Reviews

I never write reviews but this was so bad that I had to...

This "movie" is just... everything is terrible okay? The production and the music are a joke. The plot/story is so dumb... I really don't know how else to describe it. They're just dumb. There are millions of better ways to portray gay prostitution in Japan. There are millions of better ways to portray a teacher falling in love with his student... The explicit scenes were depressing to me but at least it made me feel something because the rest of the movie was so plain and boring. It made no sense at times to the point it was unrealistic because of how much it lacked any kind of depth. All the characters weren't even one-dimensional. They were zero-dimensional. It's like a very simple dumb cartoon but make it live action and pornographic.

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A ‘ Door’ Into The Realm of Disappointment…

Based upon the eponymous novel by Robert A. Heinlein, ‘ The Door Into Summer’ ( alternatively known as ‘ Natsu e no Tobira: Kimi no Iru Mirai e’ or ‘ 夏への扉 キミのいる未来へ’) seemed to initially offer viewers an intriguing premise under the directing reigns of Takahiro Miki and the writing of Kanno Tomoe.

However despite the movie’s impressive plot premise and the casting choice of renowned actor Kento Yamazaki ( ‘ Orange’, ‘ Alice In Borderland’, ‘ Death Note’), ‘ The Door Into Summer’ soon suffered greatly under the aimless direction of plot holes, lacklustre genre exploration, character and plot growth as well as pacing also.

The movie initially focuses upon young scientist Takakura Soichiro ( Kento Yamazaki). Trying to complete the research of his late paternal and mentor figure Matsushita Kazuto ( Hidekazu Mashima) upon plasma research in 1995, Soichiro’s plans are scuppered when he’s betrayed from the shadows and loses control over his research . With no other options, Soichiro is subdued into a cryogenic chamber. Waking up nearly thirty years later in 2025, Soichiro discovers that the world has changed significantly as he desperately tries to find a way back to 1995…

Perhaps one of ‘ The Door Into Summer’’s greatest downfalls and arguable strengths came through its emotive moments. Admittedly it isn’t out of a question for the science-fiction genre to explore and widen the scope of expectations with presenting the emotional conflicts and struggles of humanity. In particular one of the most heartfelt moments of ‘ The Door Into Summer’ came through Soichiro’s relationship initially in 1995 with his adopted feline friend Pete and being able to relate to his cat’s emotional struggles. In the latter-part of the series this relationship was replaced by Soichiro’s android friend PETE ( Fujiki Naohito); one of the few characters who could offer viewers surprising comic relief and emotional complexity at times also .

Nevertheless ‘ The Door Into Summer’ was a storyline that was supposedly focused upon elements of time travel and pseudo-science. However whilst the lingering presence of humanoid robots and time travel are intriguing plot hooks for viewers, Kanno Tomoe’s screenplay greatly struggled under the cataclysmic weight of plot inconsistencies and lacklustre loopholes as well as logic .

One of the major problems of Tomoe’s world-building and “factual “ science came through its lacking and quintessential presence in the main events of the storyline. Perhaps the major source of the problem can be found that ‘ The Door Into Summer’ was heavily dominated by its emotional aspects. However rather than using this as an opportunity to explore characters or even widely offer an edge of complexity towards Soichiro, Kanno Tomoe ladened the narrative in parts upon Soichiro’s insipid, potential romantic relationship with main female lead Matsushita Riko ( Kiyohara Kara).

This was a notable flaw throughout Miki’s movie; there was rarely a sense of plot. Seemingly quintessential characters and events were rarely developed and whilst the movie did attempt to present a gradual “ villain” , ‘ The Door Into Summer’ could often feel aimless and directionless within its messaging and plot development. In particular the ending of the movie notably presented the outcome of the plot’s aimless narrative with an anticlimactic and lacklustre conclusion.

In addition to this there’s also the issue of the lacking opportunities to really flesh-out characters and in particular the main male lead of the series. For a a main character who is supposedly constantly looking towards advancement , Soichiro’s uninspiring and tailored reaction towards the near-future, technology and the world around him felt somewhat regimented rather than befitting for his seeming character archetype.

The acting of the series was admittedly a slight mixed-bag. Kento Yamazaki’s role as Soichiro was admittedly somewhat uninspiring with certain line deliverances feeling enforced. The supporting cast such as Matsuhhita Riko played by Kiyohara Kara and Natsuko as Shiraishi Rin in particular were decent enough with their performances but rarely brought forwards a dynamic charm due to limited screenwriting opportunities. Perhaps one of the few standout performances of ‘ The Door Into Summer’ was Fujiki Naohito as PETE but due to limited dialogue and depth opportunities, Naohito was rarely a wider scope to exploring his onscreen persona with tact.


Perhaps one of the few saving graces of ‘ The Door Into Summer’ under the directing reigns of Takahiro Miki came through the movie’s impressive and glossy CGI, cinematography, slick shots and fuzzy retro and nostalgia shoots also. Although admittedly a somewhat generic approach with certain filming techniques, Miki did help to captivate a certain aesthetic throughout the filming of the series. The OST of the series was slightly dull in comparison to the slick shots of the movies; synchronic in parts, but rarely giving viewers an opportunity to feel the emotional weight and impact of scenes either.

Overall ‘ The Door Into Summer’ is a film which whilst boasting some impressive filming shots, scenery, CGI and some familiar faces, often felt heavily burdened by its writing. The elements of science-fiction present within the narrative of the film are approached tactlessly with aimless plot motivations rarely giving further insight into the growth of characters or tension either. The ending of the series will likely offer viewers with a final admittance of the narrative’s disappointing deliverance despite its unlimited potential.

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Good story, dreadful Directorship & Acting

Reading through other reviews, I see the common excuse for the awful acting as being that the movie aims to replicate the "manga" and "anime-style" acting. Problem is: that's a problem with Japanese directorship lately. Japan can produce very beautiful masterpieces, however, when they try to desperately stick to their anime brand it results with this cringe-filled content that is difficult to watch never mind take seriously. P.S: I can't speak on behalf the manga, but I will speak from the Anime adaptation that in my opinion was amazingly done

Story: I personally loved it. For a movie adaptation, I enjoyed the change from a straight wedding to a same-sex wedding. I also enjoyed that Izumi was the one to comfort Ryoma and that they removed his awkwardness in front of cameras. However, there's no impactful scene in the entirety of this movie like there is in the anime. In the anime, we have multiple impactful scenes from Ryoma finding out Izumi is a boy to Izumi's debut as himself into the showbiz world. Those were amazingly done. In the movie? Well... there's barely any substance and it was hard for me to watch it.... The movie is boring. The director has failed to capture many key moments from the anime, and has replaced them with monotone scenes that don't really provide much of anything.


Acting & Casting: This is by far the worst part of this movie apart from the massacre that has occurred to the characters of this series. I'm not sure whether this is the actors' fault or the director's but this "anime style" acting does not work in live action media, that is not based on a fantasy environment where I feel like it's easier to get away with. The acting strips the characters of all their remaining life in the most ironic manner possible and makes them hard to even care about. Honestly, it's hard to take this movie seriously and it feels like a bad YouTube original. The anime works because it is animation but also the anime doesn't neglect animating the characters naturally when it is needed. Izumi has very serious and well directed moments in the anime, particularly when he explores his sexuality and attraction to Ryoma. Ryoma equally has his raw scenes as he fights for Izumi's affections with the few bittersweet moments between him and Shogo. In this movie, however, the acting is unredeemable and fails drastically to represent the mixed emotions the characters develop throughout the story.
Another things that puts me off is the casting. Though not terrible, neither of the actors or the way in which they're styled represent their characters. Ryoma barely looks like the cool and flashy actor that he is and for a 2020 movie, it has already aged awfully. DISCLAIMER: I am not hating on the actors directly, I am sure they're great but personally I do not see them in these roles. The actors hold no chemistry together and honestly, they should've chosen a different casting. These actors do not sell their roles.

Characters: What happened?! Ryoma is NOT Ryoma! Ryoma in the anime adaptation is represented with a quite puppy-like love towards Izumi and is also represented as naive to contrast his public image of a cool guy. The huge contrast between the on-screen Ryoma and the Ryoma we see interact with Izumi is huge. That's what makes him charming to the audience and root for him. In the movie? He's just a dull, cringe-worthy character that lacks all charm. This issue mainly comes down to the directorship and acting, it's hard to watch. Izumi is honestly the dullest character and it's the reason why the argument of the movie staying "true to the manga" doesn't hold. The characters, the most important element, are not true to the predecessors. Izumi charms the audience because of his naivity but a cutely represented love for Magical Girl LalaLulu that he is often seen to use to boost his confidence in himself In this adaptation, he is a boring character and nothing feel earnest. The only part in which Izumi is likeable when he calms Ryoma down during filming in the first 10mins of the movie.
Rei also significantly has collapsed as a character. From a cool, admirable character to a flat, uninspiring side character who barely gives the same flare to the movie as he did in the anime. More so, his relationship to Shogo is so lazily thrown in! Shogo is quite literally the only character that is true to the other adaptations.
This is the easiest thing to get right and yet this movie completely fails at it,

Music: Boring.

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The Story Of My Life.

Ode to my father describes what a lot of individuals who are titled first child or head of the house goes through, and I being the first child had no better title than to define this review.

The story takes place in the middle of the Korean War in the city of Hungnam, North Korea where the US Marines evacuated more than 86,000 individuals, our main lead and his family being one of them. The entire film then follows the promise he made to his father before he went missing to take care of his mother and siblings. Deok Soo (Hwang Jung Min) then lives his life making sure to make his father's promise a reality which costs him everything including his dreams, his passions, and even his will.

As we see him get older there seems to be a withdrawal emotionally and a lack of understanding that his family offers him, in scenes where it has aged having grandchildren and we see their lack of showed love towards him. It reminds me of the loneliness that comes with a huge sacrifice, not only did he not give himself, he was left misunderstood, and not even his children were patient enough to understand where that 'anger' came from. In the final scene of the movie, we see Deok Soo finally decide to sell his store, and when he goes into his room he begins to cry reminiscing the difficulties that came with keeping that promise, how to hurt he had become when he realized he would never see his father again.

One thing that made me cry and sob in this film apart from Hwang Jung Min's performance was the countless stories that were expressed throughout, Although not as heavily themed in the time of war but for families who lack opportunities, immigrant children who have so much responsibility to care for their younger siblings and parents. Deok Soo lived his entire life to service others constantly pushing the limit he would go for family. the only thing he ever did for himself was to fall in love and get married, which is awesome but it was at the expense of almost dying that he even meet the love of his life.

As a child of immigrants, the guilt Deok Soo felt when he lost his sister is the same when you see your parents put their interests, their homes, and sometimes their marriages so they can protect you and give you a better life. Although I might want to pursue other things in life, there are a lot more responsibilities like Deok Soo had, that have to come before my peace of mind.

I loved his story so much, I loved the execution from the cast and those who worked behind the scenes. it's a movie that will be timeless not only showing history in true light but relating to individuals who often go through situations like this. I hope this review urges you more to view this film and appreciate the brilliance behind it.

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Sea Fog is Brilliant

I went into this blind and didn't know about the director, the writer or even the fact that it was produced by Bong Joon Ho himself.

I had book marked it probably cuz of Han Yeri as whatever few drama/film I had seen of her, she was pretty great in the acting and general emoting.

The movie if you don't know too much about it gives a disaster movie vibe as the setting is very much that.

However the movie takes a dark turn midway and hits all the boxes of a fantastic film. Specially how information is conveyed or rather not conveyed. The most pivotal part of the movie just happens before you know it and all you get to see is the aftermath.

The movie also taps into the psyche of the crew here. Although going any further would mean spoilers. So I'll hold off.

There are a few sexual scenes but not much is visible but definitely not something you would wanna see with your parents or kids around (or maybe you do)

The characters are rough and swear like sailors, and that's cuz they are.. well, sailors.

If you like your polished and cherry on top movie, you could maybe avoid this. But that doesn't mean the film is dark for the sake of being dark. A lot of it is decently profound and also inspired by real life events(some of it)

Oh also apparently a k-pop idol has a sex scene in it which made all the braindead stans give bad reviews to this film. I reckon that was a bigger tragedy to witness than what happens in the film.

Anyway. Watch it
It's good.

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Real. Beautiful. Heartbreaking.

"The tide kept rising. I really hoped this would be the end of the world."

In a time of turmoil and a world that is starting to change, Jia-Han and Birdy start to discover themselves and their feelings for each other. Predominantly based on the director's own experiences, it's a story about love and heartbreak. A story about discovering who you are in a world that doesn't accept it. A story about a first love, that is both heartbreaking and beautiful.

When emotions were running high, what really tied everything together was the music. Titled "Your Name Engraved Herein," just like the movie, it is a beautiful song that is perfectly interwoven into the story.

Before I go, I would like to add a small note about something I read in the director's interview. The director, Liu, whose life the movie is based on, did not play the trumpet like Jia-Han did, he played the flute. They made the change, because "the trumpet has a sound quality of wanting to say something, but not being able to get it out."

I absolutely loved this movie. So watch it and I hope it moves you the way it moved me.

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Faithful remake of first loves and letting go

I've already watched the K-version so I already know what's about to happen. I couldn't remember the exact details because I've watched it ages ago so I can't really pinpoint similarities or differences.

STORY
Since I already know the story beforehand, it probably lessen my excitement of watching the story unfold. I think they were quite faithful to the original. The plot twist was well executed. It gave off a lesser melo vibe than the K-version but that's fine for me.

ACTING/CAST
The female lead gave off the same first love aura as Son Ye Jin in the original. They casted Mint perfectly. I think she is one of the most charming Thai actresses I have ever seen. New is the one I am most familiar in the cast and I think he gave a lackluster performance here. Half of the time he looks constipated. He still mastered that puppy look when he's acting smitten though. I do think they have better chemistry than the other male leads. It was really apparent at the beginning of the movie. The actor who plays Non is so wooden. The actor who plays Tanil is much better (the winks are cute).

MUSIC
Imagine my surprise to hear Hospital Playlist OST playing. Then I realized HP songs were all covers of old Korean songs and the original was The Classic's OST. Strangely, it gave me a warm feeling because I adored HP and all its elements. The song reall fits the vibe of the movie. So kudos to the music directors for keeping the original OST and translating it to Thai.

REWATCH
Definitely not a rewatch material for me. I do hope to see more of Mint though because she got my attention now. Hopefully we also see her and New in a reunion project in the future.

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What did I just watch?

This was weird, and not in a good way. It seems to be a depressing story about an adolescent girl deciding who to have sex with. Or something.

Apparently ALL the boys want her (or her body?) and she ... is stupid? The ML actually said something to the effect of "I didn't know. But I knew." At times it seemed that actors where acting out two different scenes at the same time while looking at each other. Irrelevant and strange scenes where just sprinkled around and every now and then we are shown raw camera footage of ...stuff.

If my review makes no sense its because this movie doesn't either.

I wasted 2 hours of my life watching this. I would try and develop a time machine just to stop myself from watching this mess. I truly don't think think has any redeeming qualities and I wish I never watched it.

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The Lineage Here Is Not Important

The importance of police and detective show is the motivation behind the character. That is one of the reason people watch this genre and for me 'The Policeman's Lineage' failed on that part. They didn't show much character introduction scene so the pacing on the first half of the movie was too fast and that made the rest duration a bit dragging.

I wished they included more of Choi Min Jae and Park Kang Yoon's backstory from the start, so viewer could relate to their character gradually. Why Min Jae chose to spy on Park Kang Yoon? Why he prioritized on being a good cop? Why Kang Yoon justified every way to get his goal?

You don't have to worry about acting. They casted amazing actors, especially Jo Jin Woong. He is famous for playing detective character and you can trust him on that. My issue here is Choi Woo Shik. First of all, I am a big fan of him and I follow every of his work. But I don't think he suits this detective role OR his character's writing affect his acting here in this movie. The rest supporting casts are excellent on their part.

I didn't expect much from this movie so I didn't get that disappointed. There is no remarkable scene or character and I don't get attached to neither the heroine or villain. They have this 'Lineage' concept but they don't really focus on that. I think 'The Policeman's Lineage' will be better as drama than movie, where they can give every side's perspective more screentime.

Is it a good movie? Good acting yes, good story? No. It is a bit boring for mystery crime genre and there is no thrilling exciting moment for me since the beginning to ending. Watch it when you have nothing to watch anymore.

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WARNING: Do not watch this movie by yourself, unless you have one and a half boxes of tissue handy!

I did like this movie over Middle Student A, but the director, Luo Luo, left a few unanswered questions at the end of this one.

WARNING: Do not watch this movie by yourself, unless you have on and a half boxes of tissue handy!

(I just LOVE the idiots who 'edit' movies like this, trying to change the outcome or such; I originally wrote this review after seeing the 1 hr, 34 min version of this movie online; however, after finding the full movie of 1:43, a few of the dandling ends were found!)

First of all, my compliments to the director for taking a chance on so many new faces in making a movie like this; only one of the support females had any experience in movies prior.

I also want to give a compliment to Vivian Wu the veteran actress who played Yi Yao's mother, Lin Huo Feng; if i had a way of contacting her, I would like to ask her if her response after finding out how her daughter got her 'ailment' was improvised or not. Her response was something that a veteran actress would have improvised if it was not in the script!

She played a great support role in this movie; turning her daughter away when she thought the kid just wanted new things, but became a very caring mother after finding out the real need for the money! I do not blame mother one bit in telling her to wear last year's uniform to school. I also understand her asking Yi Yao not to come around at her place of work.

I don't see her mother as being ashamed of her, as much as I see the mother being ashamed of what life has given her after losing her middle-class family life when Yi Yao was younger.

My main criticism of this movie is so many unanswered questions at the end that were left dangling or not answered at all.

Young school girl Yi Yao (Ren Min) went from being part of a middle-class family (shown through a flashback) to going up with a mother struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for the two of them. Luo Luo could have added a minute or two on the movie in explaining what befell the two females.

The next-door neighbor boy in the same grade, Qi Ming (Zhao Ying Bo) was nice to her and fed her and looked after her, even stealing for her. However, Qi Ming is also cute and also a model student at the top of his class.

Everything was on a level where most situations could be handled; but the movie needed some adversary to happen!

Two twins, [Gu} Sen Xi (Xin Yun Lai) and his twin sister [Gu] Sen Xiang (Zhang Ruo Nan,) appear at Yi Yao's school; Sen Xiang has been seen by Yi Yao before, but she denies it.

However, Sen Xiang develops a crush on Qi Ming, and follows Yi Yao to a shady part of town, and stats a vicious rumor about the young girl who is struggling inside already.

In dealing with wife and child abuse, those who have been 'abused' in the past are those who continue the cycle of abuse; while Sen Xi tries to start a relationship with Yi Yao, his movie sister reinforces her inner struggles the only way she knows how, and Yi Yao is her victim! Others join in on what they think is easy fun!

However, Sen Xi teaches Yi Yao to stand up for herself, and the students get some of their own medicine back!

Unfortunately, things get worse for Yi Yao!

I liked the topic being addressed by a mainstream movie, but I wish the characters would have been developed better; another 10-15 minutes could have meant a better movie!

The main characters I felt actually acted as if they were high school students and the chemistry, for so little time together were good!

The support cast made the main cast look good and made the movie flow well, as in real life! I already complimented the senior actress Vivian Wu for their support role!

The movie has a couple of "twists" in it that I didn't see coming; I will let you find those out yourself!

For a brief moment after the mother pays for her ailment to be healed, Yi Yao can hold her head up proudly at school, knowing her mother's true feelings about her, and she witnesses one of the students who bullied her get the same treatment; but of course, this is the calm before the storm!

Th ending really sucked! Much is basically left up in the air.

First, whether or not Yi Yao dies is a question that most people watching this movie want to know later. I even had to refer to the original manga to find out myself.

The tables are turned on one of the main female characters near the end of the movie and it does not really give any setup for what happened, and the followup that happened (if you blink, you will miss it!)

I was able to hold my tears until the speech Yi Yao gives Qi Ming after the class trip to the museum (1:05:00 on), where she told him that she wanted to be one of the girls who used tampons with scent (not generic!)...i grew up as poor as Yi Yao did, and I know where she is coming from!

No reason is given for the death of one of the main female leads near the end of the movie; as I said, another 10-15 minutes could have answered this question for all!

Other unresolved plot twists with no further info:

Near the end of the movie, Sen Xi tells Yi Yao that his sister Sen Xiang is going to Australia as an exchange student for the next three months;

The parents of Qi Ming are devastated by the death of one of the female leads right after that...was Qi Ming 'connected" to her in any way, or was he the reason she was going to Australia as an exchange student?

(Actually, I was glad that Qi Ming's mother got taken down a notch or two.)

Why did anyone suspect Yi Yao as being involved with the death of the other female lead? The only clue was someone dragging a pipe on the concrete; Yi Yao didn't need a pipe to whoop another female's butt if it needed whooping!

The other person who was listed as a main female cast member Tang Xiao Mi (Zhu Dan Ni, who wasn't a main cast member, since she didn't show up until the last few scenes of the movie) received a phone call about the time of the death; only one other very brief screen mentions this as the credits are rolling!)...was she the one that killed the other female lead, and why?

It showed a news reel of " Tang, less than eighteen years old, committed the crime..." Did she kill the other female lead?

This could have easily been a '10' movie, but there were so many unanswered questions at the end before the credits rolled.

I cried again when Yi Yao was attempting to scrub the graffiti off the concrete and crying - though I don't know what the graffiti said!

Why did Yi Yaos' mother move out of the ghetto? How did Yi Yao's mother move out of the ghetto? Was it with the money she was saving for Yi Yao?

Sen Xi changed schools; did he move somewhere in China? Or did he take his sister's place as the exchange student?

Did Yi Yao die? Or did Sen Xi talk to a ghost in the end?

Did the ghost of Yi Yao smile at the sight of Qi Ming in the last scene?

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No consistency

Honestly, what a waste! The synopsis was promising even if it's a short film. Kisses and abs don't save a film with a mediocre plot. The screenwriter must have thought he was the Picasso of cinema and an abstract story could become iconic.
I'd have liked to know a little more about the background of the characters. Why Xiang became a militant and why Vic considers himself weird. It would have given a little more meaning to their divergences. The dialogues don't make any sense, the bed scenes are useless for the most part and don't bring anything to the story.
On the plus side, the film isn't at all centred on their sexual orientation and this is a real breakthrough.

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Movies are too short for character and plot development. MDL Synopsis makes no sense.

Movies are too short for character and plot development. The special effects were entertaining but I prefer longer dramas.

The synopsis on My Drama List website makes no sense. It's like they're talking about a completely different story? Unlike the MDL description, the male lead in this movie is a medical student and never has any intention of capturing the white snake. He meets her by chance. He's clumsy, sincere and kindhearted. And the actor is very good-looking. The romance was cute, although the movie was too short to allow it to really develop alongside the plot.

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A martial arts movie with Jim "Black Belt" Kelly, Dorian "Flash Legs" Tan, and Chen Sing with a side order of Bolo. You can tell it's a 1970's movie by the bad hair, bad clothes, cheesy story, and cheesier dialogue. It's bad, but in the so bad it's funny category. It was a late night, found it on tv watch for me and the cast interested me.

This review is for the sanitized version cut for television. The uncut original version has a lot of cursing and gratuitous nudity. It would probably get a much lower score from me even graded on my old kung fu movie curve.

The story is almost incoherent with terrible editing and of course, the censored cuts. Flash Legs works for big bad Chen Sing who saved him as a child. Chen Sing's gang stole a famous diamond, and they are trying to find a way to fence it. Black Belt Kelly shows up as an insurance investigator whose job it is to find out what happened to said diamond. There are double crosses and lots of high kicking fighting. Jim Kelly, Dorian Tan, Chen Sing, Bolo, and Chiang Tao all did well with their fights even if the fights were cheesy at times.

Tattoo Connection is not a movie I'd recommend unless you're a fan of any of the above. The fights were decent, and it boasted familiar faces to those who watch old martial arts movies. If you find yourself unable to sleep and it's on television, and you're easily amused, you can give it a try. Do not expect good acting, respectful treatment of women, or a storyline that makes too much sense. Bring some crackers and enjoy the cheese.

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