gudaulin

With time, Flash Gordon feels like a rather sympathetic parody - the problem remains that it is an unwelcome kind of magic. The intention of the creators was clearly to pay homage to old science fiction stories with a film adaptation of the famous classic comic book. Tacky and overdecorated sets and bad special effects only highlight the outdatedness and worn-out nature of the subject matter. The superficial and from beginning to end calculated project, which was meant to ride the wave of Star Wars' popularity, was not saved even by the excellent music of Queen, the charismatic Max von Sydow, and the charming Ornella Muti, for whom the film's failure meant a return to Europe and the end of dreams of a successful career in Hollywood. Overall impression 35%.

An animated slapstick combining 3 motifs - 1) The classic Hitchcock motif of a man wrongly accused of a crime, when he is also confronted and attacked by the real villain, who has hidden his loot with him, 2) coexistence with two domestic pets endowed with a peculiar character, and 3) a combination of two worlds - flat paper and multidimensional, where it is possible to penetrate from one dimension to another thanks to a mysterious phenomenon and experience an infinite number of entertaining and thrilling moments. There is a huge amount of ideas packed into a 30-minute spectacle. Overall impression: 75%.

In some ways, the film reminds me of the production of classic British crime comedies from the 50s and 60s. It is a sympathetic film with a solid script and an outstanding Michael Caine, where only Demi Moore in the main female role slightly spoils my excellent impression, as I truly don't like her and consider her an average actress. Just as the 19th century had the Count of Monte Cristo as its avenging angel, Michael Radford has his cleaner Hobbes, who - although just before retirement - can bring a powerful global corporation to despair along with its numerous security guards and excellent lawyers. Because I consider the script to be the most important aspect when reviewing movies, I lean toward a high rating here. In its essence, it is a simple plan that doesn't need any fancy high-tech gadgets and yet works perfectly. Overall impression: 85%.

Miranda was my first encounter with the specific format of a stylized confession game, where the protagonist sells her flaws, mistakes, and failures to the audience with disarming openness and purposeful ironic exaggeration. Miranda was, in an irrational way, annoying to me; I simply didn't accept her as a human being. I am undecided about Phoebe. Her cheekiness and cynical speeches do not provoke sympathy in me, and sometimes I wonder if the term "bitch" might be a more accurate expression for her tough character. On the other hand, I have always had a weakness for a girl with such vibrant sexuality and a tendency towards all kinds of perversions. Besides, the viewer will soon realize that her sarcasm often only conceals insecurity and low self-confidence. There are moments when her mask falls off and her extremely vulnerable sensitive inner self is exposed. Overall impression: 60%, keeping in mind that I am not and will not be a fan of this genre in the future.

I don't quite understand the high rating on FilmBooster, because Spare Parts matched exactly what we expect from German TV movies in terms of quality. It's a thriller that tries to mimic well-known patterns from major American studios. It’s based on the widespread modern urban legend about the "black" ambulance that hunts victims for organ harvesting for wealthy patients in need of transplants. Overall impression: 45%.

A series with an alternative style of humor focused more on a minority of connoisseurs than on mainstream audiences. If I didn't know that it was American, I would consider it a typical BBC product. Many current sitcoms have crazy and wild humor like in The IT Crowd, whereas this show is the complete opposite of such productions. I have always considered myself a fan of dry humor, but here it is taken to the extreme. Lines delivered with absolute detachment, a distinctly phlegmatic manner, constantly bored faces with minimal emotions, and events unfolding at the same pace. The liveliness is brought by some of the rap songs, however. Some moments and especially catchphrases are truly fantastic, but some get lost in that apathetic delivery. Overall impression: 65%.

This is a drama that is much stronger in its questioning when it provides no clues, let alone answers. When it stops asking, it quickly, very quickly, loses steam and the ending becomes painfully routine, riding on the most embarrassing clichés. The film starts at 4 stars, only to slip to one in the end. I'll give a final 2 stars for Jodie Foster's effort. Overall impression: 40%. That plane looked more like an ocean liner or a luxury hotel. Either way, its operator doesn't bear the burden of fuel payments. This is only possible in the aviation fleet of some oil-soaked Arab state...

Regarding this pseudo-comedy, it is clearly visible how reviewers are influenced by the well-known and highly valued name of the director. If an unknown director had made a similar film, it would certainly have a rating of less than 50% and possibly hover around 40%. It is, indeed, by far the weakest film I have seen from Bergman so far. The comedy has a promising theme, but the execution is decidedly weak. Simply put, it is not funny. If the funniest part is supposed to be the sentence that a cellist must primarily be able to spread her legs, then it's a disaster. The film attempts to imitate classical French farce and American slapstick, but it all falls flat. It is influenced by theatrical mannerisms, the dialogues lack creativity, and where there should be wit, there is only awkwardness. Overall impression: 25%.

I first came across the Danish series The Killing in two commendable reviews raving about the qualities of this top series, which supposedly represents a completely new level of TV production. The mental processes of intellectuals are unpredictable, so I took this information with a grain of salt because its author had recently praised the film Bastards, one of the biggest failures of Czech cinema in recent years. However, the rating on FilmBooster (albeit with a low number of ratings) was also positive. In the end, I decided to give The Killing a try, but even after four episodes, it is not clear to me what the proclaimed exceptional quality of the series is because, before my eyes, it unfolded as a fairly standard TV detective story unreasonably divided into 20 episodes, for which I have neither the patience nor the desire. If David Lynch once directed Twin Peaks, his focus was not actually on the investigation of a specific crime, and the attraction for viewers lay in the hypnotic atmosphere and fascinating changing characters. Spending twenty hours of my life watching the investigation of a single criminal case is beyond my abilities, despite the likable investigator and the charisma of Lars Mikkelsen as an ambitious player in the political arena. I get the feeling that watching a single episode of Breaking Bad brings me greater satisfaction due to better character development and handling than four hours spent in the presence of these Scandinavians. Stephen King claims that an impatient reader who skips to the end of a book to prematurely find out the ending commits the worst literary crime. I committed a similar offense when I guessed the potential culprit after the fourth episode and then found out that I had hit the mark - which may testify to my genius, but rather to the fact that, despite its reputation, The Killing is too predictable for my taste. In this case, however, I will refrain from giving stars and a percentage rating...

The Killing already had an excellent reputation, but watching - as usually happens when you have high expectations - did not live up to my expectations. I disliked a certain fatigue of the series with its multitude of characters, motives, settings, detours, and dead ends. Twenty episodes of investigating one case were simply too much for my taste. Alignment did not come with the second season either, but the third season hit the spot for me. I appreciated its significantly more intense pace. Unlike its older siblings, the third season did not tire me but instead kept me on the edge. In this season, it is worth paying attention to the dialogues, relationships, and facial expressions; everything is well thought out and has its (temporarily hidden) meaning. The script evenly divides attention among several environments and realistically depicts the growing conflict between Danish business and political elites, facing a shocking crime, as well as the rivalry and maneuvering within stumbling security forces. The individual storylines do not mix aimlessly as in the first season. The twists in the investigation do not look like a divine intervention from above, the action elements are portrayed realistically, and the characters do not act in black and white, quite the opposite in fact. Each carries a scar, whether it is a partial or fundamental professional or human failure. Even the emotionally intense scenes of searching for a kidnapped girl whose time is running out do not lead to cheap sentimentality or manipulation of the viewer. As a warning that even the wealthiest societies are not without flaws, season 3 works excellently, and it also represents evidence that even small European productions can achieve great things. Overall impression: 85%.