Armadillo (2011)
87%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Capturing both the lulls and terror during warfare, Armadillo is a viscerally filmed documentary that brings audiences alarmingly close to the frontlines of combat
Armadillo” is a documentary that follows Danish soldiers during their tour of duty in Afghanistan. Critics have praised the film for its raw and honest portrayal of the soldiers’ day-to-day lives, as well as its stunning cinematography. Some have criticized the film for not being critical enough of imperialism, while others have found it to be one of the best war films in years. Overall, “Armadillo” is a searing and unforgettable portrait of modern warfare that is both beautiful and terrifying.
Production Company(ies)
Norma Productions, Curtleigh Productions, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions,
Distributor
Lorber Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
University of North Texas – 1155 Union Circle, Denton, Texas, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
Year of Release
1991
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 40m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:Denmark
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 15, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2011
Genre(s)
Documentary/War
Keyword(s)
documentary, war, Danish soldiers, Afghanistan, combat, frontlines, military campaign, humanity, violence, boredom, terror, Kasper Torsting, Janus Metz, Ronnie Fridthjof, Sara Stockmann, box office, budget, Lorber Films, MPAA rating, reviewed by Linda Barnard, Ray Bennett, Wesley Morris, Joe Neumaier, V.A Musetto, Andrew O’Hehir, Joanne Laurier, Mattie Lucas, Michael Atkinson, Flame & Citron, Mishima, The Arbor, Mad Detective, Lebanon, directed by Janus Metz, written by Kasper Torsting, produced by Ronnie Fridthjof, Sara Stockmann, starring Danish soldiers, Uno Helmersson, Tabitha Jackson, executive producer
Worldwide gross: $26,255,594
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $57,956,365
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,271
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,320,214
US/Canada gross: $26,255,594
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $57,956,365
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,015
US/Canada opening weekend: $6,513,130
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,377,025
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 814
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $13,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $29,799,780
Production budget ranking: 1,161
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $16,047,182
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,109,403
ROI to date (est.): 26%
ROI ranking: 1,257
Kasper Torsting – Writer
Tabitha Jackson – Executive Producer
Ronnie Fridthjof – Producer
Sara Stockmann – Producer
Uno Helmersson – Original Music
Director(s)
Janus Metz
Writer(s)
Kasper Torsting
Producer(s)
Ronnie Fridthjof, Sara Stockmann
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (54) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (6)
Lets the soldiers tell their stories by the way they live day-to-day during their tour of duty.
July 3, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Linda Barnard
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
When the bombs go off and the bullets start flying, Metz and his cameraman provide a real-life vision of what a hurt locker is really all about.
July 1, 2011
Ray Bennett
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
It’s alluring to watch.
June 23, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/4
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The movie’s strength and audacity comes from the Danish soldiers, who confront civilians with wariness or bluntness, exalt in their victories and hesitantly exhibit fear in each others’ company.
April 15, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Joe Neumaier
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
There’s little new in “Armadillo.”
April 15, 2011 | Rating: 2/4
V.A. Musetto
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
A mesmerizing, beautiful and terrifying documentary that can stand among the greatest war movies ever made.
April 14, 2011
Andrew O’Hehir
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
The creators of the Danish documentary, Armadillo, about the Afghan war, lacked the moral or political fortitude required to make a film critical of imperialism.
March 1, 2021
Joanne Laurier
World Socialist Web Site
A searing and unforgettable portrait of a modern warfare, a clear eyed exploration of the motivations and the drive of the modern soldier.
August 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
The scenes of camaraderie and trial pile up, unmitigated by the sufferings of the Afghans being bombed and shot in the process.
April 18, 2016
Michael Atkinson
In These Times
One of the best war films in years.
October 25, 2011 | Rating: 4.5/5
Christopher Campbell
Movies.com
August 13, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/5
Thomas Caldwell
Cinema Autopsy
Beautifully (and scarily) filmed and deeply moving.
July 1, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/5
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies…
Plot
Due to NCAA sanctions, the Texas State University Fightin’ Armadillos must form a football team from their actual student body, with no scholarships to help, to play their football schedule. With fewer players than most teams, the makeshift team must overcome obstacles that the best teams in the country couldn’t deal with. Using a thirty-four-year-old quarterback, a female placekicker, and a gang of misfits, Ed “Straight Arrow” Genero must take his team to play the number one Texas Colts.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels describes Armadillo as a “viscerally filmed documentary that brings audiences alarmingly close to the frontlines of combat.”
Janus-Metz.jpg
