Reviews

Absolutely LOVED the movie, was a perfect sequel. I would say it was even better than the manga itself. Takeru satoh as Kenshin was perfect, he was really into his role, I think his acting is improving a lot with each movie and drama. Both the leads has great chemistry. The whole cast was outstanding.

Right from the start Rurouni Kenshin shows its excellent direction and fight choreography, and it doesn't use any CG, apart from the blood in the entire movie - now that's what I call a real action movie.

When I first started watching it I thought it was going to be a cheesy retelling version of the manga (like most live-action adaptions of manga's that have been coming out recently) but it wasn't, I would say it portrayed the manga perfectly if not better.

The hard worl put into the direction and acting in this movie really shows, and it all paid of as the movie was a great success.

Simply put, Rurouni Kenshin may be the single best Japanese live-action adaptation I have ever seen.

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Palme d'Or of 2010 Cannes Film Festival

The Story is BIG AHH? I can't understand it and I don't know what's happening so this Review is basically non-sense.

Uncle Boonmee have some health problems. On his last meal he meets his ghost wife who said that Heaven is overrated and his long lost son in weird gorilla costume that looks so fake with Red eyes. That's the only part that I understand other than that this movie is moving slow,boring and draggy.
All of the Cast are acting stiff.

Overall the show is weird and not that amazing but for some they found it beautiful. Sorry I failed to find the special of this Award winning Movie. If you are smart enough I will recommend it Lol

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Most Hilarious Korean Movie so far

I like this movie becoz its not your typical serious action movie with a lots of plot twist and turns it make you laugh all the time the comedy is very natural not cringey the actors have really perfect execution into ther acting. I love the plot itself its very refreshing from my perspective , im a fan of action too this movie suits my taste, ive never been so happy to watch this action-comedy movie all at once lmao, esp. I like the female lead here shes so hilarous and extraordinary yes i love her so much, i highly recommend this movie to all ages, and also for those who are really STRESSED in ther lives.

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How many girls are too many for us to remember?

The first time I heard of BNK 48 was when I clicked on Faii Sumitta Duangkaew who played Dream in Something in my room.

So this review is from someone who knew nothing about these girls.

This documentary is okay, it has captured some good lines but for a documentary about a girl band it is lacking music... I was kind of surprised over how many girls the band has (never really figured out the numbers) and about how much pressure they must be under but it was also refreshing to see a documentary be so honest about it. As these girls where facing an election with ranking and votes one of the dudes behind this said:

"This election will determine each girls market value"

As true as it probably is, it kind of hit hard to get that thrown in our face, the girls seemed well aware of that fact, the election will not determine popularity but will how much money each girls fanbase is willing to pay for their girl to hit the top.

And I guess that is show business for you... though it is rarely as upfront about it as it is in this documentary, basically it is what it is.

To be honest there were just to many girls in this group/documentary for them to truly get the space to leave a mark... I am no expert but once the amount of members in a group pass a certain number they stop being a group and become a crowd... a very talented crowd with lots of interesting individuals, but still a crowd...

Still it was an educational watch, not very well cut or entertaining but I learned quite a bit and it got me thinking.

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Beautiful and Realistic.

I directly began the director's cut without watching the drama and here are a few if my jumbled thoughts. This movie is better to be "felt" than read as words don't serve justice to the experience of witnessing Akira and Yuki's journey.

☆ With a very less crowded cast, Life Sejou No Bokora brings out the beautiful chemistry between Yuki and Akira. We spent 80% of the story with them. Each step of their journey is catalogued smoothly. The time skips were spot on. Not to mention, the cast including the few supporting characters delivered excellent performances.

☆ It brought out issues about parents' expectations about their children and the society's view on what's considered normal. I'm one of the few who dares to go against the tide and seeing such a portrayal was satisfying. I will strive to be like Akira's older sister.

☆ I particularly loved how the lead actors brought their characters to life. Pretty sure I won't be forgetting Yuki's radiant smile anymore. I liked the internal conflicts of Akira. (There were several scenes involving the sun and light that were beautifully shot with the two of them.)

☆ Despite all that, there was a moment that I almost came to dislike a character. The pacing after around an hour seemed really quick. The low rewatch score is cause I almost never rewatch movies.

All in all, Japan has an uncanny talent in making very simple productions appear fulfilling. And this is one of the best simple and heartwarming stories I've watched. My review sucks, but I'd suggest that you dive directly into the movie without hesitation!

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A great introduction to Chinese movies

First chinese movie to be watched ever, and actually had some expectations since it is critically-acclaimed and is considered by many to be a classic.

The premise of the story was rather simple, yet it was interesting to know how the romance plot of shu lien and li mu bai would uncover and i thought it would really focus here but was wrong (and for good reasons, plot wise, but i also really couldn't connect with them immediately since they were not presented well enough to really root for them). The martial art scenes especially at the beginning was really thrilling, exciting to watch, and refreshing (since i was exposed more on the korean action story-telling before this movie). The pacing was rather good and it was moving as quick as i anticipated it to be, with the green destiny sword always being lost and then recovered and then lost again, to li mu-bai's plan to avenge his master's death by killing jade fox, and jian long/jen's romance with xiao hu (which i actually wanted more but the backstory was already good and gave ample background for their connectiom with each other). The highlight here would really the spontaneous yet gripping martial art scenes especially the "flying" transitions since it was executed really well and the bamboo fight scene between li mu bai and jian long, add to that the realistic and well-shot settings (just loved the scenery of xinjiang and the desert).

Aside from that, jian long/jen's character was notable in here. She really was the embodiment of a crouching tiger since she doesn't want to conform on her obligations as an aristocrat's daughter to be a simple and abiding wife to a "pompous aristocrat" (verbatim from her) and a hidden dragon with her skills as a swordsman and a martial artist. I really liked how her character (as bratty as she was) was developed. Also props on the emphasis of the movie itself in having strong women characters and the less dependence on men on having to save them, and how consistent their characters from start to finish.

One thing that i would've wanted the film to showcase more would be the reason why jade fox became the antagonist as she was, since li mu bai's master's death may have been justified by here, but the undercover police's death wasn't and i didn't heard anymore from his daughter after her father's death. Also, the ending, as realistic and sad as it was (was really hoping that jian-long did not die and xiaohu's story would also apply to her), but was less impactful as i would've anticipated it to be.

Nevertheless, a great watch for the most part, it is actually a great movie, but to be considered a classic is still something i personally couldn't agree, for now. However, this movie is an eye-opener for me to watch more chinese movies.

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A short film that makes good use of its 16 minutes or so

The acting of the actor who plays Fan is rather good. The character's eagerness and longing as he meets his ex, Tien, for a meal is effectively conveyed. He hasn't gotten over Tien and doesn't really understand why they have broken up, but just as he broaches the question to Tien, the waiter serving their food interrupts the conversation. And it is clear that Tien is all too eager to evade the issue and the awkwardness that would ensue. The dialogue is seemingly casual, but it reveals the dynamics of the relationship between the two. Fan is the one who cares and gives: he would order the food Tien likes (even after they have broken up), and we can see that he is the one who thinks about and talks about the past whereas Tien is more concerned about getting his passport, and comments on stuff like the food. The only thing Tien really does for Fan seems to be eating the onions that Fan doesn't like, and even then, he seems to be doing so out of guilt. And eventually, almost immediately after getting his passport, Tien initiates a hug only to tell Fan to take care (which basically ends the meet-up).

It's perhaps not that Tien is meant to be the bad guy in the relationship. His actual emotions are often opaque. He does seem to realise Fan's feelings and he cares for Fan as a friend rather than as a lover. His facial expression during the embrace is not one of callousness. If nothing else, at least he doesn't give Fan false hope? Ultimately, what the film shows is that when it is time to move on from a relationship, it is time to move on. We see how Fan tries to connect his Bluetooth earphones to his phone unsuccessfully (a symbolic unsuccessful pairing). At the end of the short film, we see him deleting the device which fails to pair properly, signifying that he has finally given up on the relationship and is moving on even if it is not without sadness.

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Not Fab-boo-lous, but not completely boo-ring either

Show Me the Ghost failed to break any new ground in the Ghost Whisperer genre. If they’d trimmed the film by 20 minutes and tightened up the story it might have made a good episode in one of the many ghostly dramas dedicated to the same theme.

Ye Ji and Ho Doo are friends dating back to childhood. When Ye Ji fails yet another job interview she casts her troubles on her friend reminding him that he owes her money. Ho Doo takes her to his new house that is spacious and came completely furnished and as they would find out later, complete with its own ghost. Unable to break the contract the two determine to either fob the apartment off on someone else or drive the ghost out.

The plot was threadbare and I knew within five minutes exactly where it was going. Some of the scenes felt incredibly forced. It was billed as a comedy and that was a reach unless you find Han Seung Yeon’s relentless screaming and ear-piercing fake crying hilarious. There was only one segment involving four pair of shoes that made me chuckle. Kim Hyun Mok’s performance was as understated as Han’s was shrill. The rest of the cast was adequate but not much more.

For a big fraidy cat like me, this was the perfect kind of ghost story. It wasn’t scary and there was a bittersweet resolution to the haunting. Despite being cursed by an over-used paradigm, with a more imaginative script and compelling acting it might not have been spooktacular, but it would have had more spirit.

10/15/23

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Zu Warriors boasted a heavy hitting cast, Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Zhang Zi Yi, and Cecilia Cheung. It was directed by Tsui Hark and had Yuen Woo Ping for the martial arts director. They obviously spent a ton of money on the constant CGI and SFX. Yet somehow, this fantasy martial arts film missed out on the one thing required of this type of movie---it should have been fun.

The acting was all serviceable. The problem is that there was no depth to the characters, no moment when we were able to see behind the frozen masks. Everyone was staid and emotionless making it very hard to care about any of them. Ekin Cheng's hair that magically blew in every scene had the most life of any character.

From beginning to end the CGI dominated the movie. Unfortunately, even for 2001, it wasn't very good. The cinematography was awful. The few sets that had any realism were also bad. Even the fight scenes, which did have some interesting moments were too often overpowered by the special effects. Very few scenes were not CGI enhanced which along with the unemotional acting made everything seem distant and cold.

The story had some good ideas and moments. Sadly, too often, it veered into an incoherent mess, seemingly unable to keep up with its own world building and mythology.

If a movie is going to take itself this seriously then it should be well thought out and give us characters to care about. Or it should have the decency to be so bad that it's good. Zu Warriors failed on both counts.

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I watched the anime prior to the movie. I felt that they preserved a lot of the feeling in the series when converting to the movie. Haruma was the perfect shouta. His shy looks, blushes and smiles killed me. I went back and watched some of my favorite parts in the anime and he was spot on. He was so cute in this movie, I'll be sure to check out his other works. Tabe was also great. It was hard to read her character at times, but overall it was good. The only real complaint is I missed out on ryuu and yuuko. I really enjoyed them in the anime, but didn't get the same feels from the movie.

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This is definitely one of the saddest movies I have ever seen. It is told in a dreamy and lovely, but also desperate and sad point of view.

I have never read "The Little Prince", but this movie just made me really appreciate the story. I think I will read it to my son.

The acting was incredible, especially Kang Soo-Han's. It must have been a hard role to portray, but he did a great job.

The music was very good, too, though it wasn't really that important.

The movie sequence in the end, an alternation of "The Little Prince" I think, was unbelievably sad.

All in all, this was a wonderful movie that I warmly recommend to everyone.

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For me this movie was just okay. The biggest problem is that 'Luke' is not a very good actor. I don't think he delivered a single line of dialog convincingly. ('Dominic' is fantastic, though, and he has a beautiful singing voice.)

The second biggest problem is that the ending feels very forced. The movie's third act sets up a bunch of problems that it does nothing to resolve. Nothing! (Like, what about that date for prom? And Luke's homophobic friends?)

By the time we get to the final scene of the film we know that Luke is unreliable. He runs hot and cold and has no idea what he really wants. Maybe he loves Dominic, but on the other hand maybe he's just driven by guilt. So, the sentimental ending is unconvincing. It needed something that would assure us (and Dominic) that Luke really, truly knows what he wants now. As it is, I wouldn't be surprised if the next day he's back with the girlfriend. (Something tells me that will be the premise of the sequel. *Yawn* )

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Definitely deserves a review and perhaps some more audience.

Although this movie doesn't really have a plot, it's really beautifully arranged narrative story. Aoi Yu who travels to a far off Ireland tells the story of her adventure, that definitely can be named a bizarre one.

There's not much to say about the acting since it feels like it doesn't really exist - everything seems surreal. This should encourage some and discourage others but that's the intent.

The music fits the whole atmosphere of the movie: positive yet innocent, awkward yet intriguing. It's the best if you haven't listen to Sigur Ros, but always wanted to.

The whole thing being quite short, (nearly) one actor and quite mystique movie leaves a feeling of an untold fairytale, that' been an amazing adventure one would want and hate to experience.

Cons? Too short, left some things undeveloped, no plot, NO SUBS (but if you know some Japanese it may do.)

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