A mildly entertaining entry into a sub-genre of contemporary Russian black comedies.
The simple plot involves a couple of moronic crooks assigned to fetch a briefcase packed with 'hell dust' that should be dispatched to a local mobster. The briefcase shortly slips off their hands and they hunt down a trio of other misfits that looted the delivery. In a desperate attempt to get the booty back, at any cost, they undertake a deadly journey leaving gory heaps of dead bodies behind. (McNaughton's Lee Lucas looks pale in comparison).
It's a routine scheme with no good guys around. The only police officer (militsioner) available here, which is normally supposed to protect the law, is a scum.
The leads are quite adequately depicted, if slightly exaggerated (especially Dyuzhev's overly dumb and reckless thug).
However Mikhalkov's Mikhalych, albeit amusing for the most part, looked tiresome at times (contrary to expectations) and, alas, not always convincing.
There is a really witty ploy - to introduce that inquisitive kiddie-fatso hanging about aimlessly in every scene with Mikhalkov, including that horrendous mortuary room with dozens of naked cadavers and pools of blood.
Many first rate actors (Bashirov, Krasko, Andrei Panin, Serebryakov, Sukhorukov, Makovetsky, et al.) have sadly minor roles or were even reduced to cameo appearances. It looks like the creators had an enormous task to engage as many renowned names as possible.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not expect any profound and imaginative ideas or, at least, an authentic grasp of modern Russian realities.
Graphic violence, torture, humiliation, fountains of blood, cold-blooded and grisly murders that abounds throughout almost entire length of the movie, serve, as later discovered, to the single benefit of the abrupt pinnacle that lasts, sadly, too short to be enjoyable. And the most disappointing, IMHO, is that, with the exception of the more elegant new clothes, any other changes in our lead characters could hardly be spotted.
A BOTTOMLINE: Foreigners! - Quiver with disgust, this is the portrayal of Russia as most of you have always dreamt of. You might be guessing how we manage to survive here. So are we...
The simple plot involves a couple of moronic crooks assigned to fetch a briefcase packed with 'hell dust' that should be dispatched to a local mobster. The briefcase shortly slips off their hands and they hunt down a trio of other misfits that looted the delivery. In a desperate attempt to get the booty back, at any cost, they undertake a deadly journey leaving gory heaps of dead bodies behind. (McNaughton's Lee Lucas looks pale in comparison).
It's a routine scheme with no good guys around. The only police officer (militsioner) available here, which is normally supposed to protect the law, is a scum.
The leads are quite adequately depicted, if slightly exaggerated (especially Dyuzhev's overly dumb and reckless thug).
However Mikhalkov's Mikhalych, albeit amusing for the most part, looked tiresome at times (contrary to expectations) and, alas, not always convincing.
There is a really witty ploy - to introduce that inquisitive kiddie-fatso hanging about aimlessly in every scene with Mikhalkov, including that horrendous mortuary room with dozens of naked cadavers and pools of blood.
Many first rate actors (Bashirov, Krasko, Andrei Panin, Serebryakov, Sukhorukov, Makovetsky, et al.) have sadly minor roles or were even reduced to cameo appearances. It looks like the creators had an enormous task to engage as many renowned names as possible.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not expect any profound and imaginative ideas or, at least, an authentic grasp of modern Russian realities.
Graphic violence, torture, humiliation, fountains of blood, cold-blooded and grisly murders that abounds throughout almost entire length of the movie, serve, as later discovered, to the single benefit of the abrupt pinnacle that lasts, sadly, too short to be enjoyable. And the most disappointing, IMHO, is that, with the exception of the more elegant new clothes, any other changes in our lead characters could hardly be spotted.
A BOTTOMLINE: Foreigners! - Quiver with disgust, this is the portrayal of Russia as most of you have always dreamt of. You might be guessing how we manage to survive here. So are we...