112
399
15
2
5
2
7
7
3
8
1
1
1
1
2
4
7
4
9
When Brother Chao is killed by The Golden Spear, the Liangshan gang of righteous outlaws vows revenge. The only problem, Shi Wen Gong is too tough for any of their fighters to confidently defeat. Timely Rain decides they should call upon the Jade Unicorn and The Prodigy to take him down. Two of the members attempt to trick Lu Chun I into helping them but he sees through them with the aid of Yen Ching. Before he can send the two outlaws home, his adulterous wife and her lover set him up with the corrupt Grand Secretary Liang. While everyone escapes, Lu is captured. The Heroes of Liangshan won’t abandon an honorable man who is suffering because of them and the race is on to save his life before he is executed.
This synopsis sounds interesting and it was once the story got rolling, but it was a tediously slow start. The movie spent 12 minutes briefly introducing characters-27 of them! But that’s not all! The introductions kept going. I counted 46 actors introduced as important characters. It could make the mind reel, especially since most of the heroes don’t show up again until briefly at the end for the final fight. Despite the number of characters, the primary focus was on Lu and Yen Ching. Welcome/Timely Rain, Clever Star, Black Whirlwind, and the Fearless One were also integral to the story. Leopard Man/Lin Chong had fights at the beginning and end of the movie.
David Chiang as The Prodigy was an interesting choice. He has legions of fans, I have just never warmed up to him much in these old films. His fights were underwhelming. Yen Ching’s ability meant he barely touched men and they flipped through the air which seemed odd coming from such a slight actor. The stuntmen earned their money twirling and flopping from what looked like imaginary contact at times. Tamba Tetsuro was far more intimidating as the Jade Unicorn. Ku Feng as Timely Rain was truly welcome for me, he’s one of my favorites. Wang Chung threw himself into the energetic role of Fearless. The final fight pitted five of the heroes and their different styles against five of Shi Wen Gong’s men. The two Japanese actors, Tamba Tetsuro and Kurosawa Toshio also had their chance to face off. For 1972, the fights weren’t bad. Some were clearly better than others and more realistically gory.
Shaw Brothers opened up their check book for this film. The cast of stars may have been large but the cast of extras involved was huge. There were three directors and two assistants (John Woo and Godfrey Ho) along with four fight choreographers.
The sets were massive and the costumes were unique for the different characters although poor Ti Lung had a laughably bad outfit and wig. The biggest drawback for me was the soundtrack. It was wildly anachronistic, synthetic music sounding like it came off of a 1970’s US cop show with hints of Shaft and Clint Eastwood westerns thrown in. Somehow if didn’t match up to this ancient story. And story is what this movie had going for it once it actually started. Unlike the hundreds of thinly plotted kung fu films churned out by Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, Water Margin had layers of story within it. There were times it could be repetitive, the Jade Unicorn was rescued and captured several times and the Heroes of Liangshan weren’t always well coordinated in their efforts which nearly led to tragic events. It also seemed pointless to spend so much time introducing the heroes when most of them were never seen again or only briefly at the end of the movie.
If you go into The Water Margin with the understanding that most of the characters in the lengthy introduction will have little to no screen time, it will help. The focus was on Lu being wrongfully charged with a crime and the efforts to clear or rescue him with the revenge against Shi served up for dessert. Though this was epic for a Shaw Brothers production, it will still only be of interest to fans of old martial arts movies or maybe those fans of the novel.
28 March 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"When you think you're safe is precisely when you're most vulnerable"
Seven Samurai is not just a movie about fighting samurai, this film calls out the injustices prevailed on the common people by the warring ruling classes and class delineations. Kurosawa’s 3 ½ hour film would appear to be too long, and truthfully on previous viewings, I felt that way. But this time having learned to be comfortable with his world and character building, I settled in and watched as he wove a complex story out of a simple one. Kurosawa is a master at teaching and rewarding patience.“You all make great scarecrows. Problem is, the enemy isn’t a bunch of sparrows and crows.”
A small village of peasants whose crops are routinely plundered by the local bandits make a desperate all-in decision. Rather than risk starving and losing their women to the thieves they determine to find samurai hungry enough to protect them for food but not so strong as to be a more dangerous alternative than the bandits. Kambei is recruited first after he rescues a small child from a thief. From there Kambei puts together a team of six willing samurai. A seventh “samurai” refuses to be dismissed and follows them anyway. Kikuchiyo will prove vitally important as a link to the farmers. Kambei develops a plan to protect the village from 40 bandits on horses and armed with muskets with only seven warriors and untrained villagers with bamboo spears. Though the odds are not in their favor this new team of uneasy allies does not back down.
“In life, one finds friends in the strangest places”
The story occurred in one of Kurosawa’s favorite settings, the Sengoku period during the 16th century. While the classes were separated, there was still miniscule room for movement. At the same time, there was a belief that poverty and suffering was the fate for peasants and many of the samurai interviewed refused to help them. There was no reward, no chance for glory or increased rank, no lord to serve. Only those who enjoyed battle or were hungry or had sympathy for the peasants were willing to join.
“Who turned the farmers into such monsters?”
Civil wars had been devastating for the peasants who always have the smallest of safety nets in any time period. For these farmers, the samurai were not much different than the bandits. In a key scene, brilliantly played by Mifune Toshiro, Kikuchiyo upbraided the six when they were horrified to discover armor the farmers had stolen or killed fleeing samurai for. He quickly put things in perspective. Samurai murdered, pillaged, raped, and burned just as the bandits did only under the guise of “honorable” warfare, the end was the same for the farmers. Inviting samurai into their village could be the same result as bringing a tiger to the front door to chase wolves out the back. Someone always coveted the valuable rice and barley the farmers grew. Powerless farmers were left with little to barter with except their women and their lives keeping them in a perpetual state of fear.
“By protecting others, you save yourself”
Samurai Heihachi designed a flag displaying the growing cooperation between the disparate groups. Kambei and Kikuchiyo along with the other samurai and lead peasants forged a transformation of societal boundaries. The two sides slowly learned to trust each other building something new and important. But would it last?
“There’s nothing heroic about selfishly grabbing for glory”
Kurosawa regular Shimura Takashi played Kambei Shimada, the leader of the samurai. This is by far my favorite role of his despite loving Ikiru. Shimura was calm, wise, wily, and also had a sense of humor. He owned every scene he was in and it was quite believable that he instilled confidence and commanded respect from both samurai and villager. His performance was brilliant as the leader who eschewed the need for glory and demanded complete selflessness. Another Kurosawa regular, Mifune Toshiro, and one of my favorite actors, played the slightly and sometimes not so slightly, unhinged Kikuchiyo. It was a role similar to the one he played in Rashomon. Overflowing with kinetic energy and emotion, he never stepped out of character, never reverted to the ultra-cool samurai he was capable of playing. Kimuro Isao as the youngest samurai, Katsushiro, displayed the awe of the men around him and the fear of first battle and first love. The other samurai were capably played and carefully developed as individual characters instead of bland backdrops. Even several peasants were highlighted.
“I defended my post”
Using his three-camera technique for the first time, Kurosawa blended the action to convey the tension of death and battle. His customary blowing dust skittered across the scenes as moods changed. While there was emotional music, his most successful background sounds for me were the beating drums of war approaching even as songbirds sang and flowers bloomed. As the rain fell during the final battle, it was hard to distinguish samurai from peasant. Side by side they fought viciously and heroically regardless of the consequences, regardless of rank, regardless of whether they or their alliance survived. Seven Samurai fought not only bandits but distrust and social injustice with only one side in the triangle of power capable of winning. If you can let Kurosawa slowly envelope you in this world he created with good and evil and every shade of gray in between you’ll be rewarded with a captivating film superbly made.
27 March 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"The best fights are the ones we avoid"
How you feel about The Karate Kid remake may largely depend on how old you were when you first watched it and how old you were when you watched the original. Despite the title, in the remake they practiced kung fu, not karate, and Xiao Dre was quite a bit younger than Daniel-san had been. Other than those elements and the Chinese travelogue inserted, the basic storyline was the same.Twelve-year-old Dre has to leave everything behind when his mom is transferred to Beijing, China. While his mom looks at it as an opportunity, Dre feels left adrift. On his first day in his new home, he runs afoul of the local kung fu bullies and is beaten. He also meets sweet Mei Ying who is a classmate and violinist. After the maintenance man saves him during a vicious beating, the story is set up for Mr. Han to train Dre in kung fu.
Jaden Smith’s size made him a perfect target for bullies and it was easy to see why Dre would be afraid of Cheng and the pack he ran with. The Kick Them in the Dragon Balls School of Kung Fu mantra of “No Weakness! No Pain! No Mercy!” didn’t leave a lot of room for negotiation, especially with its abusive and sadistic master. Taraji P. Henson was gorgeous and tenacious as the over-protective mom. Jackie Chan gave a subdued performance as the mentor, Mr. Han. He only had one fight and it was with the prepubescent bullies. The kids who played Cheng and Mei Ying were adequate.
The cinematography and scenery were beautiful. There were trips to the Forbidden City, a kung fu monastery on a mountaintop, and training on the Great Wall of China. I suspect the last one is a big no-no in real life. The strange new home upped the ante on the fish out of water trope, especially when Dre didn’t speak any Mandarin. The travelogue elements while stunning, also hampered the movie as the pace was already doggedly slow. No kung fu movie needs to be 2 ½ hours long. There was also the change to the kids’ ages that I found troubling. In the original, Daniel, Ali, and Johnny, were on the verge of becoming adults. They were high schoolers where the romance seemed more natural and the fighting more acceptable. In the 2010 Karate Kid, these were 12-year-olds beating each other senseless. No wonder Mei Ying’s parents didn’t want her seeing Dre.
The original film wasn’t great but it was a touchstone for kids during that simpler time period just as this one may have been for its generation. Both Karate Kids showed that there are jerks and good people everywhere. Xiao Dre learned to show respect for his mom, his sifu, his new home, and himself. He also discovered that success required focus and dedication. The 2010 film was a fine addition to the Karate Kid family, if only they’d changed the name to correctly reflect the skill being taught. RIP Mr. Miyagi. No one can take your place in my heart.
8 March 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"Dying is easy, surviving is hard" Getting through this movie was harder
Fist of Legend (2019) aka Legend of Chenzhen aka Fist of Legend/II was a prequel of sorts to Jet Li’s Fist of Legend from 1994. This was a cheaply and poorly made movie that would have looked out of place in 1994.Chen Zhen is in Japan as a student to learn about the enemy so that he can go home and help protect China. He falls for Mitsuko whose uncle is the virtuous president of the Black Dragon Society. Also interested in Mitsuko is the vile Black Dragon VP Chiyo Shinobu. Chiyo is in cahoots with evil military Col. Fujita. They are looking to bring down the Black Mask who has made fools of their samurai on the streets and they think it is Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen has been ordered to keep his head low which he accomplishes until Chiyo goes too far.
This movie lacked any spirit to it and was filled with problems. Chen Zhen was given zero personality. Huang Wei Ting as Mitsuko tried to double up her energy level to replace his. One of the problems with non-Japanese playing Japanese is that they don’t know how to walk in kimonos and as someone who has watched my share of Japanese movies, it comes across as awkward. Xu Shao Hang was a handsome if heartless Chiyo. There were “Americans” who looked anything but. The military uniforms appeared to be more Russian or German than US. You know a movie is desperate when it contains not one, but two sexual assaults and a repeat of one of those. The dubbing was awful, the green screens obvious, and the music played loudly over the dialogue on several occasions.
It’s a kung fu film, so maybe the fights were good. Unfortunately, most of the fights were awful and relied on quite a bit of wire work. The trained samurai were nice enough to come at Chen Zhen one at a time and not know how to swing their swords while samurai in the background just waved theirs around in the air. The fight choreography was abysmal for a 2019 production. It’s too bad because Tiger Xu moved well enough to handle better fight scenes. And story-wise, why would Chen Zhen wait until what appeared to be midday to rescue his girl after he knew she’d been kidnapped that night? Good job there hero.
Fist of Legend was populated with pretty people but lacked in everything that would make a film interesting. Even at 77 minutes it felt overly long. Plus, it might cause eye strain for all the times you'll feel like rolling your eyes at the ridiculous scenarios and terrible fight scenes. This film is just watchable, especially if you aren’t familiar with martial arts movies or have a need to watch all the movies about the fictional character Chen Zhen. There are better movies about the Black Masked warrior out there.
2 March 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"The worst is behind us"
Ju Dou was a disturbing story set in 1920’s China based on the novel Fuxi, Fuxi. This was the third collaboration for Zhang Yi Mou and Gong Li. The film was banned until 1992, for what reason I never did figure out. Too risqué? Infidelity? Rage against the patriarchy and sexism? Political allegory? Whatever the reason, it was still nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1991 Academy Awards. Though aesthetically stunning, the story could be difficult to watch.Tian Qing arrives at his adopted uncle’s cloth dyeing operation as the only other employee is quitting. The employee basically tells Tian Qing, “You’ll be sorry!” The uncle is cheap, abusive, and has tortured two wives to death and is working on his third. The new wife, Ju Dou, was a bought and paid for laborer and potential baby maker. Her major obstacle to becoming pregnant is that her husband is not only a vicious tyrant, but infertile as well. Tian Qing has a peep hole in the barn where he watches Ju Dou bathe at night, but it turns from sexual to bitterly realistic one night when he sees her bruise covered body. Fearing she’ll be murdered soon, Ju Dou seduces Tian Qing while her husband is away. She seems to be saved when she becomes pregnant, but there is no way a story set in 1920’s China is going to allow her and Tian Qing to walk away unscathed.
As usual, Zhang Yi Mou brought out his palette and soaked the screen in vibrant hues. Dark lonely nights were bathed in indigo. Sexual arousal was accompanied by flowing bolts of crimson silk unloosed as well as the hammering of the machine. The mountains, fields and trees provided bucolic backdrops. Flames of desire, murderous heat, and the destructive combustion of inevitability licked and leapt throughout the film. Aside from the scenery and sets, Gong Li had a beauty all her own. She superbly conveyed the fear and determination of a cornered woman trying to survive and find a modicum of joy in her life. Li Bao Tian as Tian Qing was given the difficult job of bringing the slow, cowardly nephew to life. Different children played Tian Bai as he aged. Tian Bai rarely spoke, but this menacing child will send chills up your spine.
Ju Dou demonstrated the plight of a poor woman in this time frame. Ju Dou was trapped in a marriage to a merciless man and also forced to work as unpaid labor. Despite all the talk of the Yang family reputation, no one stopped Jin Shan from marrying a third wife after killing the previous two. Tian Qing was trapped working for his miserly uncle and impotent to help Ju Dou both financially and emotionally. Widows weren’t allowed to remarry and even without a blood tie, an aunt couldn’t marry a nephew. Tradition had a stranglehold on Ju Dou with almost no way for her to extricate herself.
Revenge, fatal passion, toxic patriarchy, loneliness, and a kid straight from a horror movie---Ju Dou was an intense and unrelenting film. Oh, and people dyed-more than just a pun! Yet even with Zhang Yi Mou’s technicolor designs and Gong Li’s presence there was something missing. For me, part of the problem was Tian Qing’s passiveness and also the ending took a burn it all down approach. Ju Dou was good enough that I’ve watched it twice. Whether I have the tint-rest to do it in the future remains to be seen.
"Here we are at the village Wang
So many dogs…here they come
They attack us but we can’t run, so we go home"
29 February 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"You'll see me in your dreams tonight"
Days of Being Wild showed what lengths broken people would go to in order to find the object of their desire. Time, whether it hastened by too quickly or dragged like a cement block, tethered the characters to their obsessions. Everyone had a myopic gaze of life and much of it revolved around a self-obsessed rebel.Yuddy had a habit of seducing women and then breaking their hearts. Raised by a sex worker, he desperately wanted to know who his biological mother was. Rebecca had told him his mother was a Filipino noblewoman who had paid her to raise him. Mom really put a lot of thought into that one, didn’t she? Yuddy seduced Su Li Zhen who ran a snack stand and box office by having her look at his watch for a minute. One minute before 3:00 was to be burned in their minds on that date. Their relationship flared and flamed out when Li Zhen realized he would never marry her. Before he could change the sheets on his bed, he’d seduced exotic dancer Mimi.
Women were obsessed with Yuddy---Li Zhen, Mimi, and even his adoptive mother Rebecca. And I never could figure out why. He thought only about himself and constantly told them what they could and couldn’t say. He must have been one hell of a lover to make them lose their dignity and hearts over him. Young love is often messy and impulsive with heavy doses of heartache and drama but it was hard to understand why these women found him so irresistible. How desperate for love, sex, and/or companionship they must have been. Loneliness can be a harsh mistress.
Yuddy often compared himself to a bird with no legs who had to keep flying when in reality the bird had been dead all along. The story lost steam when he left Hong Kong to find his mother in the Philippines. Without the women he seemed even more like a loser with no job, no family, and on a headlong journey to disaster.
Much of the background noise was the chiming and ticking of clocks. “I used to think a minute could pass so quickly, but actually, it can take forever,” Li Zhen told the young policeman named Tide. Later Yuddy would tell Tide, “Life really isn’t that long.” For the heartbroken, the nights took forever to pass. For a young man who made a reckless decision, it passed all too quickly and that minute would be seared in his memory.
The cast was stellar. Leslie Cheung gave Yuddy a primal movement that even the corny pickup line of, “You’ll see me in your dreams tonight” made women thirsty for him. Maggie was gorgeous but other than standing or walking around looking anguished with her hair in her eyes had little to do. Carina Lau as Mimi chewed up the scenery as the brash cabaret dancer in love with Yuddy. Andy Lau, like Maggie, was underused until the final chapter. The dark, subdued lighting and greens and golds were reminiscent of In the Mood for Love, as well as the final character revealed.
Perhaps because the actors seemed too old to be so foolhardy, I found the characters difficult to connect with and care about. The despondent mood was as dreary as the rain soaked streets the characters wandered through. Days of Being Wild was beautifully shot, lit, and composed and while mesmerizing to look at, it left me feeling empty afterward.
28 February 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"Now is the time to rage. If not now, when?"
In 2020 director Toyoda was angry. Very angry. Angry about the pandemic. Angry about the wealthy and politicians. Angry about the Olympics. And especially angry about apathy toward the hell many people were living in. The Day of Destruction fiercely and poetically screamed that rage out.“Draw your sword now. If not it ain’t rock ‘n' roll.”
Seven years ago, a pulsating globular monster appeared deep in a mine. Since then, a plague of some sort had spread. In 2020 after the epidemic took the life of Kenichi’s sister, he attempted to self-mummify at the Mountain Resurrection-Wolf temple (the same one used in Wolf's Calling) believing his sacrifice would quell the epidemic.
“What defines a human. Prove it now.”
An earthquake set loose Kenichi’s inner rage which turned him into a demon.
“Humans possessed by demons are exorcised by humans, but maybe the exorcists themselves are demons”
Priest Jiro believed that destroying the monster was a fool’s task. Nature gave them the epidemic so the monster must be led onto the right path. Kenichi must be guided onto the right path as well.
“Price tags on lives fluttering in the wind”
The wealthy and elite hid in their fortresses, safe from human misery all while planning on how to make money during the event of the year-the 2020 Olympics.
“Give me your anger. I’ll respect it.” “We have a voice. Your own voice. SHOUT!”
The people cried out their pain and fears. A bloody, red Kenichi fell down on his knees in traffic screaming his grief and outrage.
“Everyone on Earth is a central prayer…We’re all in the same boat called Generation.”
Humans are the problem. Humans are the solution. The division after division after division must be faced. Would prayer or self-sacrifice cause others to change or would the first step be the hardest? Changing oneself. Eradicating the monster might not be possible---healing, and coexisting might be.
“Would self-restraint for 100 years be enough?”
Shot on a small budget in eight days, Toyoda got the most out of the beautiful mountain scenery and the actors. I have to wonder if he received permission for the shots in the streets as ordinary masked passersbys walked around Kenichi as if a man in bloody red clothes shrieking and kneeling in the crosswalk was completely normal. The music and sound effects were not always pleasing but they were fascinating and told much of the story as there was little dialogue.
“Hey, Siri. How much longer do I have to put up with this?”
If we live in hell with demons and people acting like demons, maybe the screaming is necessary to wake ourselves up. Shake off the apathy and change. The Day of Destruction with its loud music and release of pent up fury might have been what we all needed, especially during the first year of the pandemic with people struggling in so many ways and losing people to an invisible monster. This film won’t be for everyone to be sure. It's abstract with lots of religious symbolism and can be confusing at times. For the most part, I enjoyed its poetic and manic response to a nightmare much of the world shared.
23 February 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"Do you want to stay in the darkness forever?"
Huang Bo wrote, directed, and starred in The Island. A hapless worker sets off on a business retreat that goes terribly wrong when a meteor hurtles toward Earth on the same day his luck with the lottery changes.Ma Jin and his cousin, Xiao Xing join the rest of the office and their boss on a water bus cruise for a team building exercise. Ma Jin has a crush on the beautiful and elusive Shan Shan who is also on the trip. Fate brought together a meteor and a winning lottery ticket, both of which will not only change Ma Jin’s life, but everyone on the bus as well. After plunging through a ginormous wave that hurls them far from home, the bus lands on a deserted island. The group discovers themselves cut off from the “real” world and completely dependent on each other for survival. A new social hierarchy takes place when they vote on a leader.
I was afraid The Island would be another version of Lord of the Flies. While it did show how society breaks down when people are desperate for food and shelter, it didn’t devolve into a murderous melee. Four different people wore the crown at different times and all four succumbed to the allure of leadership. The first dictator led through intimidation and punishment with his mighty shushing stick. The 2nd claimed to be a leader of thinking and bartering but was a liar and cruel capitalist. The 3rd brought two factions together and gave the group hope, but also slid down the slippery slope of popularity and success which led him to lose track of his moral compass. The 4th leader was a man who finally had power after too long being invisible and it broke him.
“Since all the past is gone, life can start over again.”
Ma Jin held to his lottery ticket like a life line, willing to do anything to stay alive and return home and collect his money. A divine coincidence occurred that caused him to be reborn at the time of his deepest despair. The stranded group had to come to terms with what was Real. Real living? Real hope? And Real land? Money became irrelevant in their society. Believing the world to be mostly underwater, they had to eventually rise above their selfishness and work together for survival and harmonious living. Characters learned to trust and love in their microcosm. Ma Jin even found his confidence that had long been missing.
Huang Bo gave a solid performance as Ma Jin, a character who evolved throughout the film. The gorgeous Shu Qi as Shan Shan was not given enough to do other than look beautiful amongst the bedraggled shipwreck survivors. Lay Zhang as the friend and often perplexed Xiao Xing showed his character’s loss of himself quite well.
The Island remained compelling though it did drag in places. The dark comedy took its characters to the ledge of cruelty and madness but decided to err on the side of hope and love. What it did well was to show how the castaways reacted to the stresses of survival and what it revealed in themselves and how a community can thrive when the people set aside their greed and need to dominate if only for short periods of time. Most importantly, it proved that even on a desolate island, there’s always time for a choreographed dance sequence.
12 February 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
Three coincidences equals Fate or lazy writing
Tough as Iron with Yoo Ah In was a film with an identity crisis. At its heart it was a movie that seemed inspired by Gilbert Grape right down to the opening scene. To make it more exciting they threw in gangsters and the Yakuza. Then for good measure they wedged in a love story. Sometimes too much is too much.According to the synopsis Gang Cheol was a legendary street fighter. Maybe it was Sesame Street? The fight scenes weren't very well choreographed and his most powerful skill was a killer stare. Cheol's life entailed a job working on the docks and caring for his mother. His mom often accompanied him so that she wouldn’t wander off, which she still managed to do quite often. Not only did she have dementia, she was a diabetic with kidney failure. Cheol went to great lengths trying to find a way for her to receive a transplant. Cheol’s buddy, Jong Soo, wanted to be somebody and get rich so he joined a gang with a sashimi loving boss with a hotheaded brother. Of course, the trouble magnet entangled Cheol with his criminal co-workers. In moments when he wasn’t dealing with his mother, his troublesome friend, working, trying to find 100,000 won for his mom's surgery, or dealing with the gangsters, Cheol ran into a pretty photographer visiting Busan which meant it had to be fate.
The gangster angle was weak and took away from the relevant story of Cheol and his mother. Maybe the writers felt that Gilbert Grape would have been more interesting if he’d gotten mixed up with gangsters instead of planning a birthday party. The romance in this film wasn’t a lifeline or an insight into a better life, it seemed more like vacant window dressing. Yoo Ah In and Kim Hae Sook had wonderful chemistry together. There was more than enough story to tell as they navigated the stage in life when the child becomes the parent with little time for himself. This story could have used a romantic involvement to show him what he was missing. But Tough As Iron’s incoherent gangster escapades pulled too much focus from the heart of the film leaving no room for a well-developed love story.
Tough as Iron had the potential to be a powerful and meaningful film, especially with the caliber of actors involved. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the interplay between Cheol and his mother, the good days, the bad days, the exhaustion, heartache, and love. I found their relationship much more fascinating than a maniacal killer who stuttered.
5 February 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"People like us don't have tomorrows"
Wong Kar Wai had written numerous scripts before his directorial debut in 1988 with As Tears Go By. While I would enjoy many of his later works, this earliest endeavor was not one of my favorites. Andy Lau’s gangster boss Wah was torn between his “little brother” Fly and the gorgeous Maggie Cheung’s Ngor. Would not have been a difficult choice for me but gangster brotherhood was a powerful force even when one of the gangsters was inept and a trouble magnet.Wah’s Auntie sends his cousin Ngor to stay with him while she is seeing doctors in town. After a late night incident where the two seem to be attracted to each other, Ngor goes back home with a clean bill of health. Later, Wah visits Ngor but is pulled back when Fly lands in trouble-again. This is the second time he’s had to face death for the completely inept gangster whose mouth is bigger than his brain or brawn. Even though rival gangster Tony has a proper gang, Wah's gang appears to consist of him and Fly after another member leaves to get married. After handling Fly’s problems he goes back to Maggie but is once again called back to deal with Fly’s issues.
While there is a brotherhood among gangsters, when one guy’s reckless actions repeatedly put your life at danger, it’s time to jettison him one way or another. I’m guilty of becoming sympathetic with characters in gangster movies, but not this one. The sheer stupidity of Wah’s and Fly’s actions drained me of any sympathy for them. Maggie’s character Ngor was thinly drawn and also didn’t evoke any sympathy. Wah could be aggressive and worked in a field with a short life expectancy and he didn’t have any money to show for it. Why would a nice girl want to get involved with him?
WKW had some interesting shots throughout the film, especially Maggie in a moment of indecision when she slowly walks up the stairs to join Wah. The fights were brutal but not choreographed very well with many scenes rather rudimentary. The use of Top Gun’s “Take My Breath Away” took me right out of the moment and to another film from the 1980’s with a romance and a band of brothers. Andy Lau’s character seemed to fit into the underworld. Maggie did the best she could with Ngor. My biggest problem was with Jacky Cheung’s Fly and his manic performance. I cannot remember the last time I wanted a character to die a painful death who was not a “villain” this much. But in the end, his actions would have classified him as a villain regardless of how the underworld would have viewed them.
There were elements of this film that I found engaging, but Fly’s ridiculous behavior and Wah’s ride or die commitment to him were beyond my understanding. I may have struggled with much of this film but at least I found the ending satisfying.
2 February 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
Han Soo Han rescues a kidnapped heiress about to take control of her deceased daddy’s company. The requisite evil employee with a manic laugh played by a bargain basement Jang Hyuk wannabe had her kidnapped to force her into signing over her shares of the company. HSH works for a loan shark often helping the people he shakes down for money, thus making him a good guy. He lets Choi Ye Jin stay at his place until it’s safe for her to return home. Before they can have any lingering sexy glances or heartfelt conversations, all sorts of people show up at his doorstep for nefarious reasons.
The plot sounded like an action romance and maybe it was supposed to be, but the acting wouldn’t lead you to believe it. There was no chemistry between the two actors. Kang Seok Chul’s expression stayed locked into place through the whole movie. Yoo Ye Bin was always staring off into space either thinking deep thoughts or wondering if she should try the new Thai restaurant down the street. The filmmakers saved money by not giving Choi Ye Jin any backstory or personality but splurged on blurry shaky flashbacks for HSH’s tragic man pain backstory. Han Soo Han decided to rescue her at one point, not because they shared “a moment”, unless that was what the one staring contest was about, more probable it was just because he was a good guy. Whatever the reason he wasn’t very effectual because she ended up kidnapped---again.
If the fights had been entertaining, I could have forgiven the bland acting and plots holes large enough for The White Truck of Doom to pass through but the fight choreography was also bland. Han Soo Han threw numerous haymakers which are a sure sign of someone who doesn’t know how to fight. Sure, if they connect they might hurt, but the experienced fighters he was up against should have pounded him into the ground by the time his fist arrived from Busan.
Unless you’ve never watched any sort of crime film or drama, there will be no surprises, not even one “shocking” betrayal and a “shocking” murder. The best thing about this film was the 80 minute running time which felt overly long near the end.
31 January 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"If we could all be braver and accept what's different from us, the world would be a better place"
Teenage Psychic was a charming drama about Xiao Zhen, a sixteen-year-old medium who could communicate with the dead and worked in a temple. Due to her long nights performing her Holy Maiden duties she often ran late to school and fell asleep during class and in a coffin in between classes. Everything changed when Ah Le took her hand to help her as she climbed over the school wall to avoid the tardy monitors.Xiao Zhen’s father died when she was small and her mother works abroad. Her temple co-workers form an odd made family with her. Teacher Kim is her guardian and boss which can be awkward. Two comic relief helpers function as brothers or oddball cousins. Her relationship with Teacher Kim is complicated as he pushes Xiao Zhen to bring in customers and sell blessings to keep his struggling temple afloat. When Xiao Zhen meets Ah Le they form a connection that grows throughout the drama. Both are part of the drama club that is determining what sort of rendition they want to do of Romeo and Juliet. In each episode, Xiao Zhen helps to resolve conflicts both spiritual and earthly. Grief, bravery, lies for good and bad, reconciliation, gratitude for loved ones, and loss are all tackled. Xiao Zhen learns there is more to life than the dead as this teenager begins to engage in her own life and learn about love.
If Teenage Psychic had a drawback, it would be Guo Shu Yao’s acting. She often mumbled and pouted which could be distracting. Even more distracting was her disastrous haircut or wig. Maybe it was based on a manhwa, but for some reason they made her as unattractive as they possibly could. Her performances were stronger when she confidently performed her job communicating with the dead. Kent Tsai as Ah Le was a bottle of sunshine as he supported Xiao Zhen. The couple was cute together. The quirky drama club learned to put aside their fears of someone different and embrace Xiao Zhen as Ah Le had. Fear and intolerance of those who were different was addressed a couple of times for different characters. I wasn’t a huge fan of the play scenes, but that was a minor quibble.
Despite some of the acting issues, Teenage Psychic was mostly upbeat and entertaining as it focused on friendship, first love, and helping those in need—living or dead. Unfortunately, it took a turn that felt inorganic near the end, but still made it work. Through love Xiao Zhen discovered her smile and fought for balance in her life. This drama was flawed but I found it to be a relaxing watch.
25 January 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"The fear of men makes them the perfect prey of the devil"
Water Monster was a taut 78-minute monster thriller with very little filler. No slapstick comedy, no overwhelming CGI, just a fishing village trying to find a way to survive a lethal water monster attack.Shui Sheng witnessed the Water Monkey killing his father a decade before. Now the creature is back and Uncle San, the village elder, declares they must once again sacrifice a virgin to save the village. After the death of her father and brother, Xiang Lan is willing to die, but her love interest, Shui, is not going to let that happen. He gathers a small force to face the village and the monster which at this time is difficult to differentiate between. Shui saves Xiang Lan. Then the heroes confront the Water Monkey and after a fierce, deadly battle cage it. Uncle San refuses to let them kill it thinking the creature to be a god. With that fateful mistake the village suffers even greater losses and must now confront not only the Water Monkey, but their fears and mistakes of the past.
Water Monster went where few guys in rubber suits movies dare to go. The body count of familiar characters was extremely high. Old beliefs were faced head on. Shui Sheng dared to call the village elder’s self-protective action as murder. Anytime someone in a movie says, “Please don’t blame us,” nothing good or righteous follows. Why is the guy who decrees someone must be sacrificed never volunteers himself? In a world where women are devalued, why not sacrifice a virgin male or the village chief as a more valuable “gift”? Chief Liu’s eyes were finally opened and he realized that “begging, sacrifice, and wishful thinking” only strengthened the monster and weakened them. It was time to unite and face death.
The atmosphere was perfectly dark and foreboding. The music and some of the lighting were reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean. Every time the familiar “bong pulse” rang out I wondered who had a piece of the Aztec gold. The monster costume looked like an updated version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), a movie that gave me nightmares when I watched it on the late, late-night show on tv at a childhood slumber party. The Water Monkey really would have given me nightmares as he was fast, extremely flexible and possibly a kung fu master. The fights were fierce, bloody, and deadly. An abundance of inventive weapons were created to stop the seemingly invincible foe.
The Water Monster kept the action coming at a thrilling pace. I was invested in several of the characters despite the limited amount of time devoted to them in this short movie. The village not only had to face the vicious monster, but also their fears and responsibility for their own safety. For what looked like a low budget horror movie, these still waters ran deep.
10/24/23
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
My first thought when watching The Great Yokai War was that it was a Miyazaki Hayao animated film come to life. The film was filled with strange spirits call yokai who were being turned into steam punk monsters to aid the demon lord Kato in covering the world in darkness. When the fate of humanity is at stake, who can you rely on? Only a grade school boy with a fancy sword and a handful of colorful characters.Tadashi’s parents have divorced and he is living with his mother and grandfather in a rural area while his sister lives with the father in Tokyo. The other boys pick on Tadashi even after he is chosen as the Kirin Rider, the boy who will preserve world peace. What Tadashi doesn’t know is that the demon Kato and his dominatrix henchwoman Agi are rounding up yokai and turning them into destructive metallic monsters. Tadashi rescues a furry yokai and carries him everywhere as no one else can see it. The Goblin Mountain calls to him and he is tested by the yokai living there and deemed worthy. The Goblin gives him the sword of destiny before Agi and her metal minions carry the giant goblin way. Kato has created a giant frog airship to take to Tokyo. Some bystanders think Gamera has returned. Gamera was a turtle people, come on! Tadashi meets with other yokai and upon discovering Kato’s nefarious plan they travel to Tokyo to try and stop the handsome demon. A bean washing yokai joins them and is heavily foreshadowed as being key to thwarting Kato’s evil goal.
The film was extraordinarily creative. There were not just a dozen different yokai, but around 100 had some form of screen time. Tadashi’s team had a red spirit whose hair warned of danger, a turtle, and a water princess. They met a walking talking umbrella, a walking talking wall, a long-necked woman, and strange animal yokai to name a few. The Transformer elements were inventive if not unique, sadly the CGI was lacking.
The acting was about what you’d expect from this kind of movie. Some of it was quite over the top. Toyokawa Etshushi as Kato grounded the film and avoided chewing the scenery. A good thing as the yokai actors and the human artist didn’t leave much after they were done with it. The child actor did the best he could but his performance wasn’t compelling, one of the problems with putting the weight of the world on a pre-pubescent boy. Kamiki Ryunosuke has gone on to do numerous dramas and films. The music wasn’t memorable for the most part. The only funny element to me was the azuki bean song at a key moment. It was hilarious.
Kato’s revenge was based on humans ridding themselves of things that no longer serve them. Maybe it was a translation problem, but I found it confusing. “He is the resentment humanity has earned from those things you use no more and throw away.” With the example Tadashi was given about throwing away worn out shoes being bad, I wasn’t sure if Kato wanted people to be hoarders or run around naked. The yokai had good advice, especially from a country that has experienced many wars. “Those who discard their past have no future.” “Wars must not happen, they only make you hungry.”
If you want to show this film to younger children, it might be good to know that Agi and the Water Princess were sexualized. There were also dismemberments, blood, and what could be seen as scary monsters for young ones.
Director Miike went overboard to make an artistic fantasy world awaken. The biggest drawback for me was that the film took a long time to set up the story, too long. Forty-minutes passed by before the adventure began. Despite his innovate spirits, the theme was a familiar one. For once again, the only force in the universe that could protect humankind was a small boy. This time aided by a sword and a little red bean.
10/5/23
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
More teeth but not more fun than the original
If you watched surprise hit, The Meg (2018), and go into The Meg 2 expecting Shakespeare, you get what you get. The first Meg film was so bad it was hilariously funny. The second film had better acting than the first and tried to have a stronger plot and slightly better science. Unfortunately, it made the cardinal sin of focusing too much on the humans and not enough on the monsters. Which was perplexing given there were more Megalodons and a dangerous menagerie of creatures from the mysterious depths of the ocean.Jason Statham returns as Jonas the Daredevil Diver who has turned into a fighter for eco-justice. Cai Shu Ya once again plays The Special Child, Mei Ying. This time Mei Ying is motherless and seems to be living at the Oceanic Institute either with Jonas or her uncle Jiu Ming. Jiu Ming (Wu Jing) is brilliant and reckless. He attempts to train a young Meg named Haiqi and is unafraid of being in the water with her. Cliff Curtis as Jonas' friend Mac and Page Kennedy as DJ (who can now swim and is no longer a terrible stereotype) are back as well. Along with new guy Jiu Ming, Melissanthi Mahut joins the good guys as Rigas, the fearless pilot.
This time instead of stumbling upon the Megs on their maiden voyage, the crew is studying the bottom of the Mariana Trench with better equipment and understanding of what lurks in the scientifically inexplicable dark…or so they believe. When they stumble upon a secret facility at the bottom of the ocean, they face betrayals and bad guys willing to do anything to protect their valuable secrets.
Statham made for a serviceable good guy who can face 90ft/27m ancient sharks without flinching and take down bad guys with his bare hands. Wu Jing was also shown as being super heroic and invincible. While I'm usually disappointed when an actor replaces an actress, Li Bing Bing struggled in her role as scientist and Mei Ying's mom in the first film. Wu Jing seemed to be enjoying his time running from prehistoric creatures and attacking a giant octopus. Curtis and Kennedy had more to do in this film instead of standing around wringing their hands. Mei Ying as the adventurous fourteen-year-old and Rigas as the tough talking pilot at least made viable female characters. The Big Bad and her minions were all but cartoon characters.
Once the critters in the water and on land showed up the movie became more interesting. Guys with guns, and not done well, really weren't. Were the confrontations between man and giant fish/octopus/freaky amphibians realistic? No. Were they fun? Most of the time, yes. There were a couple of very funny moments. The underwater scenes that should have been frightening and claustrophobic, weren't done particularly well. It was hard to care about the people who died because we didn't know them and didn't provide the jump factor either. My biggest complaint with the Megalodons was that they didn't show the size perspective very well. But there were plenty of fins and teeth. The monsters always appeared on the surface where there were revelers in the water to give the ginormous sharks and creatures plenty of people to choose from and the heroes lots of innocents to save. For those who are very squeamish the chomping wasn't too blood thirsty with a PG-13 rating.
It's hard to not compare the two movies. The Meg 2 had better acting and in some ways a better script than the original because while it also used stereotypes at least they weren't racist and sexist stereotypes. The drawback was that it took nearly a third of the movie to pick up traction. Jonas' fight with polluters in the opening scene had nothing to do with the rest of the movie except to give him a reason to pummel people. No one wants to watch someone talking on a microphone at the beginning of a giant shark movie either. Bring on the talent! For the genre, TM2 wasn't bad, if you watched Big Octopus you'll know what I'm talking about. Those who enjoyed The Meg may enjoy this one as well. If your tolerance for clichés, stilted dialogue, and people being chomped on by creatures is low, better to avoid this one. The Meg 2 may not have been an ex-squid-it Shakespeare Underwater, yet for a ridiculous movie about Megalodons, it wasn't carp either.
10/1/23
Was this review helpful to you?
