I must admit having missed the modern meaning of "New Kids" in The Netherlands. I thought it to be only a shorthand for the boys band from many years ago. How wrong I was! A paraphrasic sketch on the Deventer Humor Festival 2010 was needed to put me straight and to trigger some google-ing, just to make me feel having lived under a rock for 3 years. Apparently, this sort of language and behavior was allowed on TV screens at hours suitable for family viewing. How come this did not raise questions in parliament? Why did it not invoke censorship from TPTB (The Powers That Be)?
Contradictory reviews are the best way to get me into a movie theater. Also, I was wondering how one could possibly fill nearly 90 minutes with (I thought) very thin material. But they succeeded splendidly, apart from the ending that was nearly as surreal as the ending of the first (1986) Flodder movie. Of course, it is easy to criticize this finale from my position as an innocent bystander. It could have been the only way to believably wrap-up the story line.
Though a lot of political incorrectness passes by, plus an overload of strong language, I don't think any viewer of any age will be turned into a follower. The crux lies in the degree of over-acting, effectively working out as a satire rather than setting an example. In the 90-ties we had similar discussions about the "Foutje, bedankt" ad for Reaal Verzekeringen, which some people assumed to induce insurance fraud. But the acting by Rijk de Gooyer was clearly recognizable as overly over-the-top, demonstrating it was not the right thing to do.
Speaking for myself, having lived at several locations in the province of Noord Brabant, the dialect sounded very natural. I could follow all dialogues without needing subtitles. I'm not sure, however, this will apply to other Dutch speaking people. There is sufficient testing material on several websites, just to become acquainted with the language and the behavior that seems to be the natural way of living in these circles. If you can't take it, do not go and stay home.
A nice twist was showing a series of bloopers while running the final credits. It worked perfectly to keep the usual early leavers on their seats. Will this introduce a new trend?
All in all, my final conclusion is that the movie is well made, casted perfectly, with the main actors performing very well. Their clothing and hair cut may not be the latest and greatest, but I assume that to be an integral part of the picture. The story has enough flesh to entertain us for 90 minutes. They surprised me positively with that, being an achievement in itself.
Hindsight addition one year later: My review of sequel "New Kids Nitro" is less favorable, and then I express myself euphemistically.
