das_leichsi Reviews

Wayward Pines (2015–2016)

Where Paradise Is Home

[6 April 2015]

Thanks to luck I was able to get a sneak preview of the first episode 'Where Paradise Is Home', and I, for my part, did enjoy it a lot, as far as pilots go.

I found the first episode to be a fun starting point. the mystery unfolds before you, but hell if I know what is going on with the idyllic village of Wayward Pines.

There's some seriously good acting, some really wacky scenes and dialogue and the humor did not fall short, surprisingly.

The story opens with our protagonist Burke waking up in the middle of nowhere, injured and confused, only to stumble upon eerie Wayward Pines. On a mission to find two missing Special Agents, one his former partner Kate, he is sucked deeper into the village's strange events. Finding no help in either hospital or with the Sheriff (Howard is funny and engaging, and together with Nurse Pam he easily steals the first episode), we will drift across town with him and learn more about Burke himself and the village.

The series is using the, nowadays, standard of location swapping together with flashbacks (and possible flash forwards), keeping you on your toes to follow the story. it's well done, but I cannot judge how good the twists will end up being. there's tons of them. the pilot is throwing a few, from what it seems major, twists at you, but keeping in mind that this is the first episode, I'd say most of them are smokes and mirrors for now.

There is also a lot of green screens and most of the town seems so overly fake that I am drawn to assume it is indeed on purpose. it never really does break the story and adds to the atmosphere of strangeness that hangs over the village.

If you have a warm spot for police mysteries a'la X-Files, creepy, isolated towns (thinking the Dome and Twin Peaks here, mixed with a less foggy and monster-less Silent Hill) with a weird sense of humor (looking at you over there, Eureka. you know we love you, right?) give it a go.

I for myself will be on the lookout for the next episode. even if it is only for Sheriff Pope

Iron Man Three (2013)

short and simple

[7/10 · 14 May 2013]

okay, I gotta admit that I'm a big comic and Marvel fan and I loved IM and kinda loathe IM2. IM3 was a really good conclusion to a story that told us who Tony Stark is and what IM means to him and why he is what he is.

I see that many are concerned that the movie does not follow the comic book story lines, but that shouldn't weight in. a movie tries to stand alone. to be self contained and understandable, even for people not familiar with the franchise.

I'd say the movie did a great job there. it's easy to follow, has a nice twist (but only if you followed the hype :P and that is not always good). and keeps you interested in the rather short journey.

it's nowhere near perfect. it's a popcorn, eye candy movie. the acting is ranging from average to good (Kingsley and RDJ stand out here, Cheadle really has nothing to do, and Pierce once more shows that he his very versatile)

don't go overboard. Marvel plays it safe by the audience and risky towards the nerd fan herd (me included). but I rather see a ballsy move a'la Mandarin then the repetition of story lines from comic books.

take a beer (or maybe two or three and a pee break) and some friends and enjoy the show.

and don't worry, he'll be back for Avengers. it's comic books, everything's possible ;)

Terra Nova (I) (2011)

Terra Nova ... slow start but gaining speed

[7/10 · 1 December 2011]

Okay folks,

I get it that for most of you high and mighty reviewers Terra Nova seems to be dumb. but I honestly do not feel this way.

People complaining about some holes and everything is just ridiculous with a series that is sending people 80million years in the past. come on people, give them a chance. (if anyone is going to mention the asteroid again I'm going to scream ... 16 million years until impact you geniuses out there. that's enough for a thousand civilizations to rise and fall so stop whining and use your oh soo awesome brains)

so let me tell you that yes, the first 4 episodes a rather drama heavy with long character plots to get to know them. and yes, the CGI is not the best on the market. but that did not keep me from Doctor Who or LEX and it's sure as hell not going to keep me from anything else.

I really love the direction of the later episodes when the meta plot gets going and we get a broader picture of what is wrong with Terra Nova, Commander Taylor and the Sixers.

The acting still ranges between average and sometimes very good. episode 9 had a nice Stephen Lang moment.

give the show a try, maybe jump in the later episodes and forget about the CGI.

suspend the disbelief and just enjoy it. it's better than most of the other crap out there, and you can watch it with the whole family.

and dammit, it has Dinosaurs!

Into Eternity: A Film for the Future (2010)

Amazing visuals and sound merged with an intense documentary

[10/10 · 24 November 2011]

okay, I'm a huge fan of documentaries, but Into Eternity is just a killer.

It's not the fact that it is well grounded and has it's facts together.

what really really hit me was the visual work combined with the music. this documentary is now my most favorite Sci-Fi film. the scenes are disturbingly furturistic with a mix of post-apocalyptic elements. you feel a constant threat looming over your head while watching this amazingly beautiful film. time unfolds as Madsen leads you into a project that wants to endure longer than the modern man. and for the first time in my life I felt really small and grabbed the scope of the world we're living in. 100.000 years is an awful long time, and it is a bold move to try to achieve something this lasting.

watch the film, relax and let it just take you away for 90 minutes. I dó not regret it. and I'm definitely going to see it again. and again. and again

The Lovely Bones (2009)

an amazing experience

[10/10 · 24 April 2010]

I just watched the movie last night and I was blown away by this. I was touched deeply by the performances and the art Jackson made out of making this movie. I don't want and will not talk to much about the movie itself, cause it's a beautiful story well told and it's intense till the end. What I want is to defend this movie against all this nutjobs around. I always read about the CGI and that it was so misplaced and that Jackson is always going for this. Guys, you noticed that this movie was a lot but not an "eye catcher"? the most important and touching sequences were in the "real" world. the afterlife was like it should be, larger than life, colorful and not as stained with our everyday bullshit. I liked the CGI sequences and I was surprised that he kept them at this few. but everyone's still complaining. Enjoy the movie. if you want to go off about to much CGI get back to LOTR (I can't understand you're rating this one so high when it is nothing more than CGI and Tolkiens 2dimensional characters) this movie is highly enjoyable for everyone who likes a film that makes you feel instead of just to watch. the slow pace of the story is a minus, but the cast is playing this one away like nothing. it's "fun" to watch them and it left me crying for a while. watch it, but only if you are capable of emotion. if not you wouldn't like it and see it as a waste of time and money (yeah I was talking to you)

Clash of the Titans (2010)

the clash without titans

[3/10 · 9 April 2010]

I've just seen the movie this night in a special midnight preview for good money and, damn, I was excited. waiting months for a movie can do that to me. I even got an upgrade on my seat, middle row center seat.

But the best seat in the cinema couldn't change the disaster on the screen. I wasn't expecting a high class movie with great storytelling or great acting. but this was ridiculous. I like big movies with great action and I enjoy a good anti hero but this was nothing at all The gods looked more misplaced in there medieval armor than frightening or superior. the performance of Neeson and Finnes was nothing I would ever expect from one of the two. no emotion, no style, no gods. Worthington was as disappointing as Perseus as Arnie would be as Hamlet. it was flat. I mean really flat. 2dimensional. all characters were just black and white figures with no intentions or depths. The dialogues were mere excuses to get them to the next place to kill some monsters and get killed. but I guess there are enough people out there that talk lots about bad acting

what really disappointed me was the lame action. where I expected to see long shots without any cuts to enjoy the epic of a true battle I only found a MTV music video clone in theatrical length. To many cuts, the camera as steady as filmed while an earthquake. you couldn't settle for one moment because the next one was just rushing in to confuse you. How can it be that the trailer of this movie is more calm and ordered than the movie itself? I just wanted to see an all out epic action movie. what I got was a waste of time

and fanboys, don't get me wrong, I love movies like this. the epic, the pathos, the action. I just enjoy watching movies like this. But the clash was nothing more than that a clash. no titans