User Reviews

A fun to watch action movie, which falls somewhere between James Bond and Chuck Norris movies (well, indeed, with a bit of Die Hard and Rambo accent). A Russian super-agent with bare hands (at the start) against a band of heavily armed hunt party lead by an arch-villain Prokhor, a sole survivor of an accident in a secret weapon facility. As you can guess, at the end the hero kills them all (a-la Norris), saves his girl (a-la-Bond) and the world as well. With all similarities to the major agent-saves-the-world series, the movie has a lot of Russian specifics and as a result could be interesting to watch for the lovers of the genre.

Just do not dig too deep. Some parts of the plot are rather naive and some do not fit together well, but it was not made to think about it. Use it as prescribed - to relax after a long day of work.

This film full of stamps and I saw it only for Mironov's role. It's not absolutely terrible, there are some jokes and some action, but unoriginal idea, cheap effects and stupid montage makes this film almost unacceptable.

I wasn't disappointed only because I didn't wait a lot. Yes, may be 'piranya' is one of the best action movie since 2000, but still it's below the line.

All females in this film looks unsightly, Moshkow as The Hero ridiculous, Mironov as The Blondie Scoundrel stupid and only Gorbunov as Kuzmich is normal.

And special words about that scene with sword fight. It awfully, I didn't see so frightfully special effects since epoch. Even special effects in Moskva-Kassiopeya (1973) was much more better. This film could be better if they cut this scene from film.

A plot is rather simple and stupid - as a real blockbuster should be: Sixties of the past century: somewhere in Taiga near China border a Russian Underwater Laboratory in one of the lakes researching deadly chemical weapon of unbelievable power - several milligrams of the substance are able to destroy every living fiber species in the area of more than 100 square kilometers around. However this substance is deadly only when is released and reacting to air - that's why the laboratory is under water.

Of course, an accident happens and one of the tubes with the "Better Life" (this is a pseudonym used for the deadly chemical) crashes. All the staff is dying immediately - they are simply decaying. Others are being shot to death by the guards preventing the personnel to reach out to surface of the lake.

As seen from the movie - only one person escaped from underwater lab - Prokhor - a little boy of eight years old - one of the researcher's son.

Then the plot turns in modern time. One of the famous Russian terrorists is planning a serious criminal transaction and preparing to it (selling something ).

At the same time there are negotiations between China and Russian governments leading to soon happening event of spreading China territory over THE lake. This a thought provoking sequence for Russian secret services, so they are deciding to send a team of two people to neutralize the deadly laboratory and to blow it up so it couldn't get into China's hands.

Two opposite parties are involved and... There goes! This is a really decent Russian blockbuster in the very meaning of it! A nice mixture of "Commando", "Rambo", "Hard Target" and a good portion of humor.

Mashkov playing Colonel Kirill Mazur is brilliant as well as role of Evgeniy Mironov as a major disaster eccentric terrorist and in general "a rather lunatic bad guy".

Of course, some inconsistencies cause movie to be quite "jumping" and generally unlevel - ending is too fantastic, I'd rather say sarcastic. Nearly during all the movie you pick up a number of Hollywood stamps, but made at good level, so you don't have a feeling that you've seen it before. I just enjoyed watching the movie and hope it be pleasant for you as well!