"Plötzlich Onkel" is a German television film from 2009, so this one had its 10th anniversary last year and maybe it is already considerably older depending on when you read this review. Both director Kreindl and writer Kuhlmann here entered the movie industry back in the 1990s and they are still active today and also were already fairly experienced by 2009. So you could maybe think that these 1.5 hours might return into something better than they actually did. However, when you read that this is a collaboration between Degeto and Ziegler production, you should also understand that you are in for the worst outcome possible. The title means "Suddenly Uncle" by the way and yes this is not a good title by any definition here and about as bad as the film itself. Admittedly the alternate title "Abschiede und andere Familienschwierigkeiten" (Farewells and other family struggles") is even worse I guess. The cast includes a couple names that maybe even people recognize who are not the very greatest (German television) film buffs. One and only lead in here is Austrian actor Fritz Karl. I must say I thought higher of him for a while, but now I have seen him in some of these trashy German television films, in which he frequently is not particularly good either, so I may have to reconsider how I see him. Admittedly, the script is not doing him any favors, but then again nobody asked him to accept the role. Luckily, if you act next to Uhlig and Ruland with one of those being with him in almost every scene, it is not too difficult to look better than your counterpart. Yes, these two female actors are this horrible. Ruland is somewhat famous still for her early career stuff, but a good actress she was never. More of a blonde bombshell. Uhlig I have also seen in several other films where she usually plays the very obnoxious (but meant in a likable way for whatever reason) to the female protagonist. Not so here. In this movie, her part is far more challenging than what she usually does, but she comes short as expected, although I must say she has films where she is so bad that she is the negative standout despite only five minutes of screen time and no serious material, and this is not the case in here. She is not worse than everything or everybody else. Interestingly enough, Karl and Uhlig are still a couple in real life and her character is his character's sister here, but apparently they fell for each other. Or they were a couple before that already, but probably not, too lazy to check now.
As for the story, letg me mention a few scenes and inclusions and parts of the plot that were the worst for me overall. It already starts with the unlikely occurrences when early on a ball hits a car and this was only to show us that the main character is not really good with people, but very crafted nonetheless. We should not think he is a fool And we don't. But problem is that there is a pretty extroverted aura to Karl and I found it difficult to believe he is somebody who does not get along well with humans. Bad casting here, no matter how many grumpy lines they give him. As for the key plot, the main character quickly afterwards ends up in charge of his sister's kids in this film and after initical skepticisms he makes a connection with them and this is all so uninspired and predictable sadly. Of course, at the same time, or as the film goes on, he also manages to bond with his sister again after they have been estranged really for a while and she only comes to him because she does not know what else to do. There are many pseudo dramatic inclusions here: take the sister's potential cancer, which all turns out well I mean everything and everybody needs a happy ending in these films and here they sure get it. Another thing would be the boy's illness, especially the escalation in one scene. I mean it is okay they wanna make it dramatic, but if they do so, then please come up with something better than this mess. At the same time, also as always in these films, there has to be a love story involving the protagonist and this is where Ruland''s character comes into play. Her anger directed at him shows just how much she cares on one or two occasions and charming comments like that nobody would call him are harmless banter I suppose. Very funny. This film in a nutshell really. It is generally a good way to see how good (or bad) a film is if we take a look at the children's dialogues and there are many children on here in fact and this area is 100% evidence of this film being a failure. Just one example: the "funny" line at the end about the two ending up together as a couple. We don't see it, but the girl already gives it away for the aforementioned even happier ending. I guess that's all then. Admittedly, I have seen worse Degeto films even, but that is just because they are truly, truly, truly horrible and this one here is "only" truly horrible. Okay I liked the landlord scene early on when he sends everybody home. Had a touch of House. Nonetheless I suggest you skip the watch and Karl really should have skipped the contract here. Fat thumbs-down.
As for the story, letg me mention a few scenes and inclusions and parts of the plot that were the worst for me overall. It already starts with the unlikely occurrences when early on a ball hits a car and this was only to show us that the main character is not really good with people, but very crafted nonetheless. We should not think he is a fool And we don't. But problem is that there is a pretty extroverted aura to Karl and I found it difficult to believe he is somebody who does not get along well with humans. Bad casting here, no matter how many grumpy lines they give him. As for the key plot, the main character quickly afterwards ends up in charge of his sister's kids in this film and after initical skepticisms he makes a connection with them and this is all so uninspired and predictable sadly. Of course, at the same time, or as the film goes on, he also manages to bond with his sister again after they have been estranged really for a while and she only comes to him because she does not know what else to do. There are many pseudo dramatic inclusions here: take the sister's potential cancer, which all turns out well I mean everything and everybody needs a happy ending in these films and here they sure get it. Another thing would be the boy's illness, especially the escalation in one scene. I mean it is okay they wanna make it dramatic, but if they do so, then please come up with something better than this mess. At the same time, also as always in these films, there has to be a love story involving the protagonist and this is where Ruland''s character comes into play. Her anger directed at him shows just how much she cares on one or two occasions and charming comments like that nobody would call him are harmless banter I suppose. Very funny. This film in a nutshell really. It is generally a good way to see how good (or bad) a film is if we take a look at the children's dialogues and there are many children on here in fact and this area is 100% evidence of this film being a failure. Just one example: the "funny" line at the end about the two ending up together as a couple. We don't see it, but the girl already gives it away for the aforementioned even happier ending. I guess that's all then. Admittedly, I have seen worse Degeto films even, but that is just because they are truly, truly, truly horrible and this one here is "only" truly horrible. Okay I liked the landlord scene early on when he sends everybody home. Had a touch of House. Nonetheless I suggest you skip the watch and Karl really should have skipped the contract here. Fat thumbs-down.
