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This review may contain spoilers
This is my first Filipino movie and I really enjoyed it. It's the story of a family that drifted apart after the mother died years ago.The story begins with the father of four grown children spending his birthday alone because his children are too focused on their own lives and problems to visit. On the day of his unattended party his receives news that he has cancer and only 7 weeks to live. He sends a text to his children to inform them of the news.
The eldest son took over the family store and is on the verge of bankruptcy. The second son became wealthy and successful but believes his family only likes him for his money. The daughter has three children with a philandering husband. The youngest child felt abandoned after the mother died and his siblings moved away and is now in legal trouble.
The children decide to come together on a Sunday and throw him a surprise birthday party, but old wounds flare up and arguments explode. After learning of their father's distress over their squabbles, the children agree to get along for his sake and to meet every Sunday at his house. Each Sunday the family comes together on various adventures and learn about each other in the process.
There are ups and downs in the story as wounds and secrets are revealed and healed.
I don't want to spoil the secrets, but I will say that this is not a downer or tragedy. This movie is the definition of heart-warming.
I can recommend this movie with a happy heart.
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This review may contain spoilers
I just finished this emotional T-drama about two young people shaped by tragedy and whether it was possible for them to overcome their tragic pasts. Story:
In this story two kids faced whatever life threw at them and most of the time it was boulders-mental illness, sexual assault, physical assault, PTSD, suicide, parental neglect, and evil outside forces. Somehow these two broken people found in each other the love and support they needed.
Both the ML and FL had to face their own individual traumas by peeling back the layers of lies and pain to heal and grow. And they had to do this while dealing with ongoing stressors and danger.
They fought for the right to walk hand-in-hand through the healing to the fulfillment of their dreams and no one was going to make it easy on them. Danger and disaster waited around every corner. Internal and external conflicts filled nearly the entire 21 episodes with little breathing room. It was a hard drama to let go of for something like sleep. It wasn’t a perfect story but it was compelling.
If you are triggered by any of the traumas listed above I would recommend not watching MARS. I don’t know that I would label this a dark drama but it does deal with very dark issues.
Acting:
I almost didn’t watch MARS because of Vic Chou. I’d only seen him in The Flame’s Daughter and was completely underwhelmed. I liked him in this drama. Maybe it was because he was rocking the David Cassidy/Uncle Jessie hairdo, but more likely it was the relaxed, natural performance he gave.
Barbie Hsu had the more difficult job of portraying a young woman in so much pain she walked and sat in self-protective postures. As the character grew and healed she portrayed believable fear and outrage. She did an amazing job.
OST:
I enjoyed it, didn’t love it.
On a somewhat related note-the production values were surprisingly high. Too often T-dramas look and sound like someone filmed them on a cell phone. I was pleasantly surprised, especially for an older drama.
Rewatch value:
I will likely go back to MARS for another visit.
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"A wise man never endangers himself"
Stanley Kwan’s Lan Yu told the story of a decade long up and down love story of two men in Beijing starting in the late 1980s. Based on an internet book by an anonymous author, Lan Yu won Golden Horse awards for Best Leading Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, and Audience Choice Award.Chen Han Dong intercepts a college student, Lan Yu, who was intended as a paid date for someone else. The night ends up being kismet for the two men. The older Han Dong may want to keep everything transactional, but Lan Yu has lost his heart. As always, the road to true love never runs smoothly. Through the years, Han Dong makes decisions based on fear of commitment and a desire for a life that is more normal in appearance, all to protect his heart which always ends up breaking Lan Yu’s.
Kwan resisted using outside influences as impediments to the men’s relationship. Family, co-workers, and friends seemed to have no problem with Han Dong and Lan Yu being together. While the two didn’t flaunt their relationship, neither did they carry it on in the dark. Han Dong’s own insecurities and selfishness caused the crises between them.
The film was beautifully shot and framed. You do have to make note of the small comments and changing seasons to determine when the story has shifted forward in time. Kwan kept the script spare, focusing on the high and low points. I wouldn’t have minded more development of the characters, but the director preferred the relationship lean and mean. Liu Ye and Hu Jun had a lovely chemistry with the characters often doing what couples do---talking, eating, or hanging out with friends and family. There was sex as well, but nothing gratuitous, with the exception of early in the movie casually showing full frontal nudity as the two talked. The ending was disappointingly common for the time.
The older and more financially established Han Dong ended up being the character needing the most growth. He could be maddeningly obtuse and unaware of his own feelings frequently expressing himself with his check book. The film wasn’t perfect and the title character could have used more depth, but overall, I enjoyed Lan Yu. Not all relationships work out perfectly, nor are all lovers perfect, even when destiny calls.
20 April 2025
Trigger warnings: Full frontal nudity (only in an early scene) as well as derrieres
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"Some lies come true"
Rikuoh told the story of a struggling tabi maker whose company had been in business for 100 years. As other tabi factories succumbed to the fading need for the traditional white socks, Miyazawa Koichi would risk nearly everything to guide his family’s company in a new direction in order to keep it afloat and relevant in a changing and challenging market.Miyazawa Koichi fears his family’s tabi factory will not last another decade. When a young bank officer tells him to expand into something different, he chooses to make running shoes patterned after the ancient style socks. The runner that inspired him is Mogi Hiroto who was injured from his poor form and would benefit from shoes that guide his foot into a more proper stride. From there, Miyazawa will have to convince family, friends, workers, bankers, and suppliers in his dream. Miyazawa must rely on his super strengths of tenacity and resiliency for his company to survive.
Rikuoh was completely predictable in every way. It benefited from the veteran actor, Yakusho Koji, to keep the cheesier moments grounded in reality. While there were no surprises, there didn’t need to be. This was pure comfort viewing. There were moments of conflict and setbacks, but I never doubted for a moment that Team Dragonfly would be okay and that allowed me to sit back and watch as the scrappy seamstresses and engineers made their magic happen.
If you need your business dramas to make logical sense, this may not be the drama for you. There were obvious lapses in the business narrative that the viewer is expected to overlook or fill in the gaps. Some were larger than others. (What business doesn’t carry insurance?) The women were secondary, mainly represented by the seamstresses. The banks and multiple businesses contacted were completely void of women. Miyazawa’s wife and daughter appeared to be for décor, or for the wife to say in any given situation, “That’s nice, dear.”
Overall, the drama kept my attention with its languid interlaced approach to storytelling splitting time between the scrappy Team Dragonfly, Mogi’s journey and running team, and the shoe competition. Everyone learned valuable life lessons, even a few of those characters who were originally antagonists. On the race track or in the factory, there were no shortages of inspirational speeches and tearful cheering. Miyazawa and Team Dragonfly helped their company overcome numerous obstacles and setbacks. Just like the determined runner Mogi, they all had to repeatedly get back up and dust themselves off, hug it out and start over as many times as were necessary.
12 April 2025
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"You think you can attain real power through ideas alone?"
Uprising explored the plight of slaves and peasants around 1589 during a tumultuous time in Joseon history. It was also action packed with revolts and a Japanese invasion. All while the king waxed on about the insignificance of his tax and work base.Cheon Yeong has been a slave due to a legal and moral loophole ever since he was a child. He has reluctantly served the underachieving young master, Yi Jong Ryeo. Through the years they became fast friends until a broken promise and a misunderstanding set them on divergent paths as the Japanese began marching across the country.
The first thing I had to do was age the two main characters upward. When a flashback was labeled “Twelve years ago,” all I could think was that the two young boys did not look 30 years old. This trope of brothers or sworn brothers turned mortal enemies due to a misunderstanding has been done many times before. Poor Cheon didn’t even know there was a problem for seven years. He had his hands full fighting the Japanese with a ragtag assortment of peasants and slaves abandoned by the nobility. Yi served the king who had fled during the crisis. No one really cared what happened to the little people who were often killed or left homeless. Even when the king learned of the small band’s heroic results, he was more interested in how he was going to get a strong enough workforce and money to build a more splendid palace. Apparently, nobility had nothing to do with nobleness and keeping one’s word or administering true justice.
While the story was nothing new, the fights were well choreographed and gruesomely realistic. Swords are sharp and used with great force which meant body parts tended to go flying. Cheon was very disarming with a sword. Though it was the corrupt officials who caused righteous people to lose their heads. The director might have taken a little too much delight in mangled bodies. Kang Dong Won gave a strong performance as the dangerous and shrewd slave, though Cheon naively believed the duplicitous nobility too many times. I didn’t find Yi Jong Ryeo a very sympathetic or interesting character nor very nuanced. I enjoyed Kim Shin Rok’s Beom Dong who had a better insight into the ways of the nobility and a lot of moxie. She also wielded a mean staff.
Uprising kept a good pace throughout though it ran a bit long for me. The historical backdrop was far too complex to wedge into 120 minutes which made it feel like the story fast-forwarded over numerous subplots. The tragic showdown between Cheon and Yi was inevitable but a letdown. Honestly, I was more invested in the confrontations between Cheon “The Blue Robed God” and the “Nose Snatcher” Japanese commander Genshin Kikkawa. The animosity and fighting respect between the two warriors was compelling and thrilling. Going into the movie and knowing slavery continued for 300 more years after the events portrayed here only led to the feeling of pathos for many of the lives sacrificed. Despite some of my reservations, Uprising was an entertaining film and worth trying if you enjoy this genre.
22 October 2024
Trigger warnings: Numerous decapitations and dismemberments-many, many body parts flung around
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Flawed but emotionally engaging drama
The Kidnapping Day is one of those dramas where the main relationship was greater than the sum of its parts but not quite enough to overcome their shortcomings. And that math makes about as much sense as some of the plot holes in this drama about a loving father figure kidnapper and substitute daughter kidnappee.The strength of this drama was the relationship between Myung Joon and Ro Hee. The actors had great chemistry as the bumbling, good-hearted, desperate dad and genius 11-year-old who had never had the chance to form loving human attachments or simply play like the child she was. Once you left their nucleus, the characters and story began to break down with parts becoming repetitive and others lacking in logic. The plot trotted out the well-trod issues of police incompetence (with the exception of the lead detective) along with the requisite corruption issues although they waffled back and forth on the corruption. While I know women make up a small percentage of police officers in Korea it would have been nice to see one of the minor characters be a female officer in this overwhelmingly masculine drama. The bad guy pecking order and allegiances also shifted with similar incompetence issues. The overly dramatic villain left no furniture without his teeth marks as he chewed through the scenery. Class distinctions as they often do played a role in the story. And how far are people willing to go and who has to suffer for the good of all mankind or at least for those who have enough money? The role on which most of the drama ended up hinging was all over the place with motivations and reactions that often made little sense and the final confrontation missed the mark for me.
Despite its narrative flaws, I enjoyed this drama. Yoon Kye Sang gave a captivating performance as the father who would do anything to save his hospitalized biological daughter and the stranger in his care. His fists made up for what he lacked in strategical thinking, leaving the scheming up to the brilliant girl in his charge. Yuna demonstrated why Korea has the best child actors from any country. She portrayed not only the coldly, methodical experiment her character had been trained to be, but also the vulnerable child that needed an adult to protect her. Moments of the two playing, perhaps for the first time in her life, squealing in delight and getting her designer clothes dirty were heartwarming.
The Kidnapping Day may have had plot holes big enough to swallow The White Truck of Doom, but Myung’s devotion to the two little girls who depended on him covered those pitfalls enough to provide for an emotionally compelling drama. Roo Hee’s intellectual dominance might even leave you questioning who had really been kidnapped in this relationship.
10/31/23
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This review may contain spoilers
It's not very often a martial arts movie comes out with strong fight scenes and even stronger acting. Brotherhood of the Blades boasted a quietly competent cast who elevated this movie above standard wuxia fare. Three Imperial Assassins and sworn brothers, though skilled with their swords had to face down death and deception from various factions. The always troublesome eunuch (this time after he was deposed) who shows up in numerous martial arts movies, once again instigated double-crossing schemes, this time imperiling the three loyal assassins.
Chang Chen led the three sworn brothers. His character, Shen Lian, though loyal to his brothers and emperor, was morally ambiguous. Willing to do whatever the situation called for, he set into motion a sword that would hang over all three of the assassins' heads.
The three hearty friends all harbored a need for money. Shen Lian wished to free a courtesan but lacked the power and money to do so. Wang Qian Yuan, as Lu Jian Xing, longed for promotion, only lacking the amount of money needed for bribing officials. Li Dong Xue as Jin Yi Chuan, the third assassin and the youngest, loved a doctor's daughter and had secrets of his own. The eunuch's waning power and wealth still proved perilous and tempting. The loyal allies had no safe quarter with the emperor and his officials. Blades aimed at them from nearly every quarter, even longtime allies proved treacherous.
The fight choreography was quite good, less reliant on wires and Olympic level gymnastics. The fights were fast, brutal, and bloody. They stretched reality in a few scenes, but so do most action movies. If I have one quibble, it's that the action scenes went on too long and were overused. As the story felt thin, perhaps it distracted from the lack of a more complex plot and character development.
The cinematography though dark and dreary fit the mood of the film. Often monochromatic, the shots worked perfectly for the bloody fight scenes. The costumes and sets were well done, befitting the time period. Brotherhood of Blades was stunning to watch without being overdone.
Chang Chen gave a mesmerizing performance, filling in gaps the script lacked. The supporting actors were all strong even though many of their characters were thinly drawn.
Brotherhood of the Blades battered away at the characters through intrigue and loss. Dark and intense, this film balanced its three main characters on the edge of a knife in the midst of hungry wolves. And set this viewer on the edge of her seat wondering who, if any, of the Brotherhood would survive.
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Music is terrifying and beautiful
Glass Heart boasted one of the more beautiful casts that I’ve seen recently. Satoh Takeru, Machida Keita, and Shison Jun were three-fourths of the band Tenblank. Miyazaki Yu rounded out the band as the lone female member. High on music and low on plot, Glass Heart was more mood than narrative. Fortunately, the music was pretty good for a drama making it a fast, upbeat watch.Musical genius Fujitani Naoki has gathered a guitarist, an on-line music sensation, and finally an amateur drummer who opened his heart back up to music three years ago at an impromptu concert in the rain. The group is an awkward fit at the beginning with the men’s egos and Akane’s lack of confidence. Guitarist Sho takes care of Naoki when he wears himself out. Kazushi’s own writing skills expand Naoki’s mind when it hits a wall. And Akane’s unique drumming style calls him. The band doesn’t realize that Naoki is working against the clock to release the music inside him.
The plot was paper thin and barely a scaffolding for the music videos. Few things happen in the 10 episodes. An estranged brother is reconciled with, a singer with a crush on Naoki as well as a jealous manager have to be dealt with, and the bandmates struggle to keep up with Naoki’s musical madness. Naoki’s old traitorous music partner is the lone source of conflict and doesn’t really cause many ripples in the band’s trajectory.
The performances were all solid, though Sho and Kazushi could have used more airtime. Right now, Miyazaki Yu is listed as a supporting cast member, but I would argue she was the lead. A non-threateningly cute, eager, every-girl, Akane stood in for the female audience and was usually the focus of the story when it wasn’t on Naoki’s genius. As per usual, a big chunk of the male drama population fell in love with her. I saw no chemistry between her and Satoh, though chemistry is often in the eye of the beholder. From the moment Sho princess carried Naoki, that was my ship, right until the moment when Sho asked Naoki, “Is this a proposal?”
I enjoyed the music, the found/made family, the reconciliations, and the karmic blow back for the cheaters. It was a quick, enthusiastic binge. Lucky Me ended up being my favorite of the songs and Suda Masaki’s voice my favorite of the singers. For the nice music, beautiful men, call to love through music, Glass Heart was worth the watch for me.
“Music isn’t concerned with who wins or loses. It just plays. That’s why it’s terrifying and beautiful.”
31 July 2025
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"Keep your enemies closer"
Knight Flower was a funny, entertaining cross between a female Robin Hood and Zorro. The story may not have had any surprises, but in this genre as in most. execution is key and Knight Flower kept the action moving and the long boring monologues by the villains to a minimum.Yeo Hwa never even met her husband who was killed on the way to the wedding and has been a cloistered widow for 15 long years. Stuck in the family shrine most days, never being able to set foot outside of her in-laws’ property she only has her maid Yeon Seon for company as she waits on her older brother to finally return and take her with him. What no one in the household knows except for Seon is that at night Yeo Hwa dresses in black and helps the helpless with her money and martial arts. Everything is going smoothly until she runs into the new Capital Defense officer, Park Su Ho. With lots of push and pull between the upright lawman and the vigilante, as well as the requisite romantic tension, the two find they have much in common as well as common enemies.
The first episode felt slow to me, but it picked up the pace as it went along and never slowed down again until the last episode. Given the prison-like existence of the widows and pressure to commit suicide for the family honor, it was a whimsical release to have the heroine running over rooftops and rescuing the male lead on occasion. Of course, only women were held to these standards. Widowers were free to go about and even encouraged to remarry. Repression reconfigured to look like honor.
I enjoyed the story, but stumbled some with the casting, or perhaps the writing. Full disclosure, I enjoy a good noona romance so that wasn't an issue . Nor do I have a problem with an older woman being an action hero, much older men do it all the time. Lee Ha Nee is a beautiful woman but at 40 she did not look 32 nor very athletic. Her character was someone skilled with living a double life for years, but Yeo Hwa could not manage a poker face when needed. Yeo Hwa was quick to act but often slow to catch on to the bad guys’ plans. Lee Jong Won looked like a sweet puppy who adored Yeo Hwa, but added little depth to his character. A quick glance at the cast list and it was easy to pick out who the baddies were going to be. When one used his kind grandpa voice instead of putting a character at ease, chills should have been running down their back. And Jo Jae Yoon can always be counted on to chew up the scenery maniacally.
Knight Flower, aside from bringing up the appalling way widows were treated, was for the most part a romantic action comedy. While there were some fights, they weren’t bloody or deadly. Most of the deaths occurred 15 years prior to the current story. The one murder in the present story actually felt quite deserved. So, if you like your historical dramas light and funny, with a little romance and a little action, this might be a good fit.
21 February 2024
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"It never ends until we're all dead!" That's the spirit!
Mercy for None wasn’t an extraordinary drama but it did what it set out to do-show mercy for none. As far as Korean revenge entertainment goes it succeeded for the most part. For those familiar with the genre there were no real surprises, but they never let the plot or action slow down. During Nam Gi Jun's lengthy revenge rampage they kept the “hero’s” plot armor to a minimum until the last two episodes. If nothing else, it was good to see So Ji Sub in a drama once again.Normally, I’d give a mini-plot summary about now, but this was a revenge drama so despite the twists and turns it was quite simple. Retired gangster Nam Gi Jun is called back into action when his brother is murdered. Nam Gi Seok was slated to be the JuWoon successor so there were plenty of people with an ax to grind. And grind and slash numerous characters did with axes, knives, bats, iron bars, with plenty of old school action. Gi Jun discovers how deep the treachery runs as he pounds through the bodies with his mighty fists. He could have given One Punch Man a run for his money.
So Ji Sub didn’t have to give an emotionally nuanced performance. He did what he needed to do, look fierce and bloody as he fought gangs of men. Mercy for None was a who’s who of ahjussis and harabeojis. The old boys gave a master class in acting. Sadly, there were younger actors who lacked the gravitas and menace required for their roles. With the exception of a female lawyer with a couple of quick scenes there were no women in this world, no molls, no nurses, no mobster mothers, this was all testosterone all the time.
The fights were well choreographed, especially for a drama. They contained more gore than your average Kdrama so if you are squeamish be prepared. This drama was an 8.5 for me until the end of episode four and then the “twists” and “surprises” began to weigh it down. Gi Jun’s fearsome abilities tread over into the supernatural as the drama wore on which took away from it. Despite only being 7 episodes long, it could have been cut to 5 or 6 at the most.
I desperately wanted to hold a class for these career gangsters. Things Every Bad Guy Needs to Know: 1) Round-house kicks are pretty but useless in a fight. 2) Never bring just your fists to a machete/gun/bat fight. 3) Never leave your weapon behind---there will always be another fight. 4) When using a gun, never let your enemy get too close. 5) Never trust someone who works for the enemy no matter how much you used to like them. 6) Be nice to the hired help. It could save your life. 7) Never turn your back on your enemy. Never. Ever. Like ever.
If you are looking for character development or innovative storytelling this is not that drama. If you are wanting to get an action and revenge fix with an easy on the eyes protagonist, you might want to give this drama a try.
13 June 2025
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"Heihachiro of the nose is standing guard for lovers!"
Based on French playwright Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Samurai Saga may be the definitive film version of the story about a poetic swordsman who believes no woman could love him because of his large nose. Mifune Toshiro gave an emotionally compelling performance as the humorous and heartbreaking samurai who was willing to set aside his own feelings for the happiness of the woman he loved.Komaki Heihachiro is a gifted swordsman and poet, able to do both at the same time. He’s in love with his childhood friend, Lady Ochii, never letting on how he feels. She falls in love with the handsome Jurota believing him to have a noble mind. She begs Komaki to protect him which her friend reluctantly does. Turns out Jurota doesn’t have many creative thoughts which puts a damper on the romance. Komaki writes poetry for him to claim as his own which lures the lady back in. On a night before the two are called to battle, hidden under the moonlight, Komaki declares his love and yearnings through Jurota to Lady Ochii.
Samurai Saga was a full-blown romantic triangle featuring true love, poetry, humor, sword fights, bloody battles, and tragic revelations. Mifune Toshiro played Cyrano/Komaki. He managed the humor while dialing back the full manic he displayed in Seven Samurai and Rashomon. His scene under the moonlight and his final scene with the Lady Ochii were among some of his best work I’ve seen. Heartachingly vulnerable and brave at the same time. With Mifune it took little imagination to believe he could take on 25 attacking samurai and live to tell the boisterous tale, his romantic side was the revelation. Takarada Akira (Godzilla 1954) was the handsome and forthright samurai lacking the deep thoughts his lady so desperately craved. I was more familiar with Tsukasa Yoko’s work in Ozu films, but here she was convincing as the lady in love with the poetry and letters not written by the fair face she thought owned her heart.
Samurai Saga was a funny and sorrowful tale of poetic misunderstandings. Though theirs was a world of turmoil and shifting political powers, the three people ensconced in their romantic triumvirate saw only the face of their beloved. The mask of the undaunted and beautiful spirit would ultimately be revealed under the gentle fall of cherry blossoms in one of Mifune’s finer performances. If you enjoy older Japanese films or adaptations of Cyrano de Bergerac this would be one to try.
"Empty handed I journey to the moon, only taking my undaunted spirit."
16 March 2026
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"The path of the sword is the path of hell"
Samurai Reincarnation was a campy, creepy samurai revenge film set after the annihilation of Christians during the Tokugawa Shogunate. Historical figures were tempted to reincarnate by naming their grudges or regrets.After 37,000 Christians are killed, Christian Amakusa Shiro renounces his god and makes a deal with the devil. He sets out and recruits the dead and the dying turning them into “devils”: Lady Hosokawa, Miyamoto Musashi, Iga no Kirimaru, and Hozoin Inshun. They immediately begin carving out their path of vengeful deaths and destruction. All that stands between them and burning Japan to the ground is the dying Yagyū Tajimanokami Munenori and his son Jubei.
The first forty minutes were a chore to get through as Shiro set about convincing different characters to join his devilish clan. Then Big Daddy Yagyu enters (53 minutes), played by "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Zatoichi’s" Wakayama Tomisaburo, changing the balance and the stakes. Sonny Chiba’s Jubei finally fully joined the film after an hour. At that point, the story became more exciting and engaging with someone to stand against the devils. He certainly looked like a devilish manga character with his wild ponytail, blocky eyepatch, and shiny black costume. All he needed was a ghost killing sword---which sent him to another historical character. Sanada Hiroyuki’s ninja who maintained his humanity had a side story that like Star Trek’s famous hallway signs went nowhere and did nothing. I was really hoping for more from this character.
There were several nice fights, one was reminiscent of Mifune Toshiro’s beach battle in "Duel at Ganryu Island". Kirimaru’s attic fight was quick and exciting. But the most memorable took place in the burning palace between father and son, quite a spectacle for 1981.
Samurai Reincarnation was a bizarre vengeful horror film featuring historical figures led astray by their regrets and grudges. The rapist monk, seriously, this was a terrible time with sexploitation, was the vilest of all of the villains. Two of the recently deceased wanted to live again, even sign on with hell just for the chance to duel their rivals. They came across as terribly prideful and shallow. The one devil whose motivation I could understand was Shiro’s. He was determined to burn the Shogunate to the ground and bring on the chaos for the Christians killed and his anger at God and the nobility. Given the nobility’s corrupt and predatory practices aimed at the peasants, it was hard to root against him. But it’s always the peasants who pay whenever people in power decide it’s time to destroy whoever stands in their way. Did Jubei’s actions make life better for them? Maybe not, but he was entertaining.
14 March 2026
Triggers: Sexual assault, sexual situations, and nudity (mostly breasts and female derrieres). Heads split open. Numerous heads on spikes. Crucifixions.
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A pregnant Lao Liang ended up serving 30 years in prison for killing her husband’s killer when he came to the funeral to mock the deceased. Her son was sent to an orphanage and Liang lost all contact with him. Upon her release, her only goal was to find him. Before Liang's release, criminal Gui was moving up in the same triad responsible for Liang’s troubles. When Gui was ambushed and blinded, it gave the criminal element a way into Liang’s house and past her more than formidable defenses by disguising him as her long-lost son.
Age is a funny thing in films. First, we have to accept that Liang was in her mid-40s when she became pregnant and went to prison as the actress was 74 at the time the film was made. Secondly, Gui may have lost his sight but Liang hadn’t and Phillip Ng looked every bit like a nearly 50-year-old man and not 30. I’m pretty good at aging and de-aging characters but the filmmakers were pushing the limits of my abilities with this casting.
Gui was a lethal killer rubbing his hands together with glee at the thought of Liang's demise and before you could say mommy-son day out, he was her defender and then he wasn’t and then he was. The addition of a melodramatic plot twist weighted an already heavy movie down, despite the comedy imbedded in the bloody fights. It was too serious of an issue to be given short shrift at the end, cheapening the whole plot element. And how did Gui not have any problems with losing his sight? How did he recover from his injuries, learn how to deal with his loss of sight and learn Braille all in one month? Light body abilities in a kung fu film? No problem. A 75-year-old woman kicking butt and taking names in a kung fu flick? No problem. But bring in real world concerns like Liang’s illness or Gui’s injury…there’s a problem. Perhaps people in Unknown Country have magical abilities.
I enjoyed Yuen Qiu’s performance and have a soft spot for her. The fights were all of the high flying, powerful qi, superhero style. I couldn’t help but cheer for her as she stalked her hunters. The relationship between her and Gui just felt forced to me and I would really have liked for that aspect to have been explored better. She’s a mother who suffered bitterly for a moment’s action and knows her child did as well. Now that she was free, fate smacked her down again. But when you have to make sure and get the comedy quota in, those moments must be sacrificed for the laugh or the body count. Whichever comes first. Second Life had some really nice moments and could have been so much more.
11 March 2026
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Four thieves rob an escort agency of a priceless green jade piece. Unwilling to spilt the proceeds in the future once the jade is sold, they decide to gamble for it at the infamous Golden Lion. Numerous interested parties descend on the area, all looking to either steal the jade or return it to the rightful owner. Drawn into this dangerous conflict is blacksmith Qiu Zi Yu who left the martial arts world and wants nothing to do with it.
Now as to why my faith has been shaken in Chang’s worldview. I have been annoyed on many occasions regarding the absence of female characters in his films as if half the population of the planet simply disappeared. Here there were FOUR women and just one of them was a prostitute. All were smart and capable, albeit only Xiao Hong wasn’t a criminal. There was the requisite blood bath, I stopped counting at 30 bodies, but none of the artery spewing #2 red finger paint he was famous for. And weirdly, except for Lo Meng of course, most of the men were fully dressed. Phillip Kwok had a laced-up vest but part of his ensemble was a wraparound weapon. The person who seemed more at home in a CC movie was a thief that was one pair of stiletto heels short of being a dominatrix. The muttonchop sideburns and heavy eyeshadow sported left at least part of my observations of his world intact.
The cast for this film was large meaning character development was out the window. Most characters were nefarious criminals which meant no one cared when they died. There was only a tiny handful of righteous folks trying to return the jade. Four of the Venoms made an appearance with Phillip Kwok leading the cast as the reformed blacksmith. Alexander Fu Sheng played against type as a killer for hire. Ku Feng was the constable father and Kara Hui was his investigative daughter who infiltrated the dangerous gambling den and might have found love at the same time. Most of the fighting was with weaponry both hidden and obvious.
Life Gamble involved numerous characters jockeying for allies, betraying allies, and murdering allies. No one was safe when a treasure was on the table. Few could envision a world where they would share wealth beyond their imagination. Every character went all in with their lives on the line with few living to walk away. I wish Chang Cheh would have gone all in with more capable women (not victims) in his films. In this instance he might have walked a way a winner in my view.
10 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Aside from the high body count and numerous projectile stabbings, weirdly nothing.
Venoms: The Five Venoms (1978): Phillip Kwok (Lizard), Lo Meng (Toad), Lu Feng (Centipede), and Chiang Sheng (Venom disciple). Not in this film, but part of the Venom Mob-Wai Pak (Snake) and Sun Chien (Scorpion). Not Venoms, but Johnny Wang, Ku Feng, Dick Wei, and Lam Fai Wong were also in both films.
Venom hairstyle complaint: Lo Meng's wig looked like horses had stampeded over it. Poor baby.
Random personal note: Many years ago, my friend was a flag girl for the high school marching band and I kept flashing back to their routines with the Big Bad's villainous flag bearers. They even had kicky black go-go boots ready for any halftime show!
Spoilerish note:
Lu Feng has an iron weaponized hand here and in The Crippled Avengers (1978)
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Where is my fly swatter?!
Mifune Toshiro dipped his toe into the Toho fantasy world in Samurai Pirate aka The Lost World of Sinbad. Not exactly adventures on the high seas, more like rescue a princess and retrieve lost jewels in a strange land.Sukezaemon Ruson (or Naya or Luzon or Sinbad depending on which version you watch) is betrayed on trumped up charges and sentenced to be burned in a box. His men bribe a local official helping Sukezaemon to escape on his ship. Since he’s been labeled a pirate, a pirate he will be. He already has a treasure chest full of jewels and gold. His pirating career doesn’t last long as a storm hits and destroys his ship. A real pirate gains his treasure, leaving Sukezaemon in the water. He washes ashore, rescued by a strange hermit/wizard with magical powers. The kingdom is run by a cruel leader who takes women in lieu of taxes. When Sukezaemon sees the princess wearing jewels from his treasure chest he determines to retrieve his property even if he has to develop the world’s first hang glider to do it!
I desperately wanted to like this film as I’m a Mifune Toshiro fan and have watched my share of Toho films. The writing was uneven at best. Mifune’s character made a 180 from, “I want to be rich!” to “Justice for the people and rescue the princess!” rather rapidly. The fantasy here was limited to the lecherous hermit who lost his powers whenever he licked his lips while ogling women’s breasts. That wore thin fast. There was also a witch who could turn people to stone like Medusa with her glowing eyes. The witch had a mirror, mirror on the wall that revealed where the threats were to her and the Chancellor who secretly ran the country. Not that it did the bad guys much good. Despite a sizeable Imperial Guard, Sukezaemon wandered in and out of the castle at will. Tsuburaya Eiji and his crew did a good job with the special effects and miniatures given it was 1963, well before CGI.
Poor Mifune suffered from terrible costumes. He first had to wander the island in his tattered samurai clothes. After being captured he ended up in a crop top and shorts/sarong which was hilarious. Though even at 43 he wasn’t afraid to show off his bod. Clothes in the foreign land looked influenced by Hollywood’s idea of Aladdin with plenty of cleavage, bare midriffs, and turbans. The princess’ dresses were more European medieval as was the castle. She was also dripping in jewelry. Honestly, the story had a hint of the Princess Bride—there was even a giant!
Samurai Pirate had fun moments and I never tire of watching Mifune, even when he looks like he’s not sure what his motivation is. Is he in love with the princess or not? Is he a selfish bandit or a selfless hero? When in doubt, yell at people and strut. This film was probably a silly and needed break after High and Low and also his only directorial effort- Gojuman-nin no isan. If you are a Mifune Toshiro fan or enjoy campy 60s fantasy films, this might be one to try.
6 March 2026
Clarification note: There were pirates in the film but Sukezaemon was neither pirate nor samurai. Ronin bandit maybe, but he wasn’t really a bandit either!
Trigger warnings: Attempted sexual assault. Breasts and cleavage shots to arouse the pervy hermit who became a full body phallic example of Peyronie’s Disease. PETA line 1! : A frog’s leg was torn off and a chicken was impaled.
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