Reviews

A decent adaptation

After watching 2 seasons of the anime adaptation, I thought this would not make it justice. It is not as good as the anime, but they managed to fit the main story in 2 hours. Not as deep, and not as humorous, but it is a decent adaptation.
Obvioulsy, you can better develop all the characters in 2 seasons of a series, add side stories, come up with more adventures, add little details that have to be discarded in a movie for the sake of running time.
All things considered, it is a good movie.
My advice, watch the 2 seasons of the anime, You'll be wanting more at the end. Trust me. Then, you can watch this live action for a little bit more.

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Slow, beautiful film

The concept was original, the cinematography was wonderful, the acting was stellar, the music was haunting. I remember seeing the American remake (The Lake House), but I could never forget that they were actors in a movie, because they were famous. This was completely different.

Though I've seen both of the main actors in other works, I was completely immersed in this story. Let's start with the locations, the architecture, the cinematography. The film was full of shades of blue, fog, mist, and water, all that gave the strong feeling of calm, quiet, and mystery. The house on the lake, I think anyone would want to live there. The house, far from everyone and everything, gave the feeling of loneliness, and to a certain, degree, depression. The character of Kim Eun Ju (Jun Ji Hyun) was just full of loneliness. She'd been unsuccessful in love, wasn't doing too well in moving on, and if I'm honest, a little irritating in that she wanted to hold on to her putz of a husband. Han Sung Hyun (Lee Jung Jae) gave off the vibe of a real loner. Someone told him early on that he needed to learn how to open his heart. He seemed perfectly content in his solitary life, yet something was missing.

The two communicate across time, and Sung Hyun even addressed the improbability in that Cola, the cutest dog ever, was in two places at once. We get to know these two better through their correspondence and I really hoped there would be a happy ending for them.

The haunting song, Must Say Goodbye, was played throughout this movie, sometimes instrumental, sometimes with words. It was beautiful and went perfectly with the movie.

I would probably not rewatch this movie, since I know what happens, but I would definitely recommend it. A warning, this is a slow movie. Not much happens, but in a world that seems to be moving at warp speed, it was nice to sit back and enjoy the slow ride.

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Give it a chance. Healing journey

Yes, it's a BL, but really the story is about healing onself after being hurt, growing up, and putting yourself first. I guess some things you can only understand when you have experienced enough things, but it's a really nice movie.
You have to guess some things, but it's all given the through the subtext. You understand why Ba Da is there, and also Tommy's choice. Sometimes we have to put ourselves first, even if in doing so we hurt other people.
I also enjoyed the Ba Da maturing and not depending on others, also being able to say no when it was needed despite being hard. He found himself.
You might say it was not necessary for Tommy to leave for a while, but some things can only be pursued alone because it's our own personal journey.

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Not exactly anybody's cup of tea but

Well, I'm sad that no one was reviewing this, I don't do reviews as they can be subjective and based on bias.
But I want everyone to at least watch this as this is a very interesting movie. It cannot fit in anybody's cup of tea but it can surprise you with hidden humour and simple acting chops and weird dialogue hehhehe ... it's crazy ya all.

We start with Our own girl Urassaya sperbund[YAYA] WOW..... This year she has surprised us with a variety of choices, Romance, Tragedy, comedy like she is everywhere and well-deserved accolades for this special character Jay, Such a short name for such a special girl. She is like us, normal having normal simple dreams but always looking out for special something and did she got her special something or someone.... Well, she did and that was our amazing actor Nat Kicharit, Kao, He is special or he would like to believe he is ... he has those fast and feel but does he have love..... that is what it shows.... How it all boils down to that one thing humans need but ignore in their approach to bigger heights and dreams.

Is there a sad story with a sad ending or a new ending with new life altogether.... You need to watch this for those fun and laughter and hidden gems of meaning, Simple yet twisted but still understandable and one can relate to the characters they are and how they shape.

Acting is the hero here, Not just a slice of life but slices of life....... WATCH IT TO SAVOUR IT.

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That fine line between pleasure and pain....

I am very impressed how well the story is taking us, the viewers, into one of hundreds different BDSM's reality..
they have portrayed our main characters, 2 adults willing to explore their sensations in whichever way makes them feel happy; their relationship is very healthy and on the "light" side of many different BDSM practices. Seen by ignorant others as "perverts", the movie cleverly shows us who the real "Perverts" are, and in comparison, when looking at the two leads, you are just left smiling at the thought of them playing with a collar...

enjoy the view..

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Had me crying tears of joy by the end

Just to clarify I have never seen the anime. I have recently been watching more live-action movies in Asian culture and landed on this because I heard it was a good romance film. I normally don't write reviews for movies or tv shows, but this movie was fantastic. It had me interested the entire way through. Even though some parts of the plot were predictable they still handled it very well. Not only does this movie keep you interested in the main story but you also really feel invested in the supporting characters relationships. I don't want to spoil anything major but one thing that really made me happy was the end credits where they show a bit more to give closure on other characters that I was curious about when the movie ended. The only bad thing I could point out in this film is that the kids that are seen teasing Kuronuma kind of just disappear. The teasing and bullying kind of just stop out of nowhere. I think it might have to do with her pulling her hair up and out of her face mid-way through the film but I have no idea it just seemed kind of abrupt to me. That still doesn't take away from how good this film was. All in all, very well made and I highly suggest this to anyone looking for a good romance movie. Hands down one of the best Japanese films I have watched.

After doing more research I have found that Haruma Miura the actor that played Kazehaya in this film passed away in 2020. May he rest in piece. He play his role in this film perfectly and I know a lot of people loved him and his work very much

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Laugh out Loud funny

This is one of the best comedies I've watched in a long time. So many scenes LOL funny. Body swap movies are hit or miss and this one knocked it out of the park with an excellent cast to boot.

A lot of the older supporting cast I have seen in other things and they were all good especially Lee Joon Hyuk as Man Chul (Pan Soo's right-hand man). Ra Mi Ran as Mi Sun was fantastic. I haven't really seen the younger cast in much but the standout however was Jung Jin Young as Dong Hyun. He was so good as the gangster in the teenagers body. I mean he just nailed the role.

I loved the scene where he slaps the bully and the bully was outdone that he was being slapped. I loved the scene where Pan Soo/Dong Hyu was trying to get back into his own body at the beginning. I loved the scene at the rich kids house and Dong Hyu was beating everyone up and I loved the last big fight scene at Mi Sun's bar it was really good action sequence. I also love that Dong Hyu was even taking real hits.

Overall I gave this a 9 but a very close 10. The reason it's not a 10 is b/c the ending was just ok. But I would def watch again and highly recommend.

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Total let down

Aish!! I did not like this at all. I wanted too. I really did and I watched or added to my list because RM said it was one of his favorite movies, but there is no there there!

I thought the beginning of the film was good and started out well and because of that I thought the story was going to be something it wasn't. I envisioned a John Woo type classic Hong Kong action film but it wasn't; so that's on me.

The first fight scene was done really well and Lee Byung Hun as Sun Woo is really good and charismatic. The cast is pretty good. The problem is that the story is lacking and/or not fully done. Especially at the middle to end. It was a total mess and Sun Woo asking why kinda pissed me off. Like, WTF am I watching. Also, Sun Woo was supposed to be a hit man/enforcer but the shooting scenes were laughable. The ending while mostly satisfying fizzled. There is a scene where the "Boss" says to Sun Woo are you really going to take it this far and I screamed at the TV like dude you are the one who took it this far. I was glad he finally killed him.

At any rate I will still seek out movies with Lee Byung Hun.

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Fun movie!

Sometimes you want to watch something that will only take a couple of hours of your time. I was concerned at the beginning of this movie, because it didn't suck me in right away, but I'm glad I hung in there. At about the 15-minute mark it really took off.

Kim Young Kwang as Woo Soo Han is really good. He appeared to be such an idiot, but the writers were able to throw in a few surprises that I didn't see coming. I got a couple of clues of his comedic timing in The Secret Life of My Secretary, and there were numerous laugh-out-loud moments in this movie, from him as well as from others in the cast.

The lead actors had excellent chemistry with one another, in an unexpected way. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice it to say, I was glad to hear that they will be making a Mission Possible 2.

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Every best thing is not always complete

It was such an amazing drama it got me in tears...trust when i say i don't cry easily. Everyone who gave review to this drama was saying that the ending sucks trust me man it really does...I literally want the part 2 of this movie with a nice ending you know it was really so sad....i am just blabbering my whole emotions out in here the acting was superb when Hani was crying because Oreo was leaving also caught me off guar..Their acting deserve an Oscar their visuals were also so unreal my god...Even though i said the ending sucks for a millisecond a part of me which like sad scenes felt completed just a few minutes will make you cry like what feels like eternity....A Big request to my dramalist please bring the part 2 of this movie with the same cast please don't change the cast if you will make it #WEWANTPART2 #IDONTBELIEVEYOUAREAPRINCE2 #PLEASE

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What is a lived life?

It is quite apparent the movie was adapted from a novel, and a well-known novel at that, given the simplicity of the plot.

A story about one man’s principles and work ethic, his regrets and how his choices in life impacted on those dearest and nearest to him. A small, quiet, intimate and beautifully made film with subtle layers to its themes. That said, it was also very straightforward, as befitting a story with such subject matters.

The ending, as it was, did not come as a surprise as much as it was expected.

A movie you watch for the questions it brings to the table about what constitutes a life, that ever constant fact of life, change, and the struggles therein. There is no doubt why the novel it was based on was a modern classic. The themes touched on showed that clearly.

The film was not attempting to wow, and did not have any pretensions to such, and in that, I appreciated its honesty, just like the themes it wanted to convey to the audience. Simple yet thought provoking, and crucially, an emotional experience.

I would say this is a good film for its genre, if nothing remarkable. Worth a watch for an understanding of one aspect of the human condition. One with a Japanese flavour, poignant and evocative.

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I'm giving this movie a 7/10 because I really liked the story and the actors in this movie. The reason it's not getting an 8 is because the ending was just crazy or maybe the version I saw cut a scene or something. The way the villian meets his end made no sense.

Both male leads had good chemistry and I enjoyed the main villian. The last fight choreography was good too even if they slowed it down a bit. I didn't mind that though because you get to see the attacks and counter attacks cleanly. Theres another scene I really loved where the villian is practiiong his moves and the black and red contrast were excellent.

I thoroughly enjoyed the middle section of the movie when the hero is being trained in the invincible armour technique by a younger character. The young actor was really good too and I like his facial expressions. You don't really see that in these films and I like how those scenes played out.

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I will give up kindness in order to fight for justice

White Vengeance gives an epic look to the story of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu as they struggle to see who will ultimately wear the crown after rebelling against the Qin Dynasty.

Despite the gorgeous, colorful costumes, grand battle scenes, excellent cinematography and strong cast, White Vengeance could never figure out what the focus of the movie was. Was it the bromance gone wrong between the two men determined to become the next emperor? Was it a love story? Or a love triangle? Was it a bromance between the the two advisors to the opposing sides? The beginning of the film was particularly vexing as the focus jumped back and forth between characters and also time jumping leaving the viewer with no clear ground to stand on and making it hard to find their bearing in the story. If you are completely unfamiliar with this this historical event, it may be even more confusing. If you are familiar with the history, you may be upset with the obvious artistic liberties taken.

The famous banquet contained few of the historic events. If the beginning of the movie was confusing and moved too rapidly, the ending dragged and was quite anticlimactic. The changes to Xiang's and Yu Ji's story didn't move me, in fact, the changes caused me to roll my eyes. Director Lee couldn't seem to decide if Xiang Yu was an evil emperor wanna be or a tragic romantic hero. Liu Bang came across as having almost no agency of his own and being completely dependent on others until he made the quick jump to pathologically paranoid.

Feng Shao Feng played Xiang Yu and did a fine job, but lacked the fiery presence for a renowned warrior. Leon Lai's subdued performance lacked the cunning edge of the future emperor. Zhang Hanyu as Zhang Liang and Anthony Wong as Fan Zeng, the two strategists behind the big men gave the most compelling performances. Their two characters were the most interesting as well. Liu Yi Fei was the woman passed back and forth between the two leaders with little to do.

With the exception of a few wuxia style scenes that did not fit comfortably into a movie based on historical events, the fights and battles scenes were well choreographed. The CGI enhanced armies played well, with only a few glitches.

The look of White Vengeance was exceptional. However, WV's erratic focus and underdeveloped main characters took away from my enjoyment worsened by the creative license taken with the historical events.





8/12/22

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