Introduction
When Sisu debuted in 2022, it felt like a blast of fresh air for the action genre. It explored a part of World War II that I had never really considered—Finland—and it let its hero rip through Nazis with what looked like a heavy dose of practical effects. That tactile, gritty quality was a big part of why the original worked so well.
Sisu: Road to Revenge isn’t really a bad film, but it definitely has that “everything from the first movie, but louder” energy. Turning the dial to eleven means leaning far more on CGI this time around—so much so that I honestly couldn’t tell what was real and what was digital, and not always in a good way.
Synopsis
Sisu: Road to Revenge does at least continue the unexpected history lesson. I had no idea that post-WWII Finland was forced to hand over 9% of its territory to the Soviet Union. We rejoin Aatami Korpi—once again played by the wonderfully granite-faced Jorma Tormila as he heads into that ceded territory to reclaim his family home.
During the war, Aatami killed hundreds of Red Army soldiers, so the Soviets haven’t exactly forgotten or forgiven him. When they hear he’s back, they dispatch General Dragunov to finish the job he failed to do the first time.
Discussion
And here’s where the title really comes in handy. The word Sisu is a Finnish concept that describes deep resilience, grit, and a kind of quiet, relentless willpower. In English terms? “All hell is about to break loose.”
I love non-stop action movies. They’re the perfect “turn off your brain and just enjoy the ride” experience. In that sense, Sisu: Road to Revenge delivers. The film feels like an old adventure serial. Every chapter ends with some cliffhanger or impossible escape, and Korpi somehow muscles through each one.
The practical stunts are still wild and satisfyingly brutal. But the bigger set pieces get bogged down by some painfully obvious CGI. When the planes look like cut-scenes from a budget video game, it snaps you right out of the moment.
What surprised me, though, is how this nearly dialogue-free film ends up revealing more about Korpi. We get glimpses of the life he had before the war: his family, his grief, the quiet hurt that drives him to reclaim his home. Tormila is incredible at conveying all of this without speaking.
His face alone tells you everything you need to know. It’s refreshing in a time when movies often over-explain themselves. And honestly? His unstoppable sixty-something warrior routine makes me want to get back in the gym.
Then there’s Stephen Lang as Dragunov. Lang does villainy the way Robert Patrick does villainy. He radiates menace. He’s so committed to being awful that he becomes oddly fun to watch. With the small amount of dialogue he gets, he still manages to hint at ambition, ego, and a weird sense of duty. You almost root for him the way you kinda wanted Wile E. Coyote to catch the Road Runner at least once.
Conclusion
It’s funny writing this, because I started the review feeling like I was going to land in the “mixed” camp. But looking back, I genuinely liked the movie. However, I wish the producers had pumped a bit more money (or time) into the CGI. Everything else works: Tormila’s physical storytelling, Lang’s delicious villainy, the creative action, the gleeful destruction.
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