Eyjafjallajökull - The Unspeakable Volcano Movie

How close love and hate can be, Alain (Dany Boon) and Valérie (Valérie Bonneton) also had to experience. For the former lovers have been at enmity with each other since their divorce over 20 years ago. And little changes, even after all these years. When their mutual daughter Cécile (Bérangère McNeese) wants to get married on Corfu, the two quarrelling men independently set off for Greece, only to land on the same plane straight away. And before a polite hello has even been exchanged, the bickering starts up again. But just when it seems like things can't get any worse, the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano forces the plane to make an unscheduled landing in Munich. If Alain and Valérie are going to make it in time for their daughter's wedding, they'll have to share the last rental car still available. But as they fail to let their bitter feud rest for even a second, the likelihood of their road trip from Munich to Greece ending in disaster grows with every mile Alain and Valérie travel together.

Even those who didn't directly feel the effects of the volcanic eruption in 2010 know stories of friends or relatives who were stuck somewhere because of the downright paralysis of air traffic. This is because the ash cloud emitted by Eyjafjallajökull over Iceland had consequences that were felt for several days, and not only in Northern and Central Europe. Taking this event as a starting point for a comedy is in principle a very good idea, as an incredible number of potential viewers can identify with the story. The fact that with Dany Boon a not only in France very popular leading actor could be won, lets hope for a really great fun, which could also work really well in this country.

So much is said: such a disaster as the volcanic eruption Eyjafjallajökull - The unspeakable volcano film has not become. Unfortunately, director Alexandre Coffre's second feature film is also not a comedy that adequately exploits its great potential. The turbulent initial situation provides some nice laughs here and there. But all in all, the completely overdone acting of the actors, an unimaginatively concocted story and its extremely high predictability rule the proceedings. When the viewer knows long before the punchline exactly which gag is coming around the corner next, and every original idea is nipped in the bud by a far too exaggerated execution, it is very difficult to serve many successful gags on the conveyor belt.

After the involuntary stopover in Munich, Alain and Valérie have to share a rental car and are still accompanied by two of their daughter's friends for the first part of the journey towards Greece. But they soon leave the car completely unnerved, and it is at this point that Coffre should have prevented the audience from feeling the need to do the same. But since the two main characters are not really drawn sympathetically and the chaos they leave behind on their trip across Europe lacks any form of charm, the enjoyment of this comedy is still very much in check until the conciliatory finale.

If you generally like over-the-top French comedies, you will certainly be able to derive some fun from the weaker moments of Eyjafjallajökull - The Unspeakable Volcano Movie. But if you still haven't given up hope that Dany Boon will finally deliver another charm and laugh offensive of the Sh`ti caliber, this hectic road trip will prove you wrong. Therefore: Only for such viewers who do not expect more than very simply knitted comedy entertainment, just yet: Worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp