This is a great film. It follows a number of Canadian Special Forces troops in Afghanistan. But this isn't just a shoot-'em-up war flick. It goes into a lot of the Afghan culture. It talks about blood feuds. It, also, brings up an ancient tribal code called Pashtunwali. It talks about the ideas of "panah" (to give one shelter in your home) and "badal" (justice and revenge). There is a monologue by Andrew Wall. At the end he says, "Even the dirt here is hostile. In Afghanistan, dogs fight dogs, birds fight birds, men kill men." So, if you are looking for a great movie about soldiers in the "sand box". If you want to see great performances from actors that you, probably, have never heard of. If you want to see breath taking scenery. Then this is the movie for you.

This is an outstanding war film. As others have commented, it examines the Afghanistan conflict in a particularly Canadian way --- which means that each character has a distinct point of view and a unique place in the world. The film makes clear not only that each understands his/her situation differently, but also that each viewpoint merits the full weight of our attention and consideration. Both the nobility of sacrifice and the utter senselessness of war are captured. There have been many well-made recent films about our current conflict with the Islamic world. This is certainly one of the best of them.

This is a true war film; it starts out with some serious and well realised action and manages to maintain the calibre throughout. It is set around the work of a sniper an intelligence officer and the locals. Set in Kandahar province where the Canadian Army fought, along side her allies, to secure the area for five years. It deals with the violence, corruption and the human side of the conflict and is all done within the microcosm of the effects this has on those involved.It was written, directed, and stars Paul Gross and whilst I generally feel that you should never be so involved in a project there can be exceptions and this is one of them. The acting is all above average and the special effects are very convincing. It also manages to keep up the tension levels throughout. The relationship angle could have been stronger but the overall package somehow makes up for any perceived shortcomings.It is in English with some Pashtu but that is not translated and for the context of the film does not need to be. If you are a war film fan or just like a story about ordinary people coping in extraordinary times then there will be a lot here to find of interest.

After Hurt Locker and Kilo Two Bravo, it is Canada's chance to create a 'war is hell' movie. This one takes place in Afghanistan, and follows the plot of Canadian soldiers trying to navigate the politics and dangers of creating Hyena Road which is supposed to be a major blow to the Taliban.Let us start with the good. The lead actor, Paul Gross is good as always, playing both narrator and sage to the chaos. His role is the best part of the movie, and he is often able to use humour and subtlety to convey the mood of the film. Clarke Johnson (Canada's adopted son, best known from Homicide Life on the Streets and The Wire) is dreadfully underused, and is really only a cameo. The other actors are fair, but often can't make much out of a very cliché and limited script.Also good is some of the early action. Smaller engagements look and feel authentic. Snipers with sighters taking range and careful considerations is interesting and dramatic. What is not good is the larger action sequences which seem forced and choppy. We will see enemies miles away, suddenly to appear all around our heroes. Hurt Locker was good because the very little action was so realistic and limited that it was dramatic. The blend of action feels more like Fast and The Furious than Generation Kill or Hurt Locker.The bad. Plot and flow are enemies to this movie just as the Taliban are supposedly the enemies to peace in Afghanistan. Maybe the director wanted us to get a glimpse of 'life' in their world, but the audience does not get a sense of conflation of war, but frustration and boredom at a snails pace plot, and confusing at the what is supposed to be happening.Overall, as a piece of Canadiana, Hyena Road was worth a watch. It is fun to see Canadians in the field, both bad and good. It is also nice to see some diverse actors and some point of view from Afghan residents. This is not a good movie, but a pretty bad movie with some very good things in it.If you are a Canadian history nut or a hard core Paul Gross (or Clark Johnson like me!) you should see this, otherwise there is very little reason to watch this. 5/10