No one said it was going to be historically accurate. It's a fictional story about six fictional people.I was immediately drawn in by the characters of Tim and Hotte. Even though they were known for committing petty criminal acts, I found myself sympathizing with them almost immediately. I'd seen Martin Feifel in "Rosenstrasse," and to see him as Hotte, the legless activist, was really powerful. Til Schweiger also delivered quite a compelling performance. It was evident throughout the movie that he really was an idealist, completely convinced of his beliefs.Yes, building a bomb to blow up the proof that you'd built a bomb might be a little far-fetched, but as Maiky (Sebastian Blomberg) says, it's the absolute sickest idea I've ever heard...but I love sick ideas.

OK. I just watched this film and, while it was an exciting action picture, it was horribly inaccurate. So bad in fact it was inexcusable. Had Hollywood turned out this crock, I could have forgiven them, but this was a German production and I expected a lot more from them.I lived in Berlin for most of the Eighties. Part of that time was spent in Kreutzberg, among the Anarchists. I knew many of them and even took part in some of their demos. I could write volumes on how these people think and act and, believe me, it was nothing like this movie depicted.In the movie, the characters were too clean and smart. Also they were all straight and the girls were pretty. And they were quite capable of launching a James Bond style breaking to a top security police fortress.In reality they were dirty, burnt-out looking, as often as not gay/lesbian and didn't mind flirting it. Many were drug users, came from broken homes, were sexually abused as kids, and had the organizing skills of Beavis and Butthead. If the girls were half way decent looking, they were probably prostituting themselves or working in strip shows to make a living. Nearly all of them were on welfare. Not to mention the frequent riots and vandalism that came with the lifestyle. Certainly nothing like the happy-go-lucky characters the movie depicts.I never ever heard of any Anarchists moving out and becoming Yuppies. Not even in the Nineties. Usually they just stayed in place until they were forced out of their squats and into concrete block neighborhoods in East Berlin.Also the police are not that stupid. Nobody ever broke into Tempelhof and stole the riot trucks or blew up the archives. Get real! This stuff never happened and should not be depicted as though it did. The worst part of it for me is that back then, the media depicted the Anarchists as the lowest trash who should be locked up immediately or disposed of by any means necessary. Now they are cashing in on them by making action movies with sexy Anarchist good guys.It's as if, 10 years from now, Hollywood made an action movie featuring Osama Bin Laden and his Mujahadeen as the good guys and put Michelle Yeoh in as the female lead. That bad! Enjoy this movie but History it ain't!

This is a touching movie about a group of young, idealist anarchists who lose their beliefs and their friendships and become what they never expected. In being a slightly older than young idealist/activist myself I found this film very moving. But I think it can appeal to anyone who has had close friendships, only to see them pulled apart by approaching adulthood, social responsibilities, or changes in values. The film actually portrays these young punks in a convincing way unlike many other movies I've seen in which underground or subversive groups are shown in the most basest of stereotypes. The characters' background story or former look is not the focus though, so it does rush through that time rather quickly. The main draw in the film is the amazing job it does showing all of the reasons for the group's disbanding. You sympathize with each of the characters and can understand each of their reasons for choosing their current lifestyles. The plot is solid, the characters engaging, and the dialogue can be quite funny. This is the kind of film that has you laughing, crying and cheering all in a span of 2 hrs. Highly recommended.

Well acted and sharply filmed, "What to Do in Case of Fire" showcases six radical German protesters from the Eighties, four of whom have taken on Yuppie identities. Two, one whose legs were cut off by a police vehicle during a demonstration, and his buddy, an unreconstructed rebel a la Berlin variety, still hope for Der Tag (whatever that might be).This gang formerly used film to spread their message, insidiously splicing their propaganda takes into innocuous reels. A police raid results in the seizure of many reels of film which will implicate the six for their acts many years early. So what we have (predictably: no spoilers here) is a caper film, mostly comedy but with the requisite bitter dollop of drama - lost love as well as legs) in which the reunited sextet tries to figure out a way to get or destroy the films before the police have a sachertorte und popcorn screening.There are both funny and sad moments in this American-produced film. The acting is fresh while the underlying story is not exactly original. But...the German radicals of the Seventies and later weren't funny. They killed and destroyed. They didn't project, I'm sure, the endearing qualities of our cohort of six including a got-rich-in-the-market ad exec who boasts of a Manhattan pad and wears an "I Love Bill Gates" shirt.So a viewer has to put aside sensibilities and fears about the terrorism that is a constant part of our lives to enjoy this film. Okay, I did laugh a bit but I was uneasy as the group sought a solution that in real life could only result in bad things happening to many people. Slaptstick humor and terrorism? Belief really needs to be suspended.All that said, as film "What to Do in Case of Fire" hangs together and will be enjoyable for many.6/10. Available for rental on DVD.