New Kids Nitro

Well sort of new tricks. The whole (simple) story is being held together by some bookend gimmick in a cinema with people watching the new kids doing their thing ... it's all rather meta ... well to a certain degree. Do not expect this to be philosophical or anything. Also it does make sense to at least have seen the previous movie. Maybe even the tv show? That I have not done (yet).

But as with the previous movie the boys (Junge as they in the german dub) are anything but a moral standard ... they are as vile and as curseful (is that a word?) as they were in the previous effort. With more mayhem and action to follow. And no prisoners taken ... and even quite the disturbing (and disgusting scenes added .. some of sexual nature, if you want to call it that) ... very disturbing stuff indeed ... and not for anyone easily offended or triggered ... better not watch this if you think you could be one of those people ...

In the '80s and '90s, the standard for crude, provocative and vulgar humor in The Netherlands was set by the films - and subsequent TV-series - of "Flodder". In the second half of the '00s, the "New Kids" took over. They're a bunch of utterly marginal and ill-mannered twenty-something hoodlums with mullets and porno-mustaches that spend their lives doing absolutely nothing except for showing off in their pimped car, take drugs, raise fights, talk foul language, and pee against public buildings. The format was incredibly popular for a short while, serving as a guilty pleasure for many Dutch/Belgian fans (myself included), but the success faded out just as quickly. In fact, by the time this second film got released, the buzz was already over.

"Nitro", the aptly titled follow-up to "Turbo", is somewhat interesting for one reason only, namely that it's one of the only zombie movies ever made in The Netherlands. For some reason, the country is gradually overrun by zombies that come from the remote far north - Friesland - and brain munch their way south. In terms of script and humor, there's something to offend literally everyone in "New Kids: Nitro". It's not funny at all but, it must be said, the special effects and gory make-up are more than decent. I reckon they spent all the profit of the previous film and series on gallons of fake blood, heads, and limbs. Money well spent!

I surprised many people by positively reviewing predecessor New Kids Turbo in 2011. After having read sympathetic reviews on successor New Kids Nitro on the IMDb website and in some papers, I sat fully prepared to enjoy myself. Alas, it proved a bitter disappointment. I cannot pinpoint any scene that did let me laugh, not even one yielding a momentary smile. Could it be that the surprise of the previous movie has worn out?

In the beginning there was a promising scene, where a young man confronts the five main characters with a long list of negative opinions about New Kids Turbo. Of course, his life ends prematurely after that, due to a clumsy policeman joining the gathering. This premature death is not a problem for me, because such a fate is fully in line with how this film usually treats adversaries as well as innocent bystanders.

From the reviews that I had read beforehand, I learned of two story lines that would eventually come together. Emphasis on "eventually", since the film makers took their time to let it develop at a very slow pace. The merger of the two story lines took off not until halfway the movie. And even then, it felt very artificial and far-fetched, offering no reason to be curious how all this would end.

Three civil servants we recognized from their previous appearance in New Kids Turbo, where they fruitlessly tried to stop the anti-taxation disease spreading under the citizens, made their appearance here as well in a similar role. Alas, they contributed little to nothing. Surely a missed chance to liven up the story with a healthy dose of satire, the central government in The Hague being an inexhaustible target for such fun.

While having none of the anticipated laughs, you get to watch for faults in the story. There were plenty of those, but I'll mention only two examples. Firstly, we see a car race end half way when someone throws a home made spiked tire on the street, suddenly stopping one of the competitors. Nevertheless, a few minutes later, both cars take off again as if nothing got in their way. Secondly, there is a crowd of zombies assembled around a touring-car, stalking our five main characters on top of the bus. For some reason or other, the zombies turn into a submissive crowd, following them all around without doing further harm to anyone. Normally I would not make a fine point of such mistakes, but if there is nothing else to comment on, what other choice does a reviewer have?

And while we are at it, complaining about details, I observed two rather tasteless scenes near the end of the film. Firstly, the way the mother was "buried" was disrespectful to say the least. It was very different from what we could expect, given the trouble taken by traveling all the way from Brabant to Friesland in an attempt to rescue her. Secondly, carrying away the zombies in a train wagon, resembled a bit too much to what we remember from WWII movies. I don't think I am alone in this.

All in all, I was disappointed, left behind with the only conclusion that the sequel missed several chances to upgrade their act, and to reach a higher level. The original casting, the crude language and the overall approach within their first movie, seems to have worn out. I observed a similar attitude among the rest of the audience, who underwent it all stoically and without many spontaneous reactions. My only positive comment is that they maintained the showing of bloopers next to the final credits (both taking half the screen). I found it a nice touch with the previous film, and it still is.

Damn Mongol damn! BAM! Maaskantje vs. Schijndel man! -Censure censure-, never more work! -Censure censure-, never work! BAM! Verrektu Mongol!This movie is damn bad man. So bad I got sick of it... You could almost say that New Kids Nitro could not be worse. I give it a 10 because it was so terribly bad that I enjoyed it. Let's say we have a genre of 'Comedy Trash and laugh like hell' with this kind of movies. Zombies are an important part of the part, but why? Zombies are so old fashioned and to take just that than in a movie to make a story: is it image filling? Yes I think so.

The writers had their crate of beer and a few joints and then wrote the storyline of this film in barely fifteen minutes so do not expect lofty techniques or great story: It's like NEW KIDS you know from Part 1 and Comedy Central: just -censure- with lots of gratuitous violence, profanity and scolding ... and that's wonderful.

Super Movie to gather with friends with a bucket of beer to view this movie. I come from the 90's and I was a 'gabber' at that time: so Paul Elstak and other music are great. A big 10 for the pointlessness of this movie, I love it, great! Pity that no more new parts will come, because the creators stopped with the New Kids:-(

New Kids Nitro attempts to build on the success of its predecessor but falls short in delivering the same level of entertainment. While the outrageous humor and chaotic characters return, the novelty that made New Kids Turbo so enjoyable has worn off. The jokes feel recycled, and the plot lacks the energy and creativity needed to keep things fresh.

That's not to say the film is devoid of fun, it still has moments of absurd hilarity that will make fans of the first movie laugh. However, the repetitiveness and weaker overall execution make it clear that the concept is starting to run out of steam. It's an okay watch for fans of the series but doesn't come close to the impact of the original.