Change Your Image
Maxio
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Echo (2023)
Anyone can be a superhero
Every now and then Marvel cooks up a story which falls through the regular cracks of a liniear superhero movie. And I am glad. They did with WandaVision and now they are doing the same trick with Echo. Yes, it is different and maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but that is the purpose of sticking out of the mediocre rest. So don't expect a normal, dare I say boring, superhero story with immortals and superpowers. This is a human story about family and ancestors. Much like Kingpin is sticking up for his family, so is Maya aka Echo. Yes, it might be different than the comics, but I loved it. This series has great fights, but it isn't about that at all. It's more drama. And I give kuddos for using a native american cast and using a actress who is deaf and disabled in real life too, just to show everyone can be a superhero. I hope Marvel creates more gems like this. It's not for the masses, but it is good solid television.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
AI can write a better story
I really liked the first John Wick, although there wasn't much of a story. The second part continued the tension, but part three and now this part are just extremely boring movies filled with action without a real motivation. I hoped for a much better movie, but part four is beyond repair I am afraid. The CGI is clearly visible, especially with the bloodshed. And ofcourse fights are staged, but in this movie, you can clearly see all the stuntmen are waiting at eachother before the other one is finished. A good DP or director would go in close, so you can avoid this. The plot isn't there at all. I don't know. Just a weird movie. There is a strike going on about the worries of AI. This movie script could've written by ChatGPT and be much better. I give it an extra star because of one cool "drone" scene.
The Whale (2022)
A pity about the daughter
When I first read about the movie and saw the touching trailer, I really wanted to see this movie for a long time. And now I did, but I feel it's an odd one. Brendan Fraser is excellent, the Oscar his rightfully his, but I don't know why the other characters are so obnoxious, full of anger. It really threw me off and lowered my score. The daughter is bully and not someone I - as a dad - can relate to. I am European, so I can't relate to the swearing and the drug use too as we don't have those things here, not in the extend as you see in the movie, so can't understand why they chose to walk that way. It's also part of the play it's based on. But even the housekeeper is not nice. She swears a lot for no reason, and she is just, well not nice. Again, if I look at my country, people in healthcare are extremely nice. So, to me it's a weird choice.
But Brendan, and him alone, is the right reason to watch this movie. He really plays a gentle soul.
A Small Light (2023)
Looking forward to the rest
I only saw one episode, but I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of this series. The lighting is excellent and so is the cinematography. Being Dutch I ofcourse know about Anne Frank and Miep, but I didn't know her story. And yes, ofcourse not everything is historically correct, as most movies and series aren't. That's because film is a different media then words only. You need tension, conflicts, and a journey. So far it ticks all the boxes. I was captivated by the actors and especially "Miep". She is a strong bubbly girl, and the actress carries the show.
Yes, the Dutch in the series don't speak Dutch. Everything is in either German or English, but I think that's a wise choice. This isn't a Dutch story, it's an international story and while the Dutch can speak and understand English, their thick accents don't translate well on the small or big screen. In Schindler's List everyone uses English too, so it's a logical choice, which made this series more accessible.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Emperors new clothes
I love indie movies. So when I read abou this movie, I was hoping to see a good one, but it was a big let down. The movie isn't original, the message is generic and done before, and the acting is moderate. Especially if you consider the previous movies they all played in before. To me this is a case of 'the emperors new clothes'; people like it because other people say so. Even if they don't understand it, they have to like it because of FOMO. I also watched the other oscar contenders and it's painfullly clear this movie didn't deserve the awards. It's good Aian actors got an award, but as said before, they've been in much better movies. I am look at you Crouching tiger, hidden dragon, which is btw more a representation of what Chinese people like to see than this movie. EEAO just tries to be different and dazzle you with cheap effects and a pseudo-science sauce, but not once it gets the right message across. This could've been a much better movie if they changed the wacky style. This is not a movie for the public, this is a movie for the directors themselves, and thus they don't appreciate their viewers. It gave me a headache after four viewings. I wanted to like it, but no... avoid this one.
Slumberland (2022)
A touching story, even for adults
To me Netflix is like the online videostore with 90% pulp and 10% good movies, so I was very curious to see in which category this movie would fall. I am happy to tell you it's a 10% movie. The story has been done many times, but the actors did a great job telling the story and it all looked really slick. Yes, it's green screen, but it's been used in a good way. It's basically a childrens story, but I think adults can also relate to the topics of losing someone. It made me cry and that's always a good sign in my book if a movie can do that. I am not a fan of Jason Momoa, but his character was fun. So, I can highly recommend this movie. I hope to find more of these gems on Netflix.
F9 (2021)
What a joke
Haha, first of all, I am not a bot and I really loved the first Fast and Furious, but what I just watched wasn't anything like that. A car in space? Why do we need expensive astronauts if you can send two dudes in a car to space. I wish they had done that with this movie. Nothing is original or believable. And Vin Diesel (I loved Riddick) isn't even trying to act. He has one monotone voice and does stunts Captain America even has a hard time to do. In fact, everyone is e superhero in this movie. No character development, characters are flat as a pancake and no one really cares for them. The stunts are obvious greenscreen and it shows. This is like a Tom & Jerry movie, but those are much better.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Whose Show Is This? (2022)
Loved it!
This is a show really aware of it's own effect on us, the viewers and reviewers. It doesn't take itself serious, but it's also not taking Marvel itself serious. To me, all superhero movies and series are much of the same and this show tells us Marvel is aware of that and thus they are trying something totally different. That takes balls. Is it like she-hulk should be? I don't know, but if someone can change the ball game, then it's Marvel. I had so much fun watching this serious and I really hope - despite the low ratings - we'll see a continuation of this excellent series. Let haters be haters. The show doesn't care, so why should we?
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
A different and funny take on Marvel
Yes, I do love this series. Is it something we've seen before? Probably not. Except maybe for Deadpool and a lot of 90s comedies. I saw the original Hulk series and loved it. The movies afterwards I also liked, but they were all different in tone. Is that a bad thing? No! As a hulk fan I believe things evolve and every director and writer are allowed to have their own take on the source material. Over the years we've seen a lot of good (and bad) Marvel movies, but also a lot of series. Superheroes are - in my opnion - very dull when you treat them seriously. Let's face it, a superhero who can't die has not a real place in a good three act story in which the hero might die. So, it is better to change the thropes and try something different. She-hulk is different. It is also a reflection on the present world with twitter and keyboard junkies spweing bad reviews. The writers don't take it too serious. It creates a funny series that makes fun of a lot of things, but also tells a second story: be yourself. Lawyer Jen is in the series less liked then her alter ego She-hulk. Reading some of the comments I can see people want to see the old Hulk and not something new. Maybe unintentional, but I can see the parallels between the series and the real world. Love it.
Andor (2022)
Star Wars for adults
I saw all Star Wars movies. I even saw most of them at the theaters, when they were released. They progressed a lot over time and that's a good thing. Society changes, and movies change too. Andor is rougher, and you can see how detailed the world is. It's much like a movie. I read reviews about people stating this is not Star Wars. It IS Star Wars, just a different one. It's a fine example of how storytelling really should work and this fine story happens to be happening in the Star Wars universe, but that doesn't mean that they need to keep all the thropes. I am glad they didn't, so we get great world building, great acting, realistic characters and a story that needs to time to absorb. If you want a popcorn series, go find something else. If you want a real story about real blue collar people, then take a seat and enjoy the ride. The Mandaloriun - which I also love - is a fine trip down memory lane, while Andor is Star Wars for adults. Both are great in their own turf, and I can't wait to see what Disney has in store for us. They do stick their balls out with new expensive productions and from time to time they try a totally different concept (also within the Marvel universe) and I applaud them for doing so.
Black Summer (2019)
Finally a realistic zombie series
Wow, as a screenwriter I can say this is smart screenwriting. Telling a story through script is done by action amd dialogs. The easy way is explain everything through dialog. This is done a lot, but is really lazy writing. The hard way is telling it mainly through action and that is what they do here. This is a realistic look on a zombie apocalypse, without the need to explain everything. You learn bits and pieces through the action, and the rest is for your brains to figure out. It's not at all like The Walking Dead which is action and then explaining everything in a soapy half hour. Black Summer is about selfish people and yes that is realistic. Shooting on a body is realistic too as hitting a leg or head is much harder. Most people don't know how to shoot, so your brain just aims for the biggest target and most likely fires in panic. No one will think about zombie movies when they see a real zombie. You just react and that is what this show is all about: realism. Much like the intro of Saving Private Ryan we are part of the action. Almost in real time we are running with them. And that creates an eerie feeling. Writing through action is hard, but this team did it.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Like a computergame
I loved WandaVison and the first Doctor Strange movie, but this one felt rushed. The storyline was really thin and everything felt like a bad computergame. The CGI was terribly fake and overdone. 80% greenscreen and it shows. A pity as it turned the movie into plastic.
Stranger Things: Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab (2022)
Lazy writing
I like Stranger Things, but this episode is lazy writing. Apparently Vecna can do his Jefi mindtrick also in the UpsideDown, while he just can walk to Nancy to kill her. But instead he saves her life so he can share - in good old James Bond villain fashion - his life story and thus end a plotline. And apparently El is turned into a Marvel superhero and can all of a sudden vaporize human bodies and create rifts between worlds, only to serve the plot that 1 is Vecna, which wasn't a surprise if you watched the episode. This is sloppy writing of two brothers who made season one a hit. The fact that the show is based in the 80s is almost obsolete in this season too. A pity.
No Time to Die (2021)
I loved it
Huge, huge Bond fan and I am from the Roger Moore area. I know they changed the Daniel Craig Bond because of The Bourne Trilogy. He became tougher, less comical. It was a changed, but I loved it. Casino Royale is still my favorite, but I actually enjoyed No time to die. It's a different Bond. He grew. He is more real now. Yes, it is different, but it fits. Creating 20+ movies about the same guy without any growth is extraordinary. So at some point they needed to let him grow and they did with this movie. Can't wait what they will have in store for us with the new one. And I like the women kicking ass.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor (2022)
The book is closed
One silly shoot-out, killing Bane in a silly way and no real tension. If we follow the classic Jaws then you know tension can be built without showing things. Bane was the perfect guy for the tension. Almost every western has a good shoot-out. But this one was just sloppy.
As someone said before, this season was just there as a filler to give them time to make the new Mando series. So, Boba will return, but just as a side-kick and that is OK.
The Wonder Years (2021)
I like it!
I saw the original series and loved it as it's basically a small story about a boy and his view on the world around him. The new series has a different era (smart move), with different problems. But the buy is still a boy and we follow what's it all about to be 12, just like in the original. The original actor is now the director and that just adds up to the excitement. I don't think this series is made as some sort of representation of current times, being all about black families this time. It's about a black family in a different era, and the struggles they had. But all those problems are there to give the series even more heart IMHO. So, I loved it. And I will keep watching.
The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
Fun start of a new franchise
I an NOT a Star Wars fan, eventhough I liked the Luke Skywalker episodes as I saw them at the cinema. But I really liked the new movies and The Mandalorian. The book of Bobba starts out nice. If you like The Mandalorian then you'll probably like this too. We start in the end and through flashbacks we get how Bobba booted Jabba. I like it.
EDIT: after seen all the episodes I must lower my ratings. The story wasn't well developed and the two best episodes were about the mandalorian. The rest falls flat. They didn't take the route I was hoping for and it ended in a silly shoot-out killing off interesting characters way too soon. The two mando episodes could've been the start of the new season and I wouldn't mind if they add those two to the new mando season as I loved them. Boba is a good guy, but so is Mando. Boba would be better off as a real bad guy.
The Witches (2020)
Unnecessary
I guess there is an abundance of money in Hollywood as this movie is not much different from the original, although the original is much better. Roald Dahl is British and the original movie oozes that out of it's pores, much like Harry Potter did. The new version is very much American with unnecessary CGI and an empty story. Kids will like it, but they will love the original.
Jungle Cruise (2021)
So much fun!
This is what I hoped for with the new Mummy movie. It's a good old fashioned action movie like Raiders of the Lost Ark and ofcourse the old Mummy. I liked it. It doesn't take itself too serious. It's a fun ride.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
A kids movie
First of all, I didn't like the first Wonder Woman. So, this second installment had no high hopes and I was right. But the curious thing was that this second installment looks like a totally different movie, more based on what kids would like. It's kinda goofy, and it has a real Sonic the hedgehog plot. Also the Mask came in mind. I hoped Jim Carrey would be in this movie to save the day. Alas. I liked the colors and the actors. Don't watch it when you expect something like the first part. Watch it with your kids and you'll do just fine.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Loved it!
Yes it's the standard action flick, but what sets it apart from the rest is the style as being a colorful film noir (it could've been great in black and white) and originality. It also doesn't take itself too serious like John Wick. In some aspects it's even a western. It even has the sound design of one. I enjoyed it as much as the first John Wick, but the style pulled me over and added points. This is popcorn at it's finest!
Vivo (2021)
Such a sweet movie!
What a sweet story this is. The animation is fine, the character design is a bit unusual, but the movie delivers. It's a simple straight story that takes you from A to B, but very much like LUCA it's a story about the love of a country - in this case Cuba - and making you feel happy. Since this is also a musical, it's packed with songs. I loved them all and so did my 8-year old. So, Netflix delivered. I am not a big fan of a rapping Lin-Manuel Miranda, but within this story it fits and it's very pleasing to the ears. I am hoping for more movies like this. We need more positivity in the world.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Finally a good action flick
This is actually the movie Independence Day should've been. It was believable and they dpend a lot of time on charachter building. Yes, there are cliches which are needed in a high concept movie, but most are believable. The wife finding the solution is logical because of the info she got from the future. So, the time travel had a good purpose. Could be explained as a coincidence, but with simple deduction I could've come up with the same conclusion.
The CGI was finally at the right level. If you ever see Loki, then you know what's a wrong use of CGI. Far better then any Michael Bay product (with the exception of The Rock). And Chris Pratt - which isn't my favorite - was really at his place here. Finally a good action movie and yes, it did remind me of the classics from the 80s and 90s. I see it as a good thing.
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Standard, but fun
Yes, it is paint by numbers, but I liked it a lot. My 8-year old daughter liked it too and it is a movie made for her. So, we were both happy. It has a positive vibe to it and that is something maybe we all should use here. A movie is to entertain and reflect the real world and that is exactly what it did. This formula is done like a thousand times with all kinds of movies and no-one really mind. So, enjoy the vivid colors, the simple but touching story and have a great evening with your loved ones. And yes Awkafina is an aquired taste. Usually not mine either, but it worked and she did a great job adlibbing.
Loki (2021)
It's not bad
It's fun so far. Hard to rate yet as we've seen nothing much. The CGI is OK. Obvious green screen though. But the comedy works better then it did with The Falcon and The winter soldier. So I think it will end up somewhere between the superb WandaVision and the mediocre The Falcon and The winter soldier. It's for now good enough to see the next episode.