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MJ Koontz
Back to being lost in America
Salty and Sweet but Ultimately Empty Calories.
HS the Movie is easily digestible without challenging either the cast or the viewer in any way.
Entertaining...sure, Cute...yes, Watchable..
Ya betcha....
But is it going to be remembered, does it end with any resonance, and does it accomplish anything at all that hasn't been done a million times over (BL or Not), or even better does it accomplish anything or move beyond the Hello Stranger Series that came before it....
That is a strong no.
Ultimately the story is simply a rewind of the series with a more satisfying final moment.
While the production is a step up from the series, and overall strong, the directing still has stilted moments. Instances where the actors and action are unnatural, as if you can imagine the director shouting action and the scene beginning instead of it being organic as if this and these people are a world that exists even if we aren't watching . While it is sparse and sprinkled through the running time, the fact that some scenes and transitions work so well makes these moments the more glaring.
The story is the weakest point of the film. It is a workhorse trying to tell what is happening currently and what happened over the time the series ended until now. While this back and forth narrative isn't a bad storytelling choice, it's execution is subpar. When the past rears its head, it is normally in significant interactions of "now" where the characters are sharing intimate moments. This destroys the ability for the viewer to watch these characters breathe in their current state and kills any butterfly, heart stuttering, they must be together inducing moments. Even worse, the past scenes are clunky and long winded freezing the present, crashing in with exposition filled drama that needed to be whittled down so we could get back to the current story as soon as possible.
This leads to really odd sudden changes to characters and jumps in plot. Abruptly people want to part ways, suddenly emotions are overwhelming, and with neck breaking speed tables turn, and before you know it someone is standing in front of the entire cast teary eyed monologue-ing their entire story and feelings. Thus, the issues these characters are trying to overcome are made insignificant, remain underdeveloped, and resolve just because the plot wills it so.
At its best, the film is an easy romp when one just wants to see an overall attractive cast play at the beach and play at love while staying in a good mood without the need to think.
At its worst, it is masturbatory tale of its own series leaving the viewer, and cast, in the same exact spot that we all were a year ago. A love story that is trite, candy coated, simple, with characters that can't be developed beyond the will they or won't they world they seem forever trapped.
For 4 bucks American, it's perfectly serviceable and easily one of the highest Pinoy BL productions around...I don't feel shorted in any way.
But, I will say it left me craving it's closest competitor Gameboys Season 2. I'm anxious to see if that story is capable of moving beyond it's predecessor now that the computer screens are left behind.
Entertaining...sure, Cute...yes, Watchable..
Ya betcha....
But is it going to be remembered, does it end with any resonance, and does it accomplish anything at all that hasn't been done a million times over (BL or Not), or even better does it accomplish anything or move beyond the Hello Stranger Series that came before it....
That is a strong no.
Ultimately the story is simply a rewind of the series with a more satisfying final moment.
While the production is a step up from the series, and overall strong, the directing still has stilted moments. Instances where the actors and action are unnatural, as if you can imagine the director shouting action and the scene beginning instead of it being organic as if this and these people are a world that exists even if we aren't watching . While it is sparse and sprinkled through the running time, the fact that some scenes and transitions work so well makes these moments the more glaring.
The story is the weakest point of the film. It is a workhorse trying to tell what is happening currently and what happened over the time the series ended until now. While this back and forth narrative isn't a bad storytelling choice, it's execution is subpar. When the past rears its head, it is normally in significant interactions of "now" where the characters are sharing intimate moments. This destroys the ability for the viewer to watch these characters breathe in their current state and kills any butterfly, heart stuttering, they must be together inducing moments. Even worse, the past scenes are clunky and long winded freezing the present, crashing in with exposition filled drama that needed to be whittled down so we could get back to the current story as soon as possible.
This leads to really odd sudden changes to characters and jumps in plot. Abruptly people want to part ways, suddenly emotions are overwhelming, and with neck breaking speed tables turn, and before you know it someone is standing in front of the entire cast teary eyed monologue-ing their entire story and feelings. Thus, the issues these characters are trying to overcome are made insignificant, remain underdeveloped, and resolve just because the plot wills it so.
At its best, the film is an easy romp when one just wants to see an overall attractive cast play at the beach and play at love while staying in a good mood without the need to think.
At its worst, it is masturbatory tale of its own series leaving the viewer, and cast, in the same exact spot that we all were a year ago. A love story that is trite, candy coated, simple, with characters that can't be developed beyond the will they or won't they world they seem forever trapped.
For 4 bucks American, it's perfectly serviceable and easily one of the highest Pinoy BL productions around...I don't feel shorted in any way.
But, I will say it left me craving it's closest competitor Gameboys Season 2. I'm anxious to see if that story is capable of moving beyond it's predecessor now that the computer screens are left behind.
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