twolfaith Review of Emil and the Detectives

Emil and the Detectives (1964)

An Underrated Disney Film That's More Enjoyable Than You Think

[7/10 · 24 July 2023]

"Emil and the Detectives" follows a young boy called, appropriately enough, Emil Tischbein, who's on his way to Berlin to see his grandmother with 400 marks in his pocket. However, on the bus to Berlin, Emil's money is stolen from a pick pocketer and Emil is determined to catch the crook with the help of some young detectives. But the group come across something that's bigger than just 400 marks. This movie is not a masterpiece by any means, nor would I call it a great film, but with the state that the Disney company is in right now, it's way more entertaining than I thought it was gonna be. The main characters (mostly being children) are surprisingly very talented, especially Emil himself and the leader of the detectives, Gustav. They're never too annoying and feel like real kids. Also, while the villains are your typical bank robber types, they are still better than the forceful, sympathetic Disney villains we get these days. The music is also surprisingly very memorable in this film, from going from kid-friendly fun sounding to mysterious sounding, if that makes any sense. Overall, the film isn't great but I definitely think it's worth checking out.