For nearly two hours, Padilha bombards viewers with senseless, sickening violence for its own sake.

Elite Squad is a relentlessly ugly, unpleasant, often incoherent assault on the senses from Brazil.

Elite Squad can't decide whether it wants to pull the lid back on what urban decay has wrought or simply open up a can of whup ass.

While the movie evidently succeeded in shining a light on a chaotic aspect of Brazilian culture, its frenetic structure and pacing can be disorienting.