moritzmeyerautor Reviews

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Dune Part 2: A Visually Stunning Epic that Is Going to Stand the Test of Time

[8/10 · 3 March 2024]

"Dune Part 2" stands as a testament to the heights cinematic art can reach when sound, acting, storytelling, and visuals converge in a harmonious spectacle. This sequel continues to unravel the intricate tapestry of Frank Herbert's universe, achieving a complexity in narrative that is both commendable and ambitious. The performances are, without a doubt, stellar. Each actor brings depth and nuance to their character, enriching the sprawling narrative that spans across desolate landscapes and fervent political intrigue.

The sound design and score are, once again, unparalleled. They not only enhance the visual experience but also immerse the audience into the vast, sandy expanses of Arrakis and beyond. The visuals are nothing short of breathtaking. Each frame is a meticulously crafted piece of art, showcasing the alien beauty of Herbert's universe with an attention to detail that is rarely seen in cinema today.

Despite these remarkable achievements, the film is not without its flaws. The narrative, while complex and engaging, is encumbered by the sheer weight of its own mythology. At a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film occasionally feels lengthy, and its pacing suffers as a result. The story's grand scale and numerous subplots, though richly woven, sometimes lead to a narrative density that can be overwhelming. This is most evident towards the film's climax, where the rapid succession of dramatic events and crucial plot points can feel somewhat jarring, as if emerging from the ether rather than the story's natural progression.

This pacing issue could have been mitigated with a more balanced approach, perhaps by trimming certain scenes or redistributing the narrative focus. This would allow for a more even tempo and give the audience time to digest the complex developments without detracting from the story's immersive quality.

In summary, "Dune Part 2" is a film that dazzles with its visual and auditory spectacle, carried by powerful performances and a deep, intricate storyline. It is a worthy continuation of the saga that will surely satisfy fans and newcomers alike, despite its pacing issues and the daunting complexity of its mythology. It stands as a reminder of the power of science fiction to challenge, captivate, and transport its audience to worlds beyond their wildest imagination.

Poor Things (2023)

An Unconventional Journey: 'Poor Things' Challenges Traditional Storytelling

[7/10 · 25 February 2024]

"Poor Things" is a film that takes viewers on an unusual journey filled with twists and quirky characters that both confuse and fascinate. The direction reveals a unique vision supported by a remarkable visual aesthetic and a peculiar narrative structure. It is a story that may seem alienating at first glance but delves into deeper themes such as identity, humanity, and the search for love and belonging.

The performances are consistently strong, with the lead actors deserving special mention. They bring depth and nuance to their roles that engage the viewer emotionally. The chemistry between the characters significantly contributes to the credibility of the sometimes absurd situations.

The musical score and sound landscape of the film enhance the emotional undertones and help create an atmosphere that immerses the viewer in the world of the film. The cinematography and visual effects are innovative and support the surreal quality of the story without being overwhelming.

Despite its strengths, the film can sometimes feel unbalanced, with a tendency towards an excess of quirkiness that doesn't always serve the narrative. Some plotlines feel underdeveloped and leave the viewer with questions that would have deserved a more satisfying resolution.

Overall, "Poor Things" is a bold and creative film that dares to be different. It might not suit everyone's taste, but for those looking for a film that challenges traditional narratives, it offers a rich and rewarding experience. It is a good film that demonstrates how cinema can be used to explore complex ideas in an engaging way.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Promising start, but ultimately going nowhere...

[6/10 · 22 December 2023]

This movie banks a lot on its megastar credits. Produced by The Obamas, featuring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali and last but not least Kevin Bacon, this apocalpyse mystery thriller has big names aplenty. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the expectations, that come with such bug names.

It starts like an M. Night Shyalaman movie, where everyday (american) life is disrupted by mysterious and disturbing events, that seem to hint towards a bigger catastrophe. Like our protagonists, we as viewers keep guessing, what is really going on? Have terrorists launched an attack? Or could it be aliens? Has the wildlife turned against humanity? Has reality collapsed?

Any explanation seems as likely as the other. We witness everything through the eyes of two families who couldn't be more different. And as long as everybody keeps guessing what's really going on, tensions rise. So, the opening 30 to 40 minutes are really strong. The more the story unfolds, the less interesting it becomes. Instead of becoming more nuanced the plot looses almost all of its interesting layers. Questions about class, society and human behaviour are all but forgotten by the end, when everything centers around one simple, very on the nose solution.

Ultimately, this movie promises a lot that it can't upheld and left me puzzled and unsatisfied with the conclusion.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Easily the worst MCU entry yet

[4/10 · 16 August 2023]

Ant-Man was never the most exciting character in the MCU franchise. Still, what he brough to the table was a more charming, goofier version of a superhero who was family friendly and more down to earth as many of the other characters. Paul Rudd made the character his own and offered an alternative to the beefed-up, super smart uebermenschen who populate the MCU these days.

Well, no more, because Quantumania took the Ant-Man formula and stepped on it like a boot on a bug. The bonkers and contrived story throws Ant-Man, Wasp and the rest of the family in yet another universe of alien characters, that turns Marvel into a Star Wars rip-off (but without the wit of the first Guardians movie which more or less did the same idea many years ago).

Kathryn Newton seems to be the only one who remotely cares about her character Cassie and is the best thing about this movie, although I have to say, if I see one more teen wunderkind in of these movies I'm going to jump off a cliff. The rest of the cast phones in their performances. Michael Douglas looks like he doesn't even know what movie he's in.

A serious turn for the worst for the MCU. Maybe, Marvel should learn a lesson from Scott from the beginning of this movie and just leave everything behind them.

Mulan (2020)

An epic, rousing and feminist action movie that should have gone to the cinemas

[9/10 · 26 September 2020]

A movie night with her besties was what our daughter wanted for her 10th birthday. So we turned on the new Mulan, the perfect film for a group of girls between 10 and 13 years old. I get that the reception of Mulan has been controversial. But don't listen to the misogynistic troll community of the internet that tries to mansplain, why "this is not Mulan", because it doesn't have an annoying talking dragon as comic relief. What needs to be taken more seriously, though, is the criticism of people directly from China or with cultural reference to the country. Despite all efforts, Disney apparently got a couple of things wrong. The inclusion of a phoenix as a religious symbol is among them. Accepted. Nowadays, it has become increasingly difficult to make a film that suits everyone. We need to be conscious of the misdepiction of non-western cultures and learn how to make it better. But Mulan gets many things right anyway. First of all, Yifei Liu's Mulan is a great heroine with whom the young viewers could identify immediately. The new figure of the "witch" also worked well as a fascinating and ambivalent antagonist. Director Niki Caro uses the rather allegorical visual language of martial arts cinema to good effect. Naturalistic set pieces and landscape shots support her style of storytelling in a very good way (we know that she can do this since Whale Rider). Overall, this is an entirely new version of the Mulan story rather than a bland re-telling. Personally, I think this is a better way to approach these remakes. The almost shot-by-shot remake of The Lion King, despite being tremendously successful, didn't work for me at all. This version of Mulan stands much more on its own feet. It's an epic, rousing and feminist action movie that should have gone to the cinemas, where it belongs. But it's worth watching at home, too.

Frozen II (2019)

A wild ride: Kids will love it, Anna & Elsa are great characters, but the story cracks

[8/10 · 25 November 2019]

First things first: The children say that Frozen 2 is better than the first part. And the other cinema-goers from the target group also looked pretty enthusiastic. The sequel to the mega-success "Frozen", which has become a classic already is well received by the kids, that's for sure.

From the parents' point of view, there is not much to complain about: The lovable snowman Olaf reliably delivers amusing wisdom and enigmatic jokes. Kristof and Sven are the reliable buddy duo, while Anna and Elsa are still best sister friends. The action is stirring, but pleasantly non-violent. All the more powerful are the pictures in which stone giants stomp through primeval forests, supernatural horses hunt untamed and wild across oceans and magical ice crystals form unreal universes. It is family cinema at Disney's best, technically at the height of what animation cinema is currently capable of delivering, perfectly suited to top off a cosey holiday Sunday during the festive days. And yet...

The film critic in me can't help but find a few cracks in the supposedly flawless ice cover of this film. On the one hand, there is the story, which flows far less easy than the first part. Which was pretty straight forward, but not easy to understand in the first place, with its mixture of natural magic, lumberjack romanticism and double-crossing.

However, in the eagerly awaited sequel, it becomes even more complicated. Elsa desires to follow a mysterious call from a land far, far away that leads her into an unreal forest, hidden behind a supernatural wall of fog. Of course, Anna and the gang accompany Elsa on her quest. Together they meet elemental spirits of unclear origin, two races involved in a fateful, never-ending feud, and a lot of reindeer. The secret of Anna-Elsa's family and the death of her parents is interwoven with all this, of course the kingdom is threatened, and besides that a marriage proposal has to be made.

That is quite a lot of material for 100 minutes of film. Fortunately, Elsa's ice power not only turns out to be a powerful superhero ability. It also contains a handy "explain-the-plot-to-me-device". This makes it easier for the kids to follow the tangled story, but unfortunately it's not a very elegant storytelling technique. But the Disney filmmakers know how to conceal this weakness. And turn up the feelings to eleven times eleven. Frozen 2 is the movie for which the word "emotional" was invented. Every song of the protagonists, every battle of words between the sisters, every fateful narrative is presented with an elemental force that is unparalleled.

This film doesn't play subtle strings. Instead, it works the audience like a kettledrum with thunderous blows, accompanied by epic images of gigantic boulders tearing craters into the landscape, monstrous tsunamis thundering through ravines and ice crystals raining like shooting stars from the sky. It sure is a wild ride, not only for our heroine Elsa. Despite all the spectacle, she remains a fascinating and important female figure in Disney's modern canon. Elsa doesn't find fulfillment in a relationship but asserts herself as an independent, ultimately solitary heroine. Elsa and Anna, who rather corresponds to the role model of the classic Disney princess, are refreshing and inspiring role models, not only for the film world but especially for the many fans of this unequal sisterly team.

Nevertheless, I don't need the third part of this saga. I don't think I can get emotionally through that...

High Life (2018)

A high risk, high reward watch - If you allow this movie to get to you, you might learn something about yourself

[8/10 · 16 October 2019]

Some films elude categories such as "good" or "bad". They don't exist to be watched for pure entertainment. They are exhausting and demand a lot from you while you watch them. But high risk, high reward, as they say: If you get through a watch like High Life, you'll end up taking so much more than just a few cheap thrills. I had to let this film sink after I had watched it. I had seen images of swollen dog corpses and dripping sperm cups, pumping machines and scarred bellies, black holes and red stains of menstrual blood. Robert Pattinson is the main character, a murderer whose punishment is to travel to the outer limits of the universe in a human laboratory without hope of return. But the death flight becomes a mission of hope as new life emerges aboard the interstellar prison. Suddenly Pattinson's character has a daughter, and gets the chance to make up for the mistakes of the past. Of course, High Life is arthouse cinema. This isn't a space saga that will sweep you away, and you just have to ride the wave, the rest will happen by itself, and in the end you'll relish at bombastic special effects and epic storytelling. For this movie you have to open up. You have to allow it to set streams of thoughts in motion and start head cinema. You have to be ready to be disturbed, maybe even shocked, to notice at some point: This isn't a convoluted, inapproachable art installation. It's also not a space shocker in which the monster from outer space takes care of things at some point. Instead, the monster lures within ourselves as humans. Claire Denis has created a rather simple story about things we deal with everyday: it's about violence and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, about responsibility and trust, about growing up and growing old, about being a father and (not) becoming a mother. You can decide for yourself what this film will do to you. But you will certainly want to think about this film, to understand it when you have seen it. There isn't a higher praise for outstanding cinema.

Them That Follow (2019)

A gripping, visceral movie with great empathy for its characters

[8/10 · 25 March 2019]

Them that follow starts off as quiet movie, almost a social study of a rural, religious community in the US hinterlands. But right from the beginning you can feel, that there is something dark brooding under the soil of this fragile community. And sure enough, the tension breaks at the end into a visceral finale. When the movie almost turns into body horror, you find yourself at the edge of your seat, begging the characters would stop with their gruesome actions. And while you want to look away, you realize that you just can't. This movie already has gone into your veins like the poison of the rattlesnakes, that play such a prominent role in this community drama. Them that follow portraits the coming-of-age of Mara, the pastor's daughter in a religious community, that seems estranged from civilization. Her father and his religious followers practise an equally strange and dangerous version of christian belief. During the service they deal with deadly poisonous snakes, that they collect in the woods. By handling the snakes, the worshippers put their live in God's hands, with the promise that all sins may be forgiven, if you survive the encounter with the reptiles. Mara does not question this behaviour and her own faith, until she becomes engaged with a young man from the village, while secretly loving another. This love triangle leads to unchristian behaviour and, sure enough, the snakes come into play. Mara finds herself into a position, where she must challenge her own belief to save the man she loves. I saw Them that Follow at South-by-Southwest 2019, not knowing anything about this movie. And I have to say, by the end I was fully gripped. The story, which is based on existing snake handler communities, unfolds slowly, but is rip-roaring at the end. The performances from the young actors are very good and you believe in the relationship of the characters. But it is Olivia Colman and Walter Goggins who stand out in the great cast. It is them, who give this people a heart and soul, by portraying as real people, who care deeply about their loved-ones. They are religious fanatics, but they are not insane. Their actions come from, well, good faith and they have the best intentions for the people, who are close to them. That you feel empathy for these characters is credit to the fabolous actors and the good direction of directors and screenwriters Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. Both have personal experiences with fringe religious groups. Them that follow is an indie-surprise. It is heartfelt, gripping and willing to pull some necessary punches to deliver it's story. Worth a watch!

Dogs of Berlin (2018– )

Badly written, no sense of character and appaling view of women

[3/10 · 11 December 2018]

There is a new German series on Netflix, and after "Dark" was a very passable, internationally acclaimed mystery series, I thought, let's give "Dogs of Berlin" a shot. But when the name "Christian Alvart" appeared in the opening credits all alarm bells went off for me. The German Michael Bay is mainly known for the pretty awful Til Schweiger "Tatort" movies. It is one of the most popular german TV shows, which Alvart unsuccessfully tried to reinvent by turning mostly lame and old-fashioned whodunit crime stories into bad rip-offs of 90s action films. Well, Til Schweiger is absent from Dogs of Berlin. And that's actually the best thing you can say about this gruesome concoction.

Before we talk about the most despicable parts of Dogs of Berlin, let's start with what's just plain awful. Point 1: The dialogues are written by someone who does not care about language and words. Any sentences the actors are forced to utter have been copied and pasted from some Guy Ritchie movies. And not from the good ones. "At some point he will make a mistake. And then we are there." - "I have the money. I just need more time." - "I give you a chance. And you do not get many of them here." It's the entire vocabulary of bad gangster movies.

Point 2: Just as crappy as the dialogues are the characters written. The policeman with the neo-Nazi past, the homosexual Turkish investigator, the tough lesbian police chief, such personas come about when one puts together his main characters with a choice-o-mat. Alvart surely thinks of these people as multi-layered characters. But Alvart also thinks, Til Schweiger is a charismatic action actor. But he lacks any empathy for his characters. They are used uninspiringly to advance the stupid plot of the murder of a Turkish-born football player, which eventually leads to a sort of civil war in Berlin. This is supposed to be loosely inspired by real-life events, but let me tell you, as someone, who is from Germany: It does not even come close to the complexe issues, German society is facing at the moment.

Point 3: Speaking of empathy: Lebanese clans play an important role in Dogs of Berlin. And of course, Alvart has also stolen this plot element, namely from the pretty gripping drama series "4 Blocks". Earlier this year, I happened to sit next to one of the authors of 4 Blocks on a panel. Hanno Hackfort reported, that the writers had researched the complex and ambivalent portrait of a Lebanese clan family for almost three years. Alvart's research was this: Watch 4 Blocks and then just throw anything beyond his mental capacities out the window. Then simply copy and squeeze the rest into Dogs of Berlin. Nothing in this series feels original or new.

Besides all those things, that are just stupid, there is one thing, that makes Dogs of Berlin really unspeakable. The depiction of female characters in this series is disgusting. There are two things women characters in Dogs of Berlin are allowed to do: the first is to show their breasts. The second is to be the victim of terrible acts of violence. And sometimes both. For Alvart women are objects in a testosterone-filled world. They can only be strong if they submit to the male rituals of dominance and violence. Like the tough police officer who is even tougher than her male colleagues. There is no solidarity among women, on the contrary: If women interact with women here, then only to harm each other physically or mentally. It is a concept of feminity, that is otherwise found only in hardcore porn: big breasts everywhere, the dominant, potent man, who owns his female partners, of whom he has many, of course, and fights between women, that end up with one urinating on the other. It is these scenes in which Alvart reveals the foul, appalling inside of "Dogs of Berlin". Unfortunately, there is no manure bag large enough to dispose of the droppings of these pooches properly.

I Kill Giants (2017)

A beautiful story, that is not about giants!

[9/10 · 2 November 2018]

This is wonderful movie, which turns the conventions of recent teenage fantasy movies upside down. Above that, it is a beautiful portrait of a teenage girl, who has to deal with family trauma - and enormous giants, who she thinks are trying to kill everyone she loves. But do these giants really exist or are they just a product of her fantasy?

Barbara, a 15-year-old teenager lives in the usual US small town, located at the east coast of New Jersey. She is with her elder brother and sister, while her parents seem to be absent. Her sister takes care of the household and tries to keep the family together, her brother only cares about his videogames. Meanwhile, Barbara goes out into the woods secretly, because she knows something, that nobody else seems to be aware of: Every now and then, huge giants threaten to destroy the city. And she is the only one who can stop them with her magic hammer "Covelevski". That mission leads to strange behaviour, like putting up protective runes and totems all around, dressing up weirdly and inhabiting a self-built "sanctuary" on the beach. No wonder, she is very much an outsider and an easy target of the gang of bullies at high-school. Her only allies are the new girl in town, Sophia, and the school psychologist, Mrs. Mollé. Although they are given a hard time by Barbara, as well, they feel, that there is more to her fantasy story.

There is a lot to love about this movie: First and foremost, there is the very likeable cast, that is almost entirely female. This movie crushes the Bechdel-test like a magic hammer would a giant's head. The leads are very credible in their roles, especially the chemistry between the leads Madison Wolfe as Barbara and Sydney Wade as Sophia is on point. The movie deals with a very sensitive subject in a beautiful way, thereby giving a much needed variance to the genre of teenage fantasy.

Since Harry Potter has arrived in cinemas in the beginning of this millenium, we had an array of stories, where a previously outcast teenager becomes the "chosen one" and is given supernatural powers to save our world or another magical realm. Usually, these stories work as a metaphor for growing-up, while also finding your own way in a world, that doesn't seem to understand you anymore. "I kill giants" is quite different in that way. The relation between the real world and the fantasy is much more complicated and multilayered here. That is a very refreshing turn on this storyline.

But this is kind of a metatheoretical plot discussion, as "I kill giants" has to offer a lot more, and what you take from it will depend on what you bring to it. It is about friendship, about family, about mental health, about growing up, about grief and dealing with personal loss. Personally, I think, the only mistake, the producers of the movie have made, is to sell it as a fantasy-movie about a young girl slaying giants with a big hammer. That doesn't do the film any favour, as "I kill giants" is so much more than this. Really, really good movie!

Congo: The Grand Inga Project (2013)

One of the best whitewater documentaries of all time not only for paddlers

[7/10 · 12 June 2017]

Kayak documentaries rarely interest people outside of the paddling community. Steve Fisher's "Congo - The Grand Inga Project" is a rare exception, because Fisher manages to turn himself and his fellow kayakers into characters rather than crazy stuntmen. Some added historical and cultural background to the paddling action lift this movie miles above the usual "paddle porn", that merely consists of footage of crazy river descents mixed with cool music.

"Congo" features the attempt of Steve Fisher, one of the best kayakers in the world, to run the Inga Rapids of the Congo River for the first time ever. These rapids are considered to be the largest rapids in the world, measured by the sheer volume of water. All previous attempts to pass through the enormous cataracts have failed and costed many lives. Nonetheless, Fisher thinks, that it is possible to navigate through waves, literally at the size of trucks, and whirlpools, that could swallow a car.

So, the stakes are set, and they are high. And when the expedition finally sets of, the tension really is there and Fisher manages to capture the dynamics of the group, their worries, but also their abilities very well. What sets this apart from other paddle documentaries are the added layers of historical background about the Congo region and previous attempts to pass through Inga. The difficulties of getting such a huge expedition of the ground in the heart of Africa make for a nice subplot, that helps to carry the movie to the 90 minutes mark without feeling stretched.

If you like adventure documentaries and want to witness, how human people conquered one the last remaining white spots on the global map, than this is for you.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Hunt for the Wilder People - A funny comedy, that should have trusted it's characters a little bit more

[6/10 · 29 March 2017]

I wish, Hunt for the Wilder People has had a little bit more trust in it's characters and story. Then it could have been a truly, great film. Unfortunately, Taika Waititi felt the need to crank the humor up to eleventystupid every once in awhile in an otherwise very sincere story. Seeing the polar characters of the 13 year old, overweight kid Ricky and his grumpy foster parent Hector come together and develop their friendship was not only very funny. It was told with respect for the characters. Both actors, veteran Sam Neill and youngster Julian Dennison, did an awesome job in portraying these misfits, who both seem to have no place in society. The movie worked best, when it was just the two of them. Unfortunately, you cannot say the same for the rest of the cast, most notably perhaps for the cameo of director Waititi himself as a minister at a funeral service. He was a caricature and not taken to be serious for any moment. And he was not the only one, who ruined the tone of the movie for me. Paula, the head of child welfare, who was supposed to be the antagonist, also was just laughable. I just couldn't take her serious, she was just preposterous, and that undermined a lot of the story for me. Both Ricky and Hector had real problems: they have been sort of exiled from the rest of the world, they had to deal with some real, personal tragedies and I rooted for them. But this was undermined by characters and plot lines that were not for a single second believable and completely out of place. I wish, the movie had taken it's own convictions a little bit more serious. Then, this could have been a really touching movie. Now, it is more of a farce, that has some real funny moments, two great actors in the middle, but ultimately feels a bit hollow.

Hell or High Water (II) (2016)

A scary portrait of a modern America, in which anyone can kill anyone

[8/10 · 24 February 2017]

So, here is a European perspective on this modern western. The fact, that every male from young to old is not only carrying a gun, but also willing to make use of it, is fascinating and scaring me at the same time. "Hell or High Water" is set in a world, where everybody could be killed out of nowhere by some random guy, you happen to bump into at the gas station. Every character in this movie has an aura of suppressed aggression, that is just waiting to be given a valve.

The astonishing thing is: Nobody is actually questioning that and realizing the consequences, that come with this situation. Quite the contrary is true: Even the Texas Rangers, who are tasked with law enforcement, have no problems with civilians trying to hunt down heavily armed and dangerous bank robbers. They even borrow a weapon from them, if their own equipment appears not to be suited for the situation.

In that sense, this movie is a fascinating insight into the nightmare, the American Dream has turned into. It reminded me strongly of "Out of the Furnace" from a couple of years ago. Both movies deal with self justice and governmental institutions, that fail to protect the weakest of society. Which in return leaves them no other option than taking matters in to their own hands. Based on the positive reactions to this movie, I assume, that American audiences really appreciate, how this movie depicted contemporary America. A story like this could never unfold in the same way in Europe. That alone makes "Hell or High Water" well worth a watch, because it does something, that all great movies should do: It opens a door into a world, you otherwise could not experience in your own life. Put this together with great performances and a fantastic cinematography and you have all the ingredients for perfect film experience.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Not quite up to Burton's best, but also not a let-down.

[7/10 · 24 February 2017]

It's not hard to see, what of this story captured the attention of one of Hollywoods greatest storytellers. Tim Burton always had a soft spot for the outsiders, the misfits and, well, the peculiars of this world. And Miss Peregrine just has a full bunch of them. So, what could go wrong with this director on such a tailor-made project?

As it turns out: A couple of things. It's been quite a while now, that Burton delivered a movie, that has the magic, while also emotional qualities of his early works. You can't help but think of Edward Scissorhands while watching this movie. At last he would have been a perfect fit in this group of not extraordinary, gentlemen but kids.

These kids are overseen by Miss Peregrine, a governess-like figure, superbly portrayed by Eva Green. She cannot only transform herself into a falcon, but also manipulate times. With that ability, she creates a so called "loop", which puts her and the kids in a groundhog day situation. They relive the same day over and over again, which keeps them from aging, but also away from the real world. Thus, they are safe from any threats to them, of which the most dangerous are the "Hollows": invisible, eye-eating monsters from some Guillermo del Toro movie. In comes Asa Butterfields character Jacob, who is the only one, who can see and hence kill those creatures, an ability, he inherited from his grandfather. He once lived in Miss Peregrine's home, as well, but left to go after the Hollows. It's his mysterious death right at the beginning of the movie, that sets the whole thing in motion.

There sure is a great, fantastical movie in here somewhere, and we get a glimpse of it in the first half, when Burton introduces his child/teenage characters. A girl, that is so fragile, you literally have to hold her tight to keep her from floating away. A young man, who can give live to his own weird, creepy dolls. A boy, who can project his dreams through his eye onto a wall. It almost seems, as if each of the characters in the movie represent a certain aspect of the director's personality. For Burton aficionados, there's a lot to love and discover and I'm pretty sure, this is the part to which Burton felt most dedicated to.

The movie collapses, when it comes to the third act. The whole story about time loops didn't seem very plausible in the first place, but it becomes even more confusing, when we learn about the origins of the evil Hollows and the group behind them. They are led by Samuel L. Jackson, who stands in for Johnny Depp to deliver yet another completely ludicrous performance in a Burton movie. There are a couple of very chilling moments in the film, especially in the first part of it. But this sense of creepiness is entirely washed away by SLJ's cheesy performance. He acts like a bad parody of "The Joker" and just goes full-on to chew every scene. At no time did I take him for a serious villain. I really felt like Burton had no interest whatsoever in this character or any of the stuff outside of Miss Peregrine's home.

So, I liked a lot about this movie, notably Eva Greens performance, the references to previous Burton works. The children characters also worked well. They are not just young X-Men with superpowers, it's more like they don't really know what to do with their talents. I found this very credible and I think, that young adults can relate to that aspect. On the other hand the teenage romance didn't work as good as it might should have, but at least it didn't bother me. So, unfortunately the movie doesn't hold up to its promising opening. It wasn't a disappointment at all. But neither was it up to Burton's best works.

Wild (I) (2016)

An audacious and unique movie with an outstanding lead performance

[8/10 · 23 February 2017]

There is a scene, in which the movie's main character Ania tenderly cuddles with a full-grown, dangerous wolf. When the movie had finished, I thought again about that scene. There was no CGI involved. Everything, that happened, was real. A woman hugged a predator, who could kill her in an instant. On camera. It was then, that I fully realized, that I have just watched a very special, unique movie, one that would not even be remotely possible in the safeguarded environment of Hollywood filmmaking.

That scene alone shows the incredible work, that has been put into this movie. From the animal trainers, who took care of the two wolves, that were involved in the production (and are fully credited at the end of the movie). From writer and director Nicolette Krebitz, who created moments, you probably haven't seen in a movie before; and maybe won't ever see again. And, of course, from actress Lilith Stangenberg, who delivers a performance, that defies all standards. She is fearless, she is vulnerable, she is krass. She alone carries this movie on her shoulders like it was the easiest thing to her, and creates a female character, that has no comparison in film history.

We meet the mousy front desk girl Ania, played by Stangenberg, who is supposed to work as an IT-technician in a small clothing company. Her main job, though, is to serve coffee to her boss and to be pushed around by her colleagues. She lives a pretty uninteresting and dull life in a high-rise apartment at the outskirts of an unspecified big town (maybe Berlin?). The only person, she really seems to have feelings for, is her grandpa, who is in need of care. Her life changes dramatically, when she encounters a wolf in a city park near her apartment. She becomes completely obsessed with the animal, up to a point, that she manages to bring the wolf into her flat. The longer Ania lives together with the wild animal, the more she withdraws herself from the civilized world.

The relationship between men and wolves is a constant theme in human history, from the story of Romulus and Remus to Red Riding Hood and modern werewolf horror-stories. There is a deep fascination coming from these creatures, who can be deadly animals and trustworthy companions at the same time. Nicolette Krebitz explores this tension and makes it very clear, that a wolf is not just a bigger dog. It is a dangerous predator, who can kill people easily, and we feel that in every scene. But it is not only the physical threat, that the wolf brings to Anias life. He changes her personality dramatically: Being without any drive or motivation, when we first meet her, the wolf brings out animalistic instincts and appetites in Ania, who ends up behaving like a dog in heat; and the males around her sure want to copulate.

Sexuality is an ongoing theme in the film, and the camera often focuses almost voyeuristically on the lower body parts of Lilith Stangenberg/Ania. This leads to some very explicit scenes, which might make some viewers turn their heads. Personally, I didn't find anything in this movie as repulsive as for example Nicolas Winding Refns equally drastic "The Neon Demon". The only criticism I have is, that I sometimes would have wished for a bit more of visual panache. With a more cinematic look, "Wild" maybe would have found greater recognition and appeal.

Still, "Wild" is one of the bravest German movies I have seen in a long time. Instead of rehashing known recipes from Hollywood for the German market, like a certain Til Schweiger does constantly, it is a unique film in style and storytelling. It will definitely stay with its viewers for quite some time.

The Infiltrator (2016)

Gripping and full of suspense, while feeling totally realistic and grounded

[8/10 · 6 February 2017]

This is a movie, that will have you at the edge of your seat. And it doesn't rely on cheap tricks to get you there, like the ticking clock of a near terrorist attack or family members of our hero being taken by the bad guys. The suspense comes from the plot itself and the actions of the main characters, which seem to be too daring to be true; and yet they are.

The movie starts with undercover cop Robert Mazur, played by Bryan Cranston, in the final stage of an operation. After his job is done, he is offered an opportunity to retire and live a life on a yacht with his family "or whatever white people do, when they retire", as John Leguizamos character puts it in one the funnier moments of the film. But then he is given a chance to work himself right into the heart of Pablo Escobars drug cartel; not by following the drugs, but by following the money. So he takes on the role of mobster Robert Musella and finds himself in a situation, where the just slightest mistake, "just one slip", could get himself and his undercover colleagues killed.

It's this razor's edge situation, that makes "The Infiltrator" so compelling and gripping. It is based on a true story and you can clearly see, that Bryan Cranston, who is credited as executive producer as well, is very invested in the material. His performance of a performance is awesome, but luckily the movie doesn't rest on his shoulders alone. John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt and the fabulous Diane Kruger do a fantastic job as well.

One of the greatest achievements of the movie is, that it feels no need to exaggerate the story. There is a scene, in which Bryan Cranston's character is in the kitchen with one of the main bad guys preparing dinner. This conversation alone is so full of heavy tension, Benjamin Bratt could slice it with the knife, he is using in that particular scene in remarkable fashion. It is fantastic acting and movie direction and that is just one example of many similar scenes.

The plot of The Infiltrator sure isn't one, we haven't seen before in movies. But rarely it has been delivered that effectively without the need to use heavy effects.

The Neon Demon (2016)

AWFUL! Avoid this horrible and repulsive style-exercise

[3/10 · 4 February 2017]

So, I wanted to watch The Neon Demon, like many other people, because I absolutely love Drive, director Nicolas Winding Refn's acclaimed predecessor. It's one of my favourite movies of the recent years and I have watched it many, many times now. I am not going to watch The Neon Demon again. Ever. In fact, I'm trying to wash some of its images out of my mind.

At the beginning, it seems to bear a lot of similarities with Drive. Like the Driver, our heroine is pretty tight-lipped, we don't know much about her past and she has a unique talent, in which she surpasses anyone else. At least, she is given a name: Jesse. We met her shortly after her arrival in LA, where she desires to start a model career. At first, everything looks very promising. She gets a couple of gigs and looks to be the rising star of LA's catwalks. But her success evokes the envy of her competition. And these model- bitches certainly don't hold back, when it comes to fighting their territory.

These could have been an interesting plot, if Nicolas Winding Refn had any interest in executing such a thing. But none of the actions of the characters seem to mean anything. I get it, that this is supposed to be very stylized and surreal. But that doesn't mean, that it has to be boring. So many scenes go on and on and on without having any impact for the rest of the movie. Well, a movie can be boring. I mean, this is a problem, but it happens. The problems with The Neon Demon begin, when it starts to counter its own dullness with crudity. In the second half, the movie becomes not only repulsive. It insults the intelligence of the audience.

What is it, that NWR wants to accomplish with this style-exercise? Is it a commentary about our own superficial society? Does he criticize, how the fashion industry and we as consumers objectify women? Does it show, how close the beauty and the ugly are? These could be interesting questions, if the movie would make any attempt to answer them. But it doesn't. Instead, it falls victim to its own subject. There is no depth in scenes of rape, necrophilia, pedophilia and what other distasteful obscenities occur in this movie. You have to give them at least some context. The only thing, that is absolutely clear to me: The way, NWR treats his female characters, is plain awful and disrespectful. They are just dehumanized, exchangeable parts in a misguided art installation.

In short, after a promising opening, The Neon Demon falls apart very quickly and ends up being a cheap exercise in meaningless provocation and obscenity. It's one of the worst films I have ever seen. Avoid!

Adventures in Zambezia (2012)

A family-friendly surprise from South-Africa with the ambition to follow in "The Lion King's" footsteps

[7/10 · 29 January 2017]

You can tell if a kids movie just hit the mark, if the young viewers shout "We want to watch this again", immediately after the end credits start to roll. "Zambezia" is a very sweet, well crafted and engagingly told south-African animation, that works very well with its target audience, tells an ambitious story; and ends up being hold back by its budget restrictions.

Director Wayne Thornley aims high with his home grown south-African story of the young hawk Kay, who lives alone with his father at the top of a gorge of the Zambezi in an otherwise deserted landscape. When Kay abandons his home to live in the bird's big city of "Zambezia", where he learns the truth about his origins and has to find his own strength, parallels to "The Lion King", "Finding Nemo" and other genre classics become obvious.

To my surprise, Zambezia fits surprisingly well into the shoes of its predecessors. The animal characters are developed very nicely and with attention to detail. Clearly the creators of this movie know their subjects very well. I always like, when animal characters like these are still rooted in their natural behavior, something "The Jungle Book" or the mentioned "Lion King" do all so well (while annoying movies like the "Madagascar"-franchise don't seem to get this right).

The south-African landscapes are stunning. It is a joy to follow Kay and all the other birds of prey as they race over rivers and waterfalls, through gorges of stone and wood at breakneck pace. These visual treats are accompanied by a simple story with an important message ("Stronger together"), both transported in a very engaging way for the young viewers. The movie is funny and exciting and the main villain is very creepy, so there is a lot to enjoy for the kids.

So, that Zambezia ultimately cannot quite reach the heights of its paragons, has nothing to do with bad story telling or movie making. The creators clearly had a vision of what they wanted to accomplish and it only seems, they have been held back by limited resources. They are some plot points, that would have deserved greater development, such as the relationship between Kay and the female kite "Zoe". Though the story paces along at falcon speed, I would have loved to see some story arcs told with more patience. But these are adult complaints, that surely don't diminish the fun of younger viewers.

Zambezia is a certainly underrated, definitely ambitious and well crafted piece of animation, that deserves to be given greater attention. If you need to kill an afternoon at home with your kids, this one is well worth the time.

Captain Fantastic (2016)

A satirical, Utopian mind experiment about how to raise kids in our consumerist world

[8/10 · 6 January 2017]

Captain Fantastic is a great and thought provoking movie, especially for parents of today (a group I happen to be a part of). From their first day, kids of today are effected by mass media and consumerist behaviour in a way, we couldn't have imagined only 20 years back. Overprotective parents keep children away from making their own experiences and interacting with nature and their environment. Strangely enough, most parents romanticize their own childhood, when "we just played outside for hours with nobody looking after us". So wouldn't it be great to withdraw from the capitalistic society, the industrial food and the self-destructing 24/7-worklife? Can we not just return to a naturalistic, rural way of life in line with the nature around us, in which we just aim for knowledge and self-fulfillment? Well, can we?

Captain Fantastic seeks for answers to these questions. It does so by conducting a mind-experiment. What, if a family just did that? Return to the wilderness, live in the woods with and from the things, nature has to offer, while teaching your kids everything about humanism, literature and philosophy. And how would that work out, if they are forced to return into "the real world" with all its shopping-malls, video games and fast food? Of course, this clash of cultures makes for some very funny and comedic moments, giving this movie a very satirical edge. When Viggo Mortensen's character, the hippie-father Ben, visits his sister and her family with his six children, he basically sits for dinner with all of us, showing us the mirror image of our very own family life.

Very often, the movie stretches the credibility of it's own convictions. We only see them living in the woods during summer, for example and I wondered, how their life would be during a harsh winter. But I don't think, we as viewers should make the reality- check here. It is a Utopian world, the family lives in, that is supposed to contrast the "modern world". I will say one thing, though: I have no doubt, that kids are absolutely capable of the things, we see them doing in this movie, like hunting and dissecting wild animals properly, dealing responsible with knives and open fire, understanding complex political and philosophical concepts at a very young age and so on. That is probably the most important message of this movie: Our kids are all smart. What they make of their abilities, just depends on the environment, we create around them.

So, there is an important discussion going on in this movie. Thankfully, this is supported by some great acting, especially from Viggo Mortensen and Frank Langella. But also the child actors do a very good job. This movie has a 12-certificate in most countries, most likely for a scene, in which we see Viggo Mortensen in all his glory, and some very open talks about "sexual intercourse". But in the spirit of the movie, I would say, that it is absolutely fine to see this with younger viewers, too. I'm pretty sure, it will make for some interesting family discussions at diner table :)

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

A return to form for the new crew, that pays great homage to the classic series

[8/10 · 27 July 2016]

There is a moment in the film, in which the young Spock looks at a photograph from the classic crew, that belonged to old Spock. It was a wonderful, wonderful scene, that for me captured the whole essence of the new Star Trek movie. In the 50th year of Star Trek, this was a perfect homage to the classic series, that manages to find it's very own look and feel at the same time.

The movie starts with the crew, and especially Captain Kirk, lost in space. After three years out there, Kirk feels tired and exhausted of the mission. However, his brooding thoughts about leaving the Enterprise are heavily interrupted, as the crew is attacked by an alien force and strands on a distant planet. Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew discover, that the alien leader Krall is trying to get hold of a weapon, that could destroy the entire federation.

What this movie gets perfectly right, is the balance and chemistry between the different crew members. In contrast to his predecessor "Into Darkness", which was mainly centered around Kirk and Spock, this one is more of an ensemble piece, in which every character gets his moment to shine. Simon Pegg has written a witty script and Justin Lin manages to make good use of it. The plot paces along, there are some good character moments and some fantastic nostalgic moments to spice it up in year 50 of the franchise. The sets, costumes, hair dresses all feel very "classic series", but still modern. This was truly excellent work from the team.

You can criticize, that Idris Elba is being a bit underused here, but he still makes a very good villain. Also, some plot devices do not work very well, like the strange alien woman, that gets the whole movie going with her distress signal. But these points do not harm the joy of Star Trek Beyond, which is a great sci-fi-movie with a finale, that is pure rock'n roll!

Warcraft (2016)

A sometimes very campy fantasy movie, that manages to deal with questions of identity and different family types in an interesting way.

[7/10 · 10 June 2016]

So, it is easy to dismiss Warcraft - The Beginning as a campy, convoluted fantasy movie. But if you take a closer look, you can clearly see Duncan Jones' handwriting. The way, this movie deals with topics of identity, relationship and finding your place in the world, lifts it above average.

I have very little knowledge about the lore of Warcraft. Actually, all I know about it comes from playing the related Hearthstone card game. Compared to the HUGE behemoth, Warcraft is, I think, it's safe to say, that I know nothing about it. And yes, I often felt completely lost in the packed story line of this movie. You could see the director struggling with at least a dozen major characters, trying to give everyone enough screen time and something meaningful to do. To my surprise, this worked much better, than it could have. But still, I often found myself asking: What on Azeroth is going on here?

What kept me in this movie was the way, Jones' managed to give the story arc a greater meaning. There were interesting things about different family types and how to live with them in it. There was the Wechselbalg, raised by people who would be their enemies. There was the average family with parents who cared about their newborn, just trying to live a normal, peaceful life as everyone does (and how great, that we find this type of family amongst the Orc, who are supposed to be the villains). There was the widowed father, trying to be a good dad, despite blaming his son for the mother's death.

Jones has dealt with identity, the question, what makes a person a person and stuff like that in his previous movies. So it absolutely makes sense, that he picks up on that in this movie as well. He also manages to have strong female characters and even passes the Bechdel test, who would have thought that!? This movie has flaws aplenty. But there is also a lot of interesting stuff in it and it's definitely one of the better computer game adaptations.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Dreadful film-making with no understanding of original characters

[4/10 · 25 April 2016]

This movie was probably the most awful superhero movie since Green Lantern. It's very hard to find a point to begin with, what makes this wannabe homage to iconic comic books such a dreadful experience. Maybe we can start with the absurd and weird dream sequences, which are very hard to distinguish from scenes in the "real world". They made no sense whatsoever and seemed completely out of place in this movie.

What bothers me the most is, that Zac Snyder doesn't seem to understand the characters he is dealing with. The Batman in this movie is completely overwritten in his anger, hate and dreadfulness. Though the opening scene is handled OKish, I found it quite hard to understand, why Wayne would feel such rage against Superman. At least, Superman has done good stuff, as we are shown throughout the movie. Why Batman/Bruce Wayne wouldn't try to talk to Superman in the first place is beyond me. Instead he wants to outright murder him, which is not something Batman would do. Despite being cruel and quite vengeful, he still feels himself bound to justice. That's a very important part of his character, Snyder isn't able to grasp. And by the way: The whole opening premise collapses like one of the many buildings in this movie during the final fight, which is so ludicrous, even Wonder Woman cannot make it look exciting.

On the other hand there is Superman/Clark Kent. Both roles are severely underwritten. Clark Kent has - in contrast to Bruce Wayne - basically nothing to do and remains a blank sheet throughout the hole movie. Unfortunately, Superman doesn't show to be a richer persona, as well. His lines of dialogue must fit on paper napkin, the meaningful ones should find enough space on a post-it-note. The biggest problem of Snyder is, that he doesn't find many "Supermany" things to do for Superman. His unique abilities are, much like in Man of Steel", not really put to use. Instead, Superman ends up being thrown into and flying out of buildings a lot of the time. There is some punching, some eye-beams, then some throwing again. It's so tedious.

In the end, Superman and Batman should find themselves on the same side, arguing about the means to reach their goal of bringing justice to people. It's this conflict, that makes Frank Miller's iconic graphic novel "The Dark Knight" so gripping. This movie is anything but.

Mia and Me (2012– )

A very kid-friendly German-Italian production about a girl, that travels between our world and the magical country of Centopia.

[7/10 · 3 March 2016]

It has fairies, it has unicorns, it has magic and it does have a lot of pink colours for sure. At first glance, you might think of Mia and Me as a pretty ordinary TV-production. Its target audience is young girls and it throws pretty much every unicorn and fairy at them, that isn't hiding at three. So, in that sense, it's pretty unoriginal and not treading any paths, that Disney hasn't gone in the past few years.

But after having seen the entire series with my 5-year old daughter now, I have to admit, that it has it's qualities. First of all: It's absolutely unoffensive in any way. There is only a small amount of violence in it and even that is very harmless. E.g. the main enemies are stopped by shooting water at them, which has the effect of shrinking them to a size, at which they are not a threat anymore. That is a pretty nice solution to solve unavoidable fight scenes. I also like the calm pace of the stories. It's definitely not another of these shouty, hyperactive modern cartoons.

And while in the first season the characters are pretty stereotype, the authors manage to add some depth in the second season. This is especially true for the main real world antagonist Victoria. After she is drawn into Centopia, too, she suddenly finds herself torn between her antipathy for Mia, her loyalty to her new elven friends and a brooding conflict with her overly ambitious mother. This makes for some very interesting story lines, that also challenge the young viewers and makes them think about the meaning of friendship and trust.

Overall it is an OK franchise, that, after a pretty average start, developed into an interesting coming-of-age series for girls between 5 and 10 years. If they can keep that level of storytelling and character development in a potential third season, Mia and Me has a good future.

Edit for season 3: The third season is out and marks a significant drop in quality for the series, unfortunately. The plot offers a lot less interesting ideas and character development as the second season. It appears to be mostly driven by a very unimaginative quest for lost pieces of a certain crystal, that Mia and her friends need to stop a poisonous plant, that threatens to cover the entire country.

Important to know for parents is also the rise in violence and tension, that definitely has the potential to disturb younger viewers. This has mainly to do with the new villain "Dex", a man-bug, who is accompanied by four other creatures, who have insect origins. Their attacks are much more hostile and violent and often involve direct physical attacks like hitting a person or slamming him or her to the ground. We haven't seen this in the previous seasons at this level. They also look much scarier than the goofy Rixel or the androgyne Muncs from the first season.

Finally, this new installment also introduces a new "Mia", as Rosabell Laurenti Sellers has grown to old to play the teenage character of Mia again. Her replacement Margot Nuccetelli does a fine job, though, and was quickly accepted by our audience at home.

Who Am I (2014)

A very compelling and original movie paying homage to some genre classics

[8/10 · 2 March 2016]

This movie has a couple of obvious predecessors and it doesn't shy away from not only referencing them a lot but literally mentioning them in some scenes. I won't mention the movies, I'm talking about for spoiler reasons, but you will know pretty fast, what I'm talking about. What is admirable is, that director bo Odar manages to give this movie it's own unique style and look nonetheless.

He struggles with his own direction in the first half hour of the movie, but when his four protagonists finally have come together to form a new hacker group in Berlin, the movie finally takes off. The four men, each bringing a certain talent to the group quickly become some kind of hacker pop-stars with some spectacular operations. While having a name in social networks, they fail to gain respect from the underground hacker scene, represented by iconic hacker "MRX". In an attempt to change that, they start a terrible chain of events that leads to an unintended death of another person.

The movie keeps a very good pace, all actors are well casted and have some memorable scenes. All in all a very fine hacker-thriller, that is not about computers but about finding your own identity in a world where real-life and avatars in cyberspace become hard and harder to distinguish. 8/10.