russia's "my bloody valentine'

russia's "my bloody valentine". that about says it all.

a group of bank robbers nearly get caught by a couple cops and then all hell breaks loose. one of the robbers fires on and kills a cop. they manage the getaway though, as it was planned and now with hostages. they flee across the street into a construction zone that has an entrance into abandoned mines below. they seal their escape route from being discovered but also from being an exit (while this seems like a set up for later, neither the robbery, the police, nor the exit has anything to do with the rest of the movie.)
the whole job is planned by 2 people and they dole the info out on a need to know basis. although the cop is killed that is not necessarily a problem. inside the tunnels the leader follows a preset path on a map and his accomplice is to meet them something like halfway through to lead them the rest of the way. he is not there and then he is found dying with his eyes taken out. now, no one knows how to get out. (and like i said there is never a mention of going back although that entrance is not an option at any rate)
here is really were the movie bogs down. there is killer in the tunnel (the back story is told to two hostage girls by one of the robbers in a rather blunt set up fairy tale). but ultimately they spend forever presumably looking for an exit; however it seems more like they're just walking around aimlessly without any method. they're here, they're there, over in this spot, down this tunnel, etc. but it never seems like they're searching or even really looking. the film deals with them, their interactions, their interactions with the trackman killer, and getting around stuff. a lot of walking through water and breathing cold air. yet there is only a few scenes where you get a sense they may be looking anywhere in particular for a way out. so after so many of these randomized places, theres no progression. and it all bogs down...we wait for each to get caught. there is a few surprises thrown in and it is watchable.
and in the end (i won't give it all away...) we're left with a killer who we have a little sympathy for despite his senseless killing, a bunch of characters that is at best hard to care about too much, and a finale that leaves almost everything in questions.

sigh.

not bad but not original and not very satisfying. 'my bloody valentine' is far cheesier but at least its satisfying. this film fell short.

5/10