lruella I don't know where to start saying what's wrong with this movie. Be it the childish acting, the ridiculous special effects, the miserable editing or the incompetent directing. While the starting idea of the plot is quite interesting, the final result is a total embarrassment.The only explanation for positive reviews is nostalgia for USSR.The idea of black and white and color to differentiate reality from dream could not have been executed more poorly. I thought the TV was broken or the divx file was damaged.Even something as simple as a pie thrown in the face is depicted with such a bad flow... you see that the pie is thrown and then the shot shows it has landed already on someone's face, without showing the actual impact. This is the kind of editing that could have been acceptable when cinema was invented in 1880s but even for the '70s is already ridiculous.

Zima Filippov This is one of the movies Russians were practically forced to watch in the early days of television, as there were only a couple of state channels and not much choice. The tradition of watching this and other comedies gradually substituted quality with mass hysteria and, more importantly, habit.Even today many people enjoy watching it, subconsciously not understanding that it is nostalgia for the past they feel, not joy of watching a quality comedy.Really, though, the script is horrible and the fact that this pulp of a movie is based on Bulgakov's story just adds insult to the injury. Bulgakov - pulp?! Even idea seems ridiculous, yet, here it is. The comedy itself comes from a lot of slapstick, in very low intelligence ways, like making fun of lisps or speed-up movements, ala Benny Hill. The cinematography is sickening yellowish, for some reason really loved by Gaidai (director). Yet, the worst is acting, or likely directing, which forced such acting. Characters can freely speak to the camera and behave like complete idiots. How could actors play well in such movie is beyond me and apparently beyond them as well, so they do not even try. They just make faces and deliver their lines.Which is the only saving grace of this whole farce. The film has become a well of one-liners over the years.All in all, if you enjoy other comedies created by Gaidai, this can even be considered one of his best, so watch it with no worries, as it has all of his safe trademarks. But if you don't or simply don't know what kind of films Gaidai did, I can summarize them to you in two words - Soviet Kitsch.

ryazan62 Hi!As the title of the comment points this is one of the best Soviet comedies ever filmed. And that's is the reason for many people from other countries of the world not to get it's meaning. I would say that even modern day Russians - who have never lived in The Soviet Union, who have no idea what Iron Curtain or Warsaw Treaty Organization is will never understand and enjoy it in full. But anyone who is acquainted with Soviet reality will vote 10 of 10 - I am sure. So do not blame Americans or peoples from other countries for not getting Soviet comedies (those were great; and modern day Russian comedies is pure crap - I am sorry) - they were so very oriented to our former reality that are hard to get in modern days. My score is 20 of 10.

UserD42 This is one of the greatest comedies produced by the Soviet cinema. It continues to be hugely popular among Russian speaking people (who have all seen it). Even if one does not understand any Russian, the movie is quite watchable in subtitled versions.The plot itself is a rather standard one about ordinary guys thrust into a strange culture with action and adventure. What makes the movie special is superb acting, witty dialog, good pacing, and engaging music.This movie deserves a place along side other action-adventure comedies such as The Princess Bride.