The journey's the thing, and nearly every kilometer of it holds adventure, charm and laughter.

[A] sweet little crowd-pleaser.

Instead of avoiding the genre's conventions, the effervescent German film revels in them, resulting in a picture so infectious it almost seems original.

Bleibtreu's almost too-innocent shy guy works, and his wider familiarity will help sell the adventure, but it's his co-star who gives us the emotional mileage of the drive.