Reviews

Just finished

I just finished watching this and it was good. I don't know, I expected more romance from it after reading the plot synopsis. Where was the romance folks? Besides a kiss on the fore head there was nothing. It's really tragic at the end honestly but it's not so sad that I can't go about my day like Moon Lovers or something (Who hurt that script writer?). It was overall good. I wish they had a happy ending though. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. I don't know how they would've done it, like maybe he got off the bus right before it crashed or something and surprised her when she saw the cherry blossoms at the end. Let them be happy even though she was 18 and he'd be 56 at that point, just to know he's alive is enough. Although if he was gonna die anyway why can't he just be transported back to the future with her? Wouldn't that be cool. Japanese movies are always so sad man.

Read More

Spineless Plot. Good way to waste time.

So I was bored and wanted to try a Kmovie since I have been watching only kdramas. And I felt that after Train To Busan, Kmovies might be really great since TTB was such phenomenal movie that brought in so many emotions in me. But I guess this was a low budget movie when I watched the first couple of minutes into the movie. So I didnt hold expectations. With nothing expected it was a good movie. I kinda liked the whole plot..that she was a very simple girl that never dated, had no experience in love or dating. But with just the help of a book she kind of started to get confident. She even played hard to get even though she has no dating experience just because the book said to take some time. But there's one thing I didn't get was if she liked her boss and he did too..then what was the problem in dating him when even she said it on his face that she likes him...?! That was a bit confusing. Also I get that she couldn't go for the academy since she has to look after her ill mom..but what was it that caused her to feel uncomfortable to face him??!
So plot wise it was really bland and nothing special about it. Acting was good. There were some familiar faces in it. But I wouldnt say you should make time to watch this because its not worth all that sacrifice. If you are bored and have nothing to do might as well watch it if you like. Or can put that time into something worthy. So I do regret that 1 hour I put into watching this. I guess I should have looked up some better drama to watch instead.

Read More

Cute Short

This is a very sweet short film about love at first sight. The actors are very cute and there's no dialogue so the story is told just with their expressions. I'd say the only thing that ruins the rhythm of the film is the totally unnecessary song thrown into the middle of the story with a supposed cupid weaving her magic, its pretty tragic and dates this short which isn't good.

That the two are gay is more suggested as I imagine in 2008 Korean gay films were few and far between. It would have been interesting to have seen this story expanded upon so that we could see the backstory of the two leads. One a member of a group of bullies , the other a love of photography. They introduced them but never fully utilized their potential.

Read More

Bland but EYE CANDY

I watched this for Victoria, but the plot was very minimal. Literally nothing going on. Didn't feel for any of the characters because most of them weren't given any depth by the writers.
Unlike Julia Robert's character, Shu Qi's character didn't try at all - more half-assed effort than anything and things just worked out her way without her having to do anything.

I felt like the film kept jumping from 1 scene to another without explaining sometimes and we're just supposed to accept the situation as it's presented and assume something happened (that was not shown on-screen) to lead up to certain events. It just felt choppy. The most common thoughts I had during this film were: "Oh I guess they're over that already", "There was literally no point in doing that", "Random cameos", and once "Ha, that's funny".
Oftentimes, I found the scenery to be much more interesting than the dialogue taking place or found myself wondering how they were wearing heels on cobblestones.

Things were resolved very quickly - I wouldn't be as forgiving as Victoria's character (Xuan Xuan) was, at least that quickly. Also, Xuan Xuan is basically perfect-ish? She's very accommodating and doesn't have princess tantrums over the slightest thing so I didn't find myself rooting for Gu Jia (Shu Qi) because Xuan Xuan is completely innocent and sweet, but also kind of boring for the same reason. Although I'd attribute that to the writers and not the actress. She was written very one-dimensionally.

The only character that I felt was really cool was Nick. He was oozing charisma and I enjoyed his scenes. I loved his flawless switching between English and Mandarin. Only con was that he only appeared when he was deemed "useful" - severely underused, I say.

All in all, not a great remake, but I've seen worse. No matter how pretty the scenery and actors/actresses were or how much they tried to bring their characters to life, it couldn't make up for a poorly written script/bland plot.

Read More

A Realistic Love Story

Now this isn't really an average love story. It's more of a realistic slice of life + love story film. In life, things sometimes just doesn't go the way you want no matter how hard you try.

That's the crux of this film. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try your best. This movie is about the 5 years journey of a couple who is deeply in love.

Can their love withstand all the pressures from their own insecurities ? Will they stay together even if their love has started to fade ?

Kasumi and Suda are two of the best actors in Japan at the moment. Therefore, their chemistry are off the charts. I actually watched this movie because of Kasumi and I can say that she's still one of the best actresses around.

Read More

Very Precious ... Indeed!

WARNING... HAVE TISSUES READY!!!
I honestly didn't think this was going to be one of those movies that will tear you up inside.
This Little Actress Jung Seo Yeon was Incredibly Outstanding and honestly deserves the Best Actress Award for the character that she fully embraced. I have to admit this little girl stole the show... she pulled me in and I couldn't or wouldn't let go.
The pairing of the leading actor and this little girl radiated warmth in everything Precious when trying to understand the unknown and grow with the unfamiliar. This Actor (Jin Goo) pulled it off completely.
I rarely ... RARELY watch movies.. and when I do, I mostly likely won't rate them.
HOWEVER... this deserves a 10 Star all around.
Beautiful, Outstanding, Heartwarming, Heartbreaking & an Incredible Script.

Read More

A funny and unexpected movie

Hello!
lets start with my story of how i found this movie and why i decided to watch,
i was casually eating some food and then i thought to myself maybe i should watch some comedy and i found this movie on my the website i usually watch my dramas and movies from so ye and i just decided to watch it for fun (idk why im so honest about this) anyways i usually dont read the description for a movie idk why maybe its because i'm lazy but maybe not.

i think this movie is a casual action, comedy movie for one family night ya'know

story:
the movie starts with a little back story of the main character (i was a little confused at first) then we are going back to our time where the movie basically shows us the main character and their struggle (money) and out of nowhere we see how the family (our main characters) going for a trip, after that everything starting to happened in the plane. and blah blah blah

the story in my opinion is good and nothing to complain about but i couldn't see myself laughing in this movie (maybe there weren't a lot of comedy scenes for me) even tho this movie is a comedy one right? but its okay
9.5/10
-1 point because i was a bit confused

acting/cast:
cast was cool i watched couple of dramas with Park Sung Woong so i was happy he was there, he played wonderful as a father/husband/and... uhm. waaah i was pretty shocked to see Lee Sun Bin lol (i saw her in a lot of dramas but not in movies), she is a wonderful actress i love her so no complains <3
10/10

music:
no complains good tracks
10/10

re-watch value:
i don't like re-watching movies if i'm been honest but if i had time and if someone will watch it again with me then okay
8.0/10 (not sure how to rate it)

overall:
this one is worth to watch and worth your time if you like comedy and action then its perfect i guess
from my perspective it was unnecessary to add 100 of characters in one scene because its just confusing and just weird
(and im not talking about the passengers). anyway that's it thank you for your time sorry if there are spelling mistakes english is not my first language

Read More

Splendid...simple splendid

I did not expect that much....I got more...first love story... everyones story...
Great acting from both young and older actors.
Exelent music (that song is engraved in my soul) that you will learn to sing regardless your native language.
Story...yes about that story...I am always a little harsh when the basic idea is so common and obvious...BUT...this is a lesson of how you present the oldest love story of the world, the first-love story, as bright as the sun and as beautiful as the night.

"Your name engraved herein,
making time go by without a trace.
One lie was told, that determined the rest of my life."

Read More

This movie is all about Ikuta Toma's incredible acting

This movie is all about Ikuta Toma's incredible acting. He even manage to portray such a controversial character and make it somehow worth it!

There are lots of unnecessary scenes with the teens which were somewhat overboard. But the main lead actor, Ikuta toma, nailed it. There were things in between lines. Like Mr. Ito's facial expression. In one time, he was lying but there was deep sadness in his face. Also, he did something which he normally won't do. As for relationship, he maintains a wall where suitors never got a space to enter yet that wall never really existed for Shimada! It was his acting that make it all sense. Even the guy friend of Shimada sensed that the love was mutual in their case. Here, Mr. Ito was workaholic, non-sociable and had some sort of complex in terms of relationship. But his heart melted by Shimada's innocence and he was grateful towards her, also apologetic for not being able to accept her or hurting her. That's why, that controversial relationship never felt wrong! And I'm not exaggerating anything. Mr Ito expressed everything in this tiny movie with his so little screen time and few dialogues! But the rest is pretty much like other teen movies.

Read More

Supernatural teen scream

The movie has good moments and bad moments. Some scenes were well built on atmosphere, making the jump scares more effective. Some jump scares were punching you in the face with over the top effects. And yet, the movie was quite entertaining.

What truly adds to the typical teens at the haunted location flick is the introduction of different timelines. We follow different plot lines that together create a rather cohesive picture. There were a few small twists that I didn't see coming, thanks to which, the ending was truly satisfying.

Hard to comment on the acting, when the acting was 80% just screaming. There was not much depth to the character, and their purpose was to… well, die. About dying, the ghost had a strange interest in toilets. Somehow, quite a lot happened in that area.

First half of the movie had a better atmosphere. The director showed us enough of the supernatural lurking in the dark, that I was interested in what’s to come and what exactly is after the kids. Sadly, the more of the actual footage of the demonic ghost I’ve got, the funnier it became.

Overall, a rather fun ride. I am a bit weak for the teen horrors, and seeing these kids run around trying to survive is always entertaining. So, as long as you don’t expect a groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece, and just want to have a little bit of chill fun, you might like it.

Read More

If you are inspired to watch this movie because you saw Andy Lau's and Ekin Cheng's names and picture on the title---don't bother. Ekin and Andy had very little screen time.
If you are inspired to watch this because you saw a badass swordswoman on a poster like I was---seriously don't bother.
If you thought A Man Called Hero and The Storm Riders were masterpieces---this movie is for you. It comes from much of the same team and might serve your viewing needs.

If you are looking for grand sword fights or kung fu, you won't find it here. The few sword fights were hindered by posing and sped up action and enhanced by terrible CGI. My grandmother would have looked like a martial arts master the way they filmed these blurry fights.

The women were portrayed as vapid, lovesick, airheads. Unless the translation was wrong on the copy I watched, one of them fell in love with her half-brother. Eww.

The star of this comedic marvel was Nick Cheung as an ancient James Bond wanna be, Dragon 009. He knew all the criminals, was a master of deduction and loved hitting on women and making innuendos about his 8 1/2 inch third leg. Charming. He made a mildly amusing lecherous investigator though his actions are quite dated now. For the most part, the movie was a dull murder mystery. I'm sure Wong Jing and Manfred Wong, the writers, thought the big twist at the end was brilliant but I saw it coming from a mile away. The duel in the title came at the end and was quite anti-climatic.

Some of the sets were nice although I've seen more opulent throne rooms in web dramas. Must have been a very poor emperor.

There were a few funny moments and interesting fights. This movie might hit the target with fans of the other two Andrew Lau/Ekin Cheng movies, but it missed the mark with me.

Read More

May contain Spoilers**

Okay, first things first, the possibility of you or any person liking this movie is very subjective. All the reviews that I have read are either full of praises or it's just a no-no for some people.
As a regular BL watcher, I regret that I did not find this movie sooner. I cannot believe that I was missing out on this. Yes! I've liked this movie way too much.

Side note - I seriously do not understand how can Korean actors/actresses portray such an amazing chemistry between their characters. If you are a regular Kdrama watcher, you'll understand what I am trying to say. This movie has such a good chemistry between the 2 leads. I was a little unsure at first because of the age difference between them, but OMG, they surely do not disappoint you. Also, I did not expect the kisses at all! This is a Korean movie, on top of that a BL. I was really not prepared for the kisses and trust me, those were not awkward at all. Once again, hella great chemistry.

Okay, on to the movie. As the name suggests - Method, this movie is really how you interpret it. Like, is it really just for the "Method" acting or were they really into each other. Could be both too or not.

The cast played out this movie really well. The palpable tension between the leads, their unspoken emotions. Everything was executed very nicely. The ending might not be the one you expect. It does end sort of realistically. But, the movie handles real issues, real struggles, the consequences of situations like these in real life situations very well.

The story - 100% ; The Cast/Acting - 100% (perfect casting, acc. to me) ; Will definitely re-watch this again and again.

P.S. For some people who will be watching it for the 1st time, it might become overbearing but trust me, you won't regret watching this movie. I think it does deliver the message they were trying to deliver.

One of the best BL Movies I've watched.

Read More

I've finally finished watching this at last. Fair to say, when the live action adaptation was announced, I was worried about how would they approach the show and adapt it into a movie. Since I'm not sure that there would be any plans for any other subsequent continuation and I'm a bit biased as I'm really fond of the live action musical casts.

But the movie turned out to be fine, not really what I'd expected it to be concluded but it was fine enough to be a standalone movie adaptation. Love the CGI effects and the cinematic setting. It would've been nice if there were actually plans to adapt the Soul Society Arc as well, but at least there's the old Rock Musical Bleach to fill that hole.

Read More

Fangorn Forest isn't the only place where you'd better not turn your back on the trees!

Shu Qi plays a detective trying to solve a rape-murder. Ekin Cheng plays a botanist who believes he can communicate with trees and is trying to prove it. His girlfriend, Rain Li, is a reporter using sensationalist stories about the numerous suicides and disappearances taking place in the forest to further her career. Shu Qi enlists Ekin Cheng to see if the trees can provide evidence in the case. Please don't stop reading, it gets better. Throw in that this is supposed to be taking place in Thailand with a Hong Kong cast and this movie is a real head scratcher. I won't even spoil it with the big reveal behind some of the spooky elements going on in the forest, but if you watch this movie, you may be like me and say, "sure, why not?" and just start laughing.

Full disclosure, I am a Shu Qi fan and she's why I started and didn't drop this movie. She gave a good performance, even if we never learned much about her character except that she is a doggedly determined detective. Ekin Cheng didn't have much to do except to occasionally talk to the trees and look at "scientific" equipment. Rain Li's reporter probably had the most development as she had to deal with her demanding boss and inattentive boyfriend.

Forest of Death does have some good moments of suspense and creepiness. The acting is all more than adequate. The story, however, adds in too many unbelievable elements. If they'd stuck to one fantastical element they could have built their mythology around it. Instead, they try to weave in too many supernatural stories into one and it ends up making for a vague and even ludicrous culmination.

Forest of Death could be another name for all the trees who gave their lives for the script pages of this murky, mess of a movie.

Read More

Pour yourself a nice glass of wine and grab some crackers, because you'll need it to go with all of the cheese in this melodramatic movie. It's hard to take any movie seriously when it doubles as an advertisement for Sea World/Shamu or 'Free Willy Goes to Hong Kong'.

Kenny Bee stars as the 13th Prince who is deposed by his evil brother, the 14th Prince played by Kelvin Wong. I was happy to see Maggie Cheung as one of 13th Prince's bodyguards. 13th Prince and his small entourage are saved from a plethora of assassins in a bamboo forest by Andy Lau's fisherman, Ah Fei, who happens to be wandering about. They make friends and Ah Fei takes them to a secret underground royal tomb to hide out in. Ah Fei is tasked with bringing 13th Prince's fiancé to him. A gorgeous Anita Mui plays the willful Princess and on the long dangerous road back to the 13th Prince, feisty banter turns to love. Duty above all, everyone ignores the obvious feelings because 14th Prince is hot on their trail.

Moon Warriors has one of the most preposterous endings I've ever seen which takes away any tragic feelings and replaces them with laughter and WTF? This is not one of Andy's strongest performances, but I can't blame him, he's required to say some pretty cheesy lines. Maggie and Anita both do a good job with what they are given and their fight is the highlight of the movie. Kenny is properly stoic and noble. Kelvin has the evil laugh down which is half of what he needs for his performance as the villain. The actors could only do so much with the script they were given so I tried to cut them some slack.

The pinnacle of ludicrousness is Ah Fei's friendship with a killer whale. I do have to applaud Andy Lau for his commitment to the role and learning to ride and do tricks with Hong Kong's version of Shamu.

My evaluation of martial arts movies always comes down to the fights. Moon Warriors used so much wire-fu it looked like the actors were on the moon bouncing around half the time. I have no problem with light body skills in a wuxia, but this movie overdid the super human leaping never missing the chance to have someone flying through windows or simply defying gravity as they ran. While many of the fights were creative and fast, they often looked incredibly awkward as well. I do have to say I saw the most creative decapitation ever, at least through my fingers.

Moon Warriors has some beautiful cinematography and fight scenes every few minutes to keep things interesting. The actors gave it their best. Ultimately, it ended up being a slightly below average wuxia for me. It was filmed in the 90's so it didn't receive my grading on a curve that I give much older movies. It's not a bad way to spend 90 minutes but if you are lactose intolerant you might want to skip this one.

Read More