1 1/2 Ritter - Auf der Suche nach der hinreißenden Herzelinde

Well I must say first that lately I've become bored with movies. Kind of an overdose, really, with at least one or two movies a day for the last 3 years. Always the same plots, the same actors, the same styles, the same politically correct and, well, the same everything. So I saw this one thinking that it was going to be the same... again. And boy was I wrong! Of course, there are some "deja vu" things here : the spirit of Shrek, a scene from François Ier with Fernandel, some souvenirs from Princess Bride, some from Kaamelott... But all witty and with good rhythm, and curiously, somehow new. I loved the actors, all unknown to me (though strangely it's been like I've known them forever instantly) but all very good at their part, the casting is outstanding because every character is just so perfectly what you'd expect him/her to be, Lanze wear so seriously his ridiculous hairdo, the Black Knight is so charming, the king so good, the bad one so creepy, the princess so spoiled yet lovable... Anyway, I've spent a very entertaining moment, and I wasn't able to stop before the end, nor did I want to do so, though this has happened to me countless times for other movies lately. It's very well acted, and everything in it just feels right. For me, it's an instant classic. A great and lovable movie, really.

at least if you are not really into pain. Or with the Scavenger's daughter, the Scold's bridle and the Iron Maiden, they couldn't hurt quite as much as watching this insipid movie. It is based on one idea, one really simple idea: Put actors into a medieval setting, but let them talk and basically act like contemporary TV characters. You can take an old script that was too bland to even use it for a TV soap, change the parts to king, princess, knight and troubadour. That's all. Imagine the men's stupid hairdos that make them look like hillbillies - and what's funnier than that. Don't overdo it like those Monty Python guys, using gags and stuff. The viewers are already laughing about the hairdos, don't over-strain them.

That is no exaggeration. The dialog and the storyline are extremely dull. How did the writers manage it to get their script accepted? With no images to distract from the trite content this seems to be an impossible task. Yet they succeeded. They probably put an image of a medieval hairdo on every single page.

Though "1 1/2 Ritter" is an intellectual disaster, the lack of money hasn't been the problem here. The art department's work looks alright. There are lots of well known German actors - acting stupid. Is this the most embarrassing role poor iconic Udo Kier ever agreed to stain himself with? Probably not. It's still a pity. The most dignified acting is delivered by Dieter Hallervorden, who's been infamous for his silly comedies in the Eighties. Compared to "Zeroes" comedies like "1 1/2 Ritter" they don't look half bad. A good thing for Mr. Hallervorden, annoying for nearly everybody else.

The only thing remotely interesting about this movie is the startling lack of any redeeming qualities and therefore the question: How could this happen?

I really was disappointed after watching this movie. The cast was promising, a lot of famous Germans actors and comedians are participating in this movie. Even the plot was promising but i don't know what happened. Some sequences were way too long, the beginning was lame and funny scenes weren't that funny. And this movie is NOT for the whole family, my advice: please leave your kids under 12 years at home, because an important topic is sex. I wished there were more funny moments in it. There is no spirit in this movie. Of course there were some points where i had to laugh, mostly when the character called Erdal was on screen. This was not a good German comedy.

Devilish carbon monoxide is a German comedy about a strong, but very timid knight and a princess who was kidnapped by an insidious villain. The film perfectly ridicules all the vices of modern society (especially German). And you will remember him as Thiel Schweiger in a stupid wig, his friend and companion a talkative Turk and a carbon monoxide, and most importantly - funny humor, which not every modern comedy gives. I stumbled upon the film completely by accident - and hit the nail on the head! Enjoy watching it and get a portion of good mood, although we have a typical comedy with a hackneyed script and twists, but all the actors who just caught a buzz from filming in this movie are pulling out - and this is perfectly visible. At the same time, humor never slips into outright vulgarity.

My rating is 7 out of 10 and my recommendation for viewing!

I was incredibly surprised that I enjoyed this film, but I found it to be one of the best 'Friday Night' comedies I have seen for a long time. Even though the film is subtitled and scripted in German (never my first port of call for issues of comedy) I laughed out loud (genuinely, not the trite LOL of social media) at several points. It is an historical romp that sensitively touches on several issues and has several modern day references that could ruin a film, but actually fit in. I loved the idea of a psychiatrist analysing the German equivalent of Robin Hood and concluding 'You've got a problem!' and I thought the idea of fans of a boy band throwing their chastity belts at the singers instead of their underwear an amusing sideline. The sensitive addressing of certain issues puts this film ahead of the crass denials of The Holy Grail and other similar comedies. I also loved the idea of inviting a sympathetic gaoler - and his daughters - to your own wedding a pleasant touch. This film has touches of the Holy Grail, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, The Man of La Mancha, Les Visiteurs, The Blackadder, Time Bandits and Jabberwocky all mixed together but given an unique feel - all in German with sub titles. I also found the slightly unusual musical score refreshingly good - I would like to know if a recording of just the score is available. The Knight of the title is a Superstar Knight who falls from favour - and is imprisoned - because he failed to protect the Princess he was meant to be guarding, but he is then given a chance to redeem himself by searching for the kidnapped princess, whom he adores. The Half-a-Knight from the title is a Christian Moorish con-man (what a concept!) whose very existence touches upon many modern issues, and whose role is sensitively played. I suspect the negative reviews are from viewers who could not see beyond the mixing of modern with medieval (there was a decision to add a New Kids on the Block concert that makes little sense apart from the comic issues that arise therefrom). Perhaps those reviewers should remember that this is a comic romp and is not intended to be historically accurate! In fact there are some interesting performances here (albeit no great acting moments), sensitive treatment of certain issues and the occasional genuine laugh-out-loud moment of real comedy. I will definitely watch this film again (and again)