You'd think this can't possibly be bad since it's based on such a shocking and weird legend, but... it is pretty bad.
Let's start with what's good, though - the two child actors are likeable, the cinematography is good, and the set design is cool for what I assume was a low budget.
However, the main adult female cast (I thought they were the same woman for quite some time) combine bad acting, bad, misspelled dialogue and strong Russian dialects to the point that the movie is instantly unwatchable when they open their mouths.
There's nothing wrong with making a movie in your native language and just subtitle or dub it, why would they use actors who can't speak English for this?
Nothing interesting really happens in this movie. The kids swear a few times, so it can't even pass for a harmless kids movie, despite looking like one. Weird choices all over.
Oh and of course, in a movie with two children - a boy and a girl - if one must die, you can guess which one it will be. The queen has the girl tied up with a knife in her face for half the movie yet magically only the boy dies in the end. Absolute cringe.
Let's start with what's good, though - the two child actors are likeable, the cinematography is good, and the set design is cool for what I assume was a low budget.
However, the main adult female cast (I thought they were the same woman for quite some time) combine bad acting, bad, misspelled dialogue and strong Russian dialects to the point that the movie is instantly unwatchable when they open their mouths.
There's nothing wrong with making a movie in your native language and just subtitle or dub it, why would they use actors who can't speak English for this?
Nothing interesting really happens in this movie. The kids swear a few times, so it can't even pass for a harmless kids movie, despite looking like one. Weird choices all over.
Oh and of course, in a movie with two children - a boy and a girl - if one must die, you can guess which one it will be. The queen has the girl tied up with a knife in her face for half the movie yet magically only the boy dies in the end. Absolute cringe.