Reviews

I had seen this movie in my childhood. Seeing it again after all these years, it first struck me as little more than a colorful, noisy waste of money with some beautiful people in it. The second half, however, turns into such a creative modern fairy tale with a kindhearted message. The jokes become a great deal more subtle, and are in part based on some sort of dramatic irony -- after all, the audience knows the prince's actual identity right from the start, unlike many of those surrounding him in New York. The blossoming romance is predictable, but also quite sweet. I also enjoyed the reference(s) to "Trading places", that earlier collaboration between John Landis and Eddie Murphy.

Having seen this one many times as a kid, I wasn't sure I would still like it as an adult. To my positive surprise, however, it's filled with original ideas and jokes that may vary in subtlety, but remain at a funny level throughout. One may see this Astérix-episode as a respectful parody of British peculiarities, seen from a French perspective. The animation is quite beautiful at times.

This show is a little jumpy, and I personally would have preferred a slower pace. At the same time though, it offers images that are unlike anything I have ever seen before.

It has its moments. It's not without suspense, Jamie Lee Curtis is a good actress, and Janet Leigh's cameo was a nice idea. I am not sure it honors the original from 1978 though, even though I am aware there may have been worse sequels in between. Severe credibility issues taken aside, it is visually quite unappealing, and the occasional goofiness doesn't really hit the tone.

I had nearly forgotten what an amazing sequel this is. I vaguely remember watching it before part 1 during a summer in the 90s on German TV channel RTL when I was a kid. It's certainly less subtle than the original, but still bursts with creative energy, and occasionally adds a nightmarish feel to the whole without ever ceasing to be fun. It's a pleasure to look at as well.

The documentary offers a unique experience that is as informative as it is sensual; a TV-show I never grow tired of watching. In 10 episodes, a German movie team takes us on an audacious journey from Berlin to Tokyo, undertaken in two VW busses along the Asian Highway #1, a road starting in Istanbul and following the path of the former Silk Road. A colorful variety of landscapes and cultures unfolds along the way; any try to do it justice in a few sentences is doomed to fail. The places stopped at were chosen carefully, to say the least, and enable us viewers to get an immediate feel for the respective country's past and present. The thorough planning didn't keep the filmmakers from keeping their eyes open for interesting things and encounters along the way. It can only be hoped for this gem to reach a wider audience.

(Spoilers are very mild) I enjoyed this magical coming of age story even more on the second viewing than on the first. It's filled with loveable characters and ideas; a black cat named Jiji is the perfect sidekick for Kiki, the young witch. It's only in some parts that the movie doesn't work as well for me as, say, My neighbor Totoro (from 1988). Maybe less would have been more in the last 15 minutes or so. But there is always something to like, and the end credits with their upbeat score are as irresistible as the bulk of the movie.