"Das Sams" is based on an absolutely brilliant series of four children's books by Paul Maar. When I saw it in the cinema, my eleven - year - old nephew as well as all the other kids in the audience really got a kick out of it. Personally though, being somewhat more mature than the target audience and a seasoned cineast to boot, and not least because I literally grew up with the original books and the audio play, I must admit that the film didn't fulfill all my expectations. I would have liked the film to have a slower pace, to focus more on the main characters rather than hustle from scene to scene; especially so as Eva Mattes (as "Frau Rotkohl") and especially Christine Urspruch (as "das Sams") put in brilliant performances -- Ulrich Noethen ("Herr Taschenbier"), August Zirner ("Herr Oberstein"), Armin Rohde ("Herr Mon") and Aglaia Szyszkowitz (as Taschenbier's object of desire, "Frau März"), on the other hand, are somewhat less stellar. And I could have done without the soppy love story and the happy family ending. Oh well, as long as the kids are happy, "Das Sams" is well worth the price of the cinema ticket. In any case, I can only recommend that you read the book to your children. Before seeing the film, afterwards, or instead.
