Hooked and Gutted

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2003)

Enemy at the Gates is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The plot, essential in a movie of this nature, lacks enough credibility that the whole mess resembles only a beefed-up version of "Combat". It is simply another CGI-enhanced war flick trying to cash in on the success of Saving Private Ryan, end of debate.
The cinematography is horrendous and the music is even worse. Due to modern technology, not only are today's directors able to recreate such garish details as severed limbs and WW2 vintage bombers, but they also can eliminate any shred of intelligence in the script and hire a terrible cast. Vassili's rise to fame resembles Jerry Maguire more than Platoon. Even Bob Hoskins, the most talented of the cast, is wasted in his role as Nikita Khruschev.
The first half-hour alone has no redeeming quality that makes this movie stand out as anything significant. The remaining 90 minutes only emphasizes that point. If the Soviets had as many morons in their military as this movie would suggest, it's a miracle that they survived World War II.
Overall, skip this movie altogether. There is nothing else I can say. There are better quality works out there. 1 out of 5 stars.