Ants in the Pants

It is often said, that Harte Jungs is called the German version of American pie, but in my opinion it is better because it is a german production. i think the film is very funny, and it is surprising how stupid flo is in this film. i think a boy who is fifteen years old couldn't know nothing about sex. it is very good that there is something like a happy-end.

If that actually is the english title of the movie, I have to admit it is quite funny and maybe even funnier than the german one (Hard Boys - well innuendo and pun intended I am certain of it). Having said that and being reminded that this was Axel Steins debut movie ... this is quite a fun ride ... if you are not too squeamish and do not mind jokes that are considered offensive today.

Even so, when in the beginning our main character is being falsely identified as homosexual, the movie does treat that subject matter quite well all things considering. Yes the jokes are mostly below the waist line (I mean we're talking about a ... talking penis - or is it a Penis whose thoughts we hear? Do not overthink it) ... with some nudity to top it all of - pun intended.

This is not high class but it never pretends to be - it is also clear that the guy (Axel Stein) who pretends to know so much ... knows less than little when it comes to the opposite gender ... so you can be offended by the things he says or just roll with it ...

A happy-end story that remembers you to your teenager-age in a very charming way, not disgusting, like American Pie tries. When you watch it, you feel you live in that town, those young people are your classmates, your friends, and everything that happens in the film could have happened in your life.

The cast is perfect, the actors and actresses work very well. You will laugh much but you will be sad also.

The locations are also really good choices - those are so European!

This film does its best for entertaining you. Watch it! I am sure you won't be disappointed!

While many German producers often try to adapt American stories and rewrite them for the German market, the producers of "Harte Jungs" went another way. Due to marketing reasons this film was often referred to as "the german answer to American Pie", but this is quite untrue. Except for everyone constantly talking about sex without having any live experience the two movies have nothing in common. Both of them are great. But as it is a German film with a very limited budget and very young actors (Luise Helm who plays Lisa is barely 17) "Harte Jungs" is even better.

Permanently amusing and never boring, this film definitely belongs to germany's best movies this year, even if it does not match the sophisticated standards of the movie critics, but who cares. Perfect entertainment, very good actors and permanent laughter make this movie one of my favorites in the first half of 2000.

Wow. I thought, Eskimo Limon was the most awful and embarrassing first-sex movie ever. But I had forgotten that Germany always tries to compete. In this case, the well-known German film producer Bernd Eichinger was successful in producing even worse crap. Harte Jungs is stupid, not believable and predictable, and above all: not funny. It's almost a tragedy that so many kids went to see this in Germany (and, I'm afraid, also Austria).

Tobias Schenke, 19, looks too nice to have no girlfriend and too ripe to be 15, and his character is too dumb to be true. Schenke tries real hard to make us believe that he doesn't know ANYthing about sex, but that doesn't help. Harte Jungs seems to be made by someone who watched Al Bundy and took him too seriously.

The best actors in the movie are Sissi Perlinger and Stefan Jürgens who play Schenke's semi-liberal parents. Perlinger and Jürgens are stand-up comedians who are not particularly talented in movie acting. Still, their performances are the `best' and `funniest' in comparison.

A complete failure.