"Lasko - Die Faust Gottes" (2009) TV series 2009-????

Writer:

Sascha Arango (writer) (2008)

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Cast

Mathis Landwehr	...	Bruder Lasko / ... (7 episodes, 2009)
Stephan Bieker	...	Bruder Gladius (7 episodes, 2009)
Karl Merkatz	...	Bruder Magnus / ... (7 episodes, 2009)
Norman Matt	...	Laskos Stimme (7 episodes, 2009)
Simone Hanselmann	...	Sophia von Erlen (5 episodes, 2009)
Tim Wilde	...	Bruder Quintus / ... (5 episodes, 2009)
Rüdiger Evers	...	Bruder Eusebius / ... (5 episodes, 2009)
Wolfgang Stegemann	...	Bruder Lupus (5 episodes, 2009)
André Hennicke	...	Hans Keller (4 episodes, 2009)
Ulrich Voß	...	Kardinal Clemenza (4 episodes, 2009)
Burkhard Driest	...	Abt Patrizius (4 episodes, 2009)
Johannes Kiebranz	...	Graf von Lenck (3 episodes, 2009)
Sascha Girndt	...	Ringträger Simon (3 episodes, 2009)
Ben Schamma	...	Ringträger Ben (3 episodes, 2009)

Country:

Germany | Austria

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Action Concept

Movie Connections:

Follows Im Auftrag des Vatikans (2006) (TV)

Decent surprise

For the first time in like ages this show has done something quite amazing for a German TV show: it doesn't suck. At least not after two episodes...

If you're not familiar with German TV shows you might think "So what?". But if you're familiar with them you probably know that most German shows have at least one of the following problems: there is no adequate budget, the scripts are extremely boring/ridiculous/... and most actors perform like they never visited a drama school. This renders most shows totally unwatchable if you're used to quality shows from the UK and US.

Now, I won't say this show is perfect, far from it. On the positive side, first comes Mathis Landwehr as Lasko. He may be a bit stiff on the acting side but is a great fighter and IMHO a good choice for the title role. The other cast members are okay. The fighting scenes are pretty spectacular for a TV show, I think they are on the same level as US shows. You can see that the producers have collected a decent budget so they can afford location shooting and some nice looking visual effects. The basic story principle is interesting and has a lot of potential.

Now, on the down side, the most problematic thing are, as usual, the scripts. Even for a TV show, some things are way too convenient/unbelievable (like the takeover of German air-traffic control). The portrayal of the BKA, like a small incompetent agency where you can come and go as you wish, seems extremely far-fetched. One crucial thing the show is missing so far is a comparable antagonist for the main hero. The writers had the chance of establishing not one but two of them (two female mercenaries) in the first episode, but they decided to kill them off. What an extremely stupid thing to do... Some smaller issues which should be fixed are a few of the more obvious visual effects (green screen effects of characters driving in cars) and the absence of a memorable opening theme/sequence.

All in all this show is a decent surprise. I like what I've seen so far and hope the writers will come up with good stories in the future. You should give the show a chance...