Flåklypa Grand Prix is the biggest selling and most watched film of all time in its homeland of Norway. In fact, its ticket sales in Norway is greater than the population of Norway: which should tell you a lot. It is a cultural phenomenon in Norway that is just as popular 30 years after its arrival, which was proved by the video game based on the film that became the biggest selling video game of all time in Norway: 25 years after the films debut. OK, enough "Hype and Wonderment", lets talk about the movie.
Set in rural Norway in the mid 20th century, it tells the tale of a bicycle mechanic and his friends who wind up entering a car race with a homemade automobile. It is a story of wonder, adventure, charm, "getting by against the odds" and most of all friendship. It is a family film, enjoyed equally by teens, young-lings and adults alike. The humor is accessible to all ages and types of people, and the emotions that emanate from the screen are always moving the story forward and deepening your involvement about the characters and their environment. It is quite simply, an outstanding film, that should not be missed.
To balance my obvious admiration for this piece of work, I will now look on the flip side of this shining coin. Firstly, the film does stereotype slightly, and does so from a 1970 point of view. This makes some characters and jokes seem outdated and "inappropriate" nowadays. However, this is a minor flaw from which most all films of age suffer. The second and final "critisism" is this question: why was a (proper) sequel never made???
This film has had influence on Hollywood without the major public knowing about it. From Back to the Future to Star Wars Episode I, which pod racing scene is almost an exact copy from Flåklypa Grand Prix. If you are an avid film enthusiast and want to have light bulbs appear over your head in regards to finding our where things came from in some major Hollywood productions, then you should watch this film.
What more can I say but go and see it :)
