Piranha Hunt (2006)
Agent of special department "Piranha" Kirill Mazur and his colleague Olga go to the far north with the assignment to liquidate an underwater secret weapon lab in the guise of a mutual vacation. All of a sudden, they find themselves in the world where civilization laws are forgotten, and this deadly weapons are kept by gangsters who are controlled by a new "master of taiga" Prohor, whose leisure time is spent hunting at humans. Mazur didn't know that he would have to trade his familiar gun for a hand-made bone knife, and save his companion and himself instead of saving the world. For them, this safari in northern forests would be no less dangerous as for the live targets.
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Thanks for the memories!
It is a performances centric movie
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
The only reason for me to have a look at this one was the presence of a very beautiful song - "Field Flowers". It's somewhere in the second half of the flick (when Mazur has a ridiculous and absolutely unrealistic off-screen battle in the bar). Anything else is of a very doubtful quality.The camera is jerky and soon becomes nauseating. The happenings are chaotic and downright stupid (some characters just leave or change their stance and the others treat it as OK, the killers touch obvious traps and waste the ammo, etc.). The bad guy talks too much and is not frightening enough (Mr Evgeniy Mironov is a fine actor and, most likely, a very good person, but a lousy villain. The running about in the forest reminds of much, much better action movies. The ending is too sweet and is made NOT in the Russian way. And, to crown it all, the ending song is embarrassing.Really nothing much to write here but the presence of "Field Flowers" scene pays off quite well. In general, for a reliable action flick it's too inconsistent to enjoy. For a parable it's too shallow. Try it for that very song and vivid colours if you have to, though.Only a 3 out of 10, and mostly for that wonderful song in the crazy context, but better go and re-watch "Predator", "Commando", "Hard Boiled", "Hitman" or "Die Hard" for much deeper emotions and much groovier characters. Thanks for attention.
If you want to waste 2 hours of your life while sitting with a long face like me, waiting for some glimmer of something interesting or meaningful to happen while digesting appalling script and senseless and disgusting violence porn, asking yourself "why the hell am I watching this?", then watch this film. This is everything cinema should not be. A tragic example of when Russian film makers imitate the worst of western movies and computer games. "The Beach" and "Moscow Zero" are close, but this is even worse, if that's possible. This film is not something either the actors or the director will remember proudly, and they are actually not bad judging by their other work. The feeling this film gives you is like you've drank too much, been throwing up and have this sick and stupid feeling. Yuk.
For the last decade or so, one of the main "topics" in Russian cinema was "Let's make a real blockbuster action movie! Our answer to Hollywood! " Obviously, whenever a filmmaker is concerned with "our answer to whatever" the final product will be a farmer's friend, but no one else's. We've seen a few decent wannabe-Tarantino / Takeshi Kitano style "action films" ( I still claim that Kitano's Brother and the Russian Brother have plenty in common besides the moniker) but their tries at something Lethal Weaponish fell flatter than the Turkish analogues.Well... no more.We finally got an excellent Russian action movie blockbuster. Which... is cool and all. More quality = more money = more quantity = more money = possibly more quality.The plot... is an action movie plot. The brave commando veteran (his former commando unit was called "The Piranha" and that's the only explanation for the movie's title you're going to get) and a lovely bio-chemist are sent to neutralize some bio-weapons left in an abandoned (flooded) military research center near the Chinese border before the land on which said research center is built is ceded to the Chinese. Things go wrong and they find themselves amongst the unwilling participants in the latest "Most Dangerous Game" remake - Taiga edition.Right...On the positive side - the movie takes itself as non-seriously as possible without turning into an outright spoof. Quotes, homages and outright "tributes" abound - all delivered lightly and ironically. Mashkov, who was wasting his unshaven charisma in a whole host of pointless films plays a hero at least as well as classic Bruce Willis on a good day. Mironov already acknowledged that he was channeling Garry Oldman in Leon and IMO he tops that performance. Good use of the an energetic soundtrack. The camera moves in a way Tony Scott can only have wet dreams about (not necessarily a good thing) Amazing energy and drive all around - the film just picks you and never let's you go.So... check it out if it comes your way. I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed.
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!