Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"Siegfried" is a movie from 10 years ago which serves as a comedic parody of the famous German Nibelungen-Sage. This tale has been put on screen many times and the most famous version is maybe also the oldest, namely the one by Fritz Lang. The lead actor here, however, is not Paul Richter, but Tom Gerhardt, one of Germany's most known comedians. When this was made, Gerhardt was still working on his long-running sitcom "Hausmeister Krause". The director is Sven Unterwaldt Jr., who has worked on several Otto movies and also a lot with Atze Schröder. Fittingly these two appear as voice actors in small roles in "Siegfried". Gerhardt also made the script, together with the writer of "Die unendliche Geschichte".Unfortunately, the whole story is as forgettable as Gerhardt's acting range is limited. He usually plays simple, not very brought, but somewhat likable characters. If you are familiar with German comedy, you will not only find Waalkes and (the unbearable) Atze Schröder here, but also Markus Maria Profitlich, Mirco Nontschew, Mirja Boes and Janine Kunze. The latter was also a regular on "Hausmeister Krause". Apart from them I found Dorkas Kiefer, Jan Sosniok and Elmar Wepper also familiar faces/voices.As a whole however, I found this rather disappointing. The problem is not that the story wasn't accurate. This was sort of expected. No Brunhild and Siegfried does not die. The real problem is that it was really not very funny during these slightly-under-90 minutes. Also the pig, which was cute could have been a much better addition without the annoying (obviously intended as funny too) voice. Also these butt-kissing scenes were the weirdest thing ever. St least he made the right choice in the end. Daniela Wutte looked stunning here. Still, not recommended.