Sisu: Road to Revenge – Review: Less Plot, More Apocalypse

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The hero from Sisu is back, complete with a loyal dog, and this time he’s taking on the Soviet army who killed his family. If you enjoyed the first movie, you’ll know what to expect, but this sequel is even more stripped down. The original film wasn’t exactly plot-heavy, borrowing a lot from classic Westerns, and this one removes even the motivation of finding gold. It boils down to pure, over-the-top action, and honestly, that’s perfectly fine – especially when the action is this entertaining.

Sisu: Road to Revenge Is The Platonic Ideal of a Popcorn Movie

Jelmari Helander’s second film picks up a couple of years after the first, in 1946. Following World War II, Finland is ceding territory to the Soviet Union, and Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is one of the 420,000 Finns forced to leave their homes in Karelia. But this won’t stop the seemingly immortal man from crossing the border to take apart the remains of his family’s house, intending to rebuild it in Finland and start a new life. It seems this legendary figure has a sentimental side.

News quickly travels through the Soviet military that Aatami is back, prompting a KGB officer to summon Igor Draganov – the man who murdered Aatami’s family. Draganov, played with a comically bad Russian accent, is a dangerous sociopath currently imprisoned in Siberia. He’s known for horrific acts, including harming children. The Russians are furious about the 300 soldiers Aatami killed in the past and now want payback. It’s a battle of revenge: will Aatami’s vengeance, fueled by the loss of his family, be greater than Draganov’s, or the Russians’ desire to avenge their fallen men?

Fresh off a haircut and shave, Draganov jumps right back into the action, while Aatami tries to sneak back into Finland. Honestly, from this point on, the movie reminded me a lot of Mad Max: Fury Road – our hero doesn’t say much, but he’s constantly facing tougher and tougher enemies and crazy traps. Like before, director Helander really goes wild with practical effects – explosions are everywhere, and they look fantastic. The film is broken up into six chapters, plus a surprisingly touching ending, and it manages to walk this really cool line between being totally over-the-top and genuinely heartfelt. There’s no shortage of inventive kills – people die by Molotov cocktails, decapitation, even axes thrown through mouths. There’s this one insane scene where Aatami literally launches a tank – with himself inside! – over a barricade rigged with traps. And get this – twice, Aatami gets shot and doesn’t even realize it, once right in the face!

While this sequel doesn’t offer its characters much hope, it amps up the intensity and apocalyptic atmosphere even further than the original. Despite the harshness of the world, the film isn’t depressing, largely because the main character’s extreme survival tactics are so over-the-top they’re funny. And, like the first film, director Jalmari Helander excels at staging incredibly brutal and exciting action scenes. The final sequence, set entirely on a speeding train, is one of the most thrilling and suspenseful in the genre. In a way, the film’s emptiness allows it to focus purely on delivering adrenaline. It might not be as polished as John Wick or as thought-provoking as Mad Max, but Sisu is just as gripping and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

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2025-11-19 15:28