7 most unfortunate remakes of cult Soviet films

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Who does not know, the remake is a new version of a previously filmed film. He does not copy the original, but fills it with new content, but looking back at the sample. It seems to be a good idea: to give a new breath to forgotten masterpieces. But the idea itself is always perceived ambiguously by the audience. However, the directors still do not abandon attempts to leave at the expense of the well-known plots of the films that were once loved by everyone. If our foreign colleagues mostly re-shoot blockbusters and science fiction, and sometimes they do it well, then ours with enviable stubbornness encroach on the Soviet classics. Alas, usually nothing good comes of it. We recall the most unsuccessful attempts, after which the word "remake" began to take on a negative connotation.

Carnival Night, or 50 Years Later (2006)

Actually, from this film the fashion for remakes of Soviet films went. Moreover, Eldar Ryazanov himself decided to reshoot this masterpiece, who created Carnival Night in 1956. The golden anniversary turned out to be symbolic, but, alas, unsuccessful. And it would be fine if Ogurtsov just turned into Kabachkov, the ubiquitous Sergei Bezrukov in the image of the administrator Denis Kolechkin interfered with his plans, and Lyudmila Gurchenko tried to seem as graceful as 50 years ago. The film was frankly reminiscent of "Blue Light", shot in haste with tired artists who did not understand why they were collected. And the rating of 2, 6 on the well-known cinema service speaks volumes.

"The Irony of Fate. Continuation "(2007)

Eldar Ryazanov, by the way, was repeatedly offered to reshoot his one more film "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" However, the director did not agree for a long time, and when he nevertheless gave the go-ahead for the shooting, he refused to work on the picture himself. As a result, this mission was entrusted to Timur Bekmambetov.

Although modern "Irony …" can hardly be called a remake. Rather, it is a sequel with new characters - children of the main characters of the previous film. And from the very first minutes, the first and main disappointment comes. It turns out that Lukashin and Nadya parted, and now their children find themselves in the same situation with a bathhouse, booze, confusion of apartments. The film left a mixed impression on the audience. At the box office, by the way, he scored good money, becoming the highest grossing job in 2008 in Russia and the CIS - almost $ 50 million. However, this does not mean that there are no shortcomings. And one of the most noticeable is a lot, a lot of advertisements. There is a feeling that the scenes with the actors appear only in the interval between the unwinding of the mayonnaise and the car.

There are many questions to the main character performed by Konstantin Khabensky: he is either drunk or does strange things throughout the film, while doing nothing to make the heroine of Liza Boyarskaya make a choice in his favor. Although there are many reservations in the script. For example, it is not clear why Lukashin and Nadya once parted.

By the way, Eldar Ryazanov was dissatisfied with the remake of his film. And that says a lot.

"Love affair at work. Our time "(2011)

Another masterpiece by Eldar Ryazanov, Sarik Andreasyan decided to reshoot in his own way in 2011. It would seem that the picture is doomed to success: the same Novoseltsev, Kalugina, Samokhvalov, but … Vadik instead of Verochka, almost the same storyline, only transferred to modern realities. In the end, however, everything went wrong.

Second-rate jokes, unconvincing acting, all sorts of Hollywood clichés, a confusing and sometimes illogical plot, a vacation in Turkey is out of place - that's what most viewers are talking about. Even the acting duet of Svetlana Khodchenkova and Vladimir Zelensky, who successfully acted in films before the presidency, did not save the film. And even the fact that the remake was a failure, the numbers say: the original was watched by 58 million people, and the modern version - 1.9 million.

"Gentlemen of Fortune!" (2012)

Timur Bekmambetov, inspired by the "Irony of Fate …", decided to encroach on yet another holy Soviet classic - "Gentlemen of Fortune". True, again in modern realities, the head of the kindergarten, who became an Associate Professor, reincarnated as a hipster Smiley performed by Sergei Bezrukov. But again, the audience did not like it. If you look at the rating of the film, then it was rated only by a C. Many viewers note that the heroes, who, although they are violators of the law, do not want to sympathize at all, as was the case in the original of 1971. In addition, there are a lot of events in the picture that are in no way connected with each other. Again, the actors' play raises many questions. "I do not believe!" - as the famous classic would say.

"Prisoner of the Caucasus!" (2014)

Perhaps, of all the remakes, "Prisoner of the Caucasus!" (for some reason, with an exclamation mark at the end). Rating 1, 1 - this is how the majority of viewers rated the comedy of Maxim Voronkov, and only the lazy did not scold her.

The main drawback of the new version is a complete copying of the original: the same script, the same names, the same jokes, outwardly similar actors with the same clothes and intonation. This film gave absolutely nothing new. But even imitation of the original did not save the picture.

Separately, it should be said about the selection and play of actors. According to the viewers, none of them, even trying to parody the old heroes, failed to cope with their task. And their selection raises questions. And it would be fine if Anastasia Zadorozhnaya looked harmonious in the role of Nina, because she could not convey the character of the heroine in any way. And "Shurik" by Dmitry Sharakois was so disliked by the audience that after "Prisoner of the Caucasus!" the actor has not really filmed anywhere and is now forced to work as a waiter in London.

"The Man from Boulevard Capucino" (2010)

Another remake that received a score of just over 1 point. However, at first it seemed that everything was not so bad: the director was the same Alla Surikova, the screenwriter was Eduard Akopov, who created the original. In addition, the cast was stellar, and the main role was played by the daughter of Andrei Mironov, Maria. However, again, everything went wrong. The understandable message to praise Soviet cinema was crumbling, the storylines did not intersect in any way, the jokes below the belt, immediately vulgar pictures and the cherry on the cake - Maria Mironova diligently depicts an American accent. In general, "Man …" by the number of angry comments managed to bypass even "Prisoner of the Caucasus!"

"Funny guys;)" (2014)

If you want to show that the film is new, add some sign (like an exclamation point in the case of "Prisoner of the Caucasus"). A symbolic emoticon appeared in the "Merry Fellows". Why is he, no one understood. After all, as most viewers note, in the film, which positions itself as a comedy, there is not a single joke (well, or they and the creators of the picture have different concepts of a sense of humor).

Yes, the picture of 1934 may seem naive and outdated to many. But it cannot be denied that this is a masterpiece, on the creation of which the director Grigory Alexandrov, the composer Isaak Dunaevsky, actors Leonid Utesov and Lyubov Orlova worked. In the modern version, the main role of the locksmith was played by the singer Ivan Dorn, and his partner was Katerina Shpitsa (by the way, the only one I want to praise in this film).

But as the viewing progresses, a completely logical question arises: where does the “Cheerful guys of Alexandrov, and why was it necessary to tie a new comedy to them? And the scenes where the actors wanted to repeat the plots of their original turned out to be so bad that it would be better not to include them at all. In general, we wanted the best, but it turned out as always.