Reviews

"I'm invincible now!!...what a way to go"

When Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time was running over budget, the rumor is that he produced a quickie comedy starring his Ashes actors in order to make a fast buck on Lunar New Year. If you are looking for anything to make sense, you won’t find it here. Hong Kong slapstick fans will be in hog heaven. While parts of the film worked for me it dragged on way too long.

Normally, I’d give a brief synopsis of the film here, but there really wasn’t enough of a coherent story to do that. Tony Leung Chiu Wai played the main bad guy who was beaten, poisoned, and stabbed along the way. He spent much of the film with swollen lips and ears. Tony Leung Ka Fei played an Indian prince looking for his one true love so that he could obtain immortality. The object of his desire was less than thrilled. Jacky Cheung played the Beggar King who was in love with Joey Wong’s Su Qiu who was in love with Leslie Cheung’s Yao Shi who was in love with Brigitte Lin’s “Third Princess.” Carina Lau was dressed as the man Chou Po Tang/Zhou Bo Tong, a disciple of Kenny Bee’s late Wang Chon Yang, believing that the princess killed him. There were cross dressing and gender bending relationships, some played for laughs and others not. Talking monsters including a gorilla, a dinosaur, and a large “sparrow” joined the strange menagerie also populated by giant centipedes.

I found some of the bits funny but others went on and on and on and on and on… There were several lengthy song and dance numbers. The martial arts fights were done for a laugh. Most were furiously over-cranked or slowed down to almost a standstill. The fights featured a great deal of wire work, smoke, and explosions.

The Eagle Shooting Horses looked low budget and hastily made with a great deal of improv. If you are a fan of slapstick this is the ticket. And I have to say it was the first time I ever saw anyone play soccer with a floating head.

21 March 2025

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In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to choose your line.

So much was happening, but also nothing was happening, and how is that even possible?

If we talk about the actual events, this is a 40 minute movie at best. Exorcism, chat, death, chat, exorcism, chat, exorcism - more or less the plot. But if we take into consideration the topics introduced in said chats - that's a one semester lecture for you. Lack of faith in the men of faith. The misogyny in church and the lack of equality between men and women. Nuns doing tarot readings? Sure. Also a power team of nuns and schaman doing exorcisms. I guess. Then we have illness, I guess shame, but that was not explained at all. One could say this was a women empowerment movie, but was it really? And then the whole final sequence, as beautiful as it was, was also painfully dumb.

Even Song Hye Kyo was a hit or miss depending on the scene. Her nonchalant and confident scenes were great, but every time she tried to be more angry domineering and scream it just felt painfully flat. I feel like at least for some lines, if they switched her raised voice to a really chilling whisper with the music going quiet, it would have far more impact.

Moon Woo Jin did an amazing job holding back laughter, because that performance was just ridiculous. In a good way. It was exactly what the director and writer wanted, that's clear.

Lee Jin Wook was there, acted like an asshole. Was gone. He is not the main role, that I can tell you, and Jeon Yeo Been, while definitely more prominent, had to somehow deliver a character that brought nothing on the screen.

What's good? The movie was beautiful. Quite a few breathtaking scenes and good use of special effects.

Overall, pass - in both senses of the world. I'm not mad I watched it, it passed. But also, don't waste your time, pass.

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The human obsession of justifying

I've never been that big of a fan of movies in the past. I've always found them to be too short for me to get invested in, unlike dramas. But I'm now noticing that a movie, like this one, seems to have a stronger/more clear message in it. At least for me it did. This movie portrays very well the problem I have with religions. To quote the psychiatrist: "Things like the devil and monsters are created by humans to justify themselves."
When someone else does something bad, they are the devil's spawn, but if you yourself do something bad, that must've been God's will. Of course, complete nonsense.
I was going to give this a 7/10 at first, but that quote alone made me change it to an 8/10. Great movie, incredible acting.

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Review of City Demon: A Whirlwind of Action and Revenge

Many have spoken about City Demon, and opinions are divided. Some reviews claim that the film's only redeeming quality is its action sequences, while others criticize the excessive amount of content compressed into two hours. Some have even declared that the movie, as a whole, is not good. But here I am to say something different: City Demon is a brutal, thrilling, and emotionally devastating masterpiece that deserves more recognition than it has received.

From the beginning, the story plunges into a whirlwind of tragedy and violence that gives no respite. Imagine this: a serial killer is about to leave his life of crime behind to dedicate himself entirely to his family. But his attempt at redemption is violently shattered when a group of five people murders his wife and shoots his daughter, leaving her on the brink of death. As if fate could not be crueler, Skata, our protagonist, is also attacked and left in a coma. But the story does not end there; on the contrary, it is just beginning.

As the movie unfolds, the pieces of this bloody and vengeful story come together in a narrative that leaves you breathless. It is not just about spectacular fight scenes and there are plenty of those, as watching a single man take on 40 enemies is a moment that etches itself into your memory but also about pain, suffering, abandonment, and the eternal struggle between remembering your family or losing yourself in the darkness of vengeance. City Demon is not just another action film; it is a story of legacy, of how the thirst for justice can pass from one generation to the next. Even after Skata's death, his daughter picks up the torch of his rage, turning revenge into her sole purpose.

The deaths, precisely choreographed fights, and high-stakes situations give this film a unique appeal that cannot be ignored. Some may see it as a mindless spectacle of violence, but for those who can look deeper, City Demon is an intense and well-crafted film a symphony of chaos and emotion that, far from being forgotten, deserves recognition as one of the most impactful action movies of its time.

So, no matter what the critics say, my opinion is clear: City Demon is an experience that must be lived.

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Completely missed the mark in terms of romance & chemistry - disappointing

Unfortunately, I did not adhere at all to the romantic aspects of this rom-com...There was so comedic moments that I enjoyed but also a lot that felt flat to me and after the chaotic introduction to the main characters, I never went on board with any kind of romantic feelings they had for each other.

I blame mostly the story itself rather than the cast as I like a lot Kang Ha Neul and even more Jung So Min...On paper, this pairing looked so good but in reality, their chemistry was very average mainly because of the set up of their characters themselves...In any case, that suck that I was unable to enjoy any of their skinship as I was truly confuse at why those two characters would ever fall back in love...It was really unconvincing.

It is also disappointing how unlikeable most of the side characters were... The only exception were the mother and sister of the female lead (respectively played by Jo Min Su and Hwang Se In) who were both the most enjoyable part of the movie with a great comedic timing.

I would not recommend this rom-com unless you are a fan of one of the cast members. I feel that really the romance was completely lacking with an ending that felt like a cope out. There were some fun scenes that I enjoyed but some comedic aspects felt also strange in the context of the story.

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Better than expected

This was better than I was expecting!! All the actors did a great job, especially RJY & SMJ, they did amazing at portraying the insanity of their characters.

SHB did really good too especially when it came to the scenes where she had to show how she felt in 2 minds regarding following her professional duty or going with her personal emotions.

The plot was paced well; I didn’t lose interest. And we saw more depth as the story unfolded. I appreciate how the background music fit appropriately with the scenes.

Overall I’d say this is decent, it’s worth watching especially if you’re into the thriller genre.

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What is love ?

The movie is based on the French film L'inconnue. I hadn't watched the French version, so I discovered the story completely anew. When the movie began, the start was very unexpected, and I thought I had selected the wrong film.

Riku, a young student aspiring to be a writer, meets Minami during university. Minami dreams of becoming a singer. At first sight, they fall in love, and we witness a sweet love story unfold. Eight years later, Riku has become a famous writer, with Minami's support. However, Minami hasn't achieved her dream of becoming a famous singer. As a result, Riku's mindset changes. He becomes famous, but in doing so, he forgets the gratitude he once had for his wife, who has supported him from the start. The next day, he wakes up in a parallel world where he has never met Minami, and she is now a famous singer.

It’s a beautiful and heartfelt story about love and dreams. I highly recommend this movie.

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Making the unbelievable believable

Insane suspense and foreshadowing for a crime film that comes with its very own unique twist of beliefs, and that irony thrown onto religious worshippers is just top class technique that makes even the unbelievable believable, as if we are all bound to these complicated crossroads of destiny by default. The cinematography and sound was so well handled, although the pacing of the story might lack a little of those solid punches, but that one-take closing sequence really redeemed its strength for the overall execution of the plot, and the director has successfully done such a divine work once again.

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Solid acting, classic story - entertaining overall thanks to the cast performances

This movie is relatively classic and predictable as it follows the journey of a new teacher in a high school where she fight against toxic environment with heavy bullying. Despite the classic trope and context, it manages to remain all along very entertaining and griping with an effective storytelling. There is no real surprise and it tends to be a bit too unrealistic for the action sequences in a Webtoon / Anime way, but it is an enjoyable overall story. The production value was good, there are some strikingly horrifying and atrocious bullying scenes. The OST is alright but not memorable.

The acting was certainly the strongest point of the film. The ensemble cast did a very good job. I had some trouble to reconcile the image I had of Lee Jun Young as the main villain here. It was such an unexpected contrast with the only role I had previously seen him (in Love & Leashes) that it kinda blow my mind. He was impressively frightening as this monstruous student thirsty for blood and inflicting deep suffering on his fellow peers.

The stand out performance for me is Park Jung Woo playing the main victim : he has some ultra memorable and painful scenes that truly amped the stakes. To be honest, both Lee Jun Young and Park Jung Woo are difficult to picture and find believable as highschoolers, but I'm not complaining of their casting in the roles given the quality of their performances. Next to them, Shin Hye Sun does an honorable job but she pales a bit in comparison and feel not as credible in the fight sequences.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a vigilante story, featuring some teaching moments and action akin to webtoon/anime style fighting scenes. The overall story is classic but very entertaining, supported by strong performances. Be mindful of the tags if you have any triggers, as it is pretty graphic in the violence showcased.

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Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

The Dragon and the Tiger Kids aka Hell’s Windstaff (or Wind Staff) was made in the spirit of Drunken Master without the drunken part. The film started out featuring two goofball young guys stumbling through comedic scenes. As often happens in these films the laughing turns to crying followed by a revenge filled training montage and rampage.

Tiger Wang and Shih Hai Lung are proficient with kung fu but spend most of their time causing problems for the adults in their lives. Tiger’s dad hires a traveling entertainer to train his son in kung fu. Tiger tries to rid himself of his new teacher, but Ching Wan Li is too crafty for him. When Tiger and Shih end up in trouble trying to run human traffickers out of town, it is Ching who comes to their defense. But will his abilities be enough to defeat Lu Shan Tu and his Devil Staff when he comes calling?

Despite the early comedy, this was an old school brutal kung fu blood fest. I watched this for Hwang Jang Lee and his glorious porn stache. Actually, for his incredible kicking techniques. Like Lo Lieh he was often relegated to villain roles which he did well. It seemed perfectly within reason that the heroes would need at least three guys to bring him down. Hwang did a variety of amazing stunts with fists, kicks, and the staff. I had to rerun and re-watch his three for one kicks all done in a single jump. Mang Hoi reminded me of a kung fu Samwise Gamgee. An excellent martial artist in real life and often a martial arts director, this was a rare leading role for him. Meng Yuen Man as Tiger was considered one of the “Seven Little Fortunes”. The two good guys were extremely acrobatic and performed complicated stunts together and alone. There were several martial arts directors including Hsu Hsia and Corey Yuen. With most of the cast more than capable, the choreography was complex and relatively fast. The fights still had the basic rhythm of most of these early kung fu movies but moved quicker than many of their counterparts. Nothing was sacrosanct, there were numerous hair pulling, eye gouging, and pants dropping fights! Bonus points for Jason Pai Piao who played the courageous and clever Ching Wan Li. I really enjoyed his character.

Hell’s Windstaff would have benefited from a stronger lead performer than Meng Yuen Man. However, the copious fights were well staged and exciting. Hwang Jang Lee was given the opportunity to display his quickness and martial arts abilities which made this movie worth the price of admission. It also had a comedic and gruesome surprise ending. If you enjoy old kung fu flicks this is one to give a try.

20 March 2025
Trigger warning: Snake!

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Plain shock value to delude the viewer into thinking they saw sth of substance -- not impressed

Can I say I expected the ending? Yes. I had a feeling from the very beginning.

Great performances from all the actors.

A heart-wrenching story.

Albeit very confusing. The last 30 minutes tied some ends, but everything before that, I was wondering what is happening. who is who and how they relate. so many unnecessary characters just overwhelmed my cognitive space. Also it seems they used graphic scenes to manipulate you into believing it is a good story because it is "in your face" story. But really it is not -- the script is weak, and we don't get to know the characters well. None of them. And there is too many characters. And so many painful scenes that you should feel pity for. But you feel like intruding. Because you have no sense of heaviness to seeing gruesome scenes, except for the emotions left as the consequence of blatant surprise effect and feeling sorry for the brother who was handicaped and murdered. Cmon, please, you can also give viewer emotions through your story, cinema and script without fully exploiting our pre-existing bias towards the premise.

On the other hand, the main antagonist had quite an intriguing characterisation. I don't wanna give out spoilers so I will say they seemed to have such layering to them that could have been expanded on. By the end you get a bit into their mind and see how being a sociopath is complex condition for a reason. I thought it should have been explored in more depth because they gave them an interesting twist.

As for our main man, Park Jin Young, he did a great job in playing two roles. As the victim, he had the less screentime and he utilized it well, as for the brother role and revenge plot, it could have been more polished. All of it. i think his script was quite plain and boring; and the role could have been more substantial.

Surprisingly, a pass from me.

I do not think you are missing anything by skipping this one. If you wanna watch something with similar flavour, go for drama called Blind or the Children of Nobody. Both explore similar themes in more meaningful manner.

Thank you for reading.

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