Review of ZG80

ZG80 (2016)
7/10
Unpretentious and fun
7 September 2016
I want to point out that I just came back from the theatre so maybe I'll miss something, but I do feel that the impression of the film has settled.

To put it short, it was fun and I would recommend ZG80 to all who are interested in 'ex-YU' football hooliganism, just before 'YU' got it's infamous prefix 'ex'.

Apparently it was like a mad school trip to the football stadium, with almost no football, but with lots of alcohol, fist fighting and brutal jokes.

There is a lot of political/nationalistic subtext which will only be understood by people who grew up in the Balkans. However, I would like to encourage football fans from around the world to give it a try, it's a great way to learn about ethnic tensions between Croats and Serbs.

The film itself was made basically for two groups in Croatia, middle age male and young male audiences. The first group wants to re- experience their own memories, old hooligan anecdotes and urban myths, while the second group wants to check if those myths and anecdotes are true.

ZG80 is a fun ride but it has plot holes. In the beginning you see potentially interesting situations and characters that never fully develop. After a while I felt no dramatic suspense as I saw that nothing big or important will happen. It makes me a bit sad because this film could have and should have been made better. But then again it doesn't pretend to be something that it isn't.

Realistically it deserves a 6 but I give it a 7. Why? Because... Dinamo, Dinamo, Dinamoooo, Dinamo, Dinamo, Dinamooo, Dinamo, Dinamo, Dinamooo, volim te DI-NA-MO!
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