Breaking box office records in Estonian cinemas this year, director Rasmus Merivoo (“Kratt”) has largely divided Estonian audiences into two camps. Some see the film as a crowning achievement of Estonian pop culture, while others see it as a failed attempt to analyse contemporary society through crude jokes. The director himself laughs off all this press speculation by saying that he makes films, not politics, and that people can vote with their feet. And the film clearly goes down well with the public. Very much so.

Twenty years after the legendary spade hit and the ascent to the disco beat, Valdis (Märt Avandi) lands naked in his home village and remembers everything. Valdis hasn't felt this good in a long time and his appetite for burgers and sex is greater than ever. But life in the village has changed, and so have his former friends. They’ve become a bunch of losers at the mercy of women. It's time to set things right. But life has other plans.

The film may focus on the phenomenon of meatheads as such, but as a feel-good comedy, Merivoo’s “Alien 2” will probably be remembered by thousands of Estonians as a refreshing change in the sombre world of Estonian cinema, which could use a lot more sharp humour.

Helmut Jänes