72 Meters (2004)

A Major Disappointment

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Hmm, I thought it was a pretty good submarine movie! Just a pity that after all the compelling build-up to their only chance of survival, the movie ends and is not quite resolved. And yes, it's true that the lead actress' talents were not shown at all.The relationship between the two actors were also not aptly fleshed out through the flashbacks. It also seemed like much of the crew was too cooperative, and the weak attempt to inject a black sheep only failed to add to the suspense when his attempts to disrupt the status quo were quelled by the other crew members.But overall, I was glued to my chair. A thumbs up. Just too bad for the ending.

Some things I heard about this film before it was released was that it was "patriotic". Well I fail to see the patriotism. All I see is a submarine crew that dies at the bottom of the sea.It also does not help recruiting for the Submarine fleet. The whole movie makes it seem like a WW2 mine can bring down the whole Russian Navy. In fact those old magnetic mines would be ineffective today because of specialized hull construction.I don't understand what purpose does the film serve? Is it supposed to be in memory of the "Kursk"? One of the reasons given for the loss of that submarine was a mine.Something Russians don't need right now are Disaster films. You will never find a similar film in the US. Most US submarine movies like "Crimson Tide" and "U-571" involve triumph over an enemy, Hollywood would never even think about making a movie about a Submarine disaster involving their own submarines. 1st Channel should have made a Russian answer to "Crimson Tide", the usual "evil Russians" movie from Hollywood, not this movie.The Music and Special Effects were good, just the movie was bad.

The only modern Russian film I can label a total failure (given it was directed by Khotinenko, formerly the leader of 1980s Russian intellectual cinema). Nothing and nobody worked well in this piece of crap. How can one shoot a film which is a total disaster given the best opportunities provided: Ennio Morricone as a music composer, Chulpan Khamatova (the best Russian cinema actress (along with Ingeborga Dapkunaite)) as a leading female hero, enormous funds of Russia's Channel One, good (meaning cheap:) connections with the military allowing to use resources of the Russian Navy, and a plenty of good examples of "submarine movies"?It is almost impossible to make a bad submarine movie nowadays given the stunning (e.g. Das Boot by Wolfgang Petersen) or simply good like "K-19" or "U-571" sub film examples. "72m" even employs some citations from Das Boot which means that somebody from the film crew has seen that film:)) - however, ineffectively.One might argue this was the first experience of a "blockbuster" film by contemporary Russian TV producers - I regret they have not realized that they should better shoot their TV-series crap than to spoil the perception of the great Russian cinema. I mean the great Russian directors like Eisenstein, Kozintsev, Pudovkin, Dovzhenko, Klimov, Tarkovsky, etc. just whirl in their coffins when somebody tries to judge about the Russian cinema thinking of the "72 meters".The same producers later delivered the "Night Watch" - an evenly questionable, though better shot, piece of film. So there is some hope for Russian viewers - maybe the Channel One (ORT) producers in a dozen of films will learn what they had to learn at a film school which nobody of them have attended. Please do not waste your time or money. 0/10.

I have seen an advertisment on TV and went to see this film in cinema. And i was shocked - this is really good film with good playing of all actors. This film is provided by Mariccone's music that help the film to be more pretty. I can't say it is action nor comedy. No, it is well-made drama with an atmosphere of the best films, No, it has its own atmosphere - sad, but sometimes funny. The film to think, and to hope, the film to cry and believe in a better life. This is good film about strong mans. I was depressed for some time but when I saw the film the depression left me. I think forever. I hope, 72 metres would be well-comented and become one of the best films in imdb. Big thanks to creators of this film and good kuck to restorated cinema of Russia!I advice this film to everybody 10/10.