Reviews

Horror never found…

It’s for sure more of an action fantasy with just some elements of horror. Truth to be told, it had more comedy than horror and I’m not mad about it.

It was an entertaining and light watch. A lot of jokes were basic, but they landed well. Simple plot works well with simple writing and good visuals, and that’s exactly what this movie delivers.

Timing for some revelations was a bit questionable, like when we find out what is the actual goal of the main villain. Or what is the importance of each and every character. Still, the pacing is great and the pay off is decent.

Honestly speaking, the production value was for sure the best aspect of the show. Great special effects, great set design, beautiful lighting and use of colors and filters. Stunning for many scenes, screenshots worthy.

For the acting, no complaints, but the roles were not that demanding anyway.

Overall, fun and simple sometimes is the best combination. Not everything has to be a complex philosophical tale with double meanings, sometimes a movie has to be just an entertainment.

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a girl can fight too

This movie is superb, full packed with action scenes. This Filipino action revenge movie is one of a kind. I am amazed by Christina Reyes who plays Lily/Maria she really trained so much in this film, you can see how well she did in her fight scenes, that she delivered it well.
The story is common but they give justice on the film came across that touches our hearts. We can feel Maria's pain when she loss her family that is why she is eager to give them revenge that they deserve.
I am not that satisfied with its ending I feel like there's a part two. Filipino action movies are improving. I can say that its the female version of John Wick.

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Action packed movie

Plus point that surpasses many factors.... It's a Jackie Chan movie!! It's filled with action packed with a mixture of comedy (like all Jackie Chan movies). The additional parts would be that Yang Yang and a few other named people are within.

Overall, I find this movie great and also funny at certain moments, filled with action and especially love movies that have a mixture of variety of languages within - along with the English subtitles for better understanding of the other languages. Personally, I feel that we should have more of these mixture of variety of languages and places in a movie. It was feeling quite strange - for me - to hear Jackie Chan conversing in Mandarin though as I have always only watched all of his movies in Cantonese. But still enjoyed the movie nonetheless. The entire casts also did a good job bringing the movie to life. It definitely is something I would watch again, but only because I really enjoyed the movie. There were various reviews commenting about CGIs in the movie, but oh come on.... CGIs have LONG EXISTED in many other movies, so why the heck are you complaining and whining about some CGI hyenas / animals?! Better a CGI of an animal than having a real animal and then some wanky animal activists wailing about animal abuse just for entertainment purposes!

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Yeah what will happen next?

Pick a random movie available on YT just to fill the time. Unfortunately it's a little bit dissapointing.

Really hope they continue a little bit more before closing the curtain. Maybe like just let Azusa Oribe & Takashi Hayama come face to face. That's gonna push the score a little bit better in my book.

What I like about this movie is unfortunately only one: Interesting concept of story. But... This also end with bad execution. Or maybe just not my taste.

Overall this only end up as another movie on my list. And...

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












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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What I don't like:
- The open ending. I really don't like the ending. I really hope they either end up Takashi Hayama just totally forget about Azusa Oribe, or like i said in the beginning, they meet face to face in the final scene.
- They never really explained to us about why everyone keep forgetting about Azusa Oribe

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A Good Popcorn Movie

Indeed, this is a visually stunning movie that is certainly entertaining. With a big bag of popcorn (or snack of your choice) and a relaxing chair, you will thoroughly enjoy this movie. Filled with handsome men, a relatively interesting but a bit slow-plodding plot at times, elegant chorography, breathtaking cinematography, and beautiful costumes, you are in for a treat. Is it memorable? Well, no, not really, but it sure is fun to watch. The plot is manifestly implausible, slow in the middle, yet it worked in the end as entertainment. The ending is to be expected. There are no hidden meanings, and the story does not go deep. To coin a trite phrase, admittedly, it is what it is. Do not read more into it. This is a beautiful, compelling, and colorful story. The costumes, choreography, cinematography, and set designs are all exquisite. So, grab some popcorn or your favorite snack and watch this very enchanting movie and then go to bed. It is that kind of movie. Fun but forgettable.

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must watch

let's start by the cast, they could not have picked a better cast. their chemistry was just wonderful. they did so well. i felt so many things while watching the movie and the first ceremony scene gave me chills all over... so so good! i love how the had comedy (dark humor) all over, for example when mr. almost died and he said he was ready to go but then he thought oh my daughter's marriage. i was tearing up and that just cracked me up hahaha. every character did such an amazing job, and of course... kim goeun and lee dohyun never dissapoint. the ending was good but made wonder if there will be a sequel because of their unfinished business (their flashbacks etc.) either way, im satisfied with it. please, go and watch it if you have time and if your city is playing it. i feel like a movie theater experience will be even better.

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Smuggling is not for everybody

Another one of those Korean films that is impossible to place in a specific genre. The atmosphere is a comedy, and the plot is a thriller, with elements of action, drama, and adventure. The film is at times casual and relaxed, and at times bloody brutal, as if I am watching two movies at the same time. In my opinion, the comedic elements are misused and prevent the viewer from enjoying the seriousness, tension and twists in the plot. The plot has a lot of twists and turns and thus constantly makes the movie more and more interesting.

The actors are very good and special praise and respect should be given to the female actors and stuntmen who spent a large part of the film diving underwater.

I also really like the choice of music. At times, the musical numbers seem forced as if they were selected on a jukebox, but I'll forgive that because I like the style of the music and even wish there was more of it. Actually, now after the movie I'm going to listen to some Korean trot and evergreens from the golden seventies.
And yes, one spoiler, at the end I even noticed some dolphins 😊

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Police Story is the little movie that spawned a long-lasting franchise of action-packed movies starring Jackie Chan. This first one was a product of its time with violent cops and villains with little concern for civilian lives or property. There was also plenty of Jackie Chan’s patented comedy alongside the fists, kicks, bullets, and breaking glass.

Sgt. Chan Ga Kui is part of a sting operation on drug cartels having a meeting in a shanty town. They are particularly after Boss Koo and his gang. After destroying most of the squatters’ village, and a spectacular rundown of an escaping bus, Chan slaps the cuffs on Koo and becomes a local hero and is used for recruitment. Superintendent Li decides to use Koo’s secretary, Salina Fong, as a witness, which puts her life in jeopardy. Chan is ordered to be her bodyguard. From then on, the case and Chan’s life take a turn for the worse.

I enjoyed the first third of this film and the last third. The middle third dragged badly for me. There was a long “comedic” scene with his girlfriend. A painfully bad trial scene. And then another comedic scene where a woman who had been raped and a woman who was being beaten by her husband were completely ignored during a phone gag. I also had to remind myself that the beautiful and talented Maggie Cheung was paying her dues in the thankless, idiotic girlfriend role.

The stunts were phenomenal for the time. The umbrella and bus stunt, numerous fights involving sugar glass, and the final stunt with Chan in a mall sliding down a tall pole surrounded by draping lights were leaps and bounds beyond the status quo in 1985. They were also inherently dangerous. Chan was injured twice during filming. Brigitte Lin even stepped up and was thrown through a table and also a plate glass window. Few movies unless they were filmed in a glass factory would have more people shattering glass with their bodies. Proof also that movie glass is magical as no characters were badly cut despite all the bodies bouncing off the huge panes and shattered pieces of translucent blades.

Police Story broke new ground for fighting and action stunts even though the story did not. Chan’s athleticism and flexibility was a thing of wonder. My rating is based on the astonishing stunts at the beginning and ending of the film and also on my pre-1990’s grading curve.

25 March 2024

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Brief and deep analysis of oppressed sexual minorities

Is it worth sacrificing the person you love and yourself to accept a lie? Can you be happy and make the woman you married happy, forced by family and society, since you have to hide your homosexuality? Can one decide who to love in a conservative society that considers romantic relationships between people of the same gender illegal and taboo?

'Life of Silence'(The Life of Silence, Xi Sheng Zhi Lu - 犧牲之旅), Taiwanese director and screenwriter Ying Cheng-Ru's 2014 short film, explores sexuality through the story of three gay men entangled in two marriages doomed to failure.
At just over 26 minutes, the compelling and heartbreaking film explores the tensions between society's expectations and true happiness.
In the director's own words, silence usually comes with a backdrop, waiting to be shaken. A fiction and a reality. Three gay men and two marriages. When love and marriage cannot go hand in hand, how can marital happiness be achieved?
Interested in addressing social issues and sexuality, the filmmaker, with a master's degree in Fine Arts from the Department of Radio, Television and Film at Shih-Hsin University, brings us in this romantic drama a fiction woven into reality.
When there is a contradiction between erotic life and parental expectations, a difficult decision would have to be made. To rethink marriage, 'Life of Silence', a sequel to 'Body at Large', looks at oppressed sexual minorities. What is the Happy Family? Is there only one way to achieve happiness? Or should one be able to hug oneself freely?
The short film aims to show that human beings deserve happiness without barriers.
I recommend paying attention to the meaning of water, present throughout much of the footage, as a metaphor for the purgatory of an unfulfilled love, as well as the old man washing his long white hair in the final scene. This older man, whose face cannot even be seen, represents the spirit of previous generations who were never allowed to love and who died alone.
As the director himself expressed: "The old man is another reason to inspire me to film this film. He was born at a conservative age, sexually repressed, he did not have sexual relations for life, I left him as a reflection of the actor, if love is repressed, and is finally left alone and desolate.
The lead roles fall to Jason Lai as Chen Kai Cheng, Hsueh Yu Ting as Chin Yung Sheng, Lu Yi Ching, Chiu Min Chia and Liau You Ching
With touching and at the same time nostalgic background music, it manages to validate the characters' feelings of loneliness and melancholy.
With the use of a dark color palette, especially blue and ocher, and mostly black and white images seeking cinematic perfection to emphasize the contrast between light and shadows, and surprising professionalism in the use of lighting, 'Life of Silence' conveys the suffocating, overwhelming atmosphere, and an atmosphere of sadness, melancholy and tension.

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One Where Amnesia is the Main Character

With all the Korean movies floating around on the internet, this one was a hilarious ride to be on. Relying heavyly on the comedy aspect, this romCOMEDY would have you laughing out loud at multiple scenes while also, looking forward as the couple approaches the (D-)Divorce Day. Here's an overview of my thoughts:
1. Plot (7/10)- A kind of generic plot and yet, executed in a manner that leaves you laughing and taking screen recordings?? Yup, this one's got the memo. Perfect for a guilty pleasure watch, this movie would have you recommending it to your friends as well.
2. Cinematography (7.5/10)- With a beam of colourful backgrounds, the movie flashes back and forth through timelines to cast the viewers on the updates of the couple's lives.
3. Music (8.5/10)- The songs flashing throughout the movie were wonderfully recorded and executed, with some making the viewers giggle while the others evoking a sense of romance.

Most Memorable Scenes: With having just completed the movie, here are my top three most memorable scenes from the movie:
1. The (most HILARIOUS) accident that inevitably leads to the amnesia wherein the couple loose their memories of each other (as well as all the people around them).
2. The confession made by the male lead towards the end of the movie (but oh wait, the female lead didn't hear anything though because she was waring noise cancelling earbuds).
3. Their first date as a couple who have now lost their memories.

The Beauty of “Love Reset”: Well, the beauty of "Love Reset" lies in it's portrayal of how we should not let the bad memories overpower the happy ones. The movie shows how, sometimes, giving something a second chance can also turn out to be beautiful.

You'll Enjoy This If...: If you enjoy movies that have a sense of lightheartedness and would be perfect for a romCOMEDY watch-party with your friends, "Love Reset" has got your back!

xx

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Тhem continue to live ?

I cannot express my feelings so well,so I gave my ratings everything 10 because I think this movie is beyond perfections.

The story is very meaningful so I give it a 10. It taught me many lessons about life. Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

I gave the Acting 10 because they portrayed their character really well.

10 because the music vibe fits perfectly with everything in this history. The music makes the drama even better.

For rewatch value, I gave it a 10. It’s not perfect. But there were moments where I was so captivated by the story that I actually forgot I was watching a movie. And that’s something you really don’t come across very often.

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So proud of Kyungsoo <333

Just finished watching and I LOVED IT!! It has my two favorite things: Space and Doh Kyungsoo :3 My review is probably a bit biased because I'd enjoy a movie with Kyungsoo just sitting there doing nothing for 2 hours lol but I really enjoyed this! The plot was pretty typical of a space movie (The Martian vibes) but there was never a point where I was bored and I actually cried a lot lol.

Like everyone else is saying in their reviews, the CGI is amazing!! I've never seen a Korean film with this good of CGI (might just be inexperienced though). The acting is also amazing! I loved Sol Kyung Gu as Kim Jae Guk and ofc Kyungsoo (I'll get more into his acting in a sec tho lol). Overall, I definitely recommend watching this film!

(SPOILER WARNING):
One thing I didn't love (but not a huge deal or anything) was the typical english acting lol. I just always find it so cheesy and the actors they chose at NASA were so stereotypically American it was hilarious (especially the big boss guy who keeps trying to sabotage the rescue mission (dad from the Incredibles vibes). Kyungsoo did amazing with his english lines tho omg <3

Now onto the most important part: Kyungsoo's acting <333 he is such an amazing actor, he really pulled this role off spectacularly. I sobbed my eyes out when I got to the part where he almost gives up and turns the oxygen valve off ):: His acting is so convincing, I could sing his praises endlessly!!!! I'm soso proud of how far he's come and I hope to see him in more dramas/films in the future.

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This is oe of the worse short K-BLs I've seen. The premise is fine, but how they told the story in the second half made it fall apart completely. Did the people who were responsible not get feedback from someone else?

What I liked:
* I loved the relationship between Yeong Woo and his father. Even if there are only a few scenes with them both, I have a distinct impression on how growing up must have been for Yeong Woo with this father, and for the father, raising is son to be an independent, and kind person. You see, it IS possible to establish how people feel about each other in just a few minutes of screentime!
* Stories not set in college or high school are always a plus for me. I liked that Yeong Woo was of a lower or middle class background. I also found it very relatable that he did not know what to do with his life.

What I did not like:
* The two main leads got too close, too fast for my liking. I've never talked to people I've only met three or four times about my most initmate dreams and hopes for the future.
* The show seems to follow the precept of "show, don't tell". The thing is, if you show only fragments, and we, as the audience have to guess what is going on, we won't be very satisfied. This becomes especially clear just before and after the time skip, where we only get to see disjointed scenes, sometimes without context. If we don't even get clues to guess, then it only becomes an exercise in frustration.
Some examples: Why the crying at the traffic lights? Where was Ki Jin during the time skip? When did Yeong Woo become a model, and how does he balance this with his delivery job? Where is his mother? Why is the friend also back? Did they ever talk about their breakup? What happened between Yeon Woo and the friend in the past? (Were they lovers? Friends? Rivals? Just classmates?)

I don't get why "follow your dreams" and "be with the one you love" have to be an either-or-decision. Long-distance-relationships? Talking about things and then compromising? That's apparently nothing that exists in this world.

All in alll, the drama feels more like an outline for the first few episodes of a longer story, not something you would consider complete and fit for release.

You can watch it, if you like, since the show is rather short, but I'd recommend to give it a miss.

[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]

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