Drazen

I can't say I'm being objective here-but honestly, I don't want to be. Drazen touched something deep in me, and made me cry like I hadn't cried in a long time watching a film. Because this wasn't just cinema: it was reliving someone who has always been more than a basketball player to me. Drazen was my idol, my reference, my hero. And this movie, despite its flaws, brings him back to life on screen.

This is not a documentary or a sports chronicle. It's an intimate portrait, focused on the man rather than the legend. It works best when it dives into his family relationships-especially with his mother-and when it captures that almost obsessive passion he had for training, for improving, for achieving the impossible. Seeing him as a child, so stubborn and so full of heart, broke me. We already know how his story ends, but here they choose not to show the accident-instead, they remind us of what he was: light, not tragedy.

The main cast performs well, but Zrinka Cvitesic deserves special mention as Biserka Petrovic. What strength, what tenderness, what nuance. And Romina Tonkovic, as Renata-Drazen's great love-plays her with such softness it hurts. Their story is simple, but it moves you. And although the script doesn't always go deep, it leaves an emotional mark.

It's not perfect. Some major games and key moments-especially with the national team-are missing, and parts of the film feel more like obligatory steps than emotional beats. The U. S. part is the weakest, and the ending is a bit too sweet. But even so, the film achieves something rare: you leave the theater with a tight chest and a full heart.

Drazen isn't just a biopic. It's a love letter to someone truly one of a kind. A film that, while it may fall short historically, hits the mark emotionally. And for that-because it made me cry, remember, and love him even more-it's already something special to me.

It's hard to imagine a more uninspired take on one of the most inspiring athletes in history. "Drazen", a film that should have been a moving tribute to the "Mozart of Basketball," is instead a lifeless and shallow portrayal that does a disservice to its subject.

The film makes an effort to show Drazen Petrovic beyond the basketball court - through his relationships with his parents, his brother, and a love interest - but every attempt at emotional depth lands with a dull thud. There's no spark, no tension, no feeling. Scenes that are clearly meant to be heartfelt come off as hollow and mechanical, like emotional checkboxes being ticked off without any real understanding of what makes a human story compelling.

The romantic subplot in particular feels dramatically empty. The relationship unfolds with all the emotional intensity of a phone commercial, and ultimately adds nothing meaningful to the film or to our understanding of Drazen Petrovic as a person.

The direction is uninspired, and the script seems written by someone with no understanding of character, pacing, or storytelling. Even the most basic emotional beats fall completely flat. There's no sense of triumph, no heartbreak, no intimacy. Watching this film is like reading a Wikipedia entry aloud, only with worse writing and less insight. It's hard to believe that the life of such an electric, driven and charismatic figure could be turned into something so emotionally sterile. Credit (or rather blame) goes to the director and screenwriter, whose utter lack of vision and storytelling talent reduces an extraordinary life into a bland slideshow of facts.

With source material as rich and compelling as Drazen Petrovic's life, the failure to create a meaningful, moving film isn't just disappointing - it's astonishing. This was a chance to honour a cultural icon, a global talent, and a deeply human story. Instead, we got a film that feels like it doesn't understand or care why Petrovic mattered at all.

"Drazen" isn't just a bad film - it's a wasted opportunity of epic proportions.

Drazen is an awesome movie that dives deep into the life of Drazen Petrovic, one of the greatest basketball legends ever. I'd give it a solid 9/10 stars. It's really well done, but I wish it was a bit longer so we could see even more of his life and legacy.

The film does a great job showing his journey from playing on the courts in Croatia to becoming a star in the NBA. It's not just about basketball though-it's about his passion, his struggles, and his dreams. What makes it special is how it balances the intensity of his career with the more personal, emotional moments. You really get to know him as a person, not just an athlete.

One of my favorite parts was seeing the scenes with Drazen and his brother. Their jokes and friendly competition added a light and positive touch that made the movie even more enjoyable. It felt real and reminded me of those sibling moments we all know and love.

The actors did a fantastic job bringing Drazen and the people in his life to the screen. You could really feel the emotions, especially in the more heartfelt and tough parts of the story. It was hard not to get a little choked up at times.

If there's one thing I'd change, it would be to make it a bit longer. There's so much to Drazen's story, and I would have loved to see more of his life beyond just the highlights. But overall, Drazen is a must-watch, whether you're a basketball fan or not. It's inspiring, touching, and a great reminder of how one person's passion and determination can leave an incredible mark.

The movie looks like Drazen's mother was written the script. So many aspects of his professional career are missing, especially his success with Yugoslavia basketball team, whyle trying to tell some romantic story about the girl nobody knows about it. As a neutral, I know that Croats and Serbs has many problems because of breakuo of Yugoslavia, but you cannot just skip those things just like that. That's the untergral part of Drazen's life and career.

Also the acter and his Afro haircut looks ridiculous, and he doesn't resemble to Drazen at all. From the cinematic and production side, movie looks good.

To say that this movie is a disappointment is an understatement.

Pros: Technical aspects of the film such as cinematography and sound are well done; Zrinka Cvitesic as Biserka Petrovic is believable as a mother and a human being; Tonko Stosic is charming as young Drazen Petrovic; a fair amount of Drazens' basketball achievements are mentioned; Drazens' work ethic is briefly shown once or twice;

The End.

Cons: This movie fails as a movie, let alone a story about Drazen. When any pivotal conflict suddenly presents itself (via exposition, every single time) it immediately gets resolved (just in passing, every single time) via exposition or a montage in the next scene which sets up a new challenge and around it goes.

The movie is a series of scenes of Drazen hanging out in bars/offices/living rooms, chasing or getting chased by girls and basketball clubs while lightly discussing things he wants to do - and those goals being immediately achieved in a 20-second-montage.

Anything important and interesting is briefly mentioned (or not even mentioned at all), while the rest is an attempt at a Hollywood romantic drama. If you didn't know anything about Drazen before watching this and you blinked during montages about his basketball prowess you still won't know or remember anything about him at the end - well, I guess you'd know he was a basketball player and apparently was very good because everyone says so.

So little of his character was shown: his determination, his leadership, charisma, unbreakable spirit, relationships with people (other than his immediate family or love interests)... Some of it was attempted, but deemed less important.

Domagoj Nizic as adult Drazen doesn't have a passing resemblance to Drazen (even though the actor seems like a sweet guy) but the bigger problem is he can't believably convey Drazens' spirit nor is he believable as a basketball athlete.

I thought my biggest problem with this movie would be inconsistencies involving dialect or lack of basketball scenes, but a decent screenplay to begin with was apparently too much to ask.

I could go on but I respect Drazen (the Man, not this film) too much to go off on this production here...

TL;DR: Story about one of the greatest sports icons famous for his incredible work ethic and for overcoming great odds gets a below average ''tell, don't show'' romantic drama treatment, with some basketball clips running on a TV in the background and hours of talking about a basketball career (could've been about anyone).

Watch some highlights or a documentary instead - you will have a much, much better time.

I'm very sad... ''Zivot leti, kapetane.''