Trouble at Timpetill (2008) User Reviews

Charming Fantasy

[l_rawjalaurence · 7/10 · 8 September 2013]

LES ENFANTS DE TIMPELBACH is a fantasy that offers an interesting premise; what would happen if children were so badly behaved that their parents decided to abandon them to their own devices? The film explores how the children adapt - or do not adapt - to their changed surroundings. It's a difficult task; they now have to undertake all those chores such as cooking, cleaning and tidying up, that hitherto they have always taken for granted. The film has its darker elements; there is an internecine conflict between the children strongly reminiscent of Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES. But the film ends good-heartedly with everyone restored and differences overcome. Gérard Depardieu and Carole Bouquet enjoy themselves with a couple of lip-smackingly memorably performances, but the real stars of the film are the children themselves, a marvelous ensemble who seem totally at ease in front of the camera, giving the lie to the old adage that no one should dare to act with animals and children.

Board Of The Flies

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 29 December 2008]

If you're a frustrated hybridologist who's always wondered what a cross between Lord Of The Flies and Bugsy Malone would look like eat your heart out because somebody just beat you to it. I checked this one out blindly on the strength of Carole Bouquet and Gerard Depardieu on the marquee but wouldn't you know it's that old razzle dazzle cause this is strictly a kid's movie any any adult, including the two heavy hitters. The premise is simple if unrealistic; in what seems to be a remote European village and is definitely one for the picture postcards, the behaviour of the children is so problematical that EVERY adult in the joint takes it on the Jesse Owens leaving the kids to fend for themselves - and when I say every adult that includes non-parents and even people with absolutely no involvement with children. This leaves free rein for the aforementioned hybrid as the kids form naturally into two groups, would-be leaders/tyrants and theoretical victims. It all works out in the end but will anyone care.

A cute children's film

[Snootz · 7/10 · 28 July 2022]

This is a cute children's film with fleshed-out characters. A little on the absurd side, but that's to be expected. Overall, it doesn't seem to really get any point across; it just tells a story. The parents seem to get in more trouble than the kids... and the kids seem to fare fairly well on their own (at times). So what's the moral story here? Not exactly sure. But it was fun to watch, well-filmed, well-acted, and enjoyable enough if one is in the right mood.

For those who hated it... don't watch kid's films Duh. ; )

Offensive in every way

[the_real_Doc_Justice · 3/10 · 10 March 2010]

How could anybody raise any money for this. Marketed as a Harry Potter/Jeunet ripoff, that piece of garbage goes out of its way to steal from any source of successful and/or creative popular material, only doing it wrong in an unimaginative, exploitative attempt to cash on people's (and especially children's) stupidity.

Nobody is spared, Grinn, J.K.Rowling, Del Toro, Burton, S.King, W.Golding... and a copious amount of French references, with Goscigny and Jeunet being the most obvious.

Modern and politically correct winks are included of course, the single cool and integrated black kid shows up when needed, pop culture references, and so on.

Any attempt at originality is ill-advised, if not completely, utterly sick.

CGI is everywhere it shouldn't be. Many visuals are good, but many times unnecessary CGI elements are shouting "look at me ! I'm a process" on the screen. Like a phony print on a building, things like that.

Needless to say, any decent performance (by the kids) gets drowned with the boat.

The whole mess feels like a cheap, unlicensed, toxic copy of a plastic smurf village set.

Okay

[alexanderbogdanovbog · 4/10 · 7 May 2021]

Just ordinary movie for kids. Love your parents, don't be bad. Interesting idea of kids' self-government but nothing more.

Not like the book.

[andyhermans2 · 1/10 · 22 February 2013]

I've read the book as a kid and most of the details as showed in the movie didn't match the book. I always hoped someone would turn this great story into a good movie but this is just an abomination. I wonder sometimes if the script writer had read the book well enough in order to make it into a movie. I missed lots of the original story and most of the things shown in the movie were not mentioned in the book. So I was really disappointed when I saw this movie. Especially the final fight ended differently from the book. In the book Thomas gives Oscar a real beating something not shown in the movie. I can go on about many of the other parts of the story that were incorrect but it would spoil the mood for those who still want to see this movie. I advice you to read the book since it is still much better than the movie.