Purely Joyful Movie!

Absolutely the worst movie.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The face value of Hape Kerkeling's "Kein Pardon" might be a mere family comedy about mama's boy Peter Schlönzke (played by entertainer-comedian and the film's director Hape Kerkeling) who adores his favorite evening revue show a bit too much (and also far longer than might suit his age). However, the film turns into a rather keen show business satire shortly after Schlönzke applies for a performing role in that show, being the enthusiastic fan that he is.While the film never leaves its family-friendly tonal foundation and might develop too slowly for some people's tastes, its witty humor makes it a fine experience for enthusiasts of satire and/or retro showbiz films.Humor: 8/10 | suspense: 4/10 | emotional resonance: 6/10 | mesmerizing elements: 4/10

"Kein Pardon" is a German 95-minute film from 1993, so this one will have its 25th anniversary two years from now. This film is one of the reasons why Hape Kerkeling became a huge star here in German. He directed this film, was one of the writers and also plays the main character. And I must say I liked his performance and also most of the other actors. There are some problems with the script though. The film's biggest message is also the one that feels phony and not too credible. I am talking about Peter Schlönzke's transformation. He starts off as a likable, humble guy who admires a famous television show host (played by the legendary Heinz Schenk). Due to a lucky coincidence, he stops being a very low employee and becomes the next huge star, taking over the popularity from his idol. However, with his new fame, he also degenerates in terms of his character and the way how he treats other people. This transformation went way too fast in my opinion. To the audience, this feels as if we are watching someone entirely different from one day to the next. And in the end, there is exactly the same transformation with his way back to being a good guy. It feels really like a rushed happy ending, also how they reunited him with the girl of his dreams and his family.But there are several good aspects in here too. Most of these do not have to do with the core plot, but are just details and single scenes that depict the way (German) television works. And a lot of it is accurate I must say. The soccer mum with her daughter as a running gag was pretty hilarious on several occasions. The core story, also in the way it satirizes television, has some problems because it just goes too much over-the-top and feels too absurd at times to be taken seriously. So I must say that I was pretty generous with my rating of 3 stars out of 5 here. I do recommend the watch, but it's a cautious recommendation and I must say that "Im Himmel ist die Hölle los", another television parody film, from 10 years earlier is superior to this one here in most regards and this also includes the way how both films go over the top. By the way, the late Dirk Bach, who plays a small role in this one here, is the lead actor in the older film. But back to this one here. It is a decent work for a filmmaker (and lead actor) under 30 years of age, but I cannot say that it has aged as well as I wanted it to.

...make for a lame movie.Arrogant and incompetent TV show star gets fired, former extra becomes his replacement, turns as arrogant and flaky as his predecessor, and in the end get's the axe, too.Yes - this could have been a great satire on show biz. Unfortunately, it isn't. The key scene (extra, who is on stage in a rabbit costume next to the show star throws a tantrum in front of the camera) is totally unbelievable; lead Kerkeling ridiculously overacts in this scene. Most other scenes in the TV studio suck as well: the studio looks fake, ditto the TV studio audience and the show's director.The way he got in the studio in the first place is silly, too: His over-ambitious mother registers him without his knowledge for a casting of said TV show. He fails, but gets a job as cable puller and extra. However, his mother thinks that he's on the brink of stardom and tells all her friends and relatives. "Schlönzke" isn't able or willing to clear the misunderstanding - so when he lifts his rabbit's costume's head live on TV, the entire family is shocked. What a riot...The whole film staggers between satire and slapstick. Yes - they can co-exist. But the slapstick is so weak (TV sound re-recordist tells lead to open his zip right after he enters her office - not because she's horny, but she needs the sound to dub a scene - hilarious!) or construed (lead uses silly 'lucky tune' vending machine on the street and causes a crowd) that it simply doesn't work.The satire's tame as well. The more-than-aged TV show star tries (and at times succeeds) to pick up the youngest women; if he screws up, it's somebody else's fault, he's always on the run. The show's director is indecisive, his assistants apple polishers.Again: decent set-up - but most of the "jokes" go up in smoke.

Though mainly using very simply, almost primitive jokes, somehow they managed to make the film really funny. This is probably due to Hape Kerkeling's appearance, because he already seems funny when he says just anything.