Horst in Translation ([email protected])
This is the newest film from the maybe most prolific German movie franchise right now, the "Fünf Freunde". It is already the fourth film in roughly four years and the recipe is pretty much still the same. Two girls and two boys, all of them relatives, go on adventures with their dog Timmy. These adventures usually take place abroad, in this case in Egypt. They meet a local boy or girl and, after initial dislike, become friends. The director is once again mike Marzuk and the script comes from Hauschild, Klehmet and Wehlings again based on Enid Blyton's children's tales.The kids were 15 or 16 years when this was made and I wonder if there will be more films. If they keep up the speed, there could probably be another one or two movies until 2017. In my opinion, Valeria Eisenbart is the most talented from the younger cast. I also liked Omid Memar. Good performance given this is his first role and it's not even a small one. The main villain this time is played by Mehmet Kurtulus, a former "Tatort" police inspector. It's quite fun to see "serious" actors in such goofy roles. The moment when he falls to the ground near the end after something hard hit his head is priceless. There are more fun scenes, also a couple scenes where they tried too hard, but in the grand scheme of thing, it's a decent film for young audiences and those young at heart.Also, compared to previous "Fünf Freunde" films, the action is a bit more severe. Their dog almost burns at one point, there's gunshots fired and the kids almost die from thirst in the Egyptian desert at one point, before Timmy has his great moment, the one that would be shown at all awards shows. Admittedly, the film is a bit predictable, but here and there you may even be (slightly) surprised, for example the scene with the lawyer near the end. I personally recommend it, although you may want to start with the first movie from the series.
