Director: Tim Dünschede
Release date: 2023
Contains spoilers
In English, The Three Investigators – Heir of the Dragon, this is a kids’ film about three young amateur detectives from Rocky Beach California and based on the long running American book series. This is based on the German editions and therefore Jupiter Jones was renamed Justus Jonas (Julius Weckauf), Peter Crenshaw was renamed Peter Shaw (Nevio Wendt), with only Bob Andrews (Levi Brandl) retaining his original series name.
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| The Three Investigators |
At the head of the film, it is the day before the boys take a trip to Transylvania. Justus is helping his uncle Titus (Florian Lukas) and his Aunt Mathilda (Jördis Triebel) wants him to get her actor Steven Yates (Gedeon Burkhard) autograph whilst over there. Bob is working as a library assistant and is given a go-pro by librarian Miss Bennett (Dela Dabulamanzi) for his trip – she got it from lost and found. Finally Peter is at a race but his father (Mark Waschke) is a no-show to watch it, that is because he is busy making finishing touches for the trip – they are interning with him whilst he does sfx on a horror film. Peter sees the end of a video call where a hysterical maid, at the castle, is screaming about Vlad.
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| acting the vampire |
The Vlad they mention is, of course, Vlad Ţepeş and we get a little history about Draculea but mostly it is fictionalised, talking about a maid he fell in love with and the tomb he made for her that myth suggests contains his treasure – which is a blood red ruby. The movie being filmed is a vampire movie (indeed a Dracula one). When the film crew are welcomed by the Countess (Gudrun Landgrebe) the lights blow and she explains that the castle is old but caretaker Repta (Valentin Popescu) does his best to keep it going – Peter comments that the man is pale as a vampire. There is a commotion when the maid leaves the castle screaming about a family curse.
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| Mark Waschke as the dad |
So, there is a curse, a fear of vampires/Dracula, a hidden treasure and then the mystery of the Countess’ brother vanishing in the 1950s when being forced to stay in the castle crypt overnight as part of being initiated into a Vlad obsessed secret society (and heirs, one guesses, to the Order of the Dragon). However, there are tensions between Peter and his father, which lead to tensions amongst the investigators themselves. This main mystery has a genre interest due to Vlad Ţepeş and a belief in vampires (mostly on Peter’s part and, of course, the departed maid). Beyond this we get acting as a vampire, with Steven Yates playing the vampire in the film, with a classic look bedroom scene and a stabbing a cross with sword, causing it to bleed, scene lifted, of course, from Dracula (1992).
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| Vlad and his dead bride |
The film itself is ok. It is a kids’ movie and so peril is mild, and the young actors hold their own and manage to stay on the right side of the annoying line. However, it doesn’t do anything overly special either. Maybe one for die hard fans of the books, but certainly one for German speaking kids who like detective flicks. Perhaps not so much for those who fall outside of those categories. But it is perfectly competent. 5 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
On Blu-Ray @ Amazon UK
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