An obscure slice of brilliance
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this is hands down Jun Fukuda's best movie. ESPY knows its premise is utterly bonkers and just runs with it; part 007, part B-grade exploitation and with a dash of Scanners, it's all exceptional fun. It's a film that fits right at home with old ITC shows like The Protectors due to its gorgeous globe-trotting gentlemen spy aesthetic but with that classic 70s tokusatsu twist. Fantastic direction, incredible music, deliciously camp with just the right amount of head explosions and teleporting nonsense to keep anyone entertained. While I may not love his Godzilla flicks, by god I will champion ESPY as Fukuda's finest till the day I die.Was this review helpful to you?
Don't watch it dubbed
A movie crying out to be seen in its original language (and widescreen), Carry on Wise Guy is a relatively straightforward and sometimes painfully unfunny martial arts adventure featuring Gordon Liu, one where whenever he's not onscreen becomes borderline intolerable. Even in the cropped and super crummy VHS-level transfer this movie has, you can tell that the choreography of the fight scenes goes hard, the major saving grace of this otherwise relatively low-budget comedy. Unfortunately, the plot is super generic, where things happen with no rhyme or reason. One minute it is a jiāngshī horror comedy scored with Walter Murphy's A Fifth of Beethoven, the next minute it's a serious foot-flying adventure to deliver a map of Japanese movements to Chinese troops. Sadly, the disingenuous dub isn't doing this movie any favours, (I swear one of the voice actors was Eric Idle of all people, sounding like he does in Casper 😭) and as it stands, Carry on Wise Guy is worth a fleeting look mainly for Liu kicking arse.Was this review helpful to you?
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That's the best Japanese content I've ever watched
I honestly love this movie. I've rewatched it soooo many times I can't count it.1. The story is straightforward with a small number of important people. By that I mean, no irrelevant people slow down the plot. The main antagonists make you understand the worth of the female lead.
2. The romance is light but so heartwarming. There are no kiss but you can feel the romance blossoming from beginning to end.
3. I usually don't like Japanese content because of the overly "Kawai" or some weird stuff that could make foreigners (by that I mean those who are not used to Japanese culture) uncomfortable. But in this movie, there weren't any, like the abuse was reduced to necessary without making it overly uncomfortable. [I don't want to offend anyone, but JP content is really special]. There's not too much overacting.
4. Did I say I've watched a thousand times?
5. The story keeps so captivated from beginning to end. Tho there are a few questions left unanswered no matter how many times I watch it.
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could have been great, but has the same toxic tropes as the manga
Unfortunately, the story suffers from the same issues as the original anime and manga. So many of the main couple's intimate scenes contain non-consensual kisses, touching, and borderline r*pe attempts. I don't understand why the mangaka thought this was necessary when the characters and story would be incredibly good without these elements. Ryoma is constantly ignoring Izumi's boundaries. The family and their agent turns a blind eye to this and worse, actively allow Ryoma to meet Izumi at home, at school, etc. Sexual harassment is not funny and should not be the baseline for a future romantic relationship. I was hoping they'd change these things for the live action drama, especially since they seemed to have no problem updating the wedding ad to show a same sex couple, but disappontingly the rest of the show was not updated.The base plot would work so well, if they simply just allowed for Izumi to fall in love with Ryoma organically. Ryoma having a crush on Izumi first and wanting to get to know him would have been perfectly okay if he had even an ounce of self-control.
The actors played the characters well, and I immediately recognized Shougo's actor who also voiced the character in the anime. Ryoma's actor is yes, very over the top, but that is literally how the character is in the source material.
I am really sad about this one, because the writing and comedic scenes are otherwise great. The screenplay seems to be written by the mangaka too and they did a great job with transitioning the story into a live action drama and it flows really well. The actor really look like their characters, I love how their hair was styled to match the original designs.
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This review may contain spoilers
Short but nicely done coming out story
overall pretty good story.acting wasn't bad. Jaffe was a little over the top with that laughter.
Chai did well.
interesting way to move the story forward, using music and action, but no dialogue in several parts.
mostly easy watch.
warning- their is a hard slap in one scene.
watched on YT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFifCdlf9e0
SPOILERS
TBH, I'd slapped that girl's hand away much sooner. lol. how annoying.
Bottoms up when drinking is so distasteful. And if you can't hold your drink, don't do it.
Drinking and driving, just don't.
"I'm not going with a gay." uhhh honey, you are in a gay bar. I mean, the place is called BLOW, and there is a rainbow attached to a banana at the entrance. eyeroll
For Jaffe to say it was no big deal, that he's been spoken to like that lots of time, and he's used to it, is really sad.
I hate when parents ask their kid a question, but then don't let them speak to actually answer it. smh
Dang pops, that was one heck of a slap!
I like how they focused on pop's grief. Finding out his son is gay, the dreams that he had for his son, future, family, etc going up in smoke so suddenly. That's a lot for him to handle. But if he'd listen to his son, there is no reason why he can't be happy and understand that the future may look differently, but ultimately it's HIS future to live, and as a dad, he should want his son to be happy, fulfilled, and successful in his own way.
1 yr time skip
Even Yok came around. wow. Love her little cherry tattoo on her arm. :))
as did pops.
and oh what a good wedding kiss. I man, they've been together a year, so I'm glad it wasn't just a lip press. lol
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More engaging than expected
The synopsis of this movie sounded rather unpromising by focusing on the real Tang Shenwei's achievements, and I expected a lot of pompous propaganda about how much better Chinese culture is than the rest of the world. (There is a bit of an untrustworthy enemy included, but not too heavy.Nevertheless, I took a chance on it and it was surprisingly engaging. Of course, the movie is probably totally fictionalised, as the only real bio info I could get didn't mention any of the exciting events. But throw in a good-looking foreign princess, unsympathetic bosses, and family tragedy and it ended up quite an easy watch. Not a groundbreaking work or wildly exciting, but nice characters and good acting from the ML (pity about the mustache in the later part of the movie). Decent subtitles, and a nice pacifist message. I watched it on CCTV6 China Official Movie Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHCgvE7_4Ys
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It was aight
Okay, so picture this: you're settling in to watch this short film called 'Wedding', and at first, you're like, 'Wait, is this a documentary or what?' That's exactly what went through my head halfway through. The way the actresses were looking straight at the camera and interacting with it had me questioning reality for a second. But then I figured, hey, maybe they're going for that whole documentary vibe.Let me tell you, the acting in this thing is solid. The dynamic between the characters is on point. I mean, I wouldn't be shocked if someone told me they were a real-life couple because the chemistry feels authentic... for the most part. Sure, I didn't feel the sparks flying as much as I'd hoped, but hey, you win some, you lose some.
One thing that caught me off guard though – there's no background music. It's just pure dialogue and ambient noise, which, I guess, adds to the whole 'documentary' feel they were going for, but personally, I missed having a soundtrack to set the mood.
Overall, 'Wedding' is an interesting watch. It might throw you for a loop with its documentary-style filming, but stick with it for the performances. Just don't expect any romantic symphonies in the background.
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A ride exploring love's unexpected twists.
Ever stumbled upon a movie you weren't quite eager to watch, only to find yourself entranced by its story? Well, that's precisely what happened when I stumbled into "My Teacher,""My Teacher" invites you to witness the journey of Shimada Hibiki, a skilled high school archer discovering love for the first time. When she starts noticing the warmth beneath her strict history teacher, Mr. Ito, things take a turn. The film explores the challenges of teenage emotions and societal norms.
Hibiki's emotional rollercoaster, portrayed by Hirose Suzu and Ikuta Toma, feels genuine, adding depth to the story. The cinematography captures the essence of the narrative, creating a visually appealing backdrop.
While the movie touches on potentially controversial themes, it does so with a delicate approach. "My Teacher" is more than a love story; it's about understanding the complexities of human connection and the choices we make in the face of societal expectations.
The film offers an intimate look into the characters' lives, making it a heartfelt journey of unexpected connections and self-discovery.
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Better villain than Jang Chen?
After watching this film, people will compare Kang hee sang to Jang Chen and some even say Kang is better or stronger than Jang Chen but that's utter bullshit.If Kang hee sang is an assassin type, Jang Chen is a combatant type. With machete or knife, Kang hee sang got the edge but with bare hands or without weapons, Jang Chen wins by a mile. He's the one who gave most trouble to Ma seok du without any weapon while kang got obilerated while holding a weapon. Is this part Better than 1st part? Yeah but in a different aspect
It's a chase while 1st part is more of cops and robbers game. Both are enjoyable.
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Kinda forgettable not gonna lie
I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters. The acting is somewhat decent, except for the Male actor, though he only had a bit part.The whole setup of hinting at each other's feelings, like a tug of war who will slip up and confess was okay I guess, it was kinda cute.
There's not much cinematography, but that's understandable. Lastly, there's no background music at all even though music is the half of heavy lifting to make a scene more impactful.
I know it's a very short film, but I've seen some tiktoks where in a span of a minute, it'll be able to tickle your heart, so there's no excuse.
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Concrete Utopia is a great movie
Quote: Concerning the totals disaster surrounding them, “Honestly, there is no difference between a murderer and a Pastor.” From Concrete Utopia.Whenever there is a total disaster with little possibility of relief forth coming, the first thing to go is humanity. Looking out for only self rises to a heightened level in many people. When resources are at a minimum, and vital resources like food, clothing and shelter are limited, the “have nots” get most fierce.
Concrete Utopia looks at such a situation, created by a disaster which leveled most all of the country, and how people react to this situation. Disaster uncovers an unbalance of power, with people seizing authority. Decisions are made as to who to help and why. Distribution of resources is usually uneven. In Concrete Utopia, people try to make order out of disorder. Society breaks down, as the unworthy try to seize control. This movie did a great job depicting the stress and duress of living in a total disaster situation. Right or wrong, the hard decisions they chose to make called for hypocritical resolutions. When some of your resources are outside of your controlled area, this also should govern the decisions you make. There are a lot of lessons to learn from this movie. You will have lots of head talk after viewing it.
This disaster takes place in a country which does not promote gun ownership. The outcome would have been so totally different in any of the 24 states in the U S which allows concealed carry of guns. I am not saying that this would be a good thing, to own a gun. Frankly, the mess created would have just been bigger.
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"The wind breezes through without a trace"
House of Flying Daggers was a movie where style over substance wasn’t a failing. Zhang Yi Mou pulled out his magical color palette and bathed the screen with gorgeous deep hues. Beautiful people wore luxurious costumes as they danced, fought, and loved in the kaleidoscope background. This director knows how to hit all my film watching pleasure spots through sight and sound.The plot is fairly simple. With a failing and corrupt government, the underground House of Daggers grew into being. Stealing from the rich and helping the poor while fighting against the crooked officials they’ve earned a target on their backs. Jin and Liu are tasked with bringing down the Daggers’ leader. They suspect the new blind dancer at the Peony Pavilion is the daughter of the recently deceased leader and seek to use her to guide them to the alliance through subterfuge. Jin goes undercover as someone taken with her beauty and breaks her out of jail. The only problem is, “who’s zoomin’ who?”
The thin storyline worked largely due to the commitment of Zhang Zi Yi and Kaneshiro Takeshi in playing adversaries pretending to have fallen for each other, especially when their true feelings begin to trip them up. Their relationship evolves from brutal possession to erotic whispering caresses. Treachery and zealous devotion played out both personally and professionally for a number of people. The twists and turns may not have been earthshattering but they were entertaining. They also showed how little value was put on the lives of the pawns in the game between two powerful forces.
Tony Ching choreographed numerous wire-fu fights with swords and speeding daggers. The battle in the bamboo forest was stunning. Soldiers crawling up and down the verdant trees while also using them as weapons was enthralling. For the most part people were shown full body length in order to observe the intensity of the fights. When the bamboo shatters or impales it was both beautiful and shocking. The singing daggers could bend in flight and bank off of objects to land their targets. While not a fight, Zhang Zi Yi’s dance with the drums was breathtaking and quite memorable. Zhang Jianmin’s dance choreography flowed with power equal to any fight in the film. The percussion ballet was as magnificent as the bamboo one.
Umebayashi Shigeru’s score could be wistful one moment and heart pounding the next. Romantic, playful, traditional and modern, the music enhanced every scene. Zhang’s use of color never ceases to amaze me. Whether in the feminine Peony Pavilion with pink dresses and butterflies or the autumnal trees and falling leaves of the forest, he never neglects the important visual aspects of his films. As mentioned before, the emerald bamboo battle was one of the most iconic scenes from his films.
Mei and Jin’s life and death decisions were made in the sheer elegance and poetry of Zhang’s visual style accompanied by a haunting score. The plot involving both personal and national passions played out in the forests, fields of flowers, and snow. It’s hard to say which was more captivating, I tend to lose my sense of perspective when immersed in Zhang Yi Mou’s world.
3 February 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
04/02/2024 (Feb)
It is a good story overall, but quite sad.
Somewhere in China a violent older husband, his young mute wife and two daughters suddenly turn up at an isolated village on a mountain to live - only 6 months later he accidentally dies in a dynamite explosion set to kill badgers.
As the story unfolds we get to understand how he actually ended up being married to her and what happens after his death as the real truth unravels bit by bit.
Some really don't have a chance or fair shot at life - it is made worse when that choice is taken away from them because of being so vulnerable, too young or taken advantage of by people that have no conscience.
Would highly recommend!
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Poetry at its darkest
This is one of those grey movies that tackle a very serious issue or maybe even several serious issues by looking at them from bystanders point of view. With very low entertainment value but high artistic, depth and I guess emotional value. An in-depth window to the value of the less affluent female population of the world.This is a mans world, a world obsessed with the third leg... A world where that third leg can be used to completely opress someone else ln the name of boys will be boys or in the name of a mans got needs...
Like poetry every word is a symbol in this movie every shot seems to symbolise something, nothing in this was left to chance from the color of the flowers to the direction of the wind.. Though there are a lot of flowers and somewhat colorfull patterns they all seem to be shown though a filter of grey... and the only light that seems to be in sight is the fading memory of our female lead...
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