It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

There are mostly two kinds of German comedies: broad and broader. This stupefyingly successful Schnitzel western parody is of the childishly broad variety, heavily influenced by the comparatively witty Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker approach to movie genre bashing. (I said "comparatively"!) All in all, there are two or three decent gags, but the whole pubescent affair drags on interminably (despite its average running time), while the grimacing actors are hampered by a lame screenplay that's put to shame even by the mediocre German Karl-May-adaptations it's based on.3 out of 10 Winnetouches

I saw this movie back in 2001 when it came to cinemas in Germany, and it's pure fun to watch. The writer/director/leading actor, Michael "Bully" Herbig is a very famous comedian in Germany and a devoted fan of Karl May and his most famous creation, Winnetou, Chief of the Mescaleros. His early childhood memories are linked to the movies of Winnetou, starring Lex Barker and Pierre Brice, so he wanted to honor his childhood heroes by doing a parodist version of Winnetou. The movie is about Abahachi, Chief of the Apaches, and his friend Ranger, a greenhorn from the south (he speaks with a Bavarian accent). When they get into trouble with another tribe, they need the help of some friends of Abahachi like Dimitri, an orphan raised by the Apaches; Uschi, a half-breed who became a famous singer in saloons; and Abahachi's gay twin, Winnetouch, to discover a mystical treasure. Their foe is Santa Maria, an evil real estate agent who tries to steal the treasure. There's plenty of singing and dancing, as Bully also likes Musical films, lots of pop culture references (e.g. Dimiti's suicide-committing donkey, which is named "Apollo 13") and also a great love story. I recommend this movie to everyone who's devoted to the West - for this is how it might have also been...

This Film is not professional,but it's really good.It may have been some silly jokes in it,but I much prefer this nice German film,instead of an ugly American Film,which has whether no jokes and only stunts(which are mostly unreal and idiotic) or jokes which nobody can understand,or laugh about! "Der Schuh des Manitu" may not be a perfect Comedy,but it is the respectable and funny work of a respectable young man,who has made himself a name in Germany and elsewhere! Who talks ill about the movie has to make it better and you can ask a lot of people,who think very well of it.That includes me!!!!!

The production values are OK, the cinematography, SFx, costumes, set design etc. are remarkably good (for a comedy) and the acting is OK, but personally I would rather not dwell on the fact that this was the commercially most successful German movie ever. In fact, the good visuals expose the script as rather lame -- jokes that work well in the "trashier" environment of Michael Herbig's TV show ("Bully Parade") come across as a bit lackluster (viz, not all that funny) in this feature-length movie (most of the characters and jokes have essentially been copied-and-pasted from the TV show, in case you haven't had a chance to see it).So what about the tremendous box office success? I have a theory which sadly exposes the cinema audience as a rather unadventurous lot: the movie reaped its accolades not on account of the movie being so insanely great, but because it dependably serves the jokes from the TV show in a larger format; plus it has a low common denominator, meaning that you can take your mates, your girl friend or your nephews to see it, and at least none of them will be terribly disappointed. It's a bit like going to McDonalds, no-one would claim that the food is so exceptionally tasty there, but at least you know what you are going to get.Overall the movie is bearable time waster if you get to see it for free on TV, nothing more -- it's like watching a Bud Spencer movie, good for a few chuckles. Foreigners: for the love of God, please don't mistake this for the "crème de la crème" of German comedy!