Wickie the Viking – Wickie und die starken Männer (2009)

Directed by: 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 you immediately feel when you see the first images of ‘Wickie the Viking’. It is not so much the recognition of the famous cartoon character that matters to 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 experience the seventies. But it might also work if that’s not the case, the colors are soft and warm and help you to immediately pull into another world, namely that of the first metroman Wickie the Viking! And yes, it’s a boy, not a girl. How do people even think that Wickie is a girl? Although his character does seem to be a plea for the more feminine approach to things: think first, then act, or more classic: if you are not strong, you must be smart. Wickie 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 to reveal plans.

The recognition is great. All the characters from the original series are included. Dad, the leader of the village, the two arguing friends, the fat glutton, the wise old one. They all participate. Wickie’s old tune (“Hee, hee, Wickie, hee, Wickie hee!”) is also featured halfway through the film. The rest of the music comes close to the soundtrack of Indiana Jones (John Williams), sometimes almost literally. A bit of plagiarism, sure, but it works well. It’s one of the many aspects of the film that shows that the makers took it all seriously, with making it. 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 bland humor. However, the fun radiates from it, so they forgive them immediately.

A new character, written especially for the film, is the historian of the village, or rather the whole country. An arrogant, cool reporter, who seems to appear out of nowhere like a running gag 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 is the original voice. Which it isn’t, because Wickie the Viking is a German-language production under the auspices of Studio 100, the Belgian Walt Disney studios, which, among other things, conceived and developed Kabouter Plop. But it must be said: they know their stuff! Because ‘Wickie the Viking’ has become a very nice film. Nice and smooth, with lots of jokes and pranks, beautifully filmed, beautiful music. A film that takes it very seriously not to take itself too seriously and in the meantime radiates quality and professionalism. ‘Wickie the Viking’ is a well organized party for the kids and the parents. Hopefully there will be a whole series of this fun Viking, because this definitely leaves you wanting more!