Reviews

Anyone who brings trouble...answers to my fist!

Lo Lieh and Don Wong Tao began this movie as the unstoppable Kung Fu Dynamic Duo of Crime Fighting. Bad guys were no match for these awesome fighters.

Unfortunately, the partnership and fun didn’t last for long, as the synopsis says, Chow Lung (Lo Lieh) died when Meng Hu (Don Wong) accidentally caused his partner’s death. The movie quickly turned into a melodrama and Meng Hu relegated himself to the coward of the county status, vowing to never fight again. Even when Chung Tung and his wicked golden needles skills and gang of miscreants showed up threatening to bring opium to and through town. Even when his new friends’ lives were threatened. This is not one of my favorite tropes. The skilled warrior decides to never fight again because of the loss of one life, but in the process many others are killed. Eventually, the depressed hero decided to act and take on the white-haired needle thrower and his crew. The body count ran pretty high in Fatal Needles.

Don Wong, in his Bruce Lee wig, did well in his fights and portraying the mopey hero. He didn’t add much depth to the character or excitement though. Lo Lieh in his jaunty hat made the most of his brief screen time during the early scenes. Chang Yi, as the white-haired evil doer, had no problem bringing life to his character. There were numerous supporting characters, some more memorable than others. The fighter with what looks like a hairy squid on his chest will not be forgotten.

The fights were adequate, not very creative or fast, but serviceable. Though there was a revenge fight and a duel there were no training scenes, no secret book, no secret list, just a battle against the deadly golden needle thrower and his minions. The final battle between the two elite warriors on opposite sides of the law was weak after all the build-up leading to it.

The women had strong roles even if two of them were prostitutes. Two fought with cunning, another with her fists and kicks. The movie did come to a screeching halt at one point when one of the prostitutes launched into a lengthy anti-drug Public Service Announcement.

Fatal Needles vs Deadly Fists had more story, and though I wasn’t a fan of the trope, more comprehensible story than many old kung fu movies. At times engaging, at other times plodding, Fatal Needles was entertaining overall.

Read More

The road to hell is paved with good intentions or greed, take your pick with this film.

Bruce Lee had started work on Game of Death when he paused it to make Enter the Dragon. Lee died before being able to come back to Game of Death. This movie used 11 minutes that he had filmed previously and added an abysmal story around those minutes using body doubles and clips from other movies.

The story employed for this movie was that actor “Bobby” and his singer girlfriend were being targeted by gangsters to sign with them. “Bobby” ended up faking his death because he kept getting beaten up and later when his girlfriend was kidnapped went on a rampage against the bad guys.

I cannot express in words how awful this spliced together piece was. They used Bruce Lee’s reaction shots from other movies-one an outdoor reaction shot while they were inside, a cardboard cutout of Bruce's face pasted over a double's body, clips from his movies and two doubles who wore sunglasses who didn’t look like him and weren’t even built like him. The fights were slow and poorly choreographed with lots of backflips. Sammo Hung choreographed the fight scenes and it was like he’d never seen a Bruce Lee movie. The story was heavy handed and barely made sense. Worst of all, they used scenes from Bruce Lee’s real funeral and pictures of him in his coffin in this theatrical abomination. The creators of this movie said they were trying to honor Bruce Lee and see that his film was completed, by exploiting his funeral images, that argument went right out the window for me.

The only part of this movie worth watching is near the end for 11 minutes when the real Bruce Lee battled two antagonists, one of whom was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*. This 11 minutes is noteworthy for the quality of the fights and his iconic yellow and black tracksuit which has been used in other movies paying homage such as Kill Bill. The fight with 7’2” (218.44 cm) Abdul-Jabbar has also been immortalized. In the movie Bruce was planning, he would have to go through 5 levels of a pagoda fighting against different masters of different styles, exposing their weaknesses and show how his system was superior. What remained at the time were these two fights which were spectacular. No wires, no flipping around, just amazing fluid lightning-fast moves. The rest of the movie was exposed for its fraud and ineptness with these two fights. Bruce always had to try and slow his moves down for the camera and still his moves were often too fast for the human eye. The rest of the movie’s fights which were plodding had to be sped up at times.

A 10 for the two true Bruce Lee scenes, -500 for this ridiculous attempt to capitalize on those scenes and for using his funeral images for their own putrid gain. There’s a reason Chuck Norris and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have nothing to do with this movie fearing it was exploitive. Better to check out Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey from 2000 which contains more recently discovered clips from Bruce Lee’s version of Game of Death and his outline for that film. I could highly recommend that documentary, but not this movie. This Game of Death is only for Bruce Lee movie completionists with a high pain threshold.





*For those not familiar with him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American basketball player, one of the greatest, who dominated the league for years with his legendary Skyhook. Kareem was Bruce Lee's student and friend. He is also a civil rights activist, author, and philanthropist among other things.

Read More

Way too rushed or this would've been better

I was casually checking up for Ding Yuxi's upcoming works on his MDL profile page and came across this movie… the synopsis sounded interesting so I thought of checking it out… but wait what a blunder!

Having read the synopsis I knew this was gonna be a bit of rollercoaster and sad stuff… and it literally went like that… the plot moves with the speed of light, almost 3×10^8 m/s … that's the biggest complain I have here… they don't give you any time to adjust with the changes or understand the characters… the twist are like this, one thing happened, next this happens, then that and that…

the movie is 1 hour 44 minutes long, I wish it was at least 2.5 or 3 hours long… I won't mind the length but the story will be delivered better in that way.

Then they didn't even care to explain us the medical terms and elaborate us about the twists… I see they're crying but give me a reason to cry along with them… Tbh, the story isn't very bad as it seems, the only issue is the execution only if they showed us some basic character build up or some scenes related before verbally saying all the twists…

despite that some small scenes in between with the main leads that are barely of 1-2 minutes each are cute… as a cute pair they look great together but what a waste that the execution sucked… the only thing I am satisfied with is acting… I really hope the same leads work together for a better script… they deserve better…

from the OST lineup… I liked —
♪Accompany you♪ (sang by Yu Jiayun)
♪Ten years of smoke♪ (sang by Tang Hanxiao).

All in all, I don't recommend this to anyone. If you haven't watched any works of the cast before, please refer to their other works before cause this isn't the choice for a first impression.

Read More

ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES I’VE EVER SEEN (WHAT WAS THAT??)

Gun is miscast here. His acting is so awkward that it’s painful to watch. Always spitting, but it doesn’t suit his facial expression or movements. AND THAT VOICE!!! Why did they get THAT dubber to record over his voice?? It’s really laughable!!! Is that Russian? Haha!

Forty minutes into the movie and we still have no idea what the characters are talking about. Is it drugs? It’s not clear. Worst script.

If sadomasochism is your cup of tea, then maybe you’ll enjoy this movie. The first 30 minutes are nothing but nudity, sex, beating, whipping, slapping, pulling hair, kicking, hitting each other, cursing and shouting at each other.

Then, we get to have a respite of about 10 minutes, then it’s M2M sex again!

One hour into the movie and I still have no idea what the characters are talking about. Worst script ever.

Then, it’s over. I have no idea what went on there.

This is like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away. But in the end, you feel empty.

Read More

This movie is not for the light-hearted

I legit made an account just to write a review for this movie . I gave it a five out of ten reasons being it was alright nothing show stopping other than the goerey scenes . The SFX , I would give a 10/10 for their efforts because it was seen.
The plot on the other hand was lacking . You would think for movie that was almost 2hrs would have a decent storyline but it was average .
Watching this movie felt like a fever dream , a nightmare .
I loved it but hated it at the same time .
Would I rewatch ? Maybe if I hated myself yes , all jokes haha don't sue me ;)

Read More

It's worth your time

Like what the headlines said, it really is worth spending your saturday night watching this movie. In fact, unlike most movies where I find them to be sometimes too short for any character development to happen, this movie really utilises its time well.

Let's start with advantages:
Firstly it knows how to grab the viewer's attention. From the very first scene, it convinces you that this movie is worth watching. The intro scene is not creepy, but I'm not sure if others will think the same since I can tolerate horror and thriller. I was smiling at the whole intro, not because I'm a lunatic for smiling at the scene full of dead bodies which gives off a gloomy atmosphere, but because of the set, the details, the acting. When I saw the old lady, of course sshe gives off creepy vibes. She really gave me the chills, and I really appreciated her acting. The starting scene, for me, was so interesting, especially when the face of the corpse came off and was latched onto another person by insects.

Next, the movie does not include useless characters and useless scenes. It goes straight to the point, and every scene progresses the story in a steady pace. However, I do not like the maid's attitude. Her name was Xiao something, I can't remember her name. She kept calling for the officials despite her master telling her that there are no witches in the house. How has he not fired her yet? Or at least give her a good scolding?

Other than that, let's talk about the sets, the makeup, and the costumes. Right after the intro scene is when the movie officially starts. There was a scene when there's a close up shot of the FL, and the makeup was done so neatly! The costumes were definitely not cheap too. It was well designed, especially the appearance of the master of the two demon ladies. The two demon ladies' outfits were nice too, but its just the same type of clothes with different patterns and colours. The set is something more impressive than the other two points. Each and every set, like the part of the street where the ML was selling his paintings, only need a certain part since scenes involving the streets take less than half an hour. But you can see the immaculate details in that scene. The smell of money will hit you right in the face. Movies can sometimes have better qualities than dramas since it is shorter to produce.

Lastly, the ending. Out of all the main characters, only two still lived. Initially, I thought that the Taoist Priest is annoying, something like that monk in The White Snake. But no, he is useful and reasonable, and I'm glad he survived. The other one who lived was the ML. So he has a wife that was extremely sick, and fell in love with the demon, the FL. I thought he's cheating on his wife but it turns out he only respected his wife like how a married couple should, with no intimate feelings whatsoever, but thing is, he couldn't live with her. Why does he feel that way, I also have no idea. It could be an arranged marriage for all we know. On the other hand, he loved the demon lady, but stabbed her in the end knowing she's a demon. He thought that she killed his wife, and told her that he never liked her despite painting her before. After he stabbed her, he stabbed himself. The demon lady sacrificed her life so that he could live, even though he misunderstood her. The ending tore me, and I couldn't ask for a better ending. My favourite line was from the Taoist Priest, "Humans and Demons can never be together". My favorite scene was when the ML discovered the FL's letter. The demon just wants to be loved.

So in the end, the movie still stuck to the realistic side. The ML didn't forgive the FL just because she's the FL. He did according to what he think is right, and as much as I hate him for misunderstanding her, it's completely alright since he had no way of knowing. No one told him anything.

Now, the movie has its downside too.

Firstly, many things were not explained. There are very minor, but it still bothered me a little regardless.

1. Why could the demon pass through the tailsman? It's not like she inhabited the ML's wife's body.

2. The ML is a scholar, given the way he was dressed when he went out. He earns money by selling his paintings, and lives in a lavish house. Given my experience in watching historical dramas and all, a painter that earns money like that, instead of an auction hourse, is usually poor or at least 'middle-class', as they call it.

3.Why is the FL's 'sister' so afraid of the clothes that their master gave them? Maybe I didn't catch on but what's the disadvantage of wearing such clothes? And what are those clothes made of that could cause such disadvantage?

4. Why did their master kill the FL's 'sister' in the end? Because she talked too much to the ML that it eases the tension? She could've helped the master defeat the humans, but the master choose to kill her own people in the most crucial time, how laughable.

5. Where was the ML's wife buried? How did she pass away?

6. Who was the one in the bathtub when the maid ate something and saw the change in face? Is it the FL's 'sister'? Because when the maid ran to find her master, the FL was with him and his wife. So why is the maid convinced that the demon is the FL, but did not think of the fact that some other demon might come uninvited?

And although I've praised the quality of the set, I couldn't praise the set where the FL's 'sister', the officer and the Taoist Priest first fought. They were previously on a street, and the next they were somewhere on a hill. I don't know why, the transition was so smooth, so why didn't I like it? Is it because the set of that scene looks fake? I don't know but what I do know is that I do not enjoy that scene.

Overall, the downside of this movie is minor, so I wouldn't discourage you from watching it. Enjoy!

Read More

This one was good. Set in the "old world", during the series, it centers on the representatives of the three Japanese states and who they are and what plans they are brewing. Their target? Kamen Rider Build!

I loved Sento in this movie, when everyone forgot about him, when everyone - literally! - tried to kill him, mind-controlled by the aliens, and he had to find a way out of this mess completely alone because even Banjo and Misora were against him. And on top of that, he had to listen to Takumi's constant needling about how it was impossible to "fix" Banjo etc. and so on.

Speaking of Takumi, I love the "mind palace" where Sento keeps meeting his other self, all the doors, mirrors and stairs and whatnot. The CGI is perfect and visually, the "room" is stunning!

Also, AFAIR, Sento never told anyone about this, did he? That his personality literally split into Takumi - the him from before - and Sento - the him now. That he has actual conversations with himself, that he can hear and see his other self.

Gosh, Sento... he keeps so many secrets from the others, always shouldering everything, blaming himself for everything. And yet, instead of being all doom and gloom about his guilt, he fights for "Love and Peace". What an amazing character!

Read More

Emotions So Real That Your Heart Can't Help But Wrench..

I just want to start by saying this is the 1st Taiwanese New-Wave film I've ever seen and it was phenomenal! Kuei Mei really captures the struggle women in Taiwan during the 50s had to endure while also including other timeless family issues like gambling & alcoholism. I appreciate how organic and true Kuei Mei's character was written; She wasn't some magically perfect Mary Poppins, instead she is this absolute tank of a REAL woman who cries in frustration when life has her backed into a corner but doesn't give up & fights with what little she has for her family. I feel like the reason I admire Kuei Mei so much is because I see a lot of my own mother in her... This film will pull on your heartstrings and may even bring out some tears too. (Probably will make u not want to get married tho lol) I recommend if you're in the mood to see some REAL family struggles and melodrama and if you're into Taiwanese History :)

Read More

I actually like that it doesn't have much background music, makes it feel more realistic and focus more on how the story goes. I don't think it's for everyone though since it's a bit slow paced. I didn't feel bored watching it but it's not the type of movie that leaves a big impression.

Production is budgeted and it's understandable, it didn't need much cost anyway. I just wish that they omitted the game realm scenes if they're aiming for low budget. It makes the movie look like it's made by amateurs, like those movie made by students for school festivals wherein the staffs are also the actors & they need to rent out costumes. The scene about the giant saving Mi Rae is out of place too like it's a realistic movie and never was fantasy.

Overall for the acting I think it's the story and how it was directed that makes the actors look awkward and lacking. The acting was so-so for me. Even Hwan Hee and Da Bin who are both young but experienced actors didn't show pretty much of their acting skills here. Suho's acting here is okay. Some may argue that he didn't but he did pretty decent compared to that one drama of his. Some can't separate him from being an idol so I think it affects how they see him act. He's a great theatrical actor than a movie actor though.

The only thing that makes me give this a good rating is because I like the aspect wherein opposite gender with an age gap can have a platonic relationship. Also, doing a bucketlist and talking about funeral picture as if it's a casual thing to say is a bit dark but I like how they're preparing to end their lives but ended up saving each other. The movie is not memorable as a whole but I'll remember it as one of those that has a satisfying ending.

Read More

This is a feel good drama to me

This drama is a feel good drama with not a lot of dramtic things in them or suspence .This drama doesnt have any villian or antagonist in it everything is very beautifull. All the friends are very nice people its is a very good drama
This drama is about a girl who has social anixety and wants to change because she doesnt wants to be bullied anymore and their are so many cute moments i personally loved this drama and i will most probably rewatch it when i am in a sad mood
And at last i have to say that the actors were great and that wait for the end of the movie its really good and cute scenes

Read More

It's a cute and light hearted movie with superb acting and worth your time.

It's a really nice movie. The storyline was a bit childish and predictable (I really like fantasy genre and have watched tons of fantasy drama and movies, so it was quite obvious for me) but everything else makes up for it. Everyone acted really well and the soundtrack suited the movie well. I liked how the love story of the leads wasn't rushed but developed slowly. I was a bit disappointed as they had used a dubber for sehun and i really wanted to hear Sehun's voice but his acting was really good and soon i could adapt to the dubber's voice. I would recommend everyone to watch this movie if you want to watch something light-hearted with some humor and cute scenes as well. Special recommendation to cat lovers as they have used really good animations for cats and all of their scenes are really cute and humorous. Your time won't be wasted so give it a shot.

Read More

Tragic on so many levels

If you are not ready for indiscriminate mass murder, torture, and suggested prostitution, then this really might make you uncomfortable. To be honest I watched this with family, which made the journey a little bit more bearable. This director is a master at crafting realistic stories and showing every facet of human beings.

Set in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Chinese have controlled Ho Chi Mihn era Vietnam, and the poor non-Communist families suffer many brutalities. Unable to eat and unable to speak with foreigners, the tragedies of Vietnam post-war are illustrated here through the lens of a Japanese reporter.

The Plot: centers the reporter and his interactions with an impoverished family specifically a young girl and her brothers. He witnesses their everyday life and the brutalities the Chinese Army visited upon innocent men, women, and children in Vietnam. The movie is not gorey nor does it show sexual promicuousness (no sex scenes) but these are heavily implied.
The Pacing: It is a relatively slow movie, but it is not boring in any way. The brutality and tragedies we see on the screen are gripping, and the relationships we see are heart-wrenching.
The Acting: Easily some of the best child-actors in the world.

This movie cannot be missed if you enjoy Hong Kong films. It's dark, gritty, sad, and not for the faint of heart.

Read More

Fun action movie

You know, I approached this movie with zero expectation.
Top review on this site is just 6/10.
It's a movie based on video game that I never even heard about.
Wuxia so probably full of tropes and archetypes.
A Chinese production, so the cinematography and CGI will probably suck....

Frankly speaking, I only hoped for some cool fight scenes to watch in between more serious things.

But boy. Did this film deliver!

The CGI was good and the direction was quite professional. The quality of the movie isn't different from big American productions, it was really quite a surprise!
The characters, tho rather archetypical, were all likable and well developed.....as far as you can develop characters in a single 90-minute long film. It's a job well done.

And the fight choreography was nice too.

Really, the only point this movie seems to be lacking is the storyline. And it's still quite good...especially since I expected a total trainwreck. It really only drops the ball in the second half, I think it was rushed. The movie could have used additional 20 minutes of screentime to flesh the events out! Also, I think the entire subplot with mc's origin was....totally unneeded and didn't account for anything(other than making ground for a possible sequel).

So as a movie. It was good and I had a lot of fun. As a video game commercial? Didn't tell me anything about the game, and probably didn't even try. It's fine. As a Chinese production? Job well done!

I recommend it.

Read More

Name given by adoptive parents: Căijīn 彩金refers to money won in a lottery, lotto or other game

Name given by her adoptive parents: căijīn 彩金refers to money won in a lottery, lotto or other game, hence the title of the film: Xiaonü Caijin (《孝女彩金》), Cai jin, 'model of filial piety.'

Main Cast
Feng Yingying (冯莹莹) as Peng Caijin (彭彩金),

Sun Jifeng (孙继峰) as (adopted) father Peng Xiaocheng (彭孝诚),

Liu Chenxia (刘晨霞) as (adopted) mother Liu Chuntao

Support Cast:
Deng Dingwei (邓丁玮) as Caijin's half-brother

Bai Li Wei as Uncle Wu

Xu Jinger as Yang Yunmie, Peng Caijin's mother who abandoned her

After the village's Lantern Festival and their accompanying wedding, , Peng Xiaocheng (Sun Jifeng) and Liu Chuntao (Liu Chenxia) are awakened by the sound of a baby crying. Not able to have their own children, they pour their heart and soul into raising the young female baby the found , to whom they give the name, Peng Caijin.

I hate to admit this, but I cried through most of this movie.

The young actors did a monumental job on this movie; especially with young actress Feng Yingying, starring as the young girl Peng Caijin, abandoned by her birth mother, who later returned and found her again. I am not going to tell you what happens next, but i think that you will love it!

The scenery, cinematography and music was all great! I personally would love to live in such a village myself.

The support cast, from villagers to fellow students to her teacher all did a great job in their parts, and showed us how a community should come together and support those who have less material goods but a good heart; I especially liked the daydreaming scene, where Cai Jin imagined her two parents healed, and able to give her a normal life.

However, as much as they loved her, unconditionally, they were a burden to her all of her young life.

Even though she dreamt this, I don't hold it against her in the least. Her parents sacrificed all they could give, until their bodies struck down and no longer can give.

Almost every scene in this movie shows love...the kind of love where hate cannot find a place within.

This movie from start to finish, is a perfect example of how a husband and wife should treat each other; how a couple should treat their child, how a community should treat each other and love and stick to each other; and yes, how a child should support and love their parents, even if they cannot give you riches!

Learning character piety and filial, as Peng Caijin graciously learned, is the most important lesson in life!

Peng Caijin did not desert her parents, even though they tried to give her what they couldn't in life...

You can feel the love as the three main cast probably put on the best performance of their lives!


Although not mentioned in the movie, another true story associated with this movie is the appearance of Mr. Xiong Delong, or Ted Sioeng, an Indonesian businessman, who also was adopted as Peng Caijin...in China but was raised in another country
by such parents as loving as the couple portrayed in this movie.

Mr. Delong has given away hundreds of millions of dollars to help others, and upon hearing the story of Peng Caijin, left America and came to the village where the real Peng Caijin and her disabled parents lived...he appears as himself near the end of this movie.

https://inf.news/en/world/29464aab93bdf43b157d66dd70228adb.html

Link to movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l0ofsCRCmM

This is definitely a two to two and a half box of Kleenex movie; if you want to impress a new female friend, watch this movie with her!

My major problem is that is no mention of Feng Yingying as an actress after this movie.

RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!

Read More