Hundreds of Beavers

Hundreds of Beavers ist ein Low-Budget-Film, der im verschneiten Wisconsin des 19. Jahrhunderts spielt und die visuelle Ästhetik klassischer Stummfilme mit der Dynamik von Warner-Animationsgrotesken kombiniert. Dazu kommt noch etwas Videospielästhetik und all diese Stile werden zu einem großartig aufgebauten Wirbel bombastisch witziger Ideen und skurriler Situationen gemixt. Es ist eine wahre Meisterklasse im Drehbuchschreiben und insbesondere im Entwickeln, Wiederholen und Erweitern einzelner Gags, die eine derartige Originalität aufweisen wie kaum ein anderer Film seit langem. Ich erinnere mich nicht, wann ich zuletzt im Kino so herzhaft gelacht habe. Für die beiden Hauptmacher ist dies ein gewaltiger Sprung nach vorne im Vergleich zu ihrem vorherigen Lake Michigan Monster, und es ist erneut ein wunderbares Beispiel dafür, dass man mit wenig Geld viel erreichen kann, wenn man gute Ideen im Kopf hat. Einige der Ideen hier haben definitiv das Potenzial, Kultstatus zu erlangen und aus diesem kleinen Film eine sofortige Comedy-Klassiker zu machen. [Sitges 2023] (14.10.2023)

Jean Kayak is stranded in the North American wilderness and must learn to fend for himself. And even though he'll eventually turn into a courageous outdoorsman, hunting hundreds of beavers to buy his beloved a ring won't be easy. This frantic black-and-white slapstick combines the classic silent films of Charlie Chaplin and other legends with the poetics of Looney Tunes cartoons, the visual style of Karel Zeman, and the intense action of Wallace and Gromit. You've probably never seen anything like Hundreds of Beavers, and you definitely should. (17.04.2024)

I feel like a bit of an oddball for rating an obviously authentically loved by all bizarre film as low as I do, but I just don't see it there. And I've given it a chance twice! First time a couple of weeks ago, I gave up after 15 minutes, thinking it must have hit me in a bad mood. Today, the second time, I made it to the end, but no. I didn't laugh once, and I'm not even sure what I was supposed to laugh at. When you get the Teletubbies stoned and dress them in black and white, you get stoned black and white Teletubbies. They're still Teletubbies, not an independent film masterpiece. (20.04.2024)

Tasteless, infantile and almost unwatchable. The humour is in the style of Charlie Chaplin's worst work with a brain aneurysm, so if you're 10+ enjoy. It's a series of gags with no story and no wit, creativity or intelligence. It's all about beavers, sorry people dressed up as beavers and is it funny or does it lead to anything funny? It doesn't. A laughably unconvincing farce where lasting two hours was almost a superhuman feat. I was praying for Jigsaw to walk in the door and end this torture. In a sentence, black and white silent crap. I have not been as embarrassed watching a film as I was here in a long time. The film is lucky I don't give Boo! ratings and I appreciate that it must have taken quite a bit of work to create, but that's all – never fuckin more (maybe under the influence of various substances it can work). 3/10. (20.04.2024)

Hundreds of Beavers brings to mind a hyperactive kid whose foster parents were Guy Maddin, Buster Keaton and Tex Avery, but no such analogy can capture the originality and franticness of this incredible whirlwind of wacky gags, game-like mechanisms (which at times include frustrating repetition and variation) and DIY aesthetics. Every shot is a joke. Mostly hits, with occasional misses. It’s not perfect, just like the Monty Python movies aren’t perfect, but that’s also why it may just be considered a cult classic someday. 90% (05.05.2024)