Let me start this review by saying that this movie, "Der Bär ist los", happened years before Bruno the bear was around as the notorious "Problembär" and is not the movie centered around him, but about a bear named Joschka. That one stars Nadeshda Brennicke and Harald Krassnitzer. This one here stars Janina Vilsmaier, Max Riemelt, Armin Rohde, Heinrich Schafmeister and Götz Otto. Riemelt, by now is one of Germany's biggest acting prospects. Here he was still a boy. Janina Vilsmaier who stars here as Julia, however, took a completely different path. She went to study in London and has seemingly no more movie ambitions these days. She is also the daughter of the film's director Dana Vávrová, who died from cancer and usually worked as an actress. She also has a little cameo as a postwoman. And she is the wife of director Joseph Vilsmaier, who worked as the producer for this film. Two other Vilsmaier girls are also on board in small performances.
As this is a Czech/German co-production, there are many Czech actors in the cast and I cannot say I know any of these. It's obviously a children's movie. Yes, the bear is in the title, but it's at least as much about everyday issues, like friendships, troubles with parents for both Julia and Riemelt's character Tom. The humor is fairly harmless and includes wordplays such as "I am hungry like a bear". And even the film's main antagonist played by Schafmeister (who is fun as always) isn't really that evil as, in the end, he enjoys the circus show with everybody else. The playful music that is played whenever he appears shows, that he is really just evil in a funny way than truly dangerous. Apart from the bear, here and there you will also find other animals, a goat for example.
Sometimes it's a bit cheesy, but it's all very cute and harmless and I like that. Worth a watch also for smaller children. Recommended.
As this is a Czech/German co-production, there are many Czech actors in the cast and I cannot say I know any of these. It's obviously a children's movie. Yes, the bear is in the title, but it's at least as much about everyday issues, like friendships, troubles with parents for both Julia and Riemelt's character Tom. The humor is fairly harmless and includes wordplays such as "I am hungry like a bear". And even the film's main antagonist played by Schafmeister (who is fun as always) isn't really that evil as, in the end, he enjoys the circus show with everybody else. The playful music that is played whenever he appears shows, that he is really just evil in a funny way than truly dangerous. Apart from the bear, here and there you will also find other animals, a goat for example.
Sometimes it's a bit cheesy, but it's all very cute and harmless and I like that. Worth a watch also for smaller children. Recommended.
