dragynfaerie

Oh how I disliked you. Let me count the ways:
1- Poor production
2- Crappy acting
3- Bad screenwriting
4- .... Guess there's only 3.

From the beginning you can tell the production company put very little money into this movie. The film quality is great for 1999. It looks like it was done on VHS tape. It's definitely not digital. The entire movie takes place on a ship. They didn't use money to build sets. There was no reason why the film quality was sub-par. Indies don't even look this poor any more. Also, this is an R rated movie due to rape scenes, partial nudity, and sex scenes.

OK the acting was bad for the most part. The cast has talent, but you wouldn't be able to tell. I think part of the reason for the poor performances is that they had nothing to go on. It looks like the director said, "Ok just lay there and look hungry. Yeah, that's good." The script was just as poor. The words coming out of their mouths seemed to be strung together by a H.S. sophomore (and, yes, I just insulted high school sophomores).

The only good thing I can say is that there was one interesting character. He's the only reason why I kept watching it. I had a question as to the nature of the character and I still do. The question goes unanswered.

They had an interesting idea and concept; a kernel of hope, but they killed it. It would have been truly thought provoking if it had been laid in the hands of a much more capable crew.

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Enjoyable Chaos

I was feeling down and was looking for something to lighten my mood. I wanted to laugh so I was planning to re-watch my favorite episode of another variety. An ad for Woke Up To SuperTV just happened to pop up before I could click on that episode. I figured I'd watch at least 1 episode since I've enjoyed some of the guys on other variety shows. Next thing I know it's after 3am and I'm laughing like a mad woman.

This is a bromance lovers dream. I mean it. The PDs came up with a great idea to help the guys celebrate their 20th. The asked SJ what kind of things they'd like to do. Then, they made some of those wishes come true, just not in the way the guys were expecting. They play a lot of games for gifts and have a funny walk down memory lane complete with photos. If you ever wondered what they ate as trainees and who cooked, you'll find that out, too.

I learned alot about the Super Jr members including who was who. Yes, I admit I only knew 4 of their names. Or rather I knew all their names, but sometime got confused as to who was who except for those 4. I know who is who now and I can't see myself forgetting. I would never have guessed just how silly they are. I never would've guessed that Siwon was funny. I MEAN NEVER! I'm sure it wasn't intentional either. His facial expressions are comedy gold, especially in episode 9. I was in tears. Other things I learned: Kyuhyun is a bit..odd, Yesung has bad luck with games, you want Heechul & Eunhyuk on your team during trivia night, Donghae is nerdy sexy (ok I caught crush shut up), Ryeowook may be quiet but he's not shy, and Shindong, who was a lot funnier on here than anything I've ever seen him in, should host a game show. What about Leetuk you ask? Well, I learned that I like him. I didn't before, but in watching him with the guys I can see his warmth and how easily he can be misunderstood. He's also funny.

The show made it very easy to see the relationships they've developed over the years. Their camaraderie and friendships. It's bromance central. I'm telling you. They guys are endearing and funny.

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Addicting, Entertaining, and Heartbreaking

This is maybe the 3rd talent competition show I've watched since....Fantasia was on American Idol in 2004. Typically, I don't enjoy them. Over the summer I watched JYP's YT shows because I love me some JYP. When I stumbled upon UL, I thought I'd try it out. Glad I did.

Firstly, they assembled a great batch of talented "kids'. If not mistaken, I'm old enough to be all of their mom so they're kids to me. (Gah! I sound like my mom!) They all could sing & dance, sure some better than others, but they never gave up, showed anger or much frustration. It was a global 'ok this happened now let's move on.' That's why it was so sad to watch those that were sent packing, especially at the end when they released everything they'd been holding in.

Story score
Since this isn't a scripted show, the story to me is the overall flow of the show. How it was put together and presented. UL was highly entertaining. The "kids" were broken down into 14 teams of 3 mentored by idols/directors. I rooted for so many contestants across teams, but I did have a clear favorite.

The only thing I didn't like was the voting system. I'm not a fan of everything being decided by fan votes. Firstly, it opens up the cheat flood gates. Secondly, only those that are most popular come out on top. It wouldn't have been an issue if a few of the guys didn't already have fan bases for whatever reasons. That's not fair to the guys just starting out. You're only hope as a newbie is to ride their coattails. The directors should have been judges. Or they could have had a panel of judges each week that remained unknown until the end. Something to take the decision out of the hands of the general public. Truly, it's my only real complaint about the show. The voting is crazy skewed, and crazy suspicious, especially in the last few episodes.

Acting
I scored acting simply on talent. As I said the guys are extremely talented. I would have liked to have seen more interaction with the directors and/or the directors being more hands on.
Some were shown to be more attentive than others. They deserve 10s. And can we talk about the sexy El Cap..however you want to spell it? He made me want to sing Prince songs to him. (If you know, you know.)

Music
Goes without saying doesn't it? They did a great job singing famous idols songs, but when it came to the originals songs, they all came alive on stage. I wish we would have been given more details on song releases and/or seen the guys recording.

Rewatch
I intend to rewatch my favorite performances, but not the entire episodes. I don't need the pain. j/p

Overall, UL is worth watching for music fans of all types or just idol fans. I'm not a lover of idols, I honestly had never heard of any of the directors before, but I enjoyed UL nonetheless.

OH 1 other complaint: The group name is dumb AF! Are idol groups named by some kind of random word program? You plug in a topic and it'll spit out words associated with the topic. skh

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A Convoluted Mess!

Hometown starts fantastically and jumps the rails around episodes 5 and 6. The crew from writing to directing did not have the skills to pull off the myriad of genres they tried to push into the story. After episode 4 it becomes plodding and slow. Had they stuck with the psycho-thriller/serial killer aspect and dismissed all things paranormal, it would have been better. I'm not saying this because I couldn't figure things out. I'm saying it because I lost complete interest in doing so.

Have you ever watched or read something that annoyed you because you could see the lost potential to the point where it bored you? Or you started re-writing it in your head to make it better? If so, then you'll understand my feelings about Hometown. It's boring. Straight up. No chaser. Boring. The crew couldn't bring it home. The lacked the ability to weave a cohesive story and make it entertaining. Instead they went for the WTF. They probably wanted the "mind blown" WTF but what they got was the "WTF happened" WTF.

The cast pulls this story along with sheer will and determination. It's not like they're phenomenal, but they deserve something better than what they received, especially Yoo Jae Myung who played Detective Choi. He was wasting his talent. Three of the 5 stars I'm giving this title are his alone.

The music was ok. I guess. I don't remember it. There's a negative chance that I'd rewatch any parts of Hometown without a paycheck and liquor.

Overall, it's a waste of time. The writing and directing are poor. Don't watch it.

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Fun and heartwarming with a side of fear

Sweet Home was fantastic fun. It is what it says it is. It's not masquerading as a sappy romance. There's not forced relationship in the middle of people fighting for their lives. People come together to survive a monster apocalypse, if you will, and that's it. It shows the humane and nasty sides of humans. I say that because if you're a person that needs a side of romance in EVERYTHING, this is not your cupper. Yes, as humans the characters get closer, but it's not that type of party.

The story is about surviving a national emergency where monsters are the new norm and anyone can turn. The surviving tenants of the Sweet Home apartment complex try to make a good thing out of bad while fighting monsters (within and without) and trying to figure out how to survive. Of course there is the requisite food rationing, power grabs, and in fighting, but mostly the residents support each other in their survival as they don't know who has or may turn into a monster. There is so much more I'd love to say, but I think it'll just be one giant spoiler. I will say I disagree with the reviews that say it's more than a monster series/drama. The best monster movies (and series) have all shown the beautiful and ugly sides of humanity. That's what they're all about. How do you come together to survive and outlast adversity? That's how TWD has stayed on for so long.

I have got to say the effects are great! They're all CG, but done very well. They're on par with movie effects. The writing and directing are good. The cast is wonderful! I was shocked to see Kim Gab Soo in this genre. I can't recall ever seeing him out of a suit. The scene stealing rounds out with 2 of my other favorites: Woo Hyun and Kim Sang Ho. I'd like to say it was a great ensemble, but the leads were prevalent. There was a lead ensemble and a support ensemble that worked well together if that makes any sense. Kang Sang was wonderful as Hyun Soo. He brought so much heart to his role. Lee Jin Wook, who I barely recognized due to his weight, was perfection. His character grows by leaps and bounds. This was the first time I've ever liked Lee Shi Young in anything! She finally found her niche and a good use for those boxing skills.

The music was good. It worked well in every episode. I've already started re-watching it soooo...yeah it's worth it, especially if, like me, you watch series from other nations in English with subs (when available) and in original language with subs.

To me Sweet Home put all the best things in a monster movie into a drama. It brought the heart and sadness. It brought the violence and fear. Mostly, it brings the hope. My hope is for season 2. :D

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It lacks

Bloody Game has a familiar set up with a twist. It should have been much better than it was, and yet it's mediocre. The games are fairly boring and the editing does not create tension nor interest, especially towards the end. Most of the participants were just ok. Their personalities overall wouldn't have brought me back each week. The Pizza Box Crew was intriguing. . I found them interesting and fun to watch.

I think what Bloody Game sorely lacked was direction and writing. It seemed to flounder. The games were too long and boring. That may be an editing failure. I don't know. Perhaps if you like shows like Big Brother where you just watch people in a house, you'll enjoy it more. However, if you prefer shows more like The Mole or Devil's Plan, you will probably feel the same as me and many others judging by the comments on this page.

The case was mid. I don't know if they were generally just boring people, or if the editing was just that bad. Very few players thought strategically. Dex is easy on the eyes so you can't possibly vote him out. Huh? My man, Dex, was wasted on this show. This was the first time I watched a Korean show that had the panel like it was ESPN. At first I was annoyed, but as they began voicing my opinions with and exasperation from scene to scene, I began to look forward to seeing them. It felt like I had a group of people I was watching with.

The music...was there music? LOL I don't know. I didn't pay any attention to it nor did I care. In case you haven't guessed, the re-watch value is nil, nada, non-existent.

Bloody Game is eh. Some of the players were interesting, most weren't. Watch for the Pizza Box Crew. They steal the show, literally.

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Adorably Dimwitted

My introduction to the Cool Doji Danshi story was through the anime which I loved primarily because I've done so many of the same absentminded mistakes that it seemed like I had found my people. shut up! Don't judge me. :D

CDD is initially about 4 attractive males of close but different ages and stages in life who become unlikely friends. The 5th is added a little after the story begins. The one thing all 5 men have in common is their absentmindedness, misunderstandings , and their ability to shrug it off and keep on moving as if nothing happened. Not only do I know people like this I am apparently also like this. Raise your hands if you've ever lost your glasses on your head; kept losing your pencils at work or class only to find them later in your hair; put your phone down to look for your phone; lost something only to find it on your person; etc. Nobody? Just me huh? Oh well you're just not cool enough. No matter, the CCD guys have you covered. The production and direction were solid, although, they did cut out a few things like the guys trip to the beach.

We start of with Hayate, the embarrassed played by Yuta Nakamoto, who has no idea that's he's attractive and that girls are attracted to him. He actually seems to believe he repels them. After Hayate we're introduced to the eldest of the original 4, Takayuki Mima, the misunderstander played by Dori Sakurada. Mima is kind of like an idol to the younger guys. Someone to look up to. While they remind him of his youth (he's only 27). This brings us to Shun, the unfazed played by Maito Fujioka, who pretends all his mistakes are intentional without ever "letting them see him sweat." The last of the 4 is Souma, the giggles played Takumi Kawanishi, who faces every blunder head on with a smile and giggles. All 4 actors were cast perfectly and did very good jobs. They showed the characters fun and vulnerability without ever making them seem like fools. Lastly, is Motoharu Igarashi played Toshiki Seto, Mima's childhood friend, who is a little more worldly than the others, but equally as absentminded. Seto did a fine job as the writer who sits back and analyzes realizing that the other 4 are somewhat odd and embracing his oddity as well. You totally want to hang out with these guys, but don't catch a crush because they'll never notice. They're too dense.

The music was good. I really liked the start of the ending theme, Sunny Road by NCT127. I believe it may be the first time I ever heard a male sing Bibbity Bibbity Bobbity Boo. I don't rarely re-watch, but I have decided to move on to the manga to finish.

Overall, Cool Doji Danshi was fun to watch. It won't win any awards for production or acting, but that wasn't the goal. The goal was to bring smiles to the faces of the viewers and hopefully a few laughs and it succeeded.

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Not for Non-JoJo fans

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable is the 4th manga in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. It ran from 1992-95 while the anime adaptation was in 2016. I mention this for a few reasons. One: I don't remember very many details so what was omitted or added, is lost to me. Two, while the JoJo's have their own stories, there is a running theme, which is not explained in each installment. Therefore, those that know nothing about the world of JoJo, will lack a fundamental understanding of what's going on. Truly, I don't understand why they chose Diamond Is Unbreakable to adapt as opposed to one of the previous manga installments.

Ok on to this movie! In an exclamation... eh!
It was dull. Not the content, the film quality which is the exact opposite of the JoJo world. I have been complaining about the dullness color of Japanese film for decades. There's no reason for it. I don't know why they film through colored lenses that make their movies almost sepia toned. Their movies look cheap. There are few films that works well with this poorly accepted technique. Movies from 30 years ago have better film quality than J movies today. Only a select few producers and/or directors are afforded the budget or maybe just the ok to actually have color. Miike is usually one. So I'm surprised that JoJo is dull, especially since the anime and manga colors are so bright. What I find perplexing is that J dramas don't have this trapping. It's very weird. They probably should've adapted JoJo as a tv series as they did Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, a spinoff of Diamond is Unbreakable.

Even the costumes were lacking. Josuke's school uniform should have had a hint of blue or purple. I did appreciate that the Josuke wig had purple/blue tones to it. Koichi's hair should have been grey or blonde (I honestly don't remember).

Usually, I talk about music at the end with 1 or 2 lines, but the music in the move was unbelievably disappointing. One thing that the animes have is killer music. If they couldn't use the one of the themes from the anime, Miike should've used energetic music throughout. And why for God's sake did they film the one JoJo that was set in Japan, in a European city? Of all the anime adaptations they screw up and don't film in a Euro looking town (or the desert), they take one set in Japan to Europe. WTF?!? Might as well had filmed the 5th JoJo who is Italian. To sum up the production, disappointing. Disappointing for Takeshi Miike. Par for the course for any other director.

What was good?
From what I can remember the adaptation of the story was good. There was no mistaking Jotaro (the previous and most popular JoJo) or Josuke. I was shocked to see Iseya as Jotaro, but he's one of Miike's go to actors and probably the only one that speaks English with virtually no accent. Yamazaki Kento is a cutey and was a great Josuke. He believably played an unbelievable character. While Koichi didn't look like Koichi, Kamiki Ryunosuke played him perfectly. He was definitely Koichi. Same with Mackenyu's Okuyasu. He was a perfectly dumb guy with a good heart. I would love to see the end of the story with this trio's friendship. Plus, they're damn easy on the eyes. Of course the vets like Kunimara Jun and Iseya were great as were the rest of the cast. The special effects were pretty good, too. I like the depiction of the Stands, especially Star Platinum.

Re-watch is at a 0. I rarely re-watch anything, but never say never. By Hollywood standards, the movie bombed, but in actuality in japan it didn't. It's grossed over 920 million yen (roughly $620,000), which is common for most shounen adaptations (Ruroni Kenshin being a large exception). If they do a part 2 (please pick up the pacing), I may skim to remember what was covered in part 1, which, if I'm being honest, wasn't much.

So, would I recommend this? Nah. I definitely wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't have a foundation or at least some knowledge of the story. The script sticks to the manga/anime in that it does not explain what you should already know from previous installments or seasons. If you're a diehard JoJo-ster like myself, you don't care if I recommend this or not, you know you're gonna watch it. Everyone in between? Eh! Go watch the anime.

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Very Entertaining

I will watch anything with Lee Kwang Soo and Yoo Jae Suk together or separately at least once. I love their chemistry. The only times I've ever seen Yuri are guest appearances on Running Man. What stands out is the episode where it was 8 vs 1. I thought she was charming with a good sense of humor. I'm on the fence about her in The Zone. She was bossy, sometimes funny, and at others a little boring. She took the fun out of some scenes. At times it felt like a light bulb went on and realized she had to entertain. However, I do realize being the third wheel on the YooLee (bogosipeo) wagon is a tough job. She handled it well.

The concept is putting mankind's representatives (Yoo, Lee, and Yuri) through 8 challenging simulations in which they had to survive for a specified number of hours. The base time was 4 hours, but in some zones they could accrue or cut their time. If they survive until the end they are given Z coins for a reason we are never told other than it tells you who is winning. Basically, it's the 3 stars against The Zone and each other. They have watches that allow them to quit at any time. Quitting ends the simulation for everyone, but 2 of them need to quit.

The Zones themselves weren't exactly imaginative, but I felt most were presented creatively. Were some Zones more entertaining than others? Heck yeah! I was even bored with one, but that didn't deter me or change my opinion of the show overall. It's just that watching people gamble just isn't fun to me. The best (hands down) was the haunted house because Scaredy Yoo and Fraidy Lee are hilarious when they're scared. Episode 8 is a War Zone, which was edited really well. The tension was great. My zone ranking from best to worse: Z4: Safety, Z3: Virus, Z8: War, Z1: Eye, Z5: Brain, Z2: Water, Z6: Money, and Z7: Fire.

Since it's not a drama, there wasn't music per se. There's an ending theme with our threesome "dancing," which is fun to watch. It has a very high rewatch as I've already rewatched the haunted house.

Personally, I really enjoyed The Zone: Endure to Survive (or Survival Mission). I hope it comes back for a season 2 with the same intrepid trio.

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Lost Steam Towards the End

Law School game out of the gates like a prize winning horse that nobody could catch. It was fast paced, witty, interesting, and mysterious. In a word.. THRILLING. Then somewhere around episode 12 it started losing it's way and failed to cross the finish line. Set in a prestigious law school and Korean court this drama gives us and the students of Hankuk University Law School some classroom and practical lessons in Korean civic and criminal law.

It just so happens that all the students that have past trauma caused by 1 man (whether they know it or not) are all in the same classes and taught by 2 of the professors who also have trauma. Ok that's farfetched, but you go with it because it's fun. Every thing is fine and dandy until you realize the drama has no intentions on addressing some points they brought out earlier in the show. One student has a major emotional reaction to a visitor to their class in episode 1 or 2. I spent the next 14-15 episodes waiting to find out why. The drama is over. I'm still waiting. I'd like to say the writing was great, but nah. Only one person is credited with writing, but it seems like 2. The writing is stilted and disjointed. The production is very good with great sets and camera work.

The cast is a good one. I think most of their talents were underused. I wonder how they talked Woo Hyun into taking his role, but I'm glad he did. This is my first time seeing Kim Bum since he finished his military service. I feel like his talent was underutilized. The obvious attraction between his Han Joon Hwi and Ryu Hye Yong's Min Sol-A was left smoldering on the ground. I enjoyed the entire cast. They were very good. Moreover, I liked their characters and would have liked to know what paths all the students took at the end.

The theme song was driving me ah crazy. I couldn't stand it. I would have loved it had the singer not sang "it's driving me ah crazy." Honestly, I know where the song writer got it from. It's misappropriation of the African American vernacular. That in and of itself ticked me off. So, yeah, didn't like the theme and I don't recall any other music. I'm not a rewatcher. Very few dramas get me to take a 2nd look. This will not be one of those dramas. Rewatch value is honestly 0.

For me Law School started fantastically. I love it when I get to learn something about another culture and how their law and politics work. I really love it when I don't have to find my entertainment around an utterly unnecessary and pointless romance. High 5 for Law School!! Had it not started to rush leaving questions unanswered, it easily would have gotten a 9-10 from me.

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Possibly the beginning to an answer

This is a step up from the previous Mystic Nine web movie starring the Hong Er Ye character. This had some inkling of an interesting story and gave some background on Xie Jiu Ye, the head of the Xie clan. His character was hard to really understand in Mystic Nine. They gave you very little information on him, except that he was one of the nine. All you knew is that he had money and was lurking in the background behind Fo Ye someplace.

The movie begins with the murder of the 8th Xie master, Jiu Ye's father, making Jiu Ye the clan leader. It is up to Jiu Ye along with the help of Lt. Zhang to unravel the mystery behind a series of murders plaguing the Xie clan. In and of itself the story was good. The execution? Not so much. The graphics were mediocre at best. I excused them because half the time they were illusions or dreams brought on by "medication."

The acting of the lead actor was pretty bad. Yang Zi Jiang, who plays Jiu Ye, has a limited filmography. Many times that means the person is a stage actor. In his case I think it's just because he's not good. If everyone's performance was bad, I'd blame the director. Fortunately, I can not do that. They weren't fantastic performances, but they were good enough.

The music was ok and the re-watch is 0, but most things for me have a 0 re-watch value. I don't even factor that into my ratings.

If you watched Mystic Nine, you probably want to be sure to watch this and possibly the 2 movies that follow, as I believe we are getting the answer to who the mysterious old man Fo Ye and Bai Ye met in MN.

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Not that bad

To be clear it's not that good either, but it's still not that bad. Honestly, none of the Lost Tomb stories have been that great. I'm watching them in order and so far none of them make me want to recommend them. Chronologically, I couldn't tell if this was before or after Mystic Nine. They didn't mention any years that I can remember. Perhaps that was on purpose.
As in the others the action here is good. The tomb is nicely done albeit small and they're not in the tomb for very long.

While Mystic Nine wants to drill in how horrible the Japanese were (like the Chinese are any better ..ok I'll put my sociopolitical pov away), this side story bashes you over the head with it. Quite frankly, it's annoying. The writing is lacklustre. The acting is just ok. No one is winning any prizes here. The production could be better, but I don't think this was a theatrical release, at least I hope not. I will say I liked Er Ye much better here since he wasn't screaming Ya Tou every 3 minutes.

The acting...wait was there acting? Like I said above no one is winning any awards although I did enjoy the performance of Mo Yuan Di, who is an actual Chinese opera theatre actor. I found the voices of the 2 main Japanese characters annoying. It's rather hard to judge acting when most if not the entire movie has been dubbed and this one was obviously dubbed probably from Canto to Mando. (Most English subs are done on the Mandarin dubs.) Anyway, many times the voices and mouths weren't synced.

Generally speaking, I don't do re-watches of dramas, but movies I do. However, I will not be rewatching this one. I have no interest in seeing it again. The music suited the movie.

Overall, it's not bad to watch on a Saturday afternoon movie binge, but don't make this any kind of highlight. If you do, you will sour.

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The special effects were amazing, but...

...unfortunately not much else was. The story itself was unremarkable and very commonplace for fantasy lovers, especially if you watch anime and/or read manga. Girl told she was crazy her entire life because she claimed monsters were real meets someone who can see them, too. blah blah Evil person. blah blah wise one with the answers. blah blah roll credits.

I'm a monster lover from waaay back so I decided to give Monster Run a go. It barely kept my attention. It's boring. How do you write, produce, direct, edit..etc a movie with CG monsters and make it boring?? The only light, the only saving grace are the effects. From the monsters to the fight scenes they were superb. Paper and Yeti were my favorite characters and Yeti doesn't speak. He's just so cute...when he's not trying to freeze you.

So, behind the camera was eh, what about in front of the camera? They were double eh. Well, I didn't say boring. The actors seemed bored. Their boredom comes through the screen. I have no desire to see either of the 2 leads ever again. Admittedly, Shawn Yue was much better than his female counterpart. If the Academy had an award staring, she'd win that golden statute hands down!

The music was pretty good except one song. It is quite probably a good song, but it's use just added to the monotony of the movie. Re-watch is 10 out of 10. JUST PLAYIN'!! You'd have to pay me to watch Monster Run again.

I know I over used the word boring/bored, but I wanted to save calling it an exercise in tedium until the end.

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An Utter Disappointment

There is a young witch. Her name is Kiki and she does deliveries, but ...THIS IS NOT STUDIO GHIBLI'S KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE! Other than what I have mentioned it bares no resemblance to the masterfully animated and told classic. Takashi Shimizu should probably stick with horror. For the first time I will include all my separate catergory ratings in a review. The separate ratings are what I felt about the movie I just watched. The overall is for this supposedly being Kiki's Delivery Service. If you've never watched it animated, go watch it. If you have and loved it, consider this your warning.

Shimizu, the writer and director behind Ju-On (The Grudge), got it in his head that he could write and direct a live action of KDS. This movie proved he could not. This movie is loosely based upon the classic. A young witch whose only magic is flight leaves home to complete her training. She settles on a delivery service. Aside from the ability to fly, you would never know this was supposed to KDS. Her tell tale large red bow is missing for one thing. I think Shimizu thought he was giving Kiki a backstory. Something no one asked for. This Kiki doesn't have the original's self confidence. She has her own, but she falters. Perhaps she's more like a 13 year old should be, but this isn't a slice of life. It's fantasy. There was something or a lot of somethings missing in this movie, but it's hard to narrow down. I want to say it's heart, but there is some. Perhaps that's it. There's only some. Some heart. Some confidence. Some spunk. Some of this and some of that but not all. The writing fails. The cinematography is dull. There's an island and several ocean shots but they are drab and washed out. That's a complaint I have with many Japanese movies. Their movie quality is cheap comparatively like they can't spare the money. It's a simple story and production. I give it 6 stars.

The cast was good enough. There was one extremely annoying character ( at least to me), but that's not the actor's fault. They did their jobs well enough with the material they had. 8.5 stars

The music was pretty good. There was a character that sang. I don't know if it was her voice or if she was lip syncing, but I liked the songs she sang. 7 stars

The rewatch value is 1 only because we can't give 0's.

Overall, I'll give it 4.5 stars out of 10. I'm being nice. This was no Kiki's Delivery Service. Far from it. The overall for the movie I watched comes out to be 5.5. Watch the animation. Forget this crap.

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