Major Grom: le Docteur de Peste

I really liked this movie! Nice plot, funny, action packed, good acting, unexpected twist. And be sure to watch past the end credits. ;) I can't wait for a sequel!

I never expected it to be anything that good. No, really, it's fun! First, it is a really well-made piece of filming. Second, this is a real superhero movie, a fact even more surprising, taken that... well, let's be frank, Russians do not know anything of comic books and superheros. It's just not in the culture. But this one time they did it!

Igor Gromov (Grom ~ Thunder) is a superhero without superpowers. You may think of him as a total anti-Batman: he wears no mask , owns no money (lives in poverty literally), has no fame, but he acts in absolutely the same manner as Bruce Wayne: using his brain, and his knuckles, and never taking a life. You will find other references to Gotham, too: the police department, for example, and some other places, which are totally unrealistic for Russia. But the rest is just a thick layer of everyday Saint-Petersburg life smeared over slices of the most truthfully taken city center. Together, the hero and the city background make the most wonderful mix! As for the story, it is much different from those done by Marvel or DC. I'd even say it is quite unique. It runs along a different kind of track, and it has different climax points and unexpected turns.

Overall. Good writing. Good acting. Good CG. I'll say it again, this is a just a very well made movie. And it is fun! Probably the very first real Russian superhero movie that really made it!

It's a nice surprise. A Russian film, but one that looks like a Hollywood blockbuster, and that's a compliment. The film has a good art direction and features action scenes that are not crude. A mixture of batman, the joker and V for Vendetta with a dash of stylistic comedy makes this Russian movie an entertaining watch.

Plot

Supercop Grom fights crime in St. Petersburg - an uphill battle. A vigilante starts killing the powerful, who escaped justice.

Cast

Unfamiliar with anybody involved, or the source material.

Verdict

I'm not familiar with Major Grom in the slightest and only wound up watching this as it was recommended to me.

Upon learning it was a Russian superhero movie my guard went up, I was burned before with 2017's The Guardians which I had very hopes for but turned out to be remarkably terrible.

I went in with concerns and though certainly better made and more stylish than The Guardians it still falls short as though not a bad film it's all just so very, expected. It's predictable, it's generic, it's a wish-wash mess of things we see frequently.

Grom himself is an unlikable character, the supporting characters are overdone stereotypes and the passable villain couldn't make up for that.

The plot itself, I quite liked. But would you have enjoyed Lord of the Rings as much if the characters were as annoying as The Walking Dead and the lead was Morbius?

Several shades of meh.

Rants

I'm shortly going to do my top 10 best Russian films and I fear it'll be terrible, a list of poor movies because I simply haven't seen anything Russian that I really liked. I hope I'm proven wrong, but let's see. Curious, go check it out on my profile.

Breakdown

Has a certain charm Tries to be too "Hollywood" Unengaging Weak characters.

Over the span of two days I watched (on Netflix) a terrible movie called "Cosmic Sin" (I won't even bother to review it - what a waste of time) and Major Grom: Plague Doctor.

The latter is really a fun movie. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it absolutely.

I watched it in Russian with English subtitles, which for me is how I prefer to watch foreign movies and TV shows. That being said, I admit that Russian is a challenging language to listen to for an American. My ear is more tuned to to French, Italian and Scandinavians. But still, this was fine.

It is beautifully filmed. It has a wonderful score. The music is great!

The actors are fabulous -- all of them.

The plot is good and has a twist that while formulaic was still fun.

There's a lot of humor in this movie, some disturbing violence, and fabulous action scenes. It never gets boring.

Overall, it is pretty over the top but for a comic book action movie, that's what you want, right?

It was a great way to spend two hours on a hot summer weekend.

I look forward to the sequel!

P. S. I keep wondering what it is they are eating! Are they sub sandwiches? Giant burritos?