User Reviews

Charming, amiable teen-age comedy with a few moments of sadness thrown in as well. Two 14 year old 'outsider' boys in Berlin form a friendship, and take off for the country in a stolen car, seeking adventure.

The odd couple of friends here are pretty endearing. There's no big, obvious reason Maik is an outsider. He's OK looking, not a bad kid, not a teacher's pet or a bad boy. He just has the bad luck of not standing out enough to make him cool, so he's become a non-entity in his class. His counterpart – the very hard to overlook Tschick -- is an extremely tall Russian immigrant 'new-kid' with a silly hair cut and a bad-ass tough attitude. Their bond is sweet, and somehow believable.

Based on a popular young-adult German novel, "Tschick" is not as edgy, odd and original as most of Akin's films, but has just enough quirk and personality to keep it from falling into feeling too familiar, even if the basic story is a variation on something we've seen many times. Of all Akin's earlier films probably the closes analog is "In July" (2000) – a familiar rom-com story given a personality through Akin's approach.

If not the revelation I was hoping for given the brilliance of Akin's best films ("Head-On", "The Edge of Heaven") it's still a likable coming of age film with it's own bittersweet take on the world.

Two unlikely heroes (or anti heroes) find each other. The only two boys who are not invited to the hottest (birthday) party of their class. A Young Adult movie based on a book (that I haven't read by the way) that clearly gets the spirit of young boys in one of their most vulnerable times.

You may think that some of the things the boys do are annoying. But boys are not always rational. And if you really think about it, the grown ups are making bigger mistakes. Mistakes they shouldn't do and things to other people they shouldn't be doing. Some things are only suggested (adultery), others are out in the open (alcohol abuse). It's not just light fun, there is also drama. And comedy of course. This works on many levels not just for young people growing up. It is a movie that takes you on a trip ...

This is based on a renowned novel for young readers (which I didn't read) and was turned into a motion picture by what is arguably right now Germany's most famous director, Faith Akin. For that I thought it was a surprisingly conventional film, although one with a lot of charm. Maik is a fourteen year old with fairly average problems: To his utter bewilderment, the attention of the most beautiful girl of his class eludes him (at this age, as a boy, I can attest that you are usually after girls which are totally out of your league), his father is emotionally distant (not that in puberty you have the need for long evening walks with your dad), his mother has a problem with drink (or never being able to get enough of the stuff). Not that I would have complained to have the run of the house for two full weeks after dad had handed over a nice wad of cash to me. Maybe the scenario of the affluent, but uncaring family has kind of lost its edge over the years. I had a distinct feeling of feeling more sorry for the father who didn't get a lot of gratitude for providing a luxury villa for his family, and who had to struggle with a wife who is yoyoing back and forth to rehab, and a pubescent son.

Luckily, there are plenty of elements of "charming oddity" such as the epic, empty landscapes of the Mark Brandenburg, or the boys listening to Richard Clayderman on the stolen car's cassette player.

This is not a review, but my personal opinion on the movie as someone who loved the book. The movie does not manage to reproduce any of the books charm. If you love the book, do yourself a favor and do not watch the movie.

Even if I had not read the book, I'm quite sure that I still wouldn't have like the movie that much. There is really nothing special to it. The story itself is nothing without the style, in which the book is written. The acting also kind of sucks.

Sorry to say, and it is probably not true, but it just does not feel like any of them cared for the book very much.

If you have not read the book, read it, if you have not watched the movie, keep it that way.

I think it'd be safe to say that fourteen year-old "Maik" (Tristan Göbel) is a bit of an under-performer at school. His mind is always elsewhere, not helped by his dipso mother who is frequent away for her "health" and his oblivious father. Hormones are also raging too - one of the class cuties is to celebrate her birthday shortly and he's desperate that she invite him to her party. His priorities take an unexpected turn, though, when "Tschick" (Anand Batbileg) arrives at his school. This lad quickly deals with the school smart-asses and the two form an unlikely friendship that eventually sees the new boy procure a rusty old blue Lada and them heading off on a road trip. What now ensues is all rather standard fayre, but it's still quite good fun as they both learn about themselves and each other whilst encountering a little lively romance on their travels with the equally adrift "Isa" (Mercedes Muller). It's told episodically and that allows the appearance of loads of different characters, briefly, to spice up their adventure - one that doesn't really have a goal. Göbel and Batbileg work well together and the aimlessness of their journey, their scrounging and their petty mischief making reminded me occasionally of an "Herbie" movie! It's not especially original, nor is it likely to stick in your mind for long but it does tug at a few memories of when I was fourteen, had a new best friend, and the world was at my feet.

German road movie about two teenage boys going on German roads during summer vacations. It is a simple movie but very well executed and with a great cast. It makes you want to become young and fearless again, nostalgia, nostalgia, always a powerful sentiment. In background it tackles important topics including dysfunctional families and races.

This is my first movie that I watched from Fatih Akin. Shame on me! I am deeply impressed his innocent language in telling the story of two boys and the other characters. Tschick (Goodbye Berlin) tells a very ordinary story around two teenagers with an amazing beautiful way. I think that the success of the movie is not trying to tell the story from an adult view, on the contrary, telling like a teenager who talks about what happened during the last summer. The tune between sadness and happiness is very balanced. I like movies that not trying to exploit / (ab)use audience's weak points and Tschick (Goodbye Berlin) is also not trying to do this and set the audience free. For me, the main outcome (if we need a message from every movie that we watched) is "to be yourself" and "to accept life and people around you as well as yourself". There are many upsetting around two boy characters but all are experienced not in a melodramatic way but very truthful way like all we experienced when we were young. Anand Batbileg (Tschick) and Tristan Göbel (Maik) play their role perfectly. As I was watching the movie, I have never thought on their performances as "Oh no it is too exaggerated way" or "they are short for the role". I like this movie. It is honest, cheerful, hopeful and very very sentimental. I like sentimental laughter. (*) Mylast note for the admin. It is not possible to write Fatih Akin's surname in its original way. In Turkish we have small "I" and this field doesn't accept it. His surname is not written with "i" but with small "I". You may need fixing this. Thank you!

Awesome teenage adventure film. Great acting! The comedy is so warmhearted and situational that u end up wanting to like the film more.

The acting in this movie isn't the best and the movie has some passages that are boring but the story is solid. (Only recommend if you read the book)

The coming-of-age road adventure based on the book of the same name. From the director of 'Soul Kitchen'. It was like any other similar themed teen flick, has all the same formulas, but what makes it special is it is being a German film. I'm not saying it is new for German film, but definitely not every year flooded with such plenty of flicks like in the Hollywood. Besides, there are other major differences, as it is culture, mindset of the kids and the type of adventure.

The original title name is the name of one of the main film characters. But the story was observed from another character who has been with him all along. Opened with some road accident and soon the flashback follows to reveal what happened till that point of the film. For me the story did not impress, it was how everything was presented on the screen. It was a 90 minute film, and straight to the point kind of narration. Which means the pace was never compromised.

It tells the story of two teenage boys how they have spent their summer. After not invited to the birthday party to whom he has a crush on, Maik decides to go an unexpected road trip with his new, weird friend. A lifetime journey. Being a teenager and taking a such ride unwraps his mind as he was only living in the small world so far. Which particularly points out his one sided romance. At the end of his adventure where stands and the aftermath of everything was briefly disclosed.

❝Someone just needs to scratch in some letters, then it will be 'Atomic Crisis of 2016'.❞

The 'road movie' has been just a concept, but the stories created around it was very nice. Like many mini episodes, whenever they encounter the new people, the new places. At its halfway through, the third character was introduced. It was one of the best improvement. At first it was not intentional, but going further it becomes. Might not close to the real life, but makes such impression that's not too far from the reality. On how some people slipped away from the actual world and the contact with its people. Obviously with the reason, that does not reveal to us because of not to make any further complication in the storytelling.

The overall best thing about the film was not digging anything so in detail. Everything about the film was a rough cut. Except the opening parts in the school where the plot was initiated. It was more of an introduction than the initiation. And the remaining film was a transformation from something what we knew its state of condition (of the main character) to the ultimate goal (which was not expected).

It drags the gay topic, but throw away immediately. Similarly a few other topics as well. Yeah, the film was fun, as it told from the teenager's perspective, not the entire film to be considered very seriously. Though there some parts make sense and inspires, despite done/committed on the contrary. When it comes to the cast, it was flawless performances. Both the lead boys were awesome. The odd combination worked out well. But it was not that odd, while narrating the story.

The Maik reminded me the Wiley Wiggins from 'Dazed and Confused'. The film was not predictable, but the path it has taken was. If I say the film was excellent, that does not mean all of you would enjoy it. Surely teenagers, and children film fans would, but those who are familiar with this kind might find nothing new in it. For them it does not matter, it is an American or a German film. That does not mean it's not worth a watch. So try it, despite you are going to like it or not in the later.

7.5/10

A really refreshing feel good movie with symphatic actors.

I loved it the acting was fantastic. Two 14 year old boys steal a Lada and take a road trip. Many adventures and fun along the way. Watch it if you don't mind subtitles.

As a native speaker, I read the book several times, found it splendid, so I HAD to see that movie. Weired enough that film contains everything a great movie should have: great soundtrack, good camera, nice sets, wonderful surrealistic takes of the empty landscapes and the highway. I mean, road movie, what can go wrong? Anyway I realized that I was bored already after the first minutes. It's simply bad acting and bad timing. The main actors Göbel (Maik) and Batbileg (Tschick) seem to be selected only by appearance, their dialogues stuck and stumble, no timing at all, face expressions stay the same all the time, what could be funny stays dead, learned by heart directly from the text book and that's it.

Every scene is translated directly from the book, there are only minor changes (which not all of them I understand, so why is Maik sketching Tatjana, and not Beyoncé; why is the original joke with the maths test messed up etc.). Anyway, every scene ends up in a kind of faithfully following the book. You sit there and tick off unconsciously "well, now this episode is done, okay, now follows this one, good, next comes that...." - But you never submerge in that movie; the original feeling of ultimate freedom, fun and surrealistic humor is totally absent! I really don't understand why the movie gets good ratings everywhere. It's no bad substance, but it totally misses the goal.

Ultimately forgettable.

A prolonged runtime, missing emotional stakes, a hollow middle part and a not that interesting protagonist are what keeps this movie from being class.

Even the rather unnecessary and at times even annoying narration doesn't help fleshing out the characters.

While it is fun and entertaining, it's hard to ever truly get emotionally involved.

Mercedes Müller is good, Anand Batbileg is a charm (but switches too suddenly between childish and mature), and Tristan Göbel is... Well, "ok".

I liked his similar but more enticing performance in "Der Goldene Handschuh" much more.

Probs to Akin for the solid technical aspects and actually casting kids as kids.

Did the film good.

More nuanced dialogue next time would be of help, though.

5/10.