The two old, white men ride again: Abahachi and Ranger once more make the Wild West unsafe. Respectively, of course, they are not TWO white men. And actually, they want to make the West safer. It just doesn't always work out. You can see: It's complicated in "The Canoe of Manitou," the long-awaited sequel to the comedy classic "Manitou's Shoe" from 2001, which hits local cinemas on Thursday. But they stay the course.
Silver Blood Brotherhood and Old White Men
After a quarter of a century, one of the most successful German-language comedies is now being continued. And the past 25 years have not left the central duo, the Apache chief Abahachi, played by mastermind Michael Bully Herbig, and his blood brother Ranger (Christian Tramitz), unscathed. They celebrate Silver Blood Brotherhood, have some quirks that long-term relationships bring with them, and yes, you subtly notice that some societal attitudes have changed over time. The character of the old, white man is actively addressed, Abahachi forbids himself to be called an "Indian," the gang leader (Jessica Schwarz) really doesn't want to be the little woman at home, and after a big revelation, it is made clear that among the Apaches, no one is judged by their origin.
Fans of the original cult comedy need not fear that the humor has substantially changed over the quarter-century. In a cool, Hollywood-worthy look, the Western genre is parodied, while the film is packed with pop culture references from Karl May to "Indiana Jones" to Louis de Funès. And of course, the sayings that have become catchphrases in the Bavarian dialect like "I am dissatisfied with the overall situation" or "You little rascal" are not missing.
Villain Santa Maria Back Again
At the center again is the blood brother duo Abahachi and Ranger, who, even at a more mature age, tirelessly fight for justice - until they are lured into a trap by a mean but diversely composed criminal gang under female leadership. The bandits' goal is to get to the mythical "Canoe of Manitou," which is said to grant immortality. However, the captured heroes must pass several deadly trials to achieve this.
Soon, the dynamic duo finds themselves under the gallows and can use all the help they can get - which comes in the form of their loyal friend, the Greek tavern owner Dimitri (Rick Kavanian) and his love interest Mary (Jasmin Schwiers). But of course, Abahachi's gay twin brother Winnetouch is not far away, now running the Pink Rumba Ranch as a dance school, but also fitting perfectly as a pink Zorro. Even the arch-villain Santa Maria (Sky du Mont) makes a surprising comeback, as he had actually drowned in the swamp in "Manitou's Shoe".
Plot as a Gag Vehicle
But ultimately, the plot of "Manitou's Canoe" is, as with its predecessor, secondary and merely serves as a vehicle for sometimes charming, sometimes forced gags, jokes, and parodies. People yodel to each other in the prairie, the Greek Dimitri continues to twist compound words into "Straßemilch" or "Fleckleber", and Lukas the train driver sits at the controls of the trains racing through the wilderness, while Jim Button has joined the gang of criminals. And to top it off, there are also some songs in the "Canoe" (such as "Because We're So Super Cool" composed by Stefan Raab and Herbig) as well as one or two dance numbers.
So not much has changed in the Wild West. Perhaps it doesn't need to. The creative minds behind the summer fun have smoothed out some of the rough edges of the original setup without resorting to the sledgehammer of "You should be able to say that". Like the currently running remake of "The Naked Gun" in cinemas, "Manitou's Canoe" also exudes the spirit of the carefree turn of the millennium, when the world was changing for the better and cinema turned to harmless fun. Those who enjoyed "Manitou's Shoe" will also find their place in "Manitou's Canoe". The Western parody is certainly a light summer cinema pleasure. Whether the comedy will earn a place of honor in the eternal hunting grounds of world cinema remains to be seen.
(APA/Red)
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