Hilfe, ich hab meine Eltern geschrumpft (Help, I Shrunk My Parents)
Germany 2018

Opening 18 Jan 2018

Directed by: Tim Trageser
Writing credits: Gerrit Hermans
Principal actors: Andrea Sawatzki, Anja Kling, Axel Stein, Otto Waalkes, Julia Hartmann

Those of us acquainted with the original film (which in English would be Help, I shrank my teacher) can already imagine what might be on view for this next one: Help, I shrank my parents. Here, Tim Trageser inherits the directing from Sven Unterwaldt, Jr., who made the first film in 2015. We are back with young Felix (Oskar Keymer), who attends the Otto Leonhard High School and hangs out with his friends. Life could be so wonderful except that his father is considering a job offer which would take the whole family to Dubai. Felix says, “Why do I always have to follow my parents’ wishes and never mine?” And school is not as it should be either. The deceased, witchy, former school principal, Hulda Stechbarth (Sawatzki) has come back to life after 200 years and seeks revenge. She shakes the school to its very foundation (literally as cracks appear in the walls), locks up the popular director Frau Dr. Schmittt-Gössenwein (Kling), and assumes teaching duties with an iron hand. In the meantime Felix suddenly has a huge responsibility: His parents have been shrunk to about 15 centimeters (six inches) and are completely dependent on their son for food, clothing, transportation, etc. How can Felix solve all of these problems?

Some of the original cast members (Keymer, Stein, and Kling, etc.) are back to appear with new actors for a successful sequel of this children’s film. German comedian Otto Walkes once again plays Otto Leonhard, the original founder of the school. Imagine your teeny father falling into the toilette. Imagine providing your parents with bathing possibilities in a plastic glass and a good night’s sleep in a shoe. Coping with these demands helps Felix to mature quickly and also to appreciate the help of loyal friends. Naturally, all is well in the end, but until then, there is action galore, never boring. The actors are fine, especially Andrea Sawatzki, who is utterly convincing as the evil force. It was filmed in Köln, Frankfurt, Vienna and Erlangen. (Becky Tan)