kleemannmax Reviews

Daredevil: New York's Finest (2016) Season 2, Episode 3

Daredevil yet again solidifies itself as the best Marvel Screen Adaptation to date and as one of the best shows of all time with another riveting episode

[10/10 · 19 March 2016]

There is a lot that makes Daredevil stand out from the rest of Marvel Studios and Marvel Television, mostly thanks to Netflix allowing creative freedom. Drew Goddard adapted Daredevil beautifully in the first season with actually likable side characters, impeccable villain writing and fantastic acting from the Main Cast. It proved that Marvel could be much more than silly action popcorn cinema for Comic Book Fans and with its gritty R- Rated approach to Hell's kitchen it became what is, in my opinion, THE best Marvel Screen Adaptation to date.

Season 2 Episode 3 is a perfect example of why Daredevil works on a whole other level than other Superhero Shows or Movies so far. It's not about CGI Set-Pieces here, or about witty humor or about giving the viewer as much as possible in 40 minutes. Season 2 carefully introduces Jon Bernthal's portrayal as Frank Castle aka The Punisher into Hell's Kitchen by building him as the clear antagonist to Daredevil.

And just as Wilson Fisk in Season 1, The Punisher in Season 2 gets to shine through great dialogue and stylish acting. And just as Wilson Fisk in Season 1, The Punisher in Season 2 has yet again the same goals as Daredevil himself. The Show is about preserving and protecting Hell's Kitchen, it's a boiling pot full of crime and debauchery but the honest people in it want to build on the city's potential, they want the crime gone. And Daredevil and Punisher are two solutions to the same problem, one being stop crime by helping the police make arrests or The Punisher's morality by simply killing them.

It's a beautiful dynamic that comes through perfectly in this episode, the writing is on point, short and meaningful one liners give The Punisher a deep sense of purpose and self-confidence.

There is a lot to appreciate here. The Cinematography captures the rotten streets of Hell's Kitchen in a sort of fearful orange light. The Acting from everyone involved is passionate, the direction is not convoluted or irritating.

Probably the most impressive thing that the show has done to keep its realism grounded is transforming the fights into something very brutal and barbaric. This is not a show about Norse gods fighting aliens, this is a show about a dedicated and passionate man defending the helpless. This Episode's final fight is absolutely spectacular, cleverly cut to appear as it is one take it takes place in two floors and a stairway and most impressively it seems real. The choreography and Stunt work here is out of this world, every hit seems exhausting and powerful, the direction is flawless and keeps everything in frame for the viewer to be completely immersed in the scene. Comprimising Daredevil's ability to properly fight here, his one arm taped to an empty gun, a chain in his other hand, makes it feel like Matt Murdock is fighting for his life, it's brutal and riveting and extremely entertaining.

It makes for one of the best shows currently running. There is a lot of masterful work being done in the contemporary television landscape and who would've thought that Marvel Television would leave such a big and impressive mark on it. Daredevil is fantastic television, it's deep, it's exciting and suspenseful, it's fun and it lets the viewer escape into the world of Hell's Kitchen where everyone is suffering and vigilante's step in.

10/10

Hannibal: The Wrath of the Lamb (2015) Season 3, Episode 13

Hannibal ends as beautifully, poetic and gruesome as it ever was in probably one of the best season/series finales of all time

[10/10 · 28 August 2015]

I consider this show to be the only show I've seen to date where the full creative potential of the material is being used. Not only does Hannibal's third season beautifully translate the world Thomas Harris built in his novels but it changes it just enough to transform into something really spectacular.

Hannibal tried to teach its viewers true beauty in a visceral and bloody world. This is not a realistic portrayal of characters and more a hyper psychological representation of good and evil with Will and Hannibal circling each other throughout the seasons and it's been done beautifully in absolutely every regard under the team led by Bryan Fuller.

This season/series finally brings this excellent show on another level yet again with a conclusion that's bound to be jawdropping, inspiring and emotional. We see Will and Hannibal finally reconnect again after living apart for two years, we see the Red Dragons cunningness and absolutely brutal nature be topped yet again with a performance from Richard Armitage that's Award worthy, we see a beautiful and well thought out ending to every character that actually works as a series finale which it wasn't supposed to be.

It is operatic filmmaking brought to perfection by the all equally superb cinematography, set and costume design, lighting, direction and writing, foremost the minimalistic acting of the cast and Mikkelsen; probably the best representation of Hannibal in film yet, where each movement and line seems dangerous and eerie, in scenes of him being locked in his "cage" he seemed to be lurking like a caged animal.

The shows writing gets absurdly pretentious in a positive way, it's a supernatural show where blood and mutilation is beautiful and the human psychic is a playground for monsters. We're not supposed to understand the characters, we're supposed to be transported to a place where poetry and melodies express themselves through disfigured corpses and broken and deeply disturbed individuals, to a place where Hannibal Lecter is the devil incarnate roaming the world.

It is in my opinion one of the few shows that can be considered art and it will hold a very dear place in my heart as something that inspired, shocked and transcended me every week.

Save yourselves.. and thank Bryan Fuller

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2019)

Tina Fey's comedic brilliance does not disappoint. Lovable quirky characters, surprisingly honest and extraordinary writing make 'Kimmy Schmidt' a must-see comedy

[10/10 · 7 March 2015]

There's a lot to what seems to be a simple story of an Indiana Mole Woman moving to New York to finally experience life how she wants it. Tina Fey and her writing team already proved themselves with 30 Rock which had some of the best written comedy of all time with what is in my opinion one of the best television characters of all time, Jack Donaghy, and while Kimmy Schmidt is a different approach to her formula it still very much feels like something from the minds of the creators of 30 Rock. The Jokes are still fantastic and smart, with Pop Culture references to an extreme and quirky humor that goes along very well to the silly tone of the show itself.

The Performances here are all top notch. Ellie Kemper sticks out the most, she has her award win down right here, with a lovable sweet and honest performance as an ever grinning oblivious girl with a big heart. But even the supporting cast is perfect. Titus Burgess nails it at what is basically his character from 30 Rock just without the success. While he starts off as annoying he gets to be one of the most hilarious parts of the show as a desperately trying actor. Jane Krakowski is basically Jenna from 30 Rock, still as perfect as an actress can get for a role like that. Carol Kane as the freaky weird landlord of Kimmy's and Titus' delivers just as much and is just as lovable as about every aspect of the show.

But the smaller things stick out just as much, the costume design is fantastic with the glowing colorful wardrobe of Kimmy's or Titus' long 70's like shirts. The sets stick out as well, Kimmy's appartement always seems to look different and kind of progresses since she moved in there with Titus', the apartement becomes a part of Kimmy herself in a way. Jacqueline Vorhees' house just as much encompasses exactly for what she stands with something like a huge fridge just for diet water.

All in all, can not praise this show enough. It's lighthearted silly and at the same time smart and sometimes sophisticated fun with extraordinary writing, characters you WILL fall in love with, dedication from the whole crew in terms of lighting, set and costume design, cinematography, original score. It makes for what is one of Netflix' best orginials now and seeing that the first season was made for NBC we can only suspect that the show will get even better now that they can work under the free creative environment Netflix offers them. I absolutely cried from laughing here and at the next time I admired the creativity Tina Fey once again brings out here.

10/10

Hannibal: Futamono (2014) Season 2, Episode 6

Hannibal proves to be cinematic poetry in its purest form. This episode proves why this might be the best currently airing show, if not one of the best shows ever.

[10/10 · 4 July 2014]

So where to begin complimenting a show like Hannibal, when it's almost perfect on any level, technically or creatively.

The second season in itself may be one of the most accomplished seasons of a television show ever and this episode specifically summarizes exactly why.

There's a lot to take in as a viewer, the filmmaking is absolutely polarizing. Not only is the direction in every episode as good as it gets, the more subtle parts are just as good. What many may have noticed by now is the absolutely superb sound design, every episode is almost constantly accompanied by a very atmospheric, almost hypnotizing soundtrack, which perfectly symbolizes the state of mind our main characters are in. While episodes centered around Will Graham are accompanied by a very wild, chaotic and disorienting soundtrack, episodes like this one, that are centered around Hannibal are accompanied by compositions that remind of operas, of classical music, specifically here the piano piece composed by Hannibal Lecter himself.

The cinematography is just as superb as almost any other aspect of the show. It's grim, gray and dark. The whole look appears very sterile, like it's hiding something. The costume designers aren't to be ignored here as well. Hannibals attires are very formal and clean. Hannibal is being described as wearing a man suit at one point in the show, he's hiding his whole self underneath his exquisite appearance.

Obviously there's much more, but I wanted to point out some things that maybe not everyone knows to appreciate. And there's a lot to appreciate here, maybe more than in any other show airing these days.

It's beautiful, it really is. When Hannibal prepares human meat in the most professional way imaginable while being accompanied by a beautiful classical piece of music in the background, you can sense that Hannibal is a pure connoisseur. He's a composer, a psychiatrist, a surgeon, a star cook who appreciates the true nature of culinary art. He's not insane, or a psychopath. He is absolutely conscious of who he is, he's simply said an artist.

I could keep on writing for hours, there is a lot to analyze and take in, as I already said. Fact is, that Hannibal is cinematic poetry which is very rarely found these days. This show shapes up to be a technical and creative masterpiece that maybe comes along every 20 years. It's a hypnotizing, riveting, gruesome, transcending show, where you as a viewer are easily able to suspend disbelief and get completely lost in it.

Almost Human: Unbound (2014) Season 1, Episode 9

Superb. This episode is pretty much the reason why 'Almost Human' is the future of television Sci-Fi

[9/10 · 27 March 2014]

Almost Human stands on fairly shaking ground so far. The universe it mostly builds in this season is fantastic. Although it's clearly inspired by movies like 'Blade Runner' and 'Minority Report', 'Terminator' and takes ideas from more independent sci-fi films like 'Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind' to establish its identity it seems fresh, original and fun. And Sci-Fi needs its time, the audience has to get comfortable with the setting and that is exactly what Almost Human has been doing, so far we know about Sex-Bots, Cloning, we know the chemistry between MX's and real cops, we've seen futuristic tech like Face-Makers and by know the audience gets to be comfortable with Almost Human's take on futuristic tech.

Because of that it can finally tackle bigger plot points, which were first seen in this episode. They even teased this episode in the very first one. I've had my concerns with AH, the episodic format and the action and simple "Find out who is the criminal" driven plots were entertaining and great, definitely, but they were missing something. The soundtrack has been a hit and miss so far too. Some tracks are great, atmospheric and have a familiar Vangelis sound to them, but action scenes are combined with dub step tunes which in my opinion do not go well together with the scenes and make them appear more ordinary, which they aren't. The best parts of every episode for me were the basic conversations, where we get to meet people in their surroundings, the conversations between Dorian and Kennex. Great sci-fi does not equal suspense and action, great sci-fi builds a believable future which at the same time brings up contemporary ethical and philosophical question to which we in our time can relate. Sci-Fi is at its core a very sophisticated genre and its hard to maneuver and get right.

And in my opinion Almost Human got something very very right in this episode. The introduction of Dr. Nigel Vaughn, who is brilliantly portrayed by John Larroquette, is great. He's the broken unfortunate thoughtful creator of the DRN's, which were decommissioned because of emotional instability. Dr. Vaughn is the philosophical link the show has been missing and its great to see that they actually get it. The conversations and simple interaction between Dorian and his maker are fascinating, the dialog is very well and carefully written and for the first time intriguing. Dorian's existential fear which is brought up after seeing his maker makes him ironically the most human character on the show.

Almost Human has something very special here and they should build on that. So far it only scratches the surface of an immensely deep universe which it is not yet ready to go in to as it seems. There are endless possibilities here that may make this show stand out in the future, it really is great so far, this episode though proved that this show can be fantastic.

Almost Human has potential, there is real and great Science Fiction in there, they just aren't ready to touch it yet. The episodic format seems outdated and not progressive enough for a show with such endless possibilities, but it's there. Something's there and support is more than needed. FOX has a gem on its hands here and they better not cancel it prematurely, let it breath and build its universe. Sci-Fi needs its time.

Cowboy Bebop: Jupiter Jazz: Part 2 (1998) Season 1, Episode 13

A superior and fascinating episode from one of the best animated shows of all time

[10/10 · 22 February 2014]

Cowboy Bebop is exceptional on so many levels and it overshadows probably 99% of every other animated shows out there. In its 25 minute format it, most of the times, builds a complete story arc with emotions, suspense, delightful humor. It is amazing to see that Bebop doesn't go the conventional sci-fi route that focuses mainly on big action sequences, but rather focuses on the universe it builds, it wants to convince us that the rotten, desperate and brutal dystopian future it creates is believable. The western elements from the show like the gun slinging, bounty hunting and the search for a woman stylize the show to the perfect extent, it creates an incredibly inventive and original atmosphere.

And the Jupiter Jazz episodes encompass everything there is to love about the show, they focus on human drama. The sci-fi aspect is never in the spotlight, it's the dark past of the characters, their relationship or hatred. It takes place in an alternate universe, which the show doesn't need to explain, and that is phenomenal. When you as a viewer feel comfortable in this world without knowing all too much, that is where the show shows authenticity, it creates an image of an alternate reality which actually works and it does that by just ignoring it. It is so well designed, from the aircraft to the costumes, that you completely buy into it.

I won't go into details, because I try to keep this 'reviews' as spoiler free as possible, but it is exceptional. We learn a little bit more about Vicious' and Spike's past. For the first time we see that Jet, Faye and Spike really depend on each other. The unfortunately short lived character Gren is probably one of my favorite characters from the whole show. It ends on a very poetic and peaceful note that's being accompanied by probably the most beautiful song in the whole soundtrack, it will give you goosebumps. And there's no need to mention that the soundtrack is just as big of a masterpiece like Cowboy Bebop itself.

This is not just anime. It's superior storytelling and fascinating filmmaking on almost every level. Episodes like this make Cowboy Bebop one of the most enjoyable, human and original shows there are. I'm usually not a big fan of anime shows, but everyone reasonable enough will embrace and love this show just as much as I do.

10/10, it truly is excellent

True Detective: Who Goes There (2014) Season 1, Episode 4

True Detective absolutely shines as the currently brightest star in the already glowing television sky. An episode that will make your jaw drop.

[13 February 2014]

Episode four officially opens up the second act of the three act first season with most likely one of the most astonishing pieces of television ever. Not only is the episode inexplicably well written and acted, shot and composed, but it is gripping and enthralling on the highest level imaginable. I try to keep these reviews absolutely spoiler free and that's for a reason. You will be at the edge of the seat and that should not be spoiled for anyone.

It's nice to see that Harrelson's and Monaghan's character get some real development in this episode. We see some great development between the two detectives, as usual we learn more about Mcconaughey's dark mysterious and brutal past, which catches up to him in this episode. It goes without saying that the acting is without a doubt superb, but even minor characters like Brad Carter's character or Alexandra Daddario's are portrayed beautifully with a lot of passion from the actors. You can see that there is a lot of love and dedication involved in making this show.

It closes with one of the best tracking shots in cinema history, that will without a doubt go down in history. It is absolutely jaw dropping and the complexity of the shot is incredible. Yet it's not confusing or misleading, at every single second of these six minutes everything is clear. The haunting soundtrack that slowly buzzes in the background, the helicopter sounds, distant gun shots and screaming, make this shot just unbelievable, it's just too good to be true. There is a complete immersion that this shot creates, for these six minutes you're not sitting in your chair watching a show, you're right there with Det. Cohle. And that is the definition of cinema, it is supposed to let you forget your life, to dream for a certain amount of time, just enjoy it.

I can not praise this show enough, if the other 4 episodes are only slightly as good as this one, then True Detectives first season will turn into a masterpiece. The six minute tracking shot definitely already is one.

11/10

True Detective: The Long Bright Dark (2014) Season 1, Episode 1

True Detective's superb pilot might be the start of another cinematic milestone in the golden age of television brought to us by HBO.

[10/10 · 20 January 2014]

The thing that most likely will stick out to everyone who watches this show is its excellent use of setting. There are absolutely haunting locations, Louisiana appears dark and mysterious, even in bright daylight. The slight color correction adds to that, it looks old and forgotten. We have abandoned houses, churches, brothels in the woods, desperate and forgotten human beings among them. Key to the whole experience is the atmosphere. The cinematography by Adam Arkapaw is superb. The music is a big part of that too, a lot of contemporary music is to be found with a lot of quiet and haunting tunes that go with dialog.

Coming to the performances and the writing. Without a doubt Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson go great together. There is something between them that is not acting, as a viewer you can just feel that there is a general antipathy between them, which is something very hard to achieve and it shows how well these two work together, they are both absolutely superb actors doing the best they can. They're as different as they can be, but the passion and love they put into their job is the same and connects them. McConaughey's character might stand out, because of his mysterious and dark, depressive, pessimistic nature, his monologues and his view on life are astounding. Woody Harrelson's character is family friendly, he suffers, because of the job, yet wants to solve the case more than anything.

Overall, this might be one of the better pilots, if not one among the best pilots I personally have seen yet. True Detectives fantastic use of setting and locations, the great cinematography, detailed and passionate writing, the outstanding performances and the intriguing and involving story create a show that will definitely stand out in the future. This might be our next super-show à la 'Breaking Bad' or 'Mad Men'

10/10