Die Schule der magischen Tiere 2 (4½ Stars)

This is a sequel to "Die Schule der magischen Tiere" ("The school of magical animals"), made in 2022. At the moment it's already out-performed the box office success of the first film, and it looks certain to be the most successful German film of 2023. (It was released late in 2022, and it's still in the cinema now).

Miss Cornfield has kept her promise that more of the children in the class will be given a magical animal. Jo, short for Jonathan and pronounced Yo, is given a penguin, and Anna-Lena receives a chameleon. I never realised that they're animals native to Sweden. That's why they're magical.

Most of the actors have returned from the first film. I don't remember seeing Anna-Lena before, but Jo was a prominent character in the first film. When child actors are aged 11 to 13 we can expect them to grow fast, but Loris Sichrovsky, who plays Jo, is the most extreme example. In the first film he was a typical young boy, but now he's shot up a few inches in height. He's the most handsome boy in the class, the boy all the girls want, and there's a romance between him and Ida.

Other developments are more in the personalities than in the looks. Helene, shown on the left, has become a stereotypical Mean Girl. She's the head of a clique who obey her every word. She wants Jo for herself, and she'll stop at nothing to get him.

Anna-Lena is one of the clique, but only because she wants to be accepted. Helene is using her. Anna-Lena is a skilled seamstress, and she makes dresses for Helene without receiving anything in return.

What a beautiful school! It's actually Wernigerode Castle in northern Germany, about 60 miles south-east of Hanover.

The film is about two seemingly unrelated matters. The class is putting on a musical play, written by Ida, about the founding of the school. Helene wants to take control of the play. Anna-Lena is by far the best singer, but Helene insists on taking the lead role for herself.

Someone is digging holes in the school's courtyard at night. However fast the caretaker fills them up, new holes appear the next day.

My first impression is that this is a better film than the first film. I enjoyed it, and the children in the cinema enjoyed it. There was loud laughter throughout the film. Most of the children were aged 6 to 10, but there were a few children in their early teens. It's something for every age. Sitting next to me was a lady with her six-year-old son. She told me it was his first visit to a cinema. I told her that Oliver visits the cinema every Sunday, and I hope to see her again soon.

According to Wikipedia, the next two sequels will appear in the cinema in 2024 and 2025 respectively. By that time the children will all look a lot older. I'm curious how the films will me.

This is a film that I want to see again soon, as soon as it's available on a streaming service. I might even buy it on disc.