Kristoffer Rus is back with the original gamer trio, and his sequel did a better job of actually exploring the characters this time. Although the first part was filled with deeply troubled characters, it was hard to feel even sympathetic for any of them due to their frantic pace. However, Too Old for Fairytales 2 is a classic example of how stories do work when you abandon the tropes and let the characters breathe like regular people. Waldek isn’t fighting for eSports glory this time, and neither are his friends. They’re already pretty successful in the gaming circle, and Teresa has recovered from cancer as well. Rus takes his audience on a trip to the Tatra Mountains, and his movie does exude the good vibes of a summer vacation.
Spoilers Ahead
What happens in the movie?
Waldek, Staszek, and Delfina have won two tournaments since we last saw them, and Teresa has recovered perfectly fine. Waldek plans a trip to the mountains, where Aunt Mariola is waiting for them, since his mother hasn’t taken a break from work since she’s recovered. Teresa got herself a new boyfriend, Piotr, who’s still a law student but seems kind. Piotr is a total golden retriever, and his eagerness to get along with the kids is respectable, if nothing else. After they reach Mariola’s cabin, Staszek finds out that Piotr is planning to propose to Teresa, but just when he’s about to do that, he drops his ring. Teresa didn’t notice this and told him that Waldek’s father lives nearby. Waldek has never known his father, but now he’s eager to see him, and Delfina devises a plan. She lets the boys out in the dark of the night and stays back in the cabin to cover for them. This time, Waldek and Staszek aren’t seeking glory in eSports, they’re seeking Waldek’s father instead.
How do Waldek and Staszek find Krzysztof’s house?
The boys pass through a small town on their way, and Staszek makes fun of a drunkard. The man sets his dogs on them, and they hide in a cemetery. After sleeping the night off, they head to Ciche Czarne, the village where Krzysztof lives. On their way, the boys encounter a freezing river, a weird photographer, and a brown bear. None of it poses much threat to them, but their phones being dead is the major problem. Not having maps at their disposal, both of them trek a long way before they bump into a small cabin in the woods. The man they find is a hillbilly highlander who has a knife soaked with cranberry juice, which looks eerily similar to blood. The highlander offers the boys his homemade sheep’s cheese, and that’s obviously gross for the city boys. After figuring out that he’s not Waldek’s dad, he tells them that there’s another house across the hills. The highlander has many hypotheses about the man he’s never seen, like he might be under witness protection or he’s simply someone like him who ran off from city life. However, Waldek and Staszek are shocked when they see a lavish house in the middle of the woods, and the house is laced with top-notch security systems. When they enter, Krzysztof welcomes Waldek, saying he’s been waiting for him.Â
Why does Staszek leave Waldek alone?
Staszek tells Waldek to ask all the questions he had for his dad, and Waldek asks Krzysztof if he’s beaten Silver in Counter Strike. Krzysztof says he once ranked in Global, but his ranking dipped because he had a weak team. Krzysztof reveals that he’s a game designer, and they can consider him a god of gaming. Waldek is head over heels upon discovering his father and he share the same interests, and he’s actually a mogul in the gaming industry. Krzysztof kept tabs on the gaming tournaments Waldek participated in and told his son that he’s proud of him. Staszek doesn’t take this reunion seriously, and he’s not wrong, as Krzysztof is a man who abandoned his family. Krzysztof tells Waldek that it was Teresa’s decision to not live together, and Waldek gets mad at Staszek. He thinks Staszek is being jealous of his father, and Waldek crosses a boundary and insults Staszek’s father. Staszek leaves the house with the highlander, swearing never to return to check on his former best friend.
How does Teresa find out about Waldek and Staszek’s escapade?
Piotr figures out that Delfina is bluffing about the boys sleeping in their rooms, and Mariola gets to know about it too. Mariola decides it’s best not to stress Teresa out since she hasn’t been on a vacation in years, and Piotr and Mariola pack their bags to look for the boys while Delfina is tasked with distracting Teresa. Delfina does well and records Waldek and Staszek’s conversation from a gaming session, and plays the recording in their room, reassuring Teresa that they’re right there. She tells Teresa to relax and have a spa day, and Teresa does fall asleep. But a few hours later, Teresa watches an interview with the photographer the boys bumped into early in the morning. The photographer, too, survived a bear attack, and in the background of his video, Teresa spots her son. She immediately leaves with Delfina, and when her car key breaks, she steals a horse carriage to find Waldek.
Why does Waldek refuse to leave Krzysztof?
Mariola and Piotr find the highlander’s hut, where the bloody knife scares Piotr. Piotr might not be one of the bravest men out there, but his willingness to make sure that his girlfriend’s son is okay tells you everything you need to know. Mariola reassures him that it’s just cranberries, and they find the highlander and Staszek coming back. The highlander, who left the city because of his inability to talk to women, falls for Mariola at first glance. Staszek gets a chance to flex his relationship advice skills, and he starts to give tips to the highlander on how to woo Aunt Mariola. Teresa and Delfina reach Krzysztof’s house, but they don’t see the Waldek they knew a day ago. He refuses to go back with his mother, and he advocates for Krzysztof when he tells Teresa to let him stay for a couple of days. Waldek wants to help his dad with a presentation for a game they developed together within a few hours, and he won’t go until the presentation is over. Teresa understands that she can’t force Waldek to go with her, and all of them leave the father and son. On the way back, Piotr gets into an argument with Teresa over letting Waldek stay there, and Piotr decides not to be with them anymore. Staszek and Delfina tell Mariola that they want to return to Warsaw since Waldek isn’t himself anymore, but Mariola convinces them to give their friend some time. Mariola knows Waldek is flying high, but she expects the fall to be pretty bad.
Why does Krzysztof betray Waldek?
Krzysztof spends a wonderful time with his long-lost son as they design the new game together and have a blast while doing it. On the day of the presentation, the Japanese clients arrive as Krzysztof starts the presentation. Waldek is proud of what he’s created with his father, and he can’t wait until he gets called by him. But Krzysztof shows his true charlatan nature and takes the credit all for himself. Waldek is heartbroken, and tears fill his eyes, but he stops Teresa from confronting Krzysztof. Piotr comes back and accuses Krzysztof of violating the copyright law. Krzysztof, in his defense, says that if he named a kid as being involved in the making process, it’d look bad in front of the investors. The risks of him losing his career were too much for him to acknowledge his son and give him his rightful credit, and when Teresa comes forward, we find out that he’s always been like this. He left her when Teresa got sick, prioritizing his career, and this time he’s the one who gets abandoned by everybody. Mariola breaks his expensive vase on her way out, which leaves Krzysztof crying on the floor.
How does Waldek learn from his mistakes?
In Too Old for Fairytales 2‘s ending, Waldek realizes that the only people who’ll ever truly love him are the ones who stand by him in both good and bad times. He and Staszek invite the band they saw in the pub to set the tone for Piotr’s proposal, and Teresa says yes. All of them are dancing and singing, and Krzysztof shows up looking like the guilty thief he is. Teresa gets worried about it, but Piotr reassures her that Waldek is capable enough to handle it by himself. Krzysztof’s investors want both of them on board, but Waldek refuses to take any part of it and humiliates Krzysztof for still being this selfish. He mends his words and asks Waldek to spend a week with him, but Waldek knows him better now, and he’d rather be with the people he loves. Waldek goes on a trek with Piotr and gives him one of the Queen and Kings’ jackets with his name on it. Piotr starts off as a person who didn’t have Waldek’s approval, but he ends up being the man the family needed. He takes Waldek to the top of the mountain, and the movie ends with Mariola paragliding over the mountains, being the rockstar she is.Â
