Elite Squad | 
 enlarge | Director: José Padilha
Actors: Maria Ribeiro, Caio Junqueira, Wagner Moura, Milhem Cortaz, Fernanda Machado
Studio: Weinstein Company
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $9.58
You Save: $10.40 (52%)
New (25) Used (8) from $9.57
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 3626
Format: Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: Portuguese (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 115
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: WEID81548D
UPC: 796019815482
EAN: 0796019815482
ASIN: B001CDFY2I
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ***Portuguese And English Languages Available***** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
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Product Description
Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 10/28/2008 Run time: 118 minutes Rating: R
Amazon.com
Though José Padilha's action-packed crime drama won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, a steady stream of controversy and acclaim has followed in its wake. Some critics have even accused the director of promoting fascism, while Padilha (Bus 174) contends that Elite Squad argues against police brutality. Like Vic Mackey, who heads up The Shield's LA strike force, narrator Captain Nascimento (Wagner Moura) heads up Rio de Janeiro's Police Special Operations Battalion (BOPE). It's 1997, the Pope arrives for a visit in six months, and BOPE will stop at nothing to reduce crime in the favelas. The way they see it, drug traffickers have them outmanned and outgunned, so there's no point in playing by the rules. With their black uniforms and berets, the Skulls certainly cut an imposing figure. New police recruits Neto (Caio Junqueira) and aspiring lawyer Matias (André Ramiro) turn to Nascimento when their efforts to operate by the book only lead to frustration (Matias was inspired by author/law student/BOPE member André Batista). The burned-out captain sees his salvation in the two childhood friends; as soon as he selects a replacement, he plans to leave the force and spend time with his pregnant wife. Nascimento may find his man, but the ending is far from happy. Brutal and bleakly funny, Elite Squad depicts 1990s Rio as Danté's Ninth Circle of Hell. Nonetheless, Brazilians made the film an even bigger sensation than City of God, to which it serves as an essential companion piece. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Pretty pathetic for an Elite Squad December 23, 2008
0 out of 8 found this review helpful
By modern day standards, this squad has low-tech weapons and tactics. I mean even American SWAT teams at this time had better armor, weapons and tactics.
Maybe because this was a low budget film they couldn't afford newer weapons and options that are standard equipment on even the poorest US SWAT teams. Their assault tactics looked elementary; such as maneuvering in bright lights instead of dim; bunching up in alleys, running into a situation without enough ammo, etc. Plus, no reflex sights, no night scopes, Kevlar helmets, comm VOX headsets.
In one scene one of heir "Elites" is racking and dry-firing his Glock, and then pointing it at his buddy, which was really stupid and psychotic. Training - okay. Execution - lousy. No Elites; just a bunch of clowns. Oh, they looked pretty effective shooting and torturing suspects; which I'm sure a lot of American police depts would love to do without any repercussions.
very boring November 30, 2008
1 out of 12 found this review helpful
well i didn't like this movie i watch one hour and igot so bored that i stopped the dvd and i din't watch the end
too much blah blahh blahh blahhhhhhhh for nothing and i think it is very bad filming it is always moving
 Every US Cop should see this movie... November 29, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is the kind of movie that EVERY police in the US should see it !
It show them how much they should appreciate their jobs, and also show them that what they face everyday in the US cities, it is not as tough as they want everyone to believe it is !!
This movie shows the REALITY of what it is the life of the policeman in Brazil, including the ones that want to make a difference, and the ones the "abuse" with impunity the system for personal benefits !
The only movie "close" to this one I've seen in the US, it was "Training Day" !
South Central LA is a piece of pie compare to the reality of other places in the World. That being a Cop in US should be treated as a very SAFE job, very well paid, with a good personal life environment they can offer to their families, and all the other perks (check out the CARS the police there have to work with !!).
Every day when they leave their homes to work, they should all be thankful for working in the US !
Disagree ??? Then ask any US Cop you may know to volunteer to go to do some "internship" on the police forces of Brazil or Mexico ... Let's see how many would volunteer !
Watch the movie... it is really good !
And for the Brazilians watching ... it will give a little bit of "hope" that there are good Cops in Brazil too.
 Where is the Action ? November 14, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
With a title like " Elite Squad ", one would expect heavy action and lots of shoot out scenes, but this movie lacked the action and concentrated on the drama.
I must say, that the movie is successful as a drama, with an intriguing plot and well developed characters. the acting was also very impressive for a non american movie.
I enjoyed watching this movie, but i kept waiting for some cool action scenes or some very brutal shoot out scenes " something like the shoot out scene from Heat ", but that never happened except for a brief casual shoot out.
So i was left asking for more, because in these type of movies, it is always a positive thing to add some heavy action to.
Overall, a solid drama that dissapoints real action fans with its lack of shoot out scenes. a solid 3.5 stars
Panned by critics, loved by those who understand the situation in Brazil November 14, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I loved this movie. It was largely panned by American critics, never even making it to American theaters, except for maybe one or two in NYC (none in LA).
The film provided a valid, complex viewpoint of some of the problems that modern-day Brazil faces. If you look at comments of reviews of this film on major publications' web sites (like NYTimes, LA Times, etc), you will see that the overwhelming majority of comments are from Brazilians who: 1) loved the movie, and 2) stated that the movie got the situation right.
The film shows the point of view of patriotic police officers that want to do right by their country, although they are confounded by their fellow police officers, the well-armed drug dealers, the bought-off constituents of the slums (favelas), as well as the leftist middle class that excoriates the police on the one hand for its heavy handed tactics as well as its corruption while at the same time sustaining the local drug lords by buying their product.
It is the film's viewpoint towards the leftist middle class that I think doomed the film to never get a proper showing in the US. That, and the fact that this "honest" police force feels obligated (and in the eyes of some in the viewing public, justified) to use extra-judicial, heavy handed tactics to get results in fighting crime.
SEE THIS FILM!
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