I think so yes. But yeah. Siberia is next on our agenda here at IndieGala. And why is it a perfect fit for Syberia? Well, because of the similarities that these two projects have in the bigger picture of things. But I’ll get to those in a moment. Siberia however has Keanu Reeves in the lead role. And my love for Keanu Reeves has been well documented here. Seriously. I’ve been in love with Keanu since the moment I saw him in Flying. A sports movie from the mid-’80s. Check it out. And yes. I did a post about my favorite Keanu movies. Check it out here. And there’s a post about the glory that is the John Wick franchise. Stay tuned for that! It’s a great tribute to one of the best movie franchises in existence. But now Keanu is Lucas Hill in Siberia. A black-market diamond dealer with lots of worries.
But What’s Siberia All About?
Well, Lucas’s pursuit of his missing Russian partner Pyotr (Boris Gulyarin). He’s gone AWOL and he’s got the rare blue diamonds with him. So after showing up solo at a meeting with the local crime boss Boris Volkov (Pasha D. Lychnikoff), Lucas will get a lifeline. Although for a brief moment. 48 hours to find Pyotr and the diamonds, but that pursuit will take him to Mirny, Siberia. And over there he will encounter a new set of problems. Not to mention, a hostile, bleak, remote city filled with plenty of bad guys.
Siberia VS Syberia
I know it sounds confusing but hears me out. The inspiration for this review (Siberia Review) is from one amazing game. Syberia. Both of these projects involve main characters that are in hot pursuit of a missing person. And both of them, their journey will lead them to Siberia.
And yes. As you can probably tell, we do have Syberia ready and available for purchase here at IndieGala. Furthermore, we have all of the Syberia games ready for you at our current Siberia Sale. And it’s up to you to do the right thing and devour them. Just click here and enjoy. For a limited time you may also get it for free thou, if you are quick. That being said…
However, Is Siberia Any Good?
Well, no. As much as it pains me to say that it’s a rather mediocre movie that on paper had a lot of potentials. Considering that I love Matthew Ross’s previous movie. Frank & Lola. However, Siberia is extremely slow-paced and fairly too long of a movie that doesn’t know what it wants to be. A romantic thriller? A crime drama? Sadly it doesn’t have the chops for any of those things.
First of all, let me just say that Keanu is giving his best here, but sadly the script isn’t giving him much to work with. There are too much convolution and cliché in the script, and therefore in most of the characters as well. And in keeping the tradition of making a Keanu character a closed book, Siberia is no exception. There’s very little to know about him. He’s American. Speaks Russian too. Has a wife and well, that’s pretty much it. More or less. Although we get to see his wife Gabby (Molly Ringwald) in barely 2 scenes. Sadly not enough for any exposition, let alone anything else.
Intrigue And Double Crossing Criminals?
Yes, but there’s a thread of predictability in all of those things here. And if you thought that you’ll see some of the John Wick style of action and fighting here…. Forget about that. Here in Siberia, the action is more down-to-earth, and a lot less stylish. But the biggest surprise here is how realistic the fighting is. For instance, when Lugas gets a beating he falls to the ground almost instantly. Sure he resists as much as he can, but this is not John Wick, and the director reminds you of that. Instantly.
However, what the director clearly wants is to throw in some romance into the story, that sadly doesn’t go anywhere. First and foremost, because of the lack of chemistry between Lukas and Katya (Keany Reeves and Ana Ularu). And next because of the poorly executed romance scenes that are in this movie. And last but not least, because the screenwriter Scott B. Smith doesn’t know how to utilize these two characters. To best serve the story and the movie overall.
A Bit Too Long And A Bit Too Boring
Because of the inconsistency in the script (dare I say plot holes) the movie seems a bit too boring and a bit too long. I have to say, even with a runtime of 104 minutes, it feels like it’s dragging on for too long. And if it was cut for about 20-25 minutes, the movie would benefit much more. But that’s just me, and perhaps it’s due to the fact that I didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. And I suppose not every Keanu movie is enjoyable as I think it is. Sure, the man can do some mistakes. And Siberia is one of them.
And no. I don’t mind the slow burner of a movie. They do have their charm if they’re executed well. But those are the type of movies that require a top-notch narrative and movies where the patience is rewarded. Sadly there’s none of that here, and it shows. From the start of the movie, until the sad and disappointing end. And yes, the ending is far from the happy ending that you want and need in this otherwise bleak movie. You would think that a happy ending would save the horrors that precede it. But no. Not here indeed.
Siberia: A Miss For Keanu?
I would argue that it is. And I can’t think of the reason that would convince him to take on the role in Siberia. Money sure. But I suppose he had his other reasons too. The pacing is no-where to be found. Not to mention, the story-line and character development. But there’s an abundance of cliché and stereotypes that feel off-putting and downright insulting. However, I’m interested to know if some of you actually enjoyed it. I couldn’t possibly find a silver lining (OK maybe the presence and efforts from Keanu), but other than that… Siberia is a hard pass from me.
