Bummer 2 (2006)

So much average

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

While Bumer 1 was a trivial gangster movie with not much substance, Bumer 2 (or Heaven on Earth) is a mark of a genius. It is very subtle and to an unsuspecting viewer it may seem not much. There is a plot but not much action: no flying bullets, no blood and no revenge.Nevertheless, today I watched it for the third time and it was even better then the first two. Do you have to be familiar with the Russian culture to understand it? Not really. If you ever felt like the system's got you or if you felt like there is no way out - you'd get it, I promise.One of my favorite movies so far.

My take on story - I will compare it to first film of Bumer, since I find sequel amazingly similar, unlike most people. It got really long, sorry for that.First movie, "Bumer" was about fragility of freedom and tragedy of those, who decide to oppose law in such regime as it is in Russia. Bumer 2 tries to pass this message again, only this time, it's written in big letters, painted red and followed with memorable quotes & song "Svoboda".Since many of messages and plots are subliminal, many might be confused with this movie, like who did this or why, so it's quite safe to say that to fully enjoy this flick, you have to think along and concentrate.Apart from violent events (which I miss, really) Bumer 2 isn't very different from prequel: post-Soviet Russia still makes totally mysterious, unbelievable world where anything is possible, nature is still breathtaking and just like in first movie, once glorious civilization feels still sad, abandoned and broken, simple Russian village life sounds still so idyllic and stress-free, in comparasion with city-rush... minus local thugs, of course... and a BMW-series car is still only thing protagonists have left in this godforsaken world. It was all shown in first movie and it is amplified in this one.Some more random observations: First movie played with word 'curse'. Four friends were cursed and whatever they touched or left behind, became tragic for others. Like Dimon's stolen Mercedes, which eventually killed a policeman, gift of a baseball bat, which turned youngster into crime, fake 2-dollar bill, which caused policeman to lose his hand, screwdriver from Dimon's wound - which later paralyzed truck driver, character "Rama" who left behind a child, etc etc.I was waiting for similar subliminal plots from Bumer 2, but there wasn't much left for Kot. True, Dimon had his last bit of unluck, freeing a friend caused Dasha's brothers death. During whole movie, Kostya made only one mistake, that was - refusing Dimon's offer - and killed Dimon by this and by conclusion, himself also. So basically, the theme was there, but whole movie was built around only one event instead of many. Which is good, because from reviews of Bumer 1, nobody has figured previous part out, it seems.Another interesting thing is that Bumer 2 feels like longest 2 hours in the world. And not in a bad sense. Some movies pass so quickly that it feels like 30 minutes. This one feels more like 5 hours. Is it because of thinking it requires to follow or are those 4 hours untold & unfilmed, and you add them in your head? Probably.I personally missed violence. All that mystical, fragile and hopeless world movie created around characters felt a bit... unused. Whatever the grand, philosophical message in this movie wasn't, about freedom and Russia and whatnot, movies are still for some fun and adrenaline. And judging from drama, I'm sure that more adrenaline and action could have been added in a way it wouldn't ruin anything really. Producers feel really competent. Maybe their talent was wasted/underutilized a bit here too.If you liked Bumer 1, and all the atmosphere, Bumer 2 delivers, and truckloads of it. Instead of brawn, wits are required this time, to fully enjoy it, but it's still as good - if not better - than first movie.

This movie had a complete different storyline. The main actor Kostyan, gets a free pass out of jail and tries to make the most of a new beginning. But Dimon, who tries to talk things out with Kostyan about the past from the first 'Bumer', gets killed trying to save Kostyan's life. This was one of the only relations that I could pick up from the first 'Bumer'. Kostyan's new beginning ends up, to where he started from the beginning, in trouble! He almost gets knocked out, almost killed, but regains consciousness, and wants to start all over. He mixed himself up with Dashka again, even after she had guys after him, who almost killed him. I say this was a pretty stupid mistake again that Kostyan did. From the beginning, Kostyan just needed to pass on a letter to Dashka before he died, and just say that he is dead and this was a letter from him for you. Why does he mix himself up with her, this was unexpected in the movie, because I thought there would be a lot of relation to the first movie. This was a complete different storyline, I enjoyed the first more then this one. This is a movie for everyone to watch, because if you have seen the first one, you need to see the second one.

Someone said that the main idea behind the movie is corruption of cops etc... i disagree n think Stupidity is.These 4 guys as many other at that time thought that they are above the law n they survive by pointing guns on other ppl(as Dimon in 2nd movie said: "We do not run with guns n just rob for cash anymore."). The end of 1st movie is tragic, but i think the idea is that ppl like them eventually die. N this life is not colorful but just wasted (Kot said: "U don't want a car like that). I don't understand y most ppl have sympathy for this guys, they are exactly the same as the ones who took Dimon's white Mercedes, they robed PC store, they killed cops, who were not bad and died protecting civilians. The second movie has similar idea, but i don't understand many of it. 1) Why did they kill the real brother of Dasha (Offcource to let Kot go n kill him outside the prison so no suspicion... but wouldn't it just be easier to "just" kill Kot like they killed Dashas brother and let the brother live (offcource than the movie would be 20 min long, but still its pretty stupid decision by the prison authority)2) Who the hell would want to kill Kot? It obviously was some fat "businessman", but what was the motives? He was involved in killing of FSB agent but it seemed like no1 knew about it... or maybe its cos of that situation on a petrol station? I thought it was Dimon, but than he died protecting him so that was really great start of the movie. Buslov was thinking a lot on that i guess. As far as i can see no1 had serious reason to kill Kot.3) Kot wanted to start over but wouldn't it be easier to sell his half of car show room than let the girl rob tourist agency? He knew she was desperate at that stage of her life... he could predict she would do smthn stupid... 4) When he met her, why didn't he just tell her the truth straight away? Or he could just give her a letter n say that her bro is dead n then leave...I liked both movies, but i hope that there wont be the 3rd movie, cos i think Buslov will lose it... and the story is pretty much over.P.S. 4 some reason i think i missed some parts in the movie... Mine was 1h 50 min long. I downloaded from net so i think it might be not full so i miss out on some things (lol living in New Zealand i gotta wait till some1 brings DVD, maybe in couple weeks at the most) ps yall