Reviews

"My heart belongs to me"

Raging Phoenix starred Thai kicker Jeeja Yanin. The story was weak as was some of the acting, but those are not the priorities in this genre of movie. Did Jeeja kick, elbow, and pummel her enemies in style? Yes. Was the fight choreography as incredible as Chocolate? No. But most of the fights were entertaining.

Brokenhearted Deu escapes from a kidnapping and is rescued by a stranger named Sanim. He battles fighters that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Road Warrior movie. Or a parkour street fight with razor prosthetics. His team is made up of three other fighters-Dogsh*t, Pigsh*t, and Bullsh*t. They’ve all lost women in their lives to the kidnappers and are resolved to bring the Jaguar gang down and rescue the surviving victims. The men practice Meyraiyuth, a form of drunken Muay Thai. Before you can say, “Wax on, wax off,” Deu is a proficient fighter. She’s willing to be used as bait to find the headquarters of the bad guys and where the women are being kept. Nothing goes that easy and they will all find themselves in considerable peril.

The story was thin and filled with man pain tropes. Jeeja Yanin had enough acting ability for what the role called for and there’s something about her that is likeable. Kazu Tang who was usually employed as a stuntman or fight choreographer was fine as the determined Sanim and object of Deu’s unrequited love. The Poop Brothers weren’t very strong actors but conveyed enough meaning to keep the story going. Though their first thirty minutes was filled with slapstick comedy that five-year-olds would appreciate.

The fights were well choreographed and the wire-work, for the most part, blended in. There was plenty of action that didn’t require any special effects help. Jeeja and Kazu were fun to watch as they kicked, bounced, and spun. Both were quick and athletic. The fight between Jeeja and Roongtawan Jindasing’s evil Jaguar had some moves that appeared all too real and bone crushing. The Poop Brothers’ style came across as a combination of Meyraiyuth and break dancing. I’ve never seen a fighting style that required spinning on one’s head! Raging Phoenix wouldn’t win any awards for the CGI backdrops to the fights, they were pretty bad. For a lower budget film, I didn’t mind.

If you are looking for a coherent and tightly written story, this won’t be it. If you are looking for superb acting, best to pass. If you enjoy high flying, flipping, crushing knee kicks and elbow hits and kickass women fighting, this might be the ticket.

11 March 2024

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Falls somewhat flat compared to the drama (but still a good watch)

First part of my review contains no spoilers and the second does. Read at your discretion.

First part:

I'd generally recommend this drama to people and this movie as a continuation of it. It's a solid ending which wrapped all of the fluffy things in neat wrapping paper. You see characters grow and develop alongside some side stories which do make an impact as to how this entire Cherry Magic ordeal is perceived.

Second part:

Their chemistry was lacking compared to the drama. It felt as if though I was constantly at the edge of my seat waiting for that impressive finish line cross and it didn't happen. Not even a singular kiss. It was certainly interesting seeing how queer people navigate interpersonal relationships with their families and friends in Japan (as opposed to where I'm from), but I anticipated just a tiny bit more skinship - or, if that wasn't an option due to the actors, more romantic scenes. But it just felt as if the energy was off a bit overall.

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This short pinoy film told me what he had. Viewers who can and understand the Philippine production with all its mistakes and missteps will certainly be interested in the fact that the farmer after the loss of his beloved wife went completely crazy and the originally antagonistic relationship between the farmer and the activist became dull and secondary. Both the main protagonists cut these roles two years before playing the main characters in Lodi. I do not recommend this short to most viewers, especially critical ones, don't waste your time.


Tento krátký pinoy film mi sdělil, co měl. Pro diváky, co mohou a rozumí filipínské produkci se všemi jejími chybami a přehmaty, jistě zaujme to, že farmář po ztrátě své milované ženy se dočista zbláznil a původne antagonní vztah farmíř versus aktivista vyšumněl a byl podružný. Oba hlavní protagonisté si střihli tyto role dva roky předtím, než si zahráli hlavní postavy ve filmu Lodi, který zde máme přeložen do cz. Tento kraťas nedoporučuji většině diváků, hlavně těm kritickým, neztrácejte čas.

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to anyone actually reading my review…PLS IGNORE ALL MY TYPOS !!!

so this film actually took me a solid day of reflection to understand. maybe it wasn’t the MOST exciting movie but this is a (low-budget) masterpiece. i’ve heard really negative things about this film but i think a large part of that negativity simply comes from people not understanding the film. i actually kinda hated it right when it ended, but, fast forward a day…i’m obsessed.

STORY:
genius. incredibly confusing but it a great way. it starts out and u think it’ll be a little high school romance, but about half way through, the confusion hits and then u have no idea what’s real or not.
i strongly believe tam has some kind of identity disorder or has schizophrenia. he himself has no clue what all he’s done. throughout the film, from tams POV (also the viewers) he is the victim in this story. but at the end, i think it finally hits him that he’s the reason behind everything.
my theory: i unfortunately believe phom isn’t even real. i think he is some typa hallucination or tam’s “alter ego”. one reason i think this is because the only time phom is shown is with tam. phom doesn’t exist without tam. and i actually believe tam realized this in the very last scene but i don’t think he cared because i think as long as he got to be with phom, he was happy.

CAST:
gun atthaphan. sooo obviously it’s a 10/10…i don’t even think i need to say any more.

MUSIC:
ok so the soundtrack was basically non-existant but the silence itself was able to say more than i think any music could’ve. it also just made the movie feel incredibly realistic and i think it was a genius move made by the production team.

i doubt anyone is actually gonna read this lmfao but i just needed some place to sort out/ share my thoughts:) bye bye now

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Very Disney esque

I wouldn't say I liked it, but I wouldn't say I hated it also. It's just "eehh... it's aight" because I rarely watch Disney-esque movies anymore unless I'm forced by my sister or cousin.

The story was fine, but they really took their time on the childhood part, I was like "They are carefully setting up the story, huh?" it's not like fast-paced random flashes of scenes and then time skip to teenager. Once you get past that, it'll start rolling, but then again, once it got to the witch part, they kinda got stuck, In my opinion, the writer kinda overwritten that part, because they spent so much time in there, by the time that finished, the ML was like "Oh yeah, I forgot what my true goal was" and then resumed rolling the story. To be fair it kinda helped with ML's growth, but again that part was just too long for me because by the time we got to FL, she barely had any screentime for exploration, It was just like *snap* *snap* *snap* things started happening.

As for the characters, I don't know... no one really stood out to me, but they are all funny, I'll give them that. I guess, just to pick someone, probably the most memorable would be 'Yu yu' because of the things that she kept doing in order to satisfy her own desires, it looked horrible on paper, but they came out as funny moments on the movie, and to be honest, I was just here because of her actress 'Zhou Ye'. ML, 2nd FL, and the Witch had good dynamic; as for ML and FL, I didn't really feel the chemistry between them. That child actor for ML at the beginning was good despite his age. I was amazed.

The acting. I didn't really notice it until I got in deep, but it felt like I was watching a theatrical play, add some singing scenes, and then you got a western-like fairy tale movie. Like I said, this film is like Disney-esque. When I realized it, I was like "Yeah, I'm noticing it now, it feels like they are acting like they are in a theater" Now, I'm not implying that as bad, but it just felt like a change of pace for me.

So yeah... overall, it's aight. I would probably enjoy this when I was still into fairytale stuff.

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Sexual Fantasy Film About Two Childhood Friends.

Plot Summary: In this short film, friends reunite after one of them returns to their hometown. Unfortunately, the story feels scattered and lacks coherence. The acting quality is subpar, which further detracts from the viewing experience.

Redeeming Aspect: The only redeeming feature is that I won’t need to rewatch it—once was enough!

Plot Disarray: The narrative jumps all over the place, leaving me bewildered. It’s as if the story took a wrong turn at every corner.

Character Dynamics: The male lead does have a moment of decency—he helps the female character when she’s caught in an unfortunate situation. Their eventual connection is a silver lining.

Flawed Execution: The plot suffers from poor execution, and the overall pacing feels off. Perhaps more focus on coherence and character development would have helped. Movie could have been a whole lot better as a 30 minute movie not almost 2hrs.

Language Barrier: Watching it in Korean without subtitles limited my understanding. My Korean skills need improvement, but even with better comprehension, this film wouldn’t have fared much better.

Rating: 2 out of 10 While the film had its moments, the overall experience was lackluster. It’s a forgettable watch. I can say im glad I got this off my list to watch.

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"I'm going to get revenge, I hope I see you later!"

The Brave Archer was Chang Cheh’s take on Legend of the Condors. This movie was the first of four following Kuo Tsing’s adventures. Chang was known for ushering in the more machismo and bloody era of kung fu so this film focusing on a romance was a rare departure for him.

This film moved hard and fast through the source material. It had the longest intro of any kung fu movie I’ve ever seen. Not only did it have the typical narration explaining the basic historical setting but also the different characters and which group they belonged to during the opening on a stage. As someone who has not read the book it was my first clue that this two-hour film was going to be packed with characters with little time to develop.

The story began with the classic tale of two babies separated and trained by different people, babies who were born to be blood brothers but who ended up on opposite sides. Alexander Fu Sheng played the “clumsy, slow” but good-hearted Kuo Tsing who was trained by the 7 Weirds. He runs afoul of the deadly Iron Corpse Mui Chiu Fung. Later he befriends Huang Yung dressed as a boy with romance soon to blossom. There were not one, but two battles for marriage scenarios, someone came back from the dead, a large snake played a role in Kuo’s development as did two other masters he made the acquaintance of.

Famous kung fu faces passed by in nearly every scene. Alexander Fu Sheng played a perfect not too bright hero. Tien Niu as Huang was a fiery companion for him. Five actors from the Five Deadly Venoms had special appearances. Ku Feng made for an entertaining 9 Fingered Beggar, and one of my favorites to see. Johnny Wang in silver lamé looked every inch a bad guy. Kara Hui had a short, but important role along with Dick Wei. Yu Hoi Lun played the female fighter so fierce with her lethal Skeleton Claw technique that most of the men in her path ran away. There were four female warriors and not a bare breast in sight, just competent women.

The fights were unimpressive. Most of them were kung fu posing and not very fast. At least Ku Feng knew how to keep them interesting with his acting. Yu Hoi Lun scared her opponents with her fierceness rather than lightning speed. Philip Kwok showed off his athleticism with his slightly mad master in an awful wig. Shaw Brothers didn’t scrimp on the sets where all the action took place, including Peach Blossom Island.

If you’ve watched one of the dramas based on Jin Yong’s books or read the books themselves, this will likely look like a highlight reel. If you don’t have any experience with either, like me, the characters are tough to keep up with. I had to make a cheat sheet to remember the different characters and factions involved as the action moved quickly from one group to another and then suddenly came to a dead stop. For a 1977 Shaw Brothers movie it looked good and for a Chang Cheh 1970’s kung fu film it was a more well-rounded story than many of his were.

10 March 2024

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A film worth watching - but maybe not for its plot

As has been an unfortunate theme in Be On Cloud's "KinnPorsche" and now "Man Suang", the plot suffers quite heavily from inconsistencies where everything else is absolutely excellent. I absolutely adored the dancing scenes and getting to immerse myself more in the culture of the country my mother grew up in. It feels like I get to connect with a part of myself that often ends up in the background given I don't live there and never have, only visited a handful of times. It was all portrayed very well; I loved the music, the detail of their training and the choreography. I just wish there had been more of it, since the Thai culture was what was the main focus of how this film was initially promoted.

I liked how the characters were written and performed, though their role in the story often made little sense. A lot of it was confusing, as was the pacing which would sometimes be too slow but sometimes so fast that it became impossible to keep up with what was happening and why. It's unfortunate, because I had very much looked forward to Man Suang, and it ended up falling flat because of these aspects. If one looks away from the plot entirely and just wants to watch this film for its portrayal of Thai culture from an age past, you've come to the right place. Set your expectations accordingly, and you'll have a wonderful time. For the most part, I did- but there were times where I couldn't ignore trying to make sense of the plot.

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THIS IS SO GOOD WTF

I am literally bawling my eyes out. WHY THE FUCK DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO WATCH THIS??????? Literally masterpiece. I am bawling my eyes out. I actually never cry while watching a movie but this just got me. To grow old with your lover and to die peacefully and live together in heaven ahhhhhhhhhhh my eyes is becoming a waterfall. The story is so good, so sweat and so beautiful. I will never forgive myself for putting this on hold for so long. At first I thought it would be some cheesy highschool bl but it was not at all. This is beautiful. JBL definitely knows how to punch your gut. I will always have high hopes for JBL. They really know how to give us Q U A L I T Y. literally one of the best jbl ever. If you haven't watched this go do it right NOW. Not even a request but a threat. Drop whatever you are doing a watch it NOW.

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Bigger dissapointement than expected

I was looking forward a k-drama shot in Europe. Yet let me tell you that you can see they don't know anything about the crountry where the action did take place.
For a while i thought this was 80' until a saw one of the caractere with some kind of ipad.
Let me remind you this the capital of Europe... so why does the last scenes at the airport looks like a small town train station ?
Also, in Belgium mainly Brussels, everything is always bilingual in French AND Dutch. So here, a bit more research would have helped and avoid casting a vilain with a very thick french accent (and not belgian) or police officier which can't even pronounce the name of the city !
But thumbs up to the korean actor taking on the advocate role , even thought i did not seem the most natural , its speach did sound like a foreign speaking french.
During the whole story there wasn't any "friendly" european, juste one bad encounter after an other one .Instead we got the stereotypical gangster (more russian mafia )


Regarding the plot :
The story touch a lot of topic without going into them or solutions to solve a situation did not make sense ( why pretenting to be chinese to get a job ? also you can get a job without any paper ?!!)
If they wanted to make a "social "interest film, they should have restricted the topics to the refugee theme (

Overall the film felt unrealistic and immature to me.

I rated the music because you have to but I didn’t pay attention to it honestly.

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A tale of resilience and patience

A film about illegal immigration, seeking refuge, and the right to live, ‘My Name is Loh Kiwan’ aims at showing us the grim reality of immigration and life as a nomad. Loh Kiwan, played by Song Joong-ki, is a young North Korean defector who is forced to enter Belgium in a desperate attempt to survive. Enduring harsh conditions as the Belgian government determines his fate, he meets Marie, a drug addict seeking refuge from her troubled reality. Their survival amid the odds serves as the basic premise of the film.
The film masterfully juxtaposes the main plotline with a secondary narrative involving Marie’s entanglement with nefarious elements. While this subplot adds depth to her character, it occasionally falters in its execution, with certain aspects feeling less compelling than others. While grappling with technical shortcomings, the film’s central message of hope and resilience shines through, leaving viewers with a profound sense of reflection and empathy for the struggles of refugees. My Name is Loh Kiwan stands as a testament to the power of love to transcend barriers and illuminate the darkest corners of the human experience.

My Rating : 7.5/10

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One of my top BLs of all time

I like shorts but I don't usually LOVE them; I'm unable to get fully invested in the characters or stories. Not the case with this one. After only 25 minutes or so, I felt like I'd known and loved all three characters all my life and was rooting like crazy for the two romantic leads. There was not a wasted second and yet it didn't feel rushed at all. Beautifully filmed; I could feel the heat, grass and sand, taste the apples, felt like I was right there. The acting was pitch-perfect and the chemistry was palpable.

Rewatch value is through the roof; not only is this a tender, satisfying story I want to revisit often, but the time commitment of less than half an hour makes that much more feasible than some of my other, much longer BLs that I'd like to find time to rewatch.

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I Will Never Forgive You For What You Did to JJ

So.... Spoiler-Free: Girl is "sick", dad packs her up to head to the abbey for "medicine", she meets a tiny albino boy. 12 years later, goes to abbey again, meets much taller and well-built albino boy. Tragic romance ensues.

Not much else to say except that the actors did their absolute best with the material and I'm proud of all of them. Where this movie lacks is in the story. Again spoiler-free, let's just say the adults are missing ALL the logic, and are just acting like they think essential oils are going to fix everything.

I still love and support you, JJ, and will do my best to see the good in this.

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