7 Zwerge

I found this movie the same way I find foreign films that I want to buy on DVD, by being bored late at night and turning to the foreign channel. This is the third German offering that I've found to be quite enjoyable.

The storyline is surreal-- 7 dwarfs who aren't dwarfs. Though thankfully Snow White is still Snow White. The blonde, sorry 'brunette' jokes are a tasteful addition to Nina Hagen's evil queen character.

I was surprised there was a storyline in it, because its supposed to just be a spoof of the Snow White story, but the story is pretty good-- I especially like the Tupperware container-- whoever thought of that was a genius.

The dwarfs are funny and all contribute to the humour of things, by the end of it, you will be wanting to grab someone and play 'CHECK!' Might warn the kids not to try that at home.

It's been over two months since I've seen it, and I still laugh when I think of certain scenes.

Seeing the trailer gave me the impression that this movie could be funny but I have to admit that I was dead wrong. The movie offers a lavish cast of German comedians who seemed to have pulled out their worst sketches & ideas. One notable exception is the short appearance of Christian Tramitz.

In addition to the fact that the movie is absolutely not funny, there is also a rather dodgy message that is conveyed. One of the dwarfs bemoans that he cannot beat women (which is a struggle he overcomes actually). Furthermore there is the joke (???) that whenever the queen calls for the hunter, first a colored man appears. This dubious joke is based on the fact that in German the word for hunger ("Jäger") sounds very similar to the word "Neger", which is a very derogative expression for colored people. Finally, the dwarfs come to the conclusion that all women are "cold-hearted bitches". Sorry, for the language but this is the actual expression of the movie.

Some people might find this all funny, however, the people around me and I had a very hard time finding something to laugh at.

Awful comedy loosely based on "Snow-white", featuring a massive amount of German comedians.

The appearing comedians play their own style as it probably would be in a fairytale scenarion. Netherless the plot is very predictable while the gags are highly unpretending.

Many of the jokes are based on German language and probably won't work translated. (To be honest they don't really work in German either)

Silly, heartless old jokes suitable for viewers aged < 10 years. Sophisticated adults should under no circumstances waste their time/money with this movie.

Okay, I must admit: it IS a very silly movie! But the bigger comedies from Germany are always silly, and „Seven Dwarfs' is no exception. When you compare him to the other two big comedies this year, „Traumschiff Surprise' and „Der Wixxer', you will find the same sense of humor. The question is: do you like this kind of humor? Then go and see the movie, it will be not brilliant (like the other two) but satisfying (like the other two). Like in ZAZ-Movies or simple Gross-Out-Comedies, you better leave your brain outside in the car and enjoy, because it is a fun event to watch this kind of movie. More then a dozen of German comedians in bigger and smaller parts: find them, check them out, notice their comedy routines and feel a little bit like a 12-year-old - the only way it works. It's good to see, that this movie is no typical Otto-Movie, because his last two outings were flat or plain bad. In "7 Dwarfs' his role is thankfully smaller, giving room to his co-stars. Positive to mention are: Punkrock-Icon Nina Hagen as the evil queen (even if you hate her in real life, like me, you have to admit, that her timing is great), Rüdiger Hoffmann with his absurd slow burn humor is perfect as the magic mirror and Martin Schneider as dwarf „Speedy' (who is really slow and very big) is quite perfect. Hans-Werner Olm as the queens dark helper qualifies himself for better rolls (also non-comedic) and the absurdest of German comedians, Helge Schneider, who mixes absurd monologues with a great talent for Jazz in his shows, has a funny moment as Gandalf-Lookalike „The Wise/White Helge'. Not so funny: German Talkmaster Harald Schmidt who plays himself as a candidate for the court jester job, „Traumschiff'-Veteran Christian Tramitz, who has (as the hunter) to deal with a lot of weak lines and Ralf Schmitz, who can't show his talents from TV, because his dwarf „Sunny' is definitely a weak point of the whole movie. And don't think to much about kind of „messages' in the jokes: after films, which should be funny because of racial stereotypes, excessive drinking, puking, crapping, re-animating dogs, eating dog-shit, drinking sperm in beer and f**king apple pies, I don't see a problem in the (absolutely funny)„Hitting-Women'-Joke, when all the male characters are hitting themselves through the whole movie. The Neger/Jaeger-Gag is a cheap joke (and they even repeat him), but everyone, who thinks he has a problem with those lighthearted jokes, must check, if he is not a better visitor for the next Visconti-Retrospective or a Woody-Allen-Festival. Much more charm, then I expected, I don't care for many misses, I had enough hits to laugh about. (7/10)

When I saw this movie, I noticed, that it had one joke in it, that made me laugh (that's OK - Periode 1: Traumschiff Surprise sported nil).

And it had Helge Schneider in it, too. What else could one ask for?

In Detail: Waalkes is still a main character. That's a bummer because the best Waalkes parts were the samples and tidbits of his silly noises played during the end credits.

Rüdiger Hoffmann actually filled his small role pretty well (he plays the magic mirror). One wouldn't expect that, knowing him as a so-called comedian.

The others aren't really worth mentioning. And I refuse to give credits to Nina Hagen, as others feel driven to do.

Luckily enough, as I said, Helge Schneider is in it, in too small a role, though, unfortunately.

So all in all a movie that can be missed out with no regrets.