The Wedding - Blu-ray

Content: The three friends Thomas (Til Schweiger), Nils (Samuel Finzi) and Andreas (Milan Peschel) have more or less survived the events surrounding their class reunion. While Nils' marriage is hurtling towards a deep abyss due to an affair with his wife Jettes, Andreas is looking for new happiness in love after his breakup with Tanja - and he doesn't miss a beat. Thomas, on the other hand, is on cloud nine - at least in his private life. Although the DJ is having a hard time with the critics tearing his new album to shreds, he now wants to concentrate fully on his upcoming wedding to Linda (Stefanie Stappenbeck). But then a friend (Thomas Heinze) of the trio - and of all things Jette's affair - passes away and the three friends have to attend his funeral. And as chaos once again follows them at every turn, the likelihood of Thomas making it down the aisle in time recedes into the distant future.

"The Wedding" is the sequel to the comedy "Class Reunion 1.0" and once again an adaptation of a hit Danish comedy that Til Schweiger has adapted in his own unique style. And as we all know, this is exactly where opinions differ. The fact is that Til Schweiger, unlike his character Thomas, who whines in the face of criticism that he has simply evolved artistically, clings firmly to the style established since "Keinohrhasen". This is already clear from the film posters, which are all designed in a similar way. His fans won't mind, and his critics will be pleased, as they once again have a reason to slate him.

While it's just as unfair to judge a film negatively from the outset simply because it's a Til Schweiger film as it is Schweiger's constant rants at critics. This muddled starting point doesn't exactly make it easy to objectively judge a film like "The Wedding". Nevertheless, this will be attempted at this point. One thing is clear: Til Schweiger is not trying to win new fans with this film, but rather to offer two entertaining hours to loyal fans. Who had fun at the "Klassentreffen 1.0", which comes here again at his expense. However, the title of the film is chosen a bit unfortunate. For a comedy called "The Wedding" not only suggests that the dramaturgical focus is on these celebrations (which it isn't), but also that romance plays a major role (it doesn't).

Besides that, the comedy is very well cast and at times quite charmingly realized. Sure, not every gag hits the mark and the slightly too long film could have done without some of the too quick cuts and too obvious product placements. But if you just want to switch off for two hours and laugh about how three aging gentlemen fall into every amorous trap, no matter how small, leaving complete chaos everywhere they go - whether it's speed dating, a funeral or a club - you're absolutely right here. Therefore, for fans of "Class Reunion 1.0" and other Til Schweiger comedies, it's worth seeing!

Image + Sound: The now unmistakable "Til Schweiger look" with its striking color scheme comes through well on the Blu-ray. The overall sharpness and contrast are also convincing. When it comes to the sound, the dialogue and the soundtrack with German classics like "Ohne Dich (schlaf ich heut nacht nicht ein)" or "Jenseits von Eden" set the tone. A few minor sound effects, however, ensure that the DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 can also play to its potential well here and there. Good!

Extras: There really isn't much here, unfortunately: in addition to the trailer, the Blu-ray offers four short featurettes (The Story, Mini-Making of, The Men, The Women) that have a total running time of just under 8 minutes. Of course, that's far too little to really get an insight into the making of the film. Especially compared to previous Schweiger films, which often still had team films, longer making ofs or audio commentaries to offer, this offering is really weak.

Conclusion: "The Wedding" continues the story of the friends from "Reunion 1.0" consistently. Who already had fun with the predecessor, which is again very well entertained. Technically, the Blu-ray can convince, but the bonus material is very meager. For fans of the comedies of Til Schweiger quite recommendable, even if something more romance a la "Keinohrhasen" would have done the whole thing good.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp