Putevoy obkhodchik (2007)

A perfect bank heist turns deadly when the robbers and their hostages flee to the abandoned underground subway station where they encounter the Trackman, a deformed madman that prowls the darkness.

Director:

Igor Shavlak

Writers:

Valery Krechetov (screenplay), Viktor Sorokin (screenplay)

Stars:

Svetlana Metkina, Dmitriy Orlov, Aleksandr Vysokovskiy

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Svetlana Metkina	...	Katya
Dmitriy Orlov	...	Grom
Aleksandr Vysokovskiy	...	Pakhomov
Yuliya Mikhaylova	...	Olga
Tomas Motskus	...	Kostya
Oleg Kamenshchikov	...	Irkut
Aleksey Dmitriev	...	Trackman
Svetlana Gudkova	...	Elena
Igor Shavlak	...	Colonel

Storyline

A perfect bank heist turns deadly when the robbers and their hostages flee to the abandoned underground subway station where they encounter the Trackman, a deformed madman that prowls the darkness.

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Plot Keywords:

slasher | metro | female stockinged legs | suntan pantyhose | pantyhose | 

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

13 September 2007 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Rööpaseadja

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Importfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Haven't we seen this before??

Obviously blatantly "inspired" by a few other horror films (namely "My Bloody Valentine" and "See No Evil") "Trackman" is a rather boring and lazy film that meanders along through all the typical slasher film clichés that we have come to know. However, a tad of originality never killed anybody and this is a concept that completely eludes the makers of this film.

The plot centers around a couple of criminals who decide to rob a busy bank in the downtown Moscow area. After fatally shooting a security guard the crooks take a few female hostages and escape into an abandoned tunnel that runs below the bustling city of Moscow. However, it seems they chose the wrong hiding place, as a serial killer wearing a variation of a gas mask and armed with a pick axe (sound familiar?) patrols the tunnel, ready to kill and collect the eyes of anyone foolish enough to venture into to it.

The Good: "Trackman" is a great looking film. The production values are top notch and, stylistically, the film the film works better than most horror films that have made it into theaters lately. The tunnel setting is definitely creepy and claustrophobic, but the director doesn't take full advantage of this opportunity. The killer is also pretty creepy and intimidating, and his mask/costume works pretty well. He is certainly your 80's style slasher film killer.

The Bad: For starters, the characters are all annoying as hell (even the two hostages), so it is really hard to sympathize or even care about any of them. Instead of going this route with the plot/characters, I feel the film could have been more effective following the typical "teenagers in peril" formula. Instead of having robbers as the main characters, have a bunch of teenagers who venture into the tunnels for a little partying be the victims. In fact, when I was watching this film, I kept thinking of the film "Catacombs" and how, if we could take elements from each of these films to make one film, it could be pretty darn good. In addition to having uninteresting characters, the film itself gets pretty boring. There are long stretches of time where nothing happens except the group wandering around the tunnel, occasionally stopping to yell at each other or slap around the hostages. It doesn't keep the viewers attention at all, and when the slashing does begin, it's entirely too late and too tame to redeem the film. Again, we don't care at all about the characters, so it is hard to get too invested in what happens to them. When the end finally does come, it is such a head-scratcher that it makes you even more angry that you just bored yourself for an hour watching the dang film.

Overall: A film that is pleasing to look at because of its high production values and stylish setting, but suffers because of a boring pace, extremely clichéd and predictable plot, and unlikeable characters. I'd strongly suggest skipping this one and popping in "My Bloody Valentine"(either the remake OR original!), as no matter how many times you have seen it, it will still be more exciting and entertaining that "Trackman!"

FrightMeter Grade: D-