Wagner Moura,
André Ramiro,
Caio Junqueira,
Milhem Cortaz,
Fernanda Machado
... see more 
For decades, the South American metropolis of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has clocked in as staggeringly lethal. Its violence-scarred and blood-strewn ghettos (or "favelas") are regularly patrolled by cra... read more
Directed by: José Padilha
Release Date: August 17, 2007
Keywords:
action,
brazilian,
violent,
elite squad,
drug dealers,
brazilian movies,
police force,
Full Metal Jacket,
Elite Squad ,
City Of God,
Wagner Moura
DVD Release Date: October 28, 2008
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Stats: 1,504 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (1,504)
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September 30, 2011For some reason, I just couldn't get into this movie. It was well done, but just too much craziness going on for me, I guess.
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February 23, 2011A pair of young recruits join Rio De Janeiro's police "Elite Squad" and are given the task of cleaning up a gang controlled slum before a papal visit. Infernal Affairs meets Full Metal Jacket in this Brazilian crime drama about a police unit that's a cross between SWAT, Internal ... read more
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August 26, 2010If I was going to judge a film only by my moral standpoint I'd say this is another pamphlet that tries to convince people that the only answer to deal with crime is to turn into a neo-fascist robot and crush it from its marrow, the same way central characters have done in some cl... read more
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October 16, 2009A very good film, although I had hoped for something a little bit more after the trailer. It's more of an action/drama dealing with the drug trade in the slums of Rio in Brazil. It has a good story and is well made and shot with a fair share of brutal, violent action scenes. Almo... read more
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October 6, 2009Excellent movie. Great acting and story. A movie about Brazils BOPE and the favela in Rio. The harsh reality is that this could almost be a documentary of everyday life there.
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May 12, 2009"On the streets of Rio only the elite survive."
1997, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his occupation while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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March 15, 2009Punchy urban drama set in the favelas of Rio analysing the desperate struggle to survive on all sides of the law. Poverty is the driving force for most immorality but the rich 'playboys' fare little better. Uneasy but thought provoking viewing.
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January 30, 2009Alittle disappointed with this one, I thought it would be much more violent and have tons of action as that's what the trailer and look of the DVD cover kinda impresses on you. I also watched it cos its made by the same man who made 'City of God' which is a fearsome flick.
Its v... read more -
January 22, 2009Some of the stylistic elements may feel a little over-familiar by now, but Tropa de Elite is intelligent, energetic, and immensely watchable. The film narrates the progress of two new police recruits, still with integrity and yet to be exposed to the corruption on which Rio's pol... read more
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January 15, 2009This has been referred to as City of God 2, and you don't have to get very far into it to understand why. Beyond the instantly obvious fact that it takes place in the same city, namely Rio De Janeiro, it also depicts the same dark and brutal side of it. What separates the two, ho... read more
Critic Reviews
September 19, 2008
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
September 19, 2008
Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Elite Squad is a relentlessly ugly, unpleasant, often incoherent assault on the senses from Brazil. Full Review
September 17, 2008
Jim Ridley, Village Voice
[José Padilha] recariously pitches the squad's brute force as less a necessary evil than the outgrowth of an existing evil -- a no-win situation that mocks liberal ideals and warps conservative pragma... Full Review
September 15, 2008
David Edelstein, New York Magazine
It bears a resemblance to viscerally exciting seventies urban thrillers like The French Connection, in which only the fascists could do what needed to be done. Full Review
January 13, 2009
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
A satisfactory enough cop movie, but not one that people will still be name checking years hence Full Review
September 25, 2008
Robert Koehler, Christian Science Monitor
Given that Brazil, as a Latin American moviemaking powerhouse, steadily produces vibrant, vital films of real impact and humanity, it's a crime itself that Elite Squad may be the only Brazilian film t... Full Review
September 20, 2008
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A depressing film that celebrates brute strength as the only means to stem the tide of violence and crime in Rio de Janeiro.
September 19, 2008
Richard Mowe, Boxoffice Magazine
With no star names and a tough subject, it will be hard sell despite being a runaway hit on its home turf. Full Review
September 19, 2008
Chris Barsanti, Film Journal International
A poor man's City of God that suggests the only answer to the problems of Brazil's slums are blazing guns wielded by a neo-fascist police force. Full Review
September 18, 2008
Edward Douglas, ComingSoon.net
Trying to address important and serious social issues in this violent world rather than just creating something sensationalistic or exploitative gives Elite Squad an edge over normal police thrillers. Full Review
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Tropa de Elite (The Elite Squad)
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