Nick Adams_ Reviews

Meter i sekundet (2023)

The film is at its best when it remains true to the original material.

[7/10 · 28 March 2024]

A nice little film with really good actors, which, for the most part, succeeds in bringing Stine Pilgaard's new classic to the screen.

The film works best when it sticks to the original material and fairly directly translates the book to the screen. However, during the periods when it tries to be a broader, classic Danish comedy (the cast is largely the same as in 'Badehotellet'), I feel it falls somewhere in between. Although the original book is short in text, it contains quite extensive individual episodes, and in a film adaptation, choices must be made about which ones to include.

I could have used more of the original elements, but on the other hand, I don't need the story of how the couple arrives at the boarding school or an 'uplifting' ending beyond what's in the book. And while the dance scene in 'Den eneste ene' (The One and Only) may be a part of Danish film history, there's no need to replicate it here.

Tulsa King (2022– )

Lillyhammer meets Justified.

[8/10 · 20 May 2023]

Sylvester Stallone's career has always relied on his instinct for great scripts. That hasn't changed.

This series follows an aged New York mobster, recently released from prison, who discovers that the world has moved on and both his biological and criminal families have abandoned him. He is sent to Tulsa with the guise of establishing a new syndicate, but in reality, it's a place of exile where he is expected to quietly meet his end.

However, the old man refuses to let life slip away, finding ways to apply his criminal skills in a new city and era.

The script aims to capture the essence of Elmore Leonard's style, but falls short in some respects. It forges its own path, offering comedic relief that doesn't quite match Leonard's average humor. Nevertheless, this script invests more in its characters than Leonard typically does. The backdrop is well-crafted, and the major players are sufficiently developed to spark interest in their future journeys. Stallone's performance is exceptional, a blend of John Rambo and Vito Corleone, and the supporting cast is equally impressive.

Julefeber (2020)

Catchy intro and tune, the actual series....Not that great.

[6/10 · 13 December 2020]

The series theme song and the intro is great, probably in the "Christmas series top 3", the actors are good, especially the kids , and the filming has a definite tone. So it's kinda regrettable that the manuscript sucks. There are several problems, but the major one being that this a dance movie and nobody really dances. I don't know why you recruit the royal danish ballet companies youth division for a Christmas series and don't let them dance, but I suspect budget may play a part.

Mayans M.C. (2018–2023)

Highly entertaining show - liking SoA is not a prerequisite

[9/10 · 22 October 2019]

Let me start with a confession; I made through the first 1½ season of SoA, then gave up. The whole "all American Hamlet sitting on top of roof reading dead daddy's diary" didn't cut it for me. The glorification of a criminal "biker" culture didn't do much for me either. In my part of the world biker clubs are low life scumbags, who deals in dope to school kids, not romantic outlaws (that goes especially for the American ones). From what I hear the show picked up and the story line became much less cheesy down the line - perhaps I'll go back and give it a try again.

The premise of the Mayans is much better. These guys are not blond haired college boys gone glamorously bad, they're criminals by choice and necessity born into a world of poverty, corruption and violence. They wear patches because belonging is survival, identity and power, not because it is cooler than getting a regular day job. Our main character desperately wanted another life and almost got out, but got sucked right back in (more Michael Corleone than Hamlet). There is no black and white in this show, just varying degrees of (dark) grey. Highly entertaining and the first American show I've seen where the "heroes" are Mexican and the bad guys gringos.

The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2025)

Season two is a mistake

[7/10 · 6 November 2018]

I loved the first season including the ending and for my money it could have stopped there.

However, with the success of first season, I suppose it was a given that the series would continue beyond the book.

Next season is still hauntingly beautiful and amazingly well acted, but the story is lacking it's core. We know that Gilead is pure evil and what it does to it inhabitants destructive, but there is a limit to how much of that you want on repeat. Season 2 has basicaly turned THT into a culture club version of "Walking Dead" with out the character development, the redeeming interpersonal bonds and the flickers of hope. Who wants to watch it ? Psychological flagellants ?

Disenchantment (2018–2023)

It kinda sucks

[5/10 · 18 August 2018]

This could have been cool at about the time when Beavis and Butthead was the hight of comedy. Thirty years later it's stereotypical, uninspired and plain boring. Only made it through the first two episodes, so feel free to correct me if it picks up later

Christmas Star (2012)

Twin Peaks meets danish Christmas television

[9/10 · 2 December 2012]

Each year at Christmas danish television makes a 24 episodes show aimed at kids. Often its quite good, but standard fare.

This year, though... We are only two episodes in but I don't know how this happened. The danish state channel has made something that's best described as a match between Twin Peaks, the Christmas Evangelism and classic Scandinavian children television.

We have the pregnant mother (Marie),the father (John) and the rundown stables - where big J is already living next door. The shepherd is also there with a flock of very well behaved and trained sheep. Then we have jazz singer Caroline Henderson as the local female mechanic and coffee shop owner who serves a dammed good cup of coffee and the best Christmas cake in the county. But her son wears devil horns on his elf hat and insists elf actually are vampires... But who is the daughter of John and Marie, Sus ("blow" or "wind") and what and who is her new friend Bob ? And what are the sinister looking observatory like buildings on top of the hill...

I like it :) A lot.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

The Usual Suspects it isn't

[7/10 · 13 October 2006]

This is a pretty well done, stylish little McGuffin movie.

It seems strangely 10 years late, as it clearly aspires to The Usual Suspects(1995) and the wave of look a likes that followed it in the mid nineties.

The acting is OK; Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley are never bad, although this one will not go down in history as one of their finer achievements. Bruce Willis plays Bruce Willis and Josh Hartnett is adequate. For strange reasons I've never been that taken by Lucy Liu and Lucky Number Slevin doesn't change things for me. Seeing her trying to do Grace Kelly in Rear window just isn't convincing.

As for the plot, the talk is witty and the surprise twist sadly not that surprising. Expect to be mildly and harmlessly entertained for almost 2 hours – nothing more.

The Osterman Weekend (1983)

It took 1 hour and 33 minutes of my life- I want them back!

[4/10 · 14 August 2002]

What do you get when you take an impressive cast of quality actors and one Hollywood's most innovative directors ever and let them go all the way on a cold war thriller? A complete piece of crap!! Incoherent, uninteresting and untalented- if I hadn't seen it I would simply have refused to believe you could mix the names of Lancaster, Hurt, Hauer (back when he was good) and Peckinpah and get something this bad. It took 1 hour and 33 minutes of my life- I want them back!

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Disappointing

[6/10 · 31 August 2001]

I´m a huge Tim Burton fan and anticipated this movie eagerly. The disappointment was severe! Tim Burton has this time made a movie with characters out of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie (and a bad one at that) and a story that is sketchy at best. The only reasons to see this movie is for the makeup -which is fantastic- and for Tim Roth as general Thade- a truly menacing S.O.A.B., awesome performance! That can however wait for video-release (preferably an evening when somebody else is paying), don`t pay full fee for this one. 6 out of 10.

The Third Miracle (1999)

Well played, well filmed- but I just don`t get it !

[6/10 · 31 May 2001]

For a non-practising protestant this film poses somewhat of a mystery. Its well directed, the acting is good, and the filming is sensitive and beautiful.

The script however leaves me more or less clueless. The plot is basicly about a catholic priest who is assigned to test the possible sainthood of a recently deceased lady credited with two miracles. During the investigation he has has to face his own fears and doubts about his faith plus a various selection of earthly temptations.

Surprisingly the film seems to side with the whole catholic idea of sainthood, celibacy and a priesthood living their lives under the oath of obedience. This seems to be something as rare as a modern religious missionating movie.

The films other qualities makes it recommendable even to a non religious audience, but i think you have to be catholic to truly appreciate the script.

Ride with the Devil (I) (1999)

Fantastic Ang Lee movie- as always.

[9/10 · 15 February 2001]

Strangely enough this movie never made it to the big screen in Denmark, so I had to wait for the video release. My expectations where high but they where in no way disappointed. As always with Ang Lee there is fantastic acting, an intelligent and thrilling plot that has you guessing right till the end and superb filming. Along with Unforgiven this is easily one of the two best westerns of the 90`s.

People who expect something along the line of Mel Gibson in The Patriot(corny) or Braveheart(acceptable) will be sourly disappointed, all others who appreciate the above mentioned qualities will have a fantastic time watching it. 9 out of 10.

Historien om Kim Skov (1981)

This movie really, really sucks !!!

[1/10 · 30 December 2000]

This movie was shown to me 3 (I repeat 3 times!!!) during my 9 years in basic school. It`s a classic 70`s social-realistic thing about a 10-12 year old boy, who has to move to the city with his family when the family farm goes bust. In the city he is lonely and badly bullied by his schoolmates.

The point of the movie is that capitalist society sucks, and that we all should be nice to each other.

Personally I would rather had taken a beating then watch this movie even once.

Batman Returns (1992)

Possibly the best screen version of a comic ever.

[10/10 · 28 December 2000]

This pitchblack screen version of the batman figure is simply as perfect as it gets.

First of all the winter Gotham in which the movie takes place, is a stunningly beautiful, dark and gothic place, a precise interpretation of the best of the batman graphic novels, and perhaps simply the best scenery that Tim Burton so far has produced (even counting Sleepy Hollow). Second -the story line, often accused of being far to black, to me is pure perfection. Never has the dubiousness of the batman figure been better put to light, and the dark corrupt world in which he lives, is to me the essence of the batman myth. After all we are taking about a man who has dedicated his whole life to the vengeance of something that happened to him as an 8 year old. If people want batman to be light family entertainment, they can go watch the 60`s tv-series ("quick robin get the shark spray"). Third, the acting is sublime, Michael Keaton (normally not a favorit of mine) plays him with an intensity that makes Val Kilmer and George Clooney look like something out of the above mentioned shows. The rest of the cast is equally perfect, what makes the difference from the later films is that this cast actually bothers to act, not just make caricatures.