I went to see Krabat in the local cinema last week. Having read the book almost over 10 years ago and only vaguely remembering the details of the story I was curious about that film. Especially when noting that this was a german film production. Which, by the way - you wouldn't have notived, weren't it for the almost boring starting title, that displayed all legal Information about who gave money to support that film in the making in the beginning... Plain white text centered on black background. The rest of the film was stunningly well done.
It is not at all cheesy or goofy. I found the screenplay well written, the acting was impressive, and the plot that keeps you engaged. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a change of pace from American fantasy flicks. A real good story and film all in all. Camera and all technicalities were perfectly played and created.
The basic story takes place at the end of the 30 years war in Germany. It focuses on a young orphan named Krabat. I won't give any more details, except to say that it's an interesting twist on the idea of magic. In a nutshell - the film is not what is in the book, but it is a wonderful and greatly done dark movie, you should see.