Putevoy obkhodchik

(2007) Trackman/ Putevoy obkhodchik (In Russian with English subtitles) HORROR

Co-produced and co-written by Valery Krechetov with successful heist group with hostages, escape toward an old mine shaft only for each one of them to be stalked and killed by an undiscovered demented serial killer. We then find out that he was on the loose, who became who he is was, was a result of Chernobyl, and that his trademarks is he plucks eyeballs from his victims! Nothing what people of horror films haven't seen before, "My Bloody Valentine", "Wolf Creek" and "Descent" to name a few... with the only difference here is that it's a Russian production.

The movie opens with two criminals discussing a bank robbery and the escape plan. Everything sounds fine, and it goes off as planned. Only, when they get into the tunnel that they were to use for escape, they come head-to-head with a slasher with a pick axe that lives in the tunnel and, believe it or not, collects eyeballs.

I would not call it as gory movie. Yes, the slasher does use some kind of eyeball-removal tool after he kills, but that wasn't really bad. It is the terror that makes it interesting.

Sure, we have seen this many times before. Originality is not something we expect in horror movies. But it was done well and there was plenty of excitement as they try to escape.

I am really not sure about the ending, though. It just didn't seem to fit.

When I picked up TRACKMAN in my latest online order of DVD's and checked out the cover art, I thought it was going to be one of those cheap annoying and unoriginal slashers, well when I started watching it it didn't look cheap at all it was actually nicely shot and it wasn't the usual annoying teen slasher flick, it actually featured a band of bank robbers who successfully pull off a bank job and take hostages and are looking to make their escape by going through an abandoned metro tunnel, but soon they realize they're not alone in the tunnels.

As soon as we are introduced to our killer hiding in the tunnels, the immediate reaction would be that this guy was photo copied right out of MY BLOODY VALENTINE and the plot or at least from the part where the robbers and hostages go into the tunnels, is like it was taken from a 70's horror movie called RAW MEAT or a latter day horror film called CREEP, to top it all off this film never builds any kind of tension or doesn't really scare you or keeps you on the edge of your seat, its only redeeming factor is the cinematography, this film is beautifully shot, the film makers certainly weren't lazy in attempting to create atmosphere.

Although this film is very well made at the end of the day after watching this film its a question of, seen this, done that and bought the T-shirt, as it doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before

Obviously blatantly "inspired" by a few other horror films (namely "My Bloody Valentine" and "See No Evil") "Trackman" is a rather boring and lazy film that meanders along through all the typical slasher film clichés that we have come to know. However, a tad of originality never killed anybody and this is a concept that completely eludes the makers of this film.

The plot centers around a couple of criminals who decide to rob a busy bank in the downtown Moscow area. After fatally shooting a security guard the crooks take a few female hostages and escape into an abandoned tunnel that runs below the bustling city of Moscow. However, it seems they chose the wrong hiding place, as a serial killer wearing a variation of a gas mask and armed with a pick axe (sound familiar?) patrols the tunnel, ready to kill and collect the eyes of anyone foolish enough to venture into to it.

The Good: "Trackman" is a great looking film. The production values are top notch and, stylistically, the film the film works better than most horror films that have made it into theaters lately. The tunnel setting is definitely creepy and claustrophobic, but the director doesn't take full advantage of this opportunity. The killer is also pretty creepy and intimidating, and his mask/costume works pretty well. He is certainly your 80's style slasher film killer.

The Bad: For starters, the characters are all annoying as hell (even the two hostages), so it is really hard to sympathize or even care about any of them. Instead of going this route with the plot/characters, I feel the film could have been more effective following the typical "teenagers in peril" formula. Instead of having robbers as the main characters, have a bunch of teenagers who venture into the tunnels for a little partying be the victims. In fact, when I was watching this film, I kept thinking of the film "Catacombs" and how, if we could take elements from each of these films to make one film, it could be pretty darn good. In addition to having uninteresting characters, the film itself gets pretty boring. There are long stretches of time where nothing happens except the group wandering around the tunnel, occasionally stopping to yell at each other or slap around the hostages. It doesn't keep the viewers attention at all, and when the slashing does begin, it's entirely too late and too tame to redeem the film. Again, we don't care at all about the characters, so it is hard to get too invested in what happens to them. When the end finally does come, it is such a head-scratcher that it makes you even more angry that you just bored yourself for an hour watching the dang film.

Overall: A film that is pleasing to look at because of its high production values and stylish setting, but suffers because of a boring pace, extremely clichéd and predictable plot, and unlikeable characters. I'd strongly suggest skipping this one and popping in "My Bloody Valentine"(either the remake OR original!), as no matter how many times you have seen it, it will still be more exciting and entertaining that "Trackman!"

FrightMeter Grade: D-

Or is it "My bloody Russian-tine"? Any which way, this tries to mix horror and action into one movie. And while it is very familiar (to anyone who has watched a slasher movie before), it is done decent enough. Not good mind you, but not bad either. The characters are exchangeable (but then again, what slasher movie has great characters in them? Exactly!) and the death scenes are not overly inventively (not in my book anyway).

What stays is a nice setting/atmosphere and an extra point for trying. Russian movies that are successful outside their homeland were mostly movies that are thoughtful (Solaris et al). Recently of course there was some Fantasy (Nochnoy Dozor aka Night Watch for example) and here we have a slasher. Nice for a try, but nothing to get too excited about.