Mr. Car and the Knights Templar 2023 Movie Review
Wherever there is treasure to be found, Tomasz ( Mateusz Janicki ) is not far away. The art historian loves digging into the past and finding old valuables. This time he’s on the trail of a particularly interesting treasure, he’s heard about an ancient cross that many others are also after. While searching, his path crosses with the three scouts Sokole Oko ( Olgierd Blecharz ), Wiewiora ( Kalina Kowalczuk ) and Mentorek ( Piotr Sega ). Together with them, the journalist Anka ( Sandra Drzymalska ) and Karen ( Maria Debska), another treasure hunter, he tries to find out the secret. However, he has a problem: he is a notorious loner and can’t stand having to coordinate with others…
Even if Poland is geographically close to us, we get relatively little of our neighboring country in terms of film. But fortunately there is still Netflix , which brings titles from there to us at regular intervals. It is not only the number that is pleasing, but also the diversity. Most recently, there was a love comedy with Bitterer Vodka and Sweet Kisses , which was followed by the LGBT drama Fanfic . This was followed by the action thriller Mother’s Day . So variety is guaranteed. And that goes for the newest addition, Mr. Funmobil and the Knights Templar . This time we’re dealing with an adventure comedy aimed at a younger target audience.
The story might sound familiar to some. The template is finally provided by Zbigniew Nienacki ‘s novel Pan Samochodzik i templariusze , published in 1966 and adapted in 1971. At that time a series entitled The Minicar and the Templars was created . There are also various films, after all Nienacki has written a whole series of novels about the treasure hunter Tomasz. However, the films and the books never came out with us. However, all these works are not necessary for understanding. Mr Funmobil and the Knights Templar tells of the beginnings, i.e. how the protagonist and his unusual troupe came together in the first place. In this respect, the Netflix audience can enter directly here. In fact, most won’t even realize that the film has such a long history.
Whereby the ending points out that one flirts with a whole range of films here, as I said, there are enough templates. In principle, that would not be wrong. It is well known that adventure films have become very rare in our time, the great failure of Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny does not necessarily make further films of this kind more likely. The Polish film can only be compared with this to a limited extent anyway. It’s not just that the target group is younger, it’s more aimed at children – after all, three of the main characters are children themselves. Mr Funmobil and the Knights Templar only had a fraction of the budget available. Effect battles, as they were at the end of large-scale production, are just as scarce here as elaborate chases through half the world. It’s all a tad smaller.
In and of itself, the film is quite nice. The statement that people are stronger together may not be original, but it is as relevant these days as ever. The nice thing about this is that adults still have to learn to listen to others and to trust them. If parents sit next to their offspring and look at the work together, they may also be able to take something with them. But that doesn’t get too deep. Mr. Funmobil and the Knights Templar is, according to the German title, more interested in having fun. This is there, also because of the likeable ensemble. You can pass the time with it this way, as long as you don’t have too high expectations. There is nothing more than a little distraction.
“Herr Funmobile and the Knights Templar” tells the story of a loner treasure hunter who, among other things, is looking for an antique cross with three children. The adaptation of the novel is quite nice, especially since there are hardly any adventure films like this nowadays. But you shouldn’t expect too much from the family film, the money wasn’t enough for more.
