What makes it different from others?

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

A brazen, anything goes, children's fantasy film from Russia. This somewhat slapdash effort feels a lot like a British Children's Film Foundation effort, albeit made with a distinctly Russian feel, hence the way characters break into traditional folk songs on occasion and the odd mix of old and new. The mildly annoying child protagonist discovers an ability to use magic, but an evil wizard has designs on him. A life size robot in the shape of a monkey shows up to help out at times too.