Reviews

Tired and stagnant

On paper, the premise for Disciples of the 36th Chamber probably sounded promising, sadly this is a disappointing finale to the 36th Chamber trilogy. There's little of the inventiveness and vitality that figured so heavily in the previous films, instead, we're given a sub-standard kung-fu revenge plot tinged with the occasional comedic beats. It feels like a product of yesteryear, marking the passing of the torch when it comes to populist Hong Kong action cinema. One that relegates Gordon Liu to a mere supporting role and focuses on the most annoying Fong Sai-Yuk in the history of Hong Kong cinema as played by Hsiao Ho. That being said, Lau Kar-Leung's direction remains particularly strong but it's his script where the film falls apart, with a few tweaks here and there, it could have been a winner. The usual production values that so epitomise a Shaw Brothers production are all here but ultimately it's at the expense of awfully sluggish pacing, this is the shortest film of the trilogy and yet it feels the longest to the point at which I felt I was zoning out. Sadly, there's not a lot to distinguish Disciples of the 36th Chamber as its own unique experience. It feels tired and stagnant, even with all its traditional Shaw Brothers style, signifying a changing tide for audiences.

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IT IS MY FIRST REVIEW!!!

I would rate Confession of Murder an 8 out of 10 for its thrilling narrative, intense performances, and well-executed suspense. The film does an excellent job of keeping viewers engaged with its clever twists and the dynamic tension between the detective and the alleged killer. The action scenes, especially the car chase, are standout moments that add to the film’s excitement. However, some plot twists feel a bit over-the-top, which slightly affects the film's believability. Despite this, its gripping story and emotional depth make it a strong and memorable entry in the crime thriller genre.

Confession of Murder (2012) is a gripping South Korean thriller that masterfully blends suspense with emotional depth. The story revolves around a detective, Choi Hyung-goo, who has been haunted by an unsolved serial murder case for 15 years. Just after the statute of limitations expires, a man named Lee Doo-seok publishes a bestselling book claiming to be the killer, detailing the murders in chilling detail. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat as it unravels a complex cat-and-mouse game between the detective and the supposed killer, with layers of mystery and deception that constantly keep you guessing. The intense pacing and unexpected twists make it a standout in the genre, while exploring deeper themes of justice, guilt, and revenge.

The performances are another highlight, particularly by Jung Jae-young, who plays the dogged detective, and Park Si-hoo, whose portrayal of the smug, charismatic killer adds an eerie charm to the character. Director Jung Byung-gil also deserves praise for his stylish direction and ability to maintain tension throughout the film. The action sequences are thrilling, especially a spectacular car chase that stands out as one of the best in Korean cinema. However, some of the plot twists may feel overly dramatic or far-fetched to some viewers, which could detract from the overall realism. Nonetheless, Confession of Murder offers an entertaining and suspenseful ride that fans of crime thrillers will thoroughly enjoy.

Story 9.0/10

Acting/Cast 9.0/10

Music 7.0/10

Rewatch Value 1.5/10

Overall 8.0/10

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This needs at least 30 minutes more to be BELIEVABLE and LOGICAL! It took its time to introduce the characters even with subplots we don't give a sh*t about (boss of the ML) and they finally start to be friends, young ML doesn't have even think about the other as a love interest that he suddenly confesses 10 minutes before the ending ??? And what ? They kissed and he got rejected, then they are together for one night once he got 1st place (they made a whole drama about that just to not uses it after... underwhelming af) and he "broke up" "abandonned" him the next morning ???? To finally jump off the car and getting back to him in the last minutes ? I'd rather have no drama about the sunbae at dance and the female boss and the 10 last minutes developped during the fucking movie not just threw at your face for 8 minutes straight where all happened at the same time for no f*ck*ng reason. Ilogical, underwhelming, confusing and unsatisfying. I doubted I'd try anything else from the screenwriter or the director. Easy watch though

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I AM TRAUMATIZED by this movie. I cried so much. It was so hard to watch sometimes that I hardly/bearly stood it. I even put it on pause to breath through the HELL that happened. It was even worse when I heard it was based on a true story... My heart bleeds for these children... The movie was really realistic and for that reason I hated the ending. Bc it mirrored how our society deals with sexual assualt on children not to say the R and the P words. The ending was really heartbreaking and unfair. First I hated the movie for what it made me feel. Especially a scene I still make nightmares about. This haunts me, it is truly engraved in my memory even though I want to erase it because of the cruelty it portrays. Though, as time went by, I changed my mind. This a wonderful movie because it passes a message and this is what is important here. The message. I CANNOT REWATCH THIS.

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Obtain power from this warm and healing film.

Zhang Zhehan’s directorial debut, documentary “August”, has been nominated for the Audience Awards at the ARFF Amsterdam 2024 Annual Awards. This film named August is quite warm and healing. Actor Zhangzhehan suffers from huge cyberbullying and his achievements are all blocked , but false rumor are still existing on the internet. In order to come out of the shadow of hurt, Zhangzhehan chose to ride and meet different people. Through listening their life experiences and stories, he realized that the real world is different from the online world, kind people are more and nature is beautiful. These nice things slowly healed him and he obtained strong power at the same time. He tried to be a singer again and owned huge success. His first single named Melancholy Sunshine released on December 15, 2022 and topped to iTunes Worldwide Song. Up to now, Zhangzhehan has released three albums and nineteen singles, all of these obtained outstanding achievements. He has twelve singles and one album topped to iTunes. l'm proud of Zhangzhehan and he's a brave hero. l'm happy that he could come out of the hurt and become better. Good luck and best wishes to him.

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I don’t even have a dog and I cried, simple, feel good, cute and adorable puppies, cute bromance, sweetie ml, nice linear journey and well wrapped ending tho missed on showing more scenes


Not me thinking he should get rid of the finance instead

Like seriously, don’t date a guy with a dog if you’re allergic then make him get rid of it and threaten him that their kids will have that allergy
At first I thought he hid the fact that he had a dog, or he never mentioned it, but she lied to him ;( tho I think they dated then he had to take in his mom's dog
and the end was resolved cutely


This ml is sooo much better than my sweet monster, he was such a sweetheart, and he could sort out his feelings well, it takes a real man to cry so purely ;(

YYS, unlike his dongmae, he does get typecast as the sweetie and naive personality often, some dramas I couldn’t take him but here like hospital playlist, he was a green flag, a bit more gentle and crybaby but such a sweetie
Fl, she wasn’t bad, especially compared to dna lover character; another sad typecast, she was nice but as mom says “if she didn’t tell him he had to get rid of the dog the movie wouldn’t happen” ;p

The last two options weren’t bad either, but they became attached to the dogs and in the end it sparked all of their desires to dream again

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Fun-filled parody of the original

A bizarre, unconventional, almost anachronistic parody of the original 36th Chamber, Return to the 36th Chamber is just as much fun as its predecessor albeit for very different reasons. Equal parts spoof and as it is a straightforward martial arts actioner, the film recasts Gordon Liu as a down-on-his-luck con artist learning the ropes from the very character he played in the original, one that pushes Liu's comedic chops to the forefront and one he pulls off exceptionally well. The lighter tone and bigger focus on comedy oddly work in the film's favour, it's a welcome change of pace in direct contrast to the original, one that I found myself laughing at consistently. Lau Kar-leung maintains his stunning direction with just as much emphasis here on training sequences versus actual fighting which are once again a fantastic sight to behold. Admittedly, some aspects of the plot don't hold up to intensive scrutiny, but for what it is, Return to the 36th Chamber works. A fun-filled, highly engaging piece with a heightened sense of reality that will please fans and newcomers alike.

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Same old Threesome trope

This show isn't breaking any boundaries on a story level. We have the tired setup of a couple that has lost their passion, been through one too many arguments, and adding a third into their relationship to hopefully bring it back to life. The problem with this is it has been done before so many times. From the first 5 minutes you know where this is heading so it hard to get invested in the throuple.

It doesn't help that Marlon is the type of character you just want to dislike. He is a grown adult going through a mid life crisis. He wants to have fun again and doesn't really care about his partners' feelings. His conversation with Jermey just felt cringy on the highest level. While we do get to see the reasons why he feels like he can be an entitled jerk he still feels like a horrible boyfriend and a hypocrite as well.

Paul and Jermey we know even less about. Paul the workaholic is trying to accommodate Marlon and Jermey who is trying hard to be a good partner to both. The end twist isn't that surprising and just makes me more ticked at Marlon probably because this show is just too short to sway me to his side. I never bonded with Marlon and Paul as a couple to feel that invested in their old transgression that caused the new relationship to be buried under its weight. In the end I feel sorry for Jermy the most.

There is a ton of realistic sex in this movie, more than there needed to be. I almost feel like the show was window-dressing for the sex to be honest.

I was hoping for a movie where we finally get a happy threesome in the end. It seems like it never seems to happen except for side throuples in shows. At the very least this would have been more interesting if they had spent some time letting us get to know the characters outside of the bedroom and feel more of the emotions beyond the arguments and discontent that lay between them.

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where the story and inner voice of the characters are more important than genre stereotypes.

Stereotypes of films like “The Count of Monte Cristo” have accustomed us to the standard plot lines of such stories: a strong hero/heroine, betrayal, years in prison that transform and temper their character, liberation, a plan for revenge, a cunning opponent whom the hero/heroine defeats due to their extreme coolness. In the South Korean “Revolver”, everything will be different: depending on your expectations, this will be either a cool feature or an annoying misunderstanding. The woman did not become stronger in prison - she is broken both morally and physically: as a former police officer, she was constantly beaten. The scene of liberation paints an accurate portrait of her: no family, no friends, no place to live, only scars on her body. She challenges the powerful villains who deceived the police, she decides to do so for a purely pragmatic reason - she has nothing to live on. The villains turn out to be not so influential and these are only bureaucrats whose “right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.” Moreover, they did not seem to be planning to deceive her - just, as happens in life, something went wrong. For almost two hours you will have to follow the chaotic actions of the heroine and her either friends or enemies. The outcome of such a story is unpredictable - having broken the initial axioms, we can end up anywhere in the finale. For some reason, this approach reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s stories, where powerful villains often turn out to be weak and worthy of sympathy. The film also has a detective component. This authorial and plot confusion seemed original and exciting. So I would definitely recommend “Revolver” to fans of non-standard action films, where the story and inner voice of the characters are more important than genre stereotypes.

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