I don’t think we get enough of this — our own cultural tropes put through another culture’s blender, reflecting back at us and reminding us that there are geeks of every nation. The upcoming Russian film Guardians does just that; it’s clear that there’s inspiration from Marvel films, and Transformers, and Mission: Impossible, and probably a lot more that I need to see the whole thing to identify.
From this trailer, it looks like Moscow has been devastated by a supervillain, one who must also be a mad scientist. His own creations are being used against him, likely children from the Cold War whose DNA he altered. They’re being gathered and activated by a government agency that looks like a cross between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. But neither Professor X nor Nick Fury ever looked this good.
The team includes a man who can become a bear — both full transformation or partial, depending on which look does a better job of scaring the borscht out of the bad guys. There’s a hero who looks an awful lot like the Winter Soldier, but with an overpowered sickle/bow. (I have learned from my son we should just call that “totally OP”)
Another can become a rock man — proving this may be the best adaptation of Fantastic Four ever.
And further proving the Fantastic Four comparison — the female member of the team appears to have both invisibility and possibly teleportation powers in addition to being a terrific fighter. Of course, she can also cook.
The trailer says Guardians is scheduled for release in February, but we’ll assume that’s in Russia. The real question is — when would we get to see it in the US?
https://youtu.be/J1J_JCflB7w
