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Reviews
Westworld (2016)
S01: overall good/ S02: end good/ S03: beginning good
S01: This season on it's own is a great masterpiece. I watch it now the third time, because you always find new details. You can clearly see that the script is well written, the story and dialogues are extremely intelligent. The scenes with Anthony Hopkins as god of the hosts are genius. Dolores is a great character and feels like a better human. 9/10
S02: This season has so much plot lines which doesn't go nowhere, which makes the viewer think he is watching a complete different show. Characters like Maeve or Dolores are just poorly written. For example the Samurai-Saga is just pure garbage or the searching-for-the-hosts-saga also. Only the last few episodes of the season start to make fun again. Especially when Anthony Hopkins as Ford takes control over Bernard. 5/10
S03: This season starts better than S02. But Dolores plot is again very poorly written. Especially in the end her motives are not logical at all. Why does she want access to this supercomputer? And why does she want to help the humans get free after all the things human does to her? There is really no need that she does the things she does. Aaron Paul is as Caleb the best character of the season. Bernard's story is so boring that there is no need to talk about it. 6/10
But the worst moment was that the writers killed a main character after the end-card and replaced him by a host like if that means nothing. What is wrong with you?
In the end I will watch also S04, because I want to know what will happen, but it's sad how they continued this story. So many plots have gone in the wrong direction, characters get worse and worse and there's no way we will just come as close
as S01.
Gisaengchung (2019)
Pure magic
This movie is magically from the beginning and thrilling until the end. It's so perfectly detailed and the plot just damn good. If you want to see some poor family just wanting to live a better life and be thrown into a moral dilemma about the consequences of lies you're right here. Every character is unique, the screenwriting is excellent, cinematography A+.
The only thing is the somehow open end... or is it?
Battle Star Wars (2020)
Probably they have never seen one of them
I just wanted to watch something that is totally badly rated and I found Battle Star Wars. Sounds quite original! Actually this is not a rip-off of one of them. It's totally outstanding, but not in a good way. They introduce a lot of characters and most of the screen time is in some space ships, which are poorly designed (nice). The dialogues are flat and have mostly nothing to do with main plot. I don't know what this was about, actually I didn't care.
The Square (2008)
A bit Dostojewski
I thought of Dostojewski as I watched the movie, because the fear it gives you that you murdered someone and could get away with it. Still this movie is not the most genius one, but it serves a great thriller. I was always divided between liking the main characters or hating them. I think one can see a lot in this movie: what is greediness is doing with us? What is love letting us do? In the end I just thought why he thought his stupid plan would go well and man what damn luck one can have and failed it still. It's funny and silly but totally enjoyable.
Brimstone (2016)
Point of opening
I have read a lot of the critics, so I wanted to add something new:
1.the opening scene. It shows the death of an unborn child because (well?) it's head were to big. Joana helps to kill the Baby to save the Life of the mother, but she said to her husband it was the new reverend. If you watch now the movie in its right order you will find out that this opening scene makes no sense whatsoever. Why not warn somebody or telling he is here for here?
2. The tongue scene: Well it was completely necessary to cut of the tongue, since otherwise everybody would be suspicious - sarcasm off.
3. A brothel with only one guy keeping all girls and nobody tries to go away.
4. A GPS for flawed daughters (very nice). - sarcasm really off.
One can enjoy this movie for sure and I can tell that it's somehow interesting, but if you construct in your mind the story in its right order you will find nothing but a lack of inconsistencies and stupid character/invincible villains western movie.
Furie (2019)
What if Lockes philosophy comes to real life?
This movie tries to put the theory of property and survival of fittest inspired by the philosophy of Locke, Hobbes and others into real life. If someone take you property and there would be no instance governing what is yours and what not, what are you doing? Since this movie plays nowadays it shows quite good how dependent we are of our constitution and shows on the other hand how brutal nature can be.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Where is Tarantino?
When I think back to the good old days of "Pulp Fiction", "Kill Bill", "Death Proof" or "Django", I wonder where Tarantino was in this film. No goose bumps, no deep characters, no good action, no plot twists. Except for the expensive selection of actors, this film is not for people who expect an engaging plot. I think Tarantino has no more ideas. Many of the scenes were similar to earlier films, but everything is loosely connected and can hardly keep you focused by almost three hours of runtime. All the time I was waiting for something to happen. If there wasnt these actors and a good set design this movie would have nothing worthy. I still appreciate the people saying this is ART and shows the nature of HOLLYWOOD. But you can present cinema as art AND have a plot.
The Island (2005)
Awesome sci-fi action
A movie which has one of the most interesting and on the same level disturbing plot in Science-Fiction. Cloning is an interesting topic and how they created here a world of adult children living the innocent live before killed behind closed doors for their organs is just an amazing idea and terrifying also. I know this movie seems to be a rip-off but it's way better designed. Unfortunately the interesting parts are after 45 min over and we get to see a lot of action, which at some point is just over the top Michael Bay stuff. I think it's ok to do it like this, because you feel better for our two heros, but they could have given the story a bit more. They put so much money in the product design of all the levels inside this bungalow in the desert and then they give it not a lot screen time. The ending suggests that it's very positive that they live now a free life, but in fact they will not be happy in that world because they have no family, no education, no home. In fact only the two hero's can live the live of their real counterparts because their counterparts have died. All the others will have a life which is not easy, but it's a life!
Dark City (1998)
A fantastic dark mystery
This movie is so awesome I loved it since the first time I watched it and can watch it every time if I want to give someone a confusing mind blowing mystery. How the protagonist solves the mystery is so great, how he puts the pieces together is intelligent and thrilling. On the other hand the others seem a bit chalky, dusty and they have no real character. I think this was intentional, but still: the evils they seem a bit ridiculous at some points. Would be interesting if humans could be so easy manipulated and live another life. A large effort and nobody really analyses the behaviour, but still a great movie!
The Lighthouse (2019)
Light can destroy you.
The Lighthouse is a movie about the terrifying feeling of being alone. Two lightkeeper try to be 4 weeks alone on a small island. Only thing they have is alcohol. They are both mad in their own way and the viewer tries to figure out who is the maddest. The film has an eye-catching black and white cinematography and the soundtrack remembers one at some very old movies. In my opinion this movie is a masterpiece: They are so left alone on the island, and one is trying to have the light for his own that it shows the true nature of jealousy. The light is a symbol for the knowledge, which can destroy someone who is not capable for the truth.
Still I could have thought of an more enlightening ending, but this is kept to the viewer.
Knives Out (2019)
No detective story.
At first place this movie is great, because it shows some greedy family and some innocent girl involved in this drama, which at first place hasn't anything to do with the suicide of big daddy.
The actors are all great, and it's very good entertainment but....: For everyone who wants to solve the case for his own this movie is way too obvious and gives you all the hints right into your face. It would be way better if we didn't get to see so many perspectives and if you reduce the comedy elements, because a lot of them are not funny. Furthermore you don't get to know the characters very deep and there is no big mystery to solve. As watched 5 min of the movie I hoped that the whole family is involved somehow or at least many persons. This is a movie for people who aren't interested in real crime stories where you have to think. This is a movie for distracted people who need every information instantly to not get lost.
At last point I have to say that the moral of poor innocent Migration girl gets the whole heir is also very poorly written. I mean, what did the family do to him that he was so upset. This thought of saying people have to learn to stand on their own feets lacks in so many senses. he could have said his whole life to them: you should something for your own. With something like that people doesn't learn, they get frustrated because they lost every moment of reacting to this new situation. To be honest I was a bit sad for the family. Ok they were a bit greedy, also some betrayed him or her daughter, but this seems like an over the top reactive drama.
El hoyo (2019)
Parabola story
On first sight this movie seems like Cube because the grey lights and the cubic structure, but only on an vertical perspective. Horizontally the perspective is more a parabola of our society. It emphasises arguments like survival of the fittest with our status when we were born (the level we wake up every month). It shows how humans behave if there are no laws and they are one level up to others. There are questions which aren't answered like what the role of the department was or why they can give opportunities like an student graduation. The ending says somehow that nobody really know what's going on there and that maybe in the future someone will see the sign. But it would be better for the ending if we would have gotten an clear answer.
Ray Donovan (2013)
Haven't watched anything in S07 but pls continue
I haven't watched the last season, but I saw that the show should be cancelled.
I loved this character so much that I didn't want to end it now. But FANS be honest Ray wasn't the same anymore since New York, since his wife died and Conor left him. I liked at this show in first three seasons that it shows an interesting family and good mafia action in Hollywood atmosphere. It had so much Charme when it was in LA and Ray was always one step ahead! Now it's just him and some problems he has to fix but there is no more drama like it was with his Daughter and Cookie or with his wife and all his affairs. For example the relation between him and the journalist women or Tom Cruise Ex (forgot her name) was so intelligently written and the scenes were always on point. I watched the first three seasons 2 times but I can just barely remember S06, because it was full of non interesting stories and Besides his job Ray has lost nearly everything. I just which for this character a truly peacefulness end and that he's lucky (pls don't kill him).
Freaks (2018)
Good, but not freaking good
As some mentioned here... the main part of the movie one tries to figure out who are the goods and who are the bads. In the end this line seems very thin. One could argue that the freaks are only protecting themselves, but to be honest, that's not true. This also the reason I don't see any relation to Nazi-Germany. The Jews were innocent, while the freaks are in fact weapons.
But leaving that beside I didn't know anything about the movie before. Maybe I was expecting more an horror movie or thriller, but not an superhero-slatter movie. That's maybe my fault, but I think they could have told the truth a little bit more in the middle, so that one can more enjoy these great powers.
Some aspects of the main story were unclear:
1. Why was the grandpa so in hate with the dad? 2. How could anyone catch the mother with these strong abilities? 3. What kind of species are they and why
are they here?
After all the movie tries to show the protective environment of an loving father disrupted by external rassism, but fails in its main thesis by giving the racists a reason to do so. It seems "good" that they can strike back, but due to their emotions these leads to tributes (like the innocent neighbors) which shows the moral dilemma. And this cannot be saved by saving one mom and one child.
The Invitation (2015)
Solid pleasure
This movie creates always the question in your mind: is it true or just my imagination? Many movies have done this kind of ping-pong. This movie focused in the beginning so much details, like the wine sort (very expensive), religious ideas (suicide is ok if done for people with pain) and then drifts into some massacres out of nowhere. It's just barely clear what they tried to show with this movie.
The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
Good, but predictable
In this town no cop has an idea to find this mysterious killer except of two teenagers, which even have the ability to fake a suicide. Well they must be very intelligent and clever... I liked the movie but it's quite linear, obvious from the beginning, but still has the ability to put you in an interesting new situation. The relations between the person were somehow flat, but the story is original and they created a good movie so far.
Arrow (2012)
6 because of the failure of a great series
I would consider myself as an huge Arrow fan boy. I watched the first two seasons in two weeks and after season 4 I finally decided to quite this show, because it only gets more and more obscure. Like many here mentioned that soap-part of the series was getting to much, but also the villains were getting to overpowered, which makes the action somehow more and more unbelievable. I think after they started The Flash they wanted to bring these shows together by introducing villains which have real superpowers or magic... This could be good, but they failed that in so many ways.
For example if one takes Damien in S04 which was basically overpowered and you take some magical object away he's just a human and easy to beat. But wasn't he trained by r'as al ghul? Shouldn't he be at least as strong as him... and were did he learned the magic? Not from r'as because he was clearly a fighter except of his healing whirlpool.
The first two seasons had everything one needs to a great adventure. We had mystery, action and an hero which was believable strong. Sure there were some inconsistencies about the technical knowledge, but who cares? It was great to see the development of a hero...
If we now consider S03 and it's character development I just cannot remember what he even learned in this China episode and why he should be so good after just two years of training... Better than anyone who trained a decade in military services.
All these puppets they always stand in the front and everyone like Thea for example could easily beat them. Why can be everyone a hero in this series? I hate the for example Laurel just gets some device and a few weeks of self-Defense Training before beating every ass in starling city. I loved that in the beginning they focused on how to become a hero with hard training and not with some technical device or crazy accident... This show motivated me to do more sport and even to learn some fighting skills and then they decided to just give everyone in some suit superhero forces. Well I will not watch all the over seasons and I'm happy that they ended the show now... too late.
I Am Mother (2019)
AI takes over
We all know the scheme: Roboter killing humans, because they destroy the earth with their behaviour. I am mother starts with this idea, but tricked the viewer by inventing some virus which killed the humans while raising a children. This movie is great in many senses, as many here mentioned, but it lacks in a few things:
1. Why are robots interested in killing humanity to recreate it later? Seems like a lot of effort, but for which reason?
2. Why does the girl think it's evil to kill one child while billions have died because of her outside?
3. How was it possible to kill all humans?
But let's focus back on the main plot between mother and daughter. I've thought as watched the movie in my mind backwards... well that was very clever from the mother. She always seemed to sleep but was still awake to provoke reactions which are outside the box. Also the mouse was I think a trick to give the girl a moral dilemma. That also the women outside was part of bigger moral dilemma was very deep, which was great. But the robot would know that the girl would never kill any of the upcoming children, so why killed the robot children, which haven't passed the test? Maybe this was also a trick from the robot to believe that... in the end the Movie gets Stucked in there own philosophical questions. Also to kill the women in the end after having fulfilled her task was a bit off. Because all this robot was to have a better humanity, which is not testable in some question but only in real-life experiments, in which the women would clearly have passed the test. The movie was so focused on make you believe that everything mother does was for the greater good, but actually the real moral mistakes was she doing by thinking a test in the age of 8/9/10 would give some informations on how this human develops. This is like swimming without water.
True Detective (2014)
Best crime series
I will rate now the first three seasons:
The first season is somehow the most interesting, because it has with Rust a real true detective, which doesn't care about anything (nihilism would describe him) and tries everything to solve the case, while his partner plays the more classic cop part. The case itself has a deep meaning and the detectives have many problems to find even a suspect. In the end I think it's not so much about the case itself. Instead it's more about the scenerie which is dark, twisted and full of mysteries. But also it leaves you behind with some unanswered questions like Why have Marty's children some toys (Google it) which look like case they investigating? 10/10
Second season deals with many true detectives and some mafia structures. I didn't like in that season that so many people had to die, especially some detectives. The drama was good, but sometimes I thought we are not in a crime scene instead more in a family drama (example rays relation to his son or true detective women's relation to her father). And I think it was very inconsistent that a cop like Ray would be so stupid meeting his son without carefully looking around... Th end of the mafia boss was also unlogical... where did the others get to know his location? So all in all it was also interesting, but not very clever. 8/10
Season 3 was from the story very interesting. I would say like season 1 but the problem here is the time. I think an old true detective which cannot remember everything is not very motivating to watch these parts of the show. I think also the development of the story was too slow. The last plot twist was somehow unimaginable, but I didn't like that he figured everything out in his last years and then suddenly forget this. IT WAS THE CASE OF HIS ENTIRE LIFE. Why should he forget? That makes me a bit angry. I gave it 8/10
If one would ask me which season i liked the most Ofc S01. Secondly I like S02 because it has more interesting characters than S03, while S03 has the better story and is more consistent.
I See You (2019)
Not so thrilling
Some kidinapping, some parasite teenagers, some family problems. This what the movie is about. Is is thrilling? Well in first half hour you think of some supernatural force which kidnaps children and steals pictures, but then reality comes back and you end up in plot twist, which is not very thrilling, because the guy hiding in their house is somehow a psychopath but the dad is too. But both are not that much psychopath that the come together of them is very thrilling. Furthermore there is no explanation of why the dad kidnaps Young boys or why the guy likes to confuse people. So why are they doing that? The plot had a great chance of getting a very good movie and I think the actors had the potential to make it interesting, but in fact this movie is more the sort of a good family drama more than horror or thriller, which it suggests in the first half hour. So it leaves me a bit disappointed, but one can still enjoy it.
Kartoffelsalat - Nicht fragen! (2015)
Go watch anything else... every movie is better!
I respect that the tried but this is just a disaster of wanna-be actors making bad jokes. I'm from Germany understand everything and find it just terrible how they lowered the bar of intelligence of youtubers and Fans.
Get Out (2017)
Unbelievable great
This movie puts you in an uncomfortable situation. It starts with some normal couple meets parents weekend. In that you're thrown into completely crazy people, which believe body's are just costumes you can put over, a body has no soul. And this were on might get into philosophical questions about the nature of human beings. With hypnosis the main character can move anymore and the same way this movie will Hypnose you. Believe me, when I say this movie has plottwists which I haven't seen in many movies. Totally believable and even a tiny bit of fun. And for god sake, I love that the main character was alive in the end
Elephant (2003)
So boring and unmotivated
Some teenagers doing a mass shooting at school. Wow this seems to be very interesting! But what the viewer gets to see is 1h of nonsense talking, nonsense characters and 20 min of the part were it's getting interesting. This is not enough. None of the characters seem to be doing something which is important for the story because there is no story beside the shooting. You don't get to see any emotions. Why not showing the sadness of the loss? Why not showing the development of the plan or the reasons the killers might have to make this movie believable. Every documentary about these topics does a better job.
The Babadook (2014)
Scared me a lot
I watched so many horror films ... I should be in hell. This movies scares me because of the Reaktion to the innocent child and the demon hiding in the dark corners of his room. It is so schizophrenic and still believable. The babadook is better than any mike Myers, because he acts only in the details, which makes you think he it is only the illusion of the mother. Even when I think about the tv scene I get goosebumps. Why not 9 or8 for this movie? Because the ending is somehow confusing and the son seem to be healed from his weird behaviour just without any reason. It is not scary as get out or not so schizophrenic like the shining.
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
Good acting, good horror, short story
This movie is great. You should watch it if you're into witchcraft and sorcery, satanism or if you just wanna look good old fashioned arthouse style horror, nearly without jump scares.
What I didint like was that it wasn't really clear why the daughter does what she does. For me I was interested in the witches and their power, but nobody get to see. Even if one does not show their power entirely I think one has to develop the magic and power more to make it believable that they are somehow interesting for young women. All in all I like the movie a lot, but many questions were unanswered which I don't like.