Reviews

There are stories that are just simple entertainment, to be consumed without much thought.
There are stories that push their message, whichever it might be, on their viewers/readers.
And then there are stories that try to do both -- be entertaining for those who just want to relax after work and still convey messages that go beyond the moment.
"Let's Go Karaoke!" is one of the few films (and series) that really manage to balance the two without one overpowering the other.
The plot itself is engagingly narrated with a clear arc of development for the story -- a viewer can just sit back and be entertained. And yet, the film clearly also talks about the first steps into adolescence: Both the physical changes and the way these changes force children to adapt their own lives and the way children, now teenagers, step into the adult world, and start to understand that adults are not less quirky, not less insecure, not less searching for the right path -- not less human! -- than the children. They start to think about love and friendship. They leave their childhood behind.
I am quite sure that there are also some thoughts about masculinity and machismo to be found.
In "Let's Go Karaoke!", the viewer doesn't have to consciously search for these themes, and neither are they forced unto the viewer.

The unlikely friendship between the Yakuza, who wants to learn how to sing to avoid punishment from his boss, and the middle schooler, who has always sung as a sporano but whose voice is about to break, is the scaffold with which these themes are built. Their power dynamics -- the adult is physically stronger and even dangerous but he still submits to the perceived superior knowledge of a fourteen year-old -- provide an interesting, and often humorous, frame for the story. When Oka Satomi steps into the adult world, he also leaves his childhood pursuits behind, ingeniously symbolized by choir member "Wada" who feels betrayed by Oka's leaving.

Of course, if JFF Theater includes a film in its line-ups, I'll expect high quality regarding the actors' performances and the technical execution; and I was not disappointed here. I was not only impressed by the actors' overall performance -- especially Narita Kyoji who is convincing both as a dangerous Yakuza and as a vulnerable man -- but also by the quality of singing in this film: you have to be very good to sing *that* badly.
The film mostly focuses on the two main protagonists, so the supporting charaters remain mostly quick sketches, but their actors also give them some personality -- for me, it's very clear that Wada, Nakagawa, Izawa and Hyena all have enough backstory that they could easily have their own film.
There were a very small amount of characters' action that only made sense in a "because the plot needs it" way, but these were very easily ignored.

Was it good?
Yes. Not only was I entertained but there was also a not-small amount of depth.

Did I like it?
A lot!

Who would I recommend it to?
To those who love coming-of-age-stories.

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a very realistic movie about two people who meet by chance and part ways by choice

was expecting to be sobbing and alldat but surprisingly didn't lol just shedded a few tears

a very realistic movie about two people who were together in the past and meet again after many years. there's a lot of small details and symbolism that keeps you thinking and the effects of the movie linger because of how much it reflects irl.

i understood the fl, and felt pretty devastated for her. for the fl, the relationship required way more sacrifices compared to the ml. before their relationship, him and his dad were her safe space, somewhere she could fall back to when things got rough. and if (when ig) they broke up, she lost that comfort. that's why she was so hesitant to start the relationship. and towards the end (of the relationship), it was sad to see the little details that he did. i.e. he moved the fan to face only him, and her enjoying the sunlight only for him to close the curtains on her. that small detail destroyed me. the symbolism was just insane. and the contrast to what he said before the relationship and that difference to now, with him shutting the curtains, was just heart wrenching (AND PEAK CINEMA).

in a way, the breakup was inevitable. they both had dreams and for them to stay together and maintain their lifestyle, they had to sacrifice their dreams for the future. without the breakup, he wouldn't have had the motivation to start coding his game again and she wouldn't have switched into architecture. when she left, she knew she deserved better, and similarly, he didn't chase her onto the train because he knew that her leaving was for the best and going after her wouldn't change anything.

the ending was good too. two different outcomes from the same breakup. and that stark realization that if he got on that train, she would've stayed with him.

acting from both koo kyo hwan and moon ga young was phenomenal. loved seeing him still silly and goofy but now, in a romance genre instead. he was so good. (watched for him too). and moon ga young, she was great as usual.

p.s. i still think it was a little weird of them to sit in a hotel room together and reminisce of the past lol even if they used to be together, its weird. especially for the ml cuz ofc the fl would get ideas since they were recalling the time they used to be together and especially talking about this in a confined space???

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This was an intriguing historical movie inspired by true events. It's terrible to be a boy king overthrown by a power hungry tyrant. Play excellently by Yoo Ji Tae. The movie has a really good cast overall.

Ji Hoon emotes so well and is good as the exiled King Dan Jong. He wants to die b/c he couldn't protect the people around him. to a small remote mountain village to die. The Town Chief played to great comic effect by Yoo Hai Jin, saves the young King from an attemped suicide. Later the King faces a tiger and helps to kill it with a bow and arrow finally prompting the KIng to want to fight for his throne.

Very emotional story and I wanted the rebels to win in the end but history has to prevail and the sadness I felt at the end of the movie broke me into pieces. The King is remembered by history and his title was restored in 1698.

3/9/26

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Make sure you have kleenex handy

This is what they call Dramady at it's best. It's hilarious, until it's not. I don't even know how to review this without spoiling anything. I'll just say watch it. The actor that plays the older brother is known for his comedy roles but also brings a great dramatic performance in this movie. His character is basically a bastard in the beginning, but also kind of a likeable conman. Even though it's funny and dramatic, there's also a lighthearted element to it. The movie doesn't take itself overly serious or bend your arm to make you feel a certain way. It just is a slice of life in a way.

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"One man alone can't fight injustice"

Don Wong, John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee all harbor secrets and are deadly Secret Rivals. This was a Hong Kong movie filmed in the RoK and used a number of Korean stuntmen and actors. The scenery was all in Korea as well.

John and Don wander into the Prince’s city with different reasons for being there. The Prince is having a contest to hire the best fighter for his bodyguard. The fights are to the death. What the fighters don’t know is that the Prince and the Silver Fox stole a shipment of gold three years ago from the Chinese. They hope to pin the theft and a murder on the new bodyguard. Both John and Don fall for the lovely Ching Chin Chin who is the daughter of the inn’s owner.

The story was thin and the camera work not so great. What was good? If Hwang Jang Lee, Don Wong and John Liu are in a film there will be plenty of high-flying kicks which rarely used wires or undercranking. The Silver Fox had two of the best legs in the business. I didn’t really care much about the story, HJL flying without the use of wires, kicking high, hooking, and twisting, is always fun to watch. Of course, the stuntmen were called upon to do a few flips and somersaults here and there but the fights were largely au naturale.

The film was badly faded with white pock marks and green streaks. The only copy I could find was dubbed in English with grainy tin can sound. It’s the same guy who does all the male voice with a female actor doing all the women’s voices. No subtitles available. I tried to not let any of these things affect my review…too much.

If you like old kung fu flicks with creative kicks, this is one to try. Graded on a curve. Really missed HJL’s mom hair and 70’s stache.

8 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Lots of bodies, but no spewing blood

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Comedy Fell Flat for Me

My Rating: 6.5 / 10

Miss Shampoo starts with a fun premise: an average young hairdresser suddenly catches the attention of a gangster who becomes completely smitten with her. The beginning is actually pretty entertaining. Watching a nervous salon apprentice suddenly gain a flood of intimidating gangster customers because of one loyal admirer is a funny setup, and it makes for a strong opening.

Unfortunately, the movie never quite reaches the potential that premise promises. While it remains mildly entertaining throughout, the tone jumps awkwardly between romance, gangster violence, and goofy comedy. The film feels like it wants to be heartfelt and funny at the same time but never fully succeeds at either.

It’s not a terrible movie, but it’s also not particularly memorable. I personally would not watch it again. I would only recommend it to viewers who especially enjoy romantic comedies mixed with gangster themes, because that unusual combination is the main appeal.

Overall, it’s a movie with an interesting idea and a decent start, but the execution keeps it from being truly great.

Spoilers

The film establishes early on that Tai, a triad gangster, becomes fascinated with Fen after she helps hide him from assassins in her family’s salon. Instead of simply thanking her, he becomes almost fixated on her and begins forcing his gang members—and even random people—to get their hair cut by her to help her business succeed.

This idea could have been charming, but the romance never really made sense to me. Fen has just broken up with her previous boyfriend, who was a clean-cut college guy. Her suddenly falling for a scruffy gangster doesn’t feel like a natural progression for her character.

Another strange aspect is how quickly Fen’s family accepts Tai’s presence. It’s already odd that a family would allow a gangster to regularly hang around their salon, but the film also plays scenes involving intimacy between Tai and Fen in a way that feels awkward considering the parents are nearby. I personally did not like all the F bombs. Saying you are going to F somebody is not romantic. Talking about your genitals also not romantic. So, the raunchy language was unnecessary and really took me out of the romance.

I had to look it up because I did not expect sex to be treated so casually by the family. Culturally, Taiwan is generally modern in its attitudes toward dating and relationships, so couples being intimate before marriage isn’t unheard of. However, the movie exaggerates the situation for comedy, which may be why it feels awkward or unrealistic rather than believable.

The film also leans heavily into slapstick humor and gangster violence. I knew going in that there would be some blood and fights because it involves organized crime, and that part wasn’t the issue. The bigger problem is that the love story—the emotional core of the film—never becomes convincing or heartwarming.

The ending is also questionable. Tai is stabbed badly, yet instead of going to the hospital he shows up to make a dramatic romantic gesture toward Fen. It’s meant to be emotional, but it comes across as unrealistic.

The movie then shows a sort of epilogue/outtake scene where Fen is pregnant and still working as a hairdresser, while Tai is no longer a gangster. However, he seems to be mostly talking about plans and dreams rather than actually doing anything meaningful with his life. It’s technically a happy ending because they’re together, but it doesn’t feel particularly satisfying.

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Well, at least it was interesting.

Overall, this was just O.K. It was interesting, but didn’t have the same horror magic as the first movie. The first one had the perfect mix of horror, comedy, and drama with an underline meaning. This sequel did not have this and added a weird romance element too it. This also had a slow start and could have done a better job with recapping all the information from the first movie. Although it got better 30 minutes into the movie, there were many aspects that didn't make sense (like the island). However, I do appreciate it was not a complete copy of the first script and they tried to change some aspects. I just wish the script was a little more fleshed out because I felt like I was not getting the complete picture. Another problem is we did not get enough backstory of the characters to make you care about them. I understand time is limited and I’m not asking for complex backstories, but some of the characters were just there. The main positive aspect was the excellent cast. They did a great job with their characters with what they had to work with. Other positive aspects include the amazing cinematography, special effects, CGI, and FX make-up.

Random Note:

Warning: There are gory scenes which were not that bad, but I do have a high tolerance level of gore.

Only watch this if you really want to know the meaning behind the very last scene in the first movie. If you are cool with movies with an ambiguous ending, you can skip this sequel.

The newspaper picture of the little girl used in the very last scene of the first movie is different from the one used in the beginning of this movie.

There is one more scene at the end of the credits with a a hint of another sequel which I’m going to pass on.

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a masterpiece

No glaze but this is one of the best movie I've ever watched in my whole existence.
Heartbreaking , withering !
A movie where the only sin committed by two people is to love. There is no way to be hopeful is they're not free, if nobody else than them is around.
Beautiful and exquisite movie, full of emotions, sadness , anger and more importantly love. Why can't God let two people love each other freely? Why can't they speak their mind and walk the same way straight people do without being judged?
Why can't a guy be open about his feelings to God the same way a straight person can be? Why can' they hope for support when they love as much as what was seen as "a normal person".
Nothing and nobody should hinder anyone from loving. Love was the best thing that happened to humanity, and it will forever be.
Although the movie ends with (depending on your opinion) what seems to be a happy ending, it still represents real-life situations, where people living in strict/religious countries can't even acknowledge their own feelings.
Your name engraved herein is a movie inspired by its director's real life, someone who decided to speak up and denounce the society he used to live in.
I'm glad someone got to tell a story a lot of voices couldnt dare to think. The fact that it was based on the director's real life love made everything better but still ached our hearts.
This movie is worth thousands of rewatches, it will never get old. Who doesn't love depressing movies?

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The first one is better

I watched the first movie and this one back-to-back and I have to say, the first one is way better. The budget for this movie felt a lot lower, I don't know if that's true but that's how I felt. There wasn't as many deaths or thriller scenes as the first one, so it felt like exciting to watch. Even though the movies are pretty similar in length it was a lot easier to get attached the characters in the first movie rather than this one for some reason. I liked the idea of the afterlife thing where Asuka was but for me it wasn't executed the best. The ending also just wasn't very good. Overall, in my opinion this movie was just very mid compared to the first one. Curious with how it ended what they would do with the third one.

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"As long as there are people, there will be grievances"

Swordsman 2 is a film I’ve wanted to watch for a while now. Jet Li and Brigitte Lin? Sign me up! Not quite so fast Butterfly. As someone who doesn’t like Hong Kong slapstick humor, I discovered I would have to sit through nearly 40 minutes of it before the fighting and story really kicked in. Once the story and fighting began in earnest, I was on board.

After the betrayal in the first film, Ling Woo Chung and his junior sister Ngok Leng Saan/ The Brat are headed to meet up with their brothers and leave the martial life behind. Along his drunken way, they find themselves in the middle of a skirmish. Ling takes note of a beautiful woman involved. They travel on to the village where Ling’s lover, Ying Ying, lives to meet up with the others but find bodies instead and Ying Ying gone. Fearing she’s been kidnapped just like her father who is the head of the sect, Ling realizes he’s going to have to take a detour away from retirement mountain.

The first forty minutes were needlessly confusing and painfully slap happy. Japanese ninjas were wedged into the story and never properly elaborated upon. By the time the story set in and the characters settled down, I was honestly ready to check out, but I’m glad I stuck around. Brigitte Lin’s Invincible Dawn/Dong Fang Bu Bai was the best part about the film. She gave a complex and compelling performance, giving dignity to a character that was spoken about derogatorily due to a physical and mystical sex change which to make matters worse, left her not only without a penis but as a (gasp!) woman. Any time Invincible Dawn was not on the screen, the film suffered for it.

Dawn wanted to rule the country and make her people powerful and respected. While she was a villain, the sect leader she’d imprisoned was equally as bat sh*t crazy. Ling may have wanted to get away from it all but trouble was going to come calling no matter where he went. Jet Li was at his best when Ling stopped pouting about not having enough wine and got serious about dealing with the baddies. I’m not sure I bought him as a romantic lead, fortunately Brigitte was more convincing and I could forgive anything for her.

The fights were mostly swords and creative uses of sewing needles. Mystical skills were also utilized. Spinning, jumping wire-fu, undercranking, and blurred camera work often shot in the dark was dizzying. Some of it worked for me, while other times it felt like overkill. Speaking of killing, the bodies stacked high, at least what was left of them. I don't know if it was the style or the film has degraded but it had that gauzy effect where I worried I needed to have my glasses prescription checked.

Other than the first 40 minutes and the homophobic and sexist jokes, I enjoyed the last hour of the film. Again, largely due to Brigitte Lin. Swordsman 2 is a popular film from 1992 and I’ve always been upfront with not caring for this brand of humor so I’m sure others will have a much better experience with it than I did. If you enjoy older martial arts fantasy films and/or the stars, this is one to try.

7 March 2026

Housekeeping note: My 1200th review!

Trigger warnings: SNAKES. So many snakes in so many gruesome ways. I had to FF in a few places. Decapitations, dismemberments, exploding bodies, bodies and horses cleaved in half. Eye injuries. Suicide. Buckets and buckets of blood splashed and sprayed. Rats. Sexual content but suggested more than shown.

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It's not bad....it's just not good.

I wouldn't say this is the most boring movie I've ever watch, because honestly it isn't. The story itself was entertaining enough.

The main plot I would describe it as mouse and cat chase between a demon and the demon hunters team. There is not backstory, or in-depth knowledge of characters. It's a simple story with three main characters trying to fight evil forces...with fists and exorcisms.

What I liked was that the minimum of exorcisms knowledge was used in the movie, so that made it a little bit credible. Other than that , it's fantasy. Good movie overall to watch it on a slow day.

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