Rating: 
Summary: Watch out for the doctor
Review: Good idea, but somehow the film doesn't get under your skin. It's nice enough to watch it once but it doesn't haunt you - well, with one exception: Gretchens plastinated body did shake me. But then, it's all been here before in "Waxworks" and other oldies, and the bad, bad doctors aren't exactly new villains. So, if there's absolutley nothing on the telly one evening and all your friends are out, it may be allright. Otherwise not.
Rating: 
Summary: Unpretentious, old-fashioned "Halloween"-style horror fun
Review: I enjoyed this, i'm not afraid to say. After the Scream-trilogy and all those "in-jokes", it is almost refreshing to watch a horrorfilm that pretends "Halloween" was made last year and "Scream" never existed. "Anatomie" plays it's cards totally straight (thank god!!) and you know all the way how the plot is going to unfold. After the stylish opening credits, we are immediately thrown into some (obviously fake) dissections of living humans (nothing too messy, but scary enough). The heroine is introduced and we know right from the beginning she will be alright at the end of the movie. The same can not be said for her female friend who has a healthy appetite for sex and, accordingly, heads for certain death (Anita Loos makes the most of her part with a very vigorous performance). All nasty things happening are hung onto some conspiracy plotline (secret ceremonies by candlelight is also thrown into the stew) and keeps the viewer watching, even if the interest flags sometimes. We have a final confrontation that's really quite suspenseful, adequate performances that play it straight, terrible dubbing (you will warm up to it as I did) and a final twist (although a minor one). Almost old-fashioned horror (70's - 80's style) by and for people who knows the horror-slasher genre. Competent all the way!
Rating: 
Summary: Medical Horror Makes A Comeback
Review: I had long ago given up on the medical horror genre,not since seeing "Dr. Butcher M.D." a low budget film from the early eighties have I seen a truly scary foreign horror movie with a great cast. Franka Potente "Run Lola Run" heads an excellent cast in what I consider a first-rate thriller. Also,the D.V.D. has a lot of nice features that I did not expect for a foreign production.You will want to watch this disc over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: AHHH SWEET SUCCESS
Review: I saw this movie at the Cleveland Film Festival.. and i only saw it because i am a huge fan of Franka's ever since i saw Lola Rennt at the Cleveland film festival also.... this movie was everything that i expected it to be and more.. it kept me on my seat, and the acting was wonderful!!MUST BUY!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A FUN HORROR FLICK WITH A FOREIGN TWIST
Review: I saw this movie solely because it is one of the few movies you can get in America that stars Franka Potente, best known from "Run Lola Run," and it turned out to be a good movie too. Franka Potente is perfect in her role as the somewhat reserved heroine who uncovers an evil scheme in the prestigious medical university in Heidelburg. It was great seeing a foreign horror movie after seeing so many American ones. "Anatomy" is scary because it doesn't use a recycled plot and the movie really makes you wonder about medical science. It's not from Tom Tykwer, director of "Lola," and it doesn't have that post-modern feel, but it's still definitely worth seeing this good, solid horror flick.
Rating:
Summary: German thriller treads too closely in American footsteps
Review: If you're as fed up with mainstream American horror as I am, you can do a lot worse than "Anatomy" as an evening's entertainment. But then again, you can do a whole lot better. It was refreshing to see sprightly young Franka Potente ("Run Lola Run") as the intelligent, virginal female protagonist, but other than her presence, this movie doesn't have a whole lot going for it. Potente plays Paula, a student headed off to a prestigious medical school to study anatomy, and no sooner does she arrive than fellow students start getting knocked off (surprise, surprise). The movie indulges too much in obnoxious college stereotypes (the hunk, the shy guy, the creepy guy, the slut) for me to enjoy it, although the subsequent live human dissections are impressive, effects-wise. The dubbing is a hoot, and probably the film's strongest virtue. Unfortunately, despite "Anatomy"'s foreign roots, it's as derivatively American as "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer," what with its dim-bulb college students, the emphasis on said students wanting to get laid, and relatively conservative gore factor. On top of that, we get an unspectacular, sketchily-drawn murderer who spends most of the movie shuffled in the background. If you're looking for true foreign horror, go with something by Argento or Fulci. "Anatomy" is an admirable attempt that tries too hard to be mainstream, but is worth seeing on the basis of Potente, an actress who--with the right script--can leave you spellbound.
Rating:
Summary: bring on the subtitles
Review: It would make a better rent than purchase, but well worth it. I'll spare the details of the story (there is enough in the other reviews), only to say it's creepy, well done, and not entirely implausible. Humans have played guinea pigs for scientists enough times to make you feel squirmy when watching this movie. I didn't mind the subtitles at all and the German language adds a nice proto-fascist creep factor.
Rating:
Summary: DEEPER THAN SKIN
Review: On the surface, this German thriller is a typical slasher flick with fancy camera work and some solid acting by its youthful cast. But, if we dissect this movie, it's stuffed with all kinds of implications about the medical establishment, the university systems, secret societies, and racial supremacy. It's no coincidence that the most physically fit of the students is one of the villains --and trust me, I'm not giving the plot away--, he is the one who is worshipped for his hard muscles, etc., and even gets a kiss on the butt by one of his girlfriends. Watching this movie as a foreign Psycho of sorts is okay; but the real enjoyment comes from deciphering the symbolism, which is aplenty. I'm not particularly fond of gore, but this film transcends that. It's surprisingly restrained--which is another reason why I think that the real story (or message)of this import is under the skin. The adage "more than meets the eye" is quite appropriate for this film.
Rating:
Summary: Flesh And Bone
Review: The 2000 German thriller Anatomy, is a solid film, that overcomes a few problems, and will leave you satisfied in the end. Paula Henning (Franka Potente) is a gifted medical student, who is accepted into a prestigious anatomy program. Very few students get this far and it seems like a dream come true. Paula plans to make the most of her oportunity and is eager to stand out. But her ideal school days soon turn into a nightmare when she uncovers the horrifying activities of an ancient secret society, whose members perform grisly experiments on human subjects, while they are still alive. Written and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, Anatomy borrows elements from some recent American horror films (or is it the other way around) to tell its gruesome tale. Its cast is populated mostly with young fresh faced actors that look good on camera. Potente doesn't let the typical conventions of the story get in the way of another fine performance, equaling that of her turn in Run Lola, Run. Ruzowitzky makes sure to have just enough excitement and gore to make forget about any story issues.
Most of the main DVD extras are presented in German with English subtitles but don't let that prevent you from taking a look at them. The audio commentary by director Ruzowitzky, showcases a filmmaker with a real zest for the process itself. Its obvious that he believes in his film very much--and isn't shy about it. There are 2 featurettes. A standard "making of" piece and a far more interesting look at the make up effects. There's also a few storyboard comparisons, and 2 deleted scenes, with commentary from the director, to study as well. A music video entitled "My Truth" by Anna Loos, who also appears as "Gretchen" in the film, tops off the video/audio extras. Rounding out the other stuff are the usual TV spots/theatrical trailers, talent files, and a seies of production photos. Anatomy is not a bad little thriller from Germany, that deserves a look, since it got very little play in the states and despite a few story hurdles. *** and a half stars
Rating:
Summary: Franka proves again what an excellent actress she is
Review: The majority of people who will see this are probably those seeking out Franka Potente movies (the star of Run Lola Run) and by no means is Anatomy a complete waste. In fact, it's actually pretty good. It's just not good. The story has Paula (Potente) attending a top university to study anatomy, but soon discovers that illegal operations are going on there where innocent people are killed in the name of medical research. What's really good about this movie is that there are several moments which will actually make you go 'eurghhhh', all of which are nicely set up, especially a horrifying scene in the final sequence. Then of course there's Franka Potente, who proves that she can just about turn her hand to any role (and this kind of praise is surely unusual for someone whose film career is still relatively young). Playing a cute-as-pie medical student she manages to tread the fine line between parody and resourcefulness perfectly. Although this might be her least distinguishable role yet (check out The Princess And The Warrior, a flawed but compelling piece in which she really shows her range), she still manages to give a different spin on the typical scream queen. There's also a lovely performance from the girl who plays Paula's roommate Gretchen, who has a lot of fun as the intelligent bimbo. With all this it's perhaps a shame that Anatomy so often succumbs to cliché, often without a shed of irony. The sex scene murder is particularly frustrating in a movie that is obviously trying to go for some kind of new ground in its field. Okay, so maybe not new ground completely but at least this is something different when compared to the banal teen horror flicks that have flooded cinemas recently. Borrowing the paranoia of medicine, hospitals and doctors from Coma, this places them in a stylish and impersonal set that works well. It's just so annoying when predictable twists and occassional silliness enters the story - the ending may well have you reaching for the sick buckets. Still, this is mostly above average fare and is obviously a must-see for a fan of the wonderful Franka Potente. It's slick (which certainly suits the implied insensivity of the medical profession) and will make you jump. Compared to most recent horror movies this is scary and fun, but apart from one superbly mounted murder scene of a principal character, this offers little new, especially when put alongside other international horror such as the original Ring.
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