5 Days of War 2011

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Whether its passion is faked or real is impossible to tell because it is expressed with such pulp-fiction gusto. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Renny Harlin used to make ridiculous movies involving pirates or Sylvester Stallone; now he makes ridiculous movies about Putin's 2008 invasion of the country of Georgia. Read more

Alison Willmore, AV Club: As propaganda, 5 Days Of War is unlikely to make a mark, though perhaps the idea of reaching people through would-be blockbusters will. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: Flimsy dramatization of Russia/Georgia conflict fails both as historical re-enactment and as action-flick thrill ride. Read more

Mark Jenkins, NPR: The low-budget movie, set during Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia, is neither innovative nor profound, but it is kinetic, visceral and sometimes moving. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Embarrassingly clumsy. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Should appeal more to those who like to watch stuff blow up than understand exactly why the carnage is transpiring. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: An action movie scarcely deeper than a Michael Bay extravaganza. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Harlin's film begins with the familiar adage that truth is the first casualty of war. Usually that phrase precedes an attempt to revive the patient, not bury it deeper in the rubble of propaganda. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: The plot is culled from a variety of "war is hell but I'm covering it anyway" journalist-in-the-field movies but handled with cliched clumsiness in a script by David Battle and doctored by Finnish writer Mikko Alanne. Read more

John Anderson, Variety: A hell-on-earth thriller that makes valiant gestures toward geopolitical savvy but gets bushwhacked by vet helmer Renny Harlin's weakness for the Rambo-esque. Read more

Mark Holcomb, Village Voice: Had it rejected the genre's romantic trappings and false heroics more consistently, the movie might've been worth the ride. Read more

John DeFore, Washington Post: Harlin's roots show throughout the picture, as he films real-life horrors with a bombast better suited to summer entertainment. Read more