80s Movie Review - Beverly Hills Cop

Director: Martin Brest
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 1984
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, Lisa Eilbacher, Steven Berkoff, Jonathan Banks, James Russo, Bronson Pinchot, Damon Wayans, Paul Reiser. Stephen Elliott

Description: A freewheeling Detroit cop (Eddie Murphy) pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.

Review: The script of “Beverly Hills Cop” was initially written with Sylvester Stallone in mind, but he dropped out at the last moment. With Eddie Murphy as his replacement, the scriptwriters had to rewrite many scenes, but due to the short time frame not all dialogues were finished before filming. With the arrival of Murphy, the film changed from a serious police thriller into a comedic action film, in which the humorous dialogues were mainly created by improvisation.
It shows that the actors has a lot of fun. During the so-called supercop scene, the actors clearly have trouble holding back their smiles. Eddie Murphy is given the freedom to shape his character, Axel Foley, as a last minute stand-in. the creators give him the space, but it’s the supporting roles, which act both as a counterpoint to his character and as a companion to the jokes. The two dull cops of the Beverly Hills police force who excel in this, are played by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton. They play the roles of Billy Rosewood and John Taggart. Together they are also responsible for sharp dialogues.
“Beverly Hills Cop” is probably  one of Eddie Murphy’s most iconic roles and it’s one of the most fun action comedies from the 80s.

Rating: 4 / 5

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 5)

Season: 5
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2020
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Giancarlo Esposito, Mark Margolis, Tony Dalton, Dean Norris

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: “Better Call Saul” is a spin-off and a prequel to (and to a very limited extent it has some sequel elements) the series “Breaking Bad”, a series considered by many to be the best series ever made. It is therefore all the more impressive that “Better Call Saul” is often also considered one of the best series of the moment. Both “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” are certainly among my favorite series and I think the latter is THE best show of the moment. “Better Call Saul” ‘breathes’ “Breaking Bad”, but has its own identity. This is partly because of the cast’s excellent performance, but also because the series takes its own route, separate from “Breaking Bad”.
“Better Call Saul” focuses on the eccentric lawyer Jimmy McGill, who was introduced as the corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman in season 2 of “Breaking Bad”. “Better Call Saul” is about how Jimmy is slowly changing into Saul, but also offers a lot of background information about other well-known “Breaking Bad” characters, such as Gustavo Frink, the Salamanca family and Mike Ehremantrout.
At the end of the previous season, we first heard of Jimmy’s plans to become Saul Goodman and at the start of season five Jimmy definitively evolves into Saul Goodman. Apart from the fact that he has his name changed, his moral compass is becoming more and more absent. He continues to come up with ideas to win lawsuits that are on the boundary of what is permissible. The market Saul will focus on is that of petty criminals. In addition, this season he becomes more involved in the drug world in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a result, the transition from “Better Call Saul” to “Breaking Bad” is closer than ever.
Besides Saul, his girlfriend Kim Wexler and handyman Mike are also going through important developments. Mike seems to get used to the role of handyman for the underworld and Kim, who used to serve as a moral compass for Saul, seems to get used to stretching boundaries. The gradual development of these characters has been underway since the first season, but has been built up in a very credible way that the viewers will still sympathize them.
Bob Odenkirk is at its best, but it’s Rhea Seehorne’s season. She is incredibly good as Kim Wexler in this fifth season. And Odenkirk is fantastic too, especially in the season’s 8th episode “Bagman”, which is the best episode of the show so far.
Despite the fact that “Better Call Saul” as a stand-alone series is perfectly watchable, it is advisable to watch “Breaking Bad” first, if you haven’t seen it yet. Season six will most likely be the last season of “Better Call Saul” and the references to “Breaking Bad” will become more frequent, to a point where the shows will meet or overlap each other. Season five will be more enjoyed with the foreknowledge, since one new big character from “Breaking Bad” makes a surprise entrance and the feud between the Salamanca family and Gus Frink will be deepened a lot.
It is inevitable to compare “Better Call Saul” with “Breaking Bad”. Many characters are similar, it takes place in the same region and the cinematographic similarities are not to be missed. “Better Call Saul” is a bit slower than “Breaking Bad”, but that’s one of the strengths of the series. But season five is their best season so far and just as good as the entire series of “Breaking Bad”. This season proofs that “Better Call Saul” is the best series running today. I can’t wait for season six, what it most likely going to be the final season. Hopes are that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman will make an appearance.

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 4)

Season: 4
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2018
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKean, Giancarlo Esposito, Mark Margolis, Tony Dalton, Rainer Bock

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: The fourth season of the “Breaking Bad” spin-off has reach great heights. They are now so close to the aforementioned “Breaking Bad”. The structure, the direction, the music, the dialogues, the cinematography and the actors; everything seems to be right. The two series come awfully close to each other in this fourth season.
“Better Call Saul” tells the story of James “Jimmy” McGill and his difficult journey to become the lawyer we know so well from “Breaking Bad”: Saul Goodman. Season four comes so close that you can almost feel the presence of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. But it’s Bob Odenkirk who steals the show. He knows how to surprise and grab the viewer. But also the other characters/ actors. Where in the first seasons, Odenkirk depended on his supporting actors, he starts carrying the show more and more.
The dialogues are sharp and the images beautiful. And it’s a joy to watch all the great performances on this show. From Rhea Seehorne as Kim Wexler to Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehremantrout to Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring. It’s a joy to watch them all. But Bob Odenkirk is king in this season.
“Better Call Saul” is a series that rises above other shows running now. In terms of quality but especially in craftmanship of the characters and the story. Jimmy’s failed path is beautifully told through the seasons, but the fourth season somehow seems sadder, more melancholy and dark. It’s the time they take to tell the story, the “Breaking Bad” atmosphere hanging over your head and the events happening. Jimmy is more human then ever, more vulnerable. That humanity and vulnerability makes Jimmy feel like one of us, not just a rogue lawyer. He knows how to grab the viewers with his imperfections and not-so-clever actions. He does hardly play by the rules, but inside there is a very good heart. And that makes for you to relate to Jimmy.
I still don’t think “Better Call Saul” is better than “Breaking Bad”, but it’s coming awfully close.

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2017
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKeen, Giancarlo Esposito, Mark Margolis

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: I don’t know if everyone thought it was a good idea to create a prequel to one of the best series ever made: “Breaking Bad”. Yet Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould dared to create a series about one of the supporting roles Saul Goodman, here still Jimmy McGill. The somewhat shady lawyer entered the “Breaking Bad” universe in season 2 and with his role he added a lot of comedic elements to the series.
“Better Call Saul” was also originally intended as a light-hearted comedy, Gilligan and Gould soon decided that it had to be a drama series, combined with the comedy we know Saul Goodman for. Because “Better Call Saul” is set a few years before “Breaking Bad”, the makers were able to allow some other iconic character from that show to resume their roles. And we get an exciting ‘new’ one in the third season.
In the third season, Jimmy McGill has developed a lot from season one. But he is still not Saul Goodman as we know him so well from “Breaking Bad”. He is still trying to be a successful lawyer by trial and error. At the start of the season, Jimmy still shares a law firm in Albuquerque with Kim Wexler, who is also his girlfriend. In addition, tension between him and his brother Chuck is increasing, especially when it turns out that Chuck has incriminating evidence about Jimmy that could seriously ruin him.
Parallel to these storylines, we follow the story of Mike. At the end of the second season, Mike wanted to deal once and for all with the Mexican cartel boss Hector Salamanca who threatened him and his granddaughter. At the moment of truth however, he was stopped by a stranger. And it is the return of the iconic, brilliant fast-food magnate Gustavo Fring. Many fans, including myself, looked forward to his possible return. And finally, in the third season, one of the best villains in television history actually returns. The way Fring is introduced is brilliant and, despite virtually nothing happening in it, the scene in which he first appeared is a nail-biter.
The main focus of this season is the feud between the McGill brothers, which seems to be working towards a climax. I won’t spoil it for you, but the fifth episode is so incredibly good that you can let go of any doubts you’ve had about “Better Call Saul”. It’s the best episode of the season. Great acting by Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn and especially Michael McKean. McKean as Chuck turned out to be more of a villainous character in season 2, but is even given more layers in the third season. He is at the top of his game here.
The same goes for Odenkirk, who has given Jimmy so much depth in all three season. And Rhea Seehorn is also formidable, her character Kim Wexler functions as the moral compass of the series. Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito (Mike and Fring) only have smaller roles, but shine every moment they get.
As we already know from previous seasons and “Breaking Bad”, the camera work is beautiful. It’s so beautifully portrayed. And this combined with strong direction and a good screenplay, makes “Better Call Saul” in its third season again one of the best TV shows of the moment. It’s still not better than “Breaking Bad”, but often manages to come very close.
Some people mind the slow pace of the show, but I see it as the show’s strength. They take their time with the story, so that all the loose ends will be tied together in the end. And all the character’s choice and developments make sense.
The only downside of the show is that I believe Mike and Fring should have been given more screentime.
“Better Call Saul” is a series that can stand on its own, although you sometimes still make comparisons to “Breaking Bad”. I don’t think that will ever be different. But with a rock solid third season, it is as consistent as “Breaking Bad”. Again the season ends with a cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to be dragged into the sunny and dark world of Albuquerque.

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2016
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKeen, Ed Begley Jr.

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: Looking back at last season’s ending, Jimmy’s in the courthouse parking garage. Inside are Kim Wexler and Howard Hamlin, who are waiting to introduce Jimmy to his upcoming new boss of the Santa Fe law firm Davis & Main. Jimmy meets senior partner Clifford Main and his two associates, but takes Kim aside. He asks her if anything would change between them if he takes the job. To which a surprised Kim reacts that one has nothing to do with the other. Jimmy accepts the answer and returns to the rest of the group, informing them he kindly declines the job offer. Later, Kim confronts Jimmy, now relaxing in a hotel pool, with his choice to miss the chance of his lifetime.
The first season of the “Breaking Bad” spin-off turned out to be a big success, which clearly showed that it good hold up the sky-high expectations everyone had about it. The second season picks up exactly where we were left off. “Better Call Saul” has a unique way of telling the story of Jimmy, from before he became the Saul Goodman we all know from “Breaking Bad” and even how he became who he is in “Better Call Saul”. It has a cautious pace, the storylines develop slowly, but the whole season is full of character and plot development. It’s a well-considered but also risky choice to stretch a season to ten episodes. However, creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould once again created a great atmosphere in a real-life rhythm, with an amazing sense of detail.
In this season Jimmy and Kim, with whom he maintains a personal and professional relationship, are within reach of the top of their careers. Jimmy is about to sign a contract with law firm Davis & Main, and Kim works for HHM. Yet neither of them are convinced that this is the right destination at this stage of their lives. Meanwhile Mike becomes increasingly involved in the dangerous drug world, when he comes into conflict with Hector Salamanca. This last storyline is a great addition to “Better Call Saul” and I’m glad Mike is a big part of season 2 as well. That’s a strength of the series, every character has his or her share and always influences the storyline in one way or another.
Bob Odenkirk is the most important person in the series, but it’s mainly Rhea Seehorn who brings the most depth to this season. Jimmy and Kim are two different individuals, and even though they both don’t quite want to believe this yet, Kim is constantly at odds with her morals.
Chuck also has a big role in the second season. Where in the first season we saw Chuck mainly as Jimmy’s envious brother and particularly hating Jimmy’s shady methods, this season he has turned out to be somewhat of a villain. Chuck is not much to blame, but because of the cleverly written storylines you automatically have the most sympathy for Jimmy. Even if I’s Jimmy who is bending the rules and the real crook, while Chuck is the one doing things by the book. And for this reason you can see that both Michael McKean and Bob Odenkirk really shine in their roles. And it’s the brother’s feud that left us with a cliffhanger, that probably sets the direct tone for the third season.

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2015
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKeen

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: It was the most anticipated series of 2015, that debut in February of that year. The spin-off of one of the best series ever made: “Breaking Bad”. That the series would be a success was a given. The question was just how big. And since “Better Call Saul” was the number one cable series in America that year, it proofs that is was very big. Add to the overwhelmingly positive reviews and you have a series that might even be as good as the series it was based on. The first season of “Better Call Saul” is good, at times very good.
We follow the adventures of James ‘Jimmy’ McGill, before he becomes the Saul Goodman we know from “Breaking Bad”. In “Better Call Saul” we see how he became the super lawyer, but there is no mention of that just yet. Nobody takes Jimmy seriously and it frustrates him. He also takes care of his brother Chuck, who is the partner at a big law firm and is now dealing with a medical condition that prevents him from leaving the house.
In this season we see how Jimmy tries to get a place in the legal profession. We also see Mike Ehremantraut, who was a people’s favorite in “Breaking Bad” and in fact one of my favorite characters as well. We see how Mike ended up in Albuquerque. Does Jimmy manage to earn respect and establish his name? And why do they call him ‘”Slippin’ Jimmy’? We’ll get answers to these questions in this first season.
“Better Call Saul” is definitely one of the best show of the moment and the performances are extraordinary. The series contains of high quality shots, spot-on cinematography, just like its predecessor. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, also responsible for the success of “Breaking Bad”, once again succeed in making a series where we can exactly see what they were planning on making. It looks beautiful.
It's not one storyline the first season focuses on, there are several storylines which might not make it as catchy or memorable. The best episode was “Five-O”, which was carried by Jonathan Banks, who plays Mike. It was separate from the rest and didn’t feature a lot of Jimmy. It’s almost the ugly duckling episode of the season. But it’s a magnificent episode and very necessary.
Before I finish, I do want to mention Bob Odenkirk, who is the star of the show and the titular character. Odenkirk is a great actor, he already proved that in “Breaking Bad”. And here too. Throughout the season, Jimmy’s development is certainly rewarding. The pace is slow, but you can understand where Gilligan and Gould want to go. Odenkirk has and will have plenty of opportunity to embody multiple facets of Jimmy. Just look at the sharp dialogues and how convincingly Odenkirk knows how to bring it. So no complains about the acting. However, he does not (yet) have the gravitas that Bryan Cranston had. Cranston commanded every scene he was in and his Walter White will probably always be one of the greatest acting performances in TV history. You hated him for who he was, but at the same time you wanted him to slip further into madness. Jimmy McGill is not yet that kind of character and that becomes clear when you watch the episode “Five-O” and see how Jonathan Banks steals the show.
I’m late to the party, since I’m only starting “Better Call Saul” now. But I’m glad that I did, because it looks like this will become a new favorite eventually. I really loved the first season and something tells me it’s only going to get better.

Movie Reviews - El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Director: Vince Gilligan
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemmons, Jonathan Banks, Matt Jones, Charles Baker, Bryan Cranston, Krysten Ritter, Robert Forster

Description: We follow Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) after the events captured in the finale of “Breaking Bad”. Jesse is now on the run as a massive police manhunt for him is in operation.

Review: The story of Walter White has ended, but that of “Breaking Bad” hasn’t. At least, the story of the nice science teacher growing out to become a relentless drug lord, but the story of Jesse Pinkman is still unfinished. Walter White would have never walked the path if he didn’t coincidentally walk into his former student Jesse. He was Walter’s ‘lab partner’ and entrance to the drug world. Where, in five seasons, Jesse was either Walter’s friend or enemy. Walter’s downfall to the drug underworld was always a nice contrast to Jesse’s developments from macho loser to a young man that wasn’t very profound but became more aware of ambition, guilt and responsibility. And his status as a character is big, since he is the only character next to Walter White to appear on each episode of “Breaking Bad”. And he even wasn’t supposed to survive the first season initially.
In the last few episodes of the series, Jesse was imprisoned by some drug producing neo-Nazis. His role was even a little passive, that a suicide mission by Walter was necessary to get him out. “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” is a sequel of sorts, with the goal to let Jesse take matters in his own hands. At the end of “Breaking Bad” it looked like he was driving into a hopeful future, but “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” shows us everything is a little more complicated. With the complete police force of Albuquerque looking for him, he is all on his own. Everything he has learned in the five seasons of the show, he has to use in his advantage. And he has to fight for his freedom.
If you haven’t seen “Breaking Bad” it’s a tough watch, because you are missing a lot of information that you need to see this film. See the series first, before watching this movie. But the film is especially well focused. Don’t expect some kind of ‘farewell tour’ of all the well-known locations and faces that we knew from the show. It’s a two-hour epilogue that give all the events from the series extra weight. Some of the characters make and appearance (both in the current story as in flashbacks), but not only to please fans. The have a purpose in Jesse’s story. Every conversation with friend or enemy is about who Jesse is, was and will become.
This all means that they are fully leaning on Aaron Paul’s acting. Even though Paul won three Emmy Awards for his role as Jesse Pinkman, it was mostly because of the interaction he had with Bryan Cranston’s Walter White. And he is not present in this story. But this gives Paul more room to create a character outside the shadow of Walter White. And when they return to events that happened on the show (flashbacks), it’s immediately clear that it’s past Jesse, because of his attitude. So I can conclude that Aaron Paul can easily carry this film, he does a fantastic job.
“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” is written and directed by Vince Gilligan, who was also one of the forces behind “Breaking Bad”. His directing is great, but it’s especially his writing that deserves praise. Instead of uninspiringly mixing up some old “Breaking Bad” elements just to please fans, he tells a character driven story that goes forward from were the story left us at the end of the final season. It’s a small scaled story, but Gilligan manages to get everything out of it. Every time Jesse gets a step closer to escaping Albuquerque, a new obstacle pops up.
I was skeptical about “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie”, because I thought it was made as pure fan service. But it’s definitely more than that and a really good movie. You should watch the series first, before checking this out. It is necessary to understand the character.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - The Commuter

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Liam Neeson, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Neill, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Banks

Description: An Insurance Salesman/Ex-Cop (Liam Neeson) is caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home.

Review: Liam Neeson and a family in danger, it’s almost a new subgenre in Hollywood. In the action thriller “The Commuter”, which is set almost entirely on a train, it’s not any different. Neeson’s character Michael MacCauley has to fulfill a task on board. At first it seems to only be about a bunch of cash, but eventually lives are at stake.
Michael can use the money, because he just lost his job. He gave his job as a cop up to become a business man. All for his family, because his son is about to go to college.
Michael takes the train every day. He know the people on the train. A pretty lady asks him a hypothetical question: would he do a task for cash, if it affected many? The only thing he has to do is track a passenger who carries a stolen item with him/ her.
Although a lot of details matter, you don’t have to pay perfect attention. Everything is very clear. Really easy to follow, not complexities.
It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it’s a film that keeps your attention and it’s entertaining. And I really like Neeson as an action hero.

Rating: 3/ 5