theolonius
Joined Aug 2013
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges3
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews6
theolonius's rating
If you enjoyed this movie and you were OK with the violence I strongly suggest you should read the novel and/or the manga (both far more violent and more suspenseful).
Even though the manga also isn't completely true to the novel, it is still very close for the most part and keeps the characters intact, at least enough, and it gives an real insight on the characters backgrounds and their motivation.
The movie is just a very dull attempt bringing it on the big screen. Of course, it was a stupid idea to begin with. The runtime of a movie can only handle a limited amount of content.
It is for good reason many critics remarked the characters remained shallow. Just like his younger western counterpart, Tarantino, Fukasaku makes movies based on a somewhat intriguing setting and fills it with action, but can not develop a character or bring any actual psychological drama to it. So effectively, the Fukusaku-family really disgraced Takami and his original story for bringing it to a format it can not fit in and for trying to turn it into an action blockbuster.
I still rate this movie 3/10 for a) the remains of Takamis book b) some of the actors did a solid job and c) the acceptable production value.
Even though the manga also isn't completely true to the novel, it is still very close for the most part and keeps the characters intact, at least enough, and it gives an real insight on the characters backgrounds and their motivation.
The movie is just a very dull attempt bringing it on the big screen. Of course, it was a stupid idea to begin with. The runtime of a movie can only handle a limited amount of content.
It is for good reason many critics remarked the characters remained shallow. Just like his younger western counterpart, Tarantino, Fukasaku makes movies based on a somewhat intriguing setting and fills it with action, but can not develop a character or bring any actual psychological drama to it. So effectively, the Fukusaku-family really disgraced Takami and his original story for bringing it to a format it can not fit in and for trying to turn it into an action blockbuster.
I still rate this movie 3/10 for a) the remains of Takamis book b) some of the actors did a solid job and c) the acceptable production value.
There are many things to like about this movie. It has some moments that are full of suspense and also some moments full of comedic relief. But after the third time the experience runs so dry it becomes a flick that starts empty handed and ends nowhere.
True Grit isn't a western. It is set in the era. But the characters, the environment and the plot are far from the actual life in that era. To a degree where the movie is stunning in the first place and keeps getting worse with every time you watch it again.
That starts with the plain and simply intimidation of Mattie getting reimbursed with ridiculous claims and the vendor is giving in and in to a point where the audience cracks up laughing for it is so plain unbelievable. With all due respect, but the Coens start it with a basic perception that treats a 14 year old orphan with the same respect a current jury in NYC would do. In a time where many people just got enslaved, raped, worked to death and murdered without anyone ever caring.
This idea then goes on for about 2 hours. The regular bad-ass loner, the goofy sidekick, the gotta-care-for-kid. End of story. Again it is not a bad movie, on the contrary, but even for Coen-standards the story and the characters are so overdrawn, the movie sadly only ends up as solid, nothing more, nothing less. Mediocre in every regard.
While the Coen brothers have a well deserved reputation to come up with remarkable movies this one lacks out on exceeding in any regard. Just another movie out there.
True Grit isn't a western. It is set in the era. But the characters, the environment and the plot are far from the actual life in that era. To a degree where the movie is stunning in the first place and keeps getting worse with every time you watch it again.
That starts with the plain and simply intimidation of Mattie getting reimbursed with ridiculous claims and the vendor is giving in and in to a point where the audience cracks up laughing for it is so plain unbelievable. With all due respect, but the Coens start it with a basic perception that treats a 14 year old orphan with the same respect a current jury in NYC would do. In a time where many people just got enslaved, raped, worked to death and murdered without anyone ever caring.
This idea then goes on for about 2 hours. The regular bad-ass loner, the goofy sidekick, the gotta-care-for-kid. End of story. Again it is not a bad movie, on the contrary, but even for Coen-standards the story and the characters are so overdrawn, the movie sadly only ends up as solid, nothing more, nothing less. Mediocre in every regard.
While the Coen brothers have a well deserved reputation to come up with remarkable movies this one lacks out on exceeding in any regard. Just another movie out there.
First of all, I must say I was rating this show one point below it's actual quality because of the ridiculous hype and the massive disappointment that came with that.
Anyhow, despite it's premise (one which we have actually seen in various movies since the 80s) this show could have been awesome but failed due to the terrible scripts and the wooden, repetitive acting.
Unless you are totally new to storytelling and/or television, you will never meet an interesting character. The authors are seemingly either new to scriptwriting or such old hands in German television that they don't even know how to try to be REALLY original.
Having Feldhusen and Mädel on this is what got me interested in the first place. Their work on the German Office-Adaptation was remarkable as they did manage to bring a fresh momentum on the 100th remake of an original show. Though it took a lawsuit to make Feldhusen admit it was an adaptation :D But after all, "Stromberg" was somewhat different and entertaining, no matter if it was another rip-off of the British cult-series.
This time, they sadly failed. Feldhusen as a Director can't bring anything to it. The people don't seemed inspired or pushed or led to a great performance, the very least you'd expect by a Director. The narrative, the camera-work, the whole setting, it's all dull an not worth mentioning.
What is remarkable: This show proves that Mädel actually can't act. His character, "Schotty", is played exactly like "Ernie" from Stromberg. The same expressions, intonations and gestures, despite it being a completely different role. If it wasn't for the beard, you couldn't tell the characters apart.
Summed up, what I was hoping to be a breakthrough in the national TV-landscape ended up as a complete and disgraceful failure.
Anyhow, despite it's premise (one which we have actually seen in various movies since the 80s) this show could have been awesome but failed due to the terrible scripts and the wooden, repetitive acting.
Unless you are totally new to storytelling and/or television, you will never meet an interesting character. The authors are seemingly either new to scriptwriting or such old hands in German television that they don't even know how to try to be REALLY original.
Having Feldhusen and Mädel on this is what got me interested in the first place. Their work on the German Office-Adaptation was remarkable as they did manage to bring a fresh momentum on the 100th remake of an original show. Though it took a lawsuit to make Feldhusen admit it was an adaptation :D But after all, "Stromberg" was somewhat different and entertaining, no matter if it was another rip-off of the British cult-series.
This time, they sadly failed. Feldhusen as a Director can't bring anything to it. The people don't seemed inspired or pushed or led to a great performance, the very least you'd expect by a Director. The narrative, the camera-work, the whole setting, it's all dull an not worth mentioning.
What is remarkable: This show proves that Mädel actually can't act. His character, "Schotty", is played exactly like "Ernie" from Stromberg. The same expressions, intonations and gestures, despite it being a completely different role. If it wasn't for the beard, you couldn't tell the characters apart.
Summed up, what I was hoping to be a breakthrough in the national TV-landscape ended up as a complete and disgraceful failure.
