The three ??? - The secret of the ghost island
They take over every case: "The three ???" Justus (M.), Peter (r.) And Bob
Of course, I did not expect my enthusiasm for Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw and Bob Andrews to be just as big at the age of 33 as it would have been at 9, However, I did not expect to be presented with three Pimpfe on the screen, which have almost nothing to do with my idols from childhood. Justus, Peter and Bob are far too young in their first screen adventure. For me, the three guys were cool 16 at the time (and they stayed that way for 30 episodes), in the movie they are (felt) uncool 11. It does not help that they have familiar characteristics: Justus (Chancellor Miller) is the Clever head with nerve potential, Peter (Nick Price) the scaredy cat and Bob (Cameron Monaghan) the walking encyclopedia. The true "three ???" - feeling may not be in Florian Baxmeyers movie version - despite junkyard, caravan and parrot.
Nevertheless, "The Three ??? - The Secret of the Ghost Island" is not a failed movie. As a children's thriller, the story, loosely based on the Ghost Island case, works well. Unlike in the book, it takes the three detectives in the film to South Africa. There they make on invitation of Peter's father Al vacation. Soon, the three explore the Ghost Island, where Al is the rich Miss Wilbur to help build a theme park. When Miss Wilbur is attacked by a mysterious monster, the Tokolosh, the suspicion immediately falls on the native Gamba, who holds strange rituals on the island. Gamba's daughter Chris (Naima Sebe) wants to prove his innocence - and hires the detectives ...
It is amazing that "The three ???" only now found the way to the screen. After all, the first books in the US were published in the 1960s. Unfortunately, as a nostalgic I must say: the wait was not worth it. Your children will probably see it differently.
