Short opinion pieces about films and TV shows that I’ve watched since 2025-08-05.

Film

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

Some reviews praised this film for going “back to the roots”, but for me it was just a rehash of what was has been done (better!) in previous films of the Jurassic Park/Jurassic Park franchise.

And not only was it boring and generic as fuck, but also looking like crap: Even though I know that Gareth Edwards is capable of creating good effects, which also play well with real environments, this whole movie looked very fake.

But that is a bane of any modern CGI-based blockbuster: Why bother at all with actors etc., when all of your actions scenes look like a CGI cutscene of a computer game?

Thus: Crap story + crap effects: High budget trash!
★☆☆☆☆ 1/5 stars

Quest for Fire | La guerre du feu | Am Anfang war das Feuer (1981)

Interesting premise, but too tedious.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Batman Returns (1992)

Rewatch – Originally (many decades ago), I loved it. I’ve watched it a few times in the meantime, but it also has now been quite a few years since the last time – and now, I’m not so much “in love” anymore, sadly. It’s still good (well, OK) movie, but somehow its also lost a bit of its charme in my eyes (compared with other, recent, more modern superhero movies, which I actually don’t watch or like that much!).
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

The Life of Chuck (2024)

Unexpected and interesting.
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)

I was already let down by its predecessor, but this final(?) installment of this incarnation of the franchise is even worse: Too long, too boring and even the action sequences are not hitting as strong anymore as before.

The rating may seem harsh (it’s still a very well produced high-budget film), but it represents my subjective feeling, when watching the sudden downfall from the highs of something like “M:i 6 - Fallout” to this disappointment.
It’s even worse than part 2!
★☆☆☆☆ 1/5 stars

The Naked Gun (2025)

I give it a low rating, but considering that I expected a complete desaster, I’m actually glad that it had at least a few moments that made me… well, not laugh-out-loud, but at least chuckle (a tiny bit); so that’s that.
But except for that: No comparison to the legendary and classic original by ZAZ.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Weapons (2025)

Another hyped horror film – but this one is actually rather good.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

The Road to El Dorado (2000)

Catched this “by chance” on Netflix; the beginning was OK, but after half an hour or so I quickly lost interest and followed the rest only from the corners of my eyes.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Man on Fire (2004)

Rewatch – I very dimly remembered that I had watched this one once before, a long time ago; and that I wasn’t very impressed by it.

But over the years, this title kept on being mentioned in a positive manner; so when it popped up on Netflix, I took it for a second time – and again: It was OK’ish…
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Code 3 (2025)

Cool little movie: Dark humor, but with heartfelt moments, too.
Looks like a more mature, darker version of “Scrubs”.
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

F1 (2025)

Well, it got some cool looking racing scenes, but overall pretty average.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

The Old Dark House (1932)

A very old/black-&-white “thriller”(?), that seems to be a kind of classic? I don’t see it that way, but it was entertaining enough for a one-time watch.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Ganmu | Battle Angel | Alita (1993)

This was the ‘film version’ of a the cancelled OVA, which had only two episodes: Those were combined, therefore, it appears a bit unfinished at the end (but not totatlly).

Regardless of that fact, my overall grading is a “meh…” – but that’s probably for the same reason as for many other, similar animes from that time, that I’m watching now for the first time: The world has moved on, it’s 30+ years later, and I myself am also no longer an impressable kid/teenager.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Armitage III (OAV) (1995)

Also an OVA/TV Mini Series, but short enough to be viewed like a film; from the Point-of-view of my current me: It’s OK.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Armitage III: Dual Matrix (2001)

A sequel (film) to the OVA/TV Mini Series. Liked it much less than that, though.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

TV

MobLand — Season 1

Took half the season’s runtime, until I found it a bit interesting; and I use the term “interesting” very lightly here: It’s not really doing anything new or different that other crime family dramas; neiter in story or style

And: Well, this first season had ten episodes; and I was only slowly getting interested around episode five; and even then, with the remaining runtime, I was not very much invested in the characters or the plot.

It was “good enough” that I didn’t prematurely abort the show, but at the end, I was pretty underwhelmed; I very much doubt that I’d watch a second season (if there will be one).
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — Season 3

Oh, too bad. This show started rather promising. Sadly, the second season was already a step down; and now this season: Even weaker, with way worse plots/writing and character developments.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

The Goes Wrong Show — Season 1 & 2

Discovered this by chance (because it showed up on a YouTube channel): What a great surprise; the (few: only six) episodes of the first season are masterpieces in comedy!

In the second season (also with only six episodes: British TV), there are a few weaker parts; but still: Mostly great. So it’s probably good that it wasn’t continued.
Season 1: ★★★★★ 5/5 stars
Season 2: ★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

The Studio — Season 1 (aborted after episode 3)

Hm, watched the first three episodes, but it didn’t really connect with me, so I left it unfinished.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Alien: Earth — Season 1

Had its moments (parts, scences, some actors), but overall a pretty badly written and structured. Not recommended.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars