Such a frustrating disappointment

Memorable, crazy movie

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The sequel to The Irony of Fate was clearly made with the knowledge that it had very big shoes to fill, as the declared continuation (with a returning original cast) of what by the time the sequel was made was a well-established and beloved cultural icon. It's full of reverent references to its antecedent, but these reminders don't serve it well, because overall it doesn't compare favorably. The story of The Irony of Fate was elegant in its simple confusion. The sequel has to bend over backwards to recreate an echo of that situation, while at the same time including one one but two generations of versions of the central characters. It just about comes together, but it doesn't have the appealing spontaneity and tidiness of the original. Whereas Zhenya was likable because he was hapless and placed in his baffling situation, the scenario here necessitates that his son go into things scheming, and participating in a scheme. The man he cuckolds has a decent point when he complains about his trickery -- and that makes him a much less appealing hero to watch. The original film was in two parts and much of the action remained in one apartment. It was a neat trick, but it never became boring for that, and felt like a kind of thrilling, entertaining marathon. The new movie is hampered by the standard running time which makes this impossible. There are some nicely-realized directorial touches in the camera-work and the special effects, but the context just makes them stand out, and seem out of place. There are some legitimately funny situations, and a few moments that hearken back to The Irony of Fate very nicely and touchingly, but overall it doesn't capture the intangible appeal of the film it's constructed around. And that makes it, in context, easy to see why many disappointed, even though objectively it's a decent enough sweet New Year's piece. It just doesn't add anything original or superior to the piece that is its reason for being.

I would not say that the movie is awful, it is alright, but I would not call it a "sequel", which implies continuation of some story line. This is a modern remake, a very popular method among some producers and directors, who want to capitalize on the old idea and get some cash without spending too much time on a script.The "sequel" copies the scenes from the first movie one after another. They even left the car crash scene! Come on, you could be more creative than that..New actors play well, old ones are OK, but they do not really contribute to the movie, mostly serving as a background for attracting older generation to the screen.I think that a lot of people who posted comments on this website got annoyed by the above facts and gave movie extremely low votes.However, there are good things about the film too.First of all - this is my personal opinion with which you can disagree - there are no long and boring songs in the sequel.Secondly, it is good to see even a slight attempt to try and make a good movie. Of course, today's filmmakers are far from Gaydai and Riazanov, but still it is better than the stupidity of "The Best Movie".Finally, I should say that most of young people - I am talking about 20-25 year old - liked the movie. Hence there is a hope that future generations will appreciate classics and won't degrade to monkey level.That is why it is 5 from me

This production (I cannot bring myself to call it a movie, because it isn't) pretends to be a sequel to the beloved New Year romantic comedy the Irony of Fate (Ирония Судьбы). In fact, it is nothing more than a shameless attempt to cash in on the huge and well-deserved popularity of the original, which remains one of the favorites of the Russian-language audiences even after more than 30 years. This "sequel" brings together most of the original actors who appeared in the Eldar Ryazanov's masterpiece. As you might well imagine, the original actors are by now in their seventies - which is by no means a bar to being a good actor (just take a pick at any of Jack Lemmon's late movies!), provided that you do not try to play the same role you had 30 years ago. Unfortunately, the movie director Timur Bekmambetov (Тимур Бекмамбетов) completely lacks the ability to capitalize on the strengths of his actors; he is also clueless in the basic principles of scene composition, and is incapable of pulling off the most basic of physical jokes. In addition to that, the script lacks a coherent plot or basic believability. The production quality is also terrible - I've seen some home movies with more professional scene lighting, for example. Altogether, this is an extremely bad movie - avoid it at all costs, even if you have to pay to be let off watching it.

If you liked the first movie you will definitely like this one... It's worth to be watched.. sure better after seeing the first part... some things never get old... this one won't also... :-) the old actors are all there... the mood is there... its funny.. its romantic.. music is fantastic.. it brings good and nice feelings.. memories.. really do not agree with the Canadian critic above that "If there is one lesson that could be drawn from this movie, it is this: do not touch old Soviet classics! Does anyone really think it is possible to produce a sequel to a movie thirty years after it came out on the screens? " sure its possible.. anything is possible..Come on man.. what do you know about the feeling of old soviet movies..? am not from Russia.. still.. if you know the language and are able to enjoy a good movie.. you will definitely enjoy this one..