Reviews

My feelings throughout: What???

I was in awe with the CGI, it was great along with the costumes, it made me continue watching this movie. Acting-wise, the movie leads fall short when it comes to delivering the emotions of the characters. I somehow felt lacking. Especially with the connections of the characters. Although I'll give plus points to the main leads looking good together onscreen.

Plot-wise, I can completely understand that they have to compress 58-episodes worth of plot into two hours. Though, I like some of the changes they did with the story. There were some scenes that were absent which held significant meaning. I just can't help but lament over it.

Though, I do not know if I'll be watching this again. Still, waiting for this movie to be available for watching was still worth it.

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The movie is full of secrets, manipulation, and curiosity..but I think the story is lacking something...especially the ending..T__T

The acting was great, since most of the actors are one of the best and I had watched their works from different movies, so you know that they really played their roles well.

Re-watched Value for me it was like what the other reviewers saying if you're done watching a mystery movie and knew what already happened the 2nd time you watched it's not that interesting anymore so I just gave it 7/10 but still it is still worth it to watched again. :)

So, if you are game for a movie with interesting plots, secrets, and mystery then this must be the movie that you want to watched.

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[WARNING: the rating and review I give have the possibility to be subjective due to my preference for the genres, scenes or casts]

Well, what can I say about this movie? I laughed and cried in the middle of the night. This is a cute movie, but I hate Nagano Mei's role (>.<) It takes an effort to switch my mind to understand her role, because before I watched Hirunaka hahaha.

Ok, back to the movie. Hmm ... basically, the plot is similar with Hirunaka no Ryuusei, but with apple and apple comparison, which the heroine must choose between students, not teacher and student. The conflict is more pronounced, where the role of antagonist is really bad until the end.

I'm sad for those who left behind, but when I saw the after-credit, I'm glad that everyone is okay (^_^)

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I'm going to be unbiased about this one. I picked it up because it would give me 40 mins of uninterrupted Jang Geun Suk. It turned out to be more than just that.

The story initially left me a little confused to be honest. I couldn't really follow the turn of events and had to just go with the flow. The time line of the story confused for a few seconds too but I didn't care. Before I knew it, I was sucked in by the beauty of the city Geun Suk was exploring and it was almost as if I was there with him, feeling every emotion of awe as he went from place to place. I was flowing with the tide and it eventually reached the shore when everything finally made sense to me (maybe I'm just slow).

I've never seen a movie, even a short one, where there's just one actor who's supposed to carry the whole thing solo. I was a little apprehensive before I began watching the movie, worried if it'll prove to be too much for Geun Suk alone but boy was I wrong. His narrative, acting, emotions, expressions, everything were bang on target. Everything he did was so heartfelt you cannot help but reverberate them in your heart as well.

The music was really soothing and went well with the mood of the movie, had a different feel than most of the tracks I've heard in other dramas or movies. The instrumental playing during the credit role was especially lovely.

You can watch this movie for the stunning cinematography and brilliant acting by Jang Geun Suk. It's short, doesn't really put a load on your head and you end the movie with a warm buzz in your heart because the experience as a whole is beautiful.

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This movie kinda resembles "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
Honestly right at the middle part it got me kinda confused and I was always working on thinking how things work on the setting the two main character is in which is a bummer cause I can't really be there in the moment while the movie progresses. Thank goodness for the last part! That cleared almost if not all the confusing part that I was having trouble with. I guess I'm no good with time twisting dramas *lol*.

All in all this was a great movie. I can tell cause I might've cried a lil tiny bit. *yes*

So give this one a try! Actually give it 2 tries, this kind of movies you understand better the 2nd time around (at least for me that's true)

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Sometimes one person can impact your life forever. You might not end up together but they will be a part of life forever.

I loved how the movie storyline didn't intend to get our hopes up. The overall tone of the movie is obvious based on the editing, I loved the colored sequences and the black and white parts and how a change of perspective changes everything in the end. I loved how the story feels so authentic and without extravagance. It made me feel that I was watching/reading the story of people I can relate to. You can get easily attached to the characters because you will see their character growth. Here they used the going back and in forth of the different timelines in a good way.

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"If you keep disturbing me, you'll get me angry"

King Hu's Dragon Inn was one of the bar setting martial arts films in the 1960's. Set in Taiwan, King made full use of the stunning scenery, capturing it lovingly on film. Polly Shang Kuan Ling Feng, Shih Chun, Miao Tian, Tsao Chien and Hsieh Han shone as the primary participants in the battle at the inn on the edge of civilization.

It was the time in martial arts lore when the ruthless Eunuch Tsao Shao Chin was massing wealth and power and crushing his enemies. He had loyal and ethical defense minister Yu beheaded and exiled his family to the outpost at Dragon Gate Inn. And because he was the bad guy he sent members from the East Agency to murder the children. The first attempt failed because Hsieh Han, in a rare good guy role, stepped in with his sword and protected the small entourage. Tsao sent Pi Shao Tung (Miao Tian) and nearly 30 men to intercept the surviving Yu family at the Inn.

The Inn is where the action truly begins and rarely slows down. Shih Chun's Hsiao Shao Tzu arrives after Pi and his men settled into the inn. Ostensibly he was there to see his old friend Wu Ning, the owner of the Inn and General Yu's former lieutenant. Pi's men attempt to take Hsiao out which results in several dead agents and a tenuous détente. Hsieh Han and Polly make their way to the crowded Inn forcefully insisting on accommodations. They also have to demonstrate that they are not to be trifled with. When finally the Yu children appear the sword-fights begin in earnest and the arrows start flying. Not to be left out, the deadly Eunuch Tsao makes a grand entrance with more men.

Dragon Inn kept the story straightforward, no secret lists, no secret kung fu books, or double-double crosses, just the goal of wiping out a good man's family and the loyal subjects who stood up for what was right. King would make the iconic A Touch of Zen in 1971 which had a richer story, Dragon Inn let its swords do the talking for the most part. Swordsman Hsiao injected humor into the lethal fights with Tsao, mercilessly taunting a man who was not used to being disrespected. Due to the large cast and near constant action, character growth was given short shrift.

Polly often played a hot-headed swordswoman, this time she was the cooler, faster blade and her brother played by Hsieh Han was the volatile stab first ask questions later swordsman. With a dancer's agility she moved quickly and gracefully. Shih Chun came across rather stilted to me, though he performed well in the fights. Miao Tian was a charismatic and daunting bad guy, I really enjoyed his performance in this film. As evil eunuchs often were, Pai Ying's Tsao was over the top---an asthmatic, blond-haired master of kung fu and sword fighting he made for quite the spectacle. Hsu Feng, who would later star in A Touch of Zen played the bit part of the young daughter on the run in this film.

The fights were more operatic than realistic, but not of the poorly done swipe and die choreography used in some films. Han Ying Chieh was the martial arts director and an imposing Lieutenant for the East Agency. There was judicious use of trampolines and wire work and on a couple of occasions sped up camera work. The fight at the inn introducing Hsiao made creative use of every day items. Instead of being relegated to the background, Polly was allowed to fiercely fight Tsao, Pi, and Ying Chieh's Lt. The final gruesome fight was well coordinated and showed how determined and unafraid of death each combatant was. Unlike some of the cheaper Taiwanese martial arts films that were grainy and shot amongst the trees, King made grand use of the scenery as backdrops for the bloody clashes. The desolate, rocky desert and lush forested mountains often stole the scenes as the battles played out in nature.

Dragon Inn was a child of the 60's and reflected the acting and fight choreography of the era. When comparing it to other martial arts films of the time it displayed a greater elegance and cohesiveness. Not a perfect film, but for old martial arts movie fans, certainly an entertaining one.

8/16/23

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"We know it's wrong, but preaching won't help"

Women of the Night was a brutal look at women without a support system who were left to fend for themselves on the streets during post WWII Japan. Sisters Fusako and Natsuko took different roads, but both ended up at the same destination—prostituting themselves to survive. Once again, Mizoguchi showed the devastating affects of war and poverty on women, this time taking on topics that were often taboo.

Mizoguchi spared no one in this melodramatic look at the plight of women in the chaotic years after the war. A husband died, two children died, parents died, dying of malnutrition was a real fear, two sisters slept with the same man, opium was on the scene, STDs were dealt with, two characters were raped, gangs preyed on the weak, abortion was discussed, and pregnancy affected a main character. While life on the streets could be rough and deadly, Mizoguchi veered from informative into an area that felt exploitive.

Aside from desperation, the film was filled with anger, deep seething anger. Rage-filled Fusako hoped to infect as many men as she could. Natsuko only saw men as a way to make money, even willing to betray her sister to find a patron. The prostitution gangs fiercely guarded their territory, viciously attacking any woman who wandered their way or sought to turn straight. Men patrolled the streets looking for easy marks to rob and rape, further exasperating the predicament of young women on their own. Once "defiled" the girls often felt they had nowhere to turn but to prostitution.

Fusako had resisted turning to prostitution until the betrayal, which felt like an insincere reason for abandoning hope, and immediately diving into the world of street walking. By the end of the film, she made a 180 in the shadow of the Madonna in a bombed-out church that looked like a cemetery. It brought to mind the old Madonna (virgin) or whore definitions for women. She decided that she would work on behalf of all women for a world where their virtue could be protected. After being shown the dire straits women without family or fortune faced it felt insincere and an excuse for a hopeful ending. When the Purity Association had preached chastity at a women's clinic, the prostitutes jeered that they weren't turning tricks for fun and who would feed them if they quit? Would jobs suddenly be available and polite society accept them? Would men no longer take advantage of them? At one point there were 70,000 officially recognized prostitutes, not counting those who worked the streets. Mizoguchi repeatedly heaped humiliating trials and tribulations upon the female characters in this film and seemed to leave them with the false hope that simply walking away would provide them with food and shelter and a society that might come to accept them and be a safe place for women. After all the fury, degradation, and sorrow, the film's ending felt trite and unearned.


8/21/23

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China just shows it too can make a great fantasy movie

I found out that Creation of the Gods took five years to make, and their selection of young actors to play the main characters in the movie and the training they all went through .. needless to say, drew a deep curiosity to watch the movie. I am glad to say I wasn't one bit disappointed! I am so impressed with the movie. From the brilliant acting from the old cast, the familiar cast and the young cast they all excelled and made this movie superbly entertaining! The animation is just amazing 90% of it.. not to mention the high-quality production value invested in the movie, and I was totally enamoured!! It's so real, I felt like I was watching the mythology that my mum used to tell us as our bedtime story when my siblings and I were toddlers.

I have watched a few movie editions and dramas (Investiture of the Gods) and none really did the novel justice, until Creation of the Gods. This is one Chinese fantasy movie I will recommend highly for Chinese and non-Chinese alike. A word of warning though, if you are not exposed to Chinese Mythology you need to prepare yourself for a ride!

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Extremely funny, but also heartwarming at times

Ra Mi Ran, Kim Mu Yeol, Na Moon Hee, Yoon Gyung Ho has undoubtedly EXCELLENT acting skills. I’ve only seen Kim Mu Yeol once in an action movie, ‘The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil’ and I’m surprised at how funny he can be. He totally fits comedic roles too! Ra Mi Ran is incredibly funny, and I loooove her! She never acts over the top, but always acts with the perfectly. The acting here deserves a full mark in my opinion.

The story isn’t really new for me, and it especially reminded me of a Hollywood movie, “A Thousand Words”. Despite the excellent comedy, this movie made me tear up with Na Moon Hee and Ra Mi Ran’s scenes. You could cry, then laugh again in just split seconds. The producer and screenwriter did a great job in balancing the comedy and the heartwarming scenes.

Overall, a 9/10! A movie for you to relax and laugh that I definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Covid driven horror stories? I guess it can work...

Bad luck is a bitch
I think the first story had the most confusing message. What was I supposed to get from it? Don’t always help people who claim they are in need because they can screw you over? Don’t break covid isolation restrictions by letting strangers stay at your home?

It was fun and wacky and the emo teen magician shaman boy got me dying from laughing, but I’m just not sure what the writer wanted to tell with this one…
Also, excuse me, but why was this story so dark? Damn, I could barely see anything.

Nothing beats meat
Decent story, but I’m not sure I like the black and white aesthetics. It was also way too short to have any meaning or impact. Felt a bit like an ad break. I understand it’s linked to all the fake covid medication and how not following the actual doctors’ advice and listening to random people with their great healing stories can screw you over, but… it kind of felt flat in presentation.

Shit happens
I did not think the title would be literal… I need a white truck of doom to give me amnesia asap. Oh gosh… why? When I thought it couldn't get any more gross, guess what. It got more gross.
The message is there - mistreatment of patients, overworked medical staff, desensitization to other’s suffering - great and strong messages, but why did they have to literally cover it all in shit?

HM?
Job insecurity during the pandemic was a big problem and the consequences are still here and with the current market, I don’t think they are going away anytime soon. The desperation of trying to earn money in any possible way is something many people could relate to. I’d say this story had the most clear direction and storytelling. When you feel like you won’t be able to even feed your child, you would ignore potential dangers with the hope of getting that coin.

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"It will be invincible!"

Brothers Five was a Shaw Brothers extravaganza featuring Cheng Pei Pei, Lo Lieh, Chang Yi, Chin Han, Yueh Hua, and Kao Yuen. Unlike some of the SB movies with visibly break-away sets and cheap costumes, the sets, costumes and scenery were all high quality for the genre.

Yan Hsing Kung (Cheng Pei Pei) is on her way to the Tenglong Villa aka The Flying Dragon Villa when Kao Wei stops the driver of her carriage from whipping the horse and man who rented it to him to death. Turns out he is one of the 5 Kao brothers (#4) who were separated when they were young after their father was murdered by the current owner of Tenglong. Each brother has a horizontal scar across his hand so that they would be able to recognize each other. Yan’s father had saved the boys with each one of them going to a different place to live. Yan has been searching for them to bring them together. Brother #2, Kao Hao, had become a blacksmith with no martial arts skills but could swing a mean hammer. He enters into a fight with Tenglong men and heads to the Villa for personal revenge. Brother #1, Kao Chih, a scholar from Shaolin, runs afoul of Tenglong minions in town and also makes his way to the villa. Outnumbered and outmatched the two brothers are saved when Yan intercedes. Brother #3 owns an escort service which is ambushed on his way to the temple to meet up with Yan. Yan was only to stop one brother from attacking Tenglong Villa by himself which became repetitive, even comical after a while. Finally, #5 Kao Hsia, turns out to be a flamboyant thief who robs from the rich. Now the band is all together and introduced to each other. The five are not skilled enough on their own to take down Lung and his Golden Sword. Much to their amazement, Yan has a secret manual that describes the Invincible Five Tigers as One move! What luck! There are exactly five brothers!

The cast was amazing. The heroes and villains, with the exception of Kao Yuen, gave strong performances. Lo Lieh was a delight as the impish thief. Cheng Pei Pei was charismatic as the woman who fulfilled her father’s vow to find the brothers, reunite them, and point them in the direction of Lung to avenge his old friend’s death. Tien Feng as the Big Bad could always be counted on to turn on the menace. Wang Hsieh and Ku Feng joined him as creative weapon carrying baddies.

Sammo Hung had a tiny part as one of the escort members. He also choreographed the fights along with Simon Chui. Many of the numerous fights were filmed at a distance and involved large numbers of men fighting one or two heroes. For 1970 the sword fights looked quite good and I liked that they weren’t move two steps, cut, edit, add another sequence. You could see some misses and the actions could be slow at times, but overall, the actors were required to remember complicated choreography while fighting in large groups, in long unedited shots, with a variety of weapons being used. Copious amounts of blood also flowed, not Chang Cheh amounts, but enough to make it look realistic. Cheng Pei Pei is one of my favorite female kung fu actors. Not only could she move well and sell the action, she could also act which was not always common in this genre. I loved that she came to the men’s rescue on more than one occasion. Chang Yi was the strongest fighter of the heroes even if his acting wasn’t as strong as Lo Lieh’s. Lo had a particularly funny and heroic encounter when he first visited the Villa. This cast was huge, and the number of recognizable stuntmen from the credits was staggering. Most of the fights were large groups and the stuntmen sold the action-flipping, flying, and getting slammed to the ground. Trampolines and wire work were utilized with the wire work not always appearing fluid. The weakest element of the fights was the Invincible Five Tigers as One skill. It was laughably bad, as in I laughed hard when they finally used it.

Brothers Five would have gone down as one of my favorite old kung fu movies except for what seemed like a counterintuitive reason---the fights were too long. As each brother was introduced, each had to fight a gang of men in long drawn-out battles. After the second fight it began to wear thin. Clocking in at around 100 minutes, the majority of the time was used for these protracted fights. Had they trimmed the fight scenes I would have rated this much higher. The cast alone was like catnip to me. For fans of old martial arts films, this is definitely one to try. Even with the redundant fighting at the villa’s gate it was an entertaining movie.

12 Dec 2023

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