Die Götter müssen verrückt sein II

'The Gods must be crazy 2' is another South African gem, made in a time when it wasn't influenced by politics. This was pure storytelling at its best.

Following on the huge success of 'The Gods must be crazy', Jamie Uys brings us yet another hysterically funny adventure. The film also offers stunning views of the amazing South African wildlife, with its vast open fields and desert. To a certain extent, this can also be viewed as a humoristic documentary.

The humor is based on the misadventures of several people, who - by chance - affect the others through the decisions they make. It is seriously funny, and not slapstick at all. Although by no means professional actors, the real life Bushmen N! Xau, Xiri, and Xisa deliver fantastic performances, and they're all amusing in their own right. I also thoroughly enjoyed Hans Strydom as Dr Stephen Marshall, and Lena Farugia as Dr Ann Taylor, and the chemistry between them.

Set in the Kalahari desert, the film features good cinematography, camerawork and visuals. This was fascinating. There truly never is a dull moment. The 'Gods must be crazy' movies are unique and unlike any comedy you'll ever see. It's incredible to see what Jamie Uys accomplished with these movies. This was fabulous!

Would I watch it again? Definitely!

Too many story lines to make this as good as the first one, but it's still a delight. The kids are charming, and the female lead is a wonderful physical comedienne. A pity Jamie Uys didn't make more movies.

While "Gods...II" is not quite as hilarious as the first, it is still well worth seeing, especially for the performance of the lovely Lena Farugia. Two questions will come to mind. "Why haven't we seen her before?" and "Why haven't we seen her since?" Lena Farugia is an American born, New York trained actress living and working in South Africa, with experience as a writer and producer in television. I don't know if she did her own stunts in the movie, but if not, that was one beautiful stunt double!

While the original film would have been very difficult to top, The Gods Must Be Crazy II is certainly a strong movie. The innocence and silliness that was captured so amazingly in the first film was faithfully reconstructed in this film. Xixo was much more commanding in this film, and the two kids who played his children were also quite good. Unfortunately, the film makers had to beat the idea into the ground, and made an terrible third sequel. Alas, sometimes a great idea shouldn't always be built upon.

Though not as funny as the original- the refreshing beauty of the children and the determination of the father to find them make this an enjoyable movie. Plus it was nice to see all the wildlife- including the badger from hell. This time there was more chemistry between the leads- believably romantic-- and the nature- how to survive in a waterless place was accurate.