Schutzengel

Another reviewer wrote that Til S. knows what he's doing. And I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about the fact, that he's casting his daughter in every movie he's in (German movie that is), the last couple of years. Will Smith seems to be doing the same thing in America, so you can't blame him for that. You also should consider the sound effects and the way the action scenes are shot. He knows how to copy Hollywood and make it believable in a German setting (movie wise that is, not that this is close to any reality in Germany).

But when it comes to story and character, this is as weak as they come. Casting Moritz Bleibtreu in this seems almost unnecessary. Not casting actual action performers from Germany is a real omission (Mathis Landwehr to name one!)! Acting also doesn't help, especially Schweigers daughter is off (but if you've seen the other movies you knew that). That won't change the fact, that anything Schweiger touches turns into gold (or at least German box office gold)

I've been trying to sort my feelings out about this film for about two years. When I saw it for first time, I've had my "shooter's ID" already (I'm from Czech republic). I wasn't able to CC yet but I've expanded my "SID" shortly afterward and I started to see the world of guns in an entirely different light and started to learn some skills and develop habits which I didn't need before.

However, this isn't just about my relationship with guns, it's also about my relationship with Germans and Germany. You could say that my dislike for Germans was (I repeat, was) as old as my knowledge of the history of my own country. As I grew older, my dislike for them abated and I've come to realize that that it isn't important what did they do to my country in past but what can their influence mean for Europe, especially for my country and our guns in future. In other words, this film spoke to me on two personal levels. One is the deteriorating political situation in Germany. The other is the attitude of German politicians towards guns. I believe that this film is raising some important points in both regards.

However, there's a third level which I've began to see only after repeated watching and increase in my own aptitude. There's something very important about the gunfight scenes: They have a very high degree of fidelity. It's obvious that Til Schweiger is either a recreational shooter or that he underwent some kind of a crash course. Everything from drawing, shooting, and reloading to using a cover or shooting from various positions. There was even a scene involving an empty shell jammed during ejection. One might say that the shooter took a little bit long to correct the malfunction but let's be honest, I would completely freak out in such a situation (as a matter of fact, such a thing has never happened to me because I'm using guns from Uhersky Brod). I've discussed this film with one of my instructors and he agreed that about 80 percent of the film is accurate.

I don't know why Americans don't bother with this in their films. After all, they have even closer relationship with guns than we do. Maybe that's the reason - the have personal experience with guns and don't need accurate films as a result. They just want to kick their shoes off and watch fairy tales about heroes with absolutely terrible technique.

On a side note, I've found the acting and everything else quite good. The interactions between the Schweigers was simply magical. What does it matter that she's actually his daughter in real life? It's the result that counts!

A powerful man kills a young guy; but his young orphan girlfriend witness everything. The witness must be kill. An ex-soldier protects the girl. Looks like a typical action movie but it is not exact;u that.

There very violent shootouts scenes and body count in the hundreds; but also overlong dramatic scenes with others probably oversweet for its own good; but however the movie works. Even when 10 to 15 trimming will make it almost perfect; you cannot stop watching it.

Til Schweiger (who also directs and produce) is more a tormented man than a killer machine. He can carry the movie easily; but Moritz Bleibtreu is who really steal the movie even in a very short part.

Luna Schweiger (Til's real life daughter ) is quite credible as the girl; but we never see her as a truly rebel as originally depicted.

In brief; it is not a great movie; but not a "macho" movie either. You can see with your wife and she will enjoyed too.

I must recognize that the photography, the camera work and the music is nice, but I found the story very disappointing. I find the film full of unnecessary violence, like if if the bullets where the message and not just a tool in the story. The actions scenes are just too long, but they don t get to be shocking, nor caricatures.

The plot, supposedly happening in Germany, lacks credibility. The story follows the same universal patterns from any action history (villains, corrupt official, reluctant heroes), but it really insist on jumping into the German over and over again, so in that sense it should be a story more coherent with how life, crime, violence and military life is in that country. The characters, the dialogs and the action scenes really show like they tried just too hard to look like an American movie.

There is also not a true conflict and the villains lack of good acting or deep personalities. Dialogues are predictable, as the characters dilemmas. I was expecting an stronger antagonist, but instead of that , the screenwriter opted for giving more space to secondary characters.

Despite that, I must also recognize that Til Schweiger acting is good and Moritz Bleibtreu is an excellent actor and his character really good. At the end, is not gonna compete against the great drama-action movies, but is a good movie to have some fun and practice German.

If I didn't have to travel an hour across a border to see this film and then another hour back, I'd go and see it a second time. I really liked it - and there were not many films I went to see twice in a cinema. The only one I recall was one I've seen 11 years ago.

Despite a fairly predictable story and a load of stereotypical stuff you'll see in every other made-in-US movie, it still has o lot to offer and will keep your attention every second of it's length. Realistic characters with nicely presented relationships make the film very emotional, so that some people will even cry. The characters are very likable, their feelings are moving, it recognizes other psychological problems for ex-soldiers than just drinking alcohol. The film is not overloaded with breathtaking CGI, explosions and non-stop brainless action, yet it doesn't get boring at any point. Schweiger invested considerable time and effort in training with weapons under the supervision of professionals, firing thousands of shots. Because of this, you will not see any ridiculous stunts, magazines are reloaded as they should be and there are no stupid dialogs about who is about to die and how. The are also no fill-ins in form of uselessly repeated scenes typical for some low-cost films. The film flows at a more or less constant speed, action scenes changing with non-action dialogs in smaller portions and delivers good value entertainment.

Also, luckily, the typically German personality apparently went on vacation. Maybe it was intentional - to make it more likable in the rest of the world, or because the story was partially written by non-German authors. Whatever. I mean - let's face it: who'd want to watch a 135 minute film loaded with poker-faced old know-better geezers. I thought it deserves a 6, but I so long to see it again, that I guess it should have a 7 for that ...or perhaps an 8?