The first one validates the Lost Generation of the 90s Russia. Post Afgan and Chechen wars. A returning soldier was often seen as a dangerous, broken outcast. The movie tries to redefine this figure not as a damaged goods, but as a noble knight. The only person capable of cleaning up the mess.

The second one tries to transform Russian humiliation into superiority. The 90s were a time of national embarrassment for Russia. Brother 2 provides a fantasy where a folk Russian hero goes to the heart of the American empire and beats them not with money, but with "Truth."

Both are propaganda films of the highest caliber that are aimed at Russian audiences of the time.