rainerurmas-maine2

The story - or what it wants to say - is maybe a bit meh. But the way the characters are introduced and how well you get to know them just based on the 1st episode is superb. It kind of reminda me of How I met Your Mother in this case - not story-wise but how the pilot is able to give you an excellent understanding of the characters and where the story is going to go.

I must also not forget that the scene at the end of episode 1 is likely one that I cannot imagine being surpassed by any show. The music, the message given without words and the emotional hit you get are fantastic. Never have I ever gotten a tear in my eye after finishing the pilot.

Having watched the pilot, you feel the need to binge S1 - go for it! (Maybe don't stick around for season 3 though)

The first episode is kind of a perfect episode for how to build excitement about a 'superhero in a small town' story.

The first season in general really builds up the universe in a fantastic manner. The second season is a bit of hit-and-miss but in general really well done with Saxa and Magne's actors both shining brilliantly there and their romance giving the season a really nice touch (a bit like what happens in the later seasons of Sex Education).

The third season however. Well, it starts with a 10-min voiceover recap of a year of events which just indicates that this is going to be real bad. Then the story goes through a storyline leading absolutely nowhere until midway through the second to last episode a twist happens and we are all back to where the story is ultimately going. Until the last 10 min happen, when there is a HUGE twist and we are told that Magne is a paranoid schizophrenic who hallucinated most of the story and that he must now go out to the world and be an adult. The end. What was that? HORRIBLE WRITING that ruined an otherwise good show. You cannot do 'this was a dream' story without foreshadowing and the story at least a bit making sense after.

I would give this show a 0/10 for the finale but considering the production value and the first two seasons, it's altogether a 5/10. The first season is more like 9/10 or even a 10/10 if you are really into stories like this one suggested to have before the series finale.

The movie knows what it is. It's a family adventure with some quirky moments but it's a pleasure to watch. It looks great cinematically and offers a warm feeling inside after watching. There are too few movies like this. Maybe not an actual 10/10 but seeing this be at 6/10 does not make the movie justice.

This comes from a fan of the source material of the books and a person who simply adored the games and the feel the brought to the franchise.

The Netflix adaptation of the Witcher book series takes a strong opening in the first few episodes and starts to build on it for the series finale and the ultimate stroke of destiny we all know is coming. Henry Cavill brings Geralt of Rivia to the small-screen in a brilliant fashion showing off his acting chops but also encapsulating the important aspects of what it means to be a witcher in this world and what is unique to Geralt and his story. Dandelion, his trusted travel companion, is portrayed brilliantly as well, a trademark of which is that for people not so familiar with him, he comes off as annoying and off-beat for the series, but that is his essence - he provides at times a comic relief, but also a needed friend for Geralt in his hard world even if Geralt himself does not understand or want to understand that he needs a friend. Yennefer and Ciri are both portrayed equally as well, even though Yennefer bears little resemblance, except for the violet eyes, to her book counter-part, both actresses pull off the characters they portray, brilliantly. There are two big gripes for me with the adaptation as far as this Season 1 goes. First of all, Fringilla Vigo, considering some future facts which come central to her character, e.g. Frin being so similar to Yen in appearance that Geralt calls her Yen and her being a second cousin to Anna Henrietta of Toussaint, it is hard for me to see why this actress was chosen to portray her, she has become a one-dimensional evil wherein perhaps a little more nuance would be needed. Second gripe is the way time is used to portray events in the show, especially in the mid-way point of Season 1 - it gets, at times, extremely tricky to follow what is unrolling on the screen, as we do not get any indication of whether the events are in the past or in the present - considering that show-creators have added the backstories of Yen and Ciri straight to screen, it is understandable that some difficult choices had to be made, but it also means that purely contextually understanding of whether events are happening now or out of order, is quite difficult. A better job could have been done there.

All in all however, the show excellently captures the world of the Witcher and the actors strike a chord with the characters they portray. Can't possibly recommend this series more and I know that Henry and the rest of the crew have proven all doubters wrong and it is amazing to be able to say that when so many times this simply isn't the case. Can't wait for Season 2 in order to see what they bring to the screen.

First, I have to state the obvious - for a person who is not well-versed in history or simply doesn't care for it one bit and wants some action on the screen with a few good-sounding lines for trailers with a bit of added flavour in the sense of this being set in the Middle Ages - this is absolutely passable and you may even get some fun out of it.

For someone who is a little bit more knowledgeable of the history behind the reign of Henry V, the politics of Middle Ages and more precisely of the politics surrounding Battle of Agincourt and the related events and persons, this piece is utterly dreadful. This movie doesn't do justice either to the history nor the Shakespearean take on the events which seems to form the bigger part of its basis.

The movie starts out dreadfully slow and seems stretched out for no reason at all. The clear centre of the story is the Battle of Agincourt and instead of beginning out with Henry V being a drunkard for half an hour or even more, this part of it all could've been a lot shorter (this is just my opinion thus far).

The moment I felt that this movie is getting out of hand in its depiction of the events that transpired early in Henry V's reign was however when all of the sudden, the English were going into battle, the plot was so thin that I didn't even properly understand that war had now begun, it seemed almost comedic how the Henry in the movie had wanted peace all this time and for the smallest reasons, on almost a whim, decided to go into war with France which was by far a superior force in terms of size and population. The second moment I felt that this is getting into the territory of being a parody of itself was however when Pattinson came on "stage" with his French accent, why on earth was this horrible mockery necessary - it wasn't and it adds nothing to the movie.

The third moment which really gets under my skin is the battle itself. The battle is clearly inspired by the Battle of Bastards in Game of Thrones, which is fine in itself but the battle starts to make very little sense when you start thinking about English longbows - which are most famously related to the battle at Agincourt. The longbows were so far off from the French, it seemed two stadium-lengths, that there is no way these could have ever reached the French, the distances in the battle and the way the French fell, was totally absurd.

The fourth moment when the movie seemed akin to parody was when the character of Pattinson went on the battlefield. No leader of armies ever enters the battlefield like that and especially in a way that battle would simply stop immediately. This is so weird because in first, the battle was depicted as pure chaos, as should be, then the moviemakers suddenly forget it and it seems like a small brawl where on first signal all quiets down, war doesn't work like that. Then Pattinson just skids around on mud and Englishmen jump on him with no interference from the French. How? What? Why?

All in all, the reason I'm writing this tirade is that the movie has so much potential, it looks sublime on screen and really does mostly justice to the era in its depiction of armies etc. But somehow, the simple plot plodded on the actual historic events comes loose at its hinges, Henry V is depicted as this holier than holy character to I suppose appease those wanting to get a modern take on the events in 1415, and to top it all of, the French side of the battle (people who could have been great villains) are simply used for comedic effect.

This leaves me with the sad realisation that for all its potential, the movie just isn't worth its running time. This is all the more baffling as flicks like Outlaw King have shown how to do justice to the genre without really having too much to do. This movie however while having all the right bits and pieces seemingly, simply doesn't get the job done for anybody who is actually a little bit familiar with the history of the event or the dramatic take on it by Shakespeare. The betrayal plot added to the events (Chief Justice and Henry V stabbing him to death) is the biggest offender in this, history and Shakespearean dramatisation of the time period have more than enough drama, antagonists and protagonists to highlight on the big screen without this immensely pointless added plot and mockery of Pattinson as an actor.

All in all, if you want a good take on Henry V's rise to throne and the Battle of Agincourt, stay away. If you want to netflix and chill with your significant other watching some swordfighting and Pattinson making a French accent, go for it!

Don't mind the use of the word "surprisingly" in the title, the cast and the creators of the show are very unsurprisingly funny and good in giving us a really, I would even say, unique show. The reason why this is surprising to me is that the first two episodes I found really not to my liking and they seemed to really drag on. The plot felt like been-there-seen-that. The start really was slow to this show, but the pace picks up rather nicely and the plot starts to thread out in surprising ways while continually getting funnier and quirkier. The last 6 episodes of the first season I really binged, I couldn't stop after the 3rd episode and it seemed like there was a switch which was turned on after this. I can't say how much I look forward to the next season which sees us outside the school environment and in New York for a real struggle in politics. It really seems to me like this whole season was very much a set-up for what is to come next, so if you are like me and are doubtful after the first episode or two, whether to watch the whole 1st season, then please do give the show a chance, it is so worth it by the end.

This is what a TV show should be like!

Tom Ellis is superb as Lucifer and has been since the pilot, this show had a remarkable Season 1 and it is so good to see a return to form in Season 4.

Lucifer is a prime example of what can happen if the series is stretched out to 22 episodes a season and the whole plot is stretched out extremely thin in Season 3. Thankfully Lucifer comes back kicking in Season 4 and delivers one of the better comedic seasons I remember in a series with its at-times corny humor which is perfect for the show.

Most important aspect for the show is its unique take on biblical characters and archetypes. The show makes a fantastic effort to step out of cliches and it does so really well with its unique blend of comedy, drama and detective stories. Both Seasons 2 and 3 suffered from an over-dependence on the CSI-type episodic drama and I'd recommend to skip them if not for the great acting and comedic effect which still is kept in tact there.

PS: I give this show a 10, but Seasons 2 and 3 are definitely not worth a 10, but I'd still recommend watching them as Season 3 has one of the best season finales I know of and the stories still are important for Season 4 on Netflix.