“Mr. Clack's Academy” hits theaters for good on Friday. Although it has already broken the bank, unfortunately it is not a successful film. There is no magic, joy, emotions and… a good script. What should our dream “klex” be like? We decided to collect five films (family, adventure, fantasy) that became a source of inspiration for creators. And so far nothing is lost, because the second part of “Academy” is waiting for us.
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Warning: Spoilers for the new “Mr. Clex Academy”!
new “Mr. Clex's Academy” is a director Maciej Kavulski and script written by Krzysztof Gurecny and Agnieszka Crook Released in Polish cinemas on Friday 5th January. Previously, a new adaptation of Jan Brzechwa's novel (following the second cult version with Piotr Fronczewski in 1983) was seen at premieres.
It was enough to break the audience record. About the movie Ambrose Clex Watch it so far 438 thousand viewers. in history Polish box office There was no case of a film breaking at the box office… until its premiere.
However, the new “Clex” is not a faithful adaptation of the 1946 book. The screenwriters have created a completely new story, so we will not see the same plot as in the 40-year-old film. They also decided to significantly modernize it.
Ada Niezgodka (Antonina Litviniak) replaced Adaś. The girl lives with her mother in New York and misses her missing father. One day he goes to an academy in the world of fairy tales run by Professor Clex (Tomas Kot) and personally… his uncle. Together with other children from all over the world, he will have to face a danger: the wolves under their leadership Danuta Stenka and Daniel Valasek They are preparing an attack on the school and their target will be the bird Matthews (Sebastian Stankevich).
Unfortunately, this outline of history was not enough to turn “Mr. Clex's Academy” into a real spectacle. The film has a very bad rating. The script, the editing and the lack of emotion and magic, which should be more than enough in a film about the world of fairy tales, are criticized. Some, including We in our reviewThey also compared production More for a music video than a movie.
“Klex” in Kaulsky's version, who was previously a strong gangster and sports movie creator (“Underdog”, “How I Became a Gangster”, “How I Loved a Gangster”) is also just. boring: Nothing happens at school until the wolves attack, which is also a dud. Also, Mr. Clex is a passive eccentric who needs to be saved by the kids, and Tomasz Kot just has no acting sense.
Although the film is impressive in terms of its production, however… only at first glance. “The photos seem beautiful, but… it's a matter of taste. The colors are so bright that they smell kitsch, and the special effects are clumsy and reminiscent of decades ago. I don't know if it's on purpose or the low budget. (…) Yes, the movie looks good, but… for Poland. Such grandeur on the Vistula River is stunning, but when we look closer, we will see that the whole created world is more like a TV production, a little October (…)” – we wrote “Mr. Clex's Academy” review.
Five movies are better than the new Mr. Clax Academy. This is an adventure and fantasy movie for the whole family
“Mr. Clex's Academy” is a film for children and… only for them. Kaulski failed to make a family film that would please both young and old. After the trailer, we believed it would be a second Disney for everyone, but we got a beautiful shell that will delight and excite children. The rest is nothing to look for here, the fairy tale is empty,” we concluded.
Will “Mr. Clex's Academy” really make kids happy? Lets see. However, there are movies that surprise everyone. They are full of magic, fantasy and adventure, attractive, emotional, heartwarming for adults and children. After the trailers, it seemed that “Mr. Clex's Academy” would be like this, but unfortunately, it didn't work out.
We chose five movies – fantasy, adventure, family – this In their genre, they are better than the new “Klek”. Of course, this is basically a Hollywood production with a big budget, but It is not about comparison (which would be pointless), but about the atmosphere and the atmospherewhich Maciej Kavulski has to find. This is a production that excites and pulls you into the world where “Mr. Clex's Academy” has fallen.
1. Harry Potter series (2001-2011)
That's what most of the Internet users called “Polish Harry Potter” before the premiere of the new “Klex”. nothing unusual Harry Potter moviesOf which a total of eight were made, it is a model and inspiration for all creators who create fantasy and adventure films aimed at families.
I wanted the academy in Kaulski's film to be as magical as Hogwarts (especially the one where “philosopher's stone” and “Chamber of Secrets”) and yes, it was clearly modeled on it, but it's still just a building in which many elements just don't make sense. On the other hand, the Wolves attack could have been a little more memorable Defending Hogwarts in “Deathly Hallows: Part II” (of course more budget), but ended up talking to… ada attackers. It's sad.
2. Wonka (2023)
We choose them “wonka”In this case, though, it's on par with the earlier films Willy Wonkathe hero of the novel Roald Dahl:”“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971) and “Harley and the Chocolate Factory” (2005). “Wonka,” like “Clex” in 2023, is a brand new take on the classic and was successful because the director Paul KingThe creator of Paddington and the excellent Paddington 2 has done it with sensitivity and taste.
2023 movie Timothée Chalamet As a young chocolatier, he is the perfect example of how to make a fantastic film for parents and children, because it has everything: adventure, magic, humor, tears, accurate observations of modern times and complex supporting characters who are not in the background – and unfortunately they are Other students from “Mr. Clex's Academy.
But first of all Ambroży Kleks should be written like Willy Wonka – Will it be in the version or not? Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp or Chalamet. Eccentric, weird, slightly… psychotic, who has real agency and isn't just a paper attraction like Clex in Maciej Kaulski's movie, with wolves locking him in a cage and… that's it.
3. The Neverending Story (1984)
“The Continuing Story” is already a classic. German, English-language film by the director Wolfgang Petersen Based on Michael Ende's 1979 fantasy novel The Neverending Story, the story follows a boy, Bastian, who, like Ada Niezgodka, enters a fantasy world.
Why would the creators of a 21st-century modern “Mr. Clack's Academy” with outdated special effects be inspired by a 1984 film? Because of the scene that traumatized the next generations, ie The death of Artax's horse, drowning in the swamps of grief.
It's an emotional, thrilling moment that spills the beans, but it's a similar scene in the new “Mr. Clex's Academy.” In Kaulski's film, Ada's friend Albert drowns. The scene on the frozen lake can really excite the kids (thankfully, Albert returns after the credits), but many more informed viewers will feel…nothing.
why Albert, like the other characters, is not developed at all, so he is indifferent to us. In addition, the scene in “Kleks” is too long, kitschy and too complicated. It's more annoying than heartbreaking.
4. Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Just like with the new Mr. Clacks Academy, viewers turned up their noses. “Mary Poppins Returns”. Why upgrade the classics? Is this a simple money grab? After all, we already have a following “Mary Poppins” from 1964 With the fantastic Julie Andrews.
from the movie Emily Blunt As The Magical Nanny With An Umbrella, however, it succeeds (albeit weaker than its predecessor) and, like Wonka, shows that it's possible to update audience-favorite films with heart and sensitivity. There were magical, catchy songs, funny gags, and the story made sense and meshed well with the 1960s version. “Mary Poppins Returns” also proved its main character: charismatic, mysterious and complex. Unfortunately, all this was missing in the new “Klek”.
5. Mr. Clax's Academy (1983)
surprised? Probably because the 80s from “Mr. Clex's Academy” are already a bit of a mess. He scared the children Wolves march and Barber PhilipIt was psychedelic and has a (now clear) pedophilic tone. An eccentric old boy gathers little boys in one building and then watches them with strange expressions as they swim naked in a pool under a rain tree? Does she keep her secrets in the attic? It won't work today.
However, “Mr. Clex's Academy” somehow became a cult classic. Firstly, Mr. Clex was such a brilliantly written and acted character that… He will always have the face of Piotr Fronczewski, even if Tomasz Kot doubles and triples (And he does what he can in the movie).
movie Krzysztof Gradowski It has magic, mystery and adventure (and real running, not electronic!), it stirs emotions, inspires and scares. And although such a production could no longer be made today, it still shows how to make a movie with soul. Unfortunately, the new “Academy” is empty and lacking in spirit. I hope the second part with Janusz Chabior as Filip Golar will be better…fingers crossed.