“Berlin”, review: “La Casa de Papel” gets drunk with love

Berlin comes to Netflix to ease fans’ pain Money robbery. The successful Spanish series ended in December 2021. It was followed by an unforgettable and ill-fated series. redo Korean. Now the original creative team is reuniting to return to the parent universe. Only this time it will be a prequel. And he will finally pay attention to the character Pedro Alonsoone of the most famous for his eccentric idiosyncrasies.

Berlin He follows in the footsteps of his new protagonist in what he plans to become his new indelible work in the world of heists. Set against the backdrop of Paris, a thief wants to steal a jewelry collection worth 44 million euros. To do this, he will need help, so he assembles a gang full of new faces. Each with their own skills will try to outsmart the police and security systems to get their hands on the loot. But in the middle will arise the greatest of all forces – love.

Berlin and love

The premise on which the series is based makes it clear what kind of world we are in. It won’t stop happening Money robbery. The Thieves are a group of friendly and resourceful idealists, capable of the greatest tricks to get their way. From this point on, Netflix was faced with the task of finding its own, different tone. Berlin It deserved to have its own identity. Thus, they made a number of significant changes without losing their essence.

The first and most obvious is a leap into the void of stratospheric proportions. What happens if Money robbery Will you give him an overdose of romantic comedy? The answer in eight episodes Berlin. This was a very risky move on the part of the writing team. Finding a balance without getting lost was a very difficult task. And sometimes it works out well, although sometimes they go too far. It’s this banal intensity that Tokyo He added personal dramas to his stories, which he turned into several stories of love and heartbreak.

So in one scene Berlin He explains in detail how to enter the high security vault, and in the next scene he tells us that reaching a woman’s heart is the noblest feat a man can fight for. The risk taken is commendable, although the contrast is very strange and causes fluctuations in the interest it generates. The focus, the ultimate goal, sometimes turns out to be an achievement, and sometimes – too often – it changes to happiness in love.

While they are masters of the heist genre, the romance genre is not as polished. Those who like these types of stories will generally enjoy it. Berlin. But the series is still a collection of the most basic clichés of the well-worn boy-meets-girl story. Since each of the romantic storylines is unique, all possible stereotypes are covered. They dress up in lapidary phrases that pretend to be great quotes, but in the end turn out to be pedantic, vulgar and sentimental. The series is intoxicating with sentimentality sensitive.

In sixth gear

Of course, there is an attribute that they managed to bring to perfection. Now everyone knows Money robbery. The worldwide success of the project was such that it changed the mechanisms of the genre. So, in Berlin You don’t have to go little by little. The series starts at full speed and doesn’t slow down for a moment until its final episode. The pace is very fast and there is never a dull moment.

Everything that previously might have seemed tedious is eliminated. Yeah Money robbery They prolonged their moments of tension until exhaustion, here they decided to accumulate them. Something is always happening, and it feels like everything could explode at any moment. There are even car chases and scenes that seem straight out of the movie. Fast and furious. It will be a real treat for the viewers who will devour the series at the speed of light. It’s true that there are holes in the script and a lot of coincidences and Deus Ex Machina pretty vague. But everything happens so quickly that there is no time to even think about it.

The madness this is turning into Berlin It is highly addictive and, above all, very easy. The structure is much less complex. A fast food the kind of person who is so grateful that he decides to go hungry at night. The characters don’t need much introduction, we get to know them along the way and love them. The plot twists are always interesting and entertaining. We don’t need so many action scenes with guns and explosions. The editing again moves very quickly and the story plays out like a game of illusion. There are winks and references to the original. And the main character once again radiates overwhelming charisma. The series becomes a Molotov cocktail.

Paris and the washing of images

Added to this are noticeable aesthetic changes. From the invariably cold and stylized interiors we have gone the way to the elegance and light of Paris. The city, its streets, spaces, luxury goods and its people play a fundamental role in Berlin. The plan was to end the claustrophobia and darkness of its parent series. Mission accomplished. The landscape itself evokes a much more relieved feeling. And the production design, again, is exceptional.

But this erosion of image also takes its toll. Berlin in a less precise way. Here he is presented as a hero. A person with an idea and the means to implement it. And also a romantic who can offer the young and beautiful Camilla a life worthy of it. It makes you forget about what is hidden behind. In fact, the love story is more of a clear case of harassment. And we must not forget that deep down the character is a cruel and ruthless person, as well as a misogynist who even rapes a woman during Money robbery. The brilliant moral dilemma he previously presented – a mixture of fascination and disgust – disappears.

So we can say that Netflix marked another success in the universe Money robberyalthough there are a lot of “ifs” and “buts” between them. Berlin This is a series full of contradictions and with romanticism exaggerated to the extreme.. But it’s also the perfect marathon entertainment that also leaves the door open for a second season with new heists.

Berlin premieres on Netflix on December 29th.