Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

To me, this movie is perfection.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Every nation has their sacred topics, for Russians, this is Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, and as a result, more than 27 000 000 people were killed, and thus it is almost not possible to touch this topic with almost a slighter hint of doubt or criticism. The war caused a huge array of war movies made in the former USSR, as well as modern Russia. Many were great, many were just banal, mediocre efforts. The Brest Fortress is a 2010 work, and it introduces many famous contemporary Russian actors, and the budget is very big. As a result, a very tragic, deep, heavy, dark and merciless film was made. It depicts first week of the war in June 1941, and it shows deeply tragic fates of Fortress defenders. Apart from obvious inaccuracies or goofs, there are huge and impressive battle scenes with many great moments. But the feeling of deja vu and seeing an old Soviet propaganda film does not leave us here. Well done, but with very obvious touches of pro-Soviet sentiments

I've expected a bit more from Brestskaya krepost. Thanks to the rating, I was looking forward to experience a different (Russian) view on Eastern front and was awaiting accuracy on battlefield which I am pretty sensitive about. Everything went good till German attack.POSITIVES first: -All visuals are good and so are the uniforms, vehicles etc. -Film managed really good to build "calm before the storm" atmosphere. I could feel the tension in the air and it made me to continue watching. -The film covers everything important in my opinion. Some reviewers have written about a feeling that Russians act in Brestskay krepost like it is theirs for ages and that Russians have committed many crimes in Poland which should have been shown in the movie too. I had this feeling also but I disagree with these reviewers about a matter of showing the background of Russian occupation in 1939-1941. I don't think it would add anything important to the story. NEGATIVES:-Overall battle performance and tactics of both sides were at least strange. As the Germans were advancing in extended order towards the Russians first time, the Russians have counter-attacked into the close combat instead of ambush and relatively safe shooting from the building. There was absolutely no reason to do that. This scene would be much more typical for Napoleonic wars than for 1941. Furthermore, attacking in urban areas in extended orders is nonsense. In reality, it was about quick moves, searching for cover, covering comrades etc. German infantry could have used some armored vehicles and move with them while hiding themselves behind them.-Waves of Germans trying to get closer to the Russians, who were defending buildings and fortress, while running without cover or covering fire and therefore dying instantly. Although close quarter combat was not yet developed in these days, since 19th century there was a common practice in military of dividing infantrymen into at least two units or "platoons" where one covers the second during its advance and then they change roles. It would be more believable if one German unit would provide massive fire on Russian positions and the second unit would quickly advance and take some good positions, ready to cover the others. -One of the German objectives was saving lives of their soldiers which makes the scene with captives quite unbelievable. I don't think they could have exposed their soldiers to potential fire because of some doubtful intent, probably to make Russians negotiate or what.-Many times, Germans shout without a reason just ... to make them look more German? This is at least the Hollywood's idea of Germans but I didn't expect this in a Russian film. For example, they shout at each other: "Be aware of windows, fire at will, fire..." which are pretty "empty" useless phrases, while they are already fighting. When they are yelling this during taking a building, it becomes a problem because they tend to reveal their position to the enemy.In spite of the negatives, it was a solid movie. If you are not as sensitive about the battles as I am, you will definitely enjoy.

Produced in honour of the Red Army soldiers defending the USSR Western borders, Fortress of War recounts historical events combined with fictitious chronicles surrounding the June 1941 siege of the Brest Fortress in Sothern Belorussia against the invading Wehrmacht Army Group Centre forces in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa.This historical event is creatively accompanied by reminiscing narration from an orphaned 15-year old boy named Sasha Akimov. His narration ties together three main defensive stages led by real life Soviet war heroes centered on the resistance zones holding out against the protracted German siege. One location is headed by regiment commander Pyotr Gavrilov (Aleksandr Koshunov) another by the political commissar Yefim Fomin (Pavel Derevyanko) and lastly the head of the 9th frontier outpost, Andrey Mitrofanovich Kizhevatov (Andrey Merzlikin). All three have a different story to tell. The film begins in an archetypal peaceful, though nervous per-war Belorussia in the summer of 1941. The heavy military presence contained in Brest, notably its historic 19th century fortress, explains the current political situation in the country following the Nazi conquest of Western Europe and the Politburo's rightful suspicions of Hitler next intended target. The focal characters are simultaneously introduced intermediately around Sasha's observational narration. The ensuing bombardment by Wehrmacht artillery and brutal assault comes with-out warning and is unleashed with fuming panic. The film thus continues along a direction of separate combat charges and defensive manoeuvres. These numerous skirmishes and scuffles between the two opposing armies are effective, edgy and well-staged. All the combat scenes are extremely effective and mastered by the production team using special effects and pyrotechnics to their full advantage. Because the film was produced by the Belarusfilm Company and in truth many of the cast and crew either lived or parents lived through the nightmare of the Wehrmacht invasion and resultant onslaught of the population, the accuracy to detail is visually authentic and at no point attempts to introvert away from the brutality faced by their ancestral soldiers or civilians during these troubled times. Yet, it does not go unnoticeable that this film contains blotches of patriotism and benevolence. The narration shifts between characters and their dilemmas in the three separate defensive locations at the beginning may appear to be unclear and confusing. Nevertheless, through skillful editing and directing as the film moves along at a steady peace the separate stories begin to coalesce into one and by no means are a distraction.In summary, Fortress of War is a first-rate factual dramatised war movie which subjects its audience to the brave climatic struggle for survival and once again is another example of the evolving historical films from the Counties brutalised by ideology fuelled hatred and genocide that was the Second World War.

Positiv: The sound engineer and the explosives guys did a great job indeed. Great camera: Little of this horrible close-up-shakycamera-war-movie camera in fast and nervous montage, which is refreshing. The actors deliver a great performance.Negative: -Tactically, its like the A-Team with lots of casualties added. -The main plot is untouched: The fortress is pointless. The attackers just moved around and left pockets of resistance to the second line mop-up troops. The German advance was not hold up by this fighting, no important road or railway was blocked by the fortress. It would have been a nice angle to the story to portrait the relentless defense put up despite knowing the pointlessness all of that. That leads to me being unable to connect ("feel along") to the characters. Not the soldiers put up the fight but the officers and commissars lead the headless pack. The soldiers do what they are told and die attacking over open ground without anyone questioning this.A fair share propaganda can be overlooked, because in sowjet times you obviously had to build it in. The breathtaking "come and see" has its propaganda captives scenes at the end, but its a side note to the amazing movie. Here, its too much. The propaganda spin of the story is told, not the story behind the propaganda story. So just six stars to the hero fortress.