“The Heinzels 2 – New hats, new mission“ opens in German cinemas on Christmas Eve. With its mix of action, adventure and even a little romance, the family-friendly animated comedy is ideal for shortening the wait for the evening's presents in an exciting and funny way for little cinema fans. But even after that, the turbulent sequel to the surprise hit “The Heinzels – Return of the Heinzelmännchen”, which was released at the beginning of 2020, will certainly find its deserved audience.
Ute von Münchow-Pohl was once again responsible for staging the modernized interpretation of the Heinzelmännchen saga, which originated in Cologne at the beginning of the 19th century. After the success of the first film, it would have been easy for the director of “The Little Raven Socke” to simply continue the whole thing in exactly the same way. But she and her screenwriter Jan Claudius Strathmann (“The Tiger Duck Gang”) trust themselves and their audience to do more than just a simple second infusion. With an even more elaborate visual implementation, funny new characters and an extra dose of originality in the storytelling, they manage to surpass the successful first film, and not just in terms of action and dynamics.
In the sequel, the Cologne Heinzel girl Helvi (voice: Jella Haase) meets a new group of Heinzels – from Vienna.
Heinzelgirl Helvi (voice: Jella Haase) is young, courageous and always looking for an adventure – preferably in the world of people who have no idea of her existence. And because the latter should definitely stay that way, Helvi's desire to explore only makes the dutiful and strict Heinzel leader Vendla (Sybille Kuhne) even more grumpy. After the hard-working goblins came close to being exposed during a night-time help mission in a seamstress's shop thanks to Helvi's carelessness, they are grounded.
When she can't stand the boredom any longer, Helvi escapes and, much to her surprise, meets a group of Heinzels who are completely unknown to her. Not only do they wear much cooler hats, they also do much more exciting things. Helvi spontaneously joins the Heinzels, who have recently moved from Vienna to Cologne for reasons unknown to her until now. They don't help people, but rather play pranks on them or steal little things. Helvi has a lot of fun with this. But only until the stubborn Inspector Lanski (Annette Frier) threatens to find out about them with the help of a first-class police cat…
Lots of new Heinzels
Introducing a second Heinzels group, which behaves contrary to the more conservative, old-fashioned characters known from the first part, turns out to be a good idea early on in the process. This not only provides a welcome change, but also significantly increases the pace of the fairytale story. Fortunately, this is achieved in a way that does not require knowledge of the predecessor. Because the first few minutes quickly and efficiently familiarize even the uninitiated with the scenario.
Formally, the slightly rowdy cousins and cousins from the Austrian capital act as classic antagonists. Since they aren't really evil, but just out for practical jokes, it becomes clear relatively quickly that the confrontation with the long-established Heinzels will end well. But that's not bad at all. After all, an imaginatively designed route to a known destination can be just as entertaining as guessing about an uncertain outcome. The kids learn in front of the screen that standing up for each other can be completely fulfilling and anything but boring.
The action in “The Heinzels 2” is a lot more dynamic than in its predecessor.
The most important role, alongside Helvi, who is once again voiced by “Fack ju Göhte” star Jella Haase, is played by Heinzeljunge Bo (Paul Pizzera), who stands out as shy, almost timid, among his over-the-top, bold companions who chatter in broad Viennese. It's funny to observe how the two young Heinzels think and act in many respects in exactly the opposite way to the rest of their respective group – Helvi is loud, cheeky and adventurous, Bo is rather quiet, introverted and cautious. For this reason alone, Helvi initially seems to fit in perfectly with the newcomers, while Bo always feels a bit out of place in their circle and would prefer not to take part in the wild adventures.
According to the old “opposites attract” principle, there is still a believably friendly connection between the youngsters. Haase once again voices her character with wonderful enthusiasm. Helvi has undergone a clear development compared to the first film. She is still brave and cheeky, but has also developed an amazing love of justice and a real sense of community for someone so young.
Cologne Cathedral also plays an important role
The animation is top on a European budget level. The characters – Heinzels, people and animals – have an independent look beyond Hollywood or Japanese anime projects and are all equipped with pleasingly diverse visual characteristics. Large action sequences such as a flight on a homemade hang glider with a subsequent crash or a coup inspired by “Mission: Impossible” are presented in a colorful and detailed way. Real progress has been made compared to its predecessor, especially when it comes to the backgrounds and panoramas – which makes the world shown much more tangible.
Speaking of authenticity: Even if “The Heinzels 2” looks noticeably more (perhaps a little too much in some places) towards the international market, it is nice to see that Cologne not only continues to appear in the dialogue and in the images again and again is recognizable, but even plays a certain role. The search for the two largest pointed hats in the city leads straight to the towers of the Rhine metropolis's most famous landmark. This puts us in a good mood and – as well as a few short sentences in Cologne regiolect – provides welcome local color that always puts a smile on our faces. So we can already look forward to the third part, for which we hopefully won't have to wait another five years.
Conclusion: As brave and cheeky as its main character, the sequel dares to leave the beaten path and plunge into a new, slightly different, even more turbulent adventure. The first-class look is the crowning glory of the Cologne carnival.