Nu, pogodi!

As a native Russian who hasn't seen the series since childhood, I recently bought a DVD of all 18 episodes. I am happy to note that the cartoon remained exactly as I recall it - smart, funny, well animated, and even the Soviet-era themes felt fresh in that retro-modern way. I showed it to some of my friends, and they found it hilarious and not hard to understand at all. I admit that a bit of humour is always added through the lyrics of the pop-songs, which could be lost on a non-native speaker. The content of the series is also closer to the Tom and Jerry cartoons (Roadrunner??? Are you kidding me?), but smarter. I would highly recommend it to anyone as an example of fine and original film-making.

So I think everybody here will agree with me that these are the one of the very best animation films ever made in Soviet Union. So if you are understanding Russian language I can recommend to see them!

While there are only two main heroes in all series - Wolf and Hare this is amazing work of Soviet times animation masters. In fact these series are a little bit similar to Tom and Jerry series. Only they are not so much pain for bad hero - Wolf.

Probably inspired by the American "Tom and Jerry" and "Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote" cartoons, the Russian animated series "Nu, pogodi!" features the smoking, beer-gutted, rebellious Volk (wolf) and his futile attempts to capture and eat the innocent young Zayats (hare). The first cartoon of the series was released in 1969, the second in 1970 and the series continued for sixteen episodes until the death of Anatoli Papanov, the voice of the wolf, in 1987. In 1993, two more episodes were produced featuring archived samples of Papanov's voice.

Though the cartoons are in Russian, dialogue within the films is scarce, rarely stretching beyond the wolf's trademark "Nu, zayats, nu pogodi! / Hare, just you wait!", which he utters every time his plans fail, and which you'll pick up on very quickly. Each ten-minute episode takes place in a different setting, and the wolf attempts to utilise the current situation to capture the hare (voiced by Klara Rumyanova) and presumably make a good meal out of her. Alas, these attempts are almost always in vain, with the hare constantly outsmarting the desperate wolf, either deliberately or inadvertently. Just like in your typical 'Roadrunner' cartoon, our sympathies are split between the characters – we certainly don't want the young innocent hare to be devoured, but we do feel sorry for the wolf as his endeavors fail miserably time after time.

I'm yet to see all the episodes in the series (I've really just started, in fact), but I'm enjoying it immensely, and each adventure brings forth something different and exciting. Somewhat uniquely, 'Nu, pogodi!' often sets its story to the tune of popular pop hits from the era in which it was made, so approximate dates of release can be pinpointed for any given episode based purely on the music selection. I also uncovered an interesting piece of trivia about the series. Initially, Russian singer/actor Vladimir Vysotsky was cast as the voice of the wolf, but Soviet cinema authorities did not give the studio their approval to use him, as he was not popular amongst the Communist party elite. As we know, Anatoli Papanov went on to become the voice of the wolf, though the cartoon's producers possibly included a slight tribute to Vysotsky by playing a sample of his well-known "Song about a Friend" ("Pesnya o Druge" in Russian) at the very beginning of the first episode.

This is the greatest cartoon to ever come out of USSR. It is similar to Tom and Jerry, and you don't even need to understand Russian to enjoy this great feature. Problem is finding any of it here in America...If anyone knows where I can get it, please email me.

Cartoon IS funny. One comment said that the "Roadrunner" was the "Nu pogodi!" creators aim. It was not. And anyone who thinks that unnoying loud bird blowing someone up again and again and agonizingly again in exactly the same manner until you have a kneejeark reaction is funny, should simply go back to kindergarten. I presume that the commenter was from Moscow, which makes the comment even more bizzarre. "Nu pogodi!" is meant for children. And made in Soviet times, when children were allowed to have their childhood. Trey were not required at the youngest age to watch swashbuckling and syrupy soap-opera kissing in cartoons and films made for kids by people who don`t know how to make films for kids and make just watered-down versions of adult products "with all the good stuff cut out". In "Nu pogodi!" the wolf is not actually a predator, but a hooligan, a schoolyard bully, an older and stronger type that likes to push around younger and the weaker. The use of the music is very appropriate and makes the cartoon sometimes histerically funny. The idea is to make fun, not to glare with sadistic anticipation how someone gets hurt endlessly, and when someone do get hurt in "Nu pogodi!" it is noted and calls for sympathy. People who made the cartoon are professionals at working for children audience, and their natural kindness and talent was put into this cartoon, even if inspired by some other Western work, but entirely capable of standing by itself and to get the highest points for being a good, non-aggressive comedy with kind humor.