A bit of backstory
In 2021, based on comics by the domestic publisher Bubble Comics, the film "Major Grom: Plague Doctor" was released. The picture told the story of Igor Grom, a police major from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the city of St. Petersburg.
Viewers loved the film. The picture was praised for its engaging story, strong characters, magnificently portrayed city, as well as excellent cinematography and directing. The film was made in the style of Western blockbusters, similar to movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because of this, it caused no dissonance while watching. The action took place in an alternative version of "Piter" — a brighter and more colorful city. Like New York in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, which became cleaner and more saturated than the real one.
But "Plague Doctor" flopped at the box office. With a budget of 640 million rubles, it grossed only 329 million. But streaming saved it: Netflix acquired the rights for international distribution, and in the Russian Federation the main sponsor was KinoPoisk. This paved the way for the prequel, "Grom: Hard Childhood," released in 2023 directly on streaming, and the sequel, "Major Grom: The Game." Its premiere took place in 2024.
Audiences received the sequel ambiguously. The project was criticized for being overlong and for strange character storylines. As a result, "The Game" failed at the box office. The exact budget was not disclosed, but according to various estimates production cost 800-870 million rubles. Box office revenue stopped at 575 million.
But the universe was once again saved by KinoPoisk, which in 2025 presented the series "Major Grom: Game Against the Rules."
The hero, the villain, and the changes
The plot unfolds a year after the victory over the Plague Doctor — billionaire Sergei Razumovsky (Sergei Goroshko). Igor Grom (Tikhon Zhiznevsky) has become the city's hero: people take photos with him, they erect a monument to him, and make him the face of a shawarma restaurant, since he eats nothing else.
The protagonist is dating journalist Yulia Pchelkina (Lyubov Aksyonova), is friends with his partner Dmitry Dubin (Aleksandr Seteykin), and enjoys life.
But changes come suddenly. The St. Petersburg police department is being targeted for reform, replacing most employees with drones from Holt International ("Kholt Interneshnl"). Its director, August van der Holt (Matvey Lykov), personally came to "Piter" to make a deal with the ministry.
Meanwhile, the city begins to be terrorized by an unknown bomber. He offers Igor a contest: the villain will plant bombs around the city and give the major clues.
The effect of the new format
What changed?
Runtime. The original "Game" was criticized for its excessive length. The film ran 168 minutes — it tired viewers during the watch and did not reveal all the details of the story. The filmmakers had two options: cut the excess, making the film dynamic, or add details and deepen the narrative. They chose the second option.
"Game Against the Rules" consists of six episodes, 40 to 50 minutes each. The story's total duration has grown to 265 minutes. The series format does not let the viewer get bored, because everything is sensibly divided into chapters and presented in portions rather than in one uninterrupted stream.
Opening and presentation. Now the plot starts from the end, immediately showing what the events led to and how they affected the main hero. Each episode is framed as a lecture by Dr. Veniamin Rubinshtein (Konstantin Khabensky). He talks about the main characters, giving a brief psychoanalysis of each. Every episode is devoted to one of them:
- the three protagonists: Igor Grom, Yulia Pchelkina, and Dmitry Dubin,
- and the three antagonists: Sergei Razumovsky, August van der Holt, and Oleg Volkov (Dmitry Chebotaryov).
The theme of psychiatry was important both in the original comics and in the films, but in the series its role has grown. This turned the story into something more than just a superhero action movie.
Character development. Since the heroes now have more time, their everyday lives and motivations are revealed better. Grom and Yulia argue about wigs; the characters joke about shawarma; August plays Atomic Heart and talks with his father and sister (they were not in the film); Razumovsky talks about his past with Volkov, and so on.
The story gained many simple but important moments. The characters came alive, and their actions became justified.
Especially August van der Holt. In the film he had no clear motivation; he seemed like a child throwing a tantrum. In the series his story is logical, and his actions are appropriate. Before, August felt unnecessary, but now it is easy to empathize with him. This is important, because the character is supposed to appear in the series "Furia" — the next chapter of the cinematic universe.
The final act and ending. The entire concluding stretch now looks more balanced and logical. Both the battle, which the previous episodes build toward better, and the resolution of the whole plot overall.
The details in the ending were changed: the narrator, the angles, and the order of scenes were altered. Even the consequences of the battle for one of the characters — in the series he received more serious injuries.
Veniamin Rubinshtein reminded me of Nick Fury in the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He not only hints at a continuation of the story, but also expands the Bubble Studios universe, suggesting that it is not limited to "Major Grom."
I would separately highlight the chess game between Igor and Razumovsky. It is staged quite well and reveals Grom not only as a strong fighter, but also as an intelligent person.
The downside of the changes
However, there were drawbacks too.
The decision to begin the narrative with the ending is debatable. It can intrigue the viewer: "How did the main hero end up like this? What happened?" But in this particular case, the story loses more than it gains. The plot takes Igor Grom through a classic arc "from hero to outcast and back again." But here, from the very first frames, we understand where it will lead.
Besides, the theme of psychotherapy had been present since the first part, but no one knew that it would go beyond Sergei Razumovsky. That was a surprise, and here it is no longer there.
The new scenes in the film are important, especially those about the antagonists' past, but there are questions about them. For example, the conversation between the young Razumovsky and Volkov in one of the key scenes does not sound childlike at all. They say things that are too adult and behave nothing like children — too calm and composed. They resemble adults more, which is emphasized by their emotions. And the crumpled presentation finishes off the impression.
It is a bit disappointing for Dima Dubin. In the film he was turned into a detective — he immediately noticed inconsistencies in what was happening and began investigating them. The feature film made it clear what the character's value was: if Igor is strength, then Dima is intelligence. In the series, however, the importance of Dubin's contribution is reduced.
General Prokopenko's storyline (Aleksei Maklakov) also feels unnecessary. The film emphasized him, hinting at a future plot twist, and this line does not change in the series. But because of the greater runtime, it dissolves and does not produce a strong effect at the right moment — you simply forget about the character.
The dialogue also fell short. In "Game Against the Rules" it often comes across as excessively pompous and artificial, which hurts the viewing experience. At one point, this is even mocked.
Moreover, besides the new scenes, the series added many moments from the previous films: "Plague Doctor" and "Hard Childhood." At the same time, there are few moments from the original picture, unlike the prequel. It is as if the creators of the series are saying: "You haven't seen the prequel yet? Don't worry, we'll show it to you right here!"
And that would be fine, but in "Game Against the Rules" they show scenes from "Hard Childhood" that are tragic but not key ones, making Igor's past feel sketchy.
Other elements
The technical side is excellent. The cinematographer chooses shots skillfully both in ordinary scenes and in action or drama. The picture is "juicy," and what is happening is interesting to watch
The film already used several catchy compositions, but the series has significantly more of them. They were added to the end credits of each episode and woven into the plot, which affected the emotional depth of the characters. The music was genuinely pleasing.
I would note singer MakSim's song after the final battle, but before the main scene where it all began. Grom downloaded it himself, although he had previously been against phones and the internet. This melody shows the major's personal growth, his desire to become closer to Yulia, and his readiness for the coming consequences. It makes you feel proud of the main hero, shows his fears, and his willingness to accept them.
The fights are decent, and there are slightly more of them in the series. A duel between Grom and Holt was added. It looks debatable, considering the heroes' equipment. But if you remember what was said in the film's ending, the battle gains logic.
Verdict
The series "Major Grom: Game Against the Rules" looks significantly better than the original 2024 film. The characters' storylines have become more cohesive, and the story is revealed from all sides. Several new action scenes and a lot of music have appeared in the plot. Both deepen the audiovisual image of the picture, also making it feel more complete.
The altered final battle is received better. While watching it, the question no longer arises: "What is going on here?!" And the closing scenes open the way for the future continuation of the cinematic universe.
As for the drawbacks, I would note only the debatable decision to begin the story from the end, the overuse of inserts from previous films, and occasionally overly pompous dialogue. But this can be tolerated.