It’s 2014, and Ukrakian Mykola Voronenko (Aldoshyn Pavlo) and his pregnant wife Nastya (Maryna Koshkina) are some of the first eco-settlers in Donbas, living off the grid in a self-sustaining shack built into field on two hectare of land near Horlivka. Mykola is a pacifist and a teacher, with degrees in math, physics and ecology, while his wife is an artist. But their quiet, peaceful life is suddenly thrown into chaos and tragedy when Russian soldiers invade the country. The once-peaceful Mykola is now looking for revenge, and enlists in the army, training to be an elite sniper, so he can get revenge on those who harmed his family. But if and when he finds those responsible, will he be able to keep his own anger in check, or will it affect his judgement in the field?!
Despite being a Ukrainian production, Sniper: The White Raven feels very much like standard Hollywood fare, especially while watching with the English dub. The first quarter of the movie gives viewers a look at Mykola’s peaceful and hopeful life at home with his wife, and teaching his students. We also see how quick and knowledgeable he is with physics and math—things that will definitely prove useful later on. The next quarter of the film finds the teacher becoming the student, enlisting in the army and training to be a sniper. Here is where the film felt very American, with the yelling and cursing drill sergeant who tries to break Mykola. However, despite the odds being against him, Mykola is able to prove himself over and over again. At times this training felt a little clichéd but I still quite enjoyed it nonetheless. Finally, in the second half of the film, it’s time for Mykola to head into battle. He has given up his pacifist ways, becoming a skilled marksman. However, his emotions over what happened to his family are still running high, and he has to try to keep this from clouding his judgement and making rash decisions that could put himself and his unit in danger. The film does a nice job of balancing this personal drama along with the tension and fast-paced battle action sequences. Some of the fight sequences are pretty brutal and intense.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release includes both the original Ukrainian audio as well as an English dub. With these foreign Well Go releases, I always try the English dub first so that I can fully enjoy the visuals of the film, and not just concentrating on reading the lower third of the screen the entire time. I found this English dub to be extremely well done, with English news reports in the background of some scenes, characters singing in English, and very natural sounding dialogue. The dub was often better and more natural-sounding than the English subtitles translating the native audio. There also seemed to be an definite attempt to try to line up the cadence of the dub to the original performances. The audio track also provides an excellent score, and immerses the viewer in the environment, whether that be the sounds of a cracking building on fire, gunfire, or a torrential downpour overhead.
The video presentation is also quite impressive, with a clean picture throughout, nice color presentation, especially in the glow of the fire, or the green and brown of the grassy fields. There is also a solid level of detail in faces and clothing.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release is pretty much barebones, only including the film’s trailer, along with some previews for three other Well Go releases. The disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase, and doesn’t include a digital copy. Our review copy also did not include a slipcover.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:51:37)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: Ukrainian DTS-HDMA 5.1, Ukrainian Stereo, English DTS-HDMA 5.1, English Stereo
- Subtitles: English
Extras:
All remaining trailers play back-to-back after starting playback for one item.
- Trailer (2:16)
- Previews
- Preman: Silent Fury (2:30)
- They Crawl Beneath (1:59)
- Baby Assassins (2:10)
Final Thoughts:
Sniper: The White Raven is a solid war drama that focuses on one pacifist’s struggle for revenge when his once-peaceful world is suddenly thrown into ruins. While it is a Ukrainian production, the themes feel universal. The filmmakers have done a nice job of balancing the drama with the action, and giving a flawed main character that the viewer can both care about and root for. Well Go’s Blu-ray release features solid picture and sound but is lacking when it comes to bonus material. However, the release offers an excellent English dub that makes the film feel more like something out of Hollywood. This is an easy recommendation.
Sniper: The White Raven
$14.99 (as of November 15, 2024 14:52 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Sniper: The White Raven
56% Off $24.98 $9.99 (as of November 15, 2024 14:52 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Sniper: The White Raven
(as of November 15, 2024 14:52 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
