Reviews

fascinating

This movie is a fantastic series of twists and turns. One of the few I've seen recently where I genuinely couldn't predict what would happen next the majority of the time. Very decent quality too - pretty good actors, cinematography, etc. And the effects aren't terrible.

Some later parts in the film might be a little unsatisfying (no spoilers here) but even those parts are thought-provoking and interesting so I'm unbothered. When it's funny it's very funny, and when it's dramatic you can feel the suspense. Overall a very decent movie much better than the cheap lighthearted film I figured I was getting into.

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terrible but fun

Far from the worst movie I've ever watched but also far from the best. The aesthetics are pretty great even though they're cheesy and dated - that's the point. Same with the fight scenes. Watch for that and you're good.

The actual plot isn't great but at least it's fairly original. The acting is decent enough and I like the actors themselves.

My main issue was that despite it being an action movie I was repeatedly left bored for long stretches despite how the weird premise should've kept me very entertained. When it was fun, it was very fun. It just isn't fun all the time, so loses a couple stars for that.

Not a bad thing to watch anyway. Turn your brain off for a bit and enjoy.

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weird and great

In some ways it's a really standard action movie of its time and not very good. In other ways it's an incredibly weird, twisting adventure. I loved and hated it at the same time.

I mostly watched for the dated aesthetics which are great, as well as the actors. The plot is mediocre, effects are mediocre, but the fight scenes are extensive and visually appealing. Sometimes a little too long, but it's the kind of movie where you expect that, if not look forward to it.

Without giving spoilers... the skeleton part was my favorite part, hands down. How bizarre.

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The Forbidden Kingdom is a fun-filled martial arts adventure that pairs Jackie Chan and Jet Li in a unique East-meets-West fantasy. The film’s strength lies in its thrilling action sequences and the undeniable chemistry between the two legendary actors. The choreography, courtesy of renowned stunt coordinators, is impressive and showcases both Chan’s and Li’s incredible skills. The whimsical plot, centered around a young American who travels back in time to ancient China, provides a fresh twist on classic adventure tales.

However, the film’s story can feel overly simplistic and somewhat predictable, especially for those familiar with the genre. The dialogue and character development are often shallow, which can detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the film’s pacing occasionally lags, and some of the humor misses the mark. Despite these shortcomings, The Forbidden Kingdom delivers enough high-energy action and nostalgic charm to entertain fans of martial arts cinema. Overall, it's an enjoyable watch with memorable fight scenes, Must watch and highly recommendable!

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Dragon Blade (2015), directed by Daniel Lee, presents an epic blend of Eastern and Western cinema, anchored by Jackie Chan’s dynamic performance. Jackie Chan delivers a performance that is both charismatic and physically impressive. As Huo An, a former general who becomes a defender of the Silk Road, Jackie Chan brings his signature martial arts skills to the forefront, offering some of the film’s most dynamic and engaging action sequences. His ability to convey both physical prowess and a sense of honor and justice is a highlight of the film. John Cusack, playing the Roman general Lucius, provides a grounded but somewhat restrained performance, while Adrien Brody's portrayal of the villain Tiberius is intense but occasionally melodramatic.

The film’s story, set during the Han Dynasty, attempts to merge Roman and Chinese elements but ends up feeling predictable and underdeveloped. The script’s dialogue is often stilted, and the pacing is uneven, affecting overall engagement. However, the action sequences are a highlight, featuring impressive choreography and grand-scale battles that capture the epic nature of the narrative.

Visually, Dragon Blade impresses with its elaborate sets and costumes, enhancing the historical atmosphere. Despite its flaws in storytelling and character depth, the film offers an entertaining spectacle, particularly for fans of action and historical epics. Overall, it’s a solid 7/10, with notable strengths in action and visual presentation.

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'Triple - Do You Want?' (트리플 - 해볼까? / Teuripeul - Haebolkka?) is a South Korean dramatic-romantic film, which in 19 minutes tells the story of three couples; lesbians, heterosexuals and gays. They are all stuck in the rain and decide to kiss.
In the review I will refer to the story of the two boys who, in my opinion, are heterosexual and discover, in the rain, their same-sex attraction.
Directed by Kim Seon-hyung and script by Kim Eun Hye, this story tells the chance meeting of young people Ji Min (Yoo Kyung Seon) and Soo Huyn (Go Hyoung Woo) on the stairs of the first floor of a residential building. They both seek shelter from the sudden rain.
The beautiful photography by Jo Yoon-ju and Choi Ji-won captures the moment when a simple attitude changes everything. When the boy in white asks the other if he wanted to kiss him because he was staring at him insistently, the other could have simply said "no", but he did what most of us would like to do, he said what he wanted and that It generated destabilization and indescribable emotions.
The response gave the other the courage to be more incisive and realize that they both really wanted to kiss. Then, the one in white finally found the courage to express what he wanted and the two kissed.
To reach the climax, the short film captures eye contact, not being able to avoid looking at each other, the looks that one gives and the other returns, the increasing attention that one pays to the other. All this reflects that there is chemistry.
Jo Yoon-jeong's sound captures the falling rain, the nervous and labored breathing of the protagonists. I can almost guarantee that I hear the rapid beating of their hearts.
Seonhyeong Kim's editing is beautiful.
The viewer can quickly recognize that there is mutual interest, a manifest and growing attraction between the two through non-verbal language, that is, communication that reveals gestures, glances and body movements, among others.
As some would say, "the eyes are the window to the soul." Sometimes our gaze can unconsciously reveal our feelings. Therefore, when you want to find out if two people are attracted to each other, the first place to look is their eyes.
I would just like to add that I would like Ji Min and Soo Huyn to continue returning glances, smiles and kisses long after the rain that brought them together stops.

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"They'll tire of it, they're just women"

Cart was loosely based on the 2007 E-Land strike that went on for 510 days. Workers were striking against the corporation abusing irregular workers, not promoting them to regular work, not paying for overtime and most egregiously, a whole sale firing of workers for cheaper alternatives and to avoid promoting workers under the Irregular Employment Protection Act of 2006. Most of the irregular workers were women over the age of 30. Cart focused on women fighting not only for their jobs but their dignity and fair pay.

Han Sun Hee was close to being promoted to regular employee at the store after five long years. With a husband who traveled to find construction work, a teenage son and young daughter, her income was vital to the family. Lee Hye Mi was a single mother of a little boy and needed the job but refused to work unpaid overtime. One day everyone received a text message stating their contracts would no longer be honored. Hye Mi and older cleaner Kang Sun Rye gathered everyone to form a union and asked Sun Hee to help them lead it. Management refused to meet with the women, viewing them as “whining” and that there was nothing to worry about because, “They’ll tire of it. They’re just women.” Upper management couldn’t see what the problem was because the low pay was considered “pocket change” to them. The women were viewed as disposable and less than human. When the workers went on strike, the company played hardball utilizing brutal enforcers and police riot squads.

Cart had a strong cast. Yeom Jung Ah and Moon Jung Hee as cashiers, labor leaders, and Unnies gave heartfelt performances. Kim Kang Woo as assistant manager and labor leader Dong Jun added the one positive male portrayal. The story seemed unfocused at times and when an older lady told a speaker to put what he was saying in simple language, I repeated, “What she said!” Because I wasn’t familiar with the abusive working conditions and E-Land strike I ended up hitting Wikipedia to fill in the gaps. There were also events the writer failed to explain exactly what happened and it could feel like pieces of story were taped together with no connective material.

In my own country I’ve seen how people fighting to be seen, to be treated fairly, and paid fairly can run up against the wall of political or corporate bureaucracy. Goliath has the money and resources for long, drawn out fights. In the film, the women not only had to face a huge corporation, they failed to garner public support even after jackbooted enforcers pummeled them and tore down their encampments. Large corporations often have an easier time gaining the ear of reporters than disgruntled ahjummas. But when the chips are down, my money will always be on the fierceness of ahjummas, especially ahjummas willing to battle for 510 days to secure better and more fair employment.

7 August 2024

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'Pretty Boys is a romantic comedy that follows Grey, a flamboyant and charming young man, and his lifelong best friend, Jonas (Kiel Aguilar), a heartthrob with masculine appeal. While Jonas effortlessly navigates the gay dating scene, Gray struggles to find love, convinced that his effeminate style is an obstacle. But despite countless rejections, Gray remains hopeful.
Their world turns upside down when Yates (Markus Paterson), Grey's crush, returns from the United States. Grey's heart races at the chance to rekindle his old love, but his plans are derailed when Yates unexpectedly confesses his feelings for Jonas.
By enlisting Gray's help to win Jonas's heart, Yates puts Gray in a love triangle he never saw coming. As the plot unfolds, Gray is faced with a crucial decision: support Yates in her conquest of Jonas or take the opportunity to rekindle her own love story and prove that love knows no stereotypes.
This is another film about a boy (or three) facing his sexuality and searching for love and happiness. In reality, a film that dealt well with this topic would be novel, but that is not the case. And what bothers me the most is that it is directed and written by Iván Andrés Payawal and Ash Malanum, respectively, the filmmakers of 'Gameboys', 'Gameboys: The Movie', among other series and films, and the lovers of series and feature films LGBT+ Filipinos (and universals, why not?) recognize what this means.
What bothers me the most is that it stars Tommy Alejandrino, whom I loved in his role as Nikko in 'The Day I Loved You', Kiel Aguilar, who stole my heart playing Dave in 'Osmosis' and Jerome in 'Our Story', and Markus Paterson, who still steals my smiles and sighs since I discovered him in the role of Simon in 'Hello Stranger: The Movie', three actors who, with a better script and better constructed characters, would have made the film hit the mark.
'Pretty Boys' is a simple story with fairly flat characters. The girl in love with the confessed homosexual, the three declared homosexual boys who are not sure of anything or are too silent or declare their love so superficially that they do not move anyone, the members of the technical team of the play who contribute nothing to the story... All very topical and, deep down, a reflection of a reality.
The problem is that such a serious topic requires being treated in another way, at least with credible characters. Furthermore, the story seems to be in a nebula, since the protagonist's objective seems to change with each scene; and suddenly, everything happens in the last four, maybe two minutes, leaving only dissatisfaction.
The film is entertaining, but it doesn't contribute anything because not even the director knows what he wants to tell.

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Beautiful and meeh

This is a movie that has beautiful people, beautiful people and a hint of nostalgia but not much more. As the story is a bit slow paced and sweet yet lacks that little extra something (other than the leads) to make it stick out from the many movies and dramas that tell a similar story. While it does have a little something that I personally appreciate seeing mentioned on screen, I find myself conflicted about how that special something is showen or more like ignored and only mentioned very briefly. Is it too briefly or is the little bit it is mentioned just enough to make it part of the plot that does not outshine the human behind it...
Sorry for not writing what that something is, but I fear it could be a spoiler for some, if you watch this then keep an eye out for how little screen time a major part of the plot actually gets and everything I just wrote will make sence (if not feel free to ask).

I am not really sure what the message here is, and even if I did I am pretty sure it could be my nemesis healing and stuff... But all in all a beautiful watch worth it if not for anything else than for Greg Hsu and all the beautiful, talented screen time with him this movie offers.

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Monologue elevator

Two people meet regularly going to the office in the building elevator. They end up noticing each other but do not dare speak. He cannot speak chinese and she expects him to make the first move this being a conservative society and so forth. When they realize they'd noticed each other he is afraid to be labelled a stalker and does not dare look at her while she keeps dressing up more and more in order to attract his attention.

This short film touches upon so many things while riding the elevator and listening to the pair's inner thoughts: the crush they both feel, the society pressure to be extremely respective of the woman to the point of being afraid to talk to her or even look at her, the language barrier and their own shyness. While she tries to catch his attention with little gestures, he is panicked at the idea of being considered stalker and worse. And that is what this short film is about: how do you approach a woman in today's society where the majority of men are decent human beings but all are considered a menace? You withdraw inside your own bubble and wait! And that's what the ML here did.

The format is original. We see them waiting for and riding the elevator and only that: he's always dressed in the same suit while she changes her outfits, her hair, her make up trying to encourage him. But that has the opposite effect: the prettier she gets, the less courage he has. He fell for her when she looked like a cliché secretary with serious glasses and strict hairstyle: he noticed a mole on her neck and that was enough to seduce him!

This is a film about introverts, apparently. I guess you can say that in as much as he is bound by current society rules and she by cultural traditions and therefore they both expect the other one to act first. Which eventually happens and she makes the first step when he is just about to give up. If this does not say so much about the society today, I do not know what does!

But, THIS IS ONLY WHAT I SAW. Maybe you view it differently: then kudos to the director for telling a story on multiple levels! First and foremost, this is a cute beginning of a love story between two shy individuals.

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Great cast, interesting timeline, intense battle scenes and good dynamics but it lacked a bit more character presence


I had to pause a few times, the tragedy lvls were high, the fight scenes intense, the strategies and counter attacks were impressive tho I have two comments later
And eventho they had good dynamics, frenemies, lovers, families, girl power, mentors, but it did lack a bit in laying out characters and deeper backgrounds, everything was superficial, understandably cuz the fight scenes were the focus, but it was a fine line between just a battle vs the emotional attachment


My NJK, idk if this was before his acting improved or if his stoic silent presence lurking in the background but I wouldn’t mind calling it a characteristic cuz he was “young” and not miraculously the hero
solhyun improved since my country, paso was as soft and cute as my sweet monster, my Stephanie ;( not enough scenes
I also didn’t notice at first that they were “protected” by the mountains from the back so eventho their castle size wasn’t big they had many resources

their counterattacks were impressive, every time it looked like there's no hope, they outsmarted their emenies
baekha should've poisoned her arrows, to get that close with so many ppl around was even less possible than what paso did
same with manchun. if your arrow has less than 1% chance, you should atleast hope a scratch can kill

then about the tunnel, eventho they didn't realize it sooner cuz they knew their sands the best, like the hill wasn't discreet, it took 3 months, so they should've thought of counter attacks faster, but couldn't they tie ropes and pull the pillars? like everyone even non army's could've pulled ?

so that sear(?) betraying them made zero sense, like yeah kill more of your ppl and say "that's the only way we can not die.."

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movie back up us to simple wishes ,wake up our humanity

In my opinion, the film is very good. As always, the actors perfectly conveyed emotions and feelings to the audience so much so that at the end Seo Bok was really a pity... As they say, if an actor makes u worry and feel, then his acting is real!
And also heartbreaking emotions, especially when the film shows that "not a person \ object" in their opinion suddenly begins to experience emotions and understand this world as a person, to experience love, fear, injustice, hatred, to realize that he is already not a real person, the feeling of injustice on the creators is especially high at the same time shown considering how they used him and treated him cruelly, inhumanely, and here you begin to pity "this object" of a non-person, who in the end turns out to be more human than his creators.
Such feelings often appear in films where they create robots or clones or people with superpowers for research and then decide to destroy them because they are no longer needed. Sometimes u start thinking that everyone has a soul, even objects at first glance)
I felt sorry for Seo Bok, it hurt that he understood everything but couldn't do anything about it because he was dependent on injections and he understood it too

He wanted to be useful to someone, to really save his life, so that his suffering in the experiments was not in vain, but not in the way his creators wanted, who were absolutely not bothered by the fact that he might be in pain or that he was eating bad food and whether he was eating at all, they didn't care what he was thinking, he was just a living experiment for them.
In this film there is something to think about and discuss in light of today's events in the world and in everyday life.
For example, that through a film they can also manipulate consciousness, as well as another thing, that more often in a film u will meet humanity and help more than in real life under serious circumstances..
I think this film is more for those who have empathy and can feel others very well, this film shows how cruel people can be in their momentary impulses, as well as the ordinary simple desires of people who are dependent on others not of their own free will, which sometimes can be inaccessible due to the fault of others..
To some extent, this film brings us back to simple human values: to eat noodles, to try something for the first time, to meet the sunset and sunrise at sea, which is eternity in this context, to feel the water, the sea, the sand, which is life.

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Masterpiece....

Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman is an absolute cinematic gem that effortlessly blends supernatural elements with laugh-out-loud comedy. This Korean film is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while simultaneously tickling their funny bone.

From the moment the film starts, it grabs your attention with its intriguing premise and vibrant characters. The portrayal of Dr. Cheon, a charismatic fake exorcist, is nothing short of brilliant. His on-screen presence is magnetic, and his witty banter with his sidekick, In-bae, is pure gold.

The film’s masterful blend of horror and humor is a testament to the director's skill. The suspenseful moments are genuinely chilling, while the comedic relief comes at just the right time, preventing the film from becoming overly dark. The special effects are top-notch, immersing the audience in a world of supernatural wonder.

Every aspect of this film is executed to perfection. The pacing is impeccable, the storyline is engaging, and the characters are relatable. It's rare to find a film that delivers on all fronts, but "Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman" undoubtedly achieves this.

If you're looking for a thrilling, entertaining, and unforgettable cinematic experience, I wholeheartedly recommend "Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman." It's a 10/10 in my book.

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