Pethushka

There were plenty of moments where I was excited, but unfortunately a few towards the end where the plot started to feel drawn out. Fortunately those never lasted very long and I could count them on one hand. But of course that also disturbed my overall impression. I don't think I'll be the only one who felt that at the beginning the plot was more playful and the plots more interesting. Towards the end, I didn't feel the passion as much and at times it became an ordinary tug of war for the throne. But it doesn't change the fact that most of the characters had nicely developed personalities, went through some decent transformations, and definitely did not amount to a game of black versus white. If I were to discuss the acting qualities, it would take a very long time, as at least a third of the cast would be worth mentioning. So I'll cut it short and only give one bit of praise, and that's towards Ha-nui Lee. That woman is one incredible lady! Or at least she can play one incredibly well... A strong 4 stars.

I'd been meaning to go see Beauty and the Beast. Just for Emma. But somehow I found myself in a theater watching a dubbed movie. And that half killed the movie for me. I have no idea how it would have been in the original, but I had a hard time with most of the songs in the Czech version. Otherwise, I have no major complaints about the film. The filmmakers stuck pretty closely to the source material, the cast is great, and the effects are pretty good too.

It's been a long time since this genre has been this good. I myself don't understand what the magic is and where that lightness comes from, which so many others are usually lacking. I can't even imagine how hard it must be to gauge the line between genius and kitsch in film music. You can really smell the talent. And Ryan, with Emma by his side, just lays it on like he was born for the part. 4.5 stars.

I love TV series based on fairy tales and the Koreans didn't disappoint me with this one either. At first I was weak in the knees at the beauty of my beloved Spain and my diaphragm was getting a workout at the comic performances of that unrivalled entertainer Ji-hyeon. The chemistry between her and he wonderful (as always) Min-ho can be felt straight away. After all, even at their first meeting in the dressing room, the chemistry between them sparks luxuriously. :)) And so begins a wonderful story, intertwined with one from the past. I enjoyed the fact that the series maintained a fun atmosphere almost the entire time. Where elsewhere a torrent of tears would have been unleashed, the creators occasionally slipped in a solid quip. It just fit here, so thanks for that. And also for the cameos and the beautiful Korean beach at the end! 4.5 stars.

I'm utterly destroyed and searching in vain for the right words. Gritty, brutal, suspenseful, action-packed, incredibly cool, with an awesome Western twist... That all sounds pretty lame compared to the movie. In short, it's an absolutely spectacular experience that should not be missed by anyone who enjoys watching movies. Whether you're into comic book movies or not. Of course, you'll enjoy it a bit better if you're in the know, but it can be seen on its own as well. Hats off to Jackman, he did some really incredible stuff. This is what I mean by "giving it your all". The music is perfect too. And that girl, Laura... Dear God!

First book average, movie great, second book awesome, movie average. Or is it a matter of expectation? When I wasn't expecting anything, I was surprised. When I allowed myself to expect a lot, I was disappointed. I guess it's also because I finished the book the day I went to the cinema, so I was a little overly annoyed at how the film deviated from the book. Especially in the case of Grey. Where's the possessive guy who's terrifying and makes Ana finish every meal? I suspect the director didn't read the book, because otherwise he couldn't have denied Christian his most distinctive qualities, which a viewer who hasn't read the book won't really know about. And he also misses out on a great deal of witty dialogue and interesting characters that are just begging to be on screen. I feel like I've seen an edited version. The first one was just done with a lot more feeling and highlighted exactly the scenes that needed to be. Unfortunately that didn't happen in this case, it's all chop chop to get it done. Except perhaps for the sex scenes and the one on the boat, everything is terribly sped up, without the necessary feeling. I mean, that's what this story is supposed to be about, isn’t it? The fact that I didn't like the choice of actors for most of the characters is probably very subjective, so I can live with that, but why on earth change their characters? Elena seems mysterious in the book, but here she's just a toxic old bat full of botox. That's it. Dornan and Dakota are good, but it just bugs me that even though they both have the chops to play the characters exactly as they are, no one asked them to. Still, they have my admiration, especially for the titillating scenes.

Haeundae Lovers definitely has the makings of an excellent series. There are plenty of crazy and likable characters among the cast, and the main plot point isn't useless either. It just happens quite late, in a strange way, and then everything unfolds kind of without surprise (at least for the audience; the characters seem to see it differently). The relationship between the hero and heroine has its bright moments, but they're not my favorite couple either. I guess that's why I didn't feel that much of a need to finish the series. Sometimes I even put it down halfway through an episode and could easily finish watching it in, say, a week. That's saying something... A slightly stronger 3 stars.

I know, I know, the script is stale, some of the scenes are a bit awkward, and there's not much point to it either. But that's exactly what you need every once in a while. To laugh, to dream, and not to take everything too seriously. The acting is very well done by most of the cast. For example, Klárka Issová surprised me with her role. I welcome Ondra Sokol always, everywhere, and to any extent. There could have been more of him here. And then, of course, the superb Táňa. The soundtrack is also very nice. On the other hand, it's a pity about the terribly unnatural dubbing. 4 stars.

It annoys me to have to rate this series in the end as just mediocre. This despite the fact that I witnessed one of the best acting performances by the incredible Yoon-ah Song. And Chang-wook, as expected, wasn't wasted either. The K2 is unfortunately brought down by a rather weak script. The love story itself, which was given quite a lot of space here, hardly tugged at my heartstrings at all; it was the other relationships that were more interesting. Although there are great moments and nice, heartwarming scenes, as a whole it lacks that magic that holds everything together nicely. Too bad.

It’s always lots of fun when two guys are fighting over one woman. And when they're each from a different generation, it's even more fun. It's just that what's going on here is unparalleled. I can remember exactly the last time I rolled around laughing like that. That time it was at The Hangover. And that was quite a few years ago. Franco, as Ned's crazy boyfriend, is both a jerk and an amazing guy. The dad is a little bit of a curmudgeon, but it's so much fun to watch Ned drive him crazy. Definitely the comedy of the past year for me. 5 stars.