Watch Kidnapping, Caucasian Style For Free

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

KIDNAPPING, CAUCASIAN STYLE is another film featuring Aleksandr Demyanenko's geeky lead character Shurik. The whole plot of this one sees Shurik chasing the girl of his dreams, only to find out that she's involved with some local gangsters, so various comedy scenes ensue. You know the type of humour you'll see here: mistaken identities, slapstick, random interludes with donkeys, athletics, and the like. The acting is exaggerated and the actors mug through a lot of their scenes, but the direction is energetic and the soundtrack a good one that fits the action well. The comedy is quite silly but it did get me laughing a few times. It's perhaps not the funniest Russian comedy I've watched, but it provides an hour and a half of undemanding fun regardless.

Perhaps you have seen "Divorce Italian Style", a classic example of delightful farce. With this Ruski gem, the laughs come even faster. It is set in the Caucasian mountains, and the spectacular scenery is a bonus. A trio of buffoons who often appeared together star in this film along with the "hero". A very beautiful young woman figures into the silly plot, and she becomes the kidnap victim. Complete nonsense ensues, and it is priceless. At times it looks like potential source material for Benny Hill. One of the buffoons stars as the "hero" in other excellent comedies and was a gifted circus clown (I forget his name, drat!). In this film the non-stop antics and gags, although clearly done on a very low budget, nonetheless work very well with a cast that is obviously having a jolly good time. Available with subtitles.

Probably the best Soviet comedy, loved by all Russians, be they now capitalists, communists, nationalists or whatever. Star actors of our cinema. Many lines have become sayings in Russian. The Caucasus of the Soviet times, gone forever... 10/10.

The opening scene was supposed to be: Morgunov appears besides a wall and writes a big "X" (pronounced 'h') on it. He then walks away and Nikulin steps into the frame and adds Y (pronounced 'u'), thus creating the beginning of a famous Russian curse... He then runs away, Vitzin approaches the wall and adds "DOZHESTVENNYI FILM", making it a phrase with a meaning similiar to "motion picture" in English. This scene was censored by the Communist Party officials. The film itself has a tremendously stupid plot, making it even funnier. 8/10