OT- The Russian Five now showing
This year's edition of the Dead Things leaves me longing for some good Red Wings vibes, and as luck would have it, "The Russian Five" is showing in local theaters today.
Anyone going? Anyone know anything about the film itself?
I've got an 8 year old who is already a voracious reader that that loves not only history in general, but sports history in particular. Since he got NHL '19 he's become obsessed with all things hockey and NHL, and I know he would LOVE this movie.
I know it's not rated but I'd just like to know a little more about things like the language, subject matter and if it's appropriate to take this sponge of a kid to see it.
Thoughts?
I saw this a while ago at the Seattle Film Festival.
It was definitely enjoyable; I don't remember much/any crude language or inappropriate subject matter.
Personally, I was hoping it would have a little more detail on the beginnings and signing the guys from the Soviet Union (since we all know what happens in '97-'98). That said -- definitely a worthwhile way to relive the glory days.
That stuff is given the full treatment in the book.
Yeah, seems to me the real story is how the Wings got the jump on the rest of the NHL and were able to find star level talent in the Soviet Union and acquire it.
They did a similar thing with Sweden later. Obviously they didn't have to smuggle those players out, but they recognized a treasure trove of talent that the rest of the league was ignoring.
Say what you want about Ken Holland--under him the organization's foreign (outside NA) scouting was unbelievably great.
The Wings were not ahead of the pack on Swedish players. The Maple Leafs signed two Swedes in 1973, Inge Hammarstrom and Borje Salming. Salming was a perennial all star defenseman and the first Swede to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It may seem like the Wings were early because they signed the greatest Swede to ever play the game, Nick Lidstrom.
April 16th, 2019 at 10:40 AM ^
Lidstrom was an amazing player - he and Yzerman were my favorites just for how they carried themselves and their amazing skill. It's a shame that we didn't see more years of Konstantinov & Lidstrom together on the same team.
Would have had 2-3 more with Vlady and Nick on the Blue line. Movie was pretty cool stroll down memory lane, not much new information.
I haven't seen it but hope to. One tip for your kid, the movie is adapted from a recently released book of the same name. If they're a voracious reader, might be worth looking to grab it. The story is great.
My parents did this when I was a kid - wouldn't let me watch R-rated or PG-13 movies, but they'd buy me the books they were adapted from. Worked out well I think!
I saw it when it hit my local theater a few weeks ago. McCarty drops a few F-bombs but that’s about it.
Agreed. I don't recall much else that would stop a parent from bringing a child. Well worth seeing it.
Fantasic documentary, well done. Suggest any Red Wing fan to see it. Begins with getting Federov away from the USSR and ends after the limo crash and second Stanley cup. Shows the Draper hit and the McCarty Lemioux fight also how they conspired to get Vladdy out of the Russian Army.
I saw this a couple of weeks ago and found it very enjoyable. Some nice interviews and a lot of background that I knew nothing about.
I read the book and saw the film. It's a pretty entertaining summary of the late 80's -- late 90's Red Wings, obviously with a focus on the russian five and the lengths the Wings went to get them out of Russia. There's really no bad language at all except for a very distinct Darren McCarty F bomb. Lots of good player interviews: Shanahan, Yzerman, Gretzky, Osgood, Draper, McCarty, Bowman, Fetisov, Larionov, Fedorov. Maybe do the earmuffs thing when the film gets to the Colorado feud.
Something tells me the Probert documentary isnt going to be as kid-friendly
April 15th, 2019 at 10:32 PM ^
Saw it at the Michigan theater a couple weeks ago - it was a fun atmosphere to watch a fun and interesting movie. I wish they would have gotten more into the personal side of the Russians that came over but the film focused a lot on the Red Wings and their journey to the 97 cup. Still would recommend highly as a wings fan.
April 16th, 2019 at 10:24 AM ^
There are a few F words, mainly from McCarty lol. Other than that, it's mostly just the violence in hockey. If you can get by some of the infrequent cussing then I would highly recommend taking your kid to this.
April 16th, 2019 at 10:37 AM ^
It's fantastic. Since I don't have kids and I already have very "fruity" language myself, bad words don't stick out to me. Sorry I can't help, there. But as a former hockey obsessed child, I LOVED learning anything and everything about hockey and it's history at that age. I'm sure your kid will love it. Maybe explain to him what you remember about the Russian 5 beforehand so he has at least a 101-level working knowledge of them.
Also, they bring up the whole Vladdy thing, so it's not without tragedy.
Saw a trailer and hoping to see the entire film! Been a Red Wings diehard for over 40 years. Only looking forward to seeing Avengers Endgame more than this one. Now gotta find out where I can see it Cali.