Reviews

A different kind of Kenshin Movie - A Melodrama

Completed - 2/12/2022 - Rating 8.25

Even though this is the last movie of the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, this movie is actually the beginning of Himura Kenshin's story. If you haven't watched any of the movies, I would recommend watching "The Beginning" first, or at least before "The Final". The story will flow a little better as you follow his journey when he first became Battosai the Killer.

All other Kenshin movies are fast-paced and action-packed. It is without a doubt that they all have amazing sword fighting scenes and are full of violence and gore. Though "The Beginning" has a very different vibe and fewer fight scenes, they are still as amazing as ever. Another commonality that these movies share is the amazing soundtrack. We have beautiful instrumental pieces that complement the scenes so well, no matter if they are having quiet moments, or violent fight scenes. When I heard the Rurouni Kenshin theme song at the end of this movie, it feels like home.

However, "The Beginning" is actually a slow-burn, melodrama of Himura and Tomoe's love story. We got a glimpse of it in "The Final" and we get the full story here. It's very slow-paced (actually a little too slow for my taste) and the movie has many quiet moments. I actually enjoyed the quiet moments that they had in "The Final" more, as they helped to slow down the pace of a fast movie. Because our main leads are so reserved and introverted, there aren't that many dialogs in this movie. I also find it a little difficult to see how Himura is initially attracted to Tomoe. I guess a 2 hour-long movie really doesn't have that much time to develop the initial attraction in more detail.

Satoh Takeru is without a doubt amazing in this drama. Satoh Takeru = Himura Kenshin. I cannot picture anyone else play this role. He's as quiet and as stoic as ever, but I see a glimpse of youthfulness and a cute little smile when he's looking at his homegrown radish :) Arimura Kasumi is so graceful as Tomoe. There's this quiet strength in her. Eguchi Yosuke reprises his role as Saito Hajime, but I don't think the makeup artist can make him as youthful-looking as Satoh Takeru.

It's hard to say goodbye to Satoh Takeru as Himura Kenshin. I've loved him in all these movies. I am so glad that the Kenshin franchise gave me the opportunity to know him.

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I’ve been watching too many Asian dramas perhaps which is why this taking place in France was a welcome sight. France is very beautiful just as I love the cinematography of asian wonders I get to see through films.

I like this a lot for Joseph Chang, the lead male. He’s cool, fearless, loving, hard worker, family oriented, and yes, very handsome. Two people with each personal agenda comes together never thinking of something greater than own inevitable ever lasting. It’s simple but the story weaves beautifully like how a good movie should…a thoughtful plot, plot lines, good acting, satisfying solution, lingering emotions at end, happy after. It’s enjoyable and it’s only because there’s so much to see I said I may not rewatch but if I need a feel good story at some point, I wouldn’t hesitate to come back. I rate high for enjoyment.

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Sexual Education & Product Placement

Always eager to watch romcom that test some boundaries I watched Love and Leashes until the very end. I saw the FL/ML frolicking on a comfy bed; she with Timotei wavy hair, he with a cutie pie smile on his face uttering "Saranghaeyo Ju-in", and I just sat there on my couch, thinking WHAT?!

Story
I THOUGHT I was going to see an office romcom with two colleagues exploring their sexual wishes, a BDSM version of the wonderful phonesex romcom Whatcha' Wearin? (2012). I expected they would use the Korean office hierarchy as the perfect breeding ground for humiliation kinks, but what I SAW was a sexual education class; a BDSM kiddy version with commercial incentives. This time no rings, shoes or designer bags, but collars, dildos, candles, leashes. I do admire the Korean business attitude, but really, I expected less toys, more arthouse, and creative kinkiness.

The Good
Love & Leashes isn't romcom, it's a warm and sweet opinion on sexual self-exploration. Ji-woo does research on the internet, and the audience looks over her shoulder. Kinks are explained in voice-overs, distinctions are made between D/S and SM play, we see the use of safe words, aftercare, and the whole shebang.

The Bad
What I personally wanted to see though, is the BDSM psychology. What makes it good to feel pain, why do people love to bound someone literally, is BDSM in our nature or is it nurture? There were some hints to the answers, but not much, and not really funny.

Overall
BDSM can be interpreted in romcom style, and there are good examples from more than 20 years ago. Try Pedro Almodóvar's "Tie me Up! Tie Me Down" (1989) with young Antonio Banderas; or Secretary (2002). The only newness I could find in Love and Leashes was that it is Korean, with product placements in style.

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If 50 shades of gray was good it would be like this

I read the webtoon and I was a little worried because I knew it would be hard to do a movie based on a webtoon but I got to say, I liked what I saw. It’s not perfect of course, the movie do feel a little rushed and the characters could’ve been more developed but I think it was a fine adaptation.

First, the story is a good introduction to the BDSM and the roles/rules about it. They talk about consent and it’s really refreshing that they are showing a female dominant and not a male one. It’s also good that they showed how women are seen in the society like how society want us to act in a certain way and all the sexism at work. It was also good to see how people can be hypocrite and have their own little “secrets”.

I LOVED the main leads! Both characters are charismatic in their own ways and the actors did an amazing job especially Jun omg HE’S SO UNDERRATED THAT HURTS but he was PERFECT on this role. He was really similar to the webtoon as well. He’s so cute, and sexy at the same time lol Seohyun for the other side, as a character, she was a little different, but I preferred her more here. She is SO BEAUTIFUL seriously. Overall I am really satisfied with both leads and Jun and Seohyun had an awesome chemistry together. I DIED in all their scenes, they were a perfect match.

Compared to the webtoon, we had more scenes related to BDSM, which I loved. And the scenes were really well made, the visuals was stunning. Some people may be disappointed if they expected something more spicy but for me it was fine especially because we had a lot of important topics being said.

So yeah for me it was a really enjoyable movie. Could’ve been better if it was a short drama with idk 10 episodes with 10 min each one or 4 episodes with an hour each one because the story and the development of the characters would feel more natural but nevertheless, I really recommend the movie!

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Cheesy but so much goodness

Eason's song was what led me to this movie or I would never have found it. I loveddd this. Loved the actors and actresses - even those not as well known for their acting. Loved the OST - definitely nostalgic. See how many songs you are able to recognise!!

There were funny moments which was very reminiscent of HK humour (slapstick kind) and the life "lessons" were cheesey but sometimes one just needs a reminder. I like the allegory of the ferrymen and life's struggles too - how both are trying to take you to shore, to your goal. I saw there were a lot of hate for it but I didn't think it was that bad.

Give it a go!

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If it was HBO Asia's desire to remake a 1970's kung fu movie and remove big chunks of the kung fu this is what it would look like. Beggar So seeks to be more than a martial arts film but doesn't have enough coherent narrative or charismatic acting to accomplish the task.

When watching this movie, it might help to do as I did, and reframe it as an episode of a drama because that was what it was closer to than a well-funded film. In comparison to old kung fu movies, the sets and costumes were more elaborate and on par with your average historical Cdrama. The story was as basic as any kung fu movie. The evil eunuch once again appears to wreak havoc on the good and innocent in his bid for power. In this instance, he took So's court position and wealth and nearly his life. Rescued by the Beggar Clan, So learned the Drunken Fist from a master. After several set-backs, So becomes Beggar So and confronts the Big Bads with his new found skills. Most of us could recite the basic structure in our sleep and HBO Asia doesn't attempt to reinvent the martial arts wheel. Mores the pity, kung fu films don't have to stay stuck in the past even if they are set there.

The acting was adequate for the most part. The dubbing for the women was atrocious and distracting. I actually watched it muted for a while and just read the subtitles.

Beggar So's narrative jumped around with characters appearing and disappearing without much explanation. It would go from more realistic to fantasy fighting. Plot elements like certain characters appeared and disappeared as well, popping up when convenient or disappearing when inconvenient.

An early fight showed promise even though the setting under a table was ludicrous. The table would have to be five feet high for what they were doing under it, but at least the fight was entertaining. The writer and director must have forgotten it was named The Drunken Fist because So sure did at times. Everyone seemed able to beat So for much of the movie. The final fight looked more like professional wrestling than drunken fighting. Despite the lack of consistency in the fighting choreography, Beggar So would have benefited with more fights to cover over the thin, very thin storyline.

Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So isn't unwatchable. It's a slightly below average made for TV martial arts movie, and that bar is not very high. I've seen much, much worse. If it was made in the distant past of the 1970's I would have graded it on a curve. Beggar So begged to have better acting and writing, thus my grade. Not a terrible watch if it happens to show up on TV but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it.

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Very Fast Paced Adventure—Should Have Been a 3 hr Film Instead

The first official Mystic Nine anything I've watched; prior to that it was only "Ultimate Note" that I saw and loved. ZZJ was the reason I was watching because I wanted to see him in another badass role since his breakout in CQL and he didn't disappoint.

Pros: Loved the characters though the development was really fast. Usually it takes forever to develop a character but here in the hour and fourteen minute movie, they went wham bam boom. The backstory of this Zhang family member was heartbreaking though he got his retribution and justice in the end; his martial arts skills were always on point especially when his tattoo showed through. EYH was the ultimate duality; Beijing Opera performer/kickass martial artist in one jump.

I enjoyed the martial arts in every aspect. The main villain was impressive too because you were able to hate him after the first 10 minutes of watching. Special effects and CGI were where and when they were needed; nothing extra. Suspenseful and the franchise's main gambit of mask removal a la Scooby Doo was also a good way things stayed relevant. It had a lot of sides to it; like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde meets the Incredible Hulk with Kung Fu and fantastical elements.

Cons: Everything felt rushed. This could have easily been a 3 hour film. Then every point would be understood and characters properly flushed out. Though the pair had a great friendship, it seemed to develop out of thin air. How they located the tattoo-face guy was random as was how ZQ found that fire breather in some random bathhouse in his first attempt to get revenge.

I wish there was more explanation on the monster before it showed itself in the literal final 10 minutes of the film. The pace was way too fast. The special effects on it were great but everything else was done at supersonic speed. That's literally the largest lack of cohesion in the movie. More time, slow the pace down, and properly flush out the characters and plot.

Would I recommend it? If you like this franchise, are into great martial arts, are a fan of ZZJ or any of the other actors, and want something supernatural to chew on, then yes. But buckle up because this film moves at breakneck speeds and you may not always understand how you got to a particular point in such a short time.

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It's good, but nothing special.

As a foreword, 2gether is my first BL series that I watch and I love. I laughed, cried, crazed over the love story of Sarawat & Tine... Like many of the big fan of the series, I was expecting for something special.. But unfortunately, with all due respect, I have to answer my reaction at the ending of the movie was: "just it?"

About 90% of the story is (as expected) repackaged of mostly the first 9 episodes of 2gether the Series, along with some short scenes that weren't used in the original. Some scenes were timelined different than the series, which can raise some eyebrow but either way it doesn't bother. What made it different is the point of view. It was first Tine and then Sarawat that narrates their love story and personal feelings that were never been told on the series. This part gets to focus only between Sarawat and Tine, and how did they become boyfriends of each other (Remember that they become boyfriends at the beginning of episode 10, so almost every episode beyond that are skipped. Moreover, 'Still 2gether' sucks.)

Then the last 10% is the new scene and story that goes beyond the ending of Still 2gether. It's really nice to see almost all the cast come back in one; it was fun that they tell everyone is "still 2gether" even after many, many years; but the vague fate of the relationship between Sarawat and Tine itself that raises a little bitterness inside all the happiness and smile that they can offer. The trailer subtly hints and leads the viewers to think it's going to be a certain milestone on their relationship – it turned out to be just another sweet moment between Sarawat and Tine which is a little bit disappointing (but it's still cute either way).

I must honestly say, if you never watch 2gether, don't use this movie as a shortcut. All the fun and sad, ups and downs between Sarawat, Tine, and their universe definitely needs more context – if you choose to jump right into the movie you'll find..just two boys reminiscing their college love life??? All the visual and sound retouch were pretty hit on, but without better understanding between the roller coaster at the start of their love life is, the movie can bore you out. And it's better to scream when you're on the roller coaster, not when you're watching it.

The movie was pretty much designed as a little gift for 2gether fans, I suppose, but I think the gift were too small. It would be better if they dare enough to call for a big milestone, or maybe GMMTV can just make a movie with completely new scenes and canon. The original series were rated 9/10 for me, the sequel is 6/10, I give the movie 7/10.

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Thank you for such a wonderful movie.

Acting 10/10
Cast 10/10
Plot 9/10

I'm amazed at how the cinematography has matured since the first movie. Totally in love that they didn't focus much on the political side, because as I recall it wasn't really where the plot was in the original manga. But really I don't recall much from the 1999 movie (anime) I've watched before. But I can say for sure what they did here with Tomoe's character is superb.

So with that said, it's the same usual things since the first movie: Takeru Satoh's acting is just great. The action scenes always leave me wanting more. The camera work is splendid. The effects, script, and pacing are just what I'd want in this movie. I came here hungry and expecting for a good 2 hours and it did not disappoint.

If anything, the worst thing about this movie (and the series in general) is that I want MORE of Kenshin's story...(and fight scenes)

So to the director and writer: thank you for giving us a movie to remember. And this is just how I'd want a movie series to end. Somewhere at the peak.

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Beijing Rocks follows the lives of what amount to be poor, itinerant musicians hoping for their big break as long as they don't have to change who they are.

Daniel Wu played Michael, a wealthy Hong Kong musician, whose money came more from his father than any money he made in the Hong Kong Music industry. Awaiting trial on an assault charge he traveled to Beijing to learn Mandarin and finish a song he was working on. He quickly fell in with an underground rock band led by Road (Geng Le) and his free-spirited girlfriend Yang Ying (Shu Qi).

Beijing Rocks see-sawed between shots of vibrant, loud night scenes and ordinary daytime markets. The rockers went on a road trip or hole hopping where they traveled and then put up a tent to bring on the noise. Road was a character who could be hard to like. He was talented but sabotaged every shot the band got, cheated on his girlfriend and ran away at the sign of trouble. Shu Qi brought the thankless role of the devoted girlfriend to life and the movie lacked spark when she was not on the screen. At first glance she appeared to be a party girl, but Yang Ying's effervescence belied her darker thoughts. Michael, a fairly bland character, acted much like our window into the world Road and Yang Ying navigated that was on the thin boundary of poverty and fell into violence occasionally. The tipping point for Road and where his path slipped into melodrama was when he realized the record companies wanted obedient rockers who only acted rebellious, not actual independent minded rockers.

For me, the rock music, especially at the beginning was high school garage band at best. Near the end I actually enjoyed the song Good Night Beijing. Or maybe I had finally fallen into the rhythm of this quirky film.

Whether you think this movie rock and or rolls may be determined by how much you fall in love with Shu Qi and this flowing narrative of rebellious rockers.

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Bdsm!? That killed my curiosity!

When I first saw its trailer ..bdsm? OMG ! I was thinking what kind story they are going to put it in. The poster of the movie also gained my attraction where there were no usual dark colours but more lively colours .,and also the Jun in the posters. Now that I have seen the movie....I would like to say it's awesome.
As other bdsm ,here it's not toxic,but it is cute and sexy.

Story : the uniqueness of the movie itself is the bdsm . And I was thinking will the movie will be able to execute well and portray the bdsm as the viewer needs? Well... In my opinion the story is executed well ..and the director and writer has done a good job in it making it no boring. The main leads roles from colleagues to dom and sub was impressive. I really liked how the FL tried understand the ML's interest and also how she try to be the dom that she has never done. Frankly speaking I really don't know much about BDSM ,but from this movie I understood that BDSM movie can also be made in cute and comedic way .
This movie also contributed how bdsm can be bad too.. but they didn't go more in to that .( That's for the better, other wise the story's genre would have changed to thriller). And also how bdsm can affect realtionships too. I really liked how the main leads realtionship changed from colleagues to awkwardness and to awesome cute sexy bdsm scenes .Any way I liked the story. Even though the story was simple it was executed well.


Acting: both the main leads have done a good job in playing their characters.especailly Jun , he proved that he is a talented actor ,other than as an idol. Acting cute,playing dog and BD scenes showed his other side as an actor.comparing to his other dramas he done good job in this movie. Next ,the FL, seohyun ...,when I first saw her as cast I was thinking will she able to be a fit for this character? But I was wrong! She was the best casting. In the movie her cold eyes and character voiced that ' I m the master'. I could feel it! . The chemistry of the main leads was good. The part where they played the dog was really funny. I liked how they played the dom and sub .they have done good job in portraying their characters and it was suited for story.


Music : music? Honestly, I really didn't hear any music while watching this movie. Is it because I was too immersed in the movie?^_^


Re-watch value: I won't say It has good re-watch value.it is good for a one time entertainment.but for some they may can see it many time as needed.

Overall: overall the movie is good.the plot is interesting, I really liked how they added rom- com to bdsm instead of it becoming toxic. And also Jun playing the sub part ,showed that even though jihoo is perfect as from head to toe ,loved by everyone on outside, but inside he had a secret that was hidden that he likes feel to be crumbled and feel pain . So , this movie also shows that everybody is not perfect concept too ! Any way give it a try.. ..

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Perfect Action Comedy

Directors should take note of the good points of this film, because this is how you engage an audience. I feel like every age group will enjoy this. from my younger cousins to my grandfather, everyone in my family was laughing at loud at the comedy scenes and gripped at the acgion sequences.

I had no expectation going into this and didn't even plan to do a review but I just had to recommended this to y'all. This just shattered my favorite korean movie list!!

Story was engaging, we follow a family of 3 to their trip to Hawaii and how it went wrong. The shift from comedic to action was natural that you wouldn't even notice it. The film had 100mins in screen time but never onced was bored or checked the time remaining.

Characters, were perflectly balanced from our protagonists to antagonists. We had no idea what their intentions were at the beggining but it starts to unravel as it progresses. Acting, was also amazing for everybody, which I expected seeing how this film had a veteran lineup of actors/actresses. Also there's a cameo that you should look out for, where it actually moves the plot and not meaningless.

The thing that made me appreciate the movie is the con'ections of our leads and how it ties up all the loose ends and overall was a satisfactory film.

The action sequences, was suprising to say the least. Because when we think of action comedy, directors seem to focus on the comedy aspect. But here the action is as good and that is because of the amazing performance of the actors/actresses who worked hard for the role.

Ending, at first I was worried that this good of a film will be unable to finish strong but it did. Satisfactory and couldn't ask for a better ending.

Overall, you can watch this yourself, with family, with friends, etc. Because honestly speaking this is for everyone. I dont think anyone wouldn't enjoy this, because there's variety of genre that can be seen here. Furthermore it's a light watch so it's going to be a good mood booster!

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