brandtair Reviews

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

There are two sides

[6/10 · 12 May 2024]

On one side it is much better than the ones before. At least this one I liked and the ones before I did not. It has more of a nice story although it is stil a action movie.

On the other it is way too long for the story it depics.

The first and last parts are fine. But the middle is filled with moments or time that is unesessary. This movie would do great in a 90 minute format. You can then keep the story and the action and some of the more quiet stuff. But just make it not so overly dramatic. There are moments given the time it insinuates it is a mayor moment for the plot and has hidden meaning not immediatly obvious. In the end I feel it is often so obvious it could have been e 2 second moment instead of a minute or more.

Cyrano (2021)

-4 for the singing and the songtext

[6/10 · 16 June 2023]

So I just read this is based on a musical and ai dislike musicals. Because in general the singing is not the best and lyrics is form follows function.

However if we would replace the singing with poetry it would have been great. The story really works mildly infuriating one throughout. The singing makes the bucket spill over and I did question if I should see the whole of it. But I did see the whole of it. And the depiction of the age, scenes and acting is quite good. It really is just the singing that ruins it for me. Especially combined with poetry. The poetry fits much better and it really makes the lyrics of the singing look bad. Also I may be wrong but did I hear American accents through the singing? That sound really put me off sometimes.

Wednesday (2022– )

Would have been a 10 with a little less predictable teenage highschool drama

[9/10 · 27 November 2022]

So the Acting is alright for most and great for the main characters. The Tim Burton vibe is rocking it! The teen highschool drama predictability is breaking it slightly! They should tone down that part.

Now this does still make it remain a 9,4. Tim Burton, the main characters, sound effects and visual effects are just that good!

Hopefully they turn down the typical teenage highschooldrama for the next season. This series does not need that cringe to fill the series. They should have the main storyline in the hands of Burton but maybe this is the place to experiment with the teenage highschool drama theme. Not changing the two main characters though that story does just work.

Fate: The Winx Saga (2021–2022)

Liked season one and then they mostly screwed up

[5/10 · 22 September 2022]

So season one is new and fresh which makes it okay to not be perfect. But now I have watched season 2. It starts okay because they have a point to start off. Then first several episodes it is slow which is great to get into it again. But then it keeps being slow and focused on the character relationships without building body with the context to support it. Then in the last two episodes there is a peak which dies off half way the last episode. Then after 7 hours you are left with this empty feeling. You aks yourself "was this it?" The special effects budget was clearly low. The storyline was something thought of in a hour and had just social interactions thrown to it, hoping they would stick. It feels like the one or two people for the storyline got 8 hours to work on for the whole season. Which is a shame because these are good actors and the context has great potential. If everyone involved wanted to it could have been as successful as Game of Thrones, Dr. Who, Arrow. It still can but it is way more difficult to get out of this than start right and get the fans to spread the word. Now they must have lost a lot of fans already. Which means to get this to work for season 3 they need to take a year extra and get much more budget to really create something big. Something that can be advertised and have everyone try it again to get hooked.

Dune (2021)

Complementary to the book before or after wachting it

[9/10 · 27 May 2022]

This movies is only a summary of the book. It focusses on the visuals bringing text even more to life while allowing your mind to fill in the gaps left if you have read the books. On the other hand there is the other way around. It may leave you questioning what just happened. The book then is not only perfect for follow-up with but also easier to grasp after watching the movie.

The movies is visually very pleasing. The bigger the screen the better. It does very well create a fitting vibe.

The Pentaverate (2022)

Netflix dearing to dip a toe outside their comfort

[8/10 · 6 May 2022]

The Pentaverate has one of the few funny formulas of north America in it. You do not laugh out loud but enjoy it throughout.

Although there are some weird quirks like all but one female was clothed in the orgy room. But maybe that was a bit too much outside Netflix their comfort zone. Hopefully they actually learn from this and in the future they push on as where it can on expanding its comfortzone for quality.

As always with this type of comedy it can become bad by one single mistake. This one has not. The only two things they could have improved on were more artistic freedom and releasing it weekly instead of all at once.

Chaos Walking (2021)

This is Sci-fi, not a blockbuster, not a thriller nor a horror what most are used to

[7/10 · 27 February 2022]

It is refreshing to see an actual Sci-fi/fantasy movie again that is wel writen. Often it is combined with being a thriller or horror or something to compensate for the limited capability of the creators or to adress a broader audiance. This movie however turns around an idea in a setting that could one day proof true but is yet fantasy. Watching it feels effortless due to the clear storyline combined with good writing seemlessly connected to the core elements of the context.

I seriously hope they make a second one. This seems like a good formula for a serie of two to three movies. Where the idea and context remain as basis but a new story is build upon.

Chapeau! To all that worked on this. May your carreers flourish and you defend the ideals of these pure Sci-fi/fantasy movies.

Eternals (2021)

Soulless movie

[4/10 · 13 February 2022]

So a problem with many Marvel movies plays a role here too. It seems like they have the basic storyline and create special effects around that. This movie lacks good engaching writing! Writers should have probably spend some time in Greece and the middle east to learn about acient culture but mostly learn about classical stories of mythology. This movies is hollow. Truly sad because this could have been of the level like Avatar combined with star wars.

Qlimax: The Source (2020)

Musically not made for its platform

[3/10 · 8 January 2021]

For this type of music it is often true that only on festivals it can be experienced somewhat safely in the regular form. Just so you guys know upfront I am no fan of this style. I listen more often Metal, soundtracks and classical. Therefore I will not go into if it is good in its genre.

So on this platform to get the music you actually in most cases need to put deliberatly the volume up to ear damaging levels. On one side because it is made to be loud and on the other because the equipment of most people will not be able to translate sounds at lower volumes to the wanted output.

Which means people's neighbours often will have to deal with noise disturbances while working or just that little moment they have some peace in these difficult lockdown times.

So therefore I cannot give it anymore than 3 stars. At non damaging socially acceptable levels this music sounds somewhat flat and even more repetative than what is normally probably compensated with the deep sound levels.

I cannot see a single sober person get the experience of a musical journey in a responsible manner.

That would have been possible if the music was made more with the platform and limited hardware of consumers in mind.

Motherland: Fort Salem (2020–2022)

They made only one real mistake

[7/10 · 27 December 2020]

So the actors are great. They could have a bit more intresting story written but it is alright. The biggest flaw is making the country not fictive. They needlesly incorporated the USA and other actual countries. While they sould not have because it suggests realism. And the enemy might be a bit hard to get but that may be on purpose.

Cannot wait for the next season though.

King of the Skies (2020)

Probably the best historical series the Dutch ever made

[8/10 · 7 December 2020]

Every aviation enthousiast should watch this biography of Fokker and Plesman. Dutch culture shines through and looks historically accurate. Only the acting sometimes could have been done better but not many faults made.

The Barrier (2020)

Could have been very cunning

[5/10 · 6 December 2020]

So most people outside of Spain wil dive into this dystopian expecting a good and bad side. Which is teased with but there really is not. Which is very cunning for a series. If they had not put in specific things that helps them restructure the story the way the writers wanted.

Firstly why was the medicine hidden? Very conveniant to only make the medicine known after the revolt and block anyone getting close to it.

While the party that is pictured as evil is mostly trying to save the many with the view. They make mistakes and have people among them that are wrong. But they are sometimes writen to the story and by no means realisticly.

It is too unrealistic and framed for me to really enjoy. While they had someting that makes many others unrealistic ultra realistic.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

The had the materials to make a good addition but failed miserably in execution

[4/10 · 20 September 2020]

The beginning is quite promising. It starts with a redo of the famous naked entry of the future. Something that in the original was probably made for the ladies that has to watch this with their men.

But this time it is a female. The way they portray it is ver well done. It is made to prevent sexualizing it. But very pleasing to watch for the "cis" men. The part for the females switched to female empowerment.

So far so good.

Then the acting is terrible (script combined with actors not seeming to know how to feel and look during the scenes)

The realism is completely gone. A repetition of that one female terminator. The army is portrayed very unprofessional and the backstory from the future does not very much connect to the present which means there is nothing cathing any attention after that entrance scene.

Could have been so much better with a better director, team of writers and maybe actors ( have not seen some actors act in other pieces so cannot really say.)

3% (2016–2020)

Moslty good. Some developments are of questionable realism.

[7/10 · 17 August 2020]

The limit of these series is budget vs possibilities. They partly solved this by limiting the size of the post apocalyptic population.

This does however pose one problem. The offshore island is too different from the inland in resources.

The offshore is arguably perfectly able to profide means for comfort to the inland that would statisfy them.

The character treats that are needed to secure the island future would not be that ignorant and short sighted to ignore that fact.

Therefore it is a series for which the very critical viewers should put a hold to their minds and accept that in order to make this work and easier to follow for everyone.

Like this and the hunger games every screen story in this dystopian genre has flaws. But in time solutions may be found and more statisfying products will be created.

1983 (2018)

Just watch it. It is good

[9/10 · 16 May 2020]

It looks like Poland really put the experience under communism to use. It is not the same but it gives the feel that you hear people had there then. In combination with wonderful acting. Great crime genre and great cinematography.

Top Gear (2002–2022)

Good until 2016

[10/10 · 2 October 2019]

There was no way yo avoid it. Misbehaviour must be dealt with by the employer. That does not change the fact that Top Gear isn't really top gear anymore. Without the three of them it loses its recognisability and the close to home feeling. The new acting feels to clean and unpersonal. Beside that it does not represent western European perspectives on driving and cars anymore. If they did well they would have found suitable replacements that kept this in their own way. They didn't look well enough because it is terrible. They could have done three hardcore female petroheads with typical european vieuws and humor.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Not feeling it

[3/10 · 1 September 2019]

Maybe it is the 3d that i am missing. I am sure that that ruined some of the 2d graphics.

I liked the older, girl and miles spiderman. The others did have potential. But this movie was way too fast! You get no time to feel empaty. All character introductions and developments are russed like crazy. This is not the way to make a giant story like this on screen.

Maybe it is more like the commics but then i would have disliked this one too.

Would not have spend my time watching it if i knew it would be like this.

Testament of Youth (2014)

Right in the feels and not when you expect it

[9/10 · 28 August 2019]

This movie/story brings us viewers closest to the great war as possible for a outsider. It shows the big change in mentality that even effected the next big war. In such detail i have never seen before.

It is the never ending loses during times where time can feel frozen and flying at once.

The nightmares I had of a possible war when I read a lot of world war 2 stories gave the exact same feeling as this movie does. And none other movie has achieved that before. The restained feeling when live is dictated instead of molded.

Bravo to the maker of the movie but even more to the writer of this story. She succeeded where nobody else really did. She made an idea that spread through almost all of western europe for over a 100 years. 'This never again'. Altough history has taught us that war sometimes is inevitable this idea has prevented many of them. It broke the idea of war idealised with bravery and heroïsm.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Not bad at all

[8/10 · 27 August 2019]

I really do not get why this movie has such bad ratings. One made the comparison with fifth element to give it a grade. Wich is not the way to rate. It is not a movie that will become legendary. But it is a good movie. Worth the 7 to 8 rating.

The visuals are amazing. The contexts are amazing. At many moments something new is introduced. The story is quite straight forward but that isn't a main goal. Creativity in the scenes is key.

I base this only of the movie since i have not read the book.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Missing a storyline and character development

[6/10 · 20 August 2019]

Went to the Film museum cinema to watch the movie on 35mm film. I do like analoge more. It feels easier to watch.

This movie has great acting, props, comedy and does not really bore. The problem is that there is no real storyline for 2 hours. There are some clues to what is going to be used and what is going to happen throughout the movie but it feels repetative after 1,5 hours. 10 minutes is how long this movie isn't too mild. Great how in the part with the stuntguy and Pussycat he shows how men should behave when confronted in a situation like that. I do not know if putting a 25 year old in the role of a minor that likes older guys was on purpose but it did add a extra layer.

Throughout the movie there isn't the level of sexual freedom and use of weed one would expect during that time period in that area. It is very Mild in that way. And i do not know why because the reason this movie is therefore ratwd 16+ comes down to just 10 minutes not suited for people younger.

Though as said earlier the first 2 hours felt overall repetitive, chaotic and pointless. This kept me and others from leaving the cinema statisfied.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)

Something else foresure but not brilliant or entertaining

[3/10 · 28 December 2018]

So the i dea is nice. But the stories aren't fully developed to a movie is believe. The setting in combination with the script makes it hard to choose for propably some big part of the viewers.

But the worst thing is that making a decision does not seem to creat a alternate story it just shows you that it is the wrong decision, loops and turns into a game trying to figure out the right decision. While in the end it should be a interactive movie.

Some of the decisions have a great possible alternative story that is intresting to work out all the way. That would make it intresting to watch them all. Now i am just making some new decisions to see how well it has been worked out really.

Apparently not that well.

So to conclude, This 'movie' could use a lower choice density. But needs more worked out alternative story lines. Without right or wrong.

Sabotage (2014)

Don't let your kids watch this, it is really dark.

[6/10 · 9 June 2018]

The movie is a dark one for one with Arnold in it. The story is allright. The combination of a police investigation and the team isn't worked out too well and feels a bit problematic.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Still way better than other marvel movies

[7/10 · 9 June 2018]

Oke so I thought it would be way worse than the first movie, but it wasn't. The trailer does some deception though. After the cinema trailer I was certain that some charaters would fullfil a much bigger role then they did, On the other hand it still is someting else from the rest of the marvel universe. Most Marvel movies feel the same each and every time wich is why I stopped visiting most of them.

The comedy still makes everyone in the cinema litteraly laugh out loud. But the bigger buget has made the movie worse than the original. It has become less down to earth. The writers have become a bit lazy.

So in the end I would advice to watch the movie but hope the changes aren't increased in a possible third movie.

Bright (I) (2017)

Critics seem to mis the good parts and don't look further than who made it

[6/10 · 26 December 2017]

Oke i loved the cinematography and the idea of norse mythology applied to modern day world. He should do more films but then only the cinematography. Making it a cop movie wasn't a smart move and gives the viewer a mixed and confusing background. It does not fit. The special effects were amazing. The norsemythology is done quite bad though. Wich is a shame. Where marvel does study norse mythology quite well this writer did not. The briggest problem for this movie is that you have to guess the history of the world this movie takes place in. There seems to be a whole society that we just won't understand during the movie. Maybe it is a possible follow up movie where the history of the alternative reality is explained.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

Just the same story again

[5/10 · 19 December 2017]

Oke so to be clear i think this was already the case with the other 2 movies before this one but it has to be told. The prequels were at least original in contrast to the first star wars movies. But this is just making more money out of those frist movies by putting old ideas in a new coating. It looks amazing thats true. But it is so predictive that i could have left after 20 minutes and regret nothing. If it wasn't for the 4dx i choose i would have been really disapointed. I will never go to a star wars movie again before there are enough reviews that tell me that it is new and fresh because at this moment it is a wast of money. Maybe it is Disney that does not dair to change it too much because they only care about the money and don't think about making a good original movie.