Propagandist

Mila no Multiverso (2023)

Mediocre Sci-Fi adventure for children and teens

This production has some pros:

• Convincing teen (or so) actors and
• some nicely build environments

but several cons:

• adult actors that act as if they were teens and
• below average story, production values and CGI

So, for me it is a notch above the usual Disney channel quality for teen productions, and I probably will not continue to watch.

What I don't get are the reviews here that votes the series down, because Disney+ airs them only in the original audio. This is a flaw that has nothing to do with the series, and is highly unfair. If one is not able or willing to read, he or she should bring the protest to Disney, not spoiling the efforts of the persons involved in the production, they have nothing to do with the presentation in Disney+.

Of course, I also don't get the plethora of ten point ratings, friends & family maybe?

Sachertorte (2022)

"Im Juli" for couch potatos

More than twenty years ago Fatih Akin created one of the best Rom-Com Road-Movie combination ever made: "Im Juli". A young man meets the love of his life, only to loose her a few hours later. So, he follows her through a plethora of perils but with the help of a girl he accidentally meets, discovers the true meaning of love. "Sachertorte" is merely the same movie, however instead of being shot at, nearly drowning or ending up in jail, the protagonist here has to endure the hospitality of the couches in Café Sacher for a hundred something days.

So, this one is neither an homage to its spiritual influence nor its namesake cake the "Sachertorte". While the cake excels by not being to sweet, the movie reeks of artificial sweetener.

All in all, its watchable, but go see "Im Juli" instead to see what really could be baked out of these ingredients.

Hunters (2020)

Probably meant well...

This is a delicate subject, so please don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like this show. I love a good: "The Hunter Becomes The Hunted"-story a lot, especially when comes to Nazis and Jews. And of course, I know that a lot of war criminals were brought secretly to the Americas by the OSS/CIA, the Catholic Church and others of these so called: "Ratlines", so it's honourable to bring this subject to the public knowledge.

Unfortunately, this series is at max mediocre. It has a high production value, decent to A-list actors, but lacks mostly on the story side. It does not know if it wants to become a comic book, satire, revenge porn or drama. So, it lingers between these extremes, never going seriously into one direction.

The general approach to Nazis is also annoying, on one hand they are scheming, plotting, clandestine masterminds, on the other hand they are half-witted enough to try to install, for example, a well known war-criminal, who is easily identified by one of him random victims the very moment she gets a glimpse on him, into a high level political position where he is prone for a plethora of photographs being taken and tv-appearances being recorded. Are all other Nazi victims in the USA blind, or to poor to buy a tv-set or even a newspaper?

What really makes the show hard to watch are the language skills of the acting staff. Is it really so hard to find a German speaking actor in Hollywood, who can utter ten decent lines before getting killed? I mean they pretend to be Germans in the US, so they might have a German accent when speaking English, but shall speak German flawlessly. The level of German pronunciation is at best comparable to a first class of German 101. Being a "Goi" it's probably not my place to judge, but I think this is especially libellous to the Jews who are shown to be tortured and killed in the concentration camps. Many of these people were Germans for generations, which makes the atrocities brought over them by their countrymen even more disgusting. So being Germans they may be depicted with a dialect, not all Germans live in Hannover, but not with the gibberish we have to endure in the show. In my eyes that strips them of their dignity, again.

Onward (2020)

A shadow of Pixar's former self

For a quarter of a century I loved Pixar Movies. They always combined top-notch animation (for the time being) with a plethora of witty dialogue and funny ideas. I always felt that all participants gave their heart blood to make the best movie imaginable. Yes, not all movies were spectacular, but all of them were at least great. Unfortunately, I'm afraid their star is fading, and not necessary because John Lassiter was canned. In my eyes it started earlier with mediocre sequels like: "Finding Dory", "Toy Story 4" and: "Cars 3". To me productions made for the money not the imagination. "Onward" is not different. It features a promising concept of a land of magic creatures and its yield to the comforts of modern civilisation. It also features stunning graphics, but very little of the wit, fun, and heart blood of older Pixar productions. While WALL·E was able to convey great love with some metal plates - and virtually no talking, the protagonists in Onward talk about it all the time, without really showing it. In fact, I caught myself pausing the film eventually to do some household stuff. "Onward" still is not a bad movie, but it does not feature the excellency that marked Pixar movies for a quarter of a century! So, if it's a rainy Sunday and nothing else is on, go for it, otherwise look "A Bug's Life", "WALL·E" or: "Brave" again.

Womit haben wir das verdient? (2018)

Racism? Everybody, but not us!

Great Austrian comedy about prejudices, racism and puberty. A German mother of an atheist, diverse and liberal Austrian family suddenly has to deal with the fact that her pubescent daughter, instead of smoking pot and roaming the streets, converted to Islam and took: "hijab", the Muslim headscarf. This tests her limits and the ones of her whole environment, nearly to the brink. The movie shows all kinds of racism and prejudices, also of people who consider themselves free of it, but not by pointing fingers but using the (in)famous Austrian: "Schmäh". Very recommended to parents of girls, and probably boys, reaching puberty.

I See You (2019)

Fresh addition to the genre

At first it seemed to me that this movie was rather conventional, not good not bad. So, I expected nothing special. But suddenly, to my surprise, I found myself routing for the wrong team! This happens not very often to me, so in my eyes it is a great thriller and a fresh addition to a genre, that seemed to have lost its edge lately.

Gemini Man (2019)

Ang Lee did it again

In my eyes Ang Lee can't make a bad movie and this one is no exception! Maybe I was easy bait, since I had seen the horrible Ad Astra some days before, and virtually anything was better than that, but also in hindsight I like it. I admit it had some minor plot holes, but the stunning visuals, the excellent work of the two leads and the fact that for the first time I saw a convincing digital character totally compensated that. And yes, it is a fun movie with not much depth, but who cares? For me the greatest skill of this protruding director is his ability to create every movie nearly perfect in its own genre. He is as good in drama ("The Ice Storm", "Billy Lynn", "Brokeback Mountain", "Eat Drink Man Woman"...) as in action ("Hulk", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Ride With The Devil"...) and comedy ("The Wedding Banquet", "Taking Woodstock", "Pushing Hands"...). So, I saw it in 4K and will definitely see it in 3D soon!

Ad Astra (2019)

A Poor Man's Space Odyssey or the Astronaut's New Cloth.

For me there is no doubt that Ad Astra is - I wouldn't say: rip-off but - widely "inspired" by "2001: A Space Odyssey". Both plots feature a man with family issues who embark on a long space journey. Both men are in search of answers to big questions and finally return to earth in odd ways. On the trip both lose their comrades. And yes - no surprise - as the name says: it's an Odyssey. Unfortunately, the comparison stops here. While the 1968 original features stunning visuals, a compelling story, some mysticism, accurate physics, and an inner logic, the later falls short in all of these fields. The first thing that annoyed me was the plain Christian propaganda, where 2001 features religious ideas, Ad Astra slaps them in the face. Than the visuals, while many critics cherished them, I found them bland, slightly above average. Several shots were blurry and most too dark and greyish. While this could be seen as an artistic choice, my impression was the style should distract from sloppy rendering. However, while the latter issues were annoying, accuracy, story, and inner logic were off-putting. In general, the story tried to exude deepness but simply was only pretentious. Even worse, it contained several action parts that were obviously added to keep the audience from being to annoyed, but did not add a single bit to the plot. I found myself betting, when and how gracious nudity would be squeezed in - and was not disappointed. Likewise, while 2001 aspired and achieved inner logic and scientific accuracy, Ad Astra more or less kicked all rules of logic, space travel, or physics so many times in the crotch, that time and space probably folded itself in a way opening a window of opportunity to travel to Proxima Centaury in no time. I will not spoiler the movie, therefore I recommend other user reviews that accurately list all plot holes and scientific inaccuracies. Having said this, I have to admit it is difficult to give a rating for the film. All the previously painted aspects would point to one star. However, the performance of Brad Pitt was distinguished and most of the supporting actors did a good job. In addition, the visuals were not that bad. So probably three or four stars are in order.

Terminal (2018)

The artistic mystery is not dead

Yes, this movie is probably not everyone's cup of tea. I very much liked the chamber play like reduction of characters, scenes and places, and the gaudy but dark colouring (no oxymoron here). However, I can understand if this strikes some viewers as exaggerated or arty. The same is probably true for its plethora of cultural references and slow pace. Apart from that, Terminal is a solid mystery thriller with some nice twist, for which enough hints are delivered to anticipate them, but still enough doubt is being spread to keep you guessing. What I liked most is that more or less all characters are introduced as likeable, even if some of them are not. For better viewing pleasure, I would recommend not to learn too much about the film in advance. I was lucky enough to know only a few details and would have preferred not to know that revenge is part of the plot. The writing was great, it featured enough humour to let the drama get close to you, eventually. The cast was at least convincing but mostly excellent. By the way, if you wonder about the headline: go see Terminal.

Le sens de la fête (2017)

A sublte pleasure

This film is not necessarily fast paced, so it's not for people who have the habit of checking their phone during presentation. Some yokes are subtly prepared for quite some time, and are probably being missed, if attention wanders to what Niki or Ariana are up to these days. On the other hand this feature is a great pleasure for people with some patience. It shows a lot of respect and understanding for its characters, and even the annoying ones get their moments of greatness. Its humour is far away from embarrassing its protagonists, and the laughter stems from compassion not farts.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Mr. Scott please, please, spend some time with Luc Besson

Some years ago an absolute masterpiece in the action genre came to light: "Taken" by Luc Besson. What made it so extraordinary for me, was the fact that, although everybody - good or evil - made at any time reasonable choices, the story drove on like an express train, fast and on track. I loved it! "Alien: Covenant" IMHO is the exact opposite. Only one sane decision by any of the character, and the story immediately would have come to a screeching halt. Others have laid out here all the half-wit actions that sadly were necessary to keep the story going, so there is no need to repeat them. In fact, about half way into the film I stopped fighting and achieved a level of total suspension of disbelieve, this must be this Zen thing everybody is talking about. Then the movie became somehow bearable. The visuals were nice and the acting of Katherine Waterston and Michael Fassbender was fine. However even their talent couldn't save the script. So please Ridley Scott, spend some time with Luc Besson, or even better, let him write your scripts.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

Robin Ruined Reacher

Just to be clear I'm a big fan of Cobie Smulders and her portrayal of kick-ass women. Of course Agent Hill, but especially the cute, lovable, baby hating, and trigger happy sociopath Robin Scherbatsky. Having said this, I have to admit she ruined the Jack Reacher Experience for me. Jack Reacher is entertaining because it features pure bigger-than-life, lonesome-rider machismo: "There is no Jack Reacher in team"! He is bad-ass and nobody else is, except maybe much less so the villain. This worked excellent in the first instalment, the adding of Robin - sorry Major Turner - ruined it. And I have to emphasise, this is not a gender issue. I would like to see a: "Jackie Reacher" movie, starring Cobie Smulders or Angelina Jolie or Sigourney Weaver or Milla Jovovich or or or! However only with a damoiseau-in-distress male actor, no team partner. And yes - to be fair - it wasn't a bad movie, it could just have been much better.

Rock the Kasbah (2015)

Are the hippie days are really over?

Back in the good old days of hippiness, this movie probably would have been a huge success. Yes, it has a very simple message: "A Song Really Can Change the World". It can overcome hate, prejudice and suppression. Yes, the plot is tacky and far beyond reality. So, what the hack!? Most movies have nothing to do with realism, but with how we wish the world to be, even if we know it will never happen. I understand that nations at war like Afghanistan and the U.S.A. have troubles laughing about the situation in which they are stuck for decades, however I wish that a feel-good movie like this one may help a little bit to overcome this quandary. So I recommend it to everybody who has a little bit of the Summer of Love left, and to all the rest who still think the world can become a better place... how tiny the odds.

Fantastic Four (2015)

I actually liked it

Decades ago - in my youth - I actually was more of a DC guy, so I only read a few of the Fantastic Four comics. Therefore I apologize in advance to all fans of the books who might not find their favourite stories depicted adequately by this movie. As I said I only read a few of the stories decades ago, so my only comparison is with the 2005 film. So in my opinion this one is much better. I never liked the candy coloured tone of the first one, admitting that its sequel was better. I prefer the darker and more serious tone of this one. I also liked a lot that the movie took its time to develop the character, making them more complex and believable - even if this has the word: "sequel" written all over it. Especially Victor van Doom who is not the smug, arrogant and selfish villain, but a good guy who has been betrayed and now tries to protect his new world, even if this means the destruction of his old one. So to sum things up: I believe anyone who claims the movie does not do justice to its origin. However regarded as an action film on its own it has everything I want: good effects, good acting, believable but slightly broken characters and an interesting story even if it stays open ended.

D-War (2007)

Horrible acting, corny dialogue and a less than mediocre script - but excellent CGI

It's difficult to rate D-War. The main characters were probably casted when they served the director lunch in a cheap diner. The supporting actors, some of them highly acknowledged veterans, obviously needed the money. The dialogue ranged from "what dialogue?" to corny. The story simply repeats: "main characters are hunted by the forces of evil, evil forces are this close to get them, but surprisingly they manage to get away", on and on and on... Yet, the CGI has been excellent, the finale even overwhelming. Especially the creature animation is one of the best I've seen so far. So, if you are lucky enough to have access to a good beamer, do what my girlfriend and I did, rent the movie, fast forward over any part that is not CGI, and look the finale twice! Ah and what I totally do not get is why they had to use European (Caucasion/white American...) actors as main characters. The Korean ones, which were seen in a flashback, may not have superstar genes, but at least the knew how to act.

My Name Is Modesty: A Modesty Blaise Adventure (2004)

Decent piece of work for newbies

Having heard of Modesty Blaise before, but never having read a novel or a comic strip, my wife and I liked the film a lot. It delivered, in a captivating way, a good introduction to the character and her background.

Although it has some action flick elements, it is much more an intimate play, excellently written. Sadly, this is also, where a major drawback of the movie is revealed. An intimate play lives on the capabilities of its actors and unfortunately only half of the cast delivered. While Alexandra Staden did an excellent job as Modesty Blaise, her counterpart Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau - as the villain Miklos - did not. Smiling his way through the plot as if it is an extend toothpaste commercial, he fails to build up an atmosphere of anxiety that would have made the movie a masterpiece. The supporting cast is somehow similar, from some stereotyped gangsters and sluts to decent performances from Fred Pearson as Professor Lob and Eugenia Yuan as Irina.

Science Fiction (2002)

Just because "it's for children", it does not have to be implausible!

Being a science fiction fan from my early childhood (long time since) I always hated implausible plots. It's a pity that most authors of science fiction stories for children do not show this kind of respect for their audience. I always suspected them of thinking: "children are to dumb to realise, so we don't have to strive". The writer of "Science Fiction (2002)" is no exception. The story is about a boy who is instigated by his new friends to spy after his parents, because they think that the parents are aliens. As intriguing the idea sounded to me, as much was I bored by its realisation. It seemed to me that the filmmakers had exactly this one idea and tried to stretch it over the ninety minutes by dunking it into a dark, stylish and painstakingly slow atmosphere. The only thing that kept me in my seat was the question "how do they manage to get out of this implausible rubbish"? And then - bang - they did not even try. So if you are looking for good entertainment for both children and parents, go and watch "Klatretøsen (2002)" instead.

Zweikampf (1986)

Criminal potential where you absolutely don't expect it

A sweet little but deep-black comedy, developed excellently and featuring several brilliant ideas of how to get rid of annoying people.

Although filmed as a TV-movie - and premiering there - it deservedly made it's way to the (German) cinemas. This movie is absolutely worth watching, especially to find out which criminal potential lies in the lower middle-class.