Reviews

The questions has been answered

The long wait is over, the sequel movie is here to slay. Our narrow escape has been solved our agony in waiting four our curiosity has finally come to an end. Some say that the first sequel is better but for me its way more better than the first one. The all star cast makes it more beautiful plus its special effects are very stunning. The story continues as a matter of fact it has a successful ending.
I like the time travel effect which is very relevant to the story. I nevert expect it biggest plot twist all along I know the monster living inside the body is Mu Reuk infact Thunder used her body to save Yi An. The monter is living inside Yi An"s body for a long time.
I love to see Kim Woo Bind and Ryu Yun Jeol in one frame two of the hot oppas are here. I like their comedic side of characters here. They also show their heroic stunts in this movie.
All in all this movie really gives a good vibes, I can she the iconic ending wherein they won their fight against the bad guy.
I love the ending wherein. Mu Reuk follows his heart desires and go to Yi An's world.

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Unexpected Gem

Short summary:
Qing Heng is a dead soul trying to find his love who he's been searching for for a very long time. But dead souls are required to give up all their memories, so how can he fight the rules of heavens to find his beloved?

Saw this on iQiyi and decided to give it a try and was very pleasantly surprised. I spent most of the movie wondering how on earth they were going to resolve anything and surprisingly, it did! I've watched much longer full length dramas that managed a fraction of the plot resolution that this movie did. We find out major motivations of main characters and there are surprises along the way.

You might get less out of it if you're not familiar with Chinese mythology about Meng Po and reincarnation. An important point to know is that canonically, Meng Po is the lady who cooks up the soup of forgetfulness that one must drink before getting reincarnated.

It's the length of a movie so the main points are not overly complicated but I think the execution was very well done considering the constraints of telling a fairly involved story in 90 minutes. I thought the CGI was actually very well done for what I assumed was not a movie with a big budget. I recognize the female lead from a (passable but not great) low budget costume drama I've seen before and the ML seems to have been only in support roles so far. They both did a solid job acting. Some of the support cast didn't sell their roles anywhere near as well but it hardly mattered when they had so little screentime.

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Exciting Film, unfortunately with a lot of stereotypes

The film is exciting and thrilling. Song Joong-ki's acting is really excellent, he's also good in normal K-dramas, but he's even better here. The entire film gets 10 points from me, even if I now criticize it. The film largely takes place in Brussels and I have to say that not a single European is portrayed as nice or sympathetic in the entire film!!! This is very unfair. Europe is groaning under the refugee burden of the last few years. In Brussels there are now two queues in front of the asylum office: families, women and men traveling alone. There are simply no more shelters to house people, so a lot of single men actually end up on the streets. That's terrible, of course, but at the same time it shows that the current system is breaking down because of the sheer weight of it. As already indicated in the film, many people flee for economic reasons and it is very difficult to do justice to people without a passport in individual cases. Here, too, the Belgians are portrayed as almost inhuman, it's so nasty towards the hard-working people in the authorities. Of course there are no "normal" Belgians in the film. Only the blonde woman f****g preferably in a pack is shown, the violent drug lord and criminal ...The most brutal xenophobia is constantly shown. This paints a one-dimensional picture of a complex situation in which there is more humanity and help than shown here.

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Cozy, yet melancholic and thought provoking

What happens when we die, or rather, how do we leave things behind? That seems to be the central theme of this movie. We meet a group of people who are no longer living but not quite dead yet either. We get to know all of the characters and their attachments and ultimately get to see them have satisfactory conclusions and move on. The highlight of this movie has to be the parade scenes themselves. I have no words to describe the beauty of those shots, all I can say is that they made me feel I was looking at the universe from up close and afar at once and every light was captivating.
The acting is very well done. I watched it for Ryusei Yokohama and although he didn’t have that big of a part, he really captivated the audience. He always takes on different roles and impress me. The music and sets of the movie are also great. I particularly enjoyed the caravan/ post apocalyptic yet cozy vibe of their little camp.
To summarize this is a film not about death, but about aftermath and memories. It’s general message is optimistic and well delivered and it is definitely worth checking

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Horizontal or Vertical?

I watched The Grandmaster years ago and while I thought it was visually stunning, the story left me wanting. After watching several Wong Kar Wai films recently, I decided to revisit it and see if my perspective changed.

In 1936 Foshan, China, Grandmaster Gong Yu Tian is coming to town to pass the torch to a new Grandmaster. The consensus is that Ip Man would be a good choice but he will have to face Yu Tian. Yu Tian’s daughter, Gong Er and Ip Man eventually spar and a connection is made despite the fact that Ip Man is married and has children. Who is Grandmaster and who is horny for whom becomes irrelevant as the Japanese invade the country. Ip Man loses his home and his fortune as he and his family face poverty and starvation with much of the rest of the people. Because he belonged to the wrong political party after the war, he moves to Hong Kong around 1950. He will once again run into Gong Er, but her life has taken a drastic change.

As with the first time I saw this film, the cinematography was gorgeous and lush. Beautiful people in beautiful costumes filled the screen. Smoke from cigarettes or trains wafted and circled about as if alive. Snow and steam formed the perfect backdrop for a cataclysmic fight. As did rain and puddles when Ip Man fought a dozen men at the beginning of the film. Music as much as the standard Wong Kar Wai dark palette of green, yellow, and shocks of red set the mood.

The fights were entertaining, but more stylistic than realistic. Forced close-ups and slow motion made the fights more dance than danger, even when people were thrown through windows. Many times I wished they could move the camera back to show more of the full body motions, but with actors who are not martial artists that likely wasn’t possible. I was happy to see old school kung fu actors like Lo Meng and Lau Kar Yung make brief appearances. And I could have used much more of The Razor played by Chang Chen.

Tony Leung Chiu Wai was an elegant Ip Man, but it was hard to connect to the character with the uneven storytelling. He was also a man with a wife and children longing for another woman. Song Hye Kyo as Ip Man’s wife was mostly an afterthought. She had scarcely any lines. The romance was focused on Gong Er as was much of the film. Zhang Zi Yi gave a good performance as the daughter who vowed to return the family’s honor even if it meant her death. Another issue I had were the relentless voiceovers and intertitles, they completely broke the rhythm and mood for me, distancing me from the characters.

The Grandmaster was a striking film to look at but not as much fun to watch as the story often stumbled. And aside from the fight at the train station, much of it will fade from memory as it did the first time because there was little substance to cling to.

6 March 2024

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3 Useless Foxes & Some Guy™

TLDR; A confusing mess of a story with shallow characters and underdeveloped dynamics salvaged only by the promising concept, endearing actors, and the low-key fantasy setting of the story.

Whump meter: ▲▲◭△△ (quite a bit)

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【spoiler-free】

LIKES:
► Female-centered plot.
► Female villain.
► Unusual and fun outfits.
► Unique premise.
► Nice whimsical feeling and aesthetics.
► Cute romance between the leads.
► Interesting themes.
► Story remains small and doesn't try to do more than it can.

DISLIKES:
► So much love rivalry between the three FLs
► Weak 'strong' women.
► Extremely confusing plot.
► Underdeveloped worldbuilding.
► Underdeveloped characters.
► Underdeveloped everything else.

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【!SPOILERS below!】

►CHARACTERS:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ This movie is both female-focused and female-led, meaning that even though the story ultimately is centered around a man, the focus is mostly on the women around him, including FL, SFL, and TFL, who are sisters/in a sisterhood (not sure since they refer to each other as sisters but they never clarify being related). Unfortunately, though, all three characters are quite lacking in both personality and development. Not only that, their dynamic, which one would naturally think would be an important part of a female-focused plot, is severely one-dimensional and underdeveloped.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I feel like this is worth mentioning by itself as well, that the main conflict between them is that they're all three in love with the same man... This also isn't elaborated upon or developed, so it feels ridiculous at best and flat-out insulting at worst. In the very end, they do seem to have some sisterhood going on, but it was really embarrassing to see three 10/10 immortal sisters trying to kill each other over some guy. 💀

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Then there's the ML, SML, and the antagonist. ML was quite fine. I thought he was cute, and him not being overpowered was quite refreshing for a ML in a fantasy movie/drama (in fact, he needed saving by far the most!!). His dynamic with FL was also kinda endearing, as was his dynamic with a supporting character. SML was honestly just creepy to me. He has a weird dynamic with FL, which seems to tread uncomfortably between that of a brother and that of a lover, so I wasn't a fan.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Finally, we have the villain. She was underwhelming. We don't really get a whole lot of development on her. In fact, she barely appears at all. At the very least, though, her motives weren't because of love, so it could be worse.

►ACTING:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Overall quite fine. I wasn't really expecting stellar acting, and it met my expectations. Whenever there were awkward moments, it felt more like a direction problem than any of the actor's problem, so I don't really have a lot of complaints about them.

►STORY:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Here's where the biggest issue lies. The story is incredibly confusing. It's clear after the very first scene that the drama is more on the slice-of-life, romantic end of fantasy than the epic, and I was really looking forward to that! Unfortunately, with the pacing they took, it felt more like they were aiming for a drama rather than a movie. They dwell on certain things and characters for entirely too long, then skip important parts of context or development for no reason at all. We get so little development on the antagonists, the world, the main characters, basically everything. The only thing that was somewhat decently paced was the love story.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The missing context, narrative structure, and development crippled the story so badly. Without those, it's just characters kinda doing something vaguely in the same thread as the original set-up. It's a real shame, because the synopsis and even the beginning seemed so interesting, yet the movie somehow managed to be both too slow and too rushed at the same time, making it overall just confusing.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Another issue was with the power level of the three FLs. They're supposed to be powerful immortals, and we're shown that even though their power is limited due to circumstances, they can still do quite a bit, yet when actually needed, they seem so pathetic. This inconsistency was especially noticeable with FL. On one hand, she can carry ML on her back from one dimension onto the other, but she can't even break free from some ribbon binding her arms. I'm so confused.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Then there's the original premise, which is vaguely that because the Sun God had disappeared, all the men of the mortal world no longer had emotions. Not only is this portrayed extremely stupidly, but it's also not developed further than this. It's only really brought up in a handful of throwaway scenes. In the end, we don't even get to see what ends up happening to the mortal world. Was the issue fixed? If so, how did men cope with suddenly being able to feel again? We don't know.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Overall, I really think the story seemed very promising and had a lot of potential (it was especially quite unique, with it being female-centered and having a unique setting and all). I believe it would've worked better as a drama of at least 12 episodes where the world, plot, characters, dynamics, and backstory could be (better) developed.

►PRODUCTION:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Overall, quite satisfactory. It doesn't try to be epic, so the CGI use is not as terrible as in other, more ambitious movies/dramas. It's still noticeably low budget in terms of sets, outfits, etc., but of the watchable and not too-noticeable kind. The cinematography, however, was quite nice. It had some really nice shots.

Final Note: I watched it with good subtitles on Viki, so I don't think I was lacking context in terms of bad translations. The story is simply confusing.

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◇ Was it what I was expecting? Not quite.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Definitely no.
◇ Would I watch it again? Maybe (Despite everything, I still enjoyed it).
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Maybe.

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Revenge may be a dish best served cold but Beautiful Swordswoman served it up family style. The golden age of women with swords was coming to a close. Wang Ling had her chance in the genre as a spoiled daughter at home and unbeknownst to everyone else a beautiful swordswoman in disguise along with her faithful governess sidekick.

Yuan Yuan trains in secret and receives her assassin assignments from her old sifu. She and her governess disguise themselves in a myriad of ways, even as a new bride, in order to take down her targets. Her doting father never suspects his docile and obedient daughter has another side to her. Before long her secret life and her family life converge when she learns a devastating secret about her “father”.

The sword fights were pretty good for the time although there were a lot of swipe and falls. Yuan Yuan wasn’t afraid to aim for the face. Her nemesis used rings to kill his enemies. Wang Ling gave a strong performance as Yuan Yuan keeping the overacting so common in the 60’s to a minimum. Ma Chi played the loving father to the hilt and also the creepy murdering rapist.

There were some exciting fights early in the film and then it began to be dragged down in melodrama. The end was encumbered by the diametrically opposed familial cry for revenge and the punishment for killing a parent. Yuan Yuan was burdened with forgiving the unforgiveable and also settling her parents’ blood debt which seemed impossible. Family dynamics can be tricky.

6 March 2024

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Hard Days (2023): A Decent Thriller Overshadowed by its Source.

"Hard Days," a 2023 Japanese remake of the acclaimed 2014 South Korean film of the same name, is a decent crime thriller with some notable flaws. While it captures the core elements of the original - a down-on-his-luck detective embroiled in a web of corruption and desperate acts - it struggles to surpass its predecessor in several aspects.

Strengths:

⪼ Engaging Premise: The film's central conflict, a detective's downward spiral after a hit-and-run accident, remains inherently captivating. The audience is constantly kept on edge as the protagonist makes increasingly poor decisions to cover his tracks.
⪼ Solid Performances: Junichi Okada delivers a committed performance as the beleaguered detective, Yuji Kudo, and Go Ayano is suitably menacing as his antagonist.
⪼ Well-Crafted Action: The action sequences are well-choreographed and brutal, adding to the film's intensity.

Weaknesses:

⪼ Unnecessary Length: At nearly two hours, the film feels bloated compared to the leaner original. This can lead to pacing issues and a sense of drag in some sections.
⪼ Overstuffed Plot: In an attempt to differentiate itself, the remake adds additional characters and subplots that feel unnecessary and muddy the narrative focus.
⪼ Lack of Originality: While competently made, "Hard Days" fails to bring anything new to the table compared to the original film. For viewers familiar with the 2014 version, this remake might feel redundant.

Overall:

"Hard Days" is a watchable crime thriller with a strong premise and solid performances. However, its excessive length, convoluted plot, and lack of originality compared to the superior source material hold it back from reaching its full potential. If you haven't seen the 2014 Korean film, "Hard Days" might offer a decent dose of suspense. However, for those seeking a more impactful and streamlined experience, the original remains the better choice.

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I am lucky to watch this

After seeing a trailer with the legendary Gwaenchana YiKyung, I just can't pass watching the movie because I knew it would be fun.

The story premise is kind of unique because for once we have North Koreans portrayed lighter than the usual -- didn't even imagine NoKor to be associated with Comedy.

Most of the casts are familiar faces I have seen from other KDramas or KMovies and to be honest they look really fun together. The story itself is not realistic however the character portrayal is just top notch. Wait until you see the Rollin' Rollin' scene that made me literally roll from laughing.

Overall, this was a light watch. It's not the best I've seen but this is definitely worth a watch when you're feeling down or if you just want to relax and have some fun.

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"Undercover Brilliance: The Secret Lives of Spies”

Secretly, Greatly” is a captivating film that weaves together comedy, action, and drama. Set in South Korea, it follows the story of three young men who are trained as killing machines and sent as spies to infiltrate the local society. Here’s what stood out:

The lead character, while acting foolish and funny, is secretly calculating every possible permutation of events. His double life requires dedication and perseverance.
The second half of the film transforms into an intense action thriller. The three men defy orders and engage in brutal fist fights. Their seemingly omnipotent fists become a marvel to viewers.
The subplot about the idiot spy’s longing for his mother is touching. In their native country, loyalty to the party overshadows blood family, creating a deep-seated struggle.
As everything culminates, the film delivers an emotional and action-packed climax.
“Secretly, Greatly” is a gem that deserves to be seen. It surprises with credible drama and keeps viewers engaged throughout. While it tries to balance comedy and action, it’s worth watching for its unique blend of genres.

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The much-awaited conclusion to a masterpiece

It was very entertaining, exciting and really enjoyable. The movie is very action-packed. Though, the sequel had its downs, still, it was able to wrap-up the two huge movies together.

The story was not as perfect as the first one. Maybe because the first one ended at a very high note and a huge revelation. This one immediately started from a recap and then the repercussions from the first movie. New characters were introduced in this one, however they were weaker characters than those who were introduced in the first one. The story picks up again when Mu reuk and Lee An met again. I actually find the chemistry between these two characters the best in the movie. The idea that Lee An softens and able to show care to Mu Reuk when she learned he was her long-lost childhood friend (very Kdrama). Then, the BIG PLOT TWIST happens. And, this is where everything becomes exciting again. The huge action-sequences were well-choreographed. All the characters fighting as one against the big bad to save the world, Whoo! I can say this can be at par with the Hollywood's action movies. The movie ended with a perfect conclusion for the two large masterpieces.

In the end, I still recommend this movie. I love Mu Reuk, he's funny, quirky, loyal and very lovable. And the BIG PLOT TWIST was VERY shocking. You thought you already knew what was happening just because you watched the first one, NO YOU WERE WRONG. Lol.

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what should have been a great one , with lackluster screenplay end up an average watch.

Rated it 7/10.
I feel disappointed.
"I’m not an SJK fan but I’m not a hater either. I'm neutral."
" The story was flowing along intrestingly and pretty good showing the male lead's hardships. I was hoping it would continue that way. His struggles for work and warmth and a roof over his head were authentic. "
"The movie seemed to have spent more time on the “love” story and Marie’s drama than on what should’ve been the focus of the story, Loh’s journey to freedom. "

The Fl sounded like a spoiled brat. I didn't like her character. plus, Their love plot sounded illogical.

The gangster scenes was just laughable and the European gangsters very stereotyped.

song jong ki's facial expressions were almost the same. He could have done better.
The Fl's acting was okay. I think she deserves more recognition.

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Stellar cast let down by mediocre writing and even worse special effects

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate was a remake of a remake. After watching it, I’m pretty convinced that was at least one remake too many. In lieu of quality martial arts fights, Tsui Hark buried the film in bad CGI and mediocre storytelling.

It’s the Ming Dynasty which means the evil eunuchs are running amok. Zhao Huaian and his spunky rebels seek to take down the eunuchs and rescue the falsely accused. At the same time, a maid who was unfortunate enough to get impregnated by the emperor is on the run. Fear not! Eunuch Yu the head of the diabolical Western Bureau vows to have her hunted down and killed. A keen multi-tasker he is also determined to be rid of Zhao. The annoying maid is rescued by a female swordswoman and escorted to the Dragon Gate Inn in order to avoid a deadly sandstorm. The inn becomes overly crowded with a group of rowdy Tartars, Eunuch Yu’s men, and a dead ringer for Yu named Wind Blade. Eventually, Zhao shows up as well because the inn in the middle of nowhere is a magnet for killers and heroes alike. Everyone has their reason for being there and hidden treasure buried in the desert makes strange bedfellows with unlikely alliances.

This movie was 2 hours long but felt closer to 2 days. With the exception of the female Tartar warrior, none of the characters were particularly engaging. Aside from Burudu, I didn’t really care if any of them walked away from the inn where you did NOT want to be served “white” meat. Chen Kun played dual roles, but even he couldn’t save the lackluster writing. Jet Li acted bored as well. On the positive side the film had four accomplished female fighters. I was also happy to see old school kung fu movie star Gordon Liu in a guest role as one of the power hungry eunuchs brief as it was.

The film lacked character development and urgency for a story set in the only dwelling on the edge of nowhere filled with people wanting to kill each other. What could have been a tense claustrophobic thriller dragged on relentlessly with very little movement. The eunuch’s doppelgänger element was talked about more than used effectively. The romance clumsily wedged into the story was feeble at best. Five black sand tornadoes did little to liven things up.

Aside from the uninspired storytelling, what ruined this film for me was the terrible, and I mean atrocious CGI. The fights were ridiculously bad and completely reliant on CGI and green screens. The green screens were obvious as well. Nothing appeared real including the CGI actors that often bounced around. The sped up fake and real people fighting moved awkwardly instead of fluidly. Jet Li and Chen Kun’s fight in a tornado hurt my eyes there were so many bad effects going on. I kept expecting to see the woman riding her bike in the twister from The Wizard of Oz blow by. That’s not even taking into effect how fights were sped up and characters were thrown like paper airplanes. Most Wuxias in actual historical settings have some actions grounded in reality. People had limitless daggers stashed away in their sleeves. How their sleeves weren’t dragging the ground, I’ll never understand. Originally filmed for 3D, many of those daggers were hurled straight at the screen.

I enjoyed King Hu’s 1967 original Dragon Gate Inn no matter that the sword fights were primitive by today’s standards. At least they weren’t blurred and sped up to a ridiculous rate. I am a fan of Jet Li, Chen Kun, and Zhou Xun and I really wanted to like this film. The film ran too long, was narratively a mess, and relied too heavily on special effects instead of quality fight choreography. Flying Swords of Dragon Gate deserved to be buried in the sand.

5 March 2024

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