barelyconcealed
Louis Koo understood the assignment
This is a video game movie. Not in the sense that it's based on a video game (it is) but that the game FEELS like several game actions strung along with the barest, flimsiest plot. Perhaps the plot would be more familiar with it if I was more familiar with Three Dynasties stories, but I'm not.
Of the performances, I feel like Louis Koo was one of the only cast members who seemed to like "get" what kind of movie he was in. There's a level of like, sincere and stoic that he hit that is perfect for Lu Bu and a film this ludicrous.
I love the absurd butt rock while men run around and fight each other in wire work. Like ok, give me more of that nonsense than like, posh orchestral scores. This feels oddly visceral but then, that's Dynasty Warriors.
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Why is this my first Miike movie?
I have no idea why this is the first Takashi Miike movie I've seen. The prolific filmmaker has made a bunch of movies that should be up my alley but for some reason this movie is the first of his that I've seen.It's uh...interesting? It's kind of a mess to be totally honest. The characters are a bit of a type, and there aren't a lot of true surprises when instead you consider the gore-heavy shock elements also at play here. I'm not familiar with the manga and reading up synopsis of that work honestly only made this seem less surprising in context.
Ryunosuke Kamiki, who plays Amaya Takeru, is probably my favorite performance. A good psychopath in this style is probably best done with a sense of manic glee that he embodies so well. He just looks like he's having so much fun, it's hard to really hold all the death against him.
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For me the only big thing that I think needs to be pointed out is that the show needs a major trigger warning for sexual assault (not between any of the shows pairings) for episode #14 (if you're watching the shorter episodes) and #7.
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reincarnation
tw: major character death, bad family dynamicsI accidentally started watching this first in the Legend of Yunze series before realizing this was clearly a follow-up special. It's really interesting seeing a reincarnation/I'll always be waiting for you kind of story with these characters.
It was a little confused on the tropes - it kind of felt like a grab bag and in certain cases felt really rushed. Like ok now it's a coffee shop AU, but it's also a roommates AU, and it's also a long-lost love situation. It was a bit much for 11 episodes. While I felt like the first series handled the short format a bit better in what they tried to cram in, this special seemed a bit more intent on trying to get everything in and I'm not sure that was the right decision for this story overall. There were more moments to get excited for in this series than the prior, but I would still rate it a bit lower.
re: bad family dynamics - I don't always tag those, but A-Ze has a really verbally abusive foster mother who is clearly using her for her money, and while it is something that is dealt with in the text of the drama, it still feels like something that could be triggering.
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I am not very familiar with the source material, either the web novel or drama. I watched some of the drama but only enough to know it wasn't for me.
The production design of this movie, specifically in terms of practical sets and costumes was pretty solid. The decision to put every actor and actress in miles of chiffon is one I agree with. From what I've read this is a director who is best known as a cinematographer and I think that carries through in terms of direction.
Where the movie falls apart for me is in terms of plot and narrative.
Without a Wikipedia plot summary, I'm not sure I could've followed along with this movie. There is a lot of information crammed into 2 hours, which while admirable is perhaps not advisable. These characters have lived thousands of years worth of plot relevant suffering and giving us a cliff notes version of those years is a good way to give your audience narrative whiplash.
The overall performances are fine.The rest of the movie is, in a word fine. l have never seen a more beautiful movie that I did not care about.
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