Ok, there are many reasons why this isn't a good movie, but it being a WW2-inspired fantasy flick isn't one of them. The problem is that it aspires to do things well, takes itself very seriously (have you seen the official site?), announces that boldly… and proceeds failing across the board. It's by all means a schlock feature masquerading as something it isn't.
I had suspected the movie wasn't going to be close to the teaser music video that preceded it—but the extent of difference was truly shocking. All of the titular First Squad members except the protagonist only appear in the movie for a few
...
minutes, which came as a complete surprise. Obviously, none of them are anywhere close to being developed as characters—the protagonist is not an exception, sadly. Naturally, most of them don't even resemble people living in USSR in the 30s/40s. The portrayal of Soviet culture and style of life was given an undeservedly superficial treatment (I chuckled at the wooden toys—I still remember those) culminating in laughable designs that are both stupid and anachronistic, such as Zina's tank top under an unbuttoned winter coat. In winter. Nadya wielding, of all things, a *Japanese* sword using *Japanese* fencing techniques is not any less ridiculous. After all, Russians had a war with Japan at the beginning of the century, and were allied against them again in WW2—that's not to mention that fencing styles such as iaido are completely useless against armored enemy—which constitutes pretty much everyone Nadya fights using her katana. At that point one shouldn't be surprised by a fragile girl parrying a huge blade wielded by a muscular man in heavy armor while fighting in deep snow—it's just par for the course at that point. I mean, we've already brought up cliche occultism scenarios, complete disregard for historical accuracy in design and logic in writing, so why not abolish laws of physics while we are at it?
The movie started abruptly, hopped and skipped throughout its runtime, and ended just as abruptly, suggesting the need for a sequel that will never come—instead of using this time to tell a less ambitious but more coherent story. There's barely any significance in any scene. It's almost as if the whole thing was storyboarded and edited together overnight. It's painful to see an initially workable idea ruined by inept writing and direction. Assuming there even was any writing, of course. It sure looked like the studio crew knew how to put some anime into a movie but had no idea how to put the movie in an anime.
Yet perhaps the most dreadful offender is the live-action documentary shots that very intrusively interrupt the brief moments of action whenever they end up happening. They attempt to explain some of the surreal and nonsensical things, but do a piss-poor job at doing so. The most unintentionally ironic comment comes from a featured psychoanalyst who says that human brain is capable of producing hallucinogenic substances by itself under certain conditions, which is technically correct but completely invalidates the testimonies of the veterans who spoke just prior about unexplained events allegedly having taken place there. These contradictions are never resolved. Neither is the need to explain fantasy schlock with scientific or historic accuracy. It explains nothing, and makes the schlock appear even worse, not in the least by robbing it of screen time that could make it better.
To elaborate, the attempt to build up the atmosphere of war by sharing impressions of the veterans who fought in it is misguided in principle. It looks extremely clunky and breaks the immersion and flow of the movie while robbing it of valuable runtime that could be used to develop the story and characters to make the non-documentary parts worth watching. By this point people should know what WW2 was. Even if they don't, they would have been able to *see* it in the movie if it did a better job at actually showing it. Grave of the Fireflies is an anime that masterfully portrayed the horrors of war without combat scenes, let alone veteran testimonies. Elem Klimov's Come and See (Иди и смотри / Idi i smotri) is a live-action movie where most of the action happens off-screen, yet it instills more primordial dread than most war movies combined. This is how to do it right; interrupting cartoony action with documentaries the way First Squad does it is some next level of idiocy. It could've been funny in a very nihilistic way if the crew had found a veteran to give a testimony about sword-fighting against armored troopers in a nightgown in the winter, which surely was a regular occurrence during WW2, though I guess that was the border they didn't want to cross. But then why make this drivel at all?
I'll touch upon the subject of art and sound quality briefly because there's not much to say about it. I've seen most of Studio 4°C's output, and I know they can do much better. But it's not bad by any means, it's just… average. Action scenes (where we actually get to see them) are borderline acceptable if you don't count the amount of extremely unlikely scenarios, deus ex machina moments, and other tropes so typical of mediocre anime, but wouldn't be able to carry this movie even if there were no other faults with it.
To summarize, this is an ambitious, but horribly put together fantasy flick that builds up a lot of hype and ends up with absolutely nothing to show for it. It's not enjoyable, has no redeeming qualities, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Those who are into war movies, historic events, or action in general, and most of all fellow former USSR residents should avoid it at all costs.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Pervyi Otryad, Первый Отряд
Japanese: ファーストスクワッド
More titlesInformation
Type:
Movie
Episodes:
1
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
May 13, 2009
Producers:
None found, add some
Studios:
Studio 4°C
Source:
Original
Duration:
1 hr. 13 min.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#97432
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#3451
Members:
40,869
Favorites:
58
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 26 / 27
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Your Feelings Categories Jul 17, 2010
Ok, there are many reasons why this isn't a good movie, but it being a WW2-inspired fantasy flick isn't one of them. The problem is that it aspires to do things well, takes itself very seriously (have you seen the official site?), announces that boldly… and proceeds failing across the board. It's by all means a schlock feature masquerading as something it isn't.
I had suspected the movie wasn't going to be close to the teaser music video that preceded it—but the extent of difference was truly shocking. All of the titular First Squad members except the protagonist only appear in the movie for a few ... Mar 17, 2010
I'll admit, I was sort of excited when I found this when I was randomly searching for some good Original Anime Music Videos. Russian rap and Studio 4°C (S4C) animating the video was perfect mix. But as an avid music video watcher in my hey day (when MTV actually showed music videos), one should know that you don't ever take a music video literally or you will lose the game.
Enter, First Squad: The Moment of Truth. I have seen many of S4C's animated shorts recently and have been a fan of most of their work. So to find a full length movie by ... Oct 6, 2009
This is my first review, but I feel like it needs to be written because no other review has highlighted how much of a let down this movie is.
Story (3/10): The premise is not terribly deep and can be summed up quite quickly; basically the Nazi's want to summon this ghost to kill all of the Soviets, so the Soviets send this clairvoyant teenage girl fight the ghost. The premise isn't amazing, but the movie could have still been good despite that. Where the story really goes bad are during these documentary-esque live action scenes with 'war veterans' and 'historians' (who are not actually war ... Oct 8, 2009
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Pre-Review Notes ======= I'm going to be using a more freeform style for Movie reviews, as they are much smaller and I can describe my feelings for the movie in a much clearer fashion. Studio 4°C’s anime transcends the borders of Japan. From Linkin Park's "Breaking the Habit", to the Animatrix, and even to the Gotham Knight, their portfolio is varied and extensive. First Squad, their latest effort, is a collaboration between two Russian directors and 4°C, crossing the sea once again to create international anime. I had high hopes for First Squad, as the Studio's last movie, Tekkon Kinkreet, was excellent. However, the bullets of the ... Sep 27, 2009
I've never written any reviews. This is my first time so I'll do my best to show you my thoughts about this anime.
First of all, this anime has a serious and global topic (you know, World War II was terrible for all people, especially for Russians). The autors had showed the negative side of the war so foreign people can learn some important information about the Soviet culture, fighting spirit and, finally, about different people. It's a very great idea, I support it! The characters are awesome! Every person has an individuality, his/her own specific qualities. But I wonder why some Russian people are blond like ... Jan 30, 2015
Considering this is my first review, this is actually a hate mail. Why is that so?
You'll soon see why... I started watching it believing this would be something interesting. What a fool I was. If you think this anime is going to be "interesting" because it has WW2 and Russia, you're damn wrong. You should avoid it. I was almost interested for the first 10 minutes. But the acting was terrible. The characters showed no emotions. If you do want to call them emotions, be my guest. I one was rejected by the false interpretation of those "emotions". Oh well... we'll let it be. Story 1/10 I have absolutely ... Nov 20, 2009
First, just a few words about what this film is and what it is not.
First of all, it isn't something complete and standalone. The creators of the movie didn't pretend to have accomplished all their goals in one fifty-something-minute piece. They couldn't, and they haven't. The end of the film is just the point where all events are launched and all characters are deployed, and what happens next is the matter of the sequel. Placing some final rating for the story at this point would be as hurried as, for example, judging a TV series by the first few episodes. Second, it's a myth. Till today, ... Oct 18, 2009
I come from Ukraine and the Great Patriotic War is something very important to people of post-Soviet countries. We respect our ancestors who died in this terrible struggle and all those unfortunate innocent people who fell due to genocide that was Nazi occupation. When I first heard of First Squad: The Moment of Truth I already decided that this should be a must-see movie for me. A slightly mystical spin on the story also seemed justified taking into account the rumours about Nazi elites being interested in occultism.
So I grabbed a drink, some snacks, made my self comfortable in my armchair and morally prepared myself ... Jan 11, 2011
This is my first review, so it may not be literary gold, but bear with me.
First Squad: The Moment of Truth is loosely based on a music video made by Studio 4C, who also made the movie. The story is set on the eastern front during the opening days of World War II. The main character is a young girl called Nadya, member of a secret unit of the Soviet army consisting of teenagers with supernatural powers, who have been drafted and trained to fight off the German advances. With all her squadmates dead, Nadya now finds herself alone in the barren and frozen Russian ... Nov 1, 2014
Overview:
Time to review a REALLY obscure anime that most people have never heard of. I recently reviewed the first Berserk Movie by Studio 4C and lambasted it for the terrible art. Has 4C ever made an anime with really good art? I found that the answer is yes. A few years ago a Russian film studio funded by the Russian government hired 4C to draw a Russian written, acted, and directed anime that would basically be a Soviet version of Hellsing Ultimate! This actually fucking happened!!! Story and Characters: 5/10 The plot is fairly basic since this is a fairly short movie and half the ... Aug 9, 2012
Before I review this anime, a little history: First Squad is a Russian / Japanese film collaboration with Molot Entertainment with anime studio Studio 4C and it was the ONLY anime that was entirely made by Russian filmmakers with little Japanese animators to work with. All I know is that nobody ever seen this anime, even Anime News Network never even bothered to review this and so, like a curious little kid, I bought the film, watched the whole film and......... I was very disappointed in this anime. Talk about a big bitch slap in the face, First Squad is so bland, forgettable and boring,
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Aug 28, 2014
First Squad is a really bad movie. The only reason I even watched this movie is that it came as part of a box set, which I bought to get Paprika, Memories, Tekkonkinkreet, Steamboy and Metropolis. It was a good deal, although I also got some things I really didn't want. Like Cowboy Bebop the Movie and Tokyo Godfathers, that I already owned. And some random movie called Millennium Dragon and, you guessed it, First Squad.
I already knew this movie was gonna be bad going in. So I took the approach of 'Let's just relax with an hour of mediocre explosions and fun fights' attitude. ... Mar 24, 2015
I'm going to start this off by saying I love anything related to World War Two, especially anything about the Eastern Front.
I'm willing to make a whole lot of exceptions for Eastern Front films, but in this case, even I couldn't overlook some glaring flaws. The film opened with an enjoyable ten minutes, and a very realistic depiction of an airstrike, I thought I was sold, and had the film ended there, I'd have given this a 10. But then the rest of the film happened. While I never expected them to play the setting straight, they could have at least taken the time to make a ... Aug 15, 2014
This is my 1st recommendation I hope you like, First Squad is a film anime russian Japanese that I personally loved it, a totally great animation the action scenes are very well made although the plot is somewhat rare and out of the ordinary is what good enough the movie to keep you glued to your seat without taking his eyes off the screen, the OST is magnificent and the protagonist trapped in the well-known vortex of violence that was the 2nd World War is EPIC! history is not closed all hopefully the 2nd part of this incredible story was a fitting end to this
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Oct 9, 2010
OK, at first an anime about WWII seems a little odd the very moment you hear about it. of course that is just my oppinion. Anyway, about the movie. I find the studio and the director's job quite facinating and awesome. The idea of the movie is quite interesting and original, if I may say, involving such mystycal story for such ruff times. There was alot of action and blood which are making the mood even greater. And at last but not least - the art of the movie. Even supported with some PC activity at times, combining the anime style with the traditional
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Dec 26, 2010
When I started watching this anime I did not have any expectations except strong disapproval of the topic. In fact, we study WWII and the Great Patriotic War as a part of it for many times (at school + college and uni if u attend them), leaving behind the fact that there are many subjects that provide with the information of the kind. Plus state holidays each year. That is why the topic held me somewhat tense and suspicious.
More detailed acknowledgement showed it was not that bad. The idea and the story were decent (mixing GPW and magic is interesting at least), moreover, the art ... Feb 23, 2021
As a weeb of Russian descent I would've loved nothing more then to have put this anime in my top ten list and rub it into the face of every weeb I'll meet. But sadly, I can't do that.
On one hand Studio 4C did an incredible job with animation and sound design and honestly saved this movie from being a complete disaster. Where First Squad falls short is story wise. If this wasn't a movie I feel like First Squad would've had a chance to be pretty good. The story utilizes a lot of strong story elements that in themselves can carry any story but ... May 25, 2016
Pervy orjad - First !ORDER!
The reason why I hate this anime is Because: It is boring - THEY JUST TALK FOR F*** SAKE! Story sucks - It is nonsensical, ends without point History? - Yeah no match hear, It is... I dont even know. Bonus: Why the f*** is she having katana? Japan and Russia were enemies (russian WWII melee weapon was knife). They are speaking German, but not Russian. As a Czech history student and WWII book writer I found this really odd, in this anime Germans were not amused by cold. The art was fair, but soundtrack poor (I wanted to hear rap but no vocals). This anime ... Jan 31, 2019
Every now and again, there is an anime project done in conjunction with a country outside of Japan. With First Squad, the project was done in conjunction with Japanese animation studio Studio 4C and a Russian company Molot Entertainment. Molot Entertainment doesn’t seem to have done much else besides First Squad besides another animated film called Ivan about a post-apocalyptic world filled with magical creatures such as dragons From what I can find, the company seems to be focused on helping promote independent projects.
First Squad itself seems to have an interesting history by itself. Starting out as a music video in 2005 by both Studio ... Mar 1, 2019
The main reason I enjoyed watching this movie is for the visuals, seeing Soviet troops drawn and animated in Japanese anime style, and the Russian voice acting.
This is by no means a good movie. But it might be one of those so-bad-it's-good kind of films. You have to accept from the outset that this movie is completely absurd; it's a flight of fancy about an alternate WW2 where magic and occult mystical powers are real but kept secret. It is well known that on the German side the high ranking SS were very obsessed with theosophy and occult matters and imagined themselves as the ... |