By RICK HIPSON
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE is an unapologetic sequel in what may be the next great franchise we didn’t know we needed – until we knew we needed it. The film picks up where the first Sisu film ended: Aatami (Jorma Tammila), the man who refuses to die, is back to prove why Rambo and John Wick ain’t got nothing on him. Returning to the home where his family was murdered during the war, Aatami dismantles the house and sets off to rebuild it in a safe place as a way to honour his beloved dead. The Red Army Commander (Stephen Lang), who took out Aatami’s family’s spends the film hunting down The Legend, determined to send him to the grave.
The sequel treats us to even more of the over-the-top berserker carnage that made its predecessor an unexpected smash hit. Although the dark humour and adrenaline-fueled action sequences are dialed to eleven from start to finish, filmmaker Jalmari Helander manages to infuse an added dose of emotion into Aatami’s life-defying pursuit of peaceful salvation, with Lang’s bigger-than-life villain filling in as the perfect opposition to Aatami’s wordless refusal to die easily.
While comparisons to the above-mentioned Rambo and John Wick movies are inevitable, RUE MORGUE recently sat down with the soft-spoken Finnish writer/director to better understand what sets SISU apart from other films of its ilk and what, if anything, we can expect to see of The Legend following the inevitable success of this film.
I understand you decided fairly early on that there would be a sequel to SISU, but I’m curious to know what elements had to fall in place to seal the deal – that there was more story to tell and that a sequel was needed, considering how the first one ended?
My first idea for the sequel was different. At the beginning, it started to feel good, but then I realized that it’s not good enough, that there is something wrong with it. I wanted to have like a more emotional story this time. When I had the idea of him trying to get his house back, it really changed the game for me because I knew that was an idea that you haven’t seen before, carrying your home through a hostile territory. It automatically gives you more emotion and action. It was, I think, a perfect idea.
Well, it certainly was executed perfectly. Your brother-in-law, Jorma Tamila, plays Aatami to calculated perfection. What did he think about the opportunity to see how much more pain and suffering and chaos you could put him through for this sequel?
He was really into the story, also. He liked the fact that it is more emotional this time and a really physical role. It was a hard job to do, for anyone to be able to be in that kind of war mode throughout the whole film. It demanded a lot of physical work every day. Because you don’t have any lines, it’s basically your body and your face, and your eyes. He was really happy about the opportunity to do something like this.
You’ve given us a sequel that certainly encapsulates a lot more emotion. You really do have a perfect blend of violence, chaos and dark humour. Yet, at its core, we have a man possessed with uncommon determination to survive long enough to enjoy a peaceful life in his home. How did you balance such incredible madness with strong, humanizing, relevant elements to create so much more than just another action film with an impressive body count?
Well, that’s a really good question, for which I don’t have any kind of answer. I was just hoping… For some weird reason, I was certain that the craziness and the seriousness and the humour and the emotion could coexist in a film … I’m just happy it worked.
I’ve done my best to deliver a good theatrical experience with all the landscapes and the soundtrack, and everything. I just hope people will enjoy it, and I think the last scene of the film really elevates this film to a different level.
How tempted were you to give this legendary badass at least one or two good signature lines?
Not at all, really. I think the first one worked so well because he had one line, which is surprising. In the beginning, I had a lot of pressure from thinking about what the fuck he would say this time. I don’t wanna spoil the final scene of the film, but that was the way to do it.
Would you like to return to the Sisu universe, either with a prequel or a continuation?
I have a lot of ideas that could fit into this world. I don’t know yet what’s gonna happen with it. We just have to wait and see.
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE from Sony Pictures is now playing only in theaters.
