There's a saying in German, which roughly translates as best time to leave a party is during the best time" – a saying that the producers of this sequel unfortunately didn't heed.
The original Series has the status of "cult", especially in Austria and (southern)-Germany. Perhaps best compared to "Married with Children" in a slightly more serious context, it told stories from the everyday-live of the Sackbauer-Clan, a family of proletarians, somewhere between the middle-working- and the lower-class of Austrian society, heralded by the patriarch Edmund (Merkatz), better known as "Mundl". Free of style, manners or culture, "Mundl" was choleric, as intellectually inarticulate as he was at composing verbal rants; in essence a man-child with a rough exterior and a soft core, the family held together by his wife Toni, the sole voice of reason of the Sackbauer-clan.
The movie begins short of Mundls 80th birthday. Still depressed with the death of his closest (drinking)-buddy Kurty and not comfortable with the idea of aging, Mundl goes through something of a late mid-life-crisis. In addition, Mundls former son-in-law Franzie has passed away (driving off a Scottish cliff while DUI) and Toni has to travel to Scotland to deal with the inheritance. This leaves Mundl at his own devices for the first time in more than 50 years and within days Mundl, having befriended a local bum, finds himself in a downward spiral. In addition he has to deal with his great-great-son Edi, who has been thrown out of his home for having smoked pot.
There has been a bitter fight between the producers and script-writer Ernst Hinterberger (who so far had written all the "Echter Wiener"-material), that even went to court. Hinterberger couldn't identify with the re-write of his script and labeled the depiction of his character Mundl as "spiritual fratricide". It is not clear what Hinterberger disliked but we can only guess, that is has to do with the structure of the film and the implication of the title itself.
Some interpreter the meaning of "Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter" ("A real Viennese cannot sink") that the average, working-class Viennese is sturdy and able to weather all storms, not matter how high the (social) tide. Others have translated it into something like "The Titanic cannot sink anymore" (because it has quiet obviously already done so). If the latter it true, than the first half of this movie should have ended right there, with the place that Mundl has been steering for, mostly unconsciously, for the better part of his booze-soaked life: the gutter. Instead we get a very different ending, where Mundl – as always – prevails and celebrates his diamond-anniversary in the circle of his reconciled loved ones. A happy end but not necessarily an authentic one, considering the pathetic and pitiful end of Mundls friend Kurty in the last part (which is perhaps how Hinterberger would have had his figure finding his final rest).
Other than that, there are two problems with the film: For one, we have two more generations of Sackbauers, with which the viewer cannot really identify or care for, since they are not part of the original series. On the other hand, there are too few of the original cast left (most had died off over the last 30+ years) and although it is good to see the familiar faces, seeing them now old and decrepit, makes the fan feel sad and sorry rather than animated to laugh at Mundls antics and word-plays. It's like visiting an ancient relative: one is happy to see them but deep inside sad, because we know that it may well be the final meeting.
Rather than to amuse, this film will likely make you want to reach for the original series, when times were better. Sad, but that's how live and aging often is. And sometimes it's best to leave a party during the best time.
The original Series has the status of "cult", especially in Austria and (southern)-Germany. Perhaps best compared to "Married with Children" in a slightly more serious context, it told stories from the everyday-live of the Sackbauer-Clan, a family of proletarians, somewhere between the middle-working- and the lower-class of Austrian society, heralded by the patriarch Edmund (Merkatz), better known as "Mundl". Free of style, manners or culture, "Mundl" was choleric, as intellectually inarticulate as he was at composing verbal rants; in essence a man-child with a rough exterior and a soft core, the family held together by his wife Toni, the sole voice of reason of the Sackbauer-clan.
The movie begins short of Mundls 80th birthday. Still depressed with the death of his closest (drinking)-buddy Kurty and not comfortable with the idea of aging, Mundl goes through something of a late mid-life-crisis. In addition, Mundls former son-in-law Franzie has passed away (driving off a Scottish cliff while DUI) and Toni has to travel to Scotland to deal with the inheritance. This leaves Mundl at his own devices for the first time in more than 50 years and within days Mundl, having befriended a local bum, finds himself in a downward spiral. In addition he has to deal with his great-great-son Edi, who has been thrown out of his home for having smoked pot.
There has been a bitter fight between the producers and script-writer Ernst Hinterberger (who so far had written all the "Echter Wiener"-material), that even went to court. Hinterberger couldn't identify with the re-write of his script and labeled the depiction of his character Mundl as "spiritual fratricide". It is not clear what Hinterberger disliked but we can only guess, that is has to do with the structure of the film and the implication of the title itself.
Some interpreter the meaning of "Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter" ("A real Viennese cannot sink") that the average, working-class Viennese is sturdy and able to weather all storms, not matter how high the (social) tide. Others have translated it into something like "The Titanic cannot sink anymore" (because it has quiet obviously already done so). If the latter it true, than the first half of this movie should have ended right there, with the place that Mundl has been steering for, mostly unconsciously, for the better part of his booze-soaked life: the gutter. Instead we get a very different ending, where Mundl – as always – prevails and celebrates his diamond-anniversary in the circle of his reconciled loved ones. A happy end but not necessarily an authentic one, considering the pathetic and pitiful end of Mundls friend Kurty in the last part (which is perhaps how Hinterberger would have had his figure finding his final rest).
Other than that, there are two problems with the film: For one, we have two more generations of Sackbauers, with which the viewer cannot really identify or care for, since they are not part of the original series. On the other hand, there are too few of the original cast left (most had died off over the last 30+ years) and although it is good to see the familiar faces, seeing them now old and decrepit, makes the fan feel sad and sorry rather than animated to laugh at Mundls antics and word-plays. It's like visiting an ancient relative: one is happy to see them but deep inside sad, because we know that it may well be the final meeting.
Rather than to amuse, this film will likely make you want to reach for the original series, when times were better. Sad, but that's how live and aging often is. And sometimes it's best to leave a party during the best time.
