"Die Halbstarken" is a German small screen movie from 1996, so this one is already over 20 years old and it is a modernized remake of the Horst Buchholz film from 40 years earlier. However, if you take a look at this one here and read the words Eichinger, Constantin and Speichert, then you will realize that you definitely should not expect great quality here. The lead actor is Til Schweiger, up and coming back then, but today we know of course that he has nothing in common with Buchholz and we see it also in this 95-minute film here. The fact that he does look tolerable in terms of acting is really only because his female co-lead is genuinely untalented and I mentioned her name earlier. Hot maybe, but that is really all. Story- and tone-wise the film is more on the level of Schweiger's Manta film than anywhere near what you would look for in a gritty crime drama. No such thing and it is clearly inferior to the old version. The voice over parts were among the weakest. Speichert's character who has no goal in life other than being a trophy wife in a fancy house suddenly starts talking almost poetically. It just did not make any sense at all. If you know a bit about German film, you will find a handful actors in the supporting cast here who are still relatively known today and managed decent careers after this movie we got here. I would say that none of them have the material to shine though as it is all about the couple in the center of it and also about their plans. All in all, I guess 4 out of 10 is still on the generous side as there are moments and scenes in here that definitely ask for a 2/10 here. Another Constantin Film disappointment and it probably turned out even worse than I expected and I sure did not expect a lot. Don't watch.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
