SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Blackbird013-1 This is a spectacular family film. In it's original language there is a nuance of multiple languages blending so if you can stand subtitles with the actual voices of the actors I highly recommend it for adults and children old enough to keep up.Things to understand: It's not a modern action children's movie with a defined villain although some actions in the film on the part of some characters can be seen as villainous or dark. The entire movie focuses on real life personality drama rather than mechanized drama.It's not a Disney or typical family film format with unintelligent people characterizations made simple and obvious. While themes are simple enough for children, they are handled in a more subtle real way.It may contain some classic clichés about conditions and illnesses among children which it is up to the viewer to determine the merit of.It's an absolutely beautiful film that seems to portray a real world rather than a polished one which is actually refreshing. Period mud streets and dirty feet with a contrast between simple mountain life and prim proper city life.

reggie13chip I could NOT WAIT to get this DVD! Being a huge fan of anything HEIDI I have several film versions in my collection. I first heard of this movie early last year (2016) when it was first released in Europe with the actors speaking German. Sadly, I don't speak German so I hoped it would come out in an English version. This is it (along with the same film dubbed in French)! It's one of the absolute best versions of HEIDI that's been made and really sticks close to the original tale by Johanna Spyri. There are some subtle changes to the story but nothing I found annoying. The little actress Anuk Steffen is absolutely perfect as the young heroine and Bruno Ganz is wonderful as Heidi's beloved Grandfather. One thing I loved was the addition of a small back story on Heidi's friend Klara, played by Isabelle Ottmann. The strict governess Fraulein Rottenmeier (Katharine Schuttler) was a delightfully comic character and I really enjoyed the performances of Peter Lohmeyer and Jella Haase as Sebastian the butler and Tinette the French maid! Young Quirin Agrippi rounds out the cast as Heidi's best friend Peter. I will be recommending this lovely film to my friends and family! Enjoy!

zengesther It's the first time for me to write a review. But I'm very much moved by this movie.I haven't read the original book, and I read the previous review saying this is supposed to be a movie for children and she doesn't see her son/daughter laugh. I think this is too harsh for the movie.The scenes are cast as beautiful as it can be, reflecting the pure innocence of the kids for sure. The pure affection among kids are well cast through their innocent smiles. What touched me the most was the nostalgia that Heidi had towards her mountains, and the soft bread that she saved for Peter's grandmother. I hated peter for a while, but the moment he helped Clara stand up. I can see the cute part of a child when he pushed down Clara's wheelchair. If I have to pick some imperfections in this movie, it would be the quite abrupt ending. Suddenly, Clara can move perfectly, and Heiti got a blank notebook to fill her stories. This setting is diluting the innocence in the movie. Another part, is the relationship between Heiti and her grandfather was only emphasized in the very beginning and left unattended since Clara appears.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Heidi" is a new German(-language) film that brings back Johanna Spyri's title character to the big screen, a little girl who discovers how much she loves live at the countryside/in the mountains. Unfortunately, her aunt(?) who took care of her after Heidi's mother's death is not exactly a great talent in terms of upbringing and literally sells her to a family in the city of Frankfurt, who are looking for a companion for her wheelchair-bound daughter. It certainly is a tough decision who's worse: Fräulein Rottenmeier or Dete? These two sure make Heidi suffer a lot. This movie here has quite a few big names in terms of German cinema: Schüttler, Haase, Mehmet, Lohmeyer are all well-known here and then of course there is Bruno Ganz, who is a big star abroad as well.However, let's not forget the child actors. I thought the trio did a good job. They all showed that they have talent in terms of acting and that they were deserving to play major characters in such a big film. Nice choices by the casting directors. The story is good as well. I must say that the emotional moments could have needed better elaboration sometimes, like Öhi growing closer to Heidi or when Klara suddenly is able to walk at the end. Then again, this is all seen and displayed through the eyes of children and for them it's more about discovering something new than about feeling something. And it's certainly not that they were free of all emotion, just a case of "is good, but could have been great". There are also funny moments in there. More severe scenes like Peter beating the goats or destroying the wheelchair are mitigated by the "sharing cheese and ham" talk and the boy's guilty conscience.The movie runs for roughly 105 minutes which is fairly long for a kids movie, but nothing that breaks records or anything. If your kids have the attention span, this film is certainly worth a watch. Maybe my lack of emotional response also has to do with me living in cities for my entire life. People who lived in the countryside or even in the mountains may respond even more positive to this film than I did. Of course, I still managed to enjoy the beautiful scenery and animals in here in the first and last chapters in the mountains. Good movie. Not among year-best for me, but I recommend it.