"Kein Pardon" is a German 95-minute film from 1993, so this one will have its 25th anniversary two years from now. This film is one of the reasons why Hape Kerkeling became a huge star here in German. He directed this film, was one of the writers and also plays the main character. And I must say I liked his performance and also most of the other actors. There are some problems with the script though. The film's biggest message is also the one that feels phony and not too credible. I am talking about Peter Schlönzke's transformation. He starts off as a likable, humble guy who admires a famous television show host (played by the legendary Heinz Schenk). Due to a lucky coincidence, he stops being a very low employee and becomes the next huge star, taking over the popularity from his idol. However, with his new fame, he also degenerates in terms of his character and the way how he treats other people. This transformation went way too fast in my opinion. To the audience, this feels as if we are watching someone entirely different from one day to the next. And in the end, there is exactly the same transformation with his way back to being a good guy. It feels really like a rushed happy ending, also how they reunited him with the girl of his dreams and his family.
But there are several good aspects in here too. Most of these do not have to do with the core plot, but are just details and single scenes that depict the way (German) television works. And a lot of it is accurate I must say. The soccer mum with her daughter as a running gag was pretty hilarious on several occasions. The core story, also in the way it satirizes television, has some problems because it just goes too much over-the-top and feels too absurd at times to be taken seriously. So I must say that I was pretty generous with my rating of 3 stars out of 5 here. I do recommend the watch, but it's a cautious recommendation and I must say that "Im Himmel ist die Hölle los", another television parody film, from 10 years earlier is superior to this one here in most regards and this also includes the way how both films go over the top. By the way, the late Dirk Bach, who plays a small role in this one here, is the lead actor in the older film. But back to this one here. It is a decent work for a filmmaker (and lead actor) under 30 years of age, but I cannot say that it has aged as well as I wanted it to.
But there are several good aspects in here too. Most of these do not have to do with the core plot, but are just details and single scenes that depict the way (German) television works. And a lot of it is accurate I must say. The soccer mum with her daughter as a running gag was pretty hilarious on several occasions. The core story, also in the way it satirizes television, has some problems because it just goes too much over-the-top and feels too absurd at times to be taken seriously. So I must say that I was pretty generous with my rating of 3 stars out of 5 here. I do recommend the watch, but it's a cautious recommendation and I must say that "Im Himmel ist die Hölle los", another television parody film, from 10 years earlier is superior to this one here in most regards and this also includes the way how both films go over the top. By the way, the late Dirk Bach, who plays a small role in this one here, is the lead actor in the older film. But back to this one here. It is a decent work for a filmmaker (and lead actor) under 30 years of age, but I cannot say that it has aged as well as I wanted it to.