Konrad

WonderWorks was an amazing series on PBS, incredible family movies week after week. Fortunately, this came around about the time my kids were at the age to appreciate it, so I'm glad they got to see it. (Without kids, I might not have discovered it, either.)

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1241895 (Article about WonderWorks)

Konrad was one of the best episodes of the series. An absolutely delightful little movie, with some of the best actors.

Of the many WonderWorks episodes, I can only remember one we enjoyed more, and that was Anne of Green Gables, a multi-week miniseries that may be the single best family movie ever made.

It would be fun to find these individual films (we own Anne on VHS) and put the whole WonderWorks series back together.

A film for the whole family, and almost fits in with the Alf film era, of which Max Wright was prominent in his role. By mistake, an instant child is delivered to the wrong woman. She activates him, and falls in love with him, and he, of course, was programmed to love her. And Konrad was programmed for perfection. And he does not understand that others make mistakes. But the bottom line is that humans are not robots, and the factory was creating robots that are programmed to be human. There is sort of a gentleness to the movie but it is not a great movie, and it fits in well for when it was made. Of course, when the factory discovers the mistake, they seek to recover Konrad, as he remains their property forever. It has the look of being done very cheaply, but that also may be for when it was made. Futuristic factories were just wild guesses as to appearance then. The casting of the main characters fits well with the story.

I remember watching this movie many times when I was young! I always had to fast forward through the part when she first opens the tin because the dessicated body was too much for me as a young child. But I too first knew Max Wright from this movie than anywhere else! It's a very cute movie. I have even found that now that I am an adult, many of my mannerisms are the same as Bertie's...my house looks the same! I do have to warn small children away from that scene, though. The factory scenes may also be intense for young viewers. Highly recommended as a family movie, with perhaps some explanation for small children about adoption.

In 1985 the charming child actor Huckleberry Fox starred in two TV movies: 'The Blue Yonder' and this. After 'Misunderstood' in the year before, Huckleberry Fox starred in another remake of an older film again with this one. This one is the remake of a German 1983 movie titled 'Konrad oder Das Kind aus der Konservenbüchse'. I never saw that one but I can predict it as the better version.

'Konrad' is a quite juvenile 80's movie. It's not a great movie and certainly not "realistic", but there are elements of sweetness in it such as: Konrad coming out of a can so smiling and radiant, the immediate chemistry that develops between him and his "adoptive parents", Konrad's "perfection" (so much that he feels sad and guilty if he commits any mistake at all), the fight of the "adoptive parents" to bring him back home sweet home.

I found elements in common with 'D.A.R.Y.L.' (also from 1985): both are about a perfect robot-child who are so human-like in looks and personality and find a loving family and are brought back to their respective manufacturing places and face the challenge of escaping and returning to their beloved family.

Konrad was never meant to be delivered to Berti, but it is this mistake that brings new joy of life to this old woman.

Ned Beatty is great as Mr. Thomas, but Polly Holliday and cute as a button Huckleberry Fox are excellent as Berti and Konrad, respectively.

If your family is old fashioned & likes ENTERTAINMENT, this is a very good movie for a family to watch! What I mean is that there is NO "Blood and guts", Just clean FUN!

Konrad (Huckleberry Fox) a brand new 8 yeard old boy, fresh out of a can, PERFECT IN EVERY WAY, and supposed to remain as such. However, he is accidentally delivered to Bertie (Polly Holliday), who is far from "perfect". Together with Mr. Thomas (Ned Beatty), and a few unexpected friends, they fight for Konrad's right to be normal!!!!!