Horrible Film! Basicly there is no plot, but just free violence which seens to be defended by the director as a means to cope with the drug trade in Rio de Janeiro's poorest regions. The film brings us an unilateral view of violence and attempts to make the middle class responsible for it.

Also, if you don't like this kind of movie, why in hell did you bother watching it at all? You FAILED to understand the plot of this movie, and it was NEVER incoherent. You people have amazed me this time.

This film is very good as a movie, but thats AWEFUL and TERIBLE as a social critic. Only one side of the coin has been shown and that just grind my gears. As a simple movie I could even recomend it, but as a social analisation it just SUCKS.

Don

Despite its plot not being very original, it's a movie that teaches people what really happens in Rio de Janeiro. Showing what cops must give up, given a horrible salary to make sure the city isn't overtaken by the drug lords. It's a movie everyone should see, not only because of its artistic value, but also for the moral values that are lacking in today's society, where kids who do drugs don't think about the consequences of where do their money go to.… Expand

Agreed - the 'professional' critics are using 'hollywood fiction' comparisons for a film where the social reality and 'unprotected capitalism' of the drug trade in Brazil has to be recognised. The real intention of the film is to reveal 'institutionalised' economic protection of the rich by denigrating the poor, brutalising them and their living conditions and for Brazlians to dig a little deeper into why that is so. The disparity over education and self-interest in the film was palpable. For every 'tourist' who has stood in the evening in downtown historic Rio and watched in disbelief as the flares of high velocity weapons streak across the sky from one hillside This is a real 'civil war', but it is on a class basis as much as the competative efforts of the 'feral children' being given a choice between 'charity' from the feckless rich or a very 'capitalist' way to earn their living.… Expand

Great movie. This is not an apology to the violence, this is just the reality faced by the people leaving the favelas and the police man facing this problem. It also brings the reality that the cause of the problem is the people consuming drugs, sustaining the trafic and violence.

Those guys who scored the movie as horrible don't know the brazilian reality to say that the movie history is untrue and incoherent.

I don't get the NY Times review. Dead Wrong! This is one of the best foreign films I've seen in the past couple years. Heart-pounding, social commentary, a Blockbuster hit in Brazil. So who are we to judge its uneasy questions, and hard answers. I'm not a right wing fanatic. But if you lived in a country where corruption and lawlessness invaded every sinew, would calling for tough knuckle-busting justice make you a fascist? Ask any of your Mexico friends with the drug war raging across the country ?… Expand

Jason C, Violence in Rio de Janeiro is a reality, in which the fund is the middle class and foreign tourists seeking in our cities sex tourism. If the film plays the violence and corupção, it is not the fault of the director, is simply the reality. The film is a work of art, principalmnete the amount spent.

Great, authentic, fast moving and shows the very cruel reality of a society undecided in solving deep impact real life issues. I do recommend.

Great movie. Wagner Moura is amazing in this film and displays a brilliant performance.

A superb movie that shows how a real drug war is, far from a Steven Seagal movie.

Is simply one of the best movies i ever saw. Great acting, great story (there isn't a best story than the reality). My 10, like the other 10s give from the other users isn't a over rated score, the critics didn't know what they were seeing so DON'T LOOK AT THE 33 "metascore", because when you see this movie you will be suprised by this score for being so low, also all the other user scores are correct so won't write anything more. Enjoy this film.… Expand

Excellent movie. I don´t understand these reviews. Manohla Dargis from New York Times didn´t understand the movie. Or maybe has another interest

Well-acted and fast-paced, the movie raises interesting questions about the role of society in a city like Rio. No question: one of the best movies I have ever seen.

The best Brazilian movie since CITY OF GOD. Thought-provoking, original and stunning.

The young middle class of Rio who are the target market of the narco-terrorists DO finance the violence! I live 200 metres from BOPE headquarters and I think God every day that they are there to protect me and my community from the sub-humans of the Comando Vermelho.

Awesome portrait of Rio's drug traffic and police action that leads to deep social reflection.

What is the problem with you american critics and people? The BOPE isn't like SWAT, its like a cleaner for a failed hitman, usually sent for missions that the crap normal cops can't do. Second, the torture depicted in the movie is pratically the same of you damn shows like 24 hours, and the same thing happens in Iraq. Stop being so damn foolish, the smugglers aren't terrorists nor drug lords, and your country got a lot of social problems too. And if a SWAT team entered in a shootout with guys from BOPE, the SWAT team would be completely exterminated. And by the way, shut the f*&% up when you say that there is no attempt to catch and judje the criminals on Rio de Janeiro. About the movie, it's freaking GREAT.… Expand

This is such a bad film that I cannot believe Speilberg directed this. Is he actually happy with the end result?! The script is so overly cheesy, and what is it with Lucas and CGI, someone needs to teach him when and where it

Only when SWAAT is killing people, is not worth seeing... Excuse Brazil for showing the world''s reality!

Awesome. The best portuguese language movie ever.

Superb movie. The main plot isn't about violence, but it's about how people deal with it, and how people many times see themselves as having a good behavior when they don't.

I'm brazilian, and I must say: Elite Squad is one of the bests movies I've ever watched. The critics problably didn't understood the idea of the movie. It's not an apology to crime. It's just the reality as told by a policeman. His point of view is not necessarily the point of view of major brazilians. It's a film about poor conditions in stress areas and the lack of law. It's a portrait of the favelas and its day-a-day.… Expand

This movie is awesome. I can't believe it has such a low Metascore. This just doesn't make sense. Do yourself a favor, don't believe the critics, and go watch it for yourself!

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's funny how you, critical, give for Die Hard a metascore 70/100 and for Elite Squad 33/100. With $4.000.000, José Padilha made a good movie and beyond all realistic. this movie there is no American badass who combats stereotyped villains. The villains here are true, kills every day hundreds of innocent people. So the thing of this movie isn't the great special effects or the good plot. This movie is a message. Violent? Yes, but necessary. Best thriller I ever seen.… Expand

One of my favourite films of the past few years. An intense, cleverly directed and a well written screenplay. It left me full of adrenaline. Yes, it's violent, aggressive and pulls absolutely no punches - it's a drug war, what would you expect? If you like "City of God" then I highly recommend this.