Okhota na Piranyu (2006)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Andrei Kavun

Writers:

Aleksandr Bushkov (novel)
Dmitri Zverkov (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 April 2006 (Russia)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

Agent of special department "Piranha" Kirill Mazur and his colleague Olga go to the far north with the...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Vladimir Mashkov	...	Mazur
Svetlana Antonova	...	Olga
Yevgeni Mironov	...	Prokhor
Viktoriya Isakova	...	Sinilga
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Banshchikova	...	Viktoriya (as A. Banshchikova)
Mikhail Efremov	...	Dorokhov
Sergey Garmash	...	Zima
Aleksandr Golubev	...	Belobrysy
Aleksey Gorbunov	...	Kuzmich
Andrei Merzlikin	...	Shtabs
Ramil Sabitov	...	Ibragim
Anna Ukolova	...	Nina

Also Known As:

Охота на пиранью (Russia)

Runtime:

Russia:125 min

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Karelia, Russia

Company:

Rekun TV

Quotes:

[Mazur and Prokhor are fighting savagely]
Prokhor: You can't kill me. I died when I was eight.

A decent Russian action movie at last.

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.