Reviews

Copying already known and successful concepts seems to be becoming more and more fashionable in Hollywood, instead of producing something new and original.

The Gorge is a good example of this. A love story, a bit of zombies and a dash of Silent Hill were mixed together.

The result is a somewhat run-of-the-mill action movie with a few weaknesses. Of course, the concept of the movie has so many big plot holes that the Nimitz could drive through. Added to that is the rather poor CGI. It becomes completely absurd at the end.

Only the acting of Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy saves a lot.

Nevertheless, the movie could have been shortened by 30 minutes.

When I watched this series, I felt like I was re-reading a book I had already read with each episode.

The basic ingredients of the series are: a detective from England who is sometimes more or less goofy; a minimal crew, with the fun sidekicks predominating; a murder that is either impossible or is considered a suicide by everyone (except the detective); a minimal detail that the detective noticed and which ultimately helps to solve the case, and finally the solution in which the detective brings all the suspects together and explains to them how clever he is.

That was still interesting in the first episodes with Detective Pool, but with DI Goodman it became slapstick with rather bad gags, DI Mooney was an attempt to move away from comedy, while DI Parker became a mix of Pool and slapstick.

Here in Germany, the series is basically on a continuous loop. And to be honest, I was only able to re-watch the first episodes with DI Pool.

The story has been told many times: A siege of a police station. Where have you heard that before? Unfortunately, there is no other way, but this film has to be measured against the classic Assault on Precinct 13 by John Carpenter. And unfortunately it falls short compared to the 1976 original (and even compared to the 2005 remake).

There are attempts to introduce some (insignificant) subplots, but ultimately it is only about the said siege.

And here a few peculiarities are noticeable: firstly, there is the almost complete lack of weapons (we are talking about a station that is not supposed to be abandoned). Then the main character has full access to the Internet and telephone...but instead of moving heaven and earth to get help...No, she probably doesn't think of such things.

Finally, we have the main character who is severely handicapped by a leg injury...it is actually doubtful that such a person would be reinstated as fit for duty...even for a desk job.

I admit that I love the quieter crime films.

This one has a mix of ingredients that makes it interesting: a group of characters who couldn't be more different are confronted with a murder on an island without outside help.

The focus is on two characters: the florist Green and the reporter Walker. While his role is more tailored to Sam Spade, she plays her role with a mix of Poirot, Marple and Sherlock.

Overall, both play their roles very well, even if they are cliched.

The length of the film is also well-timed so that there is no idleness.

Of course, you can see its lower budget...but it's a shame that it was such a flop at the box office and a sequel is therefore out of the question.

I have to admit that as a little boy I used to sneak out to watch this series. This was probably thanks to the incomparable theme song, but especially to Mrs. Emma Peel. Diana Rigg was probably my first great love ;-) After that, it took many, many years until the episodes were finally repeated on TV and a few more years until they were finally available on DVD.

The plot in some of the episodes was really hair-raisingly implausible, while in most of them it was just entertaining and humorous. The action scenes in particular were a highlight. Even for the smallest things, doubles were usually used. Doubles who in many cases bore little resemblance to the originals (I still remember the male, heavily muscled actor who replaced Emma in a fight).

In almost all episodes, Steed was the cool, cocktail-drinking guy who would immediately stand out anywhere just because of his clothes.

Peel, on the other hand, was an icon. Not only in terms of her costumes, but also that she didn't play a helpless damsel, but was an equal colleague of Steed.

Other than that...well, the series started out extremely serious. Even the episodes with Honor Blackman were still real spy stories.

It is noticeable that some episodes from this time were recycled and this time played with Steed and Peel (and a lot more humor).

After Rigg left, the series slipped into insignificance when Tara King (Linda Thorson), a weaker co-star of Steed, joined.

I love the old whodunit crime novels. Accordingly, the books by Sayers and Christie are highly rated in my opinion. Death on the Nile is not one of their best books (in my opinion). But it is still very entertaining. Small deviations from the original are tolerable if the story is right. The film adaptation with David Suchet was one such example.

But unfortunately there are also film adaptations that go against it. While Ustinov was at least bearable despite portraying the detective as more of a joke figure, the same cannot be said for Branagh. His character of Poirot is just as far removed from the original as large parts of the film.

The series tries to create the image of a murderer who goes about his job but is also fascinated by a little girl who saw him commit a crime. However, it tries too hard here. The viewer is confronted with a flood of different characters. That may work in a book, but in an 8-episode series it is not easy to tell them apart. In addition, you cannot build a personal relationship with any of the characters. For me, all I can say is that I do not like any of the characters.

The plot is also just too far-fetched.

Maybe if the would cut the material to 2 hours it would be an interesting enough movie but this is just too long and not interesting enough.

As a boy, I saw the Leatherstocking Tales for the first time. At the time, I was fascinated by the film adaptation. After many, many years, they were finally repeated on television and are now shown almost every year at Christmas.

Well, as is the case with memories, the good sides are preferred. It is the same here with this four-part series.

It should come as no surprise that at the time, as with all literary film adaptations from Germany, little consideration was given to the original and the producers told their own story, which mostly adhered very loosely to the novels.

What I particularly dislike today is the use of weapons that did not exist at the time (carbines). Accordingly, almost all of the fight scenes are notable for their absurd firepower...there is wild shooting, although it was hardly possible to fire more than twice a minute. And don't forget that thanks to the length of the rifles, the shooters had to stand there while they loaded and made a safe target.

As for the acting...well, it was a German TV production. The way the Indians were imagined was particularly funny.

The series is certainly interesting for older people who are reminded of their youth. Younger people will hardly be interested.

The film was shot at a time when Edgar Wallace films were very popular in Germany.

It was the 24th film adaptation...but nothing of the original story "The Feathered Serpent" remains...which was also a special feature of German films at the time.

The plot can only be described as totally stupid...I mean, a villain who runs around in a red robe with a red KKK hood and a whip was only topped by "Gorilla Gang", which was shot a year later and in which the villain ran around in a gorilla costume.

In addition to the already absurd plot, the already repeatedly used comic character of Scotland Yard boss Sir John had to be added.

One special feature worth mentioning here is that it was one of the first German films in color.

Nevertheless, I would advise anyone not to subject themselves to this piece of work.

The reason why this film has such a good rating can only be explained by the first action sequence. After that it is nothing you would talk about.

Of course like most other action movies you shouldn't think too much about the plot here either. A single man who takes on a whole gang of heavily armed criminals. And all because one of them punishes a prostitute who had previously become rebellious. Something that happens every day without a war breaking out.

Now, let's get to the acting. They are all over the top. The silent hero, the bad guys and of course the comic relief.

I would also like to point out one small thing here: you simply cannot shoot with a nail gun. There is a safety catch that prevents this. You have to press it against something, otherwise...nothing!!!

Now, let's get to the most illogical part of the film: the ending. So, a 1.85m tall black man can walk into Russia and enter an oligarch's heavily guarded estate and eliminate all the guards...very believable.

But it gets even better, the prostitute who started it all meets the hero again and tells him that she is now going to make her dream come true. Even if our hero eliminated all the pimps...just a few hours later, others would have taken up the prostitutes...especially the young ones.

So, the first 35 minutes were interesting, so it gets 6 stars. The rest is average.

With action films, I'm used to not thinking too much about the plot, but just being entertained by the action.

The story of the film fits on a small sheet of paper (and there's still room on it): An elderly woman falls victim to an online scam, loses all her money, including the money she only manages, and commits suicide. The "hero" now wants revenge and paralyzes the organization.

With a lot of shooting and beating around, of course.

Well, apart from the fact that such organizations are rebuilt within days (hours). That bombing buildings doesn't help because they are insured. And finally, that most of these organizations do not operate in their own country for security reasons (Asia, India and Africa are good locations).

Well, you don't need to expect logic here.

And why is a simple FBI agent allowed to get involved everywhere, even though she is personally involved in the case.....????

What about the action? There's plenty of it, but it's so over the top that you'd think you were watching a comic.

Acting-wise? Well, no one is in danger of winning an Oscar for it. Some of the characters are drawn so over the top that they really would fit in a comic.

I give the film 5 stars because of the action. But I wouldn't watch the film again.

On an almost deserted island, the few residents and some holiday guests are attacked by a pack of wild dogs and have to fight for their survival.

That doesn't sound particularly logical at first, and well, it is illogical. The big question is where all the dogs come from. We are shown that the holidaymakers leave their dogs on the island because they can't keep them in the city. This raises the question of why these holidaymakers get a dog for this particular holiday...because they must have brought it from the city to the island. The next question would be why such a large pack of dogs hadn't been noticed before. There wasn't much game to be seen...so what did they feed the dogs on?

The actors are all B-list actors and mostly seen in TV productions, trying to build up suspense. But when I see them barricading doors while the simple wooden windows everywhere have no protection...well.

At the time of filming, animal horror was in demand. And at least the dogs were portrayed quite nicely.

Other than that, the film is purely for nostalgic people.

Here we have the usual revenge film that we have seen countless times. A family is murdered and now revenge is sought. Only this time it is the widow.

Well, the action is there, lots of wild shootings and fights. It's just a shame that all logic is thrown overboard again.

An ex-housewife becomes a killing machine in just under 4 1/2 years. Then she comes back and after just under 3 months she knows about the drug dealers.

In terms of acting, there is not much to expect here. The bad guys are just bad and most of it is one action scene after another.

But you shouldn't hope for real fights in these action scenes. Because let's be honest, a single person storming a house guarded by dozens of bodyguards is not exactly realistic.

I read many of Edgar Wallace's crime novels when I was young. Even I quickly noticed that the stories almost always had the same background. A naive girl gets involved in an intrigue (usually about her inheritance). The villain has set his mind on marrying her, while the hero naturally wants to save her.

Well, almost all of the German Edgar Wallace films were made according to exactly the same pattern. The recurring cast and the (German) attempt to be funny (usually in the form of Eddi Arent, who does not appear in the novel) are particularly worth mentioning here.

The Strange Countess was also made according to this pattern.

Logical errors are plentiful. The acting was sometimes grotesquely exaggerated.

Even with the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, I cannot find any reason to recommend this film.

Hollywood is a commercial juggernaut. It is therefore not surprising that they remake films that have done well to grease the money machine.

Sometimes they even manage to create an independent work that is worth watching.

Unfortunately, something like this can also come out. The original lived off the aura of the main actor. This film, on the other hand, is very bloodless, despite there being plenty of blood. At no point do we feel any sympathy for the main actor.

Instead, we are flooded with CGI and exaggerated gore.

And if the only reason for a remake is better special effects... well, then the film has already lost.

A mix of espionage and action film. Unfortunately, it can't do both and with its 4 episodes it's either too long or not long enough to explain the plot lines in a more logical way. The action is OK for a TV film, but of course it's very limited. The plot also suffers from the low budget... I mean, the president of the country is kidnapped and we see 2 (two) snipers taking up positions as the terrorists reach the plane with the hostages.

And then there are places where you would have liked a bit more background. How could the agent get to the kidnappers' highly secured hideout so quickly? How can he easily infiltrate this hideout? Sewers? Even the last backwoods states now have enough technology to install motion detectors, noise detectors, etc.

And of course our heroes can free themselves, grab a gun and shoot with it until the end without ever reloading.

In order to appease the do-gooders at the end, most of the bad guys are eliminated by their own side.

JCV is actually a warning sign that the film is not exactly A quality.

Well, this is proven after just a few minutes.

I'm talking about the fight sequences here. It's really nice of the gangsters that they all attack one after the other and, as is usual, together.

A quick recap of the beginning. A Russian gang consisting of many men runs an illegal brothel in which children are also offered. Now the mother of one of the children has a rich relative in the USA and he in turn has hired a specialist (JCV) to rescue her and he is now in the gangsters' heavily guarded villa.

So, apart from the fact that all of this would take not days but weeks and the boy would certainly not look so lively by then, she wouldn't particularly like the fights... well, JCV is already older. The fact that he leaves all the other victims to their fate doesn't speak in his favor either.

But what I'm particularly wondering is: how did he manage to attach an explosive charge to each of the cars parked outside without being noticed?

But no matter, this beginning already showed me what to expect from the rest of the film.

Superficially, we are supposed to learn something about the life of Louis XIV. And of course, we learn about all sorts of love affairs at the court of Versailles.

Well, even after watching just one episode, it should be clear to everyone that this is more about bare facts than real facts.

Just a few real facts: Louis had all his teeth pulled at an early age, and part of his palate was destroyed in the process. As a result, a) his food was completely overcooked and leftover food was stuck in the hole in his palate...which led to extreme bad breath. He was also given daily enemas...and he couldn't get to one of the toilets, which were far apart, in time. In other words, even with excessive use of perfume, the king reportedly smelled unbearably and a love affair with him was more of a torture.

As a pure action movie, it's an OK movie. Nothing special, nothing that you haven't seen a hundred times before (and many times better).

But if you try to look for logic in this film, you'll hardly find anything.

First of all, it's extremely unlikely that a lightning strike would cause a plane to crash. Most of the systems in the plane are duplicated.

But my biggest criticism is the stereotypical behavior of the actors. Of course, the bad guys are real bad guys and the good guys are just bursting with do-gooder attitudes.

This is particularly evident in the lead actor Butler. Not to mention that it's strange when this man in his late forties, who has only been flying planes for years, can defeat a muscle-bound killer in close combat.

But the fact that he immediately rushes to the rescue of the passengers like an angry bull... without even thinking for a moment is a bit too much.

The conclusion of the 2-part film.

Synopsis: It's about a group of child molesters organized by an influential person. Everything is planned down to the last detail and has been going on like this for many years. Of course, there are connections in the highest circles.

Well, you shouldn't expect much from a German production. Accordingly, the solution to this case is based on so many coincidences that it could hardly be more illogical. And of course there is a quasi-happy ending, even if it is suggested that at least one of the organizers will continue in another country. The actual horror of such a crime is not even hinted at.

The acting is the best thing here.

I expect two things from a zombie film, action and blood. This film starts off very leisurely and although it is rather short at 85 minutes, it takes almost half of the film before the action starts. Although we see rather leisurely action here. Well, that wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the actions of the actors. Actions that can really only be described as borderline stupid. Because of this, I could only watch some parts of the film in fast forward. But in general, almost everyone acts according to stereotypical patterns. That's a shame, because the film itself doesn't even notice its certainly low budget. That's also the only reason why I'm giving it 2 stars.