Wookieetreiber Reviews

Ripley (2024)

Beautifully shot. And boring.

[4/10 · 25 May 2024]

I'm sure I'm about to be stoned in my mind, and perhaps rightly so, because I rate this series after just one and a half episodes.

I was immediately mesmerised by the photography! The series is beautifully filmed and shows impressively how it should be done (right, Mr Snyder?), I waited...and waited...the premise in New York was exciting, but then, suddenly, came this conversation with the father. Out of the blue. Here you have money! I don't know you, but ok... Well, I thought to myself, that's part of it and will clear up.

But nothing happens! Just mindless drivel. I have a soft spot for artistic film, I really like Anderson, for example (the good one...), but this was too exhausting for me.

Death and Other Details (2024)

Unfortunately unwatchable

[4/10 · 28 March 2024]

Unfortunately, this series is difficult to watch. On the one hand, as always these days, you can see that almost everything was shot before this unspeakable volume and the lighting is once again miserable; and on the other hand, the permanent, pseudo-intellectual chatter of all the extremely unlikeable characters annoys me.

There is far too much talking overall, everyone is so insanely hip again and everyone uses faecal language. It doesn't seem to work without that anymore.

This series lacks wit, charm and many other things to be good. A typical narrative to replenish the stock of the supposedly essential streaming service.

No thanks.

No One Will Save You (2023)

That was awesome.

[8/10 · 14 February 2024]

This movie is the epitome of the "show don't tell" principle and, in my opinion, one of the best films of recent years.

Because it's different. And then again it's not.

It's been a long time since I didn't want to reach for my stupid tablet during a movie to do something irrelevant.

There's something Kafkaesque about this movie. There is something brilliant about it. No, not everything is good or perfect or great. But it was really so weird that it was brilliant again.

Thank you for this extremely interesting movie, which showed me that there are still people out there who work. Even if nobody can save you in the end.

Thank you.

The Creator (2023)

I hoped it would be good

[5/10 · 17 January 2024]

It's a real shame. I had hoped for a lot from this film, if only because of all the advance praise, but also because there haven't been any good, original science fiction films in recent years.

The beginnings are there, but I have the feeling that Gareth Edwards was trying to do too much at once.

The film rushes from one action scene to the next without really telling a useful story or giving the characters any room for development, even though there are really only two that should be given one.

The film looks fantastic, the pace is fast... and yet I was terribly bored.

Once again, the film relies on flashbacks to shed some light on the main character's background, which doesn't do the story any good. You feel ripped out of the already meagre narrative and don't learn anything really important that you couldn't have learnt by talking to friends in the present.

In principle, the synopsis is as follows: there's a lot of shooting in the future and then the film is over.

And that's not enough.

Echo (2023–2024)

And it's bad again

[2/10 · 12 January 2024]

That could have been a really great show. Could have. And that's if they'd done away with all this nonsense about heritage, Native American voodoo and all the pointless dialogue. Yes, it's nice to see a Native American woman in a show like this. That's good enough. And then I want to see what she does, not read about it. I want action. I want an expressive heroine, which she could easily be. Unfortunately, the series is pure boredom. You could have followed the girl for 8 hours as she silently mows everything down along with a few touching moments with her family. But no, Disney knows better again, making it dull, tedious with lots of tell don't show instead of the other way round and proving once again that they simply can't tell such things any more. Too bad.

Foundation (2021– )

Second season is boring

[5/10 · 9 January 2024]

Well, I liked the first season, I watched it again when the second season came out. Unfortunately, the quality of the second season has dropped dramatically and is frankly quite boring. I don't know the books, so I didn't really care about a faithful adaptation. The first season was exciting and had many facets. Unfortunately, the second is a collection of confused narrative threads, unimaginative locations and, once again, a subordination to the current zeitgeist. Foundation is a missed opportunity. Again.

That's why I cancelled the second season halfway through. I can't bear to watch this rubbish any more.

Need for Speed Unbound (2022 Video Game)

Extraordingly horrific

[4/10 · 17 December 2022]

To say it in advance: it's bad again.

Whoever thought it would be better just because Criterion got to do it again this time, should be reminded that it was Criterion who started this open world nonsense in racing games with the PS3 and Burnout Paradise back in the day.

I've played almost every game in this series since the first Need for Speed in the 90s... and have only been disappointed since Underground.

And this time it really tops everything. In the negative sense.

And I don't even mean those weird scratched effects, some of them I even find quite good.

No, the game is a half-baked mixture of Underground, Heat and Burnout Paradise.

As they always say in a restaurant: better a small menu with really good dishes than a book with dirt. This is a book.

The graphics are ok, but there are graphic errors everywhere, like weird floating shadows that are supposed to be puddles.

The sound is good, but... you are ALWAYS annoyed with some stupid babble for almost EVERY SECOND of the game. The (again) pseudo-cool kiddie gang is just babbling the whole time... it's such a pain in the ass!!!!

And then it's the same stupid story as always. Why do I need a story in a game like this?!!! And especially not such a flat, stupid, meaningless, copied one.

So I'm supposed to go to an event.

While I'm driving there, I'm constantly being talked to and pestered with new events, which I then have to bring forward. When I go to the garage to deliver the money, the events are no longer available because the next day has dawned.

I'm supposed to pimp my car in 7 days, but I always have to go back to the garage to drop off the money, and then the day is gone.

The cops are more active at night than during the day. Why?

The cops in the race are a joke.

The controls are bad.

The music is a disaster.

No quick travel to the races.

Eternal paths to the events.

Always the same disaster.

This is not a serious arcade game, but yet another bling-bling hip-hop epilepsy children's game.

EA: (expletive) You!

Styx: Shards of Darkness (2017 Video Game)

Unfair

[3/10 · 10 December 2022]

Apart from being funny and looking nice, the game is unfortunately pure frustration even on the easiest level at the boss in level 4.

I actually like sneak games, but this one is really only for hardcore fans. It's unfair without end.

Doors can't be closed if you've opened them before. If you extinguish torches from a distance (!), you are discovered and someone lights them again. Throwing sand, however, costs resources.

The controls are not accurate, the camera often catastrophic.

Even on the easiest difficulty level I died 100 times up to level 4!

During the boss fight in level 4 (by then you've only done 30% of the game) you can NOT save despite the high difficulty and the unfairness!

There are far, far, far too many enemies running around.

It's really no fun any more at some point and is only intended for people who are capable of suffering and who otherwise have no frustration in life.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

It's a mess

[1/10 · 27 October 2022]

Rings of power

It is always easier to criticize something than to create something yourself. One must be aware of this with every (even if justified) criticism.

And with this maxim in mind, I describe my impressions here.

Let's go!

First of all, one should appreciate the obvious effort with which this series was created. The setting, the landscapes, the armor, the cities; all of it is outstandingly produced.

The actors (all of them) also give a very solid performance, the series started extremely brilliantly, catching me immediately and I was pleasantly surprised by this quality.

At this point it should not be left unmentioned that Peter Jackson made something impossible possible at the time and that he was allowed to spend more money on his films than any other studio ever before and that his project was on the brink more than once because of the horrendous and ever increasing sums.

His films had their own look and feel, he had put his own stamp on Tolkien's work, even then not without criticism. To do this, he used the works of some well-known artists who were already known and loved among the fans.

A billion was spent. What a sum! However, if you include inflation, the two creations are no longer so far apart.

The expectations were high.

On the one hand, I was pleased that they followed the known style, on the other hand, I was disappointed that they didn't dare to create something new, something of their own. A chance to create a new style was missed.

So much for the basic look.

In terms of content, one certainly has more freedom, even if the appendices to Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, or other stories from Middle Earth throughsaus the direction.

Quite a lot of liberties were taken here. That hurts.

Now we come to the most delicate aspect of this series, namely its diversity.

Yes, this series is a child of the times. It perfectly reflects the lunacy and turmoil of our society, which allows itself to be taken over by a minority of ideologically fascist maniacs.

And so this series also follows the current, imposed narrative that in everything everyone must find themselves in some form.

As the saying goes: there is no sure way to success, only one to sure failure, namely to want to please everyone.

And so the creators reflect on this wisdom, ignore all sense and reason and desecrate Tolkien's legacy so that it may satisfy the fascists of political corectness.

To bring it to the point: Ah... no. You know what? I am tired. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of explaining to the spiritually poor and the ideologically blinded how stupid and brazen they are.

And anyone who absolves this trash under the terse pretext that it is fantasy is not worth dealing with it any longer than necessary.

And so I conclude with the words: shame on you!

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Horrible

[1/10 · 16 September 2022]

What on earth were they thinking? Who writes such nonsense?

Is it that hard to tell a funny superhero story with action, tears and jokes?

What is this supposed to be? An ugly animated character in a terrible outfit with grotesquely pointless dialogues, a banal story, without any ambition.... Guys... really now?

Then you'd better leave it alone.

I've rarely felt so bored by a series, even Ms Marvel was better, and that's saying something. Holy cow!

Man, this gets really diffucult. Please, Disney, you got tons and tons and tons of money. Don't you think it could be worth using it to create something epic?

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Superhuman Law (2022) Season 1, Episode 2

That was a better one

[2/10 · 26 August 2022]

It is getting better. It's really getting better. The first episode was actually quite scary bad and seemed incredibly rushed. But No. 2 was much quieter and I hope that it will continue uphill, even if the CGI still disappoints me a little; at least in the close-ups.

House of the Dragon: The Heirs of the Dragon (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

A bit of what you fancy

[5/10 · 22 August 2022]

Let us briefly recall how Game of Theones began. A fierce-looking man, a delingquent, a sword.

And now for this. Blah blah blah.

And, I had feared it, the cast is unbelievably unsympathetic.

They are sometimes unattractive, and they have no charisma whatsoever. Which doesn't mean that they can't act, which unfortunately is true of some of them.

But these characters are miles away from the cast of Game of Thrones. Miles away. They seem interchangeable. Not like in GoT, where you immediately had them in your mind's eye when they were mentioned.

And what's with those weird distorted wide shots?

What is this creepy colour grading?

In places, this episode is horrifically disgusting. Downright abhorrent. One may well ask what kind of a brainchild one must be to feast on this.

After all, it is not a completely overdrawn horror film.

It seems as if one wants to surpass the predecessors by all means. It seems almost compulsive to want to do so.

Everything seems used up and decadent.

And yes... the effects are awful, as if they knew from the beginning that it wouldn't be worth putting too much money into this production.

And I am latently confused about the black tagaryen. Or is that not one at all? I'm not familiar with the artist's literature and sagas, but this seems really strange.

So. It's GoT, it's unquestionably recognisable. But something's not right. Until now.

The spark didn't want to jump over.

But, let's not jump to conclusions from one episode to the whole work. However... this was not a good start.

Zeros and Ones (2021)

Had to stop after 34 minutes

[1/10 · 21 August 2022]

What is this?

What should it be?

Who will stand this?

Why! Is this?

What's the meaning?

Was he sober writing this?

Was this a joke?

What's the intention?

What is the message?

Why does is hurt so much?

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: A Normal Amount of Rage (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

Hope this is getting better

[4/10 · 18 August 2022]

So that was it, the first episode of She-Hulk. And, well, what can I say... I am a bit disappointed. While I was really hyped for WandaVision, Winter Soldier and Loki, by Moon-something (I forget) I was kind of to the point where I forgot to watch it every week. But this was a really weak opener.

Disney has so much money, but always makes its series look kind of old when it comes to special effects.

And then again and again and again the same formula, that of course the woman has to be better.

And now let's be honest... burping for a bet?

And this unsympathetic behaviour from this chick... I love Tatiana, she is an outstanding actress and extremely likeable. So, what the hell are you guys doing?!

Ok, that was only the first episode and unfortunately again only 30 minutes with nothing to talk about. Guys, what are you doing? Why don't you make a three-hour film? Or even two.

I'll wait until all the episodes are out, then I'll log off, it's just annoying.

You know what, Disney? (Insert swear words here)

Luck (I) (2022)

Heartwarming

[8/10 · 7 August 2022]

To take the few negative points right away, yes, it is a film of our time, which cannot refrain from introducing a tiny bit of current political clichés here and there. But fortunately there are so few of them that you can overlook them.

On the positive side... it is a positive film. Yes, it's childish, and that's good, because it's a children's film. And it's a normal children's film and not one of those pseudo-moralistic new age films.

It's heartwarming, funny, entertaining and a must-see for cat fans.

The Flight Attendant (2020–2022)

Season 1 is better

[8/10 · 1 August 2022]

Well, unfortunately the second season is not quite as good as the first. Cassie is still totally broken and sees all kinds of things, has visions. But unfortunately, as in other formats, it has to become more and more diverse.

I like Cuoco, and I think she gives a really good performance, but the rest is so absurd that it makes you dizzy.

In the middle of the second season, I think they realised that it was getting dull and briefly left Cassie out of season 1.

But I have to reduce my original rating of 8/10 to 7/10, with a lot of good will, because unfortunately it is absolutely predictable who the villain is.

And unfortunately this TV universe is just too much political tag-along for me.

I hope for a third season with a bit more inspiration.

Because, I'm writing these lines while the already anticipated season finale is playing in the background. That says it all.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

There was no need for that

[5/10 · 27 July 2022]

The spark didn't want to jump over. Seriously: I love Ewan McGregor, and he's the only thing in the Prequals I really like. He brought young Obi-Wan charmingly to life. Hayden... no. Story? Yeah ok, implementation, no, bad. Anyway, this drop has been sucked.

But what is anyone supposed to do with an Obi-Wan series, please? It's another demystification of the beloved old trilogy. And of course Vader has to come because... well... he has to. And what else are we going to do? Luke? Nah, we've had that one too many times. Leia? She's dead, we can honour her. Cool idea. What else? Fighting. And Clone Wars stuff... the kids love it.

Hmm, let's see, what could he have been doing all those years?

Well, Yoda said he should train.

Boring. Let's make a fool out of him.

Great idea!

And let's do cheap flashbacks where everyone looks way too old.

Definitely.

Oh yeah... nearly waste like Boba Fett. Not bad, not great. Just a stopgap to bring in money.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Well... hmm... almost good

[7/10 · 30 June 2022]

Okay, what do we have here? Overall, it's a good movie with pretty good performances. On the other hand, there is a nice plot, but also a whole bunch of clichés, starting with the nasty students and ending with all the men who are supposed to be either stupid, clumsy or criminals. It's annoying. And watch out! Now I'll give away some of the plot: the "victim" could have stopped what she was supposedly forced to do at any time. That she didn't do that is explained so clumsily, I almost had to laugh. And of course, the actual perpetrator was still the victim in the end.

This is so silly and embarrassing and a slap in the face of every strong woman. Because here it is again, the feminist me-too narrative: women are weak because they are weakened by evil men. It's so silly.

On the whole, however, the film manages to entertain, because it is fast-paced, visually a blast and in the end thus just about a 7.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Marvel goes Nickelodeon

[4/10 · 15 June 2022]

This series is colorful, very colorful. Okay, that's something else, but in the end Marvel and Disney can't get over having to politicize everything and everyone.

This series is less reminiscent of a contribution to the MCU than a kitachy, clichéd Nickeoden series. By now we're on episode 2 and... nothing happens. Absolutely nothing. Instead, you get bogged down in dull teen love issues, social-ethnic nonsense, and forgetting to let the whole thing pick up speed.

For most of the time, it's all pretty annoying.

The Essex Serpent (2022)

What a disappointment

[4/10 · 11 June 2022]

What begins as some mystic, thrilling drama with a grain of pc crap (but... erm well) soons turns into a trivial fin de ciècle soap opera with absolutely no depth. Very disappointing and frustrating.

Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)

Well... erm...

[6/10 · 16 April 2022]

Sienna Miller is the highlight of this miniseries, but the story itself is too flat, too one-dimensional for me. Yes, the whole thing has its appeal, but in the end it's nothing we haven't seen 1,000 times before. All in all, I miss the refinement, the certain something. At the end remains a bland Beigechmackt, because it smells of Metoo, but not even then really ignite.

But for a cozy evening in front of the boob tube, it works.

All the Old Knives (2022)

Predictable and boring

[5/10 · 10 April 2022]

Extremely predictable, full of clichés and extremely uninspired.

There are exactly three characters who play a role, and if there is supposed to be a halfway useful surprise at all, there is only one left who can be...

Then sprinkle in a few silly prejudices about other countries, spice it up with some foreign language and there you have it... the extremely mediocre film with actors who are in little demand.

The story is stupid. Predictable would be justifiable if the rest was well done, but it's not.

Being the Ricardos (2021)

Maybe better without Kidman

[6/10 · 22 March 2022]

I don't get it. A woman like Nicole Kidman, who was considered naturally beautiful for many years, falls into the same hole as so many others and is barely recognizable because of the changes she has undergone. I constantly feel like I'm watching a scratched porella doll trying not to act too much for fear that the paint might finally chip off.

Too bad. Such a pity.

Appreciating an acting performance that you can barely recognize is truly a challenge.

And yes, in this film, I think the supporting actors shine the most (ok, and Javier Bardem, of course). But especially Nina Arianda inspires me once again. A terrific actress.

Kidman tries to play a 40-year-old woman, which you just can't take from her anymore. She virtually caricatures herself. Is she good? Yes, in a way, but it hurts to see her like this, so undignifiedly bloated.

The film itself works well as a biopic, although the flashbacks seem even more implausible than the present scenes.

Of course, as expected, the farce of this nonsense about a communist party affiliation has to be addressed, but one has seen this kind of thing many times before.

However, it is very well staged and remains important in view of the continuing hubris of us-American politicians even today with the raised forefinger through the world to pull.

What I find disturbing are the pseudo-documentary scenes with people playing aged companions. This comes across as highly silly.

Conclusion: A nice film for an evening together that sets good accents without shining. Kidman seems stiff and creates a perpetual creepiness rather than sympathy because of her disfigured face.

Camera, direction and the rest of the cast pull the coals out of the fire, though.

Archenemy (2020)

Nope...

[4/10 · 20 March 2022]

Too bad, because the trailer was promising. Unfortunately, the film takes three steps back whenever it could finally get going, massively slows down and drifts into boredom again.

The silly cartoon interludes don't really help to make the whole thing more interesting. The film struggles, agonizes until the end and closes on a Kafkaesque note.

Suspicion (2022)

And then they spoiled it all

[5/10 · 18 March 2022]

Okay, sounds interesting. It could work. Ah yes, tension is built up quite well. The characters are quite ok, let's see where the journey goes.

And then comes the last episode.

Holy father! What an unbelievable nonsense! I won't spoil this junk, but this much is revealed: this is no story twist, no big surprise, but an embarrassing soap opera beyond compare.

How can you ruin an arc of suspense like that?

Horrible. Simply awful.