The only difference between this found footage film and footage that may have actually been taken by a real Russian soldier is that the real Russian soldier probably would have been able to hold the camera without shaking it and would have kept it in focus.

Enough of this found footage technique. If it brings nothing to the storyline, then it's not worth the pain of watching it. To me the filming technique was overbearing and outweighed anything the movie might have been. It is just annoying to watch. And again there is zero character depth or development, partly due to the filming technique.

Alright, the monsters are great, good enough to rate all the five stars. If you want to see good monsters, then watch it. The acting is dodgy, the plot minimal, and you just won't care who gets gored because again there is no depth to the characters. If you're plain tired of found footage, give this one a pass.

Toward the end of World War II, Russian soldiers pushing into eastern Germany stumble across a secret Nazi lab, one that has unearthed and begun experimenting with the journal of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

This film comes from a very great starting point -- the idea that Nazis would use mad scientists to do terrible experiments on cadavers. That much is more or less true. Then, to make it horror and not just history, you add in the journal of Dr. Frankenstein. That is a purely genius decision. Even more bonus points for putting the story from the Russian point of view (the group that actually reached Germany) rather than the American, as would be more common.

The creature design deserves top marks. If this was eligible for a costume Oscar, I think it would be a shoo-in. The creatures are some of the most incredible I have ever seen. Sort of like a steampunk Castle Wolfenstein (which seems to have clearly been an inspiration, with this coming across much like a first-person shooter). The overall set design is pretty great, too.

In fact, my whole positive rating revolves around the design aspect, because I would be much more comfortable panning it based on the aspects I greatly disliked. All of these things revolve around the camera -- why was it shot hand-held when it would look better shot normally? How plausible is it that a Russian army team would be filming? Did cameras at that time film that well and not need changing every five minutes? How does the camera -- and its operator -- take such a beating?

So basically, if they had replaced the point-of-view camera with a traditional camera, and scrapped the Blair Witch-meets-Wolfenstein video game thing they had going on, this could have been one of the better horror films out there today. Coming from Dark Sky, a company I love, I am disappointed it did not pass muster.

And, despite the positive rating, I cannot truly recommend it. You really have to see the design, but I would rather not say you have to see the film. Better Nazi horror films exist (from "Shock Waves" to "Dead Snow"). I do look forward to whatever these creature designers do next, though.

During the World War II, a Russian troop in Germany receives a distress call in the radio from a group of Russian soldiers under siege by the Germans with the respective coordinates. The leader Sergeant Novikov (Robert Gwilym) decides to seek out the soldiers through the countryside of Germany. The soldier Dimitri (Alexander Mercury) is filming the troop to make a documentary and while they walk, they find weird bodies, slaughtered nuns in a convent burnt to the ground and open graves in a cemetery. They arrive at a deserted church where they meet a lethal army of undead with implanted weapons and tools. Soon they learn that the deranged but brilliant grandson of Dr. Viktor Frankenstein with the same name (Karel Roden) has a secret laboratory in the church and is responsible for those monstrosities. Further, they discover that their troop has been secretly assigned by the government to find and kill or bring the mad scientist to Moscow.

"Frankenstein's Army" is a campy horror movie with a silly storyline for fans of trash and gore. The creatures are original and funny and there are entertaining and bloody situations. Unfortunately the option for the hand camera as if it were footage upsets me despite the good explanation for its use. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Exército das Trevas" ("The Army of the Darkness")