If you liked the 2002 film 'Phone Booth' when it came out and doubted that they could ever make another film where the main character is pretty much in the same place for almost the entirety of the film and make it just as or even more thrilling... well, you might wanna see this film.
It was non-stop intensity and tension from the very start to the absolute end. And even with all the excitement, this film still managed to give a solid plot with some pretty interesting views on (news) media and government. The acting was superb - kudos to Ha Jeong Woo, I thought he did an excellent job portraying his character Yoon Young Hwa. The cinematography was very good and, as mentioned before, the writing was also well done. 8/10.
I agree with pretty much everything the person said in the comment directly below.
And to add my own personal thoughts... This film had sooo much potential but I felt like I just ended up watching (and I hate to say it but) a wannabe Hollywood action film (all clichés included) with an outdated concept... 5/10 (because, like I said, it had potential... somewhere).
For me, I thought this was a pretty fun film. I thought that the cast was great but the film did have a couple of moments where the comedy lost me, but overall, I was entertained. The thing about Sion Sono's films is that you never know what you're gonna get when watching them lol. But even as random or as outlandish as some may think his films are, there's always some kind of underlying meaning in them. In this one, I think that he may have had some very interestingly subtle (yet, maybe, not so subtle) commentary on himself as a filmmaker and filmmaking in general. I gave this a 7/10.
What I did like about this film was that the lead male character was difficult but the writers didn't make him a complete @sshole like they usually make most lead male characters in this genre. But with that being said, I still thought this was a pretty standard romcom. Doesn't really stand out... 6/10
Eh... it was okay. This film definitely has an interesting concept but the execution fell pretty flat for me. I enjoyed the Liar Game series, but contrary to what most have said, I didn't enjoy this nearly as much :/
I thought this film was okay. It's not bad, it's just that it doesn't really stand out for me. This film has a great cast with equally great CGI and cinematography but neither the story or characters kept me fully excited and engrossed throughout the film (not until the last 20-30 minutes anyway). However, I'm still looking forward to watching the sequel... the sequel looks like it will be pretty intense!
I thought this film was okay. It had a very interesting concept and a cast I happened to like, but sadly, the execution didn't leave much of an impact on me. (I still might check out the manga though.)
This was an interesting film. I was interested from start to finish and I was surprisingly drawn in by Ikuta Toma's character and his acting (which says a lot because, honestly, I wasn't really expecting much from him). However, it must be said... there were moments where my 'suspension of disbelief' just flew right out the window. There were just too many physically impossible and very implausible moments/situations that just had me going "but...how?". I gave this film a 7 because, like I said, it did intrigue me - the concept was very captivating - but I think a better execution with some more realism could've made this film AH-MAZING.
I really enjoyed this film - light, sweet, with good humour. It has a simple story line and a very good cast. A good film to watch when you just wanna chill and smile a bit.
I might be crazy, but I think Matsuzaka Tori looks like he could be the spawn of Sato Takeru and Daito Shunsuke. Lol.
Anywaaay... I thought this film was okay. The development of the protagonists and their relationship felt a bit rushed for me, especially in the first half of the film, and their connection felt forced as well (ugh, please stop doing that shoujo writers). The second half was kind of lackluster - I started zoning out a couple of times lol. But, as I said, it was okay. It had its cute moments but this film doesn't really stand out from other films in its genre... still pretty cookie cutter as far as shoujo romance.
Sad to say, this is not my favourite live-action film adaption of a manga series. I enjoy Yazawa Ai's manga series because of her writing and her realistic and dynamic characters. (For instance, from watching this film, I bet you wouldn't have guessed that George is openly bisexual or that Isabella is trans (not a drag queen or cross dresser - a trans woman).)
But yeah... I'm not usually the one to complain about changes in the film adaptions that differ from the original manga storyline - I understand that producers and such want to make that cash money and cater to a wider audience (I don't even care that much about the ending being different in the film then in the manga)... However, I don't think that Paradise Kiss (or any other of Yazawa Ai's works) should be so easily adapted into your typical mainstream romantic comedy, focusing on typical romcom clichés. Although the original manga series is a romance drama with its little comedic moments, it still has a deeper and more mature approach to not only the characters and their development but the overall story, making it feel more intimate and realistic. They took complex characters then just transformed them into your average romantic comedy archetypes - that's extremely disappointing. This film just presents you with a bright and predictable storyline and characters that aren't as interesting as they could be. Yes, this film is cute, but it still doesn't stand out from others in its genre. 5/10.
Cheer took the words right out of my mouth - this film was "brutal, crazy, gripping, intense, shocking, thrilling, and bloody as hell". It was definitely an exciting and fun ride, that's for sure! And I must say, Ito Hideaki blew me a way in this film, because honestly, I wasn't expecting much from him. In the few other productions that I have seen him in, he was typically playing a role that just relied on his looks. But this film... wow. It's so easy for an actor to overact a psycho killer role, but Ito Hideaki played this role beautifully. Kudos! I need me a sequel! I gave this a 9/10.
The concept of this film is great. The execution, however... not so much. It didn't keep me fully engrossed. This film had a lot of potential to be an even crazier, more epic, and an intensely psychological action/thriller, but falls short because of drawn out scenes with melodramatic dialogues and its unrealistic action scenes. Despite all of that, I do think the cast did pretty good throughout. I gave this film a 5/10.
A really good film adaption. Also probably one of the better romantic comedies I've watched in a while. Corny? Yeah, but the execution of the film along with great characters were done in such a way that you're pretty much willing to overlook any cliche moments and just enjoy. It's fun, cute, funny, and has a great cast. A good watch if want to smile. 8/10.
It was non-stop intensity and tension from the very start to the absolute end. And even with all the excitement, this film still managed to give a solid plot with some pretty interesting views on (news) media and government. The acting was superb - kudos to Ha Jeong Woo, I thought he did an excellent job portraying his character Yoon Young Hwa. The cinematography was very good and, as mentioned before, the writing was also well done. 8/10.
And to add my own personal thoughts... This film had sooo much potential but I felt like I just ended up watching (and I hate to say it but) a wannabe Hollywood action film (all clichés included) with an outdated concept... 5/10 (because, like I said, it had potential... somewhere).
Anywaaay... I thought this film was okay. The development of the protagonists and their relationship felt a bit rushed for me, especially in the first half of the film, and their connection felt forced as well (ugh, please stop doing that shoujo writers). The second half was kind of lackluster - I started zoning out a couple of times lol. But, as I said, it was okay. It had its cute moments but this film doesn't really stand out from other films in its genre... still pretty cookie cutter as far as shoujo romance.
But yeah... I'm not usually the one to complain about changes in the film adaptions that differ from the original manga storyline - I understand that producers and such want to make that cash money and cater to a wider audience (I don't even care that much about the ending being different in the film then in the manga)... However, I don't think that Paradise Kiss (or any other of Yazawa Ai's works) should be so easily adapted into your typical mainstream romantic comedy, focusing on typical romcom clichés. Although the original manga series is a romance drama with its little comedic moments, it still has a deeper and more mature approach to not only the characters and their development but the overall story, making it feel more intimate and realistic. They took complex characters then just transformed them into your average romantic comedy archetypes - that's extremely disappointing. This film just presents you with a bright and predictable storyline and characters that aren't as interesting as they could be. Yes, this film is cute, but it still doesn't stand out from others in its genre. 5/10.
Cheer took the words right out of my mouth - this film was "brutal, crazy, gripping, intense, shocking, thrilling, and bloody as hell". It was definitely an exciting and fun ride, that's for sure! And I must say, Ito Hideaki blew me a way in this film, because honestly, I wasn't expecting much from him. In the few other productions that I have seen him in, he was typically playing a role that just relied on his looks. But this film... wow. It's so easy for an actor to overact a psycho killer role, but Ito Hideaki played this role beautifully. Kudos! I need me a sequel! I gave this a 9/10.