Audience Member
Not as exciting as its predecessor, but still fun to watch. Not a bad sequel, great cast. I recommend watching this Russian crime thriller. If you are going to watch this, it will help you understand Russian culture and the way of thinking in the 90s.
Summary
While participating in a TV show, Danila Bagrov meets his friends from his service in Chechnya. One of them is suddenly killed. It turns out that he got into trouble because of his brother, a hockey player, who is in America. Danila needs to figure everything out. He flies to America and takes his older brother with him for company.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
04/18/24
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Jack V
Not as gripping as its predecessor, but the sequel has its charms and is worth watching. It's also way less realistic as Danila basically becomes an unstoppable superhero in this movie.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
08/24/23
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Ravenswood R
There is a lot to like here, and a lot not to like. The humor and pacing and entertaining scenes are great, but the themes and violence and the positioning of the protagonist as a hero are very problematic. The story is extremely dicey and overly complicated and depends on major suspension of disbelief to work at all. Much of it makes no sense, but I get the idea that this is from a Russian perspective and includes a lot of nationalism and propagandist ideas. Hey, so do American films. The racism and pure hatred on display here for non-Russians is way too simplistic and cartoonish. The exterior scenes of Russia and Chicago are fantastic, and at times it is an energizing and exciting ride. Not by any means a good movie though in terms of story or plot or subtlety.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
07/26/23
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Audience Member
my favourite Russian movie.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/17/23
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Audience Member
Are you interested in Russian films of 2000s, where the stories are close to real ones? Do you want to watch the lifestyle of Russians, know some new things of their daily life and values with principles? Then watch this film, the continuation of Brother one with the national hero Danila Bodrov! Here you can be plunged into the Russian life of simple people! The film's genre is criminal thriller, it was published in 2000. Author and producer is Aleksey Balabanov, who was born in 1959; Sovier producer, the owner of the awards as "NIka" for directorship in the film "About freaks and people", double winner of the film festival "Kinotavr" for the "Brother" and "War". Film was nominated and won the followings: 2000, "Kinotavr", the GOLD Rose award; Diploma of Russian National Internet award; 2001- participation in the Freedom Film Festival in Santa Monica; 2013-The festival "Invasion"; 2014-Premiere display of the movie at the second short film festival "Shorter". The film was shoot quiet well, the quality is medium. For that times may be it is high qualified film, however due to current norms it is quite good. The main thing to mention is that you can watch the film as the participant of all events happening there, this makes the film more interesting, you just support main hero in all the scenes, watching the things happening with him and his enemies. The shooting was difficult, some episodes such as where there was car crash with Danila, was shooted in a way Danila gets to car, car has not moved there. Moreover, to make it look more real and natural producer said to Afro-Americans to beat stronger, as a result Bodrov's two ribs were broken. These facts describes that there were no stuntmen or doubles of the actors, and they made all their staff themselves.
The scenario of the film develops as follows: Danila spends time with his friends, where Konstantin tells them about the problem concerned with his twin Dmitriy, hockey player that suffers from Richard Manis contract, where he gets all money that Dmitriy earns. When Konstantin asks his boss Valentine Belkin, who is the head of Nikolayevsk bank to talk about this issue with Manis, unfortunately he couldn't do anything and ordered to "solve the problem" of Konstantin so that he does not destroy the relation of Manis and Belkin, however, they understood it in another manner and killed Konstantin. Danila finds out the dead body of his friend and tries to help by solving the problem of Dmitriy as it were the last words of Konstantin. He asks Belkin whether the death is his job, but Belkin tells that Manis did that. After that Danila and his brother Victor go to America separately, make some plan and get money from Manis. Danila meets Dmitriy and gives all money to him. On the way of reaching the aim he saves the Russian prostitute and flirts with Irina Saltykova with whom, no matter of differences in tastes they have romantic relationship. There are different themes that is discussed there, for example, the "Reket", "Brat za Brata", "Bandity". The scenes of Konstantin's murder, when there were no facts, and it remained unpunished or when Belkin's people try to kill Danila and his brother show the cases of Banditry. The actors are proud to be Russian, and their values show that they are not interested in money, so that they have high moral values. The poem "Homeland" that is repeated in the film for several times increases the patriotic feeling of Russians. The film shows Russian in a good manner, and there is some sarcastic moments which show Americans in a negative way. Even main character Sergey Bodrov claims that it's ok to laugh on Americans, "They show as with bears and vodka in films, so why can't we somehow laugh on some features" he says. Overall Russian audience liked the film and although there are some negative ones, the reviews mainly are positive. Personally, the film was boring at some places; it is too simple and for one time watch. I would recommend it to those who like such films, who want to see hero from ordinary person or many to those who want some nostalgic feeling and see the daily life of people of 2000s. I liked this film, in terms of nature and level of reality, you feel the actors, you feel their emotions and be in their place, live with them during all the film.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
Audience Member
«Brat-2»: celebrating life by killing the evil.
Considering the success of «Brat» (1998), the only question regarding the sequel of the story of Danila Bagrov (Sergei Bodrov Jr.) a quiet young ex-soldier with a charming smile, who adores music and does not mind killing a few bandits before breakfast, was how long it would take to come to life. The director, Aleksey Balabanov did not tame the audience for too long, announcing the return of Danila in 2000.
Danila Bagrov meets his army buddy Konstantin «Kostia» Gromov in Moscow, with whom he fought in Chechnya. The friend shares the story of his twin brother Dmitry, who is a professional hockey player in America. However, the team owner, in cahoots with his Russian partner, has swindled the young star into an oppressive contract, allowing them to rob him blind. Several days after this conversation, Danila finds Konstantin dead. In order to straighten things out and avenge his friend, Danila goes to Chicago. The dynamics of the second movie of the cult series move the action from St.Petersburg, where Danila turned into a killer in «Brat», to Moscow and all the way to the USA. This transition moves the theme of the movie «Us vs. Them», to a whole new level.
The movie received mixed reviews, both in Russian or post-soviet space and in the west, but the general public has welcomed the sequel with just as much love as they showed to the first movie. Balabanov has managed to maintain the image of a simple Russian man, who may not necessarily be the example of the nicest person, but follows his unique honour code. "I think the power is in the truth, whoever is right is strong", - Danila says. And he is strong. Perhaps, the strongest in the whole movie. This is the character that is sometimes treated as the "hero of the generation": he is damaged by the war like many others, Balabanov included, he treasures his family and his country, though he is aware that there are bad people everywhere, no matter what language the street signs are in. The director was accused of portraying the nationalist and racist attitudes, but the signs of it are easy to understand to a person with a grasp of the situation in the 90's Russia.
It would be impossible to deny the pro-Russian message, transferred by the movie, but this is also one of the reasons it was turned into a cult. After decades of Hollywood or Bollywood inspired criminal movies, featuring masculine «Superman-like» heroes, fighting their way to justice, Balabanov has offered a fresh Russian movie about a Russian man. It is its rough charm, that captures the viewers and makes the movie so relevant. It was also skilfully accompanied by the appearance of stars of that time, including pop-singer Irina Saltykova, and a remarkable soundtrack featuring Viacheslav Butusov, Bi-2 Zemfira and many more. The movie even received the title «the encyclopaedia of the Russian music life of the end of XX» by the Russian media. One would think that this list would be enough to make the viewers once again fall in love with the film, but, the writer has added the final touch to this hymn to homey Russia: a shot poem by Vladimir Orlov titled «Rodina» (Homeland). This little cherry on top brings a veil of romance and pride to sometimes ruthless actions of the main character. After all, how could anyone blame the person for avenging his friend, when he chants soulfully «This is all of mine, all dear, this is Motherland of mine, I love everyone on Earth»?
«Brat-2», however, does not solely depict the Americans as the bad guys or the evil «them», there are fine strong people there as well. This is how Danila has found a good friend in a truck driver, despite the language and cultural barrier. Kostia's brother, on the contrary, appeared to be someone completely different from his twin: long life abroad has naturally changed his character, which is why it was harder for Bagrov to identify with him. This is what the movie projects on the viewers: the nationality or citizenship does not define who a person is, there are bad and good people everywhere. After all, it is a movie about life, and life is different.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/16/23
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