Der Räuber Hotzenplotz

With a huge slouch hat and seven knives in his belt, the robber Hotzenplotz sneaks into grandmother's garden just as she is listening to the melody of her musical coffee grinder. All begging and pleading does not help: Hotzenplotz steals the coffee grinder, the grandmother faints, and constable Dimpfelmoser is at a loss. So Kasperl and Seppl set off on their own adventurous search for the culprit and end up with the dreaded magician Petrosilius Zwackelmann. And what does the law enforcement agency do? "The police are scared!", comments a hippie-like band of balladeers, bringing an anti-authoritarian tone to Gustav Ehmck's successful film. If anyone complains that Gert Fröbe in the title role waddles around like a dinosaur snorting non-stop, the answer is: "Children see it differently. They like Fröbe's drastic manner. They like the situational comedy more than the considerable effort that has not been spared here. Since they know the book, even the most exciting parts don't bother them." (Frankfurter Rundschau, 11.6.1974) FSK rating: from 6 years (ps)