Dude, this party sucks. I fucking hate these animals.
I’ll start with something I wasn’t ready for – a karaoke movie.
All the songs familiar to the viewer, sounded in the bearded 1969 and 1973 (New Bremen 2000 will not touch) were performed in the style of karaoke. We all know what it is, and when it is used, everything, but it seems that not the creators - why? The answer is simple, no one in the room sang. Yeah, I'll admit, I may have more modest roommates than anyone else, but who's that supposed to be? Children don’t sing because they either can’t read or don’t know words; adults don’t sing because... well, it’s more complicated: shameful, uncomfortable, awkward, and why should I even open my mouth (except for yawning from boredom)?
Let’s talk right away about what was discussed most loudly before, during, and after the movie – these are, of course, beasts. What's wrong with humanized animals? -- the answer is simple -- they're horrible, they're disgusting, they don't look like animals, they look like people in animal costumes.
Do you remember what separated the dog from the rest of the animals in the Soviet cartoon? He was blue, yes, not believable, but this is his feature, as before the film, then the peculiarity of the dog was the face with human eyes, original, isn’t it? You can also add that the dog is half screen time with his tongue out. Good character description, right?
Remember the 2003 American movie The Cat? With a bow tie and a red and white hat? So, the Bremen cat is the same, only with a difference of 20! years. The cat, at least, has a character, a little (she is single, walks by herself).
The donkey is dark, just dark. He is ugly, not funny, not interesting, he has a terrible voice (sorry, Dmitry Petrovich Dyuzhev).
The only one with no questions is a rooster (in a good way). Interesting, comical, memorable, with its own peculiarity (ancestor of the dragon).
Heroes people: troubadour in childhood - a nice naive boy with a pure heart and thoughts, troubadour after - a nice naive man and ... (I can't describe him further because this is spoilers).
The princess, the king, the atamansha (Ali Baba and 40 brigands) came out wonderfully for me. True, only Syschik-Khabensky would like to return his iconic car from the cartoon, and take the magic glasses, because these same glasses spoil the character - he does not need to look for anything and sniff out, you can just put on glasses, they will show both the past and the hidden, and identify a person by the face many years later. It seems that the “legendary” detective without glasses, not so, after all, legendary.
And finally, the cherry on the cake is music.
All compositions from the cartoon migrated to 24 years, but migrated just yet not without problems. Eh, even here they were able to mess up, like the simplest: there is text, there are instruments, there is an example of sound, but... They're not like that... Not the mood, not the rhythm and not the voices of the performers. Yes, you can say that, the author, we have a different time. And I'll say, if you can't replicate a 55-year-old song well, do you want it? Plus, you can add that the songs themselves are cropped and sometimes consist of only 2-3 lines - for the sake of timing?
There are new songs in the film that have not previously been played in the franchise, ask how? I'll tell you one thing, I watched the movie 2 hours ago, but I can't hum any of the new lines of songs. There's nothing in them, dummy.
A personal question from me to the people responsible for the sound in the tape: Did you generally hear what you got? It's unbearable loud. In half of the songs, you either have to endure or cover your ears with the volume.
I also add: the picture is sometimes soapy, special effects are bullshit, costumes are bullshit, the scale of the city is bullshit.
Think about it.
(1) A city of 100 inhabitants is afraid to go out because of a bunch of robbers, and it doesn’t matter if it has well-dressed and well-armed soldiers.
2) A bunch of robbers hold the city in fear, living in the day of the journey from it.
(3) It's about the nineteenth century, but we have electric guitars, microphones and synthesizers. Cool? Cool!
The main positive side of the film is to keep in touch with the original picture.
The film “Bremen Musicians” was released on the big screen on January 1, 2024.
The picture is a full-length adaptation of the animated film of the same name, which premiered in 1973.
The plot repeats the events of the original script with certain innovations and rethinkings: Troubadour meets wandering musicians - Donkey, Rooster, Cat, Dog - and joins them. They have to save the King and Princess, meet with the Atamance and her band of robbers and keep the friendship.
The main positive side of the film is the preservation of the connection with the original picture, which is reflected in many moments:
Musical compositions
From the animated film, the film contains most of the songs familiar to the audience, which added a modern sound: “Song of Friends”, “They say we are bulls, beeches”, “Ray of the Golden Sun”, “Song of the Genius Detective”, “Duet of the King and Princess”, “Song of the Guard” and others.
- cast of
Each actor did a great job in his role. I especially want to note three colorful characters whose images the actors managed to convey completely - this is the King performed by Sergei Burunov, Atamish performed by Maria Aronova and the brilliant Detective performed by Konstantin Khabensky. Four more characters - Dog, Cat, Donkey and Rooster - the actors managed to organically embody on the screen, it was interesting to watch how each actor transmitted habits and character inherent in his animal. The images of Troubadour and Princess did not catch on due to their differences with the original, which gave the impression of their remoteness from the rest of the characters and inconsistency with the surrounding world as a whole.
- Decorations and costumes
The full perception of the picture contributed to the scenery, which gave the appropriate atmosphere, and numerous costumes that complemented the images of the heroes: from the Kingdom of Bremen and the shelter of robbers to the costumes of court people and the protection of the King.
Visual and special effects
In the picture there are various types of effects that look harmoniously and competently applied. This is especially noticeable in the dynamic episodes of the film, an example is the battle scenes.
The only negative aspect of the picture is sometimes inappropriate “modernity”, which is reflected in the lexical and behavioral features of the characters, which negatively affects the perception of the characters and averages the overall tone of the narrative, turning the fairy-tale world into a mediocre one. The principle of making a fairy tale more modern often has a negative effect, an inappropriate embodiment and distorts the perception of the picture by the viewer.
As a result, the film crew fully coped with their tasks, she managed to: qualitatively embody the cartoon beloved by many on the screen, convey the atmosphere of the fairy-tale world, competently combine many components to display a holistic picture, display the character and image of each character and remind the viewer of famous songs from childhood or introduce them.
8 out of 10
Hollywood has long taken a course on film adaptations of popular cartoons (“Beauty and the Beast”, “Aladdin”, etc.). The bet is made for two generations at once: parents will pay for tickets to see their favorite characters in a high-tech and expensive fresh production, and children will discover whole worlds that their mothers and fathers were fascinated with.
Our filmmakers decided to keep up, and Bremen Musicians followed in the footsteps of Cheburashki, which in 2023 became a box office phenomenon. However, the artistic solution, controversial in both cases, came out much more harmoniously.
The creators of “Musicians” for some reason generously added to the sunny and cheerful adventures of Trubadur darkness and reflections (the main character in the first minutes of the film dies mother, he himself is in a gang of thieves street boys, and then in prison and, having served time, driven by a thirst for revenge). But there is a worse problem: animals that, in theory, should please young spectators, look like escaped patients of the clinic of Dr. Moreau, Rooster at least now you can go to body horror.
Any new song, which, fortunately, few, sounds worse than the time-tested, although I note the exceptional sound quality for which Max Fadeev was responsible.
There are problems with the plot, very different from the original cartoon dilogy. Neither postmodern jokes ("Gentlemen, you are beasts, gentlemen," exclaims the Cat, when wandering musicians are expelled from Bremen) nor physiological ones, initially alien to the traditions of our cinema, save. Believe me, releasing gas Donkey is not so funny.
As a result, the structure stretched for two hours stalls and sags, the characters interact tensely and practically without chemistry. Of course, there are pluses: magnificent landscapes, large-scale scenery, good actors (Burunov is a wonderful King, and Khabensky is a detective) and a message that even the most unsightly and dark people hide kindness. But in any case, the verdict is simple - cartoon is better.
There’s no doubt that Bremen Musicians will do a decent job: it’s inevitable during the winter holidays, but please let’s do without a sequel.
When I left the theater at night, I walked home thinking, “What reminds me of this movie?” The cold on the street didn’t let me think about it, but closed the door of the apartment from the inside, the eureka, the music videos of Coldplay – “Trouble In Town” and Benjamin Earl Turner – “HEADSPACE/BENT”, where the main characters were anthropomorphic animals.
It was not for nothing that I remembered them. It’s not a movie (what?), it’s a lot of music videos put together for songs from the Bremen Musicians album. With their skits, intro and autro to each song.
Even the beginning of the film implies that it's not a musical, it's not about cinema, it's about music. Titles in the form of spinning vinyl records, on which sponsors, partners and studios who made this tape are individually played.
Well, about what will happen next, you can be silent... Editing, images and camera decisions, everything suggests that from the musical, which probably was supposed to be the film, there are only songs. And that's good for me!
Continuing the theme of pluses, I want to note the work of production artists. The picture is lively and at the same time fabulous, and nature... The Caucasus Mountains are an incredible natural decor. And the location, clearly inspired by the Burning Man festival, fits perfectly and does not stand out from the general atmosphere. In general, duality permeates the “musicians”.
The same goes for songs. A lot of work was done, Maxim Fadeev managed to breathe new life into the classics of Gennady Gladkov, mixing with new songs written specifically for the film. And somewhere and at all the authors managed to find a place for symbiosis in the same composition!
Special praise also deserves Valentina Lyapina, who played the Princess. Probably the brightest game of the entire cast. And the songs in her performance I would, with great pleasure, spin in my headphones. What can not be said about Trubodur, whose role was played by Tikhon Zhiznevsky, whose character was lost in a crowd of interesting and charismatic images.
And in addition to the pros in this “clip” there are disadvantages, as I have already begun to note. Of course, the main drawback was the moments when the film turns into a movie (What?). When the authors move away from the resulting concept: visualization of songs – we get an average movie, which is simply boring to watch, fortunately, there are very few such moments.
I also don’t know exactly who this movie is aimed at. To a young audience that goes to introduce Bremen? Then the movie is too old. Nostalgic? But this is not at all like what we saw as children.
So to decide who exactly can recommend this movie, I can not. People who love music and visualization will love it. Especially if you go to one big "musical clip" of the album "Bremen Musicians".
1) A good old foundation: a bright script created by the talent of V. Livanov and Y. Entin from the gray fairy tale of the Grimm brothers, hits by Gladkov-Entin is a very serious composer and poetic work.
2) The great talent of Maria Aronova, bordering on genius, was manifested in all its power by the embodiment of the semi-infernal image of an atamance, under which a woman wounded by a lack of love hides. The brilliant K. Khabensky filled the role of the detective so much that it almost cracked on him. On this one role in its embodiment, you can build a full prequel.
(3) Charming and smooth play Burunov, Zhiznevsky, Lyapina and many other performers.
(4) Magnificent plastic makeup for animals, the work of costumers who recreated the style of the performers of the 70s (especially liked the decision on the Cat). The graphics are good, too.
(5) Great music, high-quality hard rock and pop music, this is such a rarity in the pop-rap-punk musical mainstream of our cinema. A huge human thank you to Maxim Fadeev, who created very worthy songs.
(6) In the film there are some very bright and touching moments. Well, singing in a burning van caused an association with the book of the prophet Daniel (interestingly, this is an accidental scenario find or behind this is hidden acquaintance with this plot, perhaps with some situation that took place in the recent past?)
7) A few questions are posed to which the viewer is invited to answer (' trace in life', ' service to the law/justice' etc.).
Cons (distributed in groups):
A) The film continues to remain within the boundaries ' Russian Disney':
1) Confidence that some kind of action and battle is necessarily necessary (and there is an extra and painful scene in the forest, on the square even more lively).
2 Jokes, and artificial and primitive, and when one of them a talented artist in makeup repeats several times (suddenly someone did not understand and did not laugh at the stupid joke) becomes offensive for him.
(3) The certainty that it is enough to come up with a beautiful slogan, and he will reformat the reality of the narrative and subordinate it to himself. As a result, the pompous declaration “Song can change the world for the better” (in 'the best 'Hollywoodo – Disney traditions) exists parallel to the narrative and does not overlap with it.
Involuntarily constantly compared with the film ' By pike order'. If I had not seen him 'Humpback Horse', the above claims would not have been, due to the belief that we had not yet learned how to shoot outside the Western canon before watching these films. However, in the foreign market, this only increases the chances of a favorable rolling fate (the world film lover is used to such products and will accept it).
B) Weak scenario. This is the case when the film pulls out of the scripted quagmire script roots of the original work, the talent of the actors and the musical-poetic component:
1) The absence of a single related narrative, clipping, confidence that the picture is more important than the meaning.
2) Very poorly written characters of musicians. Everyone has only one trait of character (aggressiveness, pride, cowardice, power). There are absolutely no written stories of characters (possibly with an eye on the prequel). Gifted actors turned into lively dolls, sadly. Duzhev alone would have been enough to blossom the narrative, to make it really funny. Instead, we listen to the wretched narrative 'Heir of the Dragons'. Sadly... But all the actors who played animals did their best, well done.
(3) The primitive and infantile image of Troubadour (in whose head there is only one thought, and in the heart only one feeling), a very unconvincing repentance is insight. In a word ' I don't believe!' (I believe Tikhon, did everything I could, the character with the screenwriter - no). The image of the Princess is also very flat and leaves many questions, we are shown a rebel, in the end, pitying her father and ready to share his fate. Whether there were any changes in her, it is unclear (only temper softened a little love, shown very blurred).
(4) The presence of a number of completely clumsy scenario ideas (circumstances preceding the appearance of Troubadour in Bremen, the perfect ring with the mask of Zorro, etc.),
(5) Unskillful attempt to play on the emotions of the audience as on the piano. (6) All changes in the characters occur not as a result of some contributing to this circumstance, but the whim of the writers. Click and fell in love, click, and the hero repented, etc. Clip, in a word... Perhaps there was not enough footage, but then it was necessary to fight for the release of a two-part narrative, and not what happened.
Despite the criticism, I highly recommend watching this film. Excellent music and high-quality (and sometimes brilliant) acting work outweigh the above shortcomings and bring pleasure and for them it is worth going to the cinema.
In the Russian film industry, there are few directors who constantly try themselves in new genres, and today they shoot an inexpensive comedy, and tomorrow a blockbuster with a budget of under a billion. Alex is one of those people. Although he is an artisan, the result is unstable. Movies about people and relationships are better than disaster movies, fairy tales are even worse. Maybe because he wrote the script with the cameraman, and did not entrust the case to a professional playwright, but Troubadour has no clear purpose. Then he wants to carry the song good to the masses, then revenge for years of hardship, then conquer the heart of the princess. Her goals and motives are not immediately clear. Cat, Dog, Donkey and Rooster are not enough that younger children can be frightened by their gloomy appearance and voices, they are also terribly poorly exposed - not in business, but in idleness - and it is unclear why they are considered outcasts in the kingdom. Of course, in the Soviet animated film, for some reason, no one was surprised by animal artists in the human world, but here they also talk, and therefore should be considered rock stars, not the scum of society. Well, the arrangements are up. Before Oleg Anofriev and orchestral musicians of those years, modern voices and Maxim Fadeev, who is responsible for all music in the film, are still far away. The original songs (there are three or four of them) do not go in comparison with the nettles from the cartoon of the 60s. They are forgotten not by the end of the film, but literally in a minute, as sounded.
To whom "Bremen Musicians" can be attributed in the standings, so it is the masters of makeup, costumes and scenery. Worked on my conscience. It’s a long, long and, worst of all, boring movie. Sometimes even kringe.
You can grumble as much as you like about the fact that again inept businessmen derban Soviet classics and so on, but now the New Year holidays, and the film hardly seeks to gain the glory of the masterpiece, preferring to remain in the niche of family cinema, so you can relax critical eyepieces and evaluate the film as a home, spectator cinema.
Little Troubadour lived with his mother at the bottom of the mountain ocean, and he loved music and sang songs. The family was fed by the fact that her mother traded home-grown tulips. But one day everything collapses – fragile ice on the rivers that lead to the city. And Troubaduchik goes to look for food on his own. He only has a guitar and an angelic voice. But the city, as always, is an evil force, and the boy’s talent falls into the wrong hands, which will eventually destroy him. The blue-eyed goldilocks has been in prison for years. From the prison came a tall strong man. So, our Troubadour turns out to be in prison, and here they did not refrain from prison lyrics, you see.
All right, it's all jokes. The plot of the legendary cartoon is largely repeated, although it makes its own adjustments - at least in the cinema can not do without the disclosure of characters and without any dialogue. Disclosure is, of course, not always linear - Trubadura throws one way or the other, and even the Bremen musicians themselves, I suspect, need to consult a psychologist. Of course, there are great songs left from the old cartoon, and this is probably the strongest component of the picture, although it was seriously shaken up. New arrangements and rap inserts were almost not appropriate anywhere, but I think they have the right to exist, the film is new – in the end, to put under pure slicked from the original songs would be ridiculous.
The actors generally played well. Despite the rather harsh and shabby appearance, Tikhon Zhiznevsky was able to show a young boy in love. Amused and delighted Sergei Burunov (a hilarious king) and Maria Aronov (atamansha with a vaib at part-time witch and other part-time - mistress of the orphanage). In general, the main humor in the picture was made by these two. Well, and Khabensky with his poisonous arrows. The film lacked humor, and this is not only a private opinion, the auditorium of the cinema (albeit incomplete) also rarely laughed. Perhaps unanimous in their delight was the audience on the phrase that “it would be good to give the king a royal pendel”. Laughter is really not enough, and after all, he could save this rather long film in places.
This does not mean that the movie failed. No, it's a pretty cute movie that's worth watching if there's no New Year's mood. Although there is no word about Christmas or New Year, fairy tales always go well at this time. Complement the atmosphere of the actors in the role of musicians, to recognize which without prior acquaintance with the credits is impossible, their makeup and graphics did not give them the opportunity to play face, and demanded to use only charisma and talent.
In general, "Bremen Musicians" is a good film, but still after it pulls to review the Soviet cartoon and cry to the voice Magomaev.