tero-j-heikkinen Reviews

Dark (2017–2020)

A great and thoughtful series

[9/10 · 23 February 2023]

I watched the whole series in the course of a few weeks. What initially looked like a mash-up of Twin Peaks and Stranger Things, was revealed to be an original and intriguing mystery.

What convinced me is the consistency of the unfolding mystery and a surprising added depth of character, drama and tragedy enhanced by the time dimension.

Twin Peaks comparisons might be a little unfair, as it had that inimitable Lynch touch. Here the directing reminds me of a competently done German "krimi" TV, spiced with sci-fi and experiments in disjointed storytelling. Which is not a bad thing at all, it seems.

For a sci-fi aficionado, the time travel aspects are not that novel, but Dark insists on probing the chosen route further, and takes it to its fatalistic and even nihilistic conclusions.

Watching all the seasons and episodes in quick succession might not be the best idea. The soundscape, repeated phrases and monologues, and the formulaic inclusion of a "mood song" near the end of the episode, may begin to feel tiresome. The depth and intelligence of the series is in danger of being revealed as an illusion.

To me, the series peaks in "Ein unendlicher Kreis" near the end of the second season. A conclusion could then have been drawn out in the course of a few episodes. I felt the third season was essentially stalling the outcome and "filling gaps", and needlessly fragmentary compared to the first and second seasons.

Re-imagining elements from first season as a "teen goth romance" was not really that interesting, and the human drama was no longer as nuanced as in the previous seasons. This opinion may also been a result of watching the series too fast and eagerly. As the series eventually concluded, it worked well and the path to the end was neatly laid out.

I enjoyed this series greatly.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)

Not at all bad

[8/10 · 2 August 2021]

I am glad to have seen the first few episodes without reading anything about it on the internet. To me it seems many people have been critical about this series for all the wrong seasons.

I'm not an obsessive fan, but I do have my good memories of the original series. It is a good idea and perfectly logical that this series distances itself from the old "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" and refuses to be a simple dose of 1980s nostalgia.

Making the cast more up-to-date and pointing out the troubles in the original concept is all good. Instead of giving the viewers a lesson, it turns out the masters of Eternia have a lot to learn.

I did feel the episodes are rather short and allow little time for build-up for the kind of themes the story attempts to explore.

Ned Kelly (1970)

A good western film

[7/10 · 8 July 2015]

I was positively surprised by this film and quite appalled by the ratings on the IMDb.

I had two advantages on my side: I'm almost completely unfamiliar with the story of Ned Kelly, and I'm not overtly familiar with Mick Jagger's persona. To me this removes most of the problems people seem to be having. Mick Jagger makes a passable one-of-the-guys, uncertain folk hero. No character is meant to be larger than life here.

Approach this as a western film (which are also historically inaccurate) and you have a tiny gem, not a botched historical movie. There are certainly worse westerns than this, yet receive 6-7 stars on IMDb.

The more universal themes comment on power use, corruption and betrayal, never overtly dramatized here. More locally, the film seems to reflect on the youth culture movements and generation clash in the late 1960s Britain, possibly a comment on police brutality too. The Ned Kelly story is simply used a springboard to explore modern themes, much like any western film would do.

Having said that, not much was left to do with the western genre after the 1960s. Yet Ned Kelly manages to be quite original, considering it's a few years before Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. Here the playful and occasionally ironic folk soundtrack complements the images to make a larger whole.

If you like western films and are tired of the somewhat ordinary film-making that often goes with the genre, you would be advised to see Ned Kelly.

RoboCop (2014)

Not a travesty, but could have been more.

[7/10 · 23 February 2014]

Taking Robocop as a work of science fiction means that it should be interpreted not only as a warning sign of things to come, but as an an allegory of what is happening right now. In this reading, the figure of Alex Murphy as an individual collects together our fears of what we've become collectively: dependent of and controlled by the intricacies of the systems we've created. To this end, the setting up of the movie works well and picks up themes not present in the original. It is chilling to see Murphy in his condition, and think "that's us".

However, from here on the directions taken are less than satisfactory. Robocop does not seem to say anything really new or insightful about this human condition. The message is that we can go far, but should not go "too far": a science-fiction cliché. Most of the opportunities for true commentary are missed. The irreverent humour of the original is missing, replaced with a tired critique of USA as the world police something-something. Surely an acceptable target by now. Any real religious, philosophical and societal issues that might emerge are instead tactfully ignored or merely hinted at.

I did find Robocop to be an enjoyable ride on the whole, but it could have been more. It is hardly the turkey some reviewers have made it seem, though.