Ernst Wiltmann
World War 2, in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the Third Reich commandeered a special force called "Brandenburger". An Elite formation of Paratroopers, not unlike todays Navy Seals, Green Barets, Spetznatz etc. The mission of this particular Paratrooper unit is to size river bridges behind the soviet lines, before the retreating Soviet Army can destroy them. However, a Russian armored Train in their sector remains to keep a thorn in their side. Where the whole Russian front line seems to collapse in the eve of the fascist juggernaut, this Armored Train must be eliminated at all costs. I really enjoyed the computer enhanced graphics in the first quarter of the movie, seeing German Gliderplanes coming down on the unsuspecting Russian defenders. Also special Branderburger teams dressed in Russian uniforms trying to terminate any Russian communication Officers. Usually this ploy keeps being successful a number of times in the row. Until they are being met be a few individual Russian Soldiers from very different backgrounds, consolidating in resistance around the Armored Train. The action scenes are breathtakingly amazing, the weaponry chosen by historical refined experts. It works all very well together. Never seen 44 mm Anti Tank Guns (A typical standart AT weapon at this period) in action before. Really didn't know how they operated and worked in action. The action scenes with the AT guns are very good. The only drawback in this movie was the Hollywood predicability ,starting in the last third of this film. Russian movie makers are falling here in the same trap as most Hollywood films, using Formula's. The end felt very formulated indeed.
