I've seen Napapiirin Sankarit or Lapland Odyssey once before in Middle School, when we watched it in class. At the time I didn't have my blog nor did I think that much of movies, and especially Finnish movies felt almost foreign to me, so I rarely watched any outside of school at least.Someone actually talked about the way this film starts in school – because it doesn't start with the main character Janne. It starts with his friend and his narration. He talks about the tree many men in the area used to hang themselves from. It's an interesting way to start, mostly because that's super dark – but it suits the movie and it suits Finland – but also because there has to be a shift in the point of view, if you want to change from the side character to the main character. That shift works well though. It's smooth, and it feels natural to start following Janne not getting the digital TV box.The story is fun, and it's entertaining to see what kind of misadventures the main characters get themselves into. It's not the most original comedy out there, when you consider it globally, but at least around the time when it came out, it stood out from most of Finnish comedies. Mostly it's not as bad as some, since there are Finnish comedies I refuse to watch because of the cast and the fact that the movies are remakes of a Danish comedy. I'm not mentioning the movie by name, but I think my Finnish readers know exactly what I'm talking about. Also Napapiirin Sankarit did win four Jussi awards, for best direction, best film, best screenplay and people's choice award, and a Silver Dolphin for best cinematography at Tróia International Film Festival, and two awards at Alpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival.Napapiirin Sankarit is entertaining and it looks amazing, and it takes place in the north, which is a plus since most modern movies seem to take place in the southern Finland. It's definitely worth seeing, whether or not you're from Finland or elsewhere, except most Finnish people have probably seen it already. However I'm not sure about the sequels. I haven't seen them, and they are not directed by Dome Karukoski, but at least the third one is directed by Tiina Lymi, who also directed one of my favourite Finnish movies, Äkkilähtö. Not sure if I'll ever watch them though, since they feel forced. The first one is always the best, right?

Before watching what was expected to be a dull UK General Election,I decided to watch an easy-going movie. Taking a look at DVDs a pal recently got,I spotted a Finnish Comedy! This led to me skiing down to Lapland.The plot:Sick of seeing Janne just stay in bed, Inari gives him orders to go and buy a digital TV box. Seeing her request gets ignored again, Inari tells Janne that if he does not get a box,she will leave him. Stumbling outside,Janne gathers his mates and goes in search of the Lapland digital box.View on the film:Whilst not being set in the holiday season,director Dome Karukoski & cinematographer Pini Hellstedt still cast a Christmassy atmosphere,with the lads going in search for a digital box over tracking shots of snow covered trees and frosty breath. Keeping the Sex Comedy aspect light and playful, Karukoski reveals an eyeful of skin,but keeps it related to the lads quest. Shoving Janne off his bed to finally enter the outside world,the screenplay by Pekko Pesonen leaps between a mix of Sex Comedy and gross farce,as Janne goes on a Lapland Odyssey.

In the past years a smattering of films was released that were set in Lapland. Swedish titles like Frostbiten and Babas Bilar (both from 2006) come to mind as well as in Finland Rare Exports and Lapland Odyssey (both from 2010).All these films are characterised by what may be described as a typically northern, undercooled type of humor. And, typically, they are all set during the dark, snowy Arctic winter.Lapland Odyssey (Napapiirin sankarit) is more than the others a straightforward comedy. The protagonist is your typical slacker. In an American road movie, he'd be a pothead, but in Lapland alcohol is still the drug of choice. This loser is set the task to, for one time in his life, not disappoint his girlfriend. His fluctuating luck sees him among other things nearly drowned by an all-female underwater rugby team and nearly shot by Russians and after all his tribulations he is left empty-handed standing in front of the house, ready to acknowledge defeat when a deus ex machina arrives...I thought it was actually worth watching.

An unimaginative guy's booze, boobs and bravado flick. A loafer boyfriend is told by his girlfriend that he needs to get a cablebox so they can watch "Titanic" or she leaves so he and his two similarly goofball, loafer, less-than-responsible buddies drive what is suppose to be a couple of hundred kilometers (the actual times and distances make 10 kilos more likely) looking for a store or some other source that has the cablebox. Essentially the movie showcases the dumb slapstick mistakes they make at a level that would make a juvenile hyped. Made in 2010 and now being released in DVD so that tells you something.