A Disappointing Continuation

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

"Werner - Das muss kesseln!!!" is the second from so far 5 Werner movies and directed by Michael Schaak again. The quality he reached on the Werner films, especially the very first, is unmatched by him so far. "Der kleene Punker" is very forgettable and "Das kleine Arschloch" is totally unfunny and equally offensive. This second Werner movie (just like the first) also received a Golden Screen, the decoration for films that are very commercially successful with German audiences. There are some known names in the cast, at least to German audiences: Martin Semmelrogge, Carlo von Tiedemann and Lilo Wandres, but Otto Sander was not a part of it this time. He returns later again though.In this almost 20-year-old film, there is one clear antagonist: Nobelschröder who wants to have little Borsti and feed him to his gang. Early on, it is winter this time and Werner has some especially tough work to do. Lucky for him, he is sick. However, as solid as the parts with Nobelschröder (nice voice work by the way) and Werner and his friends were, the highlight of the film is once again Röhrich, their incompetent boss. He does not need lout motorbike noise or rock music, he is just funny the way he is in a very unique manner. When they create their own little distillery, it has to go wrong of course and complete chaos ensues once again as always when Röhrich is included. Also, he makes Günzelsen his "personal friend" in this film and that story is followed in one of the next films. Apart from that, I also liked the ending. The part where they simply beat time to save Borsti's life was actually very witty and nicely executed. I found it funny how they went too far back down to Borsti's parents "making" him.I still believe the very first Werner movie is the very best, but the next ones are not bad at all either. The most notable change is that the first is a mix of live action and animation (just like the 5th), but films 2 to 4 are exclusively animation. Anyway, good movie, I laughed a lot. Recommended.

Many, if not most fans, where disappointed by the first part, „Werner – Beinhart", mainly due to the film combining animation with real-live acting, making it plausible. Not that the first "Werner" was a flop at the box-office, selling a respectable five million tickets, but critics and fans generally gave the film a negative review. The popularity of the comic declined sharply after 1990, mainly due to the fact that they now came in colour and that the stories still reflected the life of "Werner" creator Brösel, who, by now, had become rich and (some say) decadent. The fans wanted a "Werner" who's riding his semi-homemade bike while sipping on a bottle of beer, not a rich "Werner", who sips champagne and takes his friends on fancy rides in his Cadillac.It took six years before the "Werner"-team would muster the courage for a sequel, this time keeping it completely animated, yet the fans eyed the film with suspicion.The story is no longer a combination of early "Werner"-short stories but has one, straight storyline: Werner and his brother Andi (voiced by Brösels real brother) are building an ice-sled, combining an airplane engine and home-brewed fuel. They enter a bet with the snobby Restaurant-owner Nobelschröder: should Werners ice-sled loose against Nobelschröders Bentley, Nobelschröder will cook Werners pet-pig Borsti in his Restaurant. Werner looses the bet, Borsti is cooked, but, having fixed the sled, Werner and Andi race back in time, rescuing their pet-friend. They race Nobelschröder for a second time, winning the bet in the end.Super-sleds and time-travel is not what the "Werner"-fan expected nor wanted any part of. Nor did they want any visual gags that you would usually find in some Warner-cartoon for kids. They wanted rebellious rockers, drinking, cussing and making fun of their "straight" environment. There was very little of either.The most positive thing about "Werner – Das muss kesseln" is the soundtrack, having a similar mix of Hard Rock- and Country music and featuring a number of catchy songs. But that alone doesn't make a good movie.4 from 10 points.

This is the second part of the trilogy (so far ...) of movies based on the "Werner" comic books, which have long achieved cult status in the German - speaking part of the world. The dry and minimalistic humour of the original books could not be expected to translate well to celluloid, but in addition to this the plot is paper - thin and unoriginal, and the animations often look amateurish. Save your money for video rental or cinema ticket and invest it in one of the earlier "Werner" comic books (those that were originally published by Semmel Verlach). And a few bottles of the ember nectar.