When I wrote reviews for hand-to-hand fighters, one of the users complained that I write little about modern stuntmen and directors from Russia and the CIS. I’ll say right away that it’s more difficult to do this; in Russia, let’s be honest, the hand-to-hand action genre, even B and C-level, is very poorly developed; even if there are high-quality action scenes, the rest is lame - either the plot is not childishly drawn out, or the film itself is not an action movie. Basically, the Russian-speaking “battle scene” is developing on the Internet (I recommend the “Stalingrad” videos and short films "Dragon" Morin) or in the regions (Oleg Zakharov, Dmitry Shadrin). For today I will choose Roman Kurtsyna and I’ll tell you about his main action works that I’ve seen.
For the whole country and for me in particular, Roman became famous after the role of sniper Konstantin Orlov from the series "Sword"I'll start with him.
"Sword" (2009)
This series has thundered across the country and has a large number of fans, considered one of the best detective action films. Is it deserved? In order.
- The creators chose a fertile theme - popular vengeance, vigilantism. After "Voroshilovsky Strelok"Stanislav Govorukhin and"Love in Russian"Evgeniy Matveev, this cinema niche has been empty for quite a long time, there were practically no films released."Sword“returned this topic to the screens and returned it harshly - the heroes brutally punish corrupt officials, pedophiles and corrupt police officers, even Satanists fly in.
- But it is not enough to raise such a topic, it is necessary to develop it: revenge as a question has been raised from different sides: is it worth taking revenge? How to do it? What if they get caught? What if we go crazy in the process? What will we tell our relatives and friends? What if it doesn't make sense? All these topics are raised in dialogue, but each character has their own story and their own opinion on this problem.
- By the way, about the characters. To be honest, the one I remember most of all the characters was Orlov, played by Roman Kurtsyna. In one of his interviews, Roman said that he got the role with great difficulty and he went out of his way to become Orlov on the screen, obviously feeling that his finest hour would come after it. He also went out of his way on the screen - you believe the hero in all scenes: in combat, where Roman shows a variety of spectacular (especially for our serial would-be cinema) techniques and even copies the Van Damme kick, in non-combat (I note dialogues and the scene where Orlov learned about the death of his mother) and in humorous ones - Kurtsyn completely occupied this niche in the series and did not give it to anyone. In second place is Alexander Barinov in the role of the sensible GB-ist Nikolai Savkin. On the third - the execution of the arrogant official from the prosecutor's office Olga Stepnenko Victoria Fisher and only then goes Eduard Flerov and the rest. With all due respect to the others, they play too "serial". However, all the characters are fully developed by both the actors and the writers.
Of the villains I will note Shukhrat Irgasheva. - The series followed the path of Balabanov and decided to rely on stereotypes - the central characters (mostly) have a Slavic appearance, among the villains there are a lot of people of Eastern nationality (Muratov and drug mafia leaders), although there are also plenty of Russian speakers.
- I talked too much about the main component - after all, the site is about action films. So, there are quite a lot of action scenes here (in the first half) and they are mostly shooting, hand-to-hand fights here are mainly produced by Roman Kurtsyn. As I already said, his action is varied, especially the showdown on the train and fights with policemen, first upon returning from Ossetia with Kolya, and then in one of the tasks at the police station. The hero is also good with a knife and small arms. The rest of the fights are mostly on Timur Efremenkov (Karev) and Vladislav Pavlov (PPSnik Chizh). Overall, however, I was expecting a lot more fighting; They will answer me that this is a shooter action movie and they will be right - but still, we, the audience, were yearning for good battle scenes and Roman could provide us with even more of them.
- The series is good as an action shooter. There is a lot of blood and headshots, there are a variety of weapons (there is even a grenade launcher and a machine gun) and the heroes know how to use them. The staging of the shootouts is not the best (the degree of fumes drops lower towards the second half of the series), but it is head and shoulders above other domestic series.
- But alas, the series has its drawbacks. The first of these is often noted in other reviews: it’s as if the script was written by two different people - one normal, the other stupid, and this contrast is VERY noticeable in the second half. I will never believe that Orlov will make that stupid call to the police in the end. The second of the minuses is that the quality is still at the level of the Russian TV series of the 2000s. many supporting actors play poorly, a large number of blunders and cliches, as well as an off-scale level of script stupidity (especially when the heroes are shooting right on the street, without disguise). After the loud destruction of gangs of drug addicts and black realtors, some stupid things appear. Only towards the end does the series return a little to its usual rhythm.
Сonclusion - quite good (especially in contrast to other series about cops and bandits) and an interesting action-packed story in which Roman Kurtsyn is the main link that outweighs the pros over the cons.
"Shooting Mountains" (2011)
Mini-series of 4 episodes. In general - about the difficult service in Chechnya and its environs. In the first part, tribute is again paid to the Feat at Hill 776, where Russian soldiers destroyed at least 300 militants. In the rest - the misadventures of the hero (Kurtsyn) after the events of the first episode.
A definite plus are the action scenes, both heroic shootouts and hand-to-hand fights. But alas. Almost all the action is concentrated in the first episode, and there are only a few fights. The main ones are the fight in the second episode with the brother of the main villain (Anatoly Otradnov) in the hospital and the fight with the commander himself at the end of the last episode, a little reminiscent of Rostotsky’s fight in "Invincible"In both fights, knives, improvised objects and well-choreographed and edited action with a variety of techniques are used. There is also a fight at the beginning between terrorists and a number of little fights between the hero over the course of the series - but even these, against the backdrop of all the slag that is now coming out, look good.
The bad aspects of the film are that it is drawn out, the plot is heavily distracted by uninteresting and boring (and therefore unnecessary) characters, and there is little action in the last episodes. Of the actors, only Kurtsyn, Timur Efremenkov and Anatoly Otradnov are “noticeable”.
Is it worth watching? Only if you like films on military themes and about Chechnya. For the rest, look for clips of scenes from this film; the fights will delight you.
I would like to say a few words about "Sword-2". They waited for it for a long time and believed that it would never come out - and it would be better if it didn’t come out: despite the improved quality of the production, the performance of the leading actors, all sorts of tricks like “slow-mo” and attempts at SPGS, the action deteriorated and decreased in quantity, turning the series from an action-packed action film into a dark NTV drama. Roman Kurtsyn plays well as an actor, even excellent - but we expected fights and action from him, and there were very few of them, which Roman honestly warned about before the release of the series in one of the interviews. Sword-2 was liked only by rabid fans of the first part and young girls, for whom there are fanservice scenes with Roman and several love lines and hints at possible “pairings”.
Look "Sword-2"It's still possible (for fans of the first season), but remember - the meaning of the series has changed and it itself is unimaginably boring.
That's all for now. Yes, I know that Roman has many other films where he fights on the screen (I saw scenes from “Leningrad”), but, knowing our cinema and TV series, I will not review his entire filmography and will ask the readers of the site for advice. what else can you see. I wish Roman himself creative success, as well as a role in a strong, good action movie - Roman has all the data to become the “Russian Van Damme” and try to return hand-to-hand action movies to our TVs.
Author: uranium
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Tags: Roman Kurtsyn, soap opera, Shooting Mountains
Tags: Roman Kurtsyn, soap opera, Shooting Mountains
and Yu. Sysoev showed something interesting in his latest works, otherwise there is no way to follow all the series. recommend guys...
Alexander,
Sysoev is in "Gentlemen Officers Save the Emperor." There are fights and stunts (including from Sysoev and the guys from his team), but the film is very on time.
He is also in Kremlin with Epifantsev, and even fights with him, but there are few of him there. I don’t think there’s any need to talk about the Chronicle of Hell. In general, there is film search.
I remembered.
Alexey Bardukov also looks interesting in action scenes.
Surely there are some other young people, but alas, we definitely don’t have our own Florentine (((....
Alex,
This is where I completely agree. But in general, let’s go off-topic, let’s discuss the Sword, the Mountains, or who has anything to say about Roman himself?
And Kurtsin and Epifantsev are actually practically the only actors who have good BI training. Although maybe someone can expand the list (namely ACTORS, not athletes like Badyuk)?
Alex,
There is also Igor Botvin. A good actor, with excellent physical fitness and extensive experience in on-screen fights. For example Culinary-1-2.
Elbrus Nukite,
Culinary saw a couple of episodes, I liked it. Maybe. This year I’ll get to it too.
Alex,
Yuri Sysoev, for example, and his team, which includes Solovyov and a couple of other guys. There is Jamal Azhigirey. There is Mikhail Polosukhin (In the Brotherhood of the Landing he has many hand-to-hand scenes with the heroes, and a final fight that is not bad for our series, there is a semi-action movie with him, “The Last Hero”). Sergei Gorobchenko shows his ability to fight once every hundred years. There was Kim In Ho, I reviewed two of his films. Also Dmitry Pevtsov and Alexey Serebryakov, (Fan, Beast, Ghoul, Gangster Petersburg). There is Dmitry Maryanov, but he disappears. From the CIS there is Gor Vardanyan with a sane clone of “Fan” Eclipse Day, which I will also review one day.
It would be a stretch to name Fedor Emelianenko; in the shitty movie “The Salamander Key” he showed some good realistic fights.
Can you tell us more about the day of the eclipse with Vardanyan? I couldn't find such a movie.
den50393,
This is Armenia, I watched it on videotapes. In fact, this is an Armenian “Fan”, the plot is slightly different. The main hero there, being small, received lyuli from the local chief. Then he came to karate and the teacher taught him (training installation available). Then Horus goes into the army, fights a bit and returns many years later. Then it’s clear - the boss has grown into a local mafioso. You can watch it, a classic B-action movie.
Vardanyan also starred in Azhigirey’s “Lotus Impact 4”.
I have mostly seen all the films with Vardanyan. I also had a series with his participation, it was called the avenger. There, too, in the final he fought with his former friend and now a mafioso. But I haven’t heard anything about the eclipse...and I haven’t found the film. Can you tell me where I can find it? Or did you only watch it on cassette the last time?
den50393,
Well, why didn’t I find it, here it is. By the way, can you recommend what to watch from Gore, besides the above?
uranium,
Thanks for the link)). I recommend watching with Vardanyan: as you yourself said, Lotus Strike 4, the Avenger series, as well as films Choice and the Unwritten Law.
Thank you.
About Serebryakov and Pevtsov - yes. The first was seriously involved in gymnastics in his youth, the second - (seemingly...) Kyokushin. Gorobchenko? Most likely Yaglych will be more interesting...
Maryanov - I don’t know anything at all about the “boy from Zurbagan”)) as an athlete (I watched “Fighter”). He's a good actor, especially a theater actor, without question.
uranium,
Maybe someone will reveal the team of the mini-series "Druzhina" a little. Behind the jingoistic plot, in some places one could see the very good training of the guys in the roles of vigilantes.
Alexander Erlikh, Sergei Vorobyov...
Does anyone, colleagues, know about them in more detail than Kinopoisk gives?
Alex,
They are mostly stuntmen, especially Vorobyov. I also want to review “Druzhina”, even though it’s not a hand-to-hand action movie. There is information about them on Kino-teatr-ru and Wikipedia. It seems like the Cossacks even served. They have a hand-to-hand action movie called “Call Sign - Flock,” which was very good at first, but in the end interest wanes.
In my opinion, the first "Sword" is a worthy series. In any case, many people no longer have the strength to endure it, and at least look at it on the screen.
I would like to draw your attention to the mini-series Flint with Epifantsev. A good clone of Rambo. I recommend. But the continuation is just slag, it’s a shame that the initiative was ruined.
Elbrus Nukite,
The flint is very good. But they took too long in some places and the main villain survived. The second season is a bare bones arthouse - something I don't like in action films.
Sword is so far the only series of its kind that raises such a topic.
I haven't seen Sword, but I'm thinking about it.
barsug,
The first half of the series is very impressive. Wow, blunders, but the characters and the plot itself are cool. The second half was a little worse. although giving cabbage soup to private security companies from Hydra, to put it on the Internet, delivers.