Keinohrhase und Zweiohrküken - DVD

Content: The Keinohrhase (voiced by Til Schweiger) is very, very sad. Just because he looks a tiny bit different from the other bunnies, nobody wants to be friends with him. His desperate search for a playmate ends abruptly when one day he finds an egg on his doorstep. The No-Ear Bunny cherishes the egg until a cute chick finally hatches out of it: the Two-Eared Chick (Emma Schweiger). An intimate friendship quickly develops between the two outsiders, which is, however, exposed to quite a few dangers such as the hungry fox (Matthias Schweighöfer). But now that the No-Ear Bunny has finally found someone to play with, he will do anything to keep that friend in his life forever, too...

After quickly winning the hearts of audiences for Til Schweiger's No-Ear Bunny and its sequel, Two-Ear Chicks, the two titular plush characters became the stars of their own children's book in 2009. Written by Til Schweiger and illustrated by Klaus Baumgart, the book was so well received by little fans that it was turned into a 3D animated film in 2013. In the process, Schweiger not only co-directed the film, but also lent his voice to Keinohrhasen. The result is Keinohrhase und Zweiohrküken, a nice, albeit dramaturgically as well as visually rather simple children's film for viewers between 5 and 8 years.

The animation is good, but clearly not in a league with the work of big studios like Pixar or Dreamworks Animation. Still, it's all nice and colorful and cute to look at. What's particularly positive is that the action isn't too overstuffed and the pace isn't too fast, which is unfortunately often the case with many other animated films these days. So the little viewers can fully concentrate on the story, which is very charming in its simplicity, and may laugh again and again at good, child-friendly humor.

Til Schweiger is not necessarily the born dubbing actor, the successful actor certainly knows himself (even if the umpteenth, oh-so-self-ironic mumble joke seems badly worn). And even his daughter Emma is not quite the big revelation as a speaker. Rick Kavanian, but also Matthias Schweighöfer do a much better job. Nevertheless, the two very cute title characters manage to quickly win the hearts of their young viewers. And that's the main thing.

Unlike many of the really big animated hits of recent years, Keinohrhase und Zweiohrküken is not really a film for the whole family. Although there are also a few nice moments for slightly older animation fans, but overall the work is more likely to appeal to very young viewers who also had fun with the Ritter Rost film or Laura's Star. So if you are looking for nice, harmless entertainment for the little ones, you can safely grab this DVD. Recommended!

Picture + Sound: As with many recent animated films, No Ears Rabbit and Two Ears Chick scores with very good overall sharpness, an absolutely clean picture and very powerful colors. The sound has offered some very nice surround moments, through which the turbulent action also sounds very lively from the speakers. However, in some scenes the music is mixed so dominantly that voices and sound effects get a little lost underneath. Nevertheless, it is enough overall for an absolutely satisfied: Good!

Extras: As a bonus, the DVD has a short making of (approx. 8:54 min.), a music video (approx. 2:55 min.), the trailer and a few impressions of the premiere in Berlin (approx. 2:45 Min.) in the program.

Conclusion: Keinohrhase und Zweiohrküken is a pretty cute animated film that should at least find favor with small audiences between 5 and 8 years. For humor is kept very child-friendly, the story and its moral message rather simply knitted and the animations adorable, but compared to the US competition rather simple. Even if Til Schweiger and his daughter Emma are not exactly the ideal cast as narrators, the whole thing is, on balance, a really nice children's film with some quite amusing ideas. And for this there is a deserved: Recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp