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A Good Idea That Comes Out Messy
I actually liked this film. The acting and concepts are really good and set up an interesting plot, especially when Hee-jo begins to tell us humans are just cruel, so An-na should be too. But once the whole space thing begins and An-na repeatedly goes through the same thing over and over, the suspense wears off. I understand what they were trying to go for, but there’s too much happening at once to grasp it in a natural way. Overall, a decent film that I wasn’t bored by, but unlikely to watch again.Was this review helpful to you?
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An Enjoyable Drama That Unfortunately Lacks
I decided to watch this show to see what Lee Jung-jae would do outside of Squid Game, and I can’t lie when I say I liked it! The unfortunate thing about it is that nothing here really stands out as amazing.The story is enjoyable, and I liked the Kang Pil-gu sequences as well. You find yourself rooting for these characters and their happy endings. One of the things I disliked was how Jeong-sin was really dismissive and almost clueless a lot of the time. She likes him, but fails to show it a lot of the time.
I think the last few episodes are definitely the strongest. Things become more solidified and you understand what’s really going on. The first half was a bit of a drag. Hyun-jun isn’t the most lovable character out there. But in the end, I think their chemistry works nicely, aswell as the other couple between the CEO and the main lady. I really enjoyed Hyun-jun’s sidekick, Ji-sun, too. He was probably my favorite.
Overall, a nice watch that fails to stick out as anything truly meaningful. No heavy complaints, but not anything to write home about.
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A Disappointing Ending to a Great Show
I was really excited for this to drop, only to be left feeling empty as the credits played. All this season has to offer us story-wise is the same things told to us in the first season, just leagues worse.The ‘confrontation’ between Gi-hun and In-ho was so disappointing. It was hyped up as this grand thing and lasted five minutes in a quick, rushed manner. And I don’t get having In-ho as one of the main characters in season 2 just for him to go right back to being a side character glazing the VIPs in season 3. I liked the message it tried to bring forward, but the execution of it was poor.
Jun-ho was so useless he may as well have just stayed dead. 13 episodes and all he manages to do is call the coast guard and scream “Why?,” once again at In-ho. Woo-seok managed to be more useful than him.
The final game was filled with dumb decisions that made absolutely no sense. What was the point in bringing Min-su to the final game just for him to die immediately? Myung-gi decided to charge at the other men when they had already made a compromise that would’ve guaranteed that he make it to the final round and live. Genuinely what was the point in fighting when someone had already been pushed off. Yim Si-wan was incredible though. The button was so obviously just a means to get Gi-hun to sacrifice himself for the baby.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the baby. First of all, how the hell did it survive??? It was born prematurely in a bloody death arena, also birthed by a malnourished woman, but happened to come out just fine. The logic with it made absolutely zero sense. I actually enjoyed the message of it, but when it comes to realism, it really lost me.
A lot of people have commented on Gi-hun’s confusing morals, and I get it to an extent, but I also liked it. After the rebellion, he had no reason to live, but used Dae-ho as a scapegoat so he wouldn’t blame himself. He ends up killing him and regrets it immediately. Once Jun-hee’s baby is placed in his hands, he finds a new reason to keep going. He’s given a knife and is told to kill the finalists to ensure he and the baby’s survival. He can’t bring himself to do it because Sae-byeok appears and reminds him he isn’t that kind of person. That and In-ho’s flashback were my favorite scenes of the season. I get the confusion from people, because he had no idea what the next game was and was just playing with fire, but his tears felt raw and real and you could feel that he didn’t want to resort to what In-ho was. It wasn’t as bad to me as others, but it was still a bit confusing. Also, how did he not find it in him to kill In-ho, the one he had been hunting down for YEARS. That was the part I was lost on.
Lee Jung-jae’s acting was good, but at times I couldn’t help but feel that his character was almost on the sidelines? It felt like he had a few lines just every once a while instead of being a main. I get that the point was that he was almost catatonic and didn’t have anyone, but they really could’ve given him at least a bit more to work with. I feel bad knowing he lost 20 pounds for the role just to barely do anything. Jump rope was his standout moment because you could actually see the terror there. All he really said in Hide and Seek was: “It’s your fault.” Speaking of, I really wish they did more with Dae-ho then just resorting him to something to propel Gi-hun’s arc. It was clear he had some sort of trauma, but was just made out to be a coward with no real story. Kang Ha-neul acted him out amazingly though with how little he was given.
Once Hyun-ju died in Hide and Seek, I realized that was where we were going with this. She deserved to be a finalist instead of Min-su. Geum-ja was also a standout, Kang Ae-shim did her thing with this role. Her speech to Gi-hun was really sad and so was her death.
No-eul’s storyline was good and I think it was a nice addition, she was a standout here. I found no interest in Gyeong-seok, the father of the sick girl.
The scene with Gi-hun’s daughter was heartbreaking, In-ho’s horrible. Also the final scene with Cate Blanchett was kind of off-putting, but I didn’t hate it.
In conclusion, Squid Game really should’ve stayed one season. You can tell this is just Netflix milking a popular series for profit, which is pretty ironic considering the message of the series. Despite this, I’m still glad this brought back my love for Squid Game and gave us new characters and more great scenes. #justiceforseonggihun
Favorite Episode: The Starry Night (S3E2)
Standout Performances: Lee Jung-jae, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-shim, Park Gyu-young, Yim Si-wan
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An Insane Thriller ane Tear-jerker
Going into this movie, I had high expectations from what I’ve heard, and it did not disappoint. The only reason it isn’t a 10 is because I found the beginning to be a bit slow, and I kinda wanted an explanation as to how the zombie outbreak actually happened. But these are just minor flaws, and this movie is still stunning. I found myself worried for the characters, especially when the group of three were going through the cars. The end when he sacrifices himself so he wouldn’t attack the others broke me. I mean like, full on sobbing. Watch this movie!!!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
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A Good Story That Gets A Bit Confusing
After reading some reviews, I went into this expecting something really good. It is good, but I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. I’m writing this after my first watch, so I might come back and edit this some once I take it in more.The slow infiltration of each family member into the rich home is well done and I liked how sneaky they were about it. I feel that once the old housekeeper came back, things started to get somewhat confusing.
Metaphorically speaking, I think this film is really good. The constant slip of trying to get more money and be the best. The chaotic nature of the second half of the film sort of encapsulates that feeling of despair. I think it’s interesting that throughout the movie, we aren’t given any characters to truly root for. It shows that none of them are fully good or fully bad.
The social commentary was good and I like the connection of parasites to the system of capitalism that’s been set up. I found myself being empathetic for both sides, which sometimes shocked me, because usually we’re pit against each other in a sense. Well, actually, I disliked the poor family. Once they started giving the housekeeper health problems, it irked me.
I think this is a decent film and I recommend it to anyone interested, but don’t have your expectations set too high.
The ending scene was great, I clapped once the credits started rolling.
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A Surprisingly Good and Passionate Film
Going into this movie, I truly thought it wouldn’t be good. I was in for a surprise. The OST is incredible, the animation is smooth, and the story is interesting. The only major flaws are how rushed the ending felt and how Mira and Zoey weren’t given that much screentime although they were part of the group. I also wasn’t that hyped over the Saja Boys or Jinu, but they were alright. Overall, it’s a nice and engaging film that keeps you interested throughout. (and a plus for having really good songs that you can sing)Was this review helpful to you?
Confusing But Thrilling
This movie honestly really confused me and I’m not sure why. I found it compelling and I liked the story and acting, but it didn’t manage to stick with me. The acting is good and I think the first half is pretty solid, but way too much happens in the second half for it to be cohesive. I like the message though.Was this review helpful to you?
A Nice Continuation, But Not the Same Magic
I remember being ecstatic watching this for the first time, and I still think it’s good. The main issue with this season is the feeling that we’ve seen all of this before, just better. All of the elements from the past season are still good, but aren’t as strong. I also think something it struggles with is that it doesn’t flesh out the characters’ stories as well as the first season. We know they’re all here for money, but we aren’t made aware of the specific reasons. The characters simply aren’t as compelling as the first batch, and there are way more. My favorite characters were Gi-hun’s team pretty much. Gong Yoo’s cameo was one of the best parts.Favorite Episode: Bread and Lottery (S2E1)
Standout Performances: Gong Yoo, Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ha-neul
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Stunning Television
Where to even begin with this? Squid Game Season 1 truly is a work of art and is one of the best shows of our time. From the moment you click play, you’re immersed into the story of Seong Gi-hun, a father and a gambling addict who is down on his luck, until he’s invited to a game. The games are deadly, and along the way, we see decisions unfold and alliances crack as the characters are faced with moral dilemmas. The acting is superb, the story is compelling, the production is rich, and the OST is stellar. You don’t have to watch seasons 2/3, but season 1 is a must.Favorite Episode: Gganbu (S1E6)
Standout Performances: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, Lee You-mi, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi
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