DennisLaursen89 Reviews

Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea (2023) Season 6, Episode 3

Promising, but generic and disappointing

[3/10 · 17 July 2023]

When I looked through the description of episodes in season 6, I think this episode definitely looked as the most exciting. It seems to have a flavour of "For all Mankind", combined with some space traveling and a tragic (global) event on Earth.

I was definitely intrigued. Especially due to the fairly high rating this episode has.

But I was quickly disappointed. Only a few minutes into the episode, it was clear that the episode would take a completely and (IMO) more boring and dull approach. The plot have nothing to do with a global event, space traveling or alternative 1969 Earth. It's simply a dull and generic drama about a man that had a cruch on his friends wife, which you fell you have seen in hundreds of movies before. Just with a slightly different approach.

Many elements in the episode seems forced and not thought through just to fit with the intented plot: The cult, the replikas, the space travel... The trivial main plot is predictable, and the sci-fi twist adds nothing but a disappointment that they didn't take a different approach with the setting they made.

I also have a lot of questions, which this episode never answer, because the plot and focus is completely different: What are they travelling to? The outer solar sysyem? And for what purpose? Who send this mission?

Why do they not send the replikas to space, in stead of the real people? And how do they developed this technology?

I like Black Mirror. And I have some episodes that I like more than others. But I think that "Beyond the Sea" is the only Black Mirror episode so far, that I will say is outright bad.

There is some few interesting moments in the story however. The sharing the same replika aspect is interesting, and the psychological approach is also okay interesting (however definitely not on a "Mr. Robot" high level).

And that saves the episode from 1 star, so I end with 3.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Amazing show, but with some exaggerations

[9/10 · 29 January 2023]

As an autist, I can relate to the main character in many mays.

Many movies and shows with an autistic main character are poor researched, and the autistic traits are based o presumptions. But this shows autistic character are well written, with many believable traits like sensory sensitivity and she is also often distracted by her own thoughts.

However, some of her autistic traits are exaggerated, and wil not spply on a autistic person in the real world, with a similar degree and level of autism.

I will rate 9 stars. I think the exaggerations drag down a little, only adding some cringe situations.

Fringe (2008–2013)

A good show, but with some loose ends

[7/10 · 29 January 2022]

If you, like me, watched this show for the alternative universe stuff, you have to wait a season for that part to kick in. However, I still recommend to watch season 1, since it's still interesting, and gives some good background knowledge for the rest of the show.

A team of FBI agents investigate some "fringe" events/cases, and the first 1-1½ season looks a lot like a "regular" cop-show, where 1 episode = 1 case. But as the show progress, a overall plot are established, and the show presents fewer and fewer "regular" cases, and more and more episodes dedicated to the main/overall plot (but also with some fringe elements).

The alternative universe is not as rich on "alternative history" as I would like. The main difference in the alternative universe is that WTC are not hit at 9/11, and therefore work as one of the visual indicators for that the show now takes place in the alternative universe. Another difference is that they haven't invented airplanes, so they use airships instead. But a commercial in the alternative universe offer people trips to the moon...

And regarding holes and loose ends, Fringe unfortunately have a couple of these. Besides from trips to the moon in spite of no aviation technologies, there are two loose ends I in particular will address: 1) John Scott, Olivia's first partner dies in the very first episode. It's suggested that he works with some bad guys, and the first season do a big deal about John Scott and his behaviour. It's never clarified whether John was a good or a bad guy, and the following seasons completely forget about him 2) Nina Sharp also do some pretty shady things in several episodes, especially at the end. None of these things are clarified neither.

All in all, Fringe is a pretty good show, which I enjoyed to watch. And it's actually a show that are concluded, and neither cancelled midway nor continued in one eternity. But it have some loose ends, which seems to be caused by some forgetful writing.

The Game Changers (2018)

Well-written, inspiring and entertaning

[9/10 · 23 September 2019]

I've watched a lot og documentaries that advocate for plant-based food, who twist the facts to be more, convincing... Not that they are directly wrong, but this twist of facts can make them appear manipulative, and therefore less trustworthy, which moves focus from the core point. But "The Game Changers" does not make this mistake. The Game Changers do not manipulate or twist facts, it does not judge. It simply presents the facts as they are. And not only that. This documentary is well written, and are more entertaining than some movies that I've watched. It's inspiring, well-told and funny.

So, if you look for a documentary which present the advantage of plant-based diet, especially in a sport/athletic perspective, in an objective and sober way, this is the documentary to go for.

Ad Astra (2019)

Another long-winded dad-son drama

[2/10 · 21 September 2019]

If you, like me, watch this movie in expectation of a good sci-fi movie about contact to extraterrestrial life, you will be very disappointed. On the other hand, if you want to se another long-winded dad-son drama movie, just with a space setting, this is just the movie for you. This movie is really long-winded, and could be told in an hour. And don't get me started on all the unrealistic stuff...

If you are a sci-fi fan like me, avoid this movie.

Dark Matter (2015–2017)

Good show, but a lot of untied endings

[6/10 · 9 November 2018]

I enjoy this show, or at least what we got. The main plot - 6 crew members woke up on a space ship with their memory loss - is very interesting, and the show offers a lot of sub plots, that ties well together with the main plot, their histories, and are quite interesting themselves.

However, Dark Matter write itself into the vast list of TV shows that is either cancelled, or goes on forever. And of course a number of the obligatory "filler" episodes, where the main character(s) detect, experience and solve a problem within the same episode, and this problem isn't tied to the main plot nor referred later in the show.

A lot of sub-plots is presented, but not followed up, or simple forgotten further on in the show. For example: who order the assassination on one? And who ordered the murder on his wife? And why? And especially, the main plot is never truly revealed. The answer on why the 6 crew members memories was deleted, and by who, is never revealed. There hare some hunch and guesses, but never a fully answer.

If you can live with untied endings and a show which is cancelled with a cliffhanger, I then can recommend this 39-episodes TV show.

Passengers (I) (2016)

Generic Hollywood romantic drama

[3/10 · 24 January 2018]

Well, if you enjoy generic Hollywood romantic drama movies, with stereotypical gender roles, but with a space setting, this is the movie for you. If you, like me, had enough of this formula, save 2 hours of your life, and watch an other movie in stead. I've expected some serious and interesting sci-fi, but was disappointed.

Ex Machina (2014)

Quite a disappointement

[3/10 · 30 April 2016]

Then I watch the trailer for this movie, I was excited. It looks very interesting, and as a intelligent and thought-provoking science fiction. It has some drama, however. But it seems clever executed. Often drama-driven Sci-Fi's is boring, long-winded and full of clichés. In short: just a regular drama, in a sci-fi frame/setting. But Ex Machina looks as to be more than that. It looks exciting, and keeps the good part of sci-fi, which I love. But then I watch the movie, I was really disappointed. Ex Machina IS (another) boring, long-winded drama sci-fi. Too much weight on the drama part. During most of the movie, I was waiting for something to happen. But the culmination just never happened. I just waited, and waited. But then the movie ends - and it ends pretty strange, annoying and stupid.

So if you looks for an intelligent sci-fi, which is not filled with boring clichés and a long-winded story, you shouldn't bother watching Ex Machina. This movie will disappoint you too. It's not utterly crap. So I will not give it the lowest rate. There is some good elements, and some clever dialogues, which makes you think. But there is too little of this, and the clever dialogues can be found in many good books and other good movies too. And the good parts are too few and too rare to that I can recommend this movie for anybody.

Night Moves (2013)

Even more boring than The East

[1/10 · 25 October 2015]

Short time ago, I hear about this movie and The East, in my morning radio, during some debate about the environment. Both movies sounds very interesting, so I went out and buy both. The first one I watched, The East, was a strange and boring movie, who lacks a common thread and contains a dull plot-twist. Some days after, I then watched Night Moves, with the expectation that this movie was better. But on the contrary, Night Moves is even worse than The East! Night Moves is a boring and long-winded movie. It lasts for two hours, and the first hour(!) is just one long intro before the movie really starts. And even then the movie actually begins, it is very boring and slow. Actually, I stopped the movie 30 minutes before it ends, because I couldn't take it anymore. Too slow! Actually, I fast forward to the last 3 minutes, just to realise that the movie is even open ended! Why in the world are people still making open ended movies? That is the most incompetent thing in the world - a director should make a proper work, and not rely on his audience to do the rest of his work! Tell us how the thing ends!!! (this pulls the movie from 2, down to awful 1 out of 10 stars)

The movie offer an interesting plot. But the two recent environment-movies, this and The East, are bad and not worth to watch. If you wants a good environment-movie, rather watch Steven Seagals "On Deadly Ground".

Pi (1998)

Annoying black-white hell

[2/10 · 5 October 2015]

First of all, this movie is a annoying hell of blurred black-white scenes. I don't understand this want-to-be avant-garde way of making movies. Especially when it is possible to make clear colour-scenes now a days, also in 1998. Is this what bad directors do, to cover their incompetence, and cheat all the upper-class snobbish reviewers, who think that everything that is different from Hollywood-movies are great movies? I also get tired of Hollywood-movies - but there are also other bad movies, than the tedious stuff from Hollywood. Alone this drag the movie several stars down: DON'T MAKE BLACK-WHITE MOVIES WHEN COLOURS ARE INVENTED! And especially not as blurred and unclear as this. I can't barely see what happens in this movie, because everything is so dark and blurred.

Furthermore, the story is also quite dull. It seems very interesting at first sight. But if you - as me - are patient enough to go through the entire movie, you will find yourself after the movie thinking: what's the point of this? What's the conclusion? What are this movie trying to tell me?

I will go down to the movie store, sell my DVD-copy, and buy an other movie instead.

The East (2013)

Boring and long-winded thriller

[3/10 · 4 October 2015]

The East seems to be a very interesting political thriller. But I was disappointed. The East is rather a boring and long-winded thriller. The plot progress quite slow, and there is not really a feeling of culmination for the group (The East) we are following. We are following a FBI agent, who is infiltrating this environment activist group, The East. And already in the beginning of the movie, we learn that the reason the female FBI-agent have to infiltrate the group, is quite stupid. She is not really a FBI-agent. More like, well, you will se in the movie...

And the ending, well, it offers a quite dull plot-twist, and it is a quite a anti-climax.

And of course we have to see the generic kiss-hug-and-sex-scenes for the I don't know gazillion time, which we have seen in numerous Hollywood-movies before. The only new here, is a couple of gay-kisses.

Continuum (I) (2012–2015)

Long-winded right-wing propaganda

[2/10 · 27 September 2015]

Let us for a minute ignore the fact, that this show is a far right propaganda TV-show, the propaganda-agenda is apparent, and it makes even Red Dawn (1984) looks sophisticated.

Continuum is a extremely long-winded show, that will bore you. The overall plot never really progress, and even the sub-plots and sub-stories are long-winded, boring and progress really slow.

Then I reach the 6th episode in the first season, I get too bored to go on. And again, let us look away from the strong right-wing propaganda, that shows people who wants free speech as terrorists. I want something to happen in this show, a little progress, but I never really get it. So I quit.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (2012 TV Movie)

Disappointment and spiritless

[3/10 · 2 May 2015]

I would start to say, that if you intent to watch this movie as a standalone, you will probably not get that much out of it. This movie is related to the remake of Battlestar Galactica from 2004, and are best watched after the main show. However, you will, IMO, not get that much out of the movie anyway.

If you, like me, thought that BSG: B&C will be a movie that tells more about the reasons and motives behind the first Cylon war, and will keep the original BSG atmosphere and spirit, you will be greatly disappointed. The movie don't have any from the original crew (actors, writers, directors and such) in the movie, and it seems more like a bad spin off/fan-fiction to BSG, than a worthy prologue. And the movie don't tell anything about the first Cylon war, and the only use this as a setting for a (dull) plot.

The plot in the movie is a young William Adama who are going on a "milk-run", which in short time turns out to be a secret mission. But the plot is bad and full of holes, the characters motivation to do what they do are unresolved, and the movie feels long, in spite of that it last less than 1½ hours.

Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)

A great, but sometime long-winded show

[7/10 · 1 May 2015]

I really love Battlestar Galactica. The show starts with the extinction of the humanity, except from 50000 survivors. This will probably, under normal circumstances, be a bad ending on a regular movie. But BSG makes it the beginning of a show instead. At first sight this seems as a show that sets in a far future, where humanity have colonized the space, and made several colonies, and they someway lost contact with Earth. And now then this nuclear Holocaust hits humanity, the survivors wants to return to Earth. But as the show goes on, and more and more are revealed, we see that this is not just some surviving colonist, who wants to return to "home" (which will be a interesting plot by itself). There are more details. And the show culminate with a big surprise, and you will definitely be surprised in the very last episode, and think "I've never seen THAT coming!".

However, the show sometimes become long-winded, and moves too slow towards the culmination on the plot: the arrival on Earth. There are some huge sub-plots during the show (for example New Caprica), which also are interesting. But some times, you wants to speed the progress up a bit, especially in late-season 3 and season 4.

Religion goes from be a part of the setting in the first 2-3 season, to be a huge part of the plot in season 4. I, personally, think, that this become quite stupid and annoying. It sometimes becomes too much for my taste.

During the show, you will also experience some minor plot holes, and things, that aren't explained. For example, you will really like to know why Baltar can see a "ghost" Six (cylon model), which other can't see. This are never really revealed. Most things will be explained, but some won't.

Another downside is the fluid chronology. In most shows, you start with season 1, then season 2, then season 3 etc. Well, in BSG you also start with season 1 (actually, you start with the miniseries), and then go towards season 4. But there are a lot of "bumps" on the road, consisting of several webisodes, extra movies and such, which you have to watch between the seasons, and in some cases even have to watch in the middle of a season! There are even several watch orders. (IMDB wont allow links, so can't help there)

All in all a good show, I would recommend. But some things do, that the show lacks the final things, that would made it almost perfect.

Det perfekte kup (2008)

The first 15 minutes are fun, but then...

[4/10 · 2 April 2015]

The first 15 minutes of "Det Perfekte Kup" are really funny. I don't have snobbish feelings about movies. IMO, a low-budget movie with few or no famous actors, could be just a good as a "mainstream"-movie. Yes, often I think that lowbudget movies are better than mainstream movies, that they often are more original and "free" from "norms". Unfortunately "Det Perfekte Kup" don't fulfill my thesis. Even though the first 15 minutes are very funny, the movie becomes boring, trivial and "unfunny" the last 60 minutes. There are a lots of funny episodes in the beginning of the movie, but the rest of the movie are almost without humor. Sad, because the start promise well. Furthermore, the movie tries to "aspire to higher things" as regards famous actors. Robert Hansen (a mediocre famous Danish actor) stands as the "no 1" actor, and people may think, that he is the main person. But he is only present the first 2-3 minutes of the movie. After that, we don't see anymore to him. On the other hand, the three real main persons are in the bottom of the actor list on the front cover.

Heroes (II) (2006–2010)

Doesn't follow own principal

[5/10 · 19 January 2015]

Well, I actually enjoy Heroes. I was actually watching all 4 seasons in about two-three weeks. But there are so many things in the show that annoys me, and seems unprofessional.

Almost every character change side one or several times during the show, without any good reasons (or reasons at all). Except from Peter, Claire, Matt and Hiro (if we ignore the future episodes, more about them later), all the other characters are bad/villains at some, or all the times. If a person change side one time, fair enough. But some characters change sides several times during just a single season! And no logical reason are given, the writers just rush the "turncoats".

The writers don't seem to even follow their own principle for the show. They don't keep track of Sylars abilities (for example, in season 1, he kills a "hero" with extreme good hearing. In a few of the following episodes, he is sensitive to sounds, but in the following seasons, he aren't even able to use this ability). In some episodes, Claire's blood can cure, even dead people (if they died recently), and in others, the characters don't even consider that option. And like in many other movies, especially "superhero-movies", the good guys are incredible stupid! Instead of making the villain(s) smart and intelligent, they just make the hero(es) stupid as hell. For example, they have a lot of opportunities to stop and kill Sylar once and for all. But they blow it every freakin time, with some stupid mistakes. And if the Haitian can block other "heroes" powers, why don't they just deploy the Haitian near Sylar, and taking him out the conventional way?

The story become diffuse in season 2. In season 1, the plot is quite clear: stop the bomb in New York. But in season 2, a new plot, plot twist or side change is presented, parallel with the previous plots. That makes season 2 very confusing, and the characters seems to have their own, individual goal/objectives, and no overall plot seems present. However, this become better in season 3 and 4, with a more clear topic.

During the show, about one future episode is present in every season. Those annoys me too. In the first future episode, in season 1, Matt Parkman have become a villain, and no reason is given. And in season 2 future episode, Claire is suddenly a villain, again, without any logic or explanation.

And during the show, several characters just vanish from the story, like the scriptwriters just have forgotten them. Characters like Maya, Molly and Caitlin just disappear. They don't die, travel away - they just, vanish...

So, all in all, a okay show, but with a lot annoying and unprofessional elements, I borrow Heroes from a friend. And I will probably watch season 5, when they complete that. But I would never buy it myself...

The 100 (2014–2020)

It gets better

[14 November 2014]

I've watched the first season, and I must say, it actually gets better over the time. In the first episodes, it looks more like a bad teen-drama with jealous girls, macho boys, other stereotypes, and a lot of intrigues, rather than a sci-fi show. Yes, there is a lot of teen-drama, especially in the first episodes. And yes, there is a bunch of plot holes. And I was about to give up on the show. But I sense a developing in the plot, so I decide to give it another change. And the show actually gets better, and the teen-angers are reduced to a tolerable level. However, not enough to that I will give the show a higher overall rating than 5 out of 10 stars. But still enough to that I will watch season 2 too.

Sliders (1995–2000)

Goes from great to bad

[5/10 · 9 November 2014]

Sliders is an excellent show. Well, it is in the first two seasons. Hereafter it becomes very poor.

Sliders is a TV-series about a group on 4 persons, who travel to parallel universes, where several historical events went different.

Season 1 and 2 have some very interesting and (in most cases) well-explained worlds. For example: what if USSR won the Cold War? USA never become independent, and remains a British colony? Or if the worlds population where only 10 % of our worlds? For a history- and sci-fi-interested person like me, these two seasons are great! However, a couple of the worlds are also poor explained, and one of the episode, a vampire world, are even silly!

In season 3 it goes downhill. The concept from season 1 and 2 remains, but now ALL the worlds are both silly, dull and very poor explained (if explained at all). Furthermore, many of the episodes in season 3 are copy of existing movies (like Nightmare on Elm Street).

Season 4 actually becomes quite better than season 3. The worlds are still poor made, but season 4 introduce a new, overall plot, with roots in one of the last episodes in season 2. But this main story/plot only have a little development through the season, and many of the episodes are quite irrelevant for the overall plot.

Season 5. Well, I didn't even watch this... Only the first episode. And we are now so far away from the original show, and it now becomes so bad, that I have no patience to watch the whole season 5.

I would really recommend season 1 and 2! But you won't miss anything, by stopping after season 2. On the contrary, by stopping after season 2, you won't se the bad sides of the show.

My season-based ratings: Season 1 & 2: 8,0. Season 3: 2,5. Season 4: 3,0. Season 5: Haven't seen

My overall rating is an average of my season-based ratings. Since IMDb won't let you rate TV-series on seasons, but only either a single season, or the show as a whole, I must do it this way.

Firefly (2002–2003)

Ridiculously overrated

[1/10 · 8 November 2014]

I am one of them who thinks this show is ridiculously overrated. I really don't understand, how this show can get such a high rating here on IMDb.

As I wrote in one of my other reviews, there is a difference between sci-fi setting, and sci-fi story. In Firefly, the sci-fi is purely a setting, and I agree with the critics, who says that the sci-fi elements are poor.

The first 5 minutes promised well, and seems to establish a plot. But after 5 minutes, the shows reveal, that this is just a 14 episode long random-space-travel show. And that is just too boring and trivial for me.

This show is closer to a western, than a sci-fi TV-series.

Terra Nova (2011)

Slow development and clichés pull a great show down

[7/10 · 8 November 2014]

I really love Terra Nova. I love, how this show actually have a political view, and not just try to stay "neutral", because that is the most political correct (Fox running a show with a left-wing message (or "liberal", as I think you says "in the states"), no wonder that it was cancelled...).

However, the show have some clichés, and some predictable events, because we have seen it a thousand times before. Furthermore, the main story progress very show, and only develops in the first and last 2 episodes. In the rest of the episodes, the main story progress only a little, or not at all. These two things pulls a otherwise great and someway innovative show down.

An other bad thing is, that the show was cancelled after just one season, leaving the audience with a lot of unanswered questions (some of them even raised in some of the last episodes). But that is maybe more Fox to blame, rather than the show-writers.

Interstellar (2014)

A lot of unexplained things

[7/10 · 8 November 2014]

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS***

Christopher Nolan - the man behind one of the greatest sci-fi movies IMO, Inception - wrote this movie.

I really like this movie, and the 3 hours went very fast. However, the movie leaves me with some frustrations on some plot holes and unexplained things. On the big water planet our crew went to, it is explained, that the gravity is so powerful, that an hour on that planet is about 7 Earth-years. With so heavy a gravity, the crew should be crushed by the gravity. However, the planets gravity is only 1.4 of the Earths gravity. And furthermore, when the crew return to the base after 15 minutes, the remaining crew-member have waiting 26 years. And how can the main person enter a black hole(!) without being crushed or anything?

If this nonsense not where present in the movie, it would easily get 9 or 10 stars from me.

Inception (2010)

Brilliant sci-fi!

[9/10 · 8 November 2014]

Inception is one of the greatest sci-fi movies I have ever seen! I love when sci-fi is not just only the setting of story, but actually a part of the story, and IS the story. That is the case with Inception.

Inception is based on science and science-fiction, and the story is interesting an intense, and leaves the audience with a lot of material for thinking and reflection.

Inception is not just great movie entertainment, that is brilliant and intelligent made, but also a good introduction for an interesting debate and talk of science, dreams and such.

Inception proves, that sci-fi also can contribute to the public debate, with some interesting theories.

Edderkoppen (2000)

Intense historical drama

[8/10 · 5 November 2014]

"Edderkoppen" (The Spider) is about post-WW2 Denmark, where black market is a major, criminal factor, and corruption is more widespread that anyone wants to know. It's based on a true story, but the specific people, events etc., are more or less fictive.

Edderkoppen follows a young journalist on a social democratic newspaper, and he discover the black market in Copenhagen. He tries to find out what's going on, and who is the mastermind, but soon he is "trapped in the spiders net". Several plot twists makes the story more intense over time, and the story is much more interesting, that a resume will let you think.

1864 (2014)

A caricature

[3/10 · 5 November 2014]

I love history. And history movies and TV-series fascinating me, if they are proper made. But that is not the case for 1864. The TV-series are not finish at this moment, but after the fourth episode, I lost patience for this TV show. The characters are so caricatured, that it mostly looks like a Hans Scherfig film adaptation. The story develops too slowly. There are too many loves scenes (and the sodomy scene is just irrelevant for the story, at seems rather as a attempt to provoke the PC's), that it becomes trivial.

During the show, we are jumping back and forth towards past and present. And there seems to be no attempt to connect these, and it seems irrelevant for the story, too.

1864 promised well, before it was launched. And the scenery are quite pretty. But all in all, 1864 is just too poor.

In one wants to see a Danish historical TV-drama, I would rather recommend "Gøngehøvdingen" from 1992.

Revolution (2012–2014)

A The Hunger Games copy

[2/10 · 5 November 2014]

I've never seen The Hunger Games, except from some commercials and posters. But nevertheless Revolution looks a lot like The Hunger Games. Even the main character looks like the girl on The Hunger Games poster. And as far as I heard, The Hunger Games is a future dystopia-society setting movie, appealing to teenagers. And that description fits perfect for Revolution.

Revolution are too (teen)emotional for my taste. And the women characters are scantily dressed. This is clearly a TV show that don't appeal to hardcore sci-fi fans, but rather the same segment, as The Hunger Games.

I was expecting a good sci-fi, future dystopia, then I was starting on this TV show. But I was giving up on the show after the third episode. It was just too poor for me.