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I was expecting another new world adventure and instead got a wildly edited, plodding three-hour procedural with elements of an inside job at the end. All to the sound of monstrously thumping music and artsy black and white flashbacks. I'm not disputing the dense premise, or the decent performances, but the film only has two sparks in 180 minutes. One when the bomb goes off and the other when the camera is trained on Florence Pugh – with or without clothes on, it doesn't matter, both work.

Brilliant. To capture the current social state of the world so perfectly. Apt one-liners the hold the truth lying dormant, and the decline of civilization hidden in the inability to fix the hinges of an electric oven. A frighteningly funny vision where Cartman is transported to a parallel universe populated exclusively by black lesbians and Kathleen Kennedy instead of patriarchal white men. The point about laziness is not without merit. Disney is now thinking.

I would never cast young Washington in a leading role again, his acting bad (and I'm taking off one star for that). Otherwise I found this film terribly rich, both visually and emotionally. Gareth Edwards takes us through several locations with a succession of gorgeous images, whether it's a city with dozens of glowing neon signs like in Blade Runner, an Asian landscape where ancient Buddhist culture clashes interestingly with modern sci-fi elements, or the Nomad super spacecraft that Kosinski seems to have invented for Oblivion. I was especially impressed with Asia and how thoughtfully and seamlessly the modern architecture builds on the old buildings, creating such an interesting contrast, and the viewer immersion is incredible. I'm not a fan of AI, but I still didn't mind that Edwards relativizes it and actually puts it in the position of a positive element, just like Blade Runner did 40 years ago, the story thus gets a charge that kept my attention throughout and the few logical lapses didn't ruin it for me. Unfortunately, Edwards is a misunderstood filmmaker. Whether it is with Godzilla, which was a clever homage to the TOHO's films, or here, with the heavy-duty sci-fi that isn't being made much these days. I can only be comforted by the fact that Blade Runner was also critically panned and rejected by audiences in its day, so .... maybe it'll come out in a few decades too, Gareth.

Ich mag Showbiz nicht besonders, vermutlich wegen meiner fast dreijährigen Erfahrung in diesem Bereich. Während meines Studiums habe ich als Bühnenarbeiter für ein Unternehmen gearbeitet und dadurch an verschiedenen Fernsehveranstaltungen wie der "Miss Tschechien" oder die Sängerpreisverleihung "Die goldene Nachtigall" teilgenommen. Dabei habe ich so einiges gesehen und gehört und mir ein recht genaues Bild von vielen damals bekannten Persönlichkeiten gemacht. Ich habe auch eine Vorstellung von der gesamten Branche bekommen, von dem falschen Glamour, was funzen muss, wenn die Kamera eingeschaltet wird oder wenn jemand wirklich Wichtiges zuschaut. Wie überall drehte sich auch in dieser Branche alles um Menschen. Man hat großartige Persönlichkeiten getroffen, die auch die harte Arbeit geschätzt haben, und die nach der Ausstrahlung ihrer regelmäßigen Show nie vergessen haben, persönlich vorbeizukommen und sich zu bedanken. Und wenn ihre Show dann abgesetzt wurde, haben sie einem Canapés und ne' Flasche gekauft. Aber dann gab's auch solche, die andere verachteten, egozentrische Dummköpfe, die sich dank ihres Einflusses über alle erhoben haben und jeden von oben betrachteten. Eine sympathische Großmutter auf dem Bildschirm entpuppte sich als habgierige alte Frau, die sich für nen Cent ihr Knie bohren lassen würde und Essen von den Buffets heimlich in ihre Handtasche steckte, wenn sie dachte, dass sie niemand beobachtet... Ich mag auch kein Idol-Anime, denn fast jeder, den ich je getroffen habe, hat mir den ganzen Showbiz als eine wunderbare, sonnenverwöhnte Reise beschrieben, die immer diejenigen belohnt, die sich am meisten anstrengen. Es ist schwierig, etwas mit einem Idol-Thema zu finden, das sich zumindest ein wenig mit ernsthafteren Problemen auseinandersetzt oder zumindest versucht, die Charaktere als echte Menschen darzustellen und nicht nur als fröhliche Duracell-Häschen, die sich ihre Träume erfüllen. Das ist normalerweise selten. Sicher, es gibt Dinge wie Perfect Blue, die aus einem möglichen Problem eine Horrorerfahrung machen, aber einen umfassenderen Blick auf verschiedene Probleme zu werfen, zu erklären, dass hinter allem Menschen stehen, die unterschiedlich sind, und dass selbst Idole, Schauspieler und andere Prominente wiederum Menschen mit ihren eigenen Problemen sind – das alles schön umfangreich zu präsentieren, gleichzeitig aber wirklich verständlich für den Zuschauer und angemessen dramatisch, um den Eindruck wirklich zu hinterlassen - das sehe ich zum ersten Mal in dieser Qualität. Natürlich muss dieser Blick auf die Branche nicht genau so sein, wie ihn die Autoren hier darstellen, klar ist, dass diese Perspektive eher für jemanden gemacht ist, der den Showbiz nicht mag und Vorurteile hat, die auf ein paar schlechten Beispielen basieren, die er vielleicht in Zeitungen gelesen hat. Aber wenn man wirklich umfassend sein will, muss man auch die Probleme zeigen, man kann nicht nur das Positive zeigen. Und wenn man das tut, endet man nur als eine weitere fröhliche Idole-Comedy, die aber niemand ernst nimmt. Also keine Scheu zeigt alles, auch wenn das Ergebnis der Serie nicht immer fröhlich und voller Hoffnung ist. Der Showbiz ist nicht so, das Leben ist nicht so! Und wenn wir Probleme analysieren, müssen wir uns alles aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln ansehen, und so lehrt der Anime auch den Zuschauer, dass die Serie nicht nur die Probleme der Showbiz-Branche anspricht, sondern auch die Konsumenten und die wechselseitige Synergie um sie herum. Es gibt überall Idioten und Verrückte, nicht nur unter den Prominenten, sondern auch unter ihren Fans. Wir wissen das bereits, Perfect Blue wurde bereits erwähnt, aber genauso gefährlich kann das Verhalten einer Masse sein oder auch nur der "Held hinter der Tastatur", der sich scherzend in etwas rein stürzt. Diese Serie kann einen auch direkt treffen, und man wird es mit Wonne und vielleicht sogar mit Selbstreflexion akzeptieren. So gut ist das alles! Die Charaktere sind wunderbar ausgearbeitet, jeder hat seine Stärken und Schwächen, manchmal sind sie unsicher, manchmal wissen sie ganz genau, was zu tun ist. Aqua spielt hier einmal den Jekyll, ein andermal den Hyde, und alles ist so intensiv bearbeitet, und durch den Glanz in seinen Augen wird es so lebendig, dass manchmal sogar Angst vor dem Hauptcharakter bekommt – es ist wie Theater im Serienformat. Die Atmosphäre und die allgemeine Stimmung preschen hier von einem Extrem zum anderem, genau wie es gerade soll. Mal ist man angespannt, dann lacht man aus tiefstem Herzen, dann hört man einem Charakter zu, der über einen Aspekt des Showbiz spricht und alles funktioniert, man genießt es und liebt die Charaktere so sehr, wie es der Autor gerade will. Die Animation ist auch gelungen, vielleicht nicht das Beste, was ich in dieser Saison gesehen habe, aber es ist sicherlich eine solide Show. Trotzdessen, dass mich das Finalkonzert nicht so sehr gepackt hat und Aquas Choreografie mich mehr beeindruckte als die gesamte Aufführung der Mädchen. Wie steht's mit Musik? Das Opening schlägt sich International durch alle Charts, was im Anime Bereich nicht gerade üblich ist, aber auch die sonstige Musik gefiel mir ganz gut, einschließlich des bereits erwähnten Konzerts. Es gibt hier also nicht viel zu bemängeln, zumindest für mich nicht, vielleicht gerade deshalb, weil ich den Showbiz nicht mag und keine Idol-Anime mag, aber das hier ist kein gewöhnlicher Idol-Anime. Das hier ist einfach ein komplexer Blick hinter die Kulissen des Showbiz, der gleichzeitig ein Idol-Anime, ein psychologisches Drama und manchmal auch eine romantische Komödie sind. Als einer der wenigen kleinen Kontrapunkte sehe ich in diesem Moment nur, dass der Anime es noch nicht geschafft hat, mich für Ruby zu begeistern. Ihre Backstory trägt zwar viel zu einem guten Eindruck bei, aber für mich steht sie trotzdem im Schatten von Kana, was auch auf Akane zutrifft. Es ist jedoch klar, dass ihre stärkeren Momente wahrscheinlich in der angekündigten zweiten Staffel kommen werden. Aber selbst diese Kleinigkeiten und Ähnliches können den beeindruckenden Gesamteindruck, der fast makellos ist, zunichtemachen ("fast" sage ich auch deswegen, weil ich mir etwas Luft nach oben lassen will, falls die zweite Staffel besser sein sollte). 9,5/10

A mix of Oblivion, Blade Runner, Elysium and Independence Day, with a meditative Asian setting and a completely uninteresting script and characters. It's a huge shame. The Creator demands big emotions from the viewer, but is unable to offer adequate material to make them happen. That said, the technical aspects are top-notch and the plot premise itself – the clash between A.I. and humans – is very timely and interesting. Untapped potential and Clair de Lune certainly doesn't save it.

Wonderful! Miyazaki's graciously poetic mind has conjured up a fantasy fairytale fable from post-war Japan, a bit in the style of Pan's Labyrinth. It is perhaps impossible to watch except with a permanent smile and the occasional tear in the eye. The animation is breathtaking and, in comparison, the Pixar, Disney and Sony trailers that preceded it are truly pathetic. It's not that I don't like CGI animation, but The Boy and the Heron simply took my breath away, something that didn’t happen (yet) when watching those other films.

I don't really fault the makers of 65 for wanting to make anything other than a fun flick that isn't completely stupid. And they succeeded. The problem is that Adam Driver is a bit wasted in films like this. But he did go for it and it's a good thing it didn't end up being a disaster despite all the problems. And Ariana Greenblatt is a sweetheart!

Basically, Napoleon has everything I was looking forward to, but it's always too short. The film jumps from scene to scene for two and a half hours, but gives little space to make an impact. Phoenix's Napoleon is the same (or rather, just as unpleasant) from beginning to end and doesn't surprise in like Vanessa Kirby's Josephine. The other characters are unfortunately stale, however interesting they could have been – Napoleon's brother and their mother, Josephine's lover, Wellington... I believe that in the long version they will be given their due space, but I would also like to see those promised spectacular battles get their due space, because we didn't get much of those either. What I wouldn't give for the whole film to take place during the Egyptian campaign, for example! But no, we're here for a while, there's no time for a tactical demonstration, the scenes need subtitles with years so they don't blend in. Ridley Scott doesn't really show his hand until the end, at Waterloo, where I got everything I wanted, but I'm not going to lie when I say I was already wishing for the film to end about half an hour before that. I'm sorry, but I rate it as I rate it. If you want to see a really good cinematic Napoleon, check out Bondarchuk's masterpiece, the Czech Waterloo with Rudolf Hrušínský if you're in the mood for a TV psychological treat. And if you want to see a long film about a controversial warlord who deserves every minute of its runtime, Patton is for you.

As far as songs go, it's weaker, but otherwise an excellent Sandler rom with a nice message. Leo is a tired old iguana living the quiet life of a school pet and suddenly becomes a mentor to all the kids after an unexpected change in class teacher. The kids are likeable, no jerks just a simple kids with normal problems that need someone to lean on.

On the occasion of his almost seventieth birthday, Gojira got a film that goes down well with the majority of the audience. That isn't a bad thing, but if you're expecting a procedural social critique like Shin Godzilla or over the top giant kaiju like in later Japanese works, you'll come away disappointed. A more fitting title would have been "how my post-war life was repeatedly affected by a monster" (the inspiration in the concept from the Godzilla comics: “Half Century War” is evident), because this time around it's stingy on Godzilla, he sort of plays third fiddle. When he does arrive, it's worth it (traditional design, origin and abilities, scale and action), but for most of its running time it's a tear-jerking melodrama about a kamikaze who failed in his duty and suffers from post-traumatic syndrome. He struggles to piece together a life in the ruins of Tokyo and a decimated post-war Japanese society that is also undergoing a fundamental transformation. Only that occasionally they (he and Japan) are shaken by Gojira's claw. Ironically, it's closer to the Pohlywood-ized kaiju variant on Jaws mixed with Pearl Harbor than to the previous Japanese Godzilla films (but the serious ones and the B-movie ones). Another installment is on the cards, but I'd personally prefer a sequel to Shin Godzilla. Perhaps as a satire on the Japanese government's bureaucratic mishandling of covid and the Olympics.

A pretty fine comic-book flick. An old-school origin story that seems to have fallen out of a time twenty years ago. The protagonist is likeable, the villains are one-dimensionally evil, and the family element brings some unexpected chaos. It’s a bit of a blue Green Lantern with some Latino spice.

Ridley Scott and another historical romp. This time he chose the historical icon Napoleon and, according to the previews, it was expected to be an adept for the film of the year, but according to the current rating of 72%, it will definitely not be and I was expecting more. It is still a great cinematic and genre event, though, especially since we don't get many huge historical films (when we do get one, it's usually without battles), so I thank Scott for this one. But the film suffers a lot from being a shortened version (it would have benefited from being split into two films), because even at 4 and a half hours, I don't think it can fully hold your attention. Joaquin Phoenix is of course excellent, he gives a great performance, and Vanessa Kirby follows suit. Surprisingly, the rest of the characters don't have much to work with here, they have small roles and no one else manages to impress in such a small space. The production design and craftsmanship are of course top notch, what the film presents historically seems to be true (the traditions, the coronation, the wedding, the paternity test). The are only three battles are they could have been longer (I'm sure they will be in the extended version). I was most impressed by the battle of Waterloo, where the strategy and tactics were nice. The battle itself is not that gripping, it's spectacular, but I missed proper gore, dirtiness and a bleak atmosphere, it's just not the same as the wrestling as with knights or vikings (at least there was one awesome gore scene with a horse right in the beginning, that was over the top), in short I've seen better, but I'm glad for this one too. The politics are dealt with rather quickly, with unfortunately no big intrigue. But what disappoints the most is that the emotions are completely absent, the film doesn't do much with the viewer. Napoleon's relationship with Josephine is cold, and I missed a downright memorable moment. I had a great time though, the film held my attention for the whole two and a half hours (maybe I was more entertained than in Oppenheimer), and it's definitely better than Fincher's The Killer – I haven't seen Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, but I don't trust it to justify the running time at all. We'll see what the extended version brings. While this is not the movie of the year, it's still above average and deserves the big screen. 75%

A psychological drama with elements of a thriller and social overtones. Those who like the North and especially women with children, can easily add a star. The story focuses on 9th grade students, one of them, while filling out a questionnaire, suddenly declares that life has no meaning and takes himself out of the classroom, climbs a tree and refuses to come down. His classmates gradually start sacrificing various things to convince him to come down. The premise is quite interesting, it shows again that Scandinavian kids are kind of weird (we've seen plenty of films with children's institutions that come from the North). It starts off lightly and begins to get heated towards the end. Admittedly there is nothing too explicit, violent or shocking to expect, but at least you get the cutting off of a finger and the decapitation of a dog. Fortunately, it has a running time of 90 minutes. It's quite intimate and minimalistic, about a few characters, and it's more of a thought-provoking film, but it can throw the weaker characters for a loop. I honestly didn't enjoy it enough to go higher with a rating, but it has something going for it. 6/10.

A reflective Fincher. Technically still on top of his game, directorially still as methodical and minimalist with attention to every detail. That the screenwriter chose a simpler plot without unnecessary twists or shocking points doesn't matter much. It doesn't have to be in every one of his films. In fact, Fassbender's assassin is such an interesting and well-portrayed character that it is he who is the center of the film, and around him revolves a kind of plot with changing locations and meeting interesting people. Worth mentioning is the fantastic action in Florida, which I wouldn't have expected from Fincher. A meditative, simmering crime drama where everything works very well, just not brilliantly.

The cinematic cut turned out as it probably had to: as an obviously incomplete fragment of a larger work. It's hard to rate it, it's like reading a novel and skipping every ten pages. What is in the cinema cut is fine, but it doesn't coalesce into a comprehensive experience. Napoleon's personal life is there, the battles are there, but the "politics" between them are missing, so you don't really know why any given battle is happening. Quite absurdly, from the cinematic cut, the character of Napoleon doesn't actually strike me as an active instigator of all this wartime fury, nor as a figure that the rest of Europe feared.

Despite the obtuse criticisms of the time, Věra Chytilová did not create a Troška-esque farce. Nor did she lose her sound judgment or sell out to commerce. However, contemporary and, unfortunately, later viewers were unable to tell the difference between satire and communal comedy. Chytilová was the only one to not go for superficiality, but instead created a timeless and unflattering – and thus all the more chilling – freak show in which she exposed Czech society drunk on a feverish vision of wealth, freedom and power in all its nakedness. Unfortunately, an inherent drawback of every satire is that some people see it as a confirmation of their own values and preen in front of the mirror that has been set in front of them instead of being horrified by what they see. And particularly the image reflected in The Inheritance is utterly, terrifyingly monstrous, though it is also a meaningful statement on more than just its own time and the deterioration of its values.

A love letter to the American western. Taylor Sheridan does with cowboys and untamed nature something similar to what Christopher Nolan did with Batman: he gives it a third dimension – the human dimension – making him flesh and blood, vulnerable, mortal. Sheridan works in a similar way with the heroes here. It's not just about gunslingers in cool clothes and classic shootouts in saloons, or in the streets in front of them, as we know from most gunslinger flicks, save a few honourable exceptions. 1883 goes much deeper, and is much more visceral, and sensitive, than it first appears. Fans of Yellowstone will love this one, but all the attributes and directorial touches suggest that this miniseries will appeal to everyone in general. A uniquely blended collage of fragility, poetics (voice-overs), and uncompromising wilderness survival with a yet-to-be-formed society.

Creator was supposed to be the sci-fi hit of the year, but the actual result was almost unwatchable, I suffered unbelievably. In short, Gareth Edwards made a film that, in its style, evoked the Star Wars I hated. I was kind of hoping it would be something along the lines of Independence Day, only with UFOs replaced by an artificial intelligence, but I was sorely mistaken. The film gave me the impression that with 40 minutes gone by, I still didn't know what was going on, there was no introduction to the characters or plot, just one scene after another, with zero viewer engagement. It's like putting episode 6 of a random series and trying to get my bearings on the plot. I was absolutely not entertained by Washington, and the rest of the characters didn't engage me either. The action was dull, I found it to be childish and unexciting. There’s nothing epic, no wow moment, no suspense or atmosphere, just something happening and I didn't really care by halfway through the film, I just wanted it to end. In the end I'm glad I didn't go to the cinema, I've never seen more boring action sci-fi. Disappointment of the year. 3/10.

A three-hour Indian blockbuster that is mature and complex. This is the first project of director Atlee Kumar and it is a huge global hit, and the second biggest blockbuster from India this year after Pathaan, also starring 58-year-old Shahrukh Khan, one of India's biggest stars. The story focuses on Vikram Rathore, the warden of a prison who to fix a corrupt society and right the system by taking revenge on both the rich and the corrupt scumbags. It's a bit of a mix between Robin Hood and Money Heist, which suited me just fine. I thought it was genius that the main character is helped by women from prison, so the police are looking for someone who has been locked up for a long time, I liked this a lot. Jawan is a three-hour massive blockbuster that combines maybe ten genres, but is interesting on every level and it really holds together as a whole. The story works, on the one hand it grabs the heart, can be touching (the scene with the children dying in hospital is intense), the surprise moments works – I like how India can pull off twist after twist, the viewer is really shocked to the core at the end! The romantic line works here too, the main character starts dating the police inspector who is looking for him. The humour works at times, the dramatic scenes also have a charge, even the musical numbers with the dances and songs are spectacular and a good watch (especially when you realise how much work must have gone behind it). The action itself is also worth praising. It's not so overdone and doesn't have much CGI, it’s down to earth for Indian standards, though there are a lot of slow-motion sequences, but at least it's nice and spectacular, in short it's great to watch. The three hours go by very quickly, the pace is engrossing and with such a diverse number of genres, you never get bored. For me, a great ride. 8/10.

Dreamworks answer to Ant-Man combined with magic, cats and a big ad for a house and its accessories. I bought the Lego version of that house and I'm a hero, a god and my daughter loves me best. Mommy relegated to second place. He he.