Das Märchen von Hans und Marie

I admit that I don't like all the repeatedly used motifs from the same collection, the same worn-out classic fairy tales that are predictable to the point of despair, and I don't love all those foolish Johns who can hardly get out of the oven and then the entire kingdom falls into their lap along with the princess. Despite his advanced age, Karel Zeman has shown himself to be an innovator, and his fairy tale has an original screenplay in which the hero must go through a painful journey of personal growth, and at the end, he is not rewarded with wealth, only the salvation of his own life. The film, after the adventurous exotic trip through the journeys of The Adventures of Sinbad and the dark ballad-like Krabat, which approaches the German interpretation of the story in the style of the Brothers Grimm, returns to the Czech poetics and the heart of the Czech kingdom, where the story of brave John takes place during the times of Charles IV. It is an artistically detailed affair with an interesting musical accompaniment by Karel Svoboda. Overall impression: 95%. (16.02.2013)

Pixar films are great, but to me, nothing beats Karel Zeman’s films. This time it’s more of a fairy tale than a horror film like The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and I’ve loved both films ever since I was a child. Amazing story, fantastic animation, and all that accompanied by the voice of Otakar Brousek make for a perfect combination that I will never grow tired of. (29.06.2016)