Reviews

Are you kidding me?!

Veteran was once in a lifetime movie. Great script with great actors with terrific performances. So when a sequel to a movie like that comes along with the original cast minus YAI, naturally the expectation is going to be skybound. I dived into this movie with the same expectation, but by the end this felt like a cheap knockoff with no script, no plot and ok acting.

The first 20 minutes of the movie went good, but then there was no built up, no character arc for the villain or why he became the villain that he is now or what is his backstory? Is he seeking justice? Is he a vigilante or just someone who have a thirst for murder? I just couldn't get why this story needed a villain like him with no substance.

I mean when the OG villain Jo Tae Oh played by Yoo Ah In was onscreen in the first movie, you could feel nothing but hatred for his character. You wanted the good guys to whoop his ass and get justice in the end. With this movie, the villain was so bland and uninteresting, I couldn't care what happened in the end.

For every great story and a hero, you always need a great villain with a character arc. Veteran showed us that, which this movie failed to do so!

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Definitely a movie

What can I say, this is a big-budget action movie, not really anything special but not horrible. I actually find it an enjoyable movie for a mindless rewatch. The plot is basic but acceptable, the premise is just interesting enough to make sense, and the armor is all color coded to make the CGI fest a bit less eye-bleeding. Don't love it, don't hate it. Obviously parts of the movie are nonsensical and riddled with plot holes— this is a shock and awe action flick, the point of it is to be flashy and dramatic, not for it to make sense. Sometimes the laws of the universe and logic bend to the cool factor. All in all, the movie does have emotional beats that follow through well enough, but don't come here looking for any depth of narrative.

Also, I love Matt Damon, I do, but I'm not sure if he was quite the right fit for this role.

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A visual delight!

As many shorter K-BLs, this is a snack for in-between; light, without much substance but well-executed for what it is.

What I liked:
* This movie is a visual delight. The actors are cute, the lighting at night is bright and fits the mood, the sets look comfy.
* The background music confirms the light-heartedness of the story.
* The story does not pretend to be anything but what it is: A light and simple love story.
* The straightforwardness of the younger guy was refreshing, I loved how he made it very clear what he wanted, without pressuring the chef.

What I did not like:
* I wish the plot would focus on either the chef's inner journey from "Is it possible I find another man cute?" to "I want a relationship with him, even if my friend wants it too!" or the love triangle. Doing both means that they couldn't do either enough justice within the time frame they had.
* Why the timeskip at the end? It did not add anything meaningful to the plot or the character development, and it took away from the emotional impact that the couple had their happy ending. Maybe it was supposed to be a set-up for a possible sequel? It would explain why the usually more stoic chef would cry so hard during the hug.
* The realist in me is pointing out that a rooftop restaurant with comfy chairs and sofas is not a sensible thing: If it rains, everything will get wet. And what about winter?

Overall, like some other Korean BL-movies, a nice way to spend an afternoon if you need something where everybody is beautiful and nothing hurts (much) -- but you won't miss anything if you skip this one.

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Watch this for my Movie Alphabet Challenge & Inoue Mao. Been a while since I've watched her in Hanadan. Haha...

Tell story about Takuma, a boy who is told he will die before he's 20, and Mayu, a girl who is in love with him. Takuma & Mayu met in the hospital, where Takuma get hospitalize & Mayu who wait for her father, Takuma's doctor. By accident, young Takuma & Mayu heard about the fact that Takuma will die before he's 20. But since they're just a little kid, they embrace that fact in their own way.

Fast forward to the future, Mayu continues to stay close, support and love Takuma's side until they're in high school & the taunting limit age of Takuma's life closing by. And this where the story start moving again with all the sad feeling that linger in the air.

Takuma, who knows his days are numbered, start to pushes away his feelings for Mayu and distances himself from her. He cannot stand to see her cry or hurt her more than he already has. Takuma decided to enroll himself in the boarding school to separate himself with Mayu. But instead just giving up, Mayu persistently stick herself to Takuma by enroll herself to the same school with Takuma.

In that school, Mayu meets another man who has feelings for her, and Takuma meets a woman who has the same illness, and their feelings for each other begin to waver. So how their story ended...?

That's pretty much the story without giving much of the spoiler. Overall I really like this movie. A good movie to spend your time with. Fair warning, just prepare your tissue when you watch this... Haha...

Below I'll write more about my thought. But it is BIG SPOILER ALERT!!! Read it at ur own risk.












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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This movie tell us the harsh fact of life.
* How Takuma try to distance himself from Mayu but fail. How he got jealous when there's another boy that start to chase Mayu.
* We can see the selfish side of people for our loved one. Like when Mayu begged the donor family to just give up their 'brain dead' son. And the family said, that his son still able to cry, so they're not giving up.
* How brave Takuma, when he makes piece with death by accepting his time.

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One of the Shaw Bros' finest hours

I've often seen The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter ranked as one of the Shaw Brothers' finest productions. Despite the troubled production that the film endured after the tragic loss of Alexander Fu Sheng, this swan song to the old-school martial arts epic is every bit as great as I'd ever hoped it would be. It captures the viewer's attention from the beginning, as it shifts from the introduction of an eerie prophecy to a scene of betrayal to the Battle of Jinsha, a delightfully surreal action sequence that was unquestionably filmed on a barebones Shaw Brothers soundstage, from the unbelievably choreographed, ferocious and opera-like opening battle scene to the teeth-ripping finale, everything in this film worked. The interwoven contemplation of Buddhist ethics gives the film a thematic hook that goes beyond the typical 3 stage revenge drama plot mechanics that typify many of these films, the extended debate operates as a thinly-veiled metaphor for the monks' position with the outside world. Themes of loyalty run throughout with revenge never far from the surface. This certainly ranks up there as one of Lau Kar-leung's best-directed films, even with the significant loss of Alexander Fu Sheng, the film rebounds well, the choreography is frequently fantastic and the ever-reliable Gordon Liu delivers an outstanding performance as the lone lead with Kara Hui in a welcome supporting role. Not all Shaw Brothers films are created equal, but The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter could very well be considered the staff bearer for the studio, it really is fantastic.

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I hate the ending

Watch this as one of the recommendations to fill my Alphabet challenge. Quick movie to help me fill the letter 'K'.

The story of Jhe Ming who just got married with A Jhen, but haven't told his mother yet. This short movie really represents us the struggle that every LGBTQ+ community feel when they need to tell their family.

This short movie open withc such a good note, but the ending.... UGH!!!

Without such an ending, I really like to give this movie a really good score. But that endings really make me downgraded the score so very much... So the max score I can only give this is 5.

Below is SPOILER ALERT!!! Read it at ur own risk.












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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The ending for me really end with such a weird note. It's like Jhe Ming's mother wants to give approval, but still hold something in her heart.

Really agreed with _Shinigami_ in the comment: "The ending felt weird. She didn’t exactly seem to accept it, but nonetheless everyone seemed happy? For clearance (and bl happiness) I would’ve liked if they ended it with a scene of their wedding (with the mother present..)"

Yeah I need closure for this movie. Such a shame...

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It's a Psychological Thriller People!

On reading the bad reviews, I think some people missed the theme of this movie. It wasn't just about same sex attraction, it was a psychological thriller, about when one man takes his role too much to heart - i.e. "Method" acting.
I was already a fan of Park Sung Woong, but now I am head over heals, because of this film!
And, Oh Seung-hoon - fabulous.
I was holding my breath in the last scene! Wonderful writing. Great acting!
As one of the 'good' MDL reviewers said - both actors were very brave to take on these roles. Their raw emotions were on show. The vulnerable "Singer" became the alpha, by taking his role on stage *off* the stage.
Yes, I would watch it again, but after watching a few fluffy romcoms first - I need to calm down a bit....

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Good movie.

This movie had a touching story. It was heartwarming and a nice watch. I really liked the cinematography. Saebom's character was refreshing, and her scenes were always interesting. I like how Saebom and Yoonhee really understood each other; it was a meaningful mother-daughter relationship. My favorite part of the film was the letter writing; it was cute, and it really showed the connection between Jun and Yoonhee. I loved how this movie was written and how it went back and forth. I also think it ended nicely.

Overall, it was an interesting watch and gives you a lot to think about. Although I wasn't crazy about it, it was still a good watch.

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Absolutely obsessed

This is extremely biased but I highly recommend this film, I can't wait for pt2 & 3 to come out. I watched this with my cousin and let me tell you she is the type of person who has to be on her phone to watch tv or movies. Even with subtitles she tends to do both or tries to but this movie was so freaking good she had her phone down the entire time. We were both so immersed we didn't even notice the movie was ending until it did. January for pt 2 can't get here fast enough.

This is super heavy action packed film, it has a lot of violence and blood, this was such an amazing fantasy film, as I just saw someone say they used cgi correctly, you can tell they built a lot of the sets which made the film feel really realistic. I love all their costumes as well, eveyone looked fabulous. Don't watch if you are sensitive to animal death which there is a lot of in this film, it did make me cringe a lot but I was still able to get through the film.

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Watched this to fill my Alphabet challenge. But in the end I was quite happy to watch this.

Story about Hino Maori & Kamiya Tooru. Their story started when Tooru made a false confession to Maori. Even though she knows that the confession is a lie, Maori says yes with the three rules: "Don't talk to me until after school, Keep communication brief, and Don't fall in love with each other.

The two promise not to fall in love, but as they get to know each other, they find themselves drawn to each other. But one day, Tooru finally knew the reason for Maori to set the rule for their relationship. Maori suffer from anterograde amnesia, the brain damage that will make her forget all the things when she falls asleep.

Like 50 first dates, Maori also got this because of the accident. & she keeps a diary to take note about everything that's going on that day to be read the next day.

Knowing this fact didn't stop Tooru from going out with Maori. Tooru is devoted to bringing her as much happiness as possible. So, how will their relationship end? Will it be like 50 first dates, where they get married…? Or will this end with a sad ending…?

That's pretty much the story without giving much of the spoiler.

This is a really good movie about how amazing our body & brain actually are. Even though Maori’s memories erased every day, in the end her body remembered.

If I have to put myself in Maori shoes, with diseases like Maori. I really don't know how stressed I will be. And the decision taken by Wataya Izumi… I think it's the right one…

Overall this is really one good movie….

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A Not So Scary Horror Film

Exhuma is a South Korean horror film that draws inspiration from Mudang or Korean shamanism and feng shui, and the atrocities committed by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation in World War 2. It follows a team of shamans and feng shui burial experts as they unearth a cursed grave that bears a secret darker than anything they have ever imagined. I can't really say much about the plot as it would be a spoiler so I'm going to stop right here. But this I will say, it doesn't deserve the praise it got.

Sure, the story is creative from a writing standpoint and it is intriguing as it is based on the superstitious beliefs of the Korean people. But it is not the least bit scary, at least not to me. The acting is nothing special, so I don't understand the multiple acting awards it received. Not to mention it could've benifitted from a shorter runtime. This was at least 30 minutes too long.

And my biggest beef with the movie is the unrealistic first scene where the leads are on a plane to California to meet their client. I believe that scene only serves to throw shade at the Japanese and introduce their anti-Japan propaganda. Yes, Japan did occupy and colonize Korea, and the Japanese committed all sorts of war crimes there. I know that because my country suffered from the same crimes and so did other Asian countries like China. I understand they want to make a movie about the common superstitious belief that Japan cursed their land somehow, but there are plenty of ways to go about it. They certainly didn't need to shoehorn that scene in the beginning.

All in all, this was an entertaining film with a unique plot. But that's about it. South Korea has produced better horror flicks in the past. It's a shame that they've followed in Hollywood's footsteps and become obsessed with inserting political agendas in their movies instead of focusing on making good films. I find their later movies utterly lacking and to think I used to be a huge fan of Korean cinema.

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Yin Yang Master It Is Not

Onmyouji or The Yin Yang Master: Zero is the latest Japanese live action adaptation of the popular game, Onmyouji. This IP has had many movie and anime adaptations over the years, three of which are Japanese films, including this one, an anime series, and three Chinese movies. As a non-fan of this franchise, I would say that this standalone film is watchable only to a certain extent. It is weird and draggy as hell! I had to watch this in installments because I kept dozing off and I always kept trying to remember what the plot was about.

The story? I don't know. Is there one? It just follows a gifted apprentice who is incredibly rude and full of himself. His parents were killed and he's looking to avenge their deaths. He meets a nobleman who befriends him and together they solve supernatural cases. The world is explained in a long narration in the beginning and their skills and techniques are conveniently explained through lectures given by teachers of these apprentices. And yet, they start showing off seemingly magical powers that come out of nowhere, so you begin to doubt whether you actually understood the explanation on how things work in this world. It has this dreamlike quality to it that makes you think that maybe you're hallucinating from an acid trip. But you're so confused that you just don't care anymore and fall asleep. That's what this is. Seriously, this is better off as a drama instead of a movie. Then maybe they could've done a more decent job at the world building aspect.

The acting is theatrical. In other words, it's bad. Yamazaki Kento is miscast once again. His portrayal of the lead role is exactly the same as his L in the live action drama adaptation of Death Note. At this point, I think he's just phoning in his performances. Oh well, at least he's only half bad here, not as horrible as his version of L. The rest of the cast all act as if they're in a stage play. Cheesy AF! The music? Pretty much non-existent because I didn't notice it at all. The visuals are decent but that's the only saving grace of this movie. I can tell they shot the vast majority of scenes in front of green screens, though.

All in all, this is not a good movie. If I were a fan of the games, then maybe I could've appreciated it more. But it's just badly written, acted, and produced. It's definitely one of those live action adaptations that should never have been made.

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A Worthy Remake

I have slept on Taiwanese dramas and movies for far too long! This movie is a remake of the 2010 Korean film, which I didn't see, so I have no basis of comparison. I'm glad I didn't watch that movie, though otherwise I would've been spoiled by the ending. Hello Ghost is basically Robert Downey Jr.'s 1993 film, Heart and Souls, but with a lot more heart and soul. Yes, the original is made in Korea but the Korean version is no doubt heavily inspired by Heart and Souls.

It's a story about family, companionship, and the need for human connection. Anyone who has ever suffered from depression, contemplated suicide, and lived through the loss of a loved one could very much relate to this story. It follows a lonely young man, Chen Wei, who tries to end his miserable life countless times, but fails each time. One day, he finally succeeds in dying but is saved by a do-gooder paramedic. He comes back from the dead with the ability to see ghosts. Four ghosts start to accompany him, asking for favors and surprisingly, giving him good advice. As he spends more time with them, he starts to see them more as family instead of a nuissance. He receives guidance from them and he starts to feel a lot less lonely than before.

This is a very wholesome family-oriented film with so much heart, life lessons, and quotable quotes. It has laugh-out-loud moments as well as dramatic scenes that would have you reach out for tissues. His relationships with the ghosts and the paramedic who saves him from dying are the focal points of this story. And the twist at the end had me crying my eyes out. If you love movies like How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, then this is for you.

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