Die langweiligste Schule der Welt (3 Stars)

It's the school holidays, so I'll be taking Oliver to the cinema more often than usual. The title of this German film means "The most boring school in the world". A title like that made him want to see the film as soon as possible, although the children are slightly older than him. My guess is that it's the German class 6, which would make the children 11 to 12 years old.

I didn't realise before I went to the cinema that it's a science fiction film. Sort of.

Young Maximilian, nicknamed Maxe, visits the Schnittlich School. The school's headmaster has written a book with 777 rules that govern school conduct. Some of the rules are sensible, such as "No mobile phones are allowed in school", whereas others are ridiculous, such as "No laughter is allowed in school". Some of the children accept the rules, but Maxe wants his parents to find him another school. It's the headmaster's dream for his book of rules to be used worldwide.

Now for the science fiction element. A man called Rasputin Rumpus is orbiting the Earth in a satellite. He works for the Organisation to Abolish Boredom. He observes the school and decides to intervene. He visits the school, impersonating a school inspector. He suggests a field trip. Maxe and six of his classmates go to a dilapidated house in the woods, where they have a lot of fun, despite the attempts of an accompanying teacher to make sure they follow the rules.

My grandson Oliver enjoyed the slapstick humour. I was less impressed. The film could have been a lot more amusing. I can't put my finger on any obvious errors. All I can say is that the magic was missing.

Or maybe it's just true that Germany can't make comedies.