Product Details

• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0012EIJZQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,200 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Everything We Stand For" ~ Politics And Hockey Make For A Volatile Combination, March 25, 2007

By 

Brian E. Erland "BEE" (Brea, CA - USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Canada Russia '72 (3-Disc Set) (DVD)

When you think about great moments in sports what comes to mind? If it isn't the eight game series of hockey superpowers in '72 than you're not Canadian and you're not a hockey fan. The television produced film from our neighbor to the north documents this titanic true encounter in the documentary style film `Canada Russia '72.'

For those of us old enough to remember the mood of the times when the Summit Series took place we understand how monumental these games were. The fact that they took place at all is a miracle in itself. The Cold War between East and West was at its zenith and without the vast communication network available today little was known about Russia and its population. The only thing we knew for sure that we hated them and they hated us. You couldn't ask for a better scenario for a film could you? This was a multi-layered cultural exchange with far-reaching ramifications encompassing athletic supremacy, political and ideological superiority and religious justification. Truly a contest for the ages.

'Canada Russia '72' was nominated for four Geminis (Canadian Emmy's): best direction, best casting, editing and supporting actor, winning in the category of editing and best supporting actor (Judah Katz as Alan Eagleson). It was also nominated for two Directors Guild Awards for editing and Best mini-series, winning again for best editing. Personally my favorite performance was delivered by Gabriel Hogan in the role of Ken Dryden (who also happens to be one of my favorite players of all-time). Not only did he look perfect for the part but in my estimation he was the heart and soul of the production and the glue that held the storyline together. Other favorites were Chris Szarka as Pete Mahovlich, John Bregar as Bobby Clarke, David Berni as Phil Esposito and David Miller as series hero Paul Henderson.

Being a Canadian production it obviously concentrates on the emotional ups and downs of the Team Canada players while leaving the personalities of the Soviet team somewhat unexplored and one dimensional, maybe with goalie Valislav Tretiak the exception. I'm not sure if this should be acknowledged as a minor fault in the story development, or quite possibly done on purpose to emphasize the Cold War mystique of 70's Russia and how little we really knew of this vast, foreign country. Where this film excels is in its ability to capture the defiant, fiercely independent spirit of both the Canadian team and the people of Canada.

`Canada Russia `72' is a must see for any real sports addict, hockey fan or not. See for yourself what happened when East and West collided on the ice. This was truly a war of wills not to be forgotten. Labeling this eight game series the "Friendship Games" was definitely a misnomer of the highest order.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Off the charts!!, October 18, 2006

By 

Kungfucharlie "Kungfucharlie" (West Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canada Russia '72 (3-Disc Set) (DVD)

Wow. That's all I can say. The biggest event in Canadian hockey history is totally done justice--and more--in this mini-series. Wonderfully filmed and awash in era-specific touches, Canada Russia 72 has some of the best hockey action sequences that I have ever seen in a movie. Hockey fans in the US and Canada could do no wrong picking up this DVD set. The mini-series serves as a great lesson for all hockey historians.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Series Heard Round the World, June 1, 2011

By 

Harris Macklin "roadhockey" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canada Russia '72 - The Uncut Version (DVD)

This is a great movie. Extremely well done with the actors playing Bobby Clarke, Ken Dryden, Vic Hadfield, Paul Henderson, Gary Bergman and Wayne Cashman nailing the parts. We see Dryden wracked with self doubt, Frank Mahovilich's growing paranoia, Cashman intimidating everyone he plays against. I personally prefer the shorter broadcast version, the longer version mostly just adds more swearing. But this is awesome and really captures the feel of the series to the point that you are gripped with the same fear of losing that the players had. Sharp script, solid acting and the makers do not sugar coat that the players would do everything they could to win. After the infamous slash by Bobby Clarke one of his teammates says "I can't believe Kharlamov is playing" to which Clarke replies "I can't believe he's walking!"