Reviews

This movie is like a very long MV...

This movie is like a very long MV and I love it. The music was great and everything was perfectly suited to it. I had never heard Eve's songs or covers before, and I decided to watch this movie to get to know him. It certainly didn't disappoint me.

"Adam by Eve: A Live in Animation" consists of fragments that look like MV when the music blasts out interspersed with peaceful scenes without music, when we follow the story of Aki and Taki. Everything is combined into a coherent whole thanks to very good visualizations and animations. Some fragments also contain elements of horror.

Overall, the movie and music appealed to my taste.

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as expected exo

still can't believe SM could milk a 3 days 2 nights show from exo
exo is exo for a reason
I really love how exo having so much fun just being themselves, never over the top yet still so funny
their humor senses just click with me
Mischievous Sehun, Chatterbox Jongin, Fast learner Kyungsoo, and reliable Junmyeon and Minseok
my favorite parts were: nonsense word chain game, dalmuti game, kind kyungsoo who bought drink for staffs (and he always being like that) and Sehun randomly getting the right answer twice
also love how exo members practically ignoring the rule to not share their foods if they win games
I really hope one day there would be an ot9 version of eksase

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Better than the original

Greg Hsu, I love you! He and his smile totally made this more watchable and more poignant than the original Korean movie 'On your wedding day'.

I have watched the original movie liked it enough for depicting a realistic failed romance but it not make me cry like 'My Love' did. This adaptation retained the spirit of the original but removed the things I did not particularly like, resulting to a more impactful story. Pretty Rounan acted well enough but it was weak compared with Greg Hsu who carried this movie for me. He was a believable rowdy HS student, naughty university student, aspiring then failed athlete, strict HS swimming coach. His monologue near the end will make you wish they were still endgame but makes you accept that he's content that she's happy. The fact that they have let go of their regrets made me feel they truly have closure and can each move on to a better future.

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The Other Side Of A Rom Com

I went into watching the movie knowing what to expect…Or at least I thought so. I’m a huge fan of Hong Kong movies, and I’m used to their humor and zaniness. But there was actually none of that…really; it only ended like one. Which was okay, I’m glad when the plot is taken seriously, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of Cantonese humor and it’s tendency to be made from contrived plots and unsophisticated humorous flair. Yet, in the “The Other Side of Gentlemen” I wished things had been fleshed out more. It was all very robotic and a huge let down.

The only character who truly showcased growth was Alan Ng. Therefore, I believe that’s why his character came off the most pathetic but you felt empathy for him; he actually deserved better, even someone better than JoJo. So, I expected Alan Ng to have the chance to shine at one point in the story. He could have unexpectedly left everyone speechless in the party scene, and showed off his knack for language, soft skills, and salesmanship; he could’ve painted himself as a true businessman. He could’ve made all those engineers, accountants, scientists, doctors, and professors lose face while impressing JoJo. But that didn’t happen. He could have even had the opportunity to showcase his Japanese speaking abilities more, or get promoted at his job. But that didn’t happen. He could have went on a date with another woman to make JoJo jealous and make her question whether or not she chose the wrong man. But that didn’t happen. JoJo could have met Alan’s sister and seen his more sweet side when she saw him interacting with his sister. That didn’t happen.

There were so many missed opportunities the director didn’t pursue. So, the story fell flat.

None of the college students, scholars, and others were really likable except for Alan’s friends and his little sister. The priest was even decent. But other than that, I think Alan’s behavior towards the end was justifiable. The experimenters needed to realize what they created, and it be used against them. But that brings up another point, JoJo should have broken up with her fiancé. Not because I thought she was better fit for Alan Ng (because I don’t believe she deserved him), but because her fiancé was willing to put her in a situation that was dangerous. She became his puppet like Alan, but he was able to still get the girl. It was all about power and manipulation on his end. For psychologist, they were truly fickle people. All the college students and educated folks were negative.

So, the story missed its mark. It had so much potential to be better than it was. I wish the audience could have gotten a better glimpse of JoJo’s home life (and maybe even some backstory), same with Alan but in terms of his past (why did he drop out of college? Maybe his past heartbreak made him the person he was before he met JoJo…who knows…Maybe it’s up to the audience’s interpretation). We only got a couple cute moments between the leads, so, there could’ve been more romance. We could have gotten a better answer to why and how the leads fell for each other. I can only assume Alan brought out the easy going and happy sides of JoJo, gave her a zest for life and what youth is all about. And JoJo gave Alan the reason to grow and pursue a lot of the potential he had; to become a better person. But the audience didn’t get any of that because the director didn’t touch upon that part like he should have. JoJo and Alan’s relationship could have been showcased as something more deep than it was. JoJo should have had more girlfriends to seek advice from. She was always surrounded by bland individuals and men. I wished Alan and JoJo could’ve met each other’s parents too. I think that she went through with the wedding because she felt like she didn’t deserve Alan’s love, and maybe so…but they were both insane, so they deserved each other. He was an obsessed stalker, and she was a beautiful manipulator with the tenacity to build up and breakdown a man while looking him in the face.

The best part that made up for it- just a little bit-was the ending. Alan’s speech and proclamation of love when interrupting the wedding( Alan Tam actually looked pretty good in the suit with the purple flower), and JoJo’s goofiness (playing dead, and hopping on his motorcycle). I believe Brigette and Alan had chemistry, but it was overlooked by the material they were given.

Give the movie a watch if you’re a fan of Alan Tam and his songs, or want to see a young Brigette Lin in a role that was a far cry from the ones she would become famous for playing. In a way, this was one of the brighter and refreshing (happy and rom com-ish) movies on her filmography.

6/10. But I’m being generous. The ending kept me from rating it a tentative 5. Also, despite what others think, I actually liked the characters’ outfits. PVC jackets, and knock-off vans are quite fitting. The fashion was modern, camp, and colorful. Kind of reminded me of late 2000s and early 2010s (2007 - 2012).

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Know the rules of The Road

Warriors of Heaven and Earth is an unconventional action and buddy film. Filmed in the Gobi desert with a haunting OST and good performances, this film had almost everything needed to be epic. Almost.

Unlike many films with numerous plots and turns, Warriors of Heaven and Earth was more like the Silk Road going through the desert. A rough path with even rougher people traversing it, but fairly straightforward. The film starts with Lai Xi, a Japanese man, who came to China 15 years before to study war craft. All he wants to do now is go home and see his mother. The emperor, whom he is loyal to, has resisted letting him leave. The Tang emperor tasks him with eliminating fugitives in the Western region. Once he fulfills this task, he can finally return home to Japan. Lai's final obstacle is hunting down "Butcher" Li, a general charged with mutiny because he refused to slaughter captive women and children.

Lieutenant Li has been wandering the desert making a living when he is caught up in a sandstorm and nearly dies. He is rescued by the sole military survivor of a caravan carrying Buddhist texts and a precious artifact. One young monk protecting the artifact survived the storm as well. Li takes control of the caravan and promises to lead it to the capital. Along the way he ends up picking up a fighter who had seen too many winters, Old Diehard, and a young man who had seen too few, Salamander, as well as some of his old cohorts. Lai Xi also finds him and after a fight that ends in a draw agrees to allow Li to finish the caravan mission before killing him. For some reason, Lai is escorting the daughter of a killed general to the capital and she becomes part of the caravan as well.

No movie focusing on the Silk Road would be complete without gangs of bandits. This film focuses on Master An, the leader of a gang determined to steal the artifact. Another group, followers of a Khan, also want the artifact. They are relentless and seemingly willing to sacrifice anything to get their hands on the item in the monk's care.

Li and Lai have an almost comfortable relationship as two men who see each other as equals, and honorable, though they know at least one of them will not reach the capital. The small band of men, almost akin to The Seven Samurai, must use every bit of their wits and experience to fight through the bandits in inhospitable territory. Outnumbered and bearing the heavy burden of traveling with numerous camels and cargo, the fugitives are determined to carry out their mission. Once the artifact is revealed, the film ventures into Indiana Jones territory (think Buddhist Ark of the Covenant) which in one scene is intriguing and in another eye-rolling.

The fights and battles are all quite brutal and well choreographed. There is some wire-fu and CGI enhancement, but most of it is bone crunching and bloody hacking between seasoned soldiers and fighters.

What I enjoyed the most about the film was the beautiful desert scenery, shot with a loving eye. Desert towns looked authentic and the overhead geometric shots were fascinating. One scene where large jars of oil were used to create an impressive ringed fire at night was a great shot. The OST was unobtrusive and seductively wove the scenes and emotions together.

The cast was older than many recent movies which gave gravitas to the battle hardened men facing each other over swords or bonding together as brothers. Nikai Kiichi and Jiang Wen both played quiet heroes, yet still found ways to make their characters interesting beyond their ability to swing a sword. This is the first Chinese film I've seen where a Japanese character was shown as honorable and a skilled warrior, all in a positive light. Li and Lai made for a decent adversarial bromance. Vicki Zhao, was stuck in a token female role with little to do. Wang Xue Qi as the vile but intelligent Master An was acceptable as the bandit leader only going over the top on occasion.

What didn't work as well, was the very slow build-up to the story and the magical ending. I honestly was going to score this an 8 before the final scenes.

Warriors of Heaven and Earth was a surprisingly enjoyable film. Though a familiar sword fighting action narrative, it trod slightly different ground. It was strongest when focusing on the two men who each just wanted to be able to go home, thwarted by the emperor. When it veered from a more realistic survival epic into supernatural territory, it lost its way. I could still recommend this film with caveats. 7.75 for me.



9/13/22

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Continuing story

The most interesting character from Untamed from me is Wen Ning (WN). That's why I decided to watch this movie.

The story is much more make sense than the untamed for me. But the ending quite disappointed for me. Why when Xiao Yi (XY) already got 'forgiveness' from Xiao Qing, must Lan Si Zhui (SZ) slam him again, that makes WN give him such punishment. The punishment itself maybe quite make sense, I just don't like the way SZ put XY down like that....

Quite like to see the interaction between Wen Ning & Lan Si Zhui, feel they kinda grow up from the untamed time, not so childish or naive again... But however we still can see they still our beloved character form the untamed

Overall this just another adventure for Wen Ning & Lan Si Zhui

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A Hidden Gem with Hidden Secrets

Negotiator (2003) is best seen by going in completely blind, and not knowing too much about the story (or twists). Thankfully, that is how I came across the film while searching up free Japanese movies on Youtube. The film starts like a typical crime thriller like Die Hard (1988) and ends with twists and turns seen in another Japanese movie called Confessions (2010). The story left me guessing, and that I think is worth a rewatch alone. As for the acting, it was efficient. No one stood out too much, (other Ishida and his hairstyle) and the actors did their job appropriately. If anyone is interested in a crime thriller, Negotiator (2003) provides an engaging ride.

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Boring watch only for cast or have nothing to watch

I don't know why it's rated so good in mydramalist but the movie was total disappointment for me. I had very great expectations as the cast is so so good /great.but the story line didn't justice to their work it would have been better how they presented all things but still it was so slow I had to watch it in 1.5x speed. Too much skipping. I don't really understand why so famous in Korea I also came from a Korean drama which had reference of this movie that's why I watch it but not really good.. also I think it was referanced in hospital playlist too ... Only if you are a fan of the cast you can watch it or if you don't have anything like anything to watch then watch it... Fan of the cast but disappointed at the story.

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So at first when this movie came out I couldn’t find where to watch it, so that was the only big issue and. Ow I’m writing this review like a year late. So basically the movie was great, good cast, and costuming. They could have done b enter with setting, and backgrounds.

Honestly really impressed by Dylan Sprouse, I believe he actually spoke Chinese the entire movie, which might have took him some time to learn, really appreciate that, again Guan Xiaotong did an amazing job as usual on acting, really liked her cold icy version of the princess, and would like to state that when she was the “evil” princess, her makeup was something I’ve honestly seen on Guan Xiaotong for the first time, so a big change.

Other than that, good plot, and story was pretty good. Here’s the link to watch it:
https://www.dandanzan.com/dianying/92181.html

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Time Waits For No One

Take Me To The Moon (2017) is a time-traveling story of childhood regrets, and growing up. The story itself is similar to another film staring Vivian Sung called Our Times. (2015) Both films deal with two different types of childhood regrets, and each story is filled with nostalgia. Although I personally prefer Our Times, I still enjoyed the performances of Jasper Liu as the main lead, and Vivian Sung as the love interest. They are both very believable, and I ended up rooting for them both by the end of the story. As for the OST, it was okay. I was a little disappointed, since the film is suppose to be about music, but it is made up by lovable characters and their stories. If you enjoyed this film, definitely check out Our Times!! This could easily be a double-feature.

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Melancholy love.

Ive never seen any of the director's other films, I saw a small snippet somewhere online and really wanted to watch it. I love that it's BL but not focused on it as the center story, it's mostly somber and sad, with a nice ending. The way it was filmed makes you feel very present. I didn't like however, the weird very fast sped up film; and then suddenly it's super slow/choppy frames (It's on purpose) that gives the impression your computer or internet are loading really slow. Not for me personally.

The actors were all great. I really felt for the Main guy. I sit here now left with.. this weird.. almost heartbroken feeling myself. You always deserve better in this situation. You can heal. I feel this film can leave a lasting impression on you.

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It was curiosity that killed the cat, but the dead truly are those that only follow the stream. He captured insects, locked them up in his tiny bottles, then, put them in his wooden box of sand. The capturer became the captured whom was trapped in a tiny wooden house almost filled with sand.

Stockholm syndrome, internalized oppression, capitalist prison, and quarantines. They were constrained to dwell in a constant lockdown wherein their forced labor was their only choice of survival. Yet, as he was about to return to his fat cat city and material job, he was clinging onto the suffocating sands.

In a world where choking is the only relief for drowning, perhaps, freedom is only a spectre, a spirit, a state of mind.

He went up to see the sea. He went down to check the water mysteriously pumped by the damp sand. A child looked down on him. He looked up to the child. She might bear a child. He might bear an invention, a discovery. She was in pain; he was ignited with enthusiasm. The storm frightened her: all its raging winds and waters, killed her husband and child. He held no fear, but hope in the water which might sustain the future of his child.

Only the sands could tell the events of the man for seven years. Though, certainly, the woman in the dunes was there to stay forever.

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Two for one coffins on sale!

The Lady Constables was an entertaining Taiwanese kung fu flick starring Angela Mao and Chia Ling. Deadly flying umbrellas, kung fu magnets, and a plethora of coffins, this movie had it all, but mostly it had two of the best female kung fu stars in the business featured.

Angela starred as the Sheriff hunting down a gang of criminals who had stolen the Five Shining Pearls. Chia Ling was the niece of the chief escort killed during the theft and she was looking for payback. Wang Kuan Hsiung played the silent trusted bodyguard of the prince from whom the pearls were stolen. The running gag with him is that he wasn't a mute he just chose not to speak and had an endless supply of pre-transcribed notes to share his ideas and orders with. Other running gags included the ever present coffins for bodies to fly into. There was a problem with who had jurisdiction as the three combated and tried to outwit each other in the journey to recovering the pearls and bad guys.

The three rivals worked with and against each other as they hunted down each of the masters who had their own gangs in order to bring the thieves to justice and recover the pearls. That was easier said than done but an amusing rivalry road trip. A beggar and a coffin salesman follow them around ostensibly looking for a handout and more business.

Angela and Chia have had better fights but there was some challenging action as they beat down their enemies and had one quick fight with each other. Lots of wire-fu in this movie though some of it was funny, bordering on the absurd at times. The last couple fights were better and faster and both of the ladies acquitted themselves well, Wang was slower and far less interesting to watch. Thankfully, with his vow of silence the women took center stage, a rarity in this particular time. Oh, and there were a couple of guys dressed like knights in crappy armor, where the kung fu magnet comes into play. Never thought I'd write that.

The sets were re-used and recycled throughout the movie and like many old Taiwanese movies much of the fighting took place outdoors. The costumes were bright but fighting appropriate, no gold or silver lame` in sight. Standard kung fu fighting OST. The copy I watched and been cropped on the sides obscuring some of the action which is always disappointing.

The Lady Constables featuring a fierce Angela Mao and a confident Chia Ling was fun and didn't take itself too seriously as the fists, kicks, and coffins flew.



9/11/22

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Metaphors and Life meaning questions, and of course barn burning

Its a terrific movie, just may be they would have reduced the movie length by 10 min or so (WHERE ML alone scenes before BEN comes), would have been perfect.
Still its a excellent movie 9.5.

Though movie seems prolonged, it has excellent metaphors, analogies , and deep questions.
Also importantly the meaning of Barn Burning by the author Murakami is portrayed well. (I would recommend to read that short story or summary after watching the movie, otherwise u might not be engaged)

Note; If some one expects sth to happen , its not going to happen. its very slowburn movie.
Lot of methaphors, life questions were included in the movie.

Excellent acting by all the cast especially 3 Leads. (JJS plays the role with such ease is mindblowing)

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