Reviews

“you will be happy”

A timid teen and tsundere general are engaged by the family members in this heartwarming journey to find happiness in themselves and in others.

Strengths:

- Strong acting performance and well-executed storyline.
- Entertaining action sequences with power elements involved.
- Easy to watch.
- The setting of the movie was very natural and elegant.

Weakness:

- Couple relationship felt underdeveloped.
- Pacing issues; the plot would move from one scene to the next with little tension.

Overall, a very satisfying and heartwarming movie. I would recommend it if you are looking for something with fantasy elements and romance between a happily engaged couple.

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A woman’s life inKorean society is tough

I enjoyed watching this movie as I thought it seemed to portray accurately a woman’s life in South Korea.

Despite having a degree and successful career prior to marriage, respect from family, friends and strangers was difficult to achieve once she became a mother. while not every mother would go through this extreme experience, the struggle to be recognised and respected, I imagine, would be common to most.

Even the love of a husband cannot substitute for respect whether that be self respect or from others.

Given the patriarchal culture with overbearing and demeaning behaviour from in-laws it is understandable why Korea’s birth rate and marriages is so low.

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Loved it as a delinquents fan

I personally found the movie to be an absolute blast! I don't know anything about the manga, but it was very enjoyable. It’s the perfect mix of comedy, action, and classic over-the-top acting scenes.

The characters were soo fun and I loved watching all the characters come to life. Have to say that the sassy blonde was my personal favorite. He stole attention every scene he was in. The actors are quite good too. All of them were good at showcasing the chaotic energy of Japanese delinquent roles. The over-the-top acting style feels so much like the classic "delinquent movie", which I think is done well!

The fight scenes are not always perfect and they have some flaws.I mean, the fight sequences are not as good as the High&Low series, but I was easily able to look over it. Have to say that blond's fight sequences were quite good! I thought his fight sequences were done very well, from the acting to the editing. And the humor? I was glad to have that in the movie. I know some people might prefer to just have the action, but I thought that the humor made it easier to watch. It gave a break from the serious scenes. The movie has a lighter, fun vibe, but I don't think it distracts from the delinquency vibes.

I will say that I did not care for the songs in this movie. I don't think they match the the vibes of this and I found them to be little off-putting.

Overall, Out is a good watch for me.

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Very unexpected

The whole story was beautiful and emotional. All of the universes they went through were interesting and captivating in their own way. I could really fell both of their desperation and love, and it made me cry a lot in the end.
The only thing i thought could be better is the english parts. Becky and the mom talked with more focus on making the english sound right and 'american' than on the acting itself. Becky even let her british accent slip out in some parts kkkkkkkkk
Also, i know this is my own issue, but i didn't understand the part that Lin is an old lady.
I would definitely recommend this to everyone. It was so good.

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The gang was all back, continuing where they left off in Alienoid: Return to the Future.

What I liked:
I enjoyed the cast from main characters to bit players. They took great care in picking people for even small roles. The actors certainly gave it their all and most of the characters were interesting.
Much of the storyline was generic, but the trip to the past stocked with sorcerers gave it a unique twist. If only they’d tightened the writing.
The female lead was competent if in need of rescuing on numerous occasions.

What didn’t work for me:
Much of the movie involved chase scenes going nowhere to fill the time.
Another childhood connection story showing two characters were fated to be together. This trope can’t be escaped even in separate timelines.

Overall, the CGI and acting were decent even though it looked like a drama instead of a feature film. This was not an epic story, it was quite simplistic as complex as they tried to make it appear. For me, they simply didn’t have enough story to tell and spent much of the time going in circles and flashing back and forth in time. Two hours was too long for something that could have been accomplished in less than an hour. I would have enjoyed Alienoid/Alienoid 2 more if they’d shortened them to one concise film or extended them for a (very) limited drama filling out the characters whose stories were shorthanded and straightened out some of the messy writing.

6 January 2025

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disappointing love story

I rarely have second lead syndrome, but this one hit the hardest. I went into this expecting for her to choose the best friend just for her to end up with the new classmate. I didn't really feel the chemistry and the ending was pretty weird but very predictable. Aside from that, a lot of the story has been swept under the rug for their romance - like what happened to the girl from the band after, what about the best friend, is he okay? also how was life in america for the main guy? just a lot of jumps. Overall, this movie has great quality but would not recommend watching it.

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Snow Man is a delight to watch.

The closest thing I knew of Kabuki prior to watching this was when I played a Japanese mobile game about a theater company back in 2018. Since then, I have always wondered what a real Kabuki performance looks like, especially during the time when I became really invested in watching different stage plays.

It seemed like the universe heard my plea and gave me a film starring Snow Man in a Kabuki production, showcasing their range as artists. What's even more fascinating is that I didn't have to scour the ends of the internet to watch it, as it is readily available on Netflix in my country.

Takizawa Kabuki Zero 2020 is such a delight to watch as both a theater fan and a Snow Man fan. The film successfully blends the traditional aspects of Kabuki with the modern elements of a concert. The first act highlighted Snow Man's dancing and acrobatic abilities, while the second act mainly focused on their acting skills.

Overall, it was a truly entertaining show. We were able to see everyone's dynamics from time to time, and each member had the chance to shine in one way or another. I genuinely hope that Snow Man continues to do more theater—both live and on film—because they are a joy to watch.

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Assured, poetic and a gently unassuming cinematic masterpiece

Takeshi Kitano is one of the few directors who can bring me to tears in seemingly every manner possible, A Scene at the Sea is no exception. A beautifully realised tale of an outsider who almost unwittingly finds himself embraced by a community he seems virtually indifferent to in his single-minded determination to master a new and chance-discovered obsession. Tethered to only the slightest narrative, the film evokes the experience of early love and disappointment in a manner both sharp and tender. Kitano has managed to excel himself by retaining all the interesting and original traits of his more graphic films, yet managing to tell a story that is just as deep and provocative, only to a more subtle degree. With much of the film playing with no dialogue at all, it's down to the body language and facial expressions of the performers, the shot choice and the editing skills of the director to tell the story, you only need to have seen one of Kitano's other directorial works to know that this is a long way from a tall order. The camera work is extremely sedate and enveloping, managing to capture the beautiful tranquillity of the ocean. The characters do not speak, yet the story never seems to drag at all, with each scene drawing the viewer steadily into this very attractive and insular world that they inhabit. And then there's Joe Hisaishi's music... A haunting mixture of marimba, synthesisers, piano & strings, it augments the atmospheric stillness and compliments the mood of the film perfectly. A hugely important film in Kitano's development as a filmmaker, one in which he discarded his dramatic safety net to tell a small story in a resolutely minimalist fashion and scored a bold, quietly brilliant bulls-eye. There's no violence, precious little dialogue and the tone and pacing vary little throughout, yet the hold exerted by the characters and storytelling is considerable, one that speaks in confident whispers instead of shouting its qualities in the manner of more attention-grabbing early works from any number of younger filmmakers the world over. A Scene at the Sea remains to this day one of his most assured, poetic and yet gently unassuming cinematic achievements, one that can be genuinely moving but never slips for a moment into sentimentality. I love it.

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