daustin

Clearly somebody is screwing around with the rating here. This is no masterpiece, but it's definitely not a 3 star film. It's a solid, decent coming-of-age drama. I'm curious who is out to tank the rating.

In the best tradition of Soviet fantasy, Dikanka is entertaining from start to finish. There isn't much a plot (hijinks during the night), but the practical effects are charming, and I laughed harder than I had in a long time.

The best element is the Devil himself. Rather than a figure of fear and evil, the Devil is a hairy, silly fellow who keeps busy by tormenting a blacksmith who drew a religious picture that the Devil found particularly offensive. In addition, there are a horde of lusty and/or drunken townsmen, and a cameo by the Tsarina herself. Also, a "Three's Company"-esquire set piece where character after character must hide out in the local witch's hut.

This is one of the crazy ones, along the lines of Buddha's Palm or Holy Flame of the Martial World, though not as fun or inventive. Danny Lee plays a scholar who is uninterested in kung fu, who pursues the "Red Python" which can grant great power. His task is complicated by his philandering father, the cute Lin Chen-chi and her magical snakes, and angry Tanny Tien-ni and her dagger-shooting leg bone.

The movie is filled wacky costumes, fake monsters, goofy visual effects, and kung fu "laser" beams. As short as it is, it still gets a bit bogged down in dialogue and exposition. Still, there's enough craziness along the way to hold you until the mind-blowing ending , which features Danny Lee fighting a kung fu gorilla, and a man on retractable metal chicken legs who fires flames out of his mouth. Worth watching, at least for the ending.