Product Details

• Format: Import, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: Portuguese
• Subtitles: Portuguese, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Studio: Universal
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0015D1W9E
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,991 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Though José Padilha's action-packed crime drama won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, a steady stream of controversy and acclaim has followed in its wake. Some critics have even accused the director of promoting fascism, while Padilha (Bus 174) contends that Elite Squad argues against police brutality. Like Vic Mackey, who heads up The Shield's LA strike force, narrator Captain Nascimento (Wagner Moura) heads up Rio de Janeiro's Police Special Operations Battalion (BOPE). It's 1997, the Pope arrives for a visit in six months, and BOPE will stop at nothing to reduce crime in the favelas. The way they see it, drug traffickers have them outmanned and outgunned, so there's no point in playing by the rules. With their black uniforms and berets, the Skulls certainly cut an imposing figure. New police recruits Neto (Caio Junqueira) and aspiring lawyer Matias (André Ramiro) turn to Nascimento when their efforts to operate by the book only lead to frustration (Matias was inspired by author/law student/BOPE member André Batista). The burned-out captain sees his salvation in the two childhood friends; as soon as he selects a replacement, he plans to leave the force and spend time with his pregnant wife. Nascimento may find his man, but the ending is far from happy. Brutal and bleakly funny, Elite Squad depicts 1990s Rio as Danté's Ninth Circle of Hell. Nonetheless, Brazilians made the film an even bigger sensation than City of God, to which it serves as an essential companion piece. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

An action-packed thriller that follows an elite police battalion (BOPE) tasked with cleaning up a drug-ridden Rio de Janeiro slum in advance of the pope's 1997 visit. A team of trained killers, they struggle to do what's right in a corrupt system and dangerous neighborhood.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Mission accepted is Mission Completed", March 25, 2008

By 

Shyam (Chennai, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tropa De Elite (DVD)

or something roughly translated to that effect is the motto of BOPE, The Brazilian special operations police outfit.

The story 'Tropa De Elite' tells the story of Captain Nascimiento, a captain in a BOPE squad, who because of personal and family issues wishes to relinquish his command and is in search of a worthy successor for his job. The story is a parallel to the life of 2 close friends, Neto and Matias, young and idealistic who join up with the regular police force and quickly learn the murky truth behind the corruption and extent to which it has permeated to the entire echelons of the police force. Frustrated with their role at being mere facilitators of this level of corrupt activities, they decide to take charge and do some good for the society as well as the police force.

I will not get into the specific details for the sake of sounding like a spolier, but during the course of this they come into contact with Captain Nascimiento during a hostile interaction with drug dealers from the favelas and they sign up for BOPE.

The rest of the movie revolves around the completely different personalities of Neto and Matias and how the Captain must decide who has more courage, integrity and dedication among the two friends, for the job of a BOPE captain.

One of the most intense scenes in the movie, is the course of the BOPE training that Neto and Matias have to endure.

Additonally, It also deals in a very humane manner as to the pressures the people in BOPE face and thei families as well, much to the romanticism of the whole concept, their lives are equally under a great deal of stress and issues.

But it conveys a very brutal and realistic truth, as to who actually encourages drugs and their sales and the inevitable violence that accompanies it. In the end, it is the very people that use drugs are the ones who encourage (both indirectly and directly) the whole crime in society, by and large

Its a very powerful and remarkable film, this is going to be a must buy in my collection when it becomes available. I would definitely recommend for you to see it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Brazilian movies, March 13, 2008

By 

Tiago Faria (Lisbon, Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tropa De Elite (DVD)

Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad) shows us the day of a member of BOPE, a urban task force existent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Inspired by the book 'Elite da Tropa' written by a former Captain of this task force (Capitão Nascimento), Tropa de Elite will give you the inside look on a 'favela', the training of BOPE, their personal problems and, even with all the bad things and the danger of being a member of BOPE, the desire and strength shown by young people who believe in good.

This is definitely, a 5 star movie.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best movies of the year, April 15, 2008

By 

Marcos A. Monteiro "movie watcher" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tropa De Elite (DVD)

This is, in may opinion, one of the best movies of the year. It's a more realistic and powerful movie when compared to other movies of the same genre. It's like "SWAT" without all the Hollywood fables. Wagner Moura gives an Oscar like performance. It's a must see for anyone who loves action movies.