Buba
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Action-comedy prequel has violence, drugs, language.
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Buba
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What's the Story?
In BUBA, Jakob (Bjarne Mädel) is a small-time con artist, pulling scams with his brother Dante (Georg Friedrich). After pulling a scam in which Jakob and Dante extort money from a driver after Jakob deliberately gets hit by the driver's car, the driver enlists members of the local mafia to help him get his money back from Jakob and Dante. Unaware that there's now a local mafia in their town, Dante convinces Jakob to meet the mob and offer their services as a way for them to finally live their dream of going to Disneyland. The mafia, rumored to be Albanian, is led by Doro, who hires them to make collections from the local businesses. Meanwhile, Jakob has reunited with Jule, who was there when Jakob had his greatest moment of triumph: winning a breakdance contest and beating the then-unknown Leonardo DiCaprio. Jule now owns and operates a tattoo shop, and as Jakob starts getting tattoos as a way to reconnect with his "first love," he also begins to learn the truth about the mob in his town and the extent to which Dante has manipulated him over the years. Jakob must find a way to survive all the betrayals and make sense of what's happening in his new professional and personal lives.
Is It Any Good?
This is a fairly typical action noir comedy in the tradition of Guy Ritchie movies. Buba is a German movie, a prequel to the TV series How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) that can be enjoyed without being familiar with that show. The constant twists and turns can get to be a bit much, but these plots and subplots and double-and triple-crosses are more or less worth it.
As the titular character, Bjärne Madel keeps it engaging enough in his portrayal of this lovably unlovable loser with a warped interpretation of what karma means. The quirkiness and smart dialogue of most of the other characters is to be expected, and it's frustrating that the movie doesn't really bring anything new to those not versed in How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast). That said, the quality in the acting and direction is there, and the final scenes where it all comes together feel like some kind of impossibly executed performance in gymnastics.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about noir action comedies like Buba. How is this similar to and different from other noir action comedies you've seen?
How does the movie explore the idea of karma and Buba's strange interpretation of what it means?
Was the violence necessary, or did it seem excessive? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 3, 2022
- Cast: Bjarne Mädel , Georg Friedrich , Anita Vulesica
- Director: Arne Feldhusen
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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