Reviews

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

The 2025 Korean supernatural film, «검은 수녀들» («Black Nuns»), is the sequel to the 2015 Korean supernatural movie, «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»). However, anyone who wants to start with the sequel has no need to watch the first as «검은 수녀들» («Black Nuns») is a standalone movie, and the two are almost identical in plots, twists, and execution.

NOTE: The things written below were made in comparison with the prequel «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»).

The Good:
1. They gave the demon more dialogue.
2. The things the demon said are more in line with what's in the Bible, and more direct.
3. They gave the possession more screen time.
4. Less on the supernatural and more on realism. (No silly roaches; no "the demon finally started to use its power after it was caught")
5. Handled well the issue of "medical vs religion" when it comes to demon possession.
6. Brought into focus how skeptics handle witnessing demon possession.
7. Balanced relationship between Roman Catholicism and Korea's Shamanism.

The Bad:
1. Many scenes were a repeat of the scenes in «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»). They could've thought of something more unique.
2. Some dialogues were the same from the prequel. It doesn't have to be the same simply to pay homage to the original. It can be something else altogether since the sequence were the same already, thus the audience already are already aware at that point.
3. They didn't provide a clear background story to the primary character just because she'll sacrifice herself in the end. They should've done so to make the audience attached to her character. Her sacrifice was shallow, "I don't have a choice, I'll die anyway, so I'll die on my own terms and not because of this cancer". Surely, there was a very deep story behind her quick decision to sacrifice herself, it wasn't just because the same demon killed her mother.
4. The secondary character, while she was given a clear background story, they did not give her much to do. She was just an extra. Less than an assistant. While her role was important in the exorcism process, the film itself did not give her justice. Since they planned to let her character survive and join with the Priest from «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»), they should've given her more things to do, say, and screentime.

The Ugly:
1. The ending city sequence was totally unnecessary, especially those rats. It was so weird especially since two streets across everything was business as usual, no rats, nothing unusual. The timing was also weird. They were somewhere on the outskirts of the city, and they had to drive back in the middle of the city to get to a church? It was probably a 30-minute drive. Even if there were no Roman Catholic churches near the hometown of the possessed kid, they didn't have to find a church right in the middle of the city. They even showed the city's skyline and established how the kid's home was not in the city proper.
2. Why did they use the Snake again but different name? It was already the Snake in «검은 사제들» («Black Priests») for one of the twelve major demons, and that one was defeated. The one in «검은 수녀들» («Black Nuns») should've been a different one. Are they all Snakes? Or, trying to avoid the Dragon? If they're not afraid in offending Roman Catholics, then they should not be afraid in offending those who worship the Dragon.

That's all.

Oh, bonus, the numbers the demon mentioned were not random. However, I'm not sure if the writers intended that or had no idea about it. 😝

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Heartfelt story about a dog and his Master

I was searching for the dog who acted in Si Jin and Mysterious Lotus Casebook, and discovered he made a movie, Hachiko. It is a remake of the Japanese movie that I watched several years ago. I cried watching that movie.

Botang was a warrior, from puppy to end of life. He knew that Professor Chen was his one true love and father. He waited every night for his return from work. That loyalty lived beyond his father's death. For ten years, Botang, now a stray dog, searched far and wide, and waited every night at the train station for his master's return, until his heart stopped beating one day. I am sad that Batong was homeless for ten years. He survived so long, growing old and emaciated. In the end his father returned, and took the puppy Botang with him on the tram to Heaven. The ending is beautiful but sad.

The production company made a dog movie that showed compassion, empathy, loyalty and endurance. The many dogs that portrayed Botang, from puppy to adult dog, ultimately stole the show.

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A rose for luck!

Mr. Canton and Lady Rose aka Miracles aka Miracles: The Canton Godfather was Jackie Chan’s attempt at directing a film not entirely dependent on kung fu. This film was based on Frank Capra’s movies-“Lady for a Day” and “Pocketful of Miracles.” It’s about as good-hearted a Triad film as you are likely to find.

Kuo Chen Wah comes to Hong Kong to find work and is promptly fleeced by a conman. Almost penniless he ends up buying a rose from a street seller and his luck promptly changes. He precipitously and inexplicably becomes the head of a triad assisted by the canny Uncle Hoi. Rival gangster Tiger Lo wants half of the hotel the gang owns creating tension between the two criminal crews. Before Kuo knows it, he is turning his hotel into a club to showcase beautiful singer Yang Lu Ming. Believing the roses bring him luck he continues to buy Ms. Kao’s roses until one day he can’t find her. Turns out, the daughter she supports who lives abroad is coming to town with her fiancé and future father-in-law and they will be expecting the mother to be the fancy lady she’s described herself as in letters. Kuo and Yang decide to help the rose seller and hijinks soon occur.

This film was loaded. There was no doubt that there would be good fights regardless of the storyline as nearly every stuntman in Hong Kong was on the cast list. The fights were fewer than one would expect in a Jackie Chan film, but the ones shot were spectacular. Jackie showed that anything can be used as a weapon, even a Durian! The final fight proved that ropes and ladders worked better than chutes and ladders. Billy Chow led the baddies against Chan in the high swinging and falling stunts.

The cast was a who’s who among kung fu flicks. Lo Lieh played a bad guy even among the bad guys. Wu Ma was the shrewd #1 to Kuo’s Big Brother. This was one of his better roles. Anita Mui was gorgeous as Kuo’s love interest. Richard Ng played the morally gray police inspector and thankfully he made it through the entire film without showing his bare derriere. Mars, Fung Hak On, Billy Chow, Alan Chan Kwok Kuen, Ken Lo, and a host of other well-known fighters and stuntmen made appearances. Even prolific Shaw Brothers writer Ni Kuang made a cameo!

The biggest problem I had with the film was that it was too long. Many of the comedic moments began to feel repetitious. It could have been trimmed by 20 minutes and still maintained its narrative integrity. The film looked good and for the most part the pacing worked. The ending was very Capraesque, something unexpected but appreciated. Mr. Canton and Lady Rose doesn’t have the following that many of Chan’s films do, but for a 1989 kung fu film based on a 1933 Frank Capra film, I thought it was entertaining.

11 March 2025

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A timeless classic

Rewatching this movie was everything I needed and I appreciate it even more now that I'm older. All the jokes land, the characters and world is so wonderfully done, the wackyness was executed to the tea and each fight scene was gripping.


The landlady is actually top 10 female characters in all of fiction and I'm not even joking the way she carried herself and even her infectious dynamic with her husband was everything I needed.

Coolie's fine ass just had no business dying on me, I mean the Donut and Tailor's deaths hit hard but but Coolie?!?!?! that shiz DEVASTATED me.

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Clueless.

To be honest, I didn’t watch it with a lot of expectations, and even with the little I had, it still managed to disappoint me. It’s a below-average movie that seems confused about what it wants to convey and where it wants to go. The execution felt all over the place, making it hard to stay engaged. I'm hugely disappointed in both the creators and the actors because, with the premise it had, there was potential to do something much better.

Some even compared it to Exhuma, but sorry to say, it doesn’t even hold 10% of that movie’s impact. It felt hollow and directionless.

This is my honest review after watching Dark Nuns.

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Gutwrenching horror

It took me a few days to finish this movie since the first quarter of it is heartbreaking family trauma without any explanations of the supernatural stuff, so it's especially hard to watch for people who've experienced extreme family problems themselves.
You need patience to actually understand the story, as the whole truth is only revealed at the very end in favor of many red herrings throughout. This type of pacing was a little annoying tbh.
For me personally, the family story hit much harder than the actual horror elements. The "mysterious old woman with glasses who can actually do some sort of ritual/magic" clichee is also a little annoying but it wasn't too bad.
Contrary to probably many people, I actually like the ending. Poor Jaa only grew up with her father her whole life, and when he used his last ounce of strength to help her rescue his remaining family, he showed that he loved both Jaa and Ing and Ning equally. Now she gets to have a loving mother in Ning and continue to live once more. Poor Ing dying while trying to save her sister was very sad, though. She never showed anything but kindness towards a sister she never knew even at her young age.

Overall it was a very good movie, but I wouldn't recommend it to people suffering from family trauma who might feel triggered while watching this.

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"The guy who trusts you is passed out now"

Twins Mission was a kung fu fest starring several sets of twins both identical and fraternal. The story and much of the acting was weak. My reason for watching? Yuen Wah in a dual role, Sammo Hung, and Wu Jing flaunting their fists and kicks in this high-flying wire-fu, glass breaking free-for-all.

Monks Lau Hay and Uncle Luck are transporting a precious Tibetan bead onboard a train headed to Hong Kong. They are attacked by sets of twins and the bead is lost. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, powerful real estate developers are pressuring the owner of several homes to sell in exchange for the bead which might be able to heal her cancer stricken sister. Two acrobat sisters work in a circus with two other sets of twins. Eventually, the Principal, Chang Chung, comes calling to ask them to help him retrieve the artifact for the monks. None of the twins are happy to see him as he had dumped them off with the circus when they were young. Their fate was better off than the twins that ended up with his twin brother, Chang Yung, who runs a crime syndicate. The bead will trade many hands as the two twin teams battle it out with the life of one little girl hanging in the balance.

This was Benz Kong’s only film he ever directed. He usually played the role of the martial arts/action choreographer or even stuntman. I remember reading years ago that Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan both said that Yuen Wah was the real deal, the guy you wouldn’t want to fight in real life. Often relegated to “Thug #3” in many early martial arts films, I’m always happy when Yuen plays a more prominent role. Sammo’s character was sidelined early in the film, only again appearing at the end. Jacky Wu Jing was a legitimate Wu Shu champion and is always fun to watch. Old school Bobby Yip in a bowl haircut did a cameo with a twin sister with an equally bad hairdo. The rest of the twins’ action were well choreographed. Most of them were better when they were fighting than when they were talking. I haven’t seen this much breaking glass since the original Police Story.

The story was not great and not particularly well edited, I won’t even mention the ending. There was a lot of cheesy humor and acting. The fights aboard the train, the glass shattering mall encounters, and the final battle featuring the old school kung fu artists were highly entertaining. If only all the parts that connected them were as well thought out.

10 March 2025
Trigger Warning: Twin Snakes!

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In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

I saw many people disappointed in this movie, but I watched it carefully and with much interest. It reminds me of "Exhuma" for the atmosphere that continue to draw you in, with how the story progress and with many intriguing small details instead of jump scares. Some say that this movie is not very scary, and that is true, but that doesn't take away from the quality. The important thing is that it is authentic and engaging. Thy movie was indeed, no joke, and the stakes were higher then expected.

"Dark Nuns" continues pretty well where "The Priests" (2015) ended 10 years ago. It is also similar to that movie as it spends the most runtime on one specific exorcism. As a priest myself I had a lot of thoughts throughout the movie. Obviously, many things are problematic but it is understandable that in a horror fantasy movie they will use religious themes and symbols in an unreal inauthentic way (categorization of evil spirits, use of tarot cards, made-up relics, nuns authority, gallons of holy water, ...) On the other side, there are many positive elements. I liked the most that the movie highlights the power of prayer, and specifically united prayer, and that it also shows how Koreans fought evil spirits beside Christianity. Prayer is our strongest weapon against the attacks and temptations of Evil. There is indeed a lot to talk about this movie, but watch it first and we can continue talking later.

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A Tedious Exorcism: The Missed Potential

One of the most glaring flaws of Dark Nuns is its excruciatingly slow pacing. The film drags on unnecessarily, with scenes that feel overly stretched and repetitive. For instance, it takes nearly two hours just to reveal the central character's name, a revelation that could have been handled much earlier without sacrificing any tension. This prolonged buildup makes the narrative feel tedious and tests the audience's patience.

Despite strong performances from the cast, the characters themselves are underdeveloped and lack depth. The film fails to provide meaningful backstories or motivations, leaving viewers disconnected from their struggles. This lack of investment in the characters undermines the emotional impact of the story, making it difficult to care about their fates.

The film heavily relies on early clues and hints, which are reused in the climax to deliver its twists. Unfortunately, this approach makes the revelations feel predictable rather than shocking. The overuse of foreshadowing strips away any sense of surprise, leaving the audience underwhelmed by what should have been pivotal moments.

While the film succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere with its eerie cinematography and unsettling background music, it ultimately prioritizes style over substance. The slow-building dread, though effective initially, loses its impact due to the lack of a compelling narrative or well-rounded characters to anchor it.

Dark Nuns attempts to bring a fresh perspective to the exorcism genre by blending Korean shamanism and Catholic traditions, but its execution falls short. The film’s slow pacing, weak character development, predictable twists, and technical flaws overshadow its unique world-building and strong performances. While it may appeal to fans of slow-burn horror, the lack of scares and emotional depth makes it a frustrating watch for most.

NOTE: DONT WASTE YOUR TIME: YOU MAY FORWARD AT TIMES , AND YOU CAN STILL UNDERSTAND.

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"Is he fighting or dancing?"

Dance of Death had a thin storyline even for a kung fu movie. What it did have, was one of Angela Mao’s strongest performances. The comedy could be grating at times, but at least this movie gave its star more to do than glare and hand out butt-whoopings. Angela showed she had a flare for comedy and could handle the choreography by Jackie Chan.

Fei Fei rescues a man attacked by three “birds” from the 100 Birds School. Turns out he was running from the birds and their master after they killed nearly everyone in his kung fu school. Fei Fei accompanies Ku Cheng Yuan to a safe haven at another school. It doesn’t take long for the birds and a master of the “Upside-down horse” technique to catch up with them. Fei Fei escapes as the school is being obliterated. He (Angela was playing a man) runs across two old masters sparring to see who was best. He talks them into training him so that when he fights the bad guys they will be able to see which technique was better.

I kept waiting to see if Angela’s character was simply cross-dressing and there would be a big reveal at the end, but it never happened. She played a beggar man from beginning to end. Most of her characters through the years were given little emotional range. Angela seemed to be having fun being allowed to do more in this film. It also had to have been extremely demanding as the movie had very little story to it and from beginning to end there were either fight scenes or training scenes. The initial fights were “comedic” and not very good. They looked like kung fu dancing as you could count the cadence of their steps and kicks. Jackie Chan’s fingerprints were all over the fights and used many of his earlier film techniques. His push-pull, rolls, poses, and rhythm under rode all of the fights. The final battles were much faster and far more entertaining than Dean Shek’s seagull and chicken styles. The names were purposely ridiculous as were the “bird” fights. The two masters invented more feminine styles to combat the “Upside-down horse” such as “Mulan pulling her bow”, “Dancing girl”, and “Concubine coming out of her bath.” Whether the Five Forms or Dancing Girl Form, Angela moved agilely through each.

The story and most of the movie were completely forgettable, all save for Angela’s scenes. This movie stretched her acting and martial arts skills. She was delightful to watch as Fei Fei learned to fly.

9 March 2025
Warning: The movie was faded and had white faded subtitles which could be hard to read at times

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"Many Are More Talented Than I Am, But They Can't Create What I Can."

I haven't seen the anime so I had no preconceived notions of what this movie should be or shouldn't be. I just knew that art is a central theme, so I basically went into this blind. I suppose it was a good thing I didn't watch the anime or read the manga because I actually really enjoyed this. I might have judged it in comparison to the anime/manga if I had been a fan of the source material.

Yaguchi Yatora is the central figure in this story, a relatively ordinary teenager just trying to conform to society's expectations, to be a good student and make his parents proud but careful not to stand out or seem too geeky that he'd be ostracized by his peers. In other words, his life revolves around fitting in and pleasing other people save for himself. Because of this, he has never once felt like his own person or discovered what he really wants to do with his life until he stumbles upon Mori Maru's art and ignites something deeply provocative in him, compelling him to reflect on his own existentialism. And so he embarks upon the challenging journey of seriously pursuing art despite the fact that he has little to no talent and has to start from scratch, competing against far more skilled and gifted artists than he is. The movie follows him as he struggles with his own perfectionism and suffers blow after blow to his self-esteem, and yet continues to be determined to try again until he reaches the pinnacle.

Yes, the plot is simple and fairly predictable. It doesn't attempt to do the unexpected and you know where the protagonist's journey ends. But it's not the destination that matters here, it's the many obstacles and moments of self-doubt along the way that the plot focuses on. It's a moving character-driven story that explores the complexities of human desires and the lengths one is willing to go through to achieve them despite the hardships, pain, and humiliation. Every time Yaguchi fails and ponders upon giving up his dream, I feel it, I can relate to it. Gordon subtlely but expertly portrays Yaguchi's sadness and frustration, so kudos to him. But I must admit, he was overshadowed by Fumiya's portrayal of Ryuji. I never thought a complex cross-dressing character could be so beautifully and poignantly portrayed by anyone, let alone Fumiya. I wasn't a fan of his before this, but I've been completely converted. He should be given meatier roles like this. He is perfect for Ryuji! I found their beyond-friendship dynamic profoundly compelling. The movie actually reminds me of The Lines That Define Me but with a better ending, better visuals, a more inspiring story, and more complex characters.

The production value in this is also highly commendable. The special effects are way cooler than I thought they would be. I imagine that in the anime/manga, Yaguchi's imagination and creative reveries are depicted in fantastical visuals that transport the viewer/reader to an alternate world that exists inside his mind, and the movie does well in adapting that into live action. And damn, the cinematography is chef's kiss! The color grading and filters, especially the bluish hues they chose to depict Shibuya's early morning cityscapes, really bring out the somber beauty of Tokyo. I felt like I wanted to be there, I was there, and should be there. Even the subtle details of trash littering the streets and drunk teens smoking on sidewalks give authenticity to the place, something that is rarely shown in dramas or movies that aim to only present the pleasing aspects of a place.

I have to talk about the music because I seriously think it's the best part of the movie. The soundtrack/musical score is a cultural experience by itself! The music is practically the gravitational force that brings it all together. The funky and jazzy song that plays in the first few minutes of the movie immediately sets the artsy tone. The music remains consistent throughout the film, announcing its presence when you're supposed to notice it and toning things down when it's supposed to stay in the background like inconspicuous white noise. It's certainly one of the best soundtracks in any Japanese drama or movie I've seen thus far. Very well done indeed!

My only complaint is that it's too short and left me wanting more. I felt that this could've worked better as a short drama instead of a two-hour movie. The characters could've used more fleshing out. I found myself getting attached to the main characters but the side characters felt like fodder. I wanted to get to know them more. I bet the anime does better at this.

Thanks to this movie, I no longer have any reason to sleep on the anime. I will definitely check it out! I give Blue Period a solid 9 out of 10.

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March 2025 recommendations challenge

Finally watched this because of recommendations from kxllerwong.

As usual, story first…
Story about the first emperor of China & his assassination attempt. The King of Qin was always referred to as a tyrant king, because he's the one that started the war against other kingdoms. The King's purpose was to unite the whole of China under 1 flag.

Our story opened with a hero named nameless, who arrived at the Qin state's capital city to meet the king of Qin. The king has just survived an attempt on his life by three feared assassins (Long Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword). Nameless claims that he had slain the three assassins, and displayed their weapons before the king. The king was impressed & told Nameless to tell his assassination story. As the story progresses, Nameless also sit closer and closer to the king.

After told the story to the king & sit really close to the king, suddenly the king realize something odd about Nameless’s assassination story. But, will it be too late to stop Nameless’s assassination attempt if he really wanted to killed the king?

That's pretty much the story without giving any more spoilers. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ This is a beautiful movie. Beautiful scenery & fighting choreography.
+ All the familiar faces mean all the actor/ess are so good.
+ Beautiful meaning in the end. How Nameless understand the purpose of the king.

What I don't like:
- Boring movie. Sorry but I'm never really a fan of Zhang Yi Mou. His movies are always beautiful, but boring.
- The useless story. I understand the beautiful meaning behind this, but when the ending comes, I feel I've wasted 1h more of my life.

So, overall this just another completed movie in my list

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"You bury anything that doesn't look good" Then Kenshin ought to be safe!

I enjoyed Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends more than the previous film. As with Kyoto Inferno, I’m completely unfamiliar with the source material and only discuss my opinion based on what I saw on the screen.

As with all good martial arts films, when the hero gets his rearend handed to him, it’s time for a training montage! Kenshin has to face his sensei and his demons in order to learn the ultimate sword technique. Shishio is terrorizing the government and people with his big, metal warship loaded with powerful guns and cannons. Kenshin not only has to confront Shishio and his minions, but also the ninja Aoshi who has a grudge against the handsome samurai. Fortunately for Kenshin, he will have hot-headed buddy Sanosuke and ‘too cool for school’ Saito to help him in his final fight.

Now that everyone and their motivations had been identified, the fighting could begin. Shishio had a right to feel angry and betrayed but murdering innocent civilians wasn’t an appropriate way to act on his feelings. Aoshi’s hostility seemed to be aimed at the wrong person. I guess a guy has to have a hobby. Sanosuke was more useful in this film than the last and found someone just as hard-headed as himself to battle. Saito never got rattled even when fighting an enemy with a flaming sword that caused explosions. And of course, our favorite scarred samurai was all trained up for the big fight. This is one of those times a real sword would have come in handy as his inability to stop an equally skilled opponent with non-lethal hits only put his companions lives in mortal danger.

The training scenes may have gone on too long, but overall, the film was well-paced. The fights were cleverly choreographed and shot which is always important in this type of action film. This time Kaoru managed to not get kidnapped although she was almost splatted by canon fire for hanging out on a battlefield sightseeing. I’m counting it as a win.

I’ve watched several of the films out of order except for Inferno and this one. I’m disappointed to be finished with the franchise as Satoh Takeru has been fun to watch as the pain-filled samurai who was always ready to help the downtrodden. “Salute the samurais!” And maybe give them a ride home, they had a rough day.

8 March 2025

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"No one can throw away his past"

A heads up for anyone who reads this review, I’ve not read the manga nor watched the anime. I can only review what I saw on the screen with nothing to fill in the story and character gaps that people familiar with the source material would be able to do.

Kenshin is hanging out at Kaoru’s dojo committed to his pacifist life. Unfortunately, two blasts from his past with grudges against him and the country want him to come out of retirement. A bandaged baddie named Shishio, with his own army, is ready to turn the country upside down for betraying him. A mysterious stranger is also hunting down Kenshin for reasons hitherto unknown. The government talks Kenshin into facing off with Shishio and given Shishio’s condition, it could mean literally. During his journey, Kenshin is befriended by a group of ninjas. His friends, Kaoru and hot-headed Sanosuke, are not far behind him and determined to help when Kyoto is threatened with an inferno.

Kenshin’s reverse blade is a bit of stretch, given that he was usually fighting gangs of murderous killers. If Batman could do it, then so could Himura Kenshin. Satoh Takeru often missed some of his targets by a mile, but he sold the action as did the stuntmen. The sword fights may have been completely unrealistic but they were well choreographed and entertaining. Where I did have a problem was with Kaoru in this film. At a particularly dangerous moment she showed up yelling at Kenshin to not kill a psychotic killer he was fighting. I really wanted him to say, “Woman, I am getting my butt handed to me and all I have is this broken-ass sword. Every time I knock him down, he bounces back up. I’m trying to not only stay alive but also keep a baby from being cleaved in half. So cut me some slack!” She also told the ninjas who were fighting an army and badly outnumbered to not kill anyone. To go against their training and worry about that would have gotten them killed. I love a badass female fighter and am always happy to see one in martial arts movies, Kaoru just wasn’t written very well. She was also not very convincing or commanding with her bamboo pole, given that she was supposed to be an instructor. Her presence was a liability during the battle and of course she ended up as the damsel in distress.

There were numerous characters to keep track of, both old and new, some more captivating than others. There were characters who played it straight and others who chewed through every piece of scenery in their path. Satoh Takeru is always compelling to watch as the handsome samurai who has taken a vow not to kill and uses a sword with the business end aimed at himself. This middle child film just felt uneven and bloated. I’m looking forward to seeing how they resolve some of those issues in the third installment.

8 March 2025
Warning: Ends on a cliffhanger

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