Possibly the beginning to an answer

This is a step up from the previous Mystic Nine web movie starring the Hong Er Ye character. This had some inkling of an interesting story and gave some background on Xie Jiu Ye, the head of the Xie clan. His character was hard to really understand in Mystic Nine. They gave you very little information on him, except that he was one of the nine. All you knew is that he had money and was lurking in the background behind Fo Ye someplace.

The movie begins with the murder of the 8th Xie master, Jiu Ye's father, making Jiu Ye the clan leader. It is up to Jiu Ye along with the help of Lt. Zhang to unravel the mystery behind a series of murders plaguing the Xie clan. In and of itself the story was good. The execution? Not so much. The graphics were mediocre at best. I excused them because half the time they were illusions or dreams brought on by "medication."

The acting of the lead actor was pretty bad. Yang Zi Jiang, who plays Jiu Ye, has a limited filmography. Many times that means the person is a stage actor. In his case I think it's just because he's not good. If everyone's performance was bad, I'd blame the director. Fortunately, I can not do that. They weren't fantastic performances, but they were good enough.

The music was ok and the re-watch is 0, but most things for me have a 0 re-watch value. I don't even factor that into my ratings.

If you watched Mystic Nine, you probably want to be sure to watch this and possibly the 2 movies that follow, as I believe we are getting the answer to who the mysterious old man Fo Ye and Bai Ye met in MN.

Read More

Not that bad

To be clear it's not that good either, but it's still not that bad. Honestly, none of the Lost Tomb stories have been that great. I'm watching them in order and so far none of them make me want to recommend them. Chronologically, I couldn't tell if this was before or after Mystic Nine. They didn't mention any years that I can remember. Perhaps that was on purpose.
As in the others the action here is good. The tomb is nicely done albeit small and they're not in the tomb for very long.

While Mystic Nine wants to drill in how horrible the Japanese were (like the Chinese are any better ..ok I'll put my sociopolitical pov away), this side story bashes you over the head with it. Quite frankly, it's annoying. The writing is lacklustre. The acting is just ok. No one is winning any prizes here. The production could be better, but I don't think this was a theatrical release, at least I hope not. I will say I liked Er Ye much better here since he wasn't screaming Ya Tou every 3 minutes.

The acting...wait was there acting? Like I said above no one is winning any awards although I did enjoy the performance of Mo Yuan Di, who is an actual Chinese opera theatre actor. I found the voices of the 2 main Japanese characters annoying. It's rather hard to judge acting when most if not the entire movie has been dubbed and this one was obviously dubbed probably from Canto to Mando. (Most English subs are done on the Mandarin dubs.) Anyway, many times the voices and mouths weren't synced.

Generally speaking, I don't do re-watches of dramas, but movies I do. However, I will not be rewatching this one. I have no interest in seeing it again. The music suited the movie.

Overall, it's not bad to watch on a Saturday afternoon movie binge, but don't make this any kind of highlight. If you do, you will sour.

Read More

Hot Garbage

I'm going to keep this review short and cut to the chase. L.U.C.A. is a train wreck. It's a fairly interesting and good idea that was poorly executed on every level except acting. The forced relationship between 2 unlikable characters was befuddling and unnecessary. What makes sci-fi work is that there is some believability about it. L.U.C.A. never makes you believe nor does it make you willing to go along a journey with it. It's more like being kidnapped by Jigsaw.

If it wasn't for my love of those scene stealing Kims (Sang Ho and Sung Oh), I would have dropped it after episode 1 or 2. I have no love for Kim Rae Won, but he did his best with this jacked up story. Honestly, I think Lee Da Hee should stay on the variety circuit. The music was eh. The love theme was overused and annoying. I grew tired of hearing it. Re-watch is in the negative. I will never watch this again.

Overall, L.U.C.A. is poorly written, edited, and directed. It's a complete waste of time and energy. If you're watching, drop it. If you haven't started, don't.

Read More

Eh...glad it was short

The set designs are fantastic as is the costuming, but that's all the raving I can do about The Lost Tomb. I kind of wish it had stayed lost.

The story is pretty good. One day Wu Xie finds his grandfathers diary and comes to the realization that is beloved grandfather was a tomb robber, a thief that stole China's history and sold it to the highest bidder. He and his friend, Zhang Qi Ling, track down tombs and relics so they can be preserved and displayed and not become someone's possession. Along the way they find friends, enemies, and various miscreants. Sounds fun, right? It should be. It really wasn't. Most of the episode flounder and fail to find their footing. The story isn't well told nor well written.

My favorite character is Uncle Fatty, aka Wang Pang Zi. He's the most fun. The actor steals every scene he's in and I was happy to see him each time. The rest of the acting is ok, not bad and not great, just ok. For me none of the cast except maybe Fatty made me want to search their names and other dramas or wuxia they've been in. They could actually switch actors and I would pay it no nevermind.

The music is a bit much. The ending theme is a sappy ballad followed by a power ballad. The episodes end with so much time left you think there are other scenes and there very well may be. I didn't find one. I couldn't sit all the way through the songs.

If I re-watch any aspect of this is to see if I missed a clue or figure out what something else means in the many many sequels. Yes, I am going to watch the 2nd season. Why? This season ends in a cliffhanger and I am a glutton for punishment. With all it's faults and boring scenes The Lost Tomb still managed to set off my Indiana Jones Disease. It's terminal. Like I said, I wish the Lost Tomb had stayed lost and that I had never stumbled upon it.

Read More

The special effects were amazing, but...

...unfortunately not much else was. The story itself was unremarkable and very commonplace for fantasy lovers, especially if you watch anime and/or read manga. Girl told she was crazy her entire life because she claimed monsters were real meets someone who can see them, too. blah blah Evil person. blah blah wise one with the answers. blah blah roll credits.

I'm a monster lover from waaay back so I decided to give Monster Run a go. It barely kept my attention. It's boring. How do you write, produce, direct, edit..etc a movie with CG monsters and make it boring?? The only light, the only saving grace are the effects. From the monsters to the fight scenes they were superb. Paper and Yeti were my favorite characters and Yeti doesn't speak. He's just so cute...when he's not trying to freeze you.

So, behind the camera was eh, what about in front of the camera? They were double eh. Well, I didn't say boring. The actors seemed bored. Their boredom comes through the screen. I have no desire to see either of the 2 leads ever again. Admittedly, Shawn Yue was much better than his female counterpart. If the Academy had an award staring, she'd win that golden statute hands down!

The music was pretty good except one song. It is quite probably a good song, but it's use just added to the monotony of the movie. Re-watch is 10 out of 10. JUST PLAYIN'!! You'd have to pay me to watch Monster Run again.

I know I over used the word boring/bored, but I wanted to save calling it an exercise in tedium until the end.

Read More

A Societal Snapshot

It maybe titled Joke, but it's not funny. On the surface t's a psychological race between a celebrity,Sawai (Iplayed by kuta Toma) trying to regain his popularity via streaming and a fan. Beneath the surface Joke is an interesting take on tech, especially A,I. tech, and the control we give it in our daily lives . In short Joke is a sad commentary on what we are all becoming due to Covid.

The writing is creative and clear. The director did a good job. The 45 minute special primarily takes place in 1 room. The production quality is fairly high overall? Some may think It too short, but I think it's the perfect length. If you've ever watched an anthology, the length won't bother you. It's like an episode of the Twilight Zone. It's basically a one man show. Toma does a great as Sawai, especially as he began to piece things together.

Music? There was music? I seriously don't remember. The re-watch is 50% maybe a little less. I am interested to know if there are missed clues.

Overall, I liked Joke. Is it ground breaking? No., but it is entertaining and thought provoking.

Read More

Fun and heartwarming with a side of fear

Sweet Home was fantastic fun. It is what it says it is. It's not masquerading as a sappy romance. There's not forced relationship in the middle of people fighting for their lives. People come together to survive a monster apocalypse, if you will, and that's it. It shows the humane and nasty sides of humans. I say that because if you're a person that needs a side of romance in EVERYTHING, this is not your cupper. Yes, as humans the characters get closer, but it's not that type of party.

The story is about surviving a national emergency where monsters are the new norm and anyone can turn. The surviving tenants of the Sweet Home apartment complex try to make a good thing out of bad while fighting monsters (within and without) and trying to figure out how to survive. Of course there is the requisite food rationing, power grabs, and in fighting, but mostly the residents support each other in their survival as they don't know who has or may turn into a monster. There is so much more I'd love to say, but I think it'll just be one giant spoiler. I will say I disagree with the reviews that say it's more than a monster series/drama. The best monster movies (and series) have all shown the beautiful and ugly sides of humanity. That's what they're all about. How do you come together to survive and outlast adversity? That's how TWD has stayed on for so long.

I have got to say the effects are great! They're all CG, but done very well. They're on par with movie effects. The writing and directing are good. The cast is wonderful! I was shocked to see Kim Gab Soo in this genre. I can't recall ever seeing him out of a suit. The scene stealing rounds out with 2 of my other favorites: Woo Hyun and Kim Sang Ho. I'd like to say it was a great ensemble, but the leads were prevalent. There was a lead ensemble and a support ensemble that worked well together if that makes any sense. Kang Sang was wonderful as Hyun Soo. He brought so much heart to his role. Lee Jin Wook, who I barely recognized due to his weight, was perfection. His character grows by leaps and bounds. This was the first time I've ever liked Lee Shi Young in anything! She finally found her niche and a good use for those boxing skills.

The music was good. It worked well in every episode. I've already started re-watching it soooo...yeah it's worth it, especially if, like me, you watch series from other nations in English with subs (when available) and in original language with subs.

To me Sweet Home put all the best things in a monster movie into a drama. It brought the heart and sadness. It brought the violence and fear. Mostly, it brings the hope. My hope is for season 2. :D

Read More

Messes With Your Mind In All the Right Ways

Alice In Borderland is a conundrum. It's possibly an isekai (refers to a person(s) who have travelled to another world). It's a mystery and a murder, but not necessarily a murder mystery. At one point it turns into The Lord Of the Flies on acid. It's trippy and a fantastic mind F*&k!

Imagine if one day everyone in your city disappears, but just a handful of individuals. Imagine if you are stuck playing games where losers and quitters die. That's where the cast of AIB find themselves. The series is based off a light novel that I am tempted to look for because I know a lot was left out of this first season. They leave it open for a season 2. The directing and visuals are great, but the acting makes each episode. The actors pulled me into their characters. I began to wonder what I would do. I was even yelling at the screen, "Don't go in there," "Look out," "You know he's crazy, look at 'em!"

The cast is solid. I have never seen any of the leads before. (They've been in dramas I'm interested in, I just can't find subs.) However, I have seen many of the supports before. I watched 2 episodes in English just to see if I could stand it and much to my surprise it was on point. Unlike most of Netflix's English dubs, the timing is well done. I plan to watch it again in English to see if there were clues I missed.

The music supported the action which is why I rated it high. Since I plan to watch in English, the rewatch is obviously high as well.

If you like mysteries, weird stuff, deadly games, then you should watch AIB. If you like isekai anime (or manga), especially ones with players stuck in games, AIB is up your alley. It reminds me of BTOOM! oops sorry drama people! My anime slip showed. Seriously though, in 8 episodes the Japanese told one helluva story. The ride is one that ended too soon. Cross fingers for season 2.

Read More

A Hideous Waste of Time

One of the oddest and rarest things for me to do is to drop a drama. Even when I am thoroughly bored and annoyed, I keep plugging along. Almost, if not all of the drops in my stats are because the fansubber or streamer was a failure. This year has brought so many firsts and it includes the first time I just gave up. Honestly, I couldn't take it any more. I told myself at ep 5 to just get to 8. At 8 I said 'you're halfway there.' At 10 I thought I was close. But I just can't do it any longer. You may think it's only 4 episodes, but to many it's my precious time. Plus, I fast forwarded through most of the last 3 episodes and I simply refuse to go back.

This is one of the worst pieces of hot steamy garbage I've ever seen. It's poorly written and the directing is amateurish at best. The main story is too idiotic for words and the production isn't good enough to make me want to believe it. The journey isn't one I wish to go on. There's a disturbing age difference in my opinion. The lead couple is being shoved down your throat like a bitter pill. The ML is highly unlikable. He's selfish. He's a consummate liar. He's arrogant. And, sorry but in my opinion, he's unattractive. It's not a face I really want to look at. Go Ara's character is just stupid. I mean she is STUPID! If this was from Hollywood, she'd be blonde with big breasts, the stereotypical airhead.

This marked the first time I anticipated a Go Ara drama. Usually, I stumble upon her and enjoy her performances, so I was excited. I will not anticipate her work ever again. I imagine the director just told her to go stand and make her eyes as big as possible while either pouting or smiling. The scenes where she ate were supposed to be funny, but I found them disgusting. Her jaws poked out with food to show she's hungry. Really?! The rest of this talented cast isn't used much better. They were all wasted except for maybe the lead actor (I'm not even interested enough to look up his name) who was sub-par. It almost seemed as if everyone was brought down to his level instead of he rising to meet theirs. The one shining spot was Lee Soon Jae, but, um.... HE'S LEE SOON JAE! That's like saying the only good actor in the cast of an American tv show is Morgan Freeman. You don't have to direct that type of experience. They already know.

There's way too much music. A sign of a really bad director and editor is to overuse music even if the entertainment company is pushing a song. Go's character is a pianist. There's a lot of music being played. The last thing you need after a terrifically long scene of Brahms and Mozart is more freaking music and, yet, that's what happens. In one episode I swear there was a song every 2 minutes It was maddening.

I would require payment and copious amounts of wine to even think about finishing this craptastic piece of dung. There's no way I'd ever re-watch it.

I don't care about this drama. I don't care about the characters. I was actually routing for the death of at least one character. When I say I truly hate this drama, I am not exaggerating.

Read More

The Worst Drama I Have EVER SUFFERED THROUGH

Like one of the other reviewers I watched this drama some time ago, so I do not remember any details. I'm only writing a review because I don't see how anyone could rate it any higher than a 1. I don't care if you're a fan of one of the actors or not. I watched this because at the time I was really into Ella. I had just finished re-watching Hana Kimi and Down With Love. A friend and I thought we'd watch another one of Ella's dramas and she picked The Rose. That was over 10 years ago and I have never let her pick again.

While the story is interesting, it is poorly executed and the acting, especially that done by Joe Cheng was horrid. Absolutely horrid. It don't remember anything about the music. All I truly know is that I loathed it. It took me the better part of a year to finish this drama. That's how bad it was. A year to watch 26 episodes. In contrast I just finished a 100 episode drama in a week. I wanted to make it the first drama I ever dropped, but my friend kept begging me to stay with it. In the end she blamed me for letting her choose such a horrible drama. This drama is just...I just... Seriously, it's bad y'all. Really Really Bad! Suffer at your own risk. If I could score it in the negative, I would.

Read More

Loved It

Three things you should know about me: (a) I don't cry while watching movies and tv shows.; (b) I don't clap at the end of the last episode of a tv show; and (c) I rarely ever re-watch a drama. Once Again nearly made a liar out of me with (a) and did with (b). I thought, 'Why am I clapping? I don't clap at the end of dramas.' smh As for (c), well, I could start re-watching right now and I just finished the last episode 5 minutes ago. In other words I truly enjoyed Once Again.

This is a great family drama. The storylines are nothing new. If you even watched soap operas, there's definitely nothing new. The writing had heart though. Lots and lots of heart. It was funny. It was sad. It was annoying and even made me angry from time to time. The writer did a good job with character development. At approx 35 minutes per episode the story moves quickly. The production team did an excellent job at keeping the story fluid.

The cast is fantastic. Honestly, I started the drama because I really like Lee Sang Yeob. Of course I was happy to see a few faces I recognized not just because they've been in dramas I've watched, but because they stood out in dramas I've watched. I loved the bromance(s) between the stunt guys. The 3 child actors were very good as well. Everyone pulled their weight. At no point did it feel like any one actor was being supported by the other actors in the scene. It was truly an ensemble in every sense of the word.

The music was pretty good. I tend not to pay attention to the music unless it annoys me, but I actually liked the themes. I liked everything (ok almost everything) about Once Again, which is why it has a high re-watch value.

In all fairness here are a few cons: (1) continuity. (Oh boy there are some glaring continuity issues, mostly surrounding scenes with food. A sausage re-grew itself. It was almost gone and 2 seconds later it was back. Personally, I wouldn't mind a neverending sausage. ) ; (2) relationship between Ga Hee and Hyo Sin (most probably ship them, but not me. I was happy to see an older women with a younger man as we ALWAYS see the other way. However, it's obvious that she was just lonely and he saw her as the caring mother he wished he had. It would have been more honest if while separated they realized they should just be friends and dated other people.); (3) Jae Seok's fake laugh. (JS is such a great character. I loved him. But that fake laugh was just awkward and annoying.); and (4) food. (OMG will Once Again make you hungry. I wanted fried chicken with every episode. I'm thinking about getting delivery from a Korean place now. Watch it with snacks. Seriously. ) I've tried to think up a 5th con, but I can't.

Obviously my cons don't outweigh the pros. I enjoyed Once Again from episode 1-100 (or 50 as it shows on streaming sites). If you like family dramas, a little mischief, a bit of heartbreak, I think you'd enjoy, too.

Read More

An Utter Disappointment

There is a young witch. Her name is Kiki and she does deliveries, but ...THIS IS NOT STUDIO GHIBLI'S KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE! Other than what I have mentioned it bares no resemblance to the masterfully animated and told classic. Takashi Shimizu should probably stick with horror. For the first time I will include all my separate catergory ratings in a review. The separate ratings are what I felt about the movie I just watched. The overall is for this supposedly being Kiki's Delivery Service. If you've never watched it animated, go watch it. If you have and loved it, consider this your warning.

Shimizu, the writer and director behind Ju-On (The Grudge), got it in his head that he could write and direct a live action of KDS. This movie proved he could not. This movie is loosely based upon the classic. A young witch whose only magic is flight leaves home to complete her training. She settles on a delivery service. Aside from the ability to fly, you would never know this was supposed to KDS. Her tell tale large red bow is missing for one thing. I think Shimizu thought he was giving Kiki a backstory. Something no one asked for. This Kiki doesn't have the original's self confidence. She has her own, but she falters. Perhaps she's more like a 13 year old should be, but this isn't a slice of life. It's fantasy. There was something or a lot of somethings missing in this movie, but it's hard to narrow down. I want to say it's heart, but there is some. Perhaps that's it. There's only some. Some heart. Some confidence. Some spunk. Some of this and some of that but not all. The writing fails. The cinematography is dull. There's an island and several ocean shots but they are drab and washed out. That's a complaint I have with many Japanese movies. Their movie quality is cheap comparatively like they can't spare the money. It's a simple story and production. I give it 6 stars.

The cast was good enough. There was one extremely annoying character ( at least to me), but that's not the actor's fault. They did their jobs well enough with the material they had. 8.5 stars

The music was pretty good. There was a character that sang. I don't know if it was her voice or if she was lip syncing, but I liked the songs she sang. 7 stars

The rewatch value is 1 only because we can't give 0's.

Overall, I'll give it 4.5 stars out of 10. I'm being nice. This was no Kiki's Delivery Service. Far from it. The overall for the movie I watched comes out to be 5.5. Watch the animation. Forget this crap.

Read More

Enjoyable from start to finish

I thoroughly enjoyed myself watching this live action version of Yuru Camp. It brought great memories of the anime. It was a fun watch and the episodes flew by. If you're usually disappointed with live actions because they never seem to correctly bring to life your favorite character(s) from a manga or anime, I think you'll enjoy this one. It's well cast. You can easily guess who is who by a photo. The actresses embodied their characters well. The actress who plays Nadeshiko even has her laugh.

They didn't really change the story much. It's about HS aged girls who camp (and eat). Pretty up front. The scenery, though. GORGEOUS! I thought the artwork was beautiful, but it's nothing compared to the real thing. The production is well done. The cast is great. Like I said they embody their characters and they each do it well. Will they win awards? Doubtful. Will they make you smile and/or laugh? I don't know, but they did me. Then there's always the food. THE FOOD! Don't watch this hungry. Just don't. I tend not to re-watch, but I can see myself re-watching this. The music was good.

The episodes come in at less than 24 minutes if you skip the ending and beginning titles sequences. They don't drag and are fun to watch. If you enjoyed the anime, I wouldn't skip the live action. I can't see any reason to dislike it.

Read More

What A Waste

Welp, Peninsula won't be following Train To Busan to Cannes that's for sure. Aside from the zombies and taking place in South Korea, it has very little in common with TTB. The script has little to no heart. The acting was phoned in. The entire production was a dystopian mess. It was difficult to pay attention or even care about the main cast.

A military man played by Kang Dong Won returns to Seoul after escaping the zombie epidemic with a team of people to look for riches to sell on the Chinese black market. This idea doesn't sit well with the survivors who are still trapped in South Korea. The movie is about his 2nd escape out of South Korea. The script seems like it was barely passable. There's not much of an idea to work with. I think that's why the acting was subpar for the most part.

The music wasn't bad. It was better than the movie. The re-watch value on this is in the negative.

Read More

It's Chaotic Alright

Let me state first that Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos has nothing to do with the horrid sequel to the Bad Guys drama. This movie takes place as if that sequel never existed...thank God!

The Mad Dogs are unleashed again. The only returnees from the drama are the captain and the "gangster"/muscle. The fighter/assassin and the brain are no shows. However, Jo Dong Hyuk does make a cameo appearance explaining why his character does not join the fight. Two new characters are added, but they in no way make up for the 2 that we lost. Jang Ki Young's new character seemed to be the new fighter. The problem is he kept getting beat up. The character of Jessica is supposed to be analytical ... I think. She falls short.

The movie is all brawn and no muscle. There is little to no actual story development. Don Lee's Woong Chul wants to solve the murder of an old friend. While he has a 2 day pass from prison the Mad Dogs are called out to investigate something else. Of course everything connects in a nice little bow. There is little to no investigation and no suspense. It's really action scene, a little talking, action scene. There is no character development for our new players. The script and directing should have been better. The fight choreo was fantastic though. Basically, the movie hinges on Lee's face punching, wrist breaking, man throwing, door smashing prowess. He's the Hulk in black clothing.

The movie has a very good cast that is totally wasted. Don Lee can do much more than punch stuff. Truly, he can. I've seen him do it. I'm not sure why Jang's and Kim Ah Joong's new characters were there. They didn't do all that much. Actually, I liked Kim's character, Jessica, before she joined the team.

If I get into a mood where I just want the good guys to win and beat the heck out of a bunch of baddies, then I'd re-watch not because it's a great movie. The music was good and an asset. If you saw the original, you might as well watch this movie, especially if there are more planned.

Read More