting to basic human instincts and no longer able to conceal their worst personal defects (or in Davey's case, his affections for Gabe), the remnants of Hando's gang try to survive the dire circumstances their actions have brought upon them, and as they continue a catalogue of lawless deeds against those perceived as their enemies, the proverbial time-bomb continues to tick. One by one they fall, as Hando's once iron grip slips to sub-gutter (quite literally in one scene) leadership, forcing Davey to abandon his 'idol' and attempt to go it alone. With a tragically magnificent finale, this is a timeless story which delves into the raw and ugly of our times.

bowmanblue It's hard to imagine many times when you actually think to yourself, 'Hey... I really fancy sitting down to watch a film about Nazi skinheads, beating up people they perceive as different.' However, just because the subject matter is pretty distasteful, doesn't mean that the film's that bad.Naturally, a lot of people claim that this film is 'racist propaganda' and refuse to watch it. However, after spending just over ninety minutes in the company of these 'Hitler worshipping' Aussie thugs, I can't see that their lifestyle would come across as very appealing to anyone – even the very impressionable among the audience. You could hardly want to be like these guys.The other thing 'Romper Stomper' is remembered for is Russell Crowe's performance as the main skinhead character. He does play him well – scarily well. It's amazing that he was able to build what became quite a diverse career on his angry, monotone performance here. Russell and his crew spend their days hunting down 'non white' residents who they're convinced are bringing down the neighbourhood and taking it away from the 'natural' white race. And, when they're not hitting other people, they're also hitting each other while jumping up and down to 'shouty' type skinhead music, spouting the wonders of 'bald-headed fighting men.' Just like 'Trainspotting' was a film about undesirable junkies, this is a film about undesirable skinheads. Neither tells you to behave like those on screen, but both offer a world into a (thankfully) niche group of people and the way they live their lives. You certainly don't have to like what to see to enjoy the film. Just be thankful you don't have Russell and co living next door to you.

PeterMitchell-506-564364 A truly original and inventive film, rated R for it's heavy use of violence that looks very real for a change. Incredibly on this video cover, the violence reference is not mentioned. Crowe's performance here was the one that catapulted him to stardom, where as far as I'm concerned, this is still his best performance here. It's a pity they don't have Oscar awards in Oz, cause he'd win it hands down, as Hando, the unrelenting leader of a pack of skinheads, their hate for asians, reaching beyond what anyone could fathom. We don't learn much about their reasons for disliking the Vietnamese, and that's a good thing, cause if more was said as to why, the film would lose it's substance and ferocity. Every performance in this movie is excellent. Daniel Pollock, John Brumpton, and Jacqueline Mckenzie, a desperate junkie and a victim of incest, (pity that bloody Deep Blue Sea, put a stale period on her career) are all flawless. More here so, is Mckenzie, so believable when having a seizure, even I got concerned, even though I knew it was just acting. From the word get go, this movie takes on a no holds barred ride into a nightmare territory of boundless hate. The skinheads, even question the barman, at their favorite watering hole as to why he lets gooks in there. Later on at the same bar, the barman goes off with an Asian guy, who's gonna take over the business, leaving his two sons to mind the place. How could this barman be so reckless. When learning of this, the skins can't get away fast enough and the two races go war to war. The skins, totally outnumbered, realizing they've overstepped their mark, flee, and take refuge in a warehouse, occupied by one of the skin's girl's ex's. The dialogue that transpires, between the girl conning her way back into this building, is actually a humorous relief, in the wake of the intense ten minute battle between the two races, that passed where some real nasty blood was shed, some of the most realistic use of blood, I've seen. I liked the direction this movie took from here. It almost made me take up using Campbell's sauce again. The sex scene with Crowe doing Mckenzie behind, both naked, was titilating too, almost necessary, putting a light, though not romantic moment to this film. Some of the potent dialogue, here too, is interesting. So is Crowe's extensive tattooed work on his back. I'm almost prepared to believe Crowe won't be able to surpass himself here with a better performance, than in this bold and confrontational film, that I can't believe I first saw over twenty years ago. The way the cops interacted with the skins, granting no mercy, when capturing them, sounded all so true, almost a replica of that exact same scene happening for real. The movie does lose a little of it's fizz near the end, when it comes down to our three players, one skin who doesn't walk away, the other hopefully walking away from all of this futile hate bulls..t for good.