Movie Review: Anthropoid


Anthropoid ended up really surprising me, because for the first hour or so, it's a good movie, just very slow. Then, during the last 30-60 minutes, it becomes a faster-paced "shoot 'em up" film.

The movie tells the true story of Operation Anthropoid, which occurred during WWII. Two Czech military men, Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan) and Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy), are assigned the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heydrich, who was the Nazi's 3rd in command, and who also engineered the "Final Solution" to murder the Jews. This takes much planning, and they are able to seek refuge with a family while they plot the assassination. Kubis also falls in love with the young lady who lives there, and they become engaged. Soon, it's the day that Kubis and Gabcik have been waiting for, and they must put their plot into motion.

First off, Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey) is gorgeous, so I'll watch him in any movie. Add in Cillian Murphy, and I was definitely in for Anthropoid. These were definitely more serious roles for the two of them, but they pulled them off - their European accents were believable, and they did well here. Charlotte Le Bon (The Hundred-Foot Journey) has a good small role here as well, as the girl that Dornan's character proposes to, and Toby Jones as one of the assassination co-conspirators.

Yes, see this movie. I'll admit I thought I was nodding off a bit after the first hour in its runtime, but then it really picks up. Later, we learn it's actually based on real events, too (on the actual Operation Anthropoid), and audiences will learn about the consequences that arose from Kubis and Gabcik's actions. This movie also has a couple of hard scenes to watch, including a torture scene, which puts it just behind Sarah's Key for me in terms of WWII/Holocaust films that have some heartbreaking scenes in them. I'd recommend this movie for anyone who likes historical films, or good action movies.

Anthropoid is currently playing in theaters, and is rated R with a runtime of 120 minutes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

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