Neue Kritiken - TOP Nutzer*innen

Incorrect, caustic to sarcastic humor, crazy situations, and above all, entertaining characters that quickly draw you into the world of illegal bookies and their clients with varying degrees of gambling addiction. If you ever had any illusions about the human species, you'll quickly forget them under the influence of what you see. It's mostly about human weaknesses and money, but now and then it gets grittier and becomes a matter of life and death. No mercy is shown for people at the bottom of society or for making corpses, because it's a dirty business and Ray and Danny certainly aren't small players with a pitiful nature; they wouldn't survive in that cruel world. Cold-blooded pragmatism, calculation, and ingenuity are what keep the successful duo on course, while their dangerous opponents meet an ignominious end. I enjoyed every episode and firmly hope that the second season will maintain the high standard. Overall impression: 90%.

The influence of Tim Burton is evident; at first glance, the slightly morbid and quirky artistic aspect of the project influenced by the Gothic style stands out. A major plus is the casting of the interesting and charismatic Jenna Ortega, who seems to have been born for the role of Wednesday; she perfectly fits the role of an eccentric, captivating outsider and enjoys her role, rightfully dominating the series, and giving it a "spark." The project is limited by a screenplay that clearly indicates from the beginning that the target audience is teenagers. While in the first half there was more appeal for other age groups and I enjoyed the episodes more, the second half emphasizes its commercial nature for "teens," and the descending impression isn't saved even by the finale. Nevertheless, considering Ortega's constant presence on set, I have no problem justifying giving it a fourth star. Overall impression: 75%.

The initial reviews likened it to "something like Fargo, set in the middle of the Australian desert," and I would say the creative team aimed for something similar. However, The Tourist didn't come close to Fargo's model due to an underdeveloped screenplay, which, while it introduced some interesting ideas, failed to effectively execute them. The key to the success of the Fargo series was meticulous, almost ant-like work with characters, emphasis on impactful yet convincing detail, and a willingness to explore unconventional paths. The problem with The Tourist is its superficiality, inconsistent handling of motifs, poor character psychology (for example, the charming schemer played by Shalom Brune-Franklin is unbearable), and the team's inability to give the show its own distinctive identity. Two storylines have potential: the search for identity after memory loss and, especially, the romantic subplot of building a relationship between the mysterious tourist and the inexperienced policewoman played by Danielle Macdonald. However, the writers fail to give them proper priority and care. Overall impression: 40%.

This Czech interpretation of true crime succeeded. The subject was easy to choose because the Stodola couple became legends of criminology years ago. Director Petr Hátle relied on a pair of actors who are fairly new. Jan Hájek has directed plenty of average things, and Lucie Žáčková is also a much more prominent theater actress than one might think from her film and television casting. Therefore, I hope that the film will help both of them, as it is mainly thanks to them that the Mr. and Mrs. Stodola is a significant film event.

The most mediocre and classic mainstream horror genre film that can possibly be made for the least discerning audience (teenage girls). On the one hand, I appreciate that the whole movie isn't just haunted by one boogeyman, but every single protagonist has their own demon and they surprisingly have great make-up effects, so all those scenes are relatively fine. It's a shame that there's no gore, because if if the film had been conceived of it as a fun bloody killing spree it would have been better; this way they rely on ineffective scares and a not very effective atmosphere. Too bad. Visually it's fine, but the story is the most basic and you don’t get to form any relationship with the characters. Pure 50%

If you like this series, if you liked the third part, you should be satisfied here too. It's not a significant shift in quality, it's just a standard solid action comedy, where the mutual banter between Martin Lawrence and Will Smith works, but above all it's pulled by well-done action, which at times takes your breath away. Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah know their job. There are nice Miami visuals, a decent bad guy played by Eric Dane (Euphoria), decently brutal R-rated action with engaging camera forays, top visuals, some twist and turns and working one-liners. The whole film paces well with no deaf spots and it's exactly the right action entertainment that's missing in cinemas and you can take anyone to see it. If you expect a film with a well thought out plot, you won't be satisfied here, but if you know what to expect from a film, you can't be disappointed. 8/10.

If viewers were to vote on the attractiveness of both previous seasons, the second season would easily win. Not for the quality of the scriptwriting, which is noticeably weaker, prone to issues, didacticism, and schematics, but for the attractiveness of the subject matter, which this time revolves around human sexuality and romantic relationships. The series plays with stereotypes prevalent in society regarding relationships between both genders, breaking some, accommodating others, flirting, maneuvering among actors often involved in cynical and cruel relationship games, which have little to do with the romantic ideal of love. Everything is set in the attractive environment of a luxurious resort in Sicily, surrounded by the scenery of wild cliffs and a town with a thousand-year history. In terms of acting, as expected, top-tier talent is involved in the project. Aubrey Plaza surprised me; I had her fixed as a typical actress with a specific sense of humor - yet she is capable, given the opportunity, of shining in a character role. Out of the five storylines, two suffer from scriptwriting mishaps, especially the one with the self-centered Tanya is pure bullshit, where Mike White, in pursuit of the goal, resigns on the logic in the characters' actions. But the production quality is undeniable. Overall impression: 85%.

The autobiographical story of a young Sorrentino? A nice film about growing up and the effect that a terrible family tragedy has on a young man’s adolescence. In the first half, even the quarrels and friction between the characters are lightened with typical Italian humour and the film is a likable view into a Neapolitan banker's family with funny characters and moments. The second half aptly depicts the emptiness and fumbling of a teenager who has had independence thrust upon him, without the support and love of his parents. Sorrentino with a clearly comprehensible story, without metaphorical embellishments or visual eccentricities. But also with a generally well-worn story.

A slick Hollywood adventure with nicely constructed ape characters featuring flawless digital rendering of their facial expressions. And a screenplay rich in plot development in a beautiful, varied setting. But toward the end, there are some things in it that don’t make sense, that don’t correspond to the preceding meticulous narrative and the building of relationships between the characters or their logical behaviour. It seems as if there wasn’t time to polish the last few pages of the script.

The story of Furiosa and her anticipated revenge, with more looks into the Citadel, is dramaturgically richer than the endless chase in Fury Road. Despite that, it’s not emotional even in the cruellest scenes and hints of feelings. And mainly it doesn’t have Tom Hardy. However, the character of Furiosa, who since childhood has been shaped by violence, inhumanity and filth, is a strong enough draw, the film’s dynamics are incredible from the opening scene and, together with the visuals and the details contained in them, those insane masks and costumes are absolutely amazing. A filmmaking highlight of scenography and creation of an original fantastical world. But I had trouble fully believing Chris Hemsworth as the demented villain.

Oh so this is not going to rank with this year's New French Wave and there was a lot of faith in Xavier Gens, who could have saved the eco shark horror after a long time, but who hasn't come up with a quality genre film in years, and instead of a proper shark carnage, he made a sort of activist eco drama? WTF! I don't care that it's stupid and nothing makes sense, but the fact that the shark only appears properly after an hour and the whole time it's just bullshit activism, Gens shat his bed here. For an hour absolutely nothing happens, I don't understand the focus on the story, which nobody cares about anyway, the characters are completely useless, the whole thing takes itself too seriously, so it's unfortunately an incredible bore, which could have been saved by lightness and gore, but even that is lacking. The final 20 minutes didn't offend me, finally something starts to happen and finally the shark shows up, which is digital, but it's honestly the least of the problems here. Next time please another Frontier(s) instead of not these experiments. A big disappointment, but for the finale and the inoffensive underwater shots, at least two stars. 3/10.

A bit of a disappointment for me, but that's due to the film's premise, which lured in a serial killer who cuts off women's lips, and I was expecting a gritty Hannibal-style murder mystery, and it really didn't. The murders are at most just talked about. I was expecting it gritty, unpleasant, raw and brutal and I found it very light even for the Poles. I didn't care for the final twist. I didn't enjoy it much, didn't like the style the film was going in and it has few attractive scenes. 55%

A psychological, dense, disturbing conversational Thriller that came out of nowhere and is one of the nice surprises much like Last Stop in Yuma County. Unfortunately, I can't say too much about the film, as there's an interesting twist at the 20 minute mark that piles on more twists and turns, and it's a pleasure to see it turn into one of my favorite "horror" themes. I'll give a minor hint though, and it's a bit of a variation on the recent hit The Menu. The film mainly benefits from a mysterious and disturbing atmosphere, a decent script and an interesting location. The clever detective was excellent! It's a shame it doesn't escalate more at the end, as it was slightly encouraged to do so (if it had turned into a slasher, I might have considered the maximum rating). Of course, it's also a bit of a socially relevant satire. Don't find out anything and don't hesitate, it's good !!! 75%

Mike and Marcus are back, and since the captain calls from beyond the grave to tell them he has another case for them, they won't be bored. But you might be a little. The fourth outing of the Bad Boys attempts to build on previous installments not only in style, but more importantly in story, and sometimes overdoes it with the nostalgia, references and recalling small details from twenty years ago. The heroes haven't moved anywhere, they repeat what they've always done, just with a lot of new completely useless characters and the most boring villains of the series around them. The action, however, is top-notch. It just needs a little more care next time, even in the scenes where no one is shooting at anyone.

My Way is a disjointed kitsch, where the plucking of national heartstrings is supplemented by a deadly dose of pathos and sentimentality. Korean cinema hasn't grown on me, and Je-gyu Kang only deepened my distrust toward it... Overall impression 25%.

Three stars are a bad way to average out a contradictory project that began with my enthusiasm in the first season and ended in deep disappointment during the third season. It must be admitted that the creators managed to extract from very little (the project manages with a minimum of locations and effectively only a handful of actors) an impressive and atmospheric game about time paradoxes and the futile effort to reverse inevitable events and change one's future. Don't expect grandiose images that American producers would create, but even with this minimalism, clever screenwriters demonstrate how little is needed to capture the audience's attention. The series doesn't boast any stars, but the local actors, combined with an interesting theme and a catchy script, can work wonders. What sinks the series in my eyes is its extravagance, the effort to extract the maximum from the idea. Invention gradually fades, repetitiveness grows, playing on fate starts to feel false and tedious, the magic dissipates... The final resolution comes much later than it should. Dark would benefit from restraint, acknowledged modesty, and 10 episodes would have been just right... I must also add to the faults the ridiculous view of the creative team on nuclear energy. I know, we are in the realm of the entertainment industry where nothing can be taken seriously, and Germany is the cradle of anti-nuclear activism, but everything has its limits, and here a series of scenes - judged from an industry insider's perspective - look like an unintended parody... So, I'll leave it at an overall impression of 50%, and next time, please, use a greater dose of judiciousness.

Only very rarely does a series succeed in creating an atmosphere and style that are difficult to liken to anything else. This series exudes bizarreness, darkness, and the mustiness of decades-old, neglected corners of a decaying house full of inhabitants with twisted characters, corroded by invisible evil. Sticky asphalt oozes from the cellars, altering characters and inducing strange hallucinations. No one and nothing can be trusted, and one mystery after another piles up. Even the main character is affected by paranoia, no longer trusting even his own father. For me, far superior to the overrated and overly convoluted Dark. A lot of bang for your buck. Overall impression: 90%.

The most ambitious in content, the most magnificent in production design and the strongest in characters of the entire Dollar Trilogy. Unfortunately, it's also excruciatingly long, and as iconic as Morricone's music is, it's mostly about its central melody. Eli Wallach is the most interesting and best-acted character. But I would venture to say that Once Upon a Time in the West is qualitatively much higher.

The comparison between Candy and Love & Death is absolutely fantastic. Two miniseries based on the same true crime case filmed around the same time for different networks. Love & Death is a more charming, entertaining HBO drama with attractive actors and a grand courtroom atmosphere in the style of David E. Kelley. The flirtatious Candy gains sympathy because she is beautifully portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen. While Candy, backed by Hulu, presents a more authentic depiction of the period's realities, it's not as attractive but overall much more realistic. Surprisingly, the more sympathetic character here is the desperate Betty, played by Melanie Lynskey (the brilliant queen of New Zealand cinema). The bored Candy deals with her unsatisfactory life in the suburbs of a small town by reading letter porn and decides to start an affair with the first man she lays eyes on. Unfortunately, she chooses the husband of her neighbor, who is struggling with depression, postpartum weight, and an unsatisfactory career and role in the local community. The final courtroom scene isn't as convincing as in the competing series, but it's truly beneficial for the audience to see the story from a different perspective.

Die Entwicklung der Serie Batwoman ist wirklich interessant. Die erste Staffel entstand zu einer Zeit, als sich das Arrowverse in unvorstellbare Dimensionen ausdehnte. Die Solo-Staffel von Batwoman hatte nach dem Jahr 2011 einen ausgezeichneten Ruf bei den Lesern, aber das grundlegende Problem war, dass ihre Comic-Form auf Erwachsene ausgerichtet war, während die CW-Serien eine reine Teenie-Unterhaltung sind. Die Lösung dieses Widerspruchs in der ersten Staffel war ein reiner Kompromiss, dessen Auswirkungen vor allem im Crossover Krise der Parallelerden – Teil 2 zu sehen sind. Ruby Rose spielte eine generische Lesbe mit kurzen Haaren und im DC-Superheldenteam wirkte sie sehr seltsam. Deshalb beherrschte Rachel Skarsten als Negativgestalt Alice, stilisiert in eine dunkle Version der Welt von Lewis Carroll, die erste Staffel mühelos. In der zweiten Staffel kam es nach einer Wirbelsäulenverletzung von Ruby Rose zu einem Cast-Wechsel und aus Batwoman wurde dank des Gesichts von Javicia Leslie ein BLM-Manifest, das genau bis zur Hälfte der zweiten Staffel nicht so ganz funktionierte. Dann hat sich aber alles gefügt. Alice wurde menschlicher dargestellt, die Gotham-Bande in neuer Besetzung gewöhnte sich aneinander und auch dank dieser komplizierten Genese lief die verkürzte dritte Staffel wie am Schnürchen. Die Autoren begannen, die Welt voll zu genießen, in der Batman zwar verschwunden ist, aber seine Schufte und ihre Nachfolger immer noch im Spiel sind. Den Hauptantagonisten der Serie kreierte natürlich Joker, die Polizistin Renee Montoya erlebte ein weiteres Kapitel ihrer Romanze mit Poison Ivy und Ryan Wilder fand ihre leibliche Mutter. Das fast ödipale Drama umrahmte immer das allgegenwärtige L-Drama, für das sich die Autoren von The L Word nicht schämen müssten. Letztendlich bot Batwoman also Qualitäten, die niemand von dieser Serie erwartet hätte, und ich bin froh über diesen Fortschritt.