Banditskiy Peterburg: Baron

I've found the initial mini-series "Banditskij Peterburg" and its numerous sequels strangely hypnotic as I've watched them on digital cable in the US. Native-speaker spouse and I agree that the acting is over the top for melodrama, but we are both equally powerless to turn away in the face of the superior plotting and sheer Russian Soul coolness of the characters. Every time a new seriya pops up my husband and mother-in-law are glued to their TVs for a week, and by week's end I'm usually right in there with them. If "17 Mngonoveniya Vesny" was the Soviet equivalent of "Roots" in terms of its impact on the miniseries genre, could this be Russia's first soap opera export to the far abroad?

The much-praised "Banditskij Peterburg" is yet another unoriginal suspense series produced in Russia. The plot is recognizable, and characters lack depth. There is an all-too-visible line separating the antagonists from the protagonists. The ending is also fairly predictable. And, unlike "Menty", an earlier series, "Banditskij Peterburg" completely lacks interesting dialogue or characters. The acting is much weaker, as well, especially the Corleone figure of the Antibiotic, who fails dismally to portray a cruel, deceitful, and, moreover, all-powerful mafia kingpin. Also ridiculous is Lavrov as a thief (a man who always played Communist party bosses in films!). The cameos by two of Russia's greatest actors, Basilashvili and Jigarkhanian, are tasteless and pathetic. Jigarkhanian looks totally rdiculous and unconvincing as a mafia kingpin, even more ridiculous than the antibiotic. Also, the authors clearly went beyond good taste with unnecessary nude scenes. Plot holes are abundant, as well. At any rate, if you are really after a good Russian crime TV series, see "Menty" or "Ubojnaya Sila". "Banditskij Peterburg" is a waste of time compared to these.

This mini is a waste of time for anyone willing to endure through hours and hours of pointless dialogue, poor acting, a script that makes any Stallone movie seem like Sheakspeare and mis-casting. This movie at least to me smacks of "proletarschina" and it's sad to see some of very familiar faces and good actors fall so low to agree to be a part of this (Dzhigarhanyan for example, albeit he is on screen maybe for a total of 1 minute of the whole series)

The stereotypical portrayal of _every_ character in this movie is what makes me wonder - why did I even start watching it? It is unoriginal, and the worst part, it has nothing to do with what was going on in Russia at the time portrayed. For someone really bent on russian criminal genre, rent "Brigada" At least it doesn't put you to sleep like this one.

I started watching the series when it premiered on "HTB" in Brooklyn. At first, I dismissed it as a complete ripoff from similar American crime dramas but over time, I was intrigued by how well written it actually is. The drama is compelling and touching at times. It goes exactly by the book, virtually word for word. Interestingly, the two lead actors playing Sergey and Katya are married in real life.

Well, folks, in my opinion, this is the ONLY good russian TV-series since "17 mgnovenij", and the best in post-soviet crime-series ever. Awesome director, best actors, realistic and very stylish script form a masterpiece. Plus, the crime related humor and ole-liners are perfect, making series both watchable and realistic. So, the conclusion is clear - watch it, and you won't waste your time.