Mara und der Feuerbringer

I've been following the development of this movie ever since I read (and fell in love with) the book trilogy and author Tommy Krappweis announced he was going to turn the first volume into a movie himself.

At first, I was very sceptical since I'm generally no big fan of German movie productions, mostly because we have very few convincing actors. Some of the best are assembled in this movie's cast, and though that doesn't automatically add up to a good movie, it did in this one! If I had to say which actor impressed me the most, I really wouldn't be able to decide between Jan Josef Liefers as Professor Weissinger, Christoph Maria Herbst as Loki, and Esther Schweins as Christa Lorbeer. They all did an amazing job bringing the book's beloved characters to life.

Everything about this movie reflects the lifeblood/passion with which Mr. Krappweis has handled both the book trilogy and the movie. The entire story is exciting, dashing, funny, and magical. All aspects of the Norse mythology are well researched and will please every academic on that subject. The characters are multifaceted, especially the Norse god Loki, of course. The visual effects were created under the administration of John P. Nugent, who is best known for his work in Lord of the Rings, Matrix, or Prince Caspian of Narnia.

Mr. Nugent himself has a cameo in the movie, as have several other men who were involved in the making of that movie: Mr. Krappweis' father Werner, professor Rudolf Simek, upon whom the character of "Professor Weissinger" is based, and even Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd made a guest appearance in the Mara movie! The great synergy of the story, the cast, the locations and the visual effects is perfectly concluded by a phenomenal soundtrack and a theme song titled "Ein echter wahrer Held" ("A real true hero") which stays in the head for days.

I'm hoping that one day, somebody will do subtitles for the movie so that the English speaking world can enjoy this movie with the entire family as well. It's definitely not only suitable for children but every adult who liked fantasy and/or Norse mythology will be entertained in the best possible way.

With Mara and the Fire Bringer Tommy Krappweis has succeeded in creating something very special: a film that is fun for everyone. Whether you're a child, a teenager, young adult, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa who is enthusiastic about fantasy, it doesn't matter - there's something in it for all ages. The story is not a poor imitation of familiar stories that are constantly being remade, but it has its very own handwriting. The many, sometimes well hidden gags and allusions emphasize the subtle humor and those who watch closely (or simply see the film more than once) will always discover something that they have not seen before. High-profile "guest stars" have cameo appearances. You can learn in the film about the kinds of Nordic Germanic mythology without the feeling of being lectured to. It also deals with clarity with abuse by the Nazis in the Third Reich. The actors of the individual characters are perfectly selected, including Esther Schweins as Mara's esoteric crazy mama, Christoph Maria Herbst as Loki, Jan Josef Liefers as professor Weissinger or Lilian Prent as the typical stubborn, dissatisfied Tenny Mara. Tommy Krappweis has proved with this film that even German fantasy films can be really great. It's a definite 'must watch'.

I have just recently come across this movie. Unfortunately it had not been advertised much and was screened only at times that were not very convenient for a working adult. The reason for that probably was that it is based on a book series for young people - but that also applies to Harry Potter, Narnia or the Golden Compass.

The author himself, Tommy Krappweis, wrote the script and directed the movie. With regards to the special effects it stands up to the likes of The Lord of the Rings, as John P. Nugent has played a major role in the production. There is even a cameo appearance by Billy Boyd. The facts related to the Nordic gods are well researched and have been checked by the Austrian professor for linguistic, Scandinavian and medieval studies Rudolf Simek. Garb, equipment and interpretation are up to the current state of research, so the movie can even be labelled as educational.

Enough has been written about the plot already, and I don't want to give any spoilers. People who have read the books before are up for a surprise - and the other way round, it is absolutely worthwhile to read the books too for those who have watched the movie.

"Mara und der Feuerbringer" offers good entertainment for all ages, from school child to grandparent. As a result it is really worth buying it on DVD or BlueRay. Every time you watch it you will discover new details, smile at another point or laugh even more about a well timed gag. The bonus material offers interesting insights and, in a way, forces you to rewatch the movie again while looking out for what you just learned.

I really hope that the sequel can follow soon.

I loved the books by Tommy Krappweis and were very excited, when he announced to make a movie out of it. And the first movie is just great. Full of great characters (love Professor Weissinger, Maras mum, Loki and of course Mara herself - and a lot of smaller roles, like Larissa or the little boy, she mocks), an exciting story - I was always a fan of norse mythology and I read a lot of sagas in my time, so I liked the idea of an adventure about the norse gods - and much more. The special effects are very good - especially the lindworm and the music fits the story very well. all in all a wonderful movie for all fans of Harry Potter, Inkheart, Midnight Circus or Percy Jackson and similar fandoms. What I liked the most is, that you can see that the author himself worked on the movie. The inevitable cuts from the books made sense and the dialogs were just as funny as in the book. I so hope that we will see the second and third book made into movies.

I am surprised that this movie tanked in Germany. I reckon the German general public does not believe they are able to make Fantasy movies. Or they are overfed by the stuff they get from America and other countries. But this, while obviously aiming at a younger audience is by no way worse than something like the 5th wave (the movie adaptation that is, haven't read either novel). Quite the opposite, one could make a strong case, that while 5th wave has better actors overall involved, this right here makes the better movie.

Still the success or lack thereof speaks a different language and it's almost a shame. Dialog is good, the acting is decent too and you have some really good effects too (considering the budget and all). The story of a teenager might not be something for everyone, but the humor is light and it works as does the flow of the story. Some flaws and hurdles along the way, shouldn't be too much of an obstacle on your way to enjoy this