UPCritic Reviews

The Morning Show (I) (2019– )

S1 was excellent

[8/10 · 25 May 2022]

I only wished there were the possibility to rate seasons independently. S1 was excellent yet S2 was a mediocre Show at best, with after the established brilliantly gripping writing and character development felt like a letdown.

S2's motto was "cancel culture" which is an infuriatingly annoying subject by itself, and makes it almost impossible to sympathize with any of the characters anymore. And once you can't sympathize or root for characters a show is doomed.

I'd rate S1 with a 9,5/10 and S2 with a 5/10.

Ein Hauch von Amerika (2021)

The first 15 minutes are tough to come by.

[4/10 · 18 May 2022]

It starts off with a Brit and a German woman trying to sound American. Reomy D Mpeoh's American accent eventually gets better but never quite believable and makes his casting choice questionable.

I gotta disagree with another reviewer's opinion saying the cast is great. It feels like the cast is the weak link in this project. Elisa Schlott isn't doing her best work either. She mostly sounds monotonous.

The beautiful cinematography and a refreshing musical score by Martin Stock are highlights of "Ein Hauch von Amerika".

There are some good, some great and some not so great scenes in this mini series. Overall it feels like there's a lot of unfullfilled potential.

The Witcher (2019– )

Going downhill

[4/10 · 19 December 2021]

The series started out promising, and I enjoyed most of season 1. The second seasons feels like a big letdown, though. Mainly due to the lazy writing, generic dialogues, unreasonable choices and mediocre visual effects.

Still, a few beautifully scenes. But they didn't save it for me.

Do, Re & Mi (2021– )

Recommendation

[10/10 · 10 December 2021]

Your kids gonna love it. It's a wonderful Music Education series with loveable characters and catchy tunes.

The animated series for preschoolers centers on the musical adventures of three best birdie buddies. Fun and entertaining.

The Good Liar (2019)

One time watch

[5/10 · 29 November 2021]

Hm... the story is good. A little predictable at times, but with a nice plot twist anyway. And of course a great performance by Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen. Horribly miscast are all the German roles though. Why didn't they cast native speakers?

Son of a Rich (2019)

Good premise poorly executed

[3/10 · 19 September 2021]

Great idea, mediocre script, bad acting.

This original idea could've been so much more.

Ted Lasso: Goodbye Earl (2021) Season 2, Episode 1

Season 1 set high standards

[6/10 · 23 July 2021]

Maybe expectations were too high after a magnificent season 1.

This one's off to a rocky start, but let's see where this goes.

Tribes of Europa (2021)

Overacting

[2/10 · 21 February 2021]

The bad acting made watching this series unbearable. Actors monotonously repeating their learned lines, horribly over articulating everything they're saying.

Lucifer: Really Sad Devil Guy (2020) Season 5, Episode 1

Mediocre season start

[4/10 · 21 August 2020]

I had high hopes for season 5 and was utterly dissapointed with the first episode. Mediocre script and mostly mediocre acting. I really hope it gets better.

Schneewittchen und der Zauber der Zwerge (2019 TV Movie)

Could have been good, but ...

[4/10 · 14 June 2020]

Could have been good, but the mostly mediocre acting and emotionless ADR made it tiring to watch.

R.A.I.D. Special Unit (2016)

Better pass on that one

[3/10 · 10 June 2020]

If you try to play funny you've already lost. The female lead wants to be clumsy and funny, but instead of being it she overplays it which ultimately makes her annoying. We couldn't force ourselves to watch more than 15 minutes.

The Wrong Missy (2020)

This is bad

[2/10 · 21 May 2020]

Couldn't make it past the 20 minute mark. *Apparently this review is too short for IMBd. But I do not want to waste any more time on this movie.

Bad Boys for Life (2020)

Taking "bad" too literally

[2/10 · 3 April 2020]

If you ever feel like you're doing a bad job, just remember someone got paid a whole lot of money to write this screenplay. Can't be as bad as that.

Blutige Anfänger (2020– )

Potential

[6/10 · 6 February 2020]

Gute Idee, man wünscht sich nur das Script sei besser.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Star Wars: Deus Ex Machina

[4/10 · 5 January 2020]

Stunning visuals and beautiful VFX shots, but the script is actrociously bad and ridden with deus ex machina moments. A pity. It might have been different if Rian and JJ wouldn't have felt the need to right each other wrongs.

6 Underground (2019)

I have but two questions

[3/10 · 14 December 2019]

1. Who greenlit this script? 2. How did they get Ryan Reynolds to star in this?

Dickinson (2019–2021)

Nothing period about this drama

[4/10 · 8 November 2019]

Not my cup of tea. 19th century optics with 21th century behavior.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Magical, Wonderful & Heartfelt

[9/10 · 27 January 2019]

My heart felt heavy and light at the same time. Emily Blunt is brilliant as Mary Poppins! The cast, direction, cinematography and choreography are spot on. And Marc Shaiman's music is simply magical! He managed to channel this classic movie musical sound, mixed it with new ideas and yet stayed true to the musical spirit that you know and love from Mary Poppins. I've been humming and singing his lush melodies ever since.

The Little Mermaid (2018)

No budget

[3/10 · 15 January 2019]

If you like no budget productions, the cinematic aesthetics of a camcorder, cheap comstumes, unnatural lighting and the acting subleties of a bulldozer then you'll gonna love this movie. I did not. But it's alright for a school production.

The Last Tycoon: Eine Kleine Reichmusik (2017) Season 1, Episode 5

Emotion packed episode

[10/10 · 1 December 2017]

This particular episode had me in tears. The acting is exceptional, especially from Jennifer Beals and Kelsey Grammar. The scene where the German musicians get on their bus and without it being explicitly said you know they're driving into disaster. It is so heartbreaking to watch.

Tour de Pharmacy (2017 TV Movie)

A Must-Watch

[9/10 · 10 July 2017]

This is the funniest movie I have seen all year. Though I am not a fan of mockumentaries, this one had me constantly laughing out loud. The jokes hit and they just kept coming. The absurdity was so hilarious because in a way it wasn't so far away from reality. The cast was spectacular funny, and Lance Armstrong playing himself was the cherry on top.

I can only recommend "Tour de Pharmacy". Well done HBO!

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Magical

[9/10 · 20 December 2016]

I thoroughly enjoyed 'Pete's Dragon' because it made me remember that there is magic if you dare to believe!

To be fair, there were a few things that were not too great (like some of the actors), but for some reason I could see beyond that. Thanks to the beautiful story itself, the magnificent cinematography, the lifelike CGI animation of Elliot (the dragon) and the superb acting of Oakes Fegley as Pete.

David Lowery did a good job directing the movie, and casting Robert Redford as Meacham was a smart choice.

I can only recommend this movie - and not only to families and kids, but to everybody who's open to fairy tales and magic.

Ben-Hur (2016)

Worth the watch.

[8/10 · 18 December 2016]

I did not intend to write a review, but when I saw how much hate this movie gained I did feel the urge to defend it. In an interview the director said, that every generation wants to tell a story their own way. Since the classic Ben Hur from 1959 a lot has changed - acting, camera work and directing, but also the way we consume movies. And I feel like they did a pretty good job with this reimagination of a beloved classic that shaped the history of cinema.

The cast was phenomenal, the cinematography was great with lots of love for details and it was greatly directed by Timur. It was action packed, heart-throbbing and emotional and it made me forget I was watching just a movie.

What I did not like was the cheesy ending and the 'all of a sudden everything horrifying is forgotten and we live happily like nothing ever happened' ruined it for me.

But see for yourself and do not let yourself prejudice by all the negative reviews.