The Russian Five

A must-watch for any hockey fan. The Redwings aren't even my team. I only recognised 2-3 names in the entire documentary. I knew nothing of this story prior to viewing "The Russian Five". But by the end, I had completely fallen in love with this story and the team.

It has cold war elements that would rival the best spy thrillers. It has a meshing of cultures, languages, triumphs over adversity and sheer grit and determination.

You can't help but feed off the energy, the passion and the sheer inspiration of these guys. The documentary itself moves along at the speed of a puck. Animated reenactments, interviews and footage of the era all combine to create a gripping documentary.

I wasn't expecting to get emotional (numerous times) while watching a documentary about hockey. Particularly of a team I didn't even really know. That alone is testament to the filmmakers and the incredible story of the Russian Five.

Compulsory viewing for hockey fans and sports lovers alike. Important viewing also at a time like this.

This movie was amazing. It captured the feeling of 1990's NHL hockey. The documentary was well put together and reminded you of the political climate of the 80's/90's as well as the extreme physical nature of the NHL at this time period. Red Wings fans should love it. Avalanche fans ought to respect it. NHL fans should never forget it. It was extremely interesting learning the actual stories of how Russian players had to drastically change their lives to leave their home country to play in the NHL. We brought a friend who is a physician in the United States, was born in Russia, and knew very little about hockey. She loved the movie and cheered hard for the Russian players.

Having been a lifelong fan of the Wings, I lived through the disappointing 70's and 80's, and this documentary brought back a lot of memories of continued disappointment and finally the elation of the team finally coming together to end the 42 year drought.

With many interviews of the players who made the dream a reality, and showing the tragedy that befell after the cup win, it is well made and emotional.

I would recommend this to any hockey fan, and obviously it's a must see for any Detroit Red Wings fan.

It has it all, you fell uncomfortable at the beginning, then comes the warm feeling of pride. You feel happiness with the team and sadness at the end. This movie touches every emotion on the spectrum.

The best sports documentary (film, not TV show) I've ever seen.