Review: Wickie de Viking – Wickie and the Strong Men (2009)

Director: Michael Herbig | 87 minutes | adventure, family | Actors: Jonas Hämmerle, Waldemar Kobus, Nic Romm, Christian Koch, Olaf Krätke, Mike Maas, Patrick Reichel, Jörg Moukaddam, Mercedes Jadea Diaz, Sanne Schnapp, Ankie Beilke, Günther Kaufmann, Christoph Maria Herbst | Dutch voice cast: Ralf Mackenbach, Kristel Verbeke, Paul Haenen, Frans Bauer, Giel Beelen, Gerard Ekdom, Jack Wouterse, Ernst Daniël Smid, Lucie de Lange

What a wonderful feeling comes over you immediately upon seeing the first images of “Vicky the Viking”. Not so much the recognition of the famous cartoon figure does it for him (after all, this is a film with real people), no, it is the seventies color setting that makes you feel warm, if you consciously experienced it in the seventies. But it might also work if that is not the case, the colors are soft and warm and help to draw you directly into another world, namely that of the first metro man Vicky the Viking! And yes: it is a boy, not a girl. How do people think that Wickie would be a girl? Although his character seems to be a plea for a more feminine approach to things: think first, then act, or more classic: those who are not strong must be smart. Vickie then rubs his nose with his finger and then shouts: “” I’ve got it! “”. Stars appear around him and then, like a true MacGyver, he starts to build all kinds of ingenious things or unravel plans.

The recognition is great. All characters from the original series are in it. Dad, the leader of the village, the two arguing friends, the fat wolverine, the wise old man. They all participate. Wickie’s old tune (“” hee, hee, Wickie, hee, Wickie hee! ””) Is reviewed somewhere halfway through the film. The rest of the music is closer to the Indiana Jones (John Williams) soundtrack, sometimes almost literally. A little bit of plagiarism, yes, but it works well. It’s one of the many aspects of the film that show that the makers took it all seriously, with making. The film itself is of course, besides being a children’s story (no one dies or bleeds), a potpourri of fantasy and in this case also quite a bit of silly humor. However, the pleasure radiates from it, so be forgiven immediately.

A new character, written especially for the film, is the historian of the village, or rather of the whole country. An arrogant, cool reporter, who seems like a running gag to emerge from nowhere at crucial moments to ask some questions and summarize things. At the same time, he acts as the narrator of the story, in a wonderful voice-over by Paul Haenen, which fits so well that you would think it was the original voice. Which it is not, because Vicky the Viking is a German-language production under the wings of Studio 100, the Belgian Walt Disney studios, which invented and exploited Kabouter Plop, among others. But it must be said: they know the ropes! Because “Vicky the Viking” has become a very nice film. Nice and smooth, with lots of jokes and fun, beautifully filmed, beautiful music. A film that takes it very seriously not to take itself too seriously, while radiating quality and professionalism. “Vicky the Viking” is a well-organized party for the kids and for the parents. Hopefully there will be a whole series of this nice Viking, because this certainly tastes like more!