EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

schauspieler88 This is by far the best German film I have ever seen, and it is most definitely one of the funniest I've ever seen in my entire life. The comedic timing with Abahachi and Ranger were perfect, and Winnietouch added even more of a twist and even more laughs - being a gay Indian. This movie was meant to bash a German writer back in (I'm not sure) the late 1800's who wrote about the American Wild West, even though he had never been there. So of course, his stories were ridiculous and often hard to believe. "Der Schuh des Manitu" embodies everything a spoof should be, with love affairs, gay Indians, misunderstandings, random happenings, and, of course, a truly spectacular cast! I hope this encourages everyone who reads this to definitely check out this movie, because it's definitely worth it!!

Martin Brylka I saw this movie back in 2001 when it came to cinemas in Germany, and it's pure fun to watch. The writer/director/leading actor, Michael "Bully" Herbig is a very famous comedian in Germany and a devoted fan of Karl May and his most famous creation, Winnetou, Chief of the Mescaleros. His early childhood memories are linked to the movies of Winnetou, starring Lex Barker and Pierre Brice, so he wanted to honor his childhood heroes by doing a parodist version of Winnetou. The movie is about Abahachi, Chief of the Apaches, and his friend Ranger, a greenhorn from the south (he speaks with a Bavarian accent). When they get into trouble with another tribe, they need the help of some friends of Abahachi like Dimitri, an orphan raised by the Apaches; Uschi, a half-breed who became a famous singer in saloons; and Abahachi's gay twin, Winnetouch, to discover a mystical treasure. Their foe is Santa Maria, an evil real estate agent who tries to steal the treasure. There's plenty of singing and dancing, as Bully also likes Musical films, lots of pop culture references (e.g. Dimiti's suicide-committing donkey, which is named "Apollo 13") and also a great love story. I recommend this movie to everyone who's devoted to the West - for this is how it might have also been...

me-364 a German movie? made by one of the most famous German comedians? about the American natives? in the year of 1862?that could'nt be serious!YES! ...and you must see it twice to catch all the jokes.the movie is joking around the apache "apahache" and his homosexual brother "winnitach". together with his white friend ", he's hunting for a treasure to use the money for opening a bar in the prairie. many intellectual site-kicks and very very German humor, are forming a professional made comedy. but it's important to speak the German language PERFECT, because some jokes only work in it's specific German dialect. but then it's a MUST SEE!

Karl Self The production values are OK, the cinematography, SFx, costumes, set design etc. are remarkably good (for a comedy) and the acting is OK, but personally I would rather not dwell on the fact that this was the commercially most successful German movie ever. In fact, the good visuals expose the script as rather lame -- jokes that work well in the "trashier" environment of Michael Herbig's TV show ("Bully Parade") come across as a bit lackluster (viz, not all that funny) in this feature-length movie (most of the characters and jokes have essentially been copied-and-pasted from the TV show, in case you haven't had a chance to see it).So what about the tremendous box office success? I have a theory which sadly exposes the cinema audience as a rather unadventurous lot: the movie reaped its accolades not on account of the movie being so insanely great, but because it dependably serves the jokes from the TV show in a larger format; plus it has a low common denominator, meaning that you can take your mates, your girl friend or your nephews to see it, and at least none of them will be terribly disappointed. It's a bit like going to McDonalds, no-one would claim that the food is so exceptionally tasty there, but at least you know what you are going to get.Overall the movie is bearable time waster if you get to see it for free on TV, nothing more -- it's like watching a Bud Spencer movie, good for a few chuckles. Foreigners: for the love of God, please don't mistake this for the "crème de la crème" of German comedy!