The Russian Five (2018) User Reviews

Half sports documentary, half spy novel

[EpeeBill · 9/10 · 26 March 2019]

It's not unusual for a sports documentary to allude to the values or politics of a community, but it is rare for one to explore both global political themes as thoroughly as it immerses itself in the local tribalism of sports. This film unfolds a specific corner of the picture of the Cold War through the journeys of five men who left the Soviet Union to play hockey in North America. We find out about the risks they each took and the people who risked political and professional threats to bring them to the other side of the Iron Curtain

The producers of this film have a great deal of access to the players themselves and the American team officials that brought them to the US, so we get the story told in their own words as well as views of contemporary news coverage and the players' North American team mates. We get to see the events and recall the emotions of the era and we have the perspective of history to see their lasting impact on the game of hockey.

This movie has a lot for fans of the Detroit Red Wings, but any fan of the NHL or international hockey will likely find the story riveting

Incredible Story

[maccas-56367 · 9/10 · 31 July 2019]

A must-watch for any hockey fan. The Redwings aren't even my team. I only recognised 2-3 names in the entire documentary. I knew nothing of this story prior to viewing "The Russian Five". But by the end, I had completely fallen in love with this story and the team.

It has cold war elements that would rival the best spy thrillers. It has a meshing of cultures, languages, triumphs over adversity and sheer grit and determination.

You can't help but feed off the energy, the passion and the sheer inspiration of these guys. The documentary itself moves along at the speed of a puck. Animated reenactments, interviews and footage of the era all combine to create a gripping documentary.

I wasn't expecting to get emotional (numerous times) while watching a documentary about hockey. Particularly of a team I didn't even really know. That alone is testament to the filmmakers and the incredible story of the Russian Five.

Compulsory viewing for hockey fans and sports lovers alike. Important viewing also at a time like this.

Simply Amazing

[Athanatos173 · 9/10 · 11 June 2019]

Having been a lifelong fan of the Wings, I lived through the disappointing 70's and 80's, and this documentary brought back a lot of memories of continued disappointment and finally the elation of the team finally coming together to end the 42 year drought.

With many interviews of the players who made the dream a reality, and showing the tragedy that befell after the cup win, it is well made and emotional.

I would recommend this to any hockey fan, and obviously it's a must see for any Detroit Red Wings fan.

A great 1980's to1990's NHL time capsule for the true hockey fan.

[ilpoints · 10/10 · 25 March 2019]

This movie was amazing. It captured the feeling of 1990's NHL hockey. The documentary was well put together and reminded you of the political climate of the 80's/90's as well as the extreme physical nature of the NHL at this time period. Red Wings fans should love it. Avalanche fans ought to respect it. NHL fans should never forget it. It was extremely interesting learning the actual stories of how Russian players had to drastically change their lives to leave their home country to play in the NHL. We brought a friend who is a physician in the United States, was born in Russia, and knew very little about hockey. She loved the movie and cheered hard for the Russian players.

Very well done!

[eddievenom2002 · 10/10 · 22 March 2019]

This movie was great! Telling the whole story of getting the Russians to defect and how stealthy they had to be was brilliant. I got to learn things I didn't know and feel those experiences all over again. Loved it.

Incredible

[tomhcky · 10/10 · 15 July 2019]

I grew up in Denver and remember these years, the best years in hockey in my opinion. Die hard avs fan that has always hated the red wings but respected them. I respect them even more after seeing this film. Had me on the verge of tears towards the end.

EXCELLENT!

[mj-41956 · 25 March 2019]

This is one of those movies I could watch a dozen times, and will buy it when it comes out on DVD! It's also a movie that can appeal to all ages, and those that may not even be into hockey. I loved how things were set up at the beginning using a timeline and how each Russian player was pursued. I don't want to give too much away as I think it just needs to be seen, but I loved the artistic flare with the animation scenes and background music. It was extremely informative. I had no idea all this went on, nor did I realize how much dislike there was for the Russian players at first.

Being a life long Wings fan, all of the clips of games and interviews with former players were epic. The scenes from the Colorado fights to the playoffs and Stanley Cup brought back all the feels from those seasons. I'm talking the disappointments, the excitement, everything. I even cried at one point (if you know the Wings story, you know why). People were cheering in the movie theater at the clips and I was right along there with them bouncing around in my seat, as if we were at a game! It all tied in to the Russian Five line and how they played such a significant part in the Wings winning that first cup too. We had a dream team back then.

I was fortunate enough to see this movie at one of it's premieres in Port Huron, MI last week. It was a fabulous movie and I plan to see it again while in theaters!

What a wonderful movie

[kirilkaploon · 10/10 · 28 November 2019]

It has it all, you fell uncomfortable at the beginning, then comes the warm feeling of pride. You feel happiness with the team and sadness at the end. This movie touches every emotion on the spectrum.

Watch it!

[verdehorn · 10/10 · 9 April 2020]

Grew up in So.Cal. Hockey wasn't something I grew up with. Don't really know the game but I've always liked the action of it and the skill. This documentary was SUPERB. Very creative with the cartoon sketching "injections." Provides a great "lesson" on that period and so, so very heartfelt regarding the team members and what they experienced. The heart of the movie! If only more documentaries were like this!!!!

Absolutely Phenomenal

[m-rugen · 10/10 · 22 April 2021]

The best sports documentary (film, not TV show) I've ever seen.

The Russian Five: My Good, Bad, and Ugly

[tbuchalski · 9/10 · 17 June 2019]

The Good: As a documentary, this film succeeded by invoking popular tropes from successful narrative fiction films - some based on true stories. It has the espionage intrigue of Spy Game (Tony Scott, 2001) with tales of locker room conversations in Russia under KGB surveillance. It has the front office machinations and calculations of Moneyball (Bennett Miller, 2011), wherein a General Manager from an already successful team is brought in to turn around a franchise circling the drain. Most importantly it has the kinetic excitement and tale of adversity of a hockey film like Miracle (Gavin O'Connor, 2004), and ironically enough The Russian Five has one of the same players as that "miracle on ice" story.

The Bad: The story is inconsistent in its delivery. Early on, there are elements of intrigue and ingenuity, but those fade in favor of a more conventional, less exciting teleological point of view. Perhaps it's a drawback associated with tying documentary talking head interviews, and archival footage with narrative films, but there isn't a throughline of thought concerning what kind of story is being told. The film's greatest strength is perhaps its greatest weakness. Is it a story of intrigue with late night state department phone calls? Or, is it a film about the genius, or collective geniuses, required to build a championship contender? Or, is it a film about the triumph over adversity, even when a team can be at the top of its sport?

The Ugly: Documentary style with shades of Ocean's Eleven (Steven Soderbergh, 2001), The Cove (Louie Psihoyos, 2009) begins and ends with a cohesive story. Psihoyos introduces an old dolphin trainer with a broken heart who reveals what could possibly be the greatest inhuman injustice known to contemporary consciousness. The steady rise to the film's climax and the constant suspense as Psihoyos and his crew of crack filmmakers set the stage is excellently orchestrated. The Russian Five tells a nostalgic story of a great era in the history of a storied hockey franchise, but The Cove better exemplifies the callbacks to narrative genre films that both films rely on for success in their storytelling.

Why I am a lifelong fan...

[mosquitoflats · 10/10 · 4 July 2022]

This right here is why Detroit Red Wings fans are diehard, forever fans! You don't have to be a Red Wing fan to enjoy this movie but good chance you will be a fan when it's over. Full of emotional ups and downs!