The Machine

An entertaining, light-hearted and wacky action comedy about a stand up comedian against the Russian Mafia. The main character befriends Igor on a trip in Russia and during the course of the evening becomes a legend of Russian folklore, gets involved with the Russian Mafia and steals a valuable watch. 20 years later, however, the past comes back to him and the Mafia comes for the watch. The film has a fun premise, the main character is a stand up comedian (even for real) so he can be funny and has decent lines, it's full of pop culture and movie references, which I always like in movies. The Russian Mafia is well rendered with lot of interesting assassins and oligarchs (and weird characters), it's well paced, has a likeable cast – even Mark Hamill, the father of the main character, is excellent – and there is the occasional brutal scene (a hand jammed down a throat!!), though the action scenes are average. The film has two storylines, one is present day, the other is a flashback where we see the main character become an icon of the Russian nation overnight. I liked both. Nothing great, but an enjoyable little fun movie with a wacky premise that knows how to make fun of itself. I wasn't expecting much, but it hit my mood. (Most people want to be Batman, not the one who killed his parents) 7/10. (14.09.2023)