kjell-ahlstrom Reviews

The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022)

Not good... Yet...

[5/10 · 30 December 2021]

Hard to believe this was made by the same minds behind the Mandalorian.

I had hoped for as good an experience, but maybe the Mandalorian had been gestating in Favreu's head for many many years, and this is what happens once they start pushing out episodes.

If it changes, I'll update my review.

The Silent Sea (2021)

An interesting idea...

[4/10 · 26 December 2021]

There's food for a good Sci-Fi in the plot, but the implementation falls short.

It should have been a movie. They barely have enough material for two hours, but they tell it soooooo slowly to milk a series from the bulletpoints.

Ultimately it yields a series so slow paced that it is ridiculously boring throughout most of the runtime.

Bring your phone or internet surf tool of choice to this series so you can entertain yourself in the slow filler hours.

Young Justice (2010–2023)

S1 and S2 were really good

[3/10 · 8 December 2021]

Now it's not worth my time.

Season 4 is just one boring flat note. Almost every VA seems to be directed to having the same nondescript monotone voice for almost every character. Plot is not engaging. I can barely keep my eyes open through an episode.

This is where I jump off.

Elves (2021)

Does every person have the capacity to hate a child?

[7/10 · 3 December 2021]

Watch this movie for the answer.

Come for the Christmas monster series.

Stay to root for the monsters.

The season we all find ourselves come together with one holiday wish - Let Josie die.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Average fantasy so far

[5/10 · 20 November 2021]

Neither the characters nor writing stand out so far. Moiraine is very much carrying the series on her shoulders in the first episodes.

Wardrobe and makeup needs to make Rand look more like he fits into this medivial world.

I will give it a few more episodes but I am not invested in anyone or anything yet.

Olaf Presents (2021)

Why is this getting good grades?

[1/10 · 15 November 2021]

I barely made it through one episode and one episode is literally like 2 minutes long.

Is it really funny? Am I not getting it?

I feel like I wasted 2 minutes of my life and I didn't even know that was possible.

Arcane (2021– )

In it's own league

[10/10 · 7 November 2021]

I'm an animation junkie and this is the best animation I have ever seen.

By far.

I have no complaints. Zero. Just hook me up to an IV and let me watch more of this until the end of my days.

10/10.

Supergirl (2015–2021)

Lowering the grade

[6/10 · 3 November 2021]

I have had this rated 10 for several years, because the first seasons were truly amazing. Then came season 5 and it has been terrible ever since.

It's not just the writers, though they carry most of the blame, but the actors and actresses as well seem like they stopped caring.

Remember how Melissa went all in with her acting when she got angry, when she cried and so on in the earlier seasons? Compare that with the death of William or when found out her father was alive. It's like she went into sweatpants mood when she got the new suit and is just cruising into work, reading her lines and getting her paycheck.

Jesse Rath is the only actor still putting effort in the show, and Esme is the only character whom the poor writing is unable to snuff the light out of thanks to that actress.

I'm altering the grade to a 6, and it's only rated that high because of the earlier seasons and Brainy and Esme in the latest.

Pray that I do not alter it any further.

Another Life (2019–2021)

Series 2 is the payout for series 1

[9/10 · 16 October 2021]

While series 1 wasn't amazing, it set the stage for series 2 which I absolutely loved.

Don't sleep out on this based on the reviews. For the curious, this turns out to become a hidden gem and ends up one of my favorite space series ever.

Titans (I) (2018–2023)

I'm not having fun

[2/10 · 1 September 2021]

This feels like the most miserable person on Earth's take on superheroes.

Bleak. Dark. Attitudes. Foul language. More bleak.

Should I be having fun while watching this? Is anyone having fun watching this?

An emo person doing spoken word poetry brings a wider range of nuances.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)

Best MotU series so far

[10/10 · 23 July 2021]

I won't say ignore the ones crying about "The Teela Show". If all you got out of the Filmation series was "Strong Man with power", and nothing else matters, then listen to them. The first part focuses much on other characters.

If you on the other hand paid more attention to how Eternia works when you watched the Filmation series, you also probably noticed all the other characters and their roles in this Universe. The Sorceress holds the power supreme - the secrets of Grayskull, Teela holds control of the armies - the Royal Guard, Marleena was the best pilot on Eternia, Evil-Lyn was the brains of Snake Mountain.

This show was never about one dude. He-Man was just the chosen guardian of Grayskull. The women held as much power and importance, as did the other men.

If you understood that and enjoyed this rich array of characters then you are in for a treat. This show looks at all those old dynamics, characters and roles and tells a new epic with them.

I LOVE the old Filmation series. Huuuuge fan. Have bought them on VHS, DVD and streaming service and rewatched them. This honors that, but makes it even better with modern state of the art animation and storytelling. Storytelling that will make you feel.

Don't sleep out on this. Don't close your heart to magnificence if you love the Universe.

By the power of Grayskull!

10/10.

The Water Man (I) (2020)

It lacks the magic

[4/10 · 9 July 2021]

This is my kind of movie. Child escapism movies mixing with fantasy is where my heart is. I will re-watch The Neverending Story, Mio in the Land of Faraway and Bridge To Terabithia any day of the week. I hold those movies in my top 10 of the best movies ever made.

But this movie doesn't close the deal. It's never truly fantastical or emotional or magical. It has the ingredients but it doesn't take me away on a magical journey.

I had high hopes for this movie.

I wish it had delivered.

Army of the Dead (2021)

It's another zombie movie

[5/10 · 21 May 2021]

It's another zombie movie.

Make of that what you like.

To change it up, it has been mixed with other movies you have seen before. But you have seen it all before.

Jupiter's Legacy (2021)

Is it fun to watch though?

[4/10 · 9 May 2021]

It's a Superhero story.

I love Superhero stories.

It's also well written, well made and well acted.

But... Is it fun to watch?

Sadly not. It lacks heart and soul. It's hours and hours of sepia come to life.

Still have some episodes to left, but it's a struggle to not reach for the phone and find entertainment elsewhere.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020 Video)

Ok, but unnessecary

[4/10 · 13 September 2020]

There is nothing here we haven't seen before. In a genre all about imagination, DC are so fearful of failure that they keep walking the same tracks over and over and over again. They have entreched themselves in the past in all the wrong ways.

Without renewing themselves their fanbase won't get new blood. We have seen the characters before, we have seen them in this context before, it has DCs tired trope of a bunch of men and one woman with some sexist banter to boot. In short this feels as fresh as your old grandpa splurting blurs while telling you that story from his youth the hundredth time..

The best thing in this movie is the design of the Martian Manhunter's beastly shape.

Freaks: You're One of Us (2020)

Loved it!

[10/10 · 5 September 2020]

Looking at the other reviews I realize taste is subjective and mine is not the standard. :). But I loved this movie.

I'm a huge fan of the genre, I watch everything superhero and I'd gladly give up the next Batman or Superman for more of this.

The movie has the elements of superhero movies that I care for, but delivers more on the emotional level than your standard blockbuster. It's raw, it's uncomfortable, and it has struggles and love.

People might think: but look at the effects, look at this scene and find things to complain about and they might be correct. But I place my grades on an experience and this was definitely the best movie experience I have had this year, and probably in two or three. It's a no questions 10 for me.

Then I seem to be the exception, but I need to give my love to the film makers here no matter if I'm one of the few that truly loved it.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Fanservice gone wrong

[5/10 · 5 May 2018]

Half of this movie is really great, the other half is great fan service, but ultimately shouldn't have been in the movie.

This is mostly a movie about Thanos. It is also a movie about Thor, Dr Strange, Ironman, Spiderman and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Then there are so many more characters in it that just steal screen time and drags the movie on and on, well past its expiration date. I know that not having those characters show up would have also been cause for concern, but adding them in this way really brings this movie down from possible greatness to mediocrity.

There are also a lot of other issues with this movie regarding the fluctuating power levels, the painfully bad spirit stone sacrifice monologue, the accomplishment of killing more protagonists than almost any other movie and doing so without either me or any of their own friends really caring, etc.

The biggest sin though is working up a world for ten years and ending up giving us a terrible X McGuffins coming together plot, and a villain that has an interesting idea about the world and the laziest worst, least thought through plan of enacting his vision. There are so many flaws with his half-population-solution I don't even know where to begin. It is so bad it isn't even villain of the week material on Netflix or the CW.

Light hearted comedy is what Marvel does well. This movie has too much of everything they do poorly. I was really entertained half of the time. It's not enough.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Great adaption, not perfect

[8/10 · 1 June 2017]

SPOILERS!!! As an origin story, this movie does the job really well. It borrows much from Marstens original vision, muddles it up a bit with later interpretations and creates its own tale that is very enjoyable to watch. The playful sexual bdsm undertones of Marsten's original vision of Paradise Island has been removed and we are left with a less controversial interpretation where the warrior aspect of the amazons are at front and center for the movie. Even so, the Amazons are reluctant to fight and this is an annoyance for me in the movie. This isn't the people where they fight to see who the strongest of them are, so they can decide who will represent them. This is the people where only one Amazon can be bothered to go to war to do their peoples sacred duty. The movie is then filled with unnecessary small annoyances and inconsistencies that takes away small pieces of the experience. Why would the most agile woman on earth be unable to walk through a revolving door? How did the amazons take out the battleship with their bows? Why would a person who speaks every language use English to guide German speaking citizens to safety? Then there is the issue of emotions. After recently seeing the season finale of Supergirl and the Karamel moment, and recently watching Kara's expression as she in Injustice leaves Krypton, Wonder Woman comes across as emotionally dead in relative terms. I didn't feel the love between Diana and Steve and I wasn't emotionally invested in what happens between them. While Gal Gadot looks the part I wish she had a larger emotional register. Despite the many small grievances I have with the movie it is really entertaining though... Until the end that is. The ending fight is just a horrible power creep that is actually a power sprint. In a few minutes they pretty much go from WW being an amazing sword and board fighter to an omnipotent goddess, completely ruining her character for future movies, destroying the suspension of disbelief. She is full on IDDQD. For all future movies with Wonder Woman we will now have to ask ourselves at every fight, "Why don't you just do what you did in the ending of the first movie? And we won't have a good answer, because she should never have been allowed to do that in the first place. Amazing movie that should have been reviewed once more before release. 8/10

Justice League Action (2016–2018)

Surprisingly amazing and fun

[10/10 · 18 December 2016]

After seeing the promo pics I was disappointed with the art style. I decided to give it a chance nonetheless and was really pleasantly surprised.

The show is high tempo with good doses of comedy that made me laugh on several occasions. The story line was also entertaining, although I could fault one part for being a ripoff from an earlier animated Justice League episode.

In the end the I think the art style works really well for what it wants to accomplish and it ends up being maybe the best animated superhero show so far.

Really recommend this show and hoping the next episodes are as great as the first.

The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Zzzzzzzz

[1/10 · 13 July 2016]

Let me start this review by saying that I have never read Tarzan, nor seen any film adaption of him before, cartoon or live-action. I went in with a blank slate and no expectations to the theater hoping to see a fun adventure movie. Boy was I disappointed. A great adventure movie starts with memorable characters. Tarzan is neither a Jack T. Colton, nor an Indiana Jones. He has neither charm, wit or any other adventure movie admirable qualities. Jane is also no Joan Wilder or a Willie Scott, even if she is more interesting than Tarzan. The first part is dreadfully slow paced with about the same passion and emotions as a dead fish. Then suddenly it feels like the scriptwriter got tired of his own script and just wanted it to end. Queue Deus Ex Machina, then the movie is finally over. Worst movie I have seen this year, only a TV rerun of Hale Berrys Catwoman comes close.

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Marvel does it again

[8/10 · 23 May 2016]

Deadpool is still the best Marvel movie of the year, but after my great civil war disappointment, I am happy to see that they are back at it again.

X-men movies have always ended up a bit of a disappointment for me. So when I walked into the theater my expectations weren't the best. I am always happy to see myself surprised in a good way though.

An interesting powerful villain, a more human Magneto, and an allover strong cast with Nightcrawler doing a good job with the entertainment makes this movie a worthwhile watch.

This is the strongest X-men movie so far.

Sansa Stark is a bit of a distraction that is hard to shake, but the other characters are better casted. I really recommend it for any x-men or general comic book movie fan.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Comedy saves an otherwise weak movie

[4/10 · 27 April 2016]

I saw this in IMAX 3D, and my first advice would be to consider watching it in 2D. I don't know if it will help, but the version I saw was almost unbearable half of the movie due to lagging, choppy fight scenes. There is actually only one truly good fight scene in the whole movie, but it is sadly dragged out past its expiration date as well.

The plot is a run of the mill thing that could be fully explained in about 1 minute, yet they drag it out for hours without adding new layers to it.

The camera work ranges from terrible like in most close combat scenes to average for a high budget movie.

The sound track is completely forgettable to the point that I can't remember if there was one.

Acting however is good throughout the whole movie and you get what you expect from the characters.

Where the movie really shines is in the comedy. Most of the characters aren't funny, but the ones who are (Tony Stark and a few surprises) give this movie a well needed injection boost in the middle of the movie that keeps me from dozing off after a really weak start.

Should you see this movie? Yes if you are a real comic movie junkie, otherwise there is pretty much one thing you need to know to be able jump right to the next one, and it is easier to get that tidbit by googling than watching through the whole movie.

Mythica: A Quest for Heroes (2014)

A magical adventure for those who play fantasy RPGs.

[10/10 · 6 April 2015]

What this movie lacks in the opening scene, it more than makes up for during the rest of the movie.

This is not a movie for the run of the mill movie watcher. Do not watch this movie expecting another Lord of the Rings movie, or something Game of Thrones-esque. This movie isn't going for giving you another blue-filter dark tale of moody characters in a moody world. Nor is it for the special effects geek or the over-analyzing movie critic who tries to apply the same rules of critique to a Wes Anderson movie and a high-fantasy movie.

This movie is for the lovers of fantasy role-playing games, and the fan of the cheerful fantasy movies. This is for you who liked Willow, this is for you who liked the Legends movie. This is about the love of adventure and the chemistry between characters. It is about the love of mystery, deities and magic.

The effects are more than good enough to tell the tale, and most of the acting is perfect for the roles they are portraying.

There are movies that are made with skill, and there are movies that are made with love. The love permeates the making of this movie, and the skill is there as well.

You can tell that this isn't made in the Hollywood movie factory where an IP is bought and milked for money by generic directors and generic actors. This isn't Samuel Jackson looking lost trying to be a Jedi. This is made by people who understands and loves the genre.

If you love and understand the high-fantasy movie genre, do not miss this movie. It is a gem you will carry with you for the rest of your life.