Hungarian Vagabond

This is an example of sometimes how unreliable online rating can be. Magyar Vándor (Hungarian Walker) is a fine movie of refined humour and is an homage to Hungarian history. Most of the jokes are only understandable for Hungarians or those who really know the language and culture of this nation. Magyar Vándor is gentle, funny and peaceful. The movie honours the great achievements of the Hungarian people and respects other cultures. Even the title is humorous, it refers to the gymnastic discipline invented by Zoltán Magyar, but it also refers to the story of the movie. I highly recommend it to educated Hungarians or those who live in a country with Hungarian minorities.

This is a story of Hungarian history. The seven leaders of the conquerors wake up a morning after drinking...and they can't find the 600.000 Hungarians that they led just to the border of the future Hungary. So they go to find them and take a fun journey through our 1100-year-old history. Most of the jokes can be understood only by Hungarians or those familiar with Hungarian history and Hungarian movies. Fun to see, a totally crazy movie with Hungarian stars and lots of (sometimes unnecessary) songs. The audience is really willing to like it so mostly they are laughing during the most terrible jokes (as well as the imaginative and really good ones).

But, this is my opinion. To tell a truth, this film strongly based on Hungarian history, and without deep studies in this, it can't be understandable. Thats why the story start at the beginning of the Hungarian era, have screen-shots with most important historical events and persons, and finished at nowadays Budapest. an average people even not known where Hungary lies, not who was e. g. King Mathias, and who plays him in the film. So if you didn't known anything about Hungarian history I recommended you, that don't watch this film. You will be boring, and then you will say, that this is a wrong film. It will be similar, that you would see the Monthy Python's Life Of Brien without known anything from, Jesus, Bible, Christmas, or Easter. Try to imagine.

I think this movie is a "half-masterpiece". It's true that it doesn't change the world (nor do the characters in it), but it surely awakens the Hungarian identity in us!

It has a quite refined humor that is typical to Hungarian movies. But this is even a special one! Because you can understand it only if you are aware of the Hungarian history. (Not recommended for foreigners, sorry...) And the movie also gives hints about smaller cases like: famous Hungarian inventions, quotations from great Hungarian poems, big events (like the result of the football match: 6-3), etc. All in a humorous way!

But the most impressive thing is the truth of all that the movie shows: the big changes in Hungarian history while it also always remains the same; the typical personalities of Hungarians (the mentality of them); and the fact that anything happens here, however bad thing would that be, Hungarians will always be the same, they will always be happy, friendly and a little crazy but in our nice way! And we never lose site of hope!

Entertaining, instructive, far from dull, fills the heart with warmth. It is the Hungarians', it is for the Hungarians. It always turns out that we can laugh at ourselves! :)

The film fails to deliver the creativity and humor that its inspiration, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, achieved so well. The jokes feel forced, often missing the mark, and the storytelling is chaotic, as if the creators themselves weren't sure what they wanted to accomplish. The characters are clichéd, and the dialogues are overly predictable. This kind of humor simply doesn't work without genuine talent, sharp wit, and a clear creative vision. While the idea of humorously interpreting Hungarian history is promising, the execution lacks the originality, energy, and finesse needed to make it truly memorable or entertaining. The humor feels hollow, more like a shallow mimicry of better comedies than a sincere attempt to create something unique.