Reviews

an okay follow up to My Biker

Overall: I was a bit disappointed with the plot in the sequel, though I did like the more realistic vibe. About 35 minutes long. Aired on Wayufilm's YouTube channel https://youtu.be/-JNhFEbulXc?si=MfBagI18jMzGWIdb

Content Warning: homophobia

What I Liked
- sniff kiss attack
- production value for an indie production company

Room For Improvement
- pacing too slow/dragged at times
- though I appreciated looking at internalized homophobia, I didn't have any confidence that there was enough character growth to lead to a happily ever after

Read More

"This battle is a fight to live for our future"

When I saw the Toho logo my heart jumped with joy knowing Godzilla was back home where he belonged. In Godzilla Minus One he was no longer a comic character playing catch with a giant lobster or the King of the Kaiju restoring balance to the Earth. He was a destroyer and an indictment on humankind’s hubris and a reminder of the horrors of war. If Japan was at level zero after WWII, Gojira put them at minus one when he surfaced from the depths of the ocean with a terrible judgement.

Near the end of WWII, Shikishima Koichi is a kamikaze pilot who lands his plane on a small island held by the Japanese ostensibly for engine trouble. It’s not long before the mechanics realize he has run away from the fight. They don’t have long to berate him when they are attacked by a monster the locals call Gojira. When Shikishima freezes once again, he is labeled a coward by the only other survivor. Back home he is reviled by a sister for returning alive, as she blames the country’s problems on his failure. Koichi takes in a woman with an orphaned baby, unable to throw them out when Noriko makes herself at home. The war isn’t over for Koichi as he is paralyzed with regret, guilt and PTSD and unable to move on with his life. When Gojira heads for Japan, the pilot will have a second chance to redeem himself and his honor.

Godzilla Minus One succeeded in two areas. Firstly, they went back to Gojira’s mythology and his evolution from nuclear testing. Gojira was personification of the fear and memory of atomic weapons, something the people of Japan had suffered horrifically from. He was also a punishment for Japan’s militaristic era and the damage done to others and their own people. This monster claimed his territory with a fearsome rage. Capable of regenerating, modern weapons were all but useless against him. Secondly, for one of the first times since the original, there were compelling human characters with interesting stories seamlessly woven into Gojira’s appearance and threat. Too often, the humans were dead weight in Toho’s Gojira films saddled with mediocre actors and dialogue. Koichi was a complicated character and his boat buddies were developed enough to remember them. Noriko as a character was thinly but heroically drawn. Even the characters who reviled Koichi came around to being more well developed.

If there was one flaw, the horrors of the war were laid solely at the government’s feet, which categorically absolved the rank and file from atrocities committed during the war. And yes, the government had the “best ability of spinning and hiding information from the masses”. The government also, “...treated our lives too cheaply...Tanks with insufficient armor, poor supply chains-leading to starvation and disease…and fighter planes without ejection seats…as well as kamikaze and suicide attacks.” The characters emphasized living for their country and its future instead of dying for it even as they bravely faced a seemingly indestructible foe.

For a film made for 15 million dollars (USD), it looked far richer. The special effects were excellent whether it was Gojira’s atomic breath, miniatures, ships, or buildings crumbling like houses made of cards. Gojira himself, was frighteningly majestic and terrifying. Able to regenerate, he did come across as a vengeful god. This film deservedly earned an Oscar for Visual Effects. One last little production note--Sato Naoki is credited as the composer but much of the score was a reworking of Ifukube Akira's iconic Godzilla theme.

Not since the original Godzilla (1954) have I enjoyed a Big G film this much. Gojira was a merciless, destructive force, created by unnaturally splitting atoms. The people of Japan united not to fight to the death against this formidable opponent but to use all of their abilities in a battle that would ensure that they could live for their future. In the face of this harbinger of death, there were those who found redemption, love, and healing. Good job Toho! You made a film worthy of the original and a wonderful way to celebrate Gojira’s 70th anniversary.

2 June 2024

Read More

Dark,twisted, edgy and toxic blue romance.

When you start this movie you feel like you're in a haze, everything is blurry and confusing. But once it unfolds, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Truckload of emotions hit you when you're unprepared.

Two lonely people try to find love when both of them have the same kind of psychological trauma. Their instant attraction turned into love and that love opened the door to freedom and escape from their traumatic past. That love made them say “I'll even go to hell as long as you're by my side”.

Beautiful cinematography, sad ill-defined plot and the chemistry between the actors is to die for. The symbolism of water/ocean throughout the movie made it prominent that their meeting and parting is related to it. The relationship between the recorded voicemails and past were tied so skillfully that you cannot assume the link between them.

Koizora, Sachiiro no one room, Drowning love and No call no life have different storylines but same genre same vibe. All of them are complex yet simple love stories of two young people.

I think I am more inclined towards those films that left a bitter aftertaste. They linger in your head for a while and make you ponder deeper which makes it more memorable. Definitely will watch it again to uncover the mystery.

Read More

Amazing movie with awesome soundtrack

I watched this movie with my parents on Netflix yesterday and it was really amazing, however, I wasn't a big fan of the English voice over of the movie since it made the film less emotional but soundtrack and effects with this movie was really, really good and would strongly recommend this movie, glad the wife survived at the end and can't wait for the second movie of Godzilla Minus one, definetly recommend it to everyone and this movie showed what Godzilla should actually be like instead of the American version where they make Godzilla friendly and save the world however this one makes Godzilla an evil one that destroys cities and kills people which is more of what I enjoy.

Read More

So many questions and no answers

I do not even have words. XDDDD
Could be I expected too much based on my memory of previous movies. But not sure what was this. XDD It feels like they wanted to fit all past 5 movies into less than 2h. In the end it was extra random, full of cringe, Gii looked like having borderline personality disorder (no offece, have it myself) or maybe he was bipolar. He was changing mood every 2 mins, doing random things that does not make sense, action and scene were changing all the time. No chemistry at all. I felt more emotions from the piano in the end, than anyone alive on the set. XD
Actors were good looking, fact. But the rest? Nei nei.
AND WHY DID THEY PUT SCOTTISH MUSIC INSIDE WITH BAGPIPES MIXED WITH SOME LORD OF THE RING MELODIES??? XDDDD
That makes no sense. But amazing to laugh for almost 2h. XD

Read More

Question: Is the Kim Pilheung the same character as in To My Star, just a few years younger?

What I liked:
* I actually liked that there was no inner dialogue, which is there in the series -- it made things a bit more ambiguous for me, which suits the characters' developing emotional state.* I liked the acting of all the actors.
* The girl's mother was cute :)
* We still don't know what is so different at the end of the story that it is possible for the couple to be together. I actually like that.


What I did not like:
* The premise is interesting (though similar things have been done already), but things don't really add up, unless Gang Gook is in some kind of indentured servitude? If they are both 18 or so, then 15 years ago, when their master-bodyguard-relationship began, Gook must have been three years old?
* Even if he started his role later, he would still have been a minor.
* Tae Joo's father seems to regard Gook as some kind of whipping boy, which is otherwise not seen as a problem, but it is an archaic practice that should not have a place in modern society.
* All of this imbalance of power between Tae Joo and Gook is adressed several times but never resolved between them. It makes the happy ending unfinished, for me, and leaves a bad taste...

The last points of both my lists would make an excellent starting point for a second series, in which their difference in status and the need for balance in their relationship would be the main theme. (Could even be as good as the second series of To My Star, I think).

Compared to the movie, I like the series less, since the movie's music score fits it better, and also I liked that we don't get the inner monolgue, which I found more distracting than helpful.

So, overall, it's not that bad, if you can and want to watch the story, then watch the movie.

Read More

I see.

This was ok?
The Shang dynasty setting is cool to see - human sacrifice, lots of bronze armor and swords.
It's surprisingly horny for a big mainland Chinese movie, though the lusty sex-coded characters are all bad guys, obviously.
There's literally a scene of a dance number that's a metaphor for people fucking, with a woman shown "climaxing" with her dress and long hair.
That said, for such a big production it's surprisingly ugly at times - both the CGI and the colour grade.
I also wished all the hostages, princes and other young male characters were better visually distinguished.
I had trouble telling them apart at times, because they are all fit young men and wear the same hair and uniform all the time.

Read More

Orange Juice Meet Cute

This has to be one of the sweetest fucking things I've ever seen.

This showed from start to finish the embarassing and exciting experience of finally talking to that person you're interested in and actually having them reciprocate. And all the missteps and moments of barely-mustered courage in between. From initiating a conversation and agonizing over what to say so much that you say very little, exchanging numbers, typing, deleting, and retyping the first text, to going on a date for the first time and making things official.

What a treasure these shy and real moments in a developing romance are.

Bless these two sweet, terribly awkward men.

That's it. That's all I had to say. NOW GO WATCH THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT'S GOOD, I PROMISE!

Read More

"There's a man who keeps his duty separate from his love at least once a day"

Lo Lieh directed and starred as an agent in Deadly Roulette, a movie about two Interpol agents who sought to bring down a Triad leader who had been killing people using the lethal Finger Bullets style of kung fu. Bobby Kim brought the kicks and lovin’ as the agent whose ex-girlfriend lived in Hong Kong, complicating his actions on the case.

Interpol agent Bobby is brought onto a weapons smuggling case in Hong Kong when officers are found dead with finger holes in them. He asks to work with Darion who obligingly signs on. While in Hong Kong he meets up with his ex-flame Kyeong Hee who is still angry about being used in his last investigation and then abandoned. That anger does not stop her from hooking up with him again. As Bobby digs further into the case, he discovers how dangerous the gang is as they supply grenade launchers, missiles, and rifles to terrorists. It doesn’t take long before the agents and officers working on the case ascertain they have a mole in their unit as their every move is preemptively countered.

If you’ve ever wondered what 1970’s Hong Kong looked like, there were many scenes of characters driving around. This was a fairly common practice in movies 50 years ago. The shots established the setting and showed characters’ movement from scene to scene, but it feels dated now days. The music was also classically 1970’s bow chicka bow bow. The Beatles’ song “I'm Happy Just to Dance with You” (1964) was used but I’m betting no royalties were paid. Dog fights were shown in two different scenes early in the film, which was quite disconcerting for me. I’d rather see the men pummel each other instead of innocent animals being abused.

The movie made use of the Interpol trope in order to justify a foreign actor starring in a film set in Hong Kong. I would have preferred Hwang Jang Lee as the Korean agent. Lo Lieh is one of my favorite old kung fu stars and the only reason I watched Deadly Roulette. The film was badly faded and the story had numerous plot holes and inconsistencies. Usually, plot holes weren’t a big issue in these types of films because there were enough fights to distract the viewer. Unfortunately, there weren’t many quality fights and the big finale was a big letdown. South Korean actor Bobby Kim was proficient in taekwondo and it showed with his excellent kicks, even though many of them obviously never landed.

Deadly Roulette had a semblance of a story and was watchable…barely. And watchable only if you enjoy old kung fu films, especially one with a largely Korean cast. As always, I grade these cheap, niche movies before 1990 on a curve.

1 June 2024

Read More

A bond is a bond, whether forged in the innocence of youth or the wisdom of age.

I can't believe there aren't any reviews for this awesome movie! Even though I'm not the best at putting my thoughts into words, I'll give it a shot and try to convince you why this was such a fun watch.

Imagine a gangster asking a 9th grader for singing lessons because his boss has this weird birthday tradition of hosting a singing competition, and coming last is a big no-no. Sounds crazy, right? But these two actors made it look like the most normal thing ever. You'd almost believe it could happen at your school!

This drama is about a sugary-sweet yakuza and a cold-hearted teenager who's the poster child for teenage angst and icy glares.
It's a quirky reminder that friendship can blossom in the most unexpected and peculiar ways possible. The story takes time to warm up, but as you notice changes in their expressions, you realise that, oh, they are totally into the BFF game now.

What's fascinating is that our teenage protagonist isn't your typical rebel; he's surprisingly cool-headed. On the flip side, there's another teen in full tantrum mode, plus a mature girl their age always trying to cool things down, showcasing the many shades of adolescence.

I enjoyed this movie a lot. There are so many fun moments, some literal god-level smart writing, and, of course, a totally heartwarming climax. I know my review is kind of wrapping up now when I hardly wrote anything but anything more than this can be a spoiler, and I don't want to steal your joy away.

Just to make this review a worthy read, I am going to tell you the most important thing about this movie, which is the post-credit scene. Please don't miss it, and look closely at the tatto on our sweetheart yakuza and smile like I did.
Now go and watch this gem right now, and please return and write a better review than me to attract more viewers, I believe in you hahaha.
 

Read More

Not really bad but not really good

First of all, I really love watching horror movies despite being a scardy cat but this, it makes me laugh for a few times and was getting frustrated because of some illogical behaviors from the characters...

Ok, I admit, I appreciate the siblings dynamic, some interesting and dark elements however I'm skeptical for the writing of the characters, especially Yak the big brother (although I'm glad to see the actor Nadech in a horror movie because he's one of the first Thai actors that I have watched in romantic comedy drama, so it's a bit of fresh air lol).
The acting is also good but as I have mentioned, the writing of the characters were not that convincing.

It lacks something that could make it better. Maybe because an introduction since I just happen to see there's a second part lol
I'll see then!

Read More

Nothing to the plot, but cool FL.

There's nothing to the plot; it's very shallow and one-dimensional. The movie focuses on showcasing action scenes with a cool FL. However, all actors and actresses are very capable; everyone fits their role and has done a good job in acting. I had watched a rom-com series featuring the same FL (Wedding Impossible) just before watching this movie. She did a terrible job in the romance/rom-com genre. Her deadpan expression is more suitable for solemn characters like her role in this movie. With only one facial expression, she can't convey complicated emotions, which doesn't suit a romantic series/movie at all.

Read More