Reviews

Grandma what big teeth you have!

The Wolf Brigade could have been an interesting movie about a rocky reunification between North and South Korea with politicians and civilians pulling in different directions. What we were given was a mess of a story that could never quite figure out what it wanted to be.

The Wolf Brigade is a high powered, deadly force of men whose job it is to crush the sect opposing reunification. It’s not their job to care if the people are innocent or should have a voice in their country’s future. But there’s always one guy whose conscience can’t be stomped out and Lim is that soldier. This story ends up being his story of independence and redemption.

If the movie hadn’t started out with nearly an hour of what turned out to be largely confusing and at times boring exposition, I would have rated it higher. Instead it didn’t get any traction until an hour into the movie. A movie shouldn’t take an hour to figure out who was going to be the focus of the film.

After the exposition was out of the way it became a straight action film with almost zero character development or explanation yet I did become caught up in the typically unrealistic gun fights and car chases. Some of the fights did drag on too long. There was a lot of carnage.

The cinematography, sets, and costumes were all high quality and the acting was on point for this type of film.

I feel like my score is just for the second half of the movie and I should have rated it lower given the convoluted plot and lack of character development.

One character said, “We aren’t humans in wolves’ clothing, we are wolves in human clothing.” I’d have to disagree as he was giving wolves a bad name. Humans need to own their own deadly and bad behavior. And the writers needed to own their responsibility for a story that could have been much better.


12/8/22

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sliver linings of youth

good slice of life of 2 teenagers go through “stuff” and tough emotions.

I think it ended abruptly but it didn’t take away from the body of the work

don’t watch on netflix dubbed- just read the subtitles.

acting was great from both leads. also- just a cultural note- I didn’t know involved parents could be in China! that was wild to me


good slice of life of 2 teenagers go through “stuff” and tough emotions.

I think it ended abruptly but it didn’t take away from the body of the work

don’t watch on netflix dubbed- just read the subtitles.

acting was great from both leads. also- just a cultural note- I didn’t know involved parents could be in China! that was wild to me

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This time, I got to see a fly swatter used as a weapon!

PROS
+ The awesome, buddy-cop duo returns with and even adds a third to their epic team dynamic
+ The refreshing globe-trotting plot sets the action in several cool locations
+ Well-executed and expertly choreographed fight scenes that are reminiscent of the practical effect showdowns present in Jackie Chan films

CONS
- Admittedly, the pacing isn't as kinetic as the first movie
- There is a noticeable dip in quality from some minor role portrayals (The American cast)
- As entertaining as it was, there are a good amount of re-treaded scenes mimicking ones from the original
- A few plot elements are unnecessarily convoluted by the background conflicts of each of the main cast (America, North and South Korea)
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We've got another winner in the action/espionage subgenre! My favorite aspect of these two films is the exciting and engaging the pacing. Thankfully, none of the common espionage banter is present here.

Basically, if you liked what made the first movie special, then you need to see this one!

8/10

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Watched this movie to see how the story advances. It does not have any value-added storyline. I rented this on prime, sort of mad about that. Have no desire to see part 3. Overall, it feels lazy on the writer's side of things. It's Witch 1 storyline with a different Girl. Same - o, same - o. Lab escape, mad scientist, superpowered villains hunting Girl, add one twist and your done working for the day.

This is Part 2 of what is going to be more to come. It ends dead stop, mid thought, anticlimax (big time). Many scenes in this movie are filler, not necessary to the flow of the story. Some of them were downright annoying, others just confusing. I also had some timeline challenges generating some confusion about why I was watching certain scenes.

This is not an action-packed movie. It is not a movie with a lot of good fight scenes. The only dynamic fight occurs 1.45 hrs into the movie, basically the end of the movie. This fight does have some actual skilled fighting but is heavily dependent on superman level special effects. This fight is the peak of the movie and delivers great action, some fair dialogue, and sets up what becomes the big flop ending. First fight 56 mins in, is two super powered villains beating a car door. Second is 1.10 hrs in, again superpowers and special effects. Scene 1 and 2 last about 3-5 mins and don't really involve fighting skills.

Cast is good for the most part. Several scenes are carried by the actors as the writing lacks depth. So, thru the movie, many actors save otherwise what is lack luster scenes. I do believe the directors organized and delivered as best available from the script. Park as Kyung Hee is the most compelling performance. Park seems to be a level above this movie. Sung as Dae Gil is really good and generates the one heartfelt scene of the movie with an innocent friendship developed with Girl. Shin as Girl is perfect and delivers that one moment my eyes got watery. The best just fun stuff comes as Dae Gil and Girl try to be friends. Comparing to Witch 1, Shin completely captures the lab escapee girl. Plus ++++ level 4 superpowers (way beyond the super villains).

Villains: 1 - typical throw away gangsters, set up to be fodder during 2nd and last fight. 2 - Superpowered mercs (level 1 powers, just really fast/strong and can take a beating), with a tie into Witch 1. The attempt to generate some comedic relief between the lead mercs is value added. 3. The stylish superpowered mercs (level 2 powers, special skills, uber fast/strong, harder to kill than a zombie and regenerate body parts in seconds), no value added to storyline. Do create the only dynamic fight scenes. You will recognize their click from Witch 1. Totally bring the callous next gen merc cool kids vibe.

I really wanted to get into this movie. I love Park Eun Bin as Attorney Woo, and I am rewatching Woo now. I wanted to have another Park go to, I am disappointed.

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There are two ways of making a good remake: make it better or make it different.

Cube failed at both. It was not interesting, not innovative and the special effects were laughable - apparently people there have no internal organs.

Being perfectly honest, the only good thing was the acting. I am amazed how the actors were able to deliver a solid performance, when most characters had ridiculous arcs and out of the blue quick last minute changes of heart.

I think the worst crime of this movie was the fact it was simply boring. There were hardly any deaths nor traps shown. The ones we got were as basic as they can get.

There is nothing Cube 2021 can offer that Cube 1997 did not already deliver, so why bother watching?

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So good and fun it should have been a series.

It still works perfectly fine as a movie, but there is just so much to explore and both the characters and connections between them could have been more deep and engaging, if this was more than just a movie.

I finished it, liked it, was entertained from the beginning till the end, liked the characters, even ones I was skeptical about at the beginning, and yet the last thought I had - I needed more.

The characters were too diverse for this length. I did not get enough well paced character development from Mikado Kosuke, not enough in-depth exploration of Hiyakawa Rihito’s trauma and how he dealt with it for years, not enough time to truly understand and accept Hiura Erika’s actions. I wanted more background about the past events for the 3 main characters. More conversation about the power of belief in contrast to the power of not believing.

So many cool concepts, ideas and stories that could easily fill a short series. The source material was made for it, and yet all we’ve got was a movie. A good movie, but it could have been great.

On the note of source material, I tried to read it, but the sexualization of the connection the main leads had was just distracting and a bit ridiculous. The sensual exorcisms just made me laugh, so on that aspect, I’m actually happy the movie changed things up. I would appreciate a clearer indication of the feelings they had for each other, but there should be a middle ground between what was in the manga, and how much the cut out for the movie.

Acting was great. Shison Jun’s emotional scenes got me good. Especially the one after he passed out. The build up of the emotions the character was experiencing in these few minutes was delivered in a perfect fashion.

What’s more - the film was beautiful. Maybe it just fits my aesthetics, but I loved every frame of it. I also appreciate the gore that was excessive at times, but not gross and cartoonish.

One thing I would complain about was the soundtrack going from church choir to old school games. At times it completely did not match the scene it was played for.

Overall, I would recommend it. If you know the source material and expect a BL, this ain’t that. But it’s a nice story that vaguely touches on some interesting concepts.

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Major trigger alert would have been nice....

Let me start off by saying this movie should have come with a trigger alert. This includes suicide and (attempted) rape. If you have seen Thai movies or dramas before, this may be no surprise to you, but still was kind of a shocker to me.

That being said, I really enjoyed the movie. The story itself is not too complicated. 2 surgeons and longtime besties start working together to uncover the truth behind the existence of ghosts. One of them is griefstruck by his mother's death and the other is obsessed with ghosts since his father appeared to him after death. They find that the ghostworld is not accessible to living humans and decide on drastic measures to finish their experiments. It all culminates i a eye opening and emotional climax, with neither getting what they wanted or deserved.

The acting of both leads is fenomenal, and the scene setting (hospital, abandoned lab) although cliché still very fitting.

The overall moral to the story; don't dig into things you are not sure you really want to know.

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Wasn't the film I was looking for, but...

It was definitely suspenseful. I was hoping the lead teacher lady was gonna be the winner in this story, but things went awry in this film. There's no wholesome characters in this, everyone's a victim, because of everyone's flaws with jealousy, deceit, and power.

I was cheering for the lead teacher lady, because she had it rough. From her own relationship to what she lives through with the other characters. It's like, you wanted her to get something out of this. In a way, she did, but ended up hurting everybody.

The acting was fairly good from everyone. The male lead was quite impressive playing an innocent high school boy, you felt sorry for him early on, then later, you get a surprise.

This film is worth watching once, but it's really twisted! Haha. If you're looking for a love story, this film is not it. There are better ones out there, but...If you want some betrayal and maybe some hot scenes, this is yours to watch.

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Such a nice movie!

The plot is beautiful. I personally love these kind of stories. We were given some graphic scenes which is appreciated.
For a movie that its about a serial killer, we don't see him killing in many scenes. Actually we just see Morozumi hurting Yamashiro once, but I think this might be intended hence the ending.
The actors did well, Fukase Satori's role was nailed, he really looked crazy and its good that way. I was expecting a "fuckboy" style of murderer because that's what's hot right now and it was a nice reward it wasn't that way.
Midway through the movie I got a little bit lost regarding time lapses. The movie appears to go slower than it really is, which is confusing. Although with the crime scenes you can notice time has passed since the bodies are rotten, its strange and it feels like they were running out of time when they actually had plenty.
The details put into the backgrounds and the scenery shows this movie was made with love and care. It was pleasant to see so many things, so stimulating and encouraging to rewatch and not lose any detail! It does makes you want to read the manga.
Characters could've been developed/described better but overall a nice movie, enjoyable and would rewatch of course.
It leaves some holes and a semi-open ending, I'm afraid a sequel could screw up what we have, I didn't see any news about it, but I hope its good in case its coming.

TL;DR
Good plot, excellent scenery, nice actors. Weird execution regarding time, characters could've been better.

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Exit is a top-notch disaster survival thriller that'll have you gripping your chair and audibly shouting from the suspense

PROS
+ The outstanding lead cast has delightfully charming chemistry
+ The humor-to-seriousness ratio is incredibly well balanced
+ There are a lot of impressive effects that push the thrilling climbing scenes into a moderately believable realism
+ Even the dramatic elements shine through, without losing the suspenseful tone
+ The interesting, decaying urban environment is a visually captivating setting

CONS
- There was no explanation for the motives of the attack that engaged the plot
- Initially, the film gives little excitement and leaves a goofy first impression
- While the main cast is superb, some of the child actors don't portray their roles as effectively
- One pivotal moment is not shown on-screen and the implication was less clear until a slide during the credits
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Exit was a surprise to me! I would probably rank it the highest of all the K-survival/thrillers I've watched this year (Tunnel is a very close second). It's not hard to imagine myself re-watching this at some point due to the cool action segments and excellent characters.

I can't even think of any other thrillers where climbing exceeds more than one scene.

8.5/10

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Greased Lightning!

99 Cycling Swords is an almost average Taiwanese kung fu film from this era. I say almost average because the plot was particularly obscure even for a 1970's kung fu flick.

What this film doesn't give us is 99 of anything. What it does give is a plot that might give you a headache as it goes round and round and round as the main characters try to discover the real identity of the traitorous Chu Er Ming who has been killing off the Four Dragons. There are plenty of mistaken identities, subterfuge, cross-dressing, and double crosses.

Polly Shang-Kuan Ling-Feng ( I know, it's a mouthful of a name) once again cross-dresses to appear as a man while investigating this killer always dressed in white. She runs afoul of Yueh Hua because she always dresses in white, too, and he suspects her/him of being Chu Er Ming. Yueh Hua actually gives a relaxed performance in this role. He can often appear overly uptight. In a small supporting role, Lo Lieh appears as a disciple of her uncle who is looking for her in her female form. Hu Chin plays the comely barmaid who may or may not be colluding with the Big Bad.

The fights seem never-ending from the first scene to the last. Lung Tien Hsiang as the Man in White did a fine job of kicking while fighting, a standout in a rather drab fight choreography overall. The director overused the backward filming and trick filming. I've never seen so much dinnerware kung fu! There were some creative uses of weapons, but much of the fighting came across as kung fu posing. Polly seemed quite slow.

The ending which involved magnets, compasses, green lights, and supposedly 10 of the same bad guy was rather confusing but that may have had to do with the poor dubbing. Then again, maybe not. There were few highlights in this film. I still haven't acquired an appreciation for Polly's acting yet, she tends to ham it up. I'll keep trying as I work through her catalog of films. Lo Lieh, as always, brings a solid presence, even in a small role.

If you enjoy old Taiwanese kung fu films or are a fan of Polly's, this is one to try. If not, you'd be best skipping over it.

12/7/22

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Too much into a small movie

This had potential. The cast is fantastic and I really wish this was a series rather than a movie. There were a lot of details as to what could have happened between the two main leads, but you can only fit so much into a film. As I am writing and deleting what I want to say about this review, I'm starting to understand why the short film. I think the impact of a short film with all the details that could have been expanded in a series was shortened here. But I was left unsatisfied and empty. The unknown as to why the ML died still doesn't make sense to me. Did I miss something? Did I overlook symbolic meaning? Was there a sentence that explained this but I skipped it? Also, what was the reason to film the sunrise? So many unanswered questions that I just didn't understand which is why my rating is low.

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Whose got the weed killer and a giant fly swatter?!

Louis Koo and his production company produced Hong Kong's biggest Sci-Fi movie to date. A CGI extravaganza, Warriors of Future pits man against nature in a dystopian future not too far away.

Due to man's greed and technological negligence and nearly endless robot wars, the planet's water and air have become polluted to the point of toxicity. Great domes are being built over the cities to try an give people a healthier environment. All seems to be going well when a meteor hits and a giant plant starts taking over. On the plus side, the plant is cleansing the air. Hong Kong now called section B-16 will be destroyed by the planted dubbed Pandora when the next rain hits. Carina Lau's military character is wanting to drop a bomb on the plant that will kill 160,000 people. In come Louis Koo and Lau Ching Wan to save the day by going into the belly of the plant to set off a bomb with a virus which will make the plant go dormant. No problem, right? Aside from the plants deadly ability to defend itself, it also has a host of giant bugs at its disposal. Throw in a traitorous human's evil doings and the good guys have their hands full. Phillip Keung also appears as a man in need of redemption.

The problem with Warriors of Tomorrow, aside from its obvious lack of an article (at least one "the") in the title, is that it dumps the viewer into the middle of the story. I can only guess that they thought the audience only wants to see the battles. The movie would have benefited from us feeling the relief of the domes being built along with the people and then the devastation of the meteor hitting and the giant plant erupting and destroying cities. We weren't there when the race to find a way to destroy or slow the plant was developed. Instead, we are told this information in flashback along with Koo's brief backstory and thrown right into the battle. There was little ebb and flow, just high speed, high tech fights against other tech and the enormous flora.

Koo, Lau, and Keung all gave emotional, compelling performances. Much of the rest of the cast came across deadpan and stilted. There was little humor to break up the lethal action. The CGI was actually high quality, especially for a Hong Kong film, and it's a good thing because there was a lot of CGI spectacle from beginning to end.

I actually found the movie entertaining, even if the writing let it down. It was obviously highly influenced by other films. I almost found myself quoting those films when the similar scenes popped up on the screen. I wish they'd spent as much time and money on the writing for the film as they had the sets and CGI. This would have been a far better film if they had.

In the end, who doesn't like to watch a bunch of men in metal tech take on an invasive plant species and carnivorous bugs. Anyone who has had to deal with kudzu and/or fire ants might feel the need for such superior hardware themselves. There are better movies in this genre, but for a first try it still managed to be fun.

12/6/22

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