Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl (1982) Poster

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6/10
Saved by the Goblin
Horst_In_Translation9 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
You know when I hear the word "goblin", I usually think of something ugly or nasty, but this is not what Pumuckl is at all in this film "Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl". Actually, he looks like a tiny boy with his wild red hair. And equally boyish is his state of mind as he thinks about pranks all the time. Too bad the little goblin gets stuck on the glue in Meister Eder's workshop and the consequence is not only that Eder can see him from now on (as can we), but also that he will have to stay with him from now on. And the results are many adventures, many pranks and lots of chaos. This is probably the career-defining role for Gustl Bayrhammer, even if it came that late in his career and maybe also for Hans Clarin, who voices Pumuckl and sounds much younger than in his 50s. The writer and director is Ulrich König who made himself a name with this mix of live action and tiny animated characters. He also made "Hatschipuh". The original writer of Pumuckl is Ellis Kaut and she died last year at an ancient age of 94.

The good thing about this movie is absolutely the title character Pumuckl. He is great fun to watch and every time we see him, it gets a lot better than compared to when we see human characters only. Clarin('s voice) was perfect for the character. It's fun to watch Eder tell Pumuckl how to sit at the table or when he forces him to take a bath with Pumuckl constantly complaining. I think this film is a good watch for younger audiences, but older people who are still young at heart and may remember Pumuckls from their childhood can equally enjoy this one. It came out the very same year like a television series on Pumuckl actually and that one is probably more known than this film. They used several scenes from the series for the movie here and for me that's perfectly fine. I enjoyed the watch and give it a thumbs-up. No surprise everybody (in German-speaking countries) still knows Pumuckl and I am surprised they have not made a new film in a long time as it's the years of remakes and reboots right now. Until they do, watch this one. You will hopefully not be disappointed.
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6/10
In the beginning there was ...
kosmasp25 March 2022
I watched the tv show - something that came after the movie was made. I have not checked, but I imagine the movie was quite succesful if a tv show was made out of it. What I didn't know: the character of the kobold (?) Pumukl was made/born at a radio show. At least that is what I found out, when my nephew asked me to watch the movie with him.

So there was some backstory, something that the movie could built upon. The special effects where quite good for the time it was made. But while they have aged nicely - the movie overal has not. There are some odd editing choices - one in particular feels extremely weird ... it's the moment our two main characters get to know each other ... it feels as if the movie pauses ... or has an error ... but it seems to be a choice. A choice I cannot understand or find right, but a choice nonetheless.

Having said that, I can imagine that many still have a romanticized version in their head ... of the movie itself. Because there are many other things that do not work ... pacing, story and many other things. But the chemistry between Meister Eder and the drawn Pumuckl. He is quite the rascal and there are more than a few things that are not politically correct ... but you should not mind that ... or rather if that bothers you, you won't have any fun at all.

Either try to remember your childhood memories or try to awaken the inner child in yourself ... and don't be too harsh on the flaws. We have come a long way with kids entertainment ... this was not the pinnacle but it paved the way for others ...
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