Such a frustrating disappointment

Fantastic!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Unbelievable, exploitative and often downright silly, Kabadayi is a disappointment of the first order. One of Turkish cinema's best loved actors, Sener Sen, reprises his character from Eskiya (1996), without bothering to add a single nuance to his performance. Yavuz Turgul, writer/director of Eskiya, is also responsible for this script. However, where Eskiya managed to convey serious social messages within a rousing tale of violence and its consequences, Kabadayi never rises above the level of a second rate Hong Kong tale of revenge. Kenan Imirzalioglu, a reliable if limited leading man, overacts to the point of caricature as the villain of the piece, Devran. A number of stalwarts of modern Turkish cinema bravely try to inject some individuality into their clichéd characters without success. Young leads, Ismail Hacioglu (Murat) and Asli Tandogan (Karaca) look good but act with the vivacity of a couple of shop window mannequins that were given temporary lives. Editing is a disaster and the script appears to have run away from its writer to be completed during the shoot. There is plenty of unintended comedy – especially during the final climax… If it weren't preceded with fanfare that raised expectations and invited obvious comparisons to Eskiya (one of the most involving Turkish films of recent times) the disappointment would not have been that great. As it stands, the film is a disgrace on all fronts. Comparisons to works of Coppola and Scorsese would have been insulting if they weren't so outrageously comical. 1/10.

I was waiting for this movie. This is pure cinema. This is fantastic. The actors are great, cinematography is great, script is fantastic, messages are very well and dialogs are great. You must see it, if you want to see a Turkish movie. This is great entertainment and sad story. Yavuz Turgul is one of the best filmmakers of the world. The film criticizes many things. I don't want to give spoilers. This is one of the best movies, I have ever seen. Ferenc Pap is a real good cinematographer. The pictures and the quality are great. Kenan Imirzaliogul has done the greatest role in his career. Sener Sen was like always: GOOD. Rasim Oztekin is a very good actor and played perfect. The others were great too. You must see it. It's not a popcorn flick.

As a movie goer I was expecting at least reasonable performance in this movie taking account the reputation of the director, screenplay writer, actors etc. but the movie was totally disappointing.The story is like something written by a child, meaningless and redundant dialogs. Acting is awful especially by İsmail Hacıoglu(Murat), Aslı Tandogan(Karaca: a name probably made up by a moron),Rasim Oztekin (he was inadequate in GORA, worse in this movie as a gay character). All I can say about this movie is that it would be better if there were no dialogs at all. My general recommendation to such screenwriters, directors and producers: first make your movie as a silent movie and never add a dialog unless you have something original or crucial to say. Simplicity is always less risky and less annoying.

I don't understand how people review this film so highly, it just didn't do it for me. It has no story to tell, same old, same old...(Boy loves girl, girl loves boy, good guy vs bad guy).I was expecting something entirely different from Yavuz Turgul and Omer Vargi, specially after releasing a classy looking trailers and posters. From what it seems they were brainwashing the audience by getting them to believe that they are awaiting something different and unique.The only way to sum-up my opinion about this film, is to write the good and bad of this film: BAD: Story (Cliché), Directing (Amature),Dialogue (Do they ever shut up!!), Acting "Asli Tandogan, Ismail Hacioglu" (Fake), Paste and Visuals (doesn't exist! Again too much dialogue!), Length (140 minutes, are they gone MAD!!!), Makeup/Hair/Costumes: very unrealistic "Murat - Bob Marley?!!") GOOD: Cinematography (Professional), Sener Sen (Great performance as usual),Kenan Imirzalioglu (convincing, not as good as his previews film "Son osmanli", but OK), Music (lyrical & Moody, very Hollywood, but debatable wither fits this film or not), Sound design and effects(obviously a very professional work, but not suitable, made the film sound like an action film), Editing (Decent).What also botheres me, is the lack of continuity: halfway through the film, girl gets shot(crucial surgery), few minutes later as if nothing ever happened.Overall it's a disappointment, save your money for a better film.2/10 a wake up call!!!