Das Kanu des Manitu

Going into this movie I had one fear. The fear that the current political and social climate would prevent Bully&Friends from doing their style of comedy.

I am happy to report that it did not.

It was a classic Bully Herbig comedy movie. Most jokes landed with me. The dynamic between the roles is fantastic. There are quite some callbacks to the Shoe of Manitu, but not too much.

The main issue is the same I had with "Bullyparade: Der Film", which was that the joke density is waaay too high. I am not given enough time to think about a joke (and some of them really need a second to grasp) and laugh about them.

If you liked previous HerbX films, especially "Schuh des Manitu" or "Traumschiff Surprise", this movie will have you entertained.

Oh. And I have no idea how, but Rick Kavanian did not age a day, somehow. Wat?

Not Cotton Eye Joe - so no pun intended! I am talking about Bully or rather his character in this movie. We will learn a lot about him and about his best friend ... it's a bit of a family affair.

And while there are a lot of ... let's call them coincidences ... the movie feels more coherent, at least story wise than the first one ... that is more than two decades old. And all the while the movie starts with quite the lame joke ... but it does pick up from there. It was really fun watching it.

There are a lot of throwbacks and call backs ... not just or limited to the first movie. But to Western movies in general ... the shootouts for example ... nostalgia pure ...add to that a few cameos ... and you're good to go. I understand that some may feel this went "woke" - but first of all that is not a bad thing by default and second of all it handled its stuff very well ... and funny! You'll see where it (he/Bully) comes from! Enjoy.

This sequel sadly fails to live up to the wit and charm of its predecessor. The story feels superficial and drags along without real highlights, while the humor often comes across as dull and uninspired. What once gave the original its edge - controversial jokes and a tongue-in-cheek political incorrectness - has been watered down or left out entirely. The result is a film that feels like a pale shell of what it could have been, wrapped nicely on the outside but empty on the inside. For those who loved the first part, the disappointment is inevitable, since it neither builds on its strengths nor finds a new identity of its own. 3/10, because sometimes even nostalgia cannot justify sitting through it.

No pun intended. The movie deals well with biases about it and its setting. It's a sequel that stands the test of time, however it is what it is and that's probably what's so good about it - weather you like it or not. 7/10 because it deserves to be watched, even if critics about its prequel and how it handled certain topics might speak against watching it nowadays.