Movie Review: Grimm But Kinda Excellent

Grimm is reviewed by Chris Kneipp

When it comes to TV, I like my shows to have great characters and lots of intrigue and the series, Grimm, fits the bill well. Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, who wrote a lot of both Buffy and Angel episodes, set the scene for a great series right from the pilot.

So what’s it about? Detective Nick Burkhardt from Portland Homicide begins to see some weird stuff, like people’s faces changing into the monsters of childhood fairy-tales. He thinks he’s going crazy, but when the Aunt who raised him, returns from a long absence, he discovers he’s descended from a long line of “Grimms” (protectors of the people) who are charged with keeping balance between humanity and the creatures hidden amongst us all. He is given a trailer which contains a treasure trove of weapons, books and potions, and told to hunt and destroy the creatures, called Wesen. (Pronounced Vesen).

(You quickly get used to the German names sprinkled throughout the show.)

 When Nick meets a Blutbad, (think the big bad wolf,) named Monroe, played brilliantly by Silas Weir Mitchell, he soon discovers that the Wesen are not all they’re made out to be.

Monroe is a vegetarian clock repairer, who helps Nick to sort out the real baddies from the Wesen who are just trying to live their lives in peace. Of course, helping a Grimm to fight his own kind does not endear him to some of his brethren. His character is such an important part of what works about this show.

David Giuntol does a good job as Nick, the young detective trying to work out his destiny while facing the problems of keeping his secret. He has to deal with his destiny to protect people from dangerous Wesen, while trying to live a normal life, solving murders and falling for the local Vet.

There’s a lot of fun to be had had as he keeps his secret from his love interest Juliet, played well by Bitsie Tulloch, and his partner Hank Griffin, played by Russell Hornsby. The series gets better and better as it progresses and I really found myself carried along by Nick’s changing perspective on the nature of what’s good and evil.

Each episode is loosely based around a Brothers Grimm story, and I mean loosely. This show is no fairytale! The whole series has a dark and gritty feel to it, which starts with a quote from Grimm story, and the myth of the Grimm is revealed a little more with every episode. Mashing police drama and fantasy works really well, and the writers keep it fresh by not taking it too seriously. While the creature effects are good enough, it’s the dialogue that really gives the show some teeth. The banter between Nick and Monroe is light and realistic and often reminds me of Buffy and Angel dialogue.

In America they’ve just finished the third season and they are shooting the fourth season now. The first series is available in Australia on DVD and Bluray through Universal Studios and Season Two should hit the shelves soon.

If you’ve seen it, I hope you agree that this is a great series, without a lot like it out there at the moment. If you’ve never seen it, then get a copy and catch up before the new season comes to a tv near you.