Elite Squad: The Enemy Within poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, André Mattos, Sandro Rocha, Maria Ribeiro ... see more see more... , Milhem Cortaz , Irandhir Santos , Pedro Van-Held , Tainá Müller , Seu Jorge , Fabrício Boliveira , Emílio Orcillo Netto , Jovem Cerebral , Bruno Delia

The sprawling slum that towers over Rio de Janeiro is one of the most dangerous places on Earth, and as the head of Rio's BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion), Captain Nascimento (Wagner Moura) ... read more read more...has seen his share of intense situations. When a BOPE mission to stop a jail riot ends in violence, Nascimento finds his job on the line--and BOPE accused of a massacre by human rights activists. But a public fed up with the violence and gangs that plague Rio loves it, and Nascimento finds himself embraced as a hero who gets results. With elections around the corner, he's promoted to Sub-Secretary of Intelligence. In his powerful new post, Nascimento strengthens BOPE and brings the drug gangs that run the slum to their knees-- only to come to the sobering realization that by doing so, he's only made things easier for the corrupt cops and dirty politicians who are truly running the game. After years in the trenches, Nascimento now finds that his new enemies are much more dangerous and, even worse, sitting at desks just down the hall. -- (C) Official Site

Flixster Users

91% liked it

5,971 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

41 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: José Padilha

Release Date: November 11, 2011

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: February 14, 2012

Get It:

Stats: 537 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (537)

  • allan913
    March 3, 2012
    allan913
    It`s The Wire meets The Departed. A masterpiece. An unforgettable and breathtaking action film, they dont get better than this. It`s a pure slam-bang knockout of an action movie. It packs an intense blow of story, characters, politics and realism into one explosive tour de force.... read more A grippingly dramatic and well-constructed flick. A stylish, heart-pounding, twist-filled and action-packed edge of your seat thriller that sets the screen ablaze. A powerful and elctrifying movie. I loved this film. It`s angry, complex and very compelling all the way through. A real eye-opener that`s smart, fresh and utterly exhilerating. Wagner Moura gives an astonishing performance that deserves awards attention, he has never been better. A brillaint piece of work that stands with filmmakers like Coppola and Scorsese. It`s top-notch and truly superb. Bravo Director, Jose Padiha, this directors got talent and i hope to see more of his work in the future. An adrenaline-charged and tremendously entertaining thrill-ride.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    December 5, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "They fatten up the pig, now we gonna roast it."

    After a prison riot, Captain Nascimiento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups.

    ... read moreace="Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Elite Squad 2 works because it grows from the first one. The first movie introduced BOPE to the world and had to spend time explaining its methods, philosophy, code of honour and recruitment process. The sequel doesn't suffer from the burden of exposition, and instead of rehashing the plot of the first - the bane of most sequels - it lets the characters' personalities lead the story.

    Brazilian cinema has been very good since City of God exploded in the world like a hand grenade. Because of it Brazilian cinema has become synonymous with crime movies, even if that's a gross generalization. A subgenre of crime movies defined by graphic violence, social criticism and inventive camera work has prospered in its wake: My Name Ain't Johnny, The Man Who Copied, City of Men, Bus 174, and the Elite Squad movies. At the heart of this Renaissance is the movie's screenwriter, Bráulio Mantovani. For better or for worse all these movies take inspiration from the style he established in City of God. Directors and actors come and go, but everyone still copies the dark humour, the political irreverence, the non-linear narratives, and the clever voice-over that earned Mantovani an Oscar nomination almost a decade ago.

    Editor Daniel Rezende, who also worked in City of God, puts the movie together with the force of a tornado. Complementing director of photography Lula Carvalho's documentary-like style, the fast editing and the dizzying camera work go as far as cinema outside of 3D can go in immersing the viewer in the middle of the action.
  • stuartb1234
    November 17, 2011
    stuartb1234
    It's not often a sequel is better than the first film, even less so when the first movie was as good as Tropa De Elite was. Yet this movie beats it in every way. Easily one of the best movies I have ever seen. Fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
  • Alireza64ir
    October 21, 2011
    Alireza64ir
    Cant believe this piece of trash is among Imdb's top 250.It's only a commercial movie with artificial characters and unrealistic situations and dialogues .Director only used violence as a device for impressing the violent audience. But even the bloody scenes aren't disturbing at... read more all. Compare it with a masterpiece like City of God and its deep impact.
  • fb100002359227440
    May 7, 2011
    fb100002359227440
    A maior bilheteria do cinema nacional. Um filme que fala de forma convincente a corrupção na politica brasileira, sendo ela, enfrentada pelo heroi do longa.
  • 5oclockcoffee
    December 16, 2010
    5oclockcoffee
    I had not the slight desire to watch it, but it's actually very good, better than Tropa de Elite/The Elite Squad. Many countries have to face "similar" problems, but the extension of violence and corruption in Brazil is just revolting.


  • fb720603734
    December 8, 2011
    fb720603734
    I haven't seen the first ELITE SQUAD, but this sequel works magnificently as a stand-alone film, so don't be deterred. Brazil's Official Entry for the 2011 Academy Awards and the highest grossing film in Latin American history is a blazing genre film with a strong political state... read morement.

    Clearly inspired by GOODFELLAS, this intense story shows the many levels of corruption within Rio's government and police force, who conspire to take over the drug trade in the favelas (aka slums) and subsequently rule every aspect of its businesses. The police become a mafia-style militia, and it's easy to see this playing out in cities all over the world. All you have to do is look at the crackdowns on protesters in Egypt, Iran, Syria, Lybia, or the victims of pepper-spraying and worse in our own backyards, and you can relate to what's on display here.

    This is a highly complex story, but I had no trouble following it because the characters are so richly drawn and the direction is so immediate and engrossing. Jose Padilha impressed me with his documentary, BUS 174, and his experience making it pay off tremendously with great handheld cinematography and a clear sense of what story he's telling. Many have complained about the wall-to-wall voiceover, but it's very similar to GOODFELLAS and truly helped me keep track of the story. Sure, it overstates the obvious at times, and the film would most likely have played just fine without it, but it helped me sort everything out.

    What really keeps you grounded are the wonderful performances. Wagner Moura, a dead ringer for Mark Ruffalo, plays Captain Nascimento, who attempts to rid Rio of its corruption, particularly that of the most disarmingly frightening bad guy I've seen in a long time, played by Sandro Rocha as the most corrupt cop you're likely to see on screen. His intensity, even at a backyard barbeque, is the stuff of nightmares. Also contributing great work is Maria Ribeiro as Nascimento's ex-wife, Irandhir Santos as her current husband and voice of uber-liberalism, Andre Ramiro as Nascimento's right-hand man and potential loose cannon, and Andre Mattos as a blustering, over-the-top tv host who makes Peter Finch in NETWORK look like Mr. Rogers.

    The opening sequence alone, detailing a prison riot and how it's handled, was enough to make me sit up and take notice throughout the entire 116 minutes. A sequence in the favelas as Rocha takes over and an amazingly intense scene in which a reporter stumbles upon key evidence are master classes in movie suspense. Ultimately, this is a highly depressing treatise on the never-ending cycles of corruption presented as a ferociously-paced cop thriller. Jose Padilha is pegged to direct the reboot of ROBOCOP next, which seems like a perfect fit, as he's pretty good at turning a genre film into something deeper.
  • fb1492563931
    March 22, 2012
    fb1492563931
    Pulse pounding, moves at a breathless pace, slick and violent coupled with strong script and strong performances, one of the few sequels way better than its prequel (and the prequel was splendid!) . Director José Padilha, who also directed the gripping Bus 174 , brings about a vi... read moresceral quality to the narrative. A Brazilian gem, an absolute must watch!
  • fb511192930
    November 28, 2011
    fb511192930
    Bleak. Though the character of Nascimento & André Ramiro stand for justice and if they are even just a hick-up in the cycle of the self-preserving network of crime deeply rooted in the core of the politics of Rio and in essence anywhere a corrupt politician kills for money and po... read morewer.... People like the character Nascimento will make sure that that hick-up elevates into a choke.

    This movie is bleak yet I have hope that more people like the Captain exist in this world.
  • kylemydude
    November 29, 2011
    kylemydude
    A sequel that's even better than it's predecessor. One of the best films of 2011, this masterpiece of a film ranks up alongside the greatest crime sagas. Bring on the third part of the trilogy!

View All Elite Squad: The Enemy Within Reviews

Critic Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum
January 4, 2012
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

The pace is quick, the violence is rough, and the visual style is documentary as Padilha hammers home his point: Someone is forever in the pocket of someone else as The System constantly adapts to pro... Full Review

Robert Koehler
January 4, 2012
Robert Koehler, Variety

When this Enemy Within settles into key action sequences, such as a stunning nighttime ambush or a daytime battle against Fabio, it becomes wildly entertaining. Full Review

William Goss
December 8, 2011
William Goss, Film.com

Throttles forward with remarkable aplomb and easily leaves the original in the dust. Full Review

Liam Lacey
December 2, 2011
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Elite Squad is just urgent and complex enough to make it clear violence is more than a matter for academic debate. Full Review

Stephen Farber
December 2, 2011
Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter

A fast-paced, hard-hitting Brazilian police thriller. Full Review

J. R. Jones
December 1, 2011
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Jammed with cliches but completely engrossing. Full Review

Roger Ebert
December 1, 2011
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Here's a Brazilian thriller that's so angry and specifically political, it's hard to believe they got away with making it. Full Review

Robert Abele
November 17, 2011
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

It resembles a flow chart splattered with blood and spittle, more static and smeary in tone than the finger-pointing corrective director-cowriter Jose Padilha intended. Full Review

V.A. Musetto
November 11, 2011
V.A. Musetto, New York Post

No wonder Padilha's been tapped to helm a Hollywood reboot of "RoboCop.'' Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
November 10, 2011
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Padilha's style is so urgent and immediate that you almost feel like you're in the midst of an especially advanced video game. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad)
    Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad) (100%)
  • Cidade de Deus (City of God)
    Cidade de Deus (City of God) (96%)
  • The Veteran
    The Veteran (98%)
  • Boca
    Boca (100%)

More Movies like Elite Squad: The Enemy Within

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Fábio: If you wanna screw me start by kissing me!
    • Beirada: [before setting up fire on the rival drug dealer] They fatten up the pig, now we gonna roast it.
    • Lt. Colonel Nascimento: The truth is that my war against the system was just beginning, and this time would be personal.
    • Clara: The Governor's campaign materials are here...
    • Lt. Colonel Nascimento: You have to fight if you want to win.
Submit a Fact | View All

Elite Squad: The ... : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Elite Squad: The Enemy Within Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Elite Squad: The Enemy Within to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?