Reviews

Something very entertaining, light and funny

Mission: Possible is a fun and light-hearted Korean action-comedy film. It tells the story of a secret agent and a private detective who team up by accident to solve a gun smuggling case. The movie mixes action, comedy, and a bit of mystery, making it enjoyable.

The main characters are played by Kim Young-kwang and Lee Sun-bin. Kim Young-kwang plays a funny and slightly clumsy detective, while Lee Sun-bin plays a serious secret agent. Their personalities are very different, which makes their teamwork both funny and interesting. They argue a lot at first, but slowly learn to trust each other.

The action scenes are exciting but not too serious, which fits the funny style of the film. There are also several surprising moments that keep the audience curious. The comedy feels natural, and many of the jokes come from the situations the characters find themselves in.

The story is easy to follow, and the pace is good—there are no boring parts. Even though the plot isn't very deep, it's still fun to watch because of the great chemistry between the two leads and the mix of action and humor.

In summary, Mission Possible is a great film if you want something entertaining and light. It's not too serious, but it keeps you smiling and interested from start to finish. Perfect for fans of action-comedies with a good mix of laughter and suspense.

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Not worth your time.

‘Malee’ is probably the first Thai horror film I’ve watched that features a sapphic storyline. While combining sapphic love, Manora dance, and horror seems like a refreshing departure from the usual tropes seen in the genre, unfortunately, everything is just all over the place.

The most important thing about a horror film is the suspense buildup. Without a solid story progression, the fear and horror the film tries to deliver surely won’t work. And this is exactly what this film failed to deliver. The poor script and the lackluster acting from its cast are this film's major downfall. The first 40 minutes of the film are slow and dull, failing to build any real tension or suspense. Additionally, the jumpscares in the film fall flat, lacking the necessary build-up and payoff to truly frighten viewers.

As a big horror enthusiast who also follows GL, I’d say this film is ultimately a bland horror movie with nothing memorable to offer. Definitely not worth your time. 'Malee' may have had the potential to be a standout Thai horror film with its intriguing concept and sapphic backstory, but the film simply fails to fully explore and develop any plot point properly, leaving everything seeming underdeveloped. And if you’re a GL fan who would watch everything with sapphic/WLW elements regardless of the quality, I advise you to at least set some standards and just skip this film.

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Shibukawa Bangoro was a 1922 silent film with Benshi narration. Our hero Bangoro battles evil samurai, a pine tree, and a spider demon. What’s not to like?

Bangoro saves a country couple from being killed by drunk samurai. Later, he fights a wrestler who cheated in a sumo match and uses his father’s Yawara Jutsu which gets him disinherited when the dastardly Tenzen tattles on him. Later he travels to the mountains to fight the Spider Demon not knowing that Tenzen and another cruel samurai have attacked his family.

This film was composed of several chapters which thankfully come full circle by the ending. Onoe Matsunosuke played the “young master” at the age of 47. He would die three years later after having played in 1000 films! Sadly, just six remnants of his films have survived. I have only seen him in Jiraiya the Hero (1921) which was a lot of fun to watch despite the film being badly damaged. The intro to SB was a reminder that only a tiny percentage of early films are with us today. It’s estimated that over 90% are lost worldwide, mainly due to the nitrate film that was used which was highly flammable and if not stored properly crumbled into dust. Couple that with WWII and a terrible 1923 earthquake in Japan and even fewer of their films have made it to the present so each one we can still watch is a treat.

SB was much like a Kabuki play only on studio sets and in natural settings as much of the action took place in the mountains and next to a river. The Benshi narration wasn’t original to the film as there would have been someone in the theater narrating the film during its run. Men played the women’s roles and everyone was in heavy theatrical makeup and wigs. There were numerous fights involving swords, the aforementioned martial arts, sumo wrestling, and brawling with fists and poles. As with the makeup the fights were more theatrical and dance style moves than actual fighting. The best fight, of course, was with the long-haired Spider Demon as she transformed back and forth from two-legged to eight, and spewed white webbing everywhere long before Silly String was invented.

Shibukawa Bangoro may have been heavily dated, but that was part of its charm. Bangoro was a virtuous hero, the villains were a real threat, and despite the ravages of time, the film had a proper ending. It might have been a Shaw Brothers abrupt ending, but still brought the story to a close. And did I mention there was a giant muppet spider?

12 November 2025
I gave it a small ratings bump due to its age

Trigger: Attempted sexual assault

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Curious after watching Takumi-kun 2025

I came to see this movie because i watched the Takumi-kun series 2025 and read in the revieuws that you should watch the previous movies to understand the storyline better, so here i am.

Visuals were a bit blurry, maybe because it is a copy of an old film? It was the best quality i could find.
Without the slightly blurr the visuals would be beautiful. The music was good.
The acting was ok as far i could judge, because of the slight blurr some facial expressions weren't noticable.

Some parts were a bit messy like the fact that Takabayashi was at one moment in love with Gii next moment totaly in love with Yoshizawa. Maybe those back stories will become more clear in the other movies? I'll just go and watch them the next days to see if they add something to the stories.

It wasn't a bad watch, but i think they didn't use all the potential it had.

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Great idea, meh execution

I had high hopes for this movie in the first half because the plot is very intruiging. The build-up of tension as Yoshie asks for more and more surgeries and begins to snoop around in the doctor's life is quite suspensful and I enjoyed it.
However, aside from the graphic gore, I found the acting underwhelming, especially towards the last act. It feels like they used the excessive gore and sex scenes as a way to make it horror, but fail to give the story a satisfying conclusion. Additionally, not getting ANY information on Yoshie seems like a lazy route in my opinion.
So in conclusion, this movie was a good idea on paper but badly executed, and the characters were so shallow I didn't remember any of their names except Yoshie. Lastly, as someone who speaks german I was greatly offended by the lover using the german word for female genitalia and other random words during sex, that is such a turnoff lmao

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A sharp, grounded action film about justice, growth, and responsibility

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝘁 is one of those action films that catch you off guard — not just with its fights, but with how much it evolves emotionally. What begins as a slick and fast-paced story about martial arts and justice quickly develops into something deeper, exploring 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, and 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

The 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 starts off casual and overconfident, but as the story unfolds, you can feel him maturing — his tone shifts, his choices weigh heavier, and his understanding of justice becomes more complex. This gradual evolution makes his journey believable and compelling. It’s rare to see such natural 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 in a genre that often prioritizes action over introspection.

What sets 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝘁 apart is its willingness to slow down when it needs to. The film treats its serious subject matter with respect — addressing 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, and the 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. There’s a moral gravity beneath the physical combat, and as the tone darkens, the main character’s seriousness becomes the emotional center of the film.

The choreography is tight and stylish without being excessive, and the balance between intensity and reflection is handled with care. What starts as a straightforward action premise grows into a thoughtful story about learning from 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀, taking 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, and redefining what justice means.

By the end, you see a character who has not only mastered his craft but also his conscience — a man who understands that true strength comes from 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, and 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. That emotional payoff is what lifts 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝘁 from good to genuinely memorable.

Pros:
✔ Excellent 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 and evolving tone
✔ Tackles 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀 with maturity
✔ Sharp choreography and focused direction
✔ Emotional depth beneath the action
✔ A serious and surprisingly reflective message

Cons:
✘ Some scenes could’ve expanded more on the supporting cast
✘ Slight pacing dips in the middle

Would I rewatch?
Yes — it’s a rare action film that balances heart, maturity, and message as well as it balances punches.

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the highest form of Khon

Note: Ratings for this were difficult. I considered trying to rate it as a documentary, perhaps with an eye to MDL users who might watch a Thai PBS documentary on classical Thai dance. But respect for the tradition and practitioners is so strong a theme throughout, it feels most appropriate to give 10 for 'Cast' in acknowledgement of their proficiency and expertise, which then means 10s for Story and Music in respect for the tradition. Rewatch value? I’m sure I’ll get more from a second viewing.

Thai PBS calls this documentary a ‘deep dive’. I’m not sure about that, perhaps ‘esoteric’ would be a better term (even, if I understand it accurately, within Thailand). There is a lot of information to take in - the beginning is especially dense with names and references to classical Hindu texts and beliefs and their Thai counterparts. Fortunately it slows down as it progresses and the names of Thai dance masters become familiar. Text accompanying the dance performance at the end helpfully summarise key points.

The English title is also somewhat misleading. I knew about Khon dance from Thai PBS’s one hour mini drama, "Dream a Little Dream", where a very determined young boy begins learning Khon dance, so I was hoping for more insight into that. "Dream" is an excellent and gentle introduction, by the way, with a sweet family story. Well worth an hour.

The Thai title of this documentary translates as “Documentary of the Pirap” - a very rare and specialised part of the dance tradition, considered to be the superlative form. Requirements for being allowed to inherit and perform the tradition are strict and complicated, only for those already ordained as monks and skilled in the arts - those with the knowledge are in their 70s and 80s and it’s in danger of being lost. So now my information is Beginners, Supreme Grand Master, and only a smattering in between. The quest continues to fill that in =D

The importance of religious beliefs in arts was what I found the most interesting here. “Arts in the world exist to praise or worship gods.” “Phra Pirap Nah Paht Dance is to invite the highest deity to help eliminate evil.” Phra Pirap is a fierce aspect of Shiva, capable of great protection.

Along the way, they also touch on the music, women dancers, and the making of masks. The masks are also religiously significant.

The last 13 minutes are a performance of the dance.

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young dreams in crowded Klong Toey

Local, personal and real. Well-crafted documentary about life, school and young dreams in Klong Toey, where life is crowded by densely packed neighbours and the very narrow priorities of the education system the young rappers collide against, especially 18 year old Book.

The film-making is simple in style but clear and focused, making space for them and giving us time to understand them, or what they understand of themselves.

Very much worth seeking out.

To help that, Director Wattanapume Laisuwanchai has made a public appeal to get School Town King added to Netflix. More information and a link to request the film are in this article.
www.bkmagazine.com/entertainment/director-klong-toey-rap-documentary-wants-your-help-to-get-it-netflix/

If anyone knows how Book and Non are faring now, would you kindly let me know. Thanks. Wishing them well.

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Never read webtoon, so I'm objective

I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read the reviews after watching because I might not have watched. Its a decent movie with good acting and as someone who has never read the webtoon I now want to read.

It's a good story and because it was a movie they had a limited amount of time to tell as much of the story as they could, I would have loved an 8 or 6 episode drama, it would have given the maker more room to tell the story.

With all that said I'd recommend this movie, its an easy watch, easy to follow the story even the gore was done very well you can watch with the kids. I'd love a part 2 or even a series.

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