Kleister-Meister "Strings" is both ordinary and original. First the bad things about the movie: The story is old and had been used too many times before. It's the well-known "king dies, brother is evil, son has to be the hero"-plot. Besides the dialogs are so terribly dorky and ridiculous. Now the good things: The strings of the puppets are included in the world and in the plot of the movie, which gives the film a clever and remarkable touch. Furthermore the plot contains some unexpected twists, which improve the otherwise boring story. Some well directed fighting scenes at the end of the movie give the movie the style, which it needs to be be unique. All these elements manage to keep the movie above the average and let the movie get better the longer it lasts.One thing is clear: The movie wouldn't work even half as well without the idea of including the strings and puppets as it finally does. Still the wannabe dramatic dialogs and the too often used story keep the movie far away from being called a masterpiece.

poe426 When I was a kid, I played with dolls (or "Action figures!" as JIMMY NEUTRON's buddy Sheen Estevez would scream). G.I. Joe was there, and Johnny West; Captain Action; whoever I could get my hands on; and I would act out my own story lines. I'd read enough comic books and classic adventure tales (not to mention mythology) and seen more than enough episodes of SUPERMAN and THE LONE RANGER and THE GREEN HORNET and CAPTAIN SCARLET by then to know how to tell my own tales. And I did. When times were tight, I made do by cutting out comic book panels and making my own paper dolls (THOR, SUPERMAN, BATMAN, etc.). What I'm getting at here is this: my drive to tell stories was very strong. Nothing could stop me. Nor was I alone. Years later, on Public Access shows, I would see guys, in their twenties, apparently driven by this selfsame desire, go so far as to videotape themselves literally playing with toy soldiers (whose various voices they provided) (and the "speaker" was literally pointed out as he "spoke"). The makers of STRINGS seem to have had everything they needed to tell a compelling story... and instead chose a clichéd hodgepodge that bored the daylights out of me. Give this one a pass.

poison_visions The whole concept of strings interested me from the start, I'll admit i have a strange fascination with puppets anyway from somewhere unknown, i think probably Fraggle rock and that sort of thing which was re-established when i saw 'being john Malkovich' with the beautifully worked string puppets.but anyway the whole concept of the strings being part of the puppet i found really enthralling, like they weren't quite in control of their own movements as we feel we aren't. the mystical scenes of the sky with strings in looked awesome.the opening scene really captures your attention and you feel so much empathy towards the king that you forget he is a piece of wood and treat him as human from the start.i was really intrigued with the explanations of birth and death and think they really added to make the universe seem believable.on the whole the story was kind of predictable but in a classical fantasy way really worked in the new context. the design of all the surroundings was breathtaking, i think this would be great for kids also, despite the lack of happiness within the story

Ulrik Oldenburg This movie, is one of those, you must NOT miss, if you appreciate wonderful pictures and a beautiful atmosphere. The scenes and environment was what hooked me. One glance at the backgrounds and the detail level is enough to make you beg for more. The story is okay, it is not fantastic, but I think it's well told. The concept of this movie is fully thought through bit for bit, it is revealing the ground rules for a world, where everyone is bound by strings, like a little world inside a box, but still it's a whole new gigantic world like on another planet. The sound and sound score is perfect, it gives this film, the last bit of atmosphere. It has already become one of my favourites, and there is no film like this one out there.