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Reviews
Akvanavty (1980)
Good sci-fi
Aquanauts is a Soviet Sci-Fi film. I remember seeing it when I was about 13 or so. It didn't have many special effects but it was very interesting and intriguing.
The plot (as far as I remember) goes like this: in the near future there is technology that allows people (aquanauts) to stay very deep underwater without the aqualungs or any other device. While doing their work on the deep underwater station those aquanauts discover strange mystery: it seems as if one of the aquanaut's girlfriend who recently died in a car crash had turned into a big manta fish. That manta writes words on the station's port-holes and tries to draw attention many other ways. So, aquanauts try to solve that mystery.
The movie uses classic approach of the Sci-Fi: use science fiction (by the way, in Russian sci-fi sounds like English word "fantastic") to show/explore our today's realities. Aquanauts deals mostly with human relationships though. There is no communist ideology or global philosophical thoughts there. It has some romance and drama, and some thoughts about humanity and our place in the nature. Overall, pretty good movie, all I can say.
Smeshariki (2003)
Very Good
I wish this cartoon series (currently there are about 100 of 5-10 minutes episodes) would be dubbed into other languages and shown all over the world. So so funny and interesting! Kids absolutely love it and adults enjoy it too. There are adorable and very well developed characters and very imaginative scripts in every episode. This series must become a classic. You can watch them over and over and over... and in my family (3 kids - 3, 8, 11) we do!
This series is becoming more and more popular among Russian speaking people all over the world, thanks to the Internet. I think if the series would be dubbed into English and released in US and other countries it would have pretty good success.
Sovsem propashchiy (1973)
Lost and found
I was really surprised by this movie. I did not expect it to be so good. I will even be bold to say, that the way Georgy Daneliya directed this film makes it more interesting and much much deeper than the original Mark Twain's material! The cast is also outstanding - some of the best Soviet actors of that time (and all times). I'd say it deserves a place among the best movie classics. Too bad it's not known to the most of the world. In fact, even I never heard about it although I was born in Soviet Union. I guess it's because officials didn't let it go widely, because it has some graphic violence and other elements not excepted by the official Soviet morality. There was another movie well known in USSR on Twain's novel about Tom Soyer, but it was for children. it's not really bad but it's completely different level than Completely Lost.
Vyshe radugi (1986)
Teenage Movie-nostalgia
Many Soviet teens loved this movie probably because of the songs it introduced. They were real hits at that time. Many of the songs were performed by Vladimir Presnyakov Jr. (he is still a Russian pop-star). His voice was still teenager's unbroken one and it sounded quite unusual and nice.
The movie could be interesting not only to the Soviet teens, however. Of course if it was available to them...
I used to say it was my favourite movie of all times. Now, I haven't watched it for a long time but still remember the bright and kind feeling it would leave every time I watched it. Even now, as I remember it, I get this kind of feeling.
This movie is a musical with simple but interesting fantasy plot. Very dreamy boy who is also a young poet, met a fairy who gave him the ability to do good in PE (specifically high jumping) with a condition that he will not say lies; once he commits a smallest lie, his abilities are gone...
The movie is light and and it seems the whole idea is to present a certain imaginary world, which, though not so far from reality, still kind of utopian. I mean a world you would dream to live in, the world of no suffering and pain, filled with simple and genuine feelings, where you still have to make right decisions.
To some viewers this movie might appear to be naive to the point of being boring and even stupid. But it will be admired by those, who crave nice and lovely without being too-sweet, philistine, and silly.
The acting is good, especially by the lead actor. Music, as I said is wonderful. Director's work is also good, although sometimes the movie looks like TV-series.
I just wish that kind of movies show up from time to time. It's not very cleaver, but in our todays world teens (and not only them) really need to be taught to be little more sensitive and kind.