FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

mojoguzzi-879-68498 I was excited to see this movie and it was entertaining. Fans of the show Vikings will appreciate the gritty, authentic characterizations of the Cossacks with their fierce personas, bushy mustaches and shaved forelocks. The Cossacks were a collection of hard-living freebooters, many criminal refugees, who fled to the wilds of the Ukraine from all parts of Russia to live independently. Riding in packs with disregard for life and limb, they were the Christian counterpart to the mounted Tartar hordes they often sparred with, like two Medieval motorcycle gangs.Unfortunately the film ultimately degenerates into an appalling propaganda piece with a slew of nobly dying Cossacks declaring their love for Mother Russia and angry heartfelt wishes that Russia and its brand of Orthodox Christianity will someday conquer the world. If this was a Muslim film expressing the same type of sentiments people would be screaming for drones to take action on the filmmakers.Even creepier, several of the dying declarations and other venomous speeches target Poland - and although the Poles are the enemies of the Cossack horde in the film, the message is clearly intended to transcend the time period, with expressed wishes that "the Polacks" will be sorry someday. In today's political climate, the film is undoubtedly a cry to arms for Putin's burgeoning reactionary groupies, who publicly dream of restoring Russia's Soviet era empire.The film spends way too much time on these propaganda points and far too little on story development. The love story so critical to the storyline is choppy and unconvincing, with the Cossack traitor allowed to enter the Polish princess's boudoir and have his way with her while her family and retainers blithely ignore his entrance. While the Medieval Poles were reputedly more sexually liberated than their European neighbors, it is unthinkable that a traitorous knight- in-training would be allowed such liberties with a noble. On top of that, the young Cossack was enthusiastically assailing the castle walls just a day before. (The relationship in the Tony Curtis version of this story was much more ably developed.)If the movie ended about three-quarters of the way in, the bits of propaganda scattered throughout might pass for authentic dialog - as would the "hero" Taras' scorn for the Jewish merchant, portrayed as a groveling money grubber. But just when you're sure the movie is over, the battle is extended and the litany of cornball dying words is unleashed... to go on and on and on...With the recent events in the Ukraine over disputed territory, one can only wonder whose side the old independent Cossacks would take today. "Mother Russia" or a free Ukraine?

mihai_bogdan666 this is a good and hard movie for humans who know Russian history.5.5 is the IQ of the stupid who don't know noting.you must read to know something .if this movie is made by Americans his note will be 10,but is not,is made by Russian.i read the novel and all Russian history and this movie is an great example for the MAN who don't know nothing.the main character is the example of old school hero and patriot not some pussy whit a gun,a father and men .the Russian history is made whit blood and steal not oil wars.my apologize if i was to rude but not all the great movies are made by Americans.i am from Romania and we to make great movie like:MICHAEL THE BRAVE,VLAD THE IMPAILER,MIRCEA,OSANDA

disarmer-1 This "film" is the essence and the face of today's cinematograph in Russia. It has all of symptoms of it's serious illness. Let me enumerate some of it.First - film is made by government order. In this specific case it has to show Russian crowd that Poland is Enemy and that Ukraine belongs to Russia. But it's made so rudely and primitive that polish characters even win our sympathy against "kassaks".Second - budget of this film is enormous while independent cinema doesn't have ANY state support and has no small chance to develop.Third - Vladimir Bortko, director of "Taras Bulba" is one of that previously talented soviet artists who mutated under the new power and lost everything what they had for what we loved them (Bortko made "Heart of a Dog" in 1988 by Bulgakov's story). Another brightest example of such a mutant - Nikita Mikhalkov, the main monster of "new Russian cinema".Fourth and last - work of every member of film crew is absolutely weak. Awful editing, feeble script, fast-food directing, horrific two-melodies soundtrack made by extinct pop-star Igor Kornelyuk, hysterical special effects with blood made by Photoshop or Paint redactor, endless and cheerless battle scenes (under the rain with clear sky) and so on...This is not just a disappointment, this is a real condition of Russian cinematograph. And it will not change until the same people from ruling party leave their chairs.

Ivan Denisoff "Do we have powder still in our flasks?" asks Taras his comrades during a violent battle. It is quite often that this very question is attributed to contemporary Russian movie makers meaning whether they are still able to create genuine works of art. And for me this movie gives an affirmative answer, at least in relation of Vladimir Bortko. I watched this film yesterday and I am still impressed with it. I enjoyed how actors played though sure Bogdan Stupka makes an absolutely outstanding performance, but the whole actors' ensemble is very well doing. Also I found cinematography very interesting. And sure Bortko deserves praise for his solid work which reminded me about those soviet times when such masters as Gerasimov or Romm created their epics.This movie is about tremendously difficult choice between different values, between devotion to motherland (fatherland) and love for a woman, between traditional values of Russian people and values of west though in this movie we see how allegedly enlightened polish gentry (regarding itself as beings of higher order than cossacks ) executes cossacks in the most cruel way.Though I have to honestly admit that I don't know how fully this movie renders Nicolai Gogol' story. Anyway I found the movie very interesting by itself not even in relation to the original source.