“The Batman” remains at the top of the German cinema charts. The new entry “Jackass Forever” follows in second place, and Karoline Herfurth’s heartbreaking tragic comedy “Wonderful” also remains in the top 3.
The family film dominates the newcomers for this week. With “The Gangster Gang” and “The Bunny School 2” two animated films are about to start. “The Gangster Gang” is led by a computer-tricked wolf. But if you want to experience a real wolf, you are definitely better off in the adventure film “The Wolf and the Lion”.
“The Gangster Gang” – Don’t be afraid of bad animals
THE STORY: Because they are hated by most people, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha,Mr. Shark and Mrs. Tarantula too: They are evil and like gangsters. However, they are caught when they carry out a theft. Off to jail. But a guinea pig wants to re-educate the gang to be peaceful animals. Can this go well?
THE STARS: Top-class names have been found for the German dubbing. Sebastian Bezzel (“Kaiserschmarrndrama”) speaks the wolf. Berlin’s Kurt Krömer (“LOL”) hisses the snake and Jannis Niewöhner (“Je suis Karl”) bites through as a piranha.
THE DIRECTOR: As an animator, Pierre Perifel has worked on the Shrek and Kung-Fu Panda films. After three self-produced short films, he presents his first animated feature film “Die Gangster Gang”.
BG RATING: At first glance, “The Gangster Gang” looks like an ordinary cartoon with humanized animals. Family fun with comic book characters and the usual action fireworks. At second glance, however, it is an instructive fable about prejudice. That’s the real highlight of the story (100 min., free from the age of 6).
“The wolf and the lion” – brothers for life
THE STORY: After a plane crash, only a circus lion cub survives. Music student Alma (Molly Kunz) finds him in the wild and raises him with an equally motherless wolf cub. But problems arise when the animals get bigger and Alma has an accident. Lion and wolf are separated, but run away again because they have long felt like brothers.
THE STARS: The first starring role for Canadian Molly Kunz, who starred in shows like Atlanta Medical and Gone. Graham Greene (“Dances With Wolves”) plays her fatherly friend.
THE DIRECTOR: Gilles de Maistre landed a hit with the animal film “Mia and the White Lion”. The Frenchman also shoots documentaries such as “Tomorrow is ours”.
BG RATING: The lion and the wolf are so cute when they are little and play with each other. Scenes that delight. But even when they’re grown, you’ll be happy to accompany them on their adventures. But there are also critical notes on the species-appropriate husbandry of wild animals (100 min., free from 6).
“Petite Maman – When we were children” – daughter and mother united as children
THE STORY: After the death of her grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) is left with her parents. But her mom Marion (Nina Meurisse) can’t stand the grief and disappears. When Nelly goes into the forest, she meets another girl (Gabrielle Sanz), who also goes by the name Marion. Is she her mom at a young age?
THE STARS: In real life, Joséphine Sanz and Gabrielle Sanz are real life sisters. Both stood in front of a film camera for the first time. Her mother is played by the French Nina Meurisse, known from films such as “Camille” and “The Effect of Water”.
THE DIRECTOR: After the international success of her historical drama “Portrait of a Young Woman on Fire”, Céline Sciamma presented “Petite Maman” in competition at the 2021 Berlinale.
BG RATING: A fairytale generational film in which daughter and mother meet as children as a matter of course. You quickly get used to that as a spectator and quickly learn to love the two girls, who develop so much affection and trust for each other (73 min., free from 0).
The Special Movie: “Jump, Darling”
THE STORY: Russell (Thomas Duplessie) finds his first steps as a drag queen difficult. He doubts, and because his friend shows no understanding, Russell retreats to the country with his grandmother Margarete (Cloris Leachman). The old lady would need nursing care, but she doesn’t want to go to the home.
THE STARS: Cloris Leachman passed away in January 2021 at the age of 94. She became known to us above all with Mel Brooks comedies such as “Frankenstein Junior” and “Höhenkoller”. Thomas Duplessie mostly played supporting roles in series such as “Man Seeking Woman” or “In the Dark” and has his first leading role in a cinema in “Jump, Darling”.
THE DIRECTOR: It is also the first feature film for Philip Connell for which he also wrote the screenplay.
BG RATING: The soulful tragicomedy lives above all from the interaction between Leachman and Duplessie. Profound and life-affirming (90 min., free from the age of 12).
Cinema for kids: “The Bunny School 2 – The Big Egg Theft”
THE STORY: City bunny Max is being trained to be an Easter bunny and is the chosen master student. But he still has a few trials ahead of him when the magical golden egg suddenly turns black. Behind it is the rabbit Leo, who has united with the villainous foxes to finally abolish Easter.
THE STARS: Max is voiced by Berlin musician Noah Levi (“The Voice Kids”). Senta Berger (“Welcome to the Hartmanns”) and Friedrich von Thun (“The Palace”) are also back as the voices of the Easter Bunny teachers.
THE DIRECTOR: In 2017, Ute von Münchow-Pohl (“The Little Raven Socke”) staged the first part of “Die Häschenschule” based on the 1924 children’s book by Albert Sixtus and Fritz Koch-Gotha.
BG RATING: Easter (April 17th) is still a while away, but you can get yourself and your kids in the mood now. This entertaining cartoon from Germany is perfect for this. Games, fun and excitement are offered as if from a surprise egg (76 min., free from 0).