Papiny Dochki: A Disappointing Return

I'm still a huge fan of Papiny Dochki, the cult series from my childhood. It was original, interesting, and had unique characters. But, unfortunately, the writers started changing the characters' personalities in a way that didn't sit right with me, even in the older seasons. And then, with the release of the continuation (reboot) in 2023, 'Papiny Dochki. Novye' completely broke the storyline, unfolding the situation like 2.0: mom left, dad alone. But the feelings from watching were completely different, and the picture didn't match the characters' history.

The film 'Papiny Dochki. Mama Verнулась' was supposed to open up the audience to the reasons behind Dasha Vasnetsova's actions, explain the logic of the series, which it's a continuation of. But I'm left with the feeling that the long history of Papiny Dochki has been brutally killed after all.

Papiny Dochki. Mama Verнулась

Movie Synopsis: The story repeats itself. Once Lyudmila Vasnetsova ran away from her family, leaving her husband with the daughters. Dasha followed her mom's footsteps, disappearing from home on the anniversary of their wedding. And now the heroine is back. The girls are happy, and Venny's husband is surprised. The family is tense at home. Maybe the trip will help the parents make up? The Vasnetsovs and Vasilevs families, including the kids, are going to Kislovodsk for their aunt Masha's wedding. The sisters are getting ready for the celebration and hope that Dad and Mom will find common ground. The film 'Papiny Dochki. Mama Verнулась' is already showing in theaters.

Release Year: 30 October 2025 Country: Russia Genre: Family, Comedy Duration: 1h 32m

Papiny Dochki. Mama Vernulas Kratkiy Syzhhet: Two years after she left home, Dash, the mom of the Vasnetsov family, comes back just as suddenly as she left. Her return happens right before the long-awaited wedding of their eldest daughter, Masha. The family doesn't have time to discuss the events that have happened since her departure, so they head to Kislovodsk to prepare for the wedding. There, they get a chance to sort out their feelings, figure out why Dash left the family, work through their grievances, and make a decision about the future of their family. Papiny Dochki. Mama Vernulas My Take: I was really let down by this movie... It's listed as a family-friendly show, but that's only true if you watch it with a family that has amnesia about the events of the series. Or if you're under 12, or if you've never heard of Papiny Dochki before, or if you watch it in the background while cleaning up after the kids. Otherwise, the movie is just weak and even failed to deliver. I was expecting a wave of nostalgia while watching it. I wanted to understand the logic behind the latest events (the escape), see the story unfold with the characters' personalities and past in mind. I think the writers could have done better, created a great film that would have really brought together multiple generations at the screen and given each viewer a positive emotion. As it stands, there's a feeling that this is just empty words and self-praise from the creators. By the way, they dedicated 16 minutes and 35 seconds to praising themselves. They made a documentary film about the film, which is available online. You can't praise yourself – it's a waste of time and resources.

I've got a soft spot for my dad's old favorite TV show. It's a classic from my childhood that I'd get lost in for hours - even the video game tie-in was pretty cool. So, I really wanted to give the movie a fair shot and find more positives than negatives. Dasha and Vanya's love storyThe good and the bad⬇️

Papiny Dochki. Mama Vernulsya ✅What I liked:

Those stunning views of Kislovodsk - Russian nature always blows me away and adds a wow factor. The color correction really brings out the beauty, and the picture is vibrant and pleasing to the eye, especially when watching in high quality. The editing is smooth and doesn't overwhelm with complex cuts, making the film feel natural. The return of Anastasiya Sivaeva to the world of cinema. Even after a long silence, she nailed her role perfectly, and I wouldn't have believed she could play a character so different from her past ones - a character who's weak and silent about her feelings. The positive vibe of the film. The reunion of almost the entire family in one movie. It was interesting to see how the characters and actors have changed over time.

❌What I didn't like:

❶ The only minor issue is that Polina-pugovka (Ekaterina Starshova) wasn't in the film.

It felt like the authors were trying to avoid the question and just threw in a one-liner: 'my foot's broken.' To be honest, it's a bit of a letdown for fans.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed to not see Sasha Vasnetsov, the youngest child of the Vasnetsov family, in the show. According to online sources, his character was supposed to be a minor one, and the role was played by actor Vlad Feldman.

Papiny Dochki. Mama Vernulsya. Sem'ja v Sobrani The one thing that really bugged me was the lack of logic in the characters' behavior. They just didn't seem to fit their original archetypes at all. Every action they took felt forced, unnatural, and like the actors themselves weren't even invested in their roles. xa0

Dasha Papiny Dochki. Mama VernulsyaI mean, what kind of storyline is this? The ex-goth chick just runs off, then comes back without any explanation, and the whole time her feelings are completely ignored. She's also still got a thing for her ex, and seems to think she can just waltz back into the family and everything will be okay. And yet, at the same time, she's still unsure whether she wants to stay in the family or leave again and betray everyone... it's just ridiculous

Dasha's daughters. Mom's back I've got to say, Vasily's got no shame here Vasily's daughters. Mom's back And it's the kids who can understand that, because love for their parents is unconditional - they'll forgive a lot and just want to live with their mom. The eldest, Sonya, is a bit of a rebel against her mom's return, but all it takes is a pillow fight and a few empty words to resolve things. Sonya's daughters. Mom's back ❸ There are way too many plot holes - it's like they tried to give us some hints or change the story, but it's just empty space. The whole movie is too slow, and half of it is just filler with no important info.

Galina Sergeevna's daughters. Mom's back ❹ They threw everything into one pot, and it just didn't work for me. I didn't like how they replaced the original sitcom with a drama, but then they didn't develop it properly. They didn't show Dasha's journey of self-discovery and taking responsibility, and they didn't explain her motivations. They added a bit of comedy, but it was just so-so and sometimes ridiculous. And then they threw in some fantasy elements with the scenes with Grandfather Frost. What's the point of all that?

Masha's Papyiny Dochki. Mama Vrashla I was really disappointed with the makeup and costumes in this film. The looks for Dasha were particularly bad, and the makeup was always giving me a headache. The rest of the characters looked pretty bland too.

Papyiny Dochki. Mama Vrashla

Honestly, I think this movie is more for kids, but even they might find it a bit dull. If you're not familiar with the show, you might enjoy it if you like Russian melodramas like the classic scene from "Yablonovy Sad":

— She rejected me, said she loves you! Thinks she loves you! — No way, she can't love me! — DA YA LYUBLU TEBA!

Wedding of Papyiny Dochki. Mama Vrashla Verdict: I was expecting more. I wouldn't pay to see it in theaters, it's just not worth it. My rating is 4/10 ⭐