MAX MANUS: MAN OF WAR

A Norwegian resistance fighter finally gets his due recognition in this big budget, engaging WWII thriller.

The title of the film may sound like a graphic novel or a new superhero, but Max Manus was a real man, and a true hero in all senses of the word. During World War II, much of Scandinavia was steamrolled into submissiveness with little fight. However, after the war, recognition was duly given to the underground resistance who fought their occupiers with true cat-and-mouse stealth, much to the great frustration of the Nazis.

One of Norway's most celebrated WWII underground heroes was Max Manus (Aksel Hennie). An academic dropout with no real career, he first fought in neighboring Finland, then returned to his home country to help organize a small group of men that became celebrated saboteurs. After initially pulling off relatively small-beans stunts like spreading anti-Nazi propaganda, Max is captured, and pulls off his first action-hero stunt, attempting to escape by jumping out of his apartment window when soldiers show up at his house. Though this trick doesn't quite work, it sets up a dramatic late-night disappearing trick at a hospital, gaining him notoriety as a slippery "terrorist" in the eyes of the Nazis.

Max Manus: Man of War is a solid and engaging traditional war film that is all the more intriguing because it is true. Manus and his band of Oslo saboteurs, including his best friend Gregers Gram (Nicolai Cleve Broch), constantly outsmart the local seethingly handsome Nazi commandant Siegfried Fehmer (Ken Duken) by blowing up cargo ships in the harbor and destroying archival records to keep the citizens' information unattainable.

For a Norwegian film, if this movie didn't have a big budget (apparently it is the most expensive film produced in Norway), it sure at least looks the part. With impressive special effects, especially of the ships being destroyed in Oslo Harbor, it certainly offers big-budget thrills that should please any war thriller enthusiasts. Max Manus: Man of War also serves a bigger purpose, offering an engaging portrayal of a resistance fighter perhaps little known outside of his home country. Max Manus, the free world salutes resistance fighters like you!

DVD NOTES

DVD extras include "Max Manus: Film and Reality" a 45 minute documentary including behind the scenes footage; interview snippets with the directors, cast, and crew; and archive interview footage of real-life Max Manus and his daughter.