Reviews

"A faithful heart makes wishes come true"

I first watched this film when it was theatrically released in my country years ago. All I had to go on was a friend's recommendation and zero background in the wuxia genre. To say I walked into the nearly empty theater apprehensive would be an understatement. My fears were for naught. In a matter of minutes, I was completely mesmerized by the cinematography, music, and acting. Having watched my share of fantasy and super hero movies, I had no problem with the flying and light body technique as the characters danced across rooftops or fought high in a bamboo forest. The graceful movements and fighting techniques were like nothing I had ever seen. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the gateway into a new world for me. Little did I know that it would set the bar for all films that followed.

Though this movie was a wuxia, the heart of the film were the two romances. Yu Shu Lien, the owner of a delivery escort service and Li Mu Bai, a warrior trained at Wudan had fought their feelings for years. Their love was unrequited as Lien had been engaged to Li Mu Bai's friend, but he was killed and the two would not act on their feelings. Now they are reunited as Mu Bai brings her his famous sword, The Green Destiny, and asks her to deliver it to their protector. His journey toward self-enlightenment has brought him to her and he wishes to leave the bloodshed behind them. The 400- year-old sword is too much temptation for Jen, a young woman engaged to be married but secretly trained by the devious Jade Fox. The incognito Jade Fox had poisoned Mu Bai's master years before for his refusal to teach her the secrets of Wudan. Lien is aware who stole the sword and works to return it without bringing any dishonor to the families involved. The middle of the film focuses on Jen and her previous love affair with Lo Xiao Hu/Dark Cloud, a charismatic desert bandit, and in the present when she takes the sword a second time to find her way as a wandering warrior. Mu Bai and Lien know she needs someone righteous to train her before she becomes a poisonous dragon. The treacherous Jade Fox has only vengeance on her mind for Jen and Mu Bai. By the end of the film the characters will collide in a deadly conclusion.

On a recent re-watch, I could see all of the classic wuxia elements from the over 200 martial arts movies I have watched since that long ago day in the theater. Ang Lee used those elements but blew them up into a grand epic, showcasing a wide variety of stunning scenery taking the genre where it had not been before. Characters traveled through the mountains, desert, verdant valleys, and lush bamboo forests. The inn and outdoor café sets ubiquitous in so many old kung fu films made their appearance in grand style this time. The busy city streets didn't feel like a small set, but substantial with plenty of extras to add an additional layer of realism. Ang Lee made full use of the sets and scenery to bring about an energetic and beautiful atmosphere for the story to be told in. Unlike so many martial arts movies prior to CTHD the characters in this film were more important than the fighting. He not only succeeded in making a gorgeous framework for the story but also in developing characters we could feel empathy with as they struggled with their deepest feelings. They had depth and emotional weight to them instead of the thinly drawn characters of old. By paying attention to the smallest details and insisting on a quality presentation, Ang Lee set the bar higher for those who would follow him.

Michelle Yeoh was a revelation to me, and I will always be thankful for this film introducing me to her. She had been in the business for over 15 years at this point honing her craft and risking life and limb at times to do so. Though her fighting technique was fearless, quick, and agile, it was her expressive face revealing longing, fierceness, and tenderness that quickly drew me in and made me a life-long fan. Her portrayal of the mature and wise Yu Shu Lien was perfect. Chow Yun Fat as the spiritual warrior Li Mu Bai, showed how he was torn between his love for Lien, his desire for enlightenment, and his need to avenge his teacher. His calm demeanor was in stark contrast to Jen's firebrand personality always teetering on being out of control. Zhang Zi Yi in only her second film held her own with the veteran actors. As Jen she conveyed naivete, passion, and anger fluidly. Chang Chen as the ardent Dark Cloud resonated the wildness of the desert and his fervent love for Jen. Again, there was the contrast of Jen and Lo's fiery passion in comparison to Mu Bai and Lien's controlled, repressed love. Rounding out the stellar cast was Cheng Pei Pei as Jade Fox. I have gone on to watch her earlier movies where she had been the young female warrior who faced insurmountable odds, paving the way for other actresses. I'm so pleased they used her in this movie as the vengeful villain and gave the kung fu veteran a chance to shine.

Lien and Jen both sought freedom in their own way and both were bound by duty. Jen loathed being forced to marry wishing only to be free and Lien greatly desired to be with Mu Bai, but was prevented by a rigid sense of honor. The two couples were the inverse of each other emotionally and would gradually become more like the other whether a crouching tiger, biding its time or a hidden dragon of emotions. Lo and Jen, embodied the recklessness of youth with no regard for tomorrow. Lien and Mu Bai sought to guide them to more thoughtful actions. For restrained Lien and Mu Bai, they had reached the point where they were finally able to break through their control to unleash their feelings and unspoken words. True love trumped spiritual enlightenment as what was important became revealed in one last breath.

The only quibble I have with this magnificent film is with the long flashback interlude showing Jen and Lo's love affair. It was similar to The Taming of the Shrew and feels dated in the telling.

Yuen Woo Ping masterfully matched the fight choreography to the mood of the film. The actors did much of the fighting, check out all the face time during the battles. Instead of CGI, the floating and leaping, even in the bamboo forest-truly a thing of beauty, was accomplished by wire work. The fights were more elegant than brutal and more visually captivating than realistic. Aside from the bamboo forest fight, the fight between Lien and Jen was spellbinding. The experienced Lien used a variety of weapons as she sought to subdue the thief of the Green Destiny in a memorable fight choreography.

After my recent re-watch I found that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has stood the test of time. Though I have searched for its equal or better through the years I have yet to find a martial arts film to top this one. Only Hero's stunning aesthetic came close. Compelling characters, wonderfully acted, enchanting cinematography, a haunting score, and balletic fight scenes have made this the measuring stick for all other films. It is rare for a film to touch me deeply emotionally and this one has for over two decades. I need to remember to thank my friend again for encouraging me to visit this world of wonder.

3/31/23

Read More

This is actually nice

So I had read some bad reviews so I had low expectations… but this was actually cute and nice
Yes, sure, this is nothing extraordinary or epic. But this still makes one pass a good time : we have four good stories about love within the family.
It’s not something overly dramatic though : you still get good laughters, especially in the second story, with the father getting his head stuck in a bar, who desperately refuses to take off his mask and take the risk of being photographed (jeez, this had me dead ???, especially the way people who gather around him to try to get his head out).
Nevertheless, the stories are both touching and happy. It will help give you a breath of fresh air, exactly what you need when you don’t want anything serious for a moment.
The actors are great, even the youngest children : some may be disappointed that Dylan Wang is there for only a quarter of the story but honestly ? This is to be expected, the movie doesn’t lie about the fact that this is divided in four parts.

Read More

To be true to oneself

It should not be any difficult to be true to yourselves but the world we live in is not so kind.

Think about it... a person liking same sex as them has to hide it from the world and is expected to "come out" just like a person who is hiding the fact that she is a murderer. It is not blown out of proportion as well. You see this in everyday life, news and everywhere.
It is just sad as fuck that we choose to almost force our philosophies as human beings onto other human beings not knowing what they have been through. Not everyone sees the world through the same lens.

Just open your eyes and be kind to each other.

Read More

A refreshing childlike energy

I did'nt expect this at all ! I though it was "one more schoolish drama/movie" but I was so wrong.
This movie is like a breeze of fresh air..
A school film where the students look like real high school students, perfect in their imperfections..
I loved it...it's nostalgic, it's sweet, it's sparkling, it's joyful..
That is to me the perfect definition of youth.
The carelessness, the innocence, the friends, the laughter, the joke, the first emotions, the quivering heart, the complicity, falling in love, being crazy, the hard knocks sometimes, being mischievous but attentive etc..
I laughted, I smiled, I was excited for them, I got carried away by this story.
Like a summer breeze, like an strawberry ice cream on summer, like water games in the middle of summer, it tastes really sweet, sparkling and alive.
Frankly I can only recommend it to you ?

Read More

SO SAD...

It reminds me another japanese movie with Fuju Kamio... the same sensation of emptiness, sadness, loneliness at the end.
At the beginning, the movie was pretty joyful I would say, but then, when you realise their true lives, OMG, it is an expanse of dry, arid, cold land where life does not seem to be present.
I mean, maybe the more "happiest" would be whom I thought was the most "depressed" at the beginning.
They are stucked in lives they don't really like but they wouldn't change it. I don't get it.
He is the only one who has the courage of changing his life and mind.
I will not rewatch it :(

Read More

Gil Bok Soon is a woman of focus, commitment, and sheer will

Gil Boksoon brought one thing to mind when I saw her "John Wick is a man of focus, commitment, and sheer will".

This movie reminded me so much of what I love about the John Wick franchise: the assassins, the organizations, and the rules that govern their anarchy. I'm a massive fan of seeing groups that work so far outside the law being acquiescent to their own rules that combine their obscure forms of morality with their own back alley justice. The movie was undoubtedly an 8/10 for me and here's why.

Pros:
I live for action and the action scenes and sequences were immaculate. Slowing down the scenes to give you a better view of the fight added to the intensity of the moment where you clearly saw the characters fight for survival.

Her struggle with being a mother while living this life made you relate to the character more. She wasn't just some impossibly amazing assassin, she was a single mother who had to struggle with raising a teen (a task no parent would ever say is easy). But, the mother-daughter relationship was truly the heart of this film. Every choice Boksoon made and everything she did always seem to come back to her daughter. You could see how she struggled with balancing a career she loves and her daughter that she loves.

Each character played their role very well. I felt that I liked who I was meant to like based on their portrayal and I hated the characters I was meant to hate as well. Boksoon's daughter was also an interesting character. I couldn't say I was ever really sure what she was thinking nor was I certain at the end of the movie exactly what kind of person she is but she made me curious. At this point, I want to know what becomes of her character and what choices she would make moving forward, especially given what she now knows.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lee Jae Wok's cameo.

Cons:
I felt like some of the characters' stories could have been fleshed out more. I understand that it would have made the movie much longer, maybe even needed a second movie, but much of the stories felt too short. A backstory for Han Hee Sung or even Kim Yeong Ji would have added to the story. Side characters felt trivialised in the story, they had moments where they could have opened a dialogue to learn more about these individuals but they were just ignored. Fingers crossed this is to build momentum for a second movie...

Overall, I think it's a great watch if you enjoy action with a bit of real-life mixed in. I know it just came out today but I could see this easily becoming a franchise similar to John Wick. While it's reminiscent of John Wick, it still maintains its own identity. I'm definitely rewatching it!

Read More

if you haven't watched any high&low series!

my review based on
• as a new viewer to this series ( I never watched any of past series )
• plot / cast / acting / soundtracks / rewatch value
• nctzen, so will be yuta biased!

firstly I want to thank yuta otherwise I would've missed it! I know this series (high & low) is very well known but as someone who is completely new to this and watched the movie : high & low the worst x , I can say that it's worth your time.

This movie is not just about fights and violence but its also about friendship!! The childhood friendship, the friendshio between a leader and his members & the trust for each other!

For the first few minutes, they will be introduced many characters from various schools (oya high, Senomon tech, housen, suzuran and few more..) the whole plot involves around oya high + their alliance with other schools and the main fight scene with Senomon tech. there isn't much background story of the characters except suzaki ryo (yuta) and amagai kohei. it's not complicated so you will be able to understand and catch up! there are some funny elements in between the plots so you won't be bored and there are also some heart warming scenes where you will be able to see how beautiful their friendship is!!

talking about the acting and characters. there are many characters and without any hesitation I can say that all of them did a great job! very well acted by everyone! The way they delivered the lines just by listen or seeing it you can say these characters were confident!
talking about yuta. I am very impressed with him. Knowing that this is his debut movie he really suprised me. at first suzaki ryo (yuta) will appear to you as a guy with tought shell, he has a lot going inside his mind but by the end I promise you will love his character too! great fighting scene but the last few mins the look, the gaze + way of delivering lines really caught me. you will be able to feel that he was deeply hurt. [ I teared ho badly here] so great job yuta!!

soundtracks are worth checking out! During fighting scenes they play some soundtracks and even during some sweet scenes. I feel the soundtracks really played a great role . Very good choice of musics!

yes it's worth rewatching!the story is simple there aren't much violence [rather I would say the scenes were cool haha] so you will be able to watch again and again. So your 2 hours will be worth!

Overall I enjoyed it yes I was hesitating a bit earlier but wanted to check out too! So I did it and it really changed my mind! If I get time I would love to check out other high & low series.

and little appreciation for the camework! Great effort by the team! with this many cast it really captured Eveyrone well!

Yuta I am so proud of you!!!
[this was my first time writing a review here so please be easy ]

Read More

A must watch for Action-Drama Fans

Definitely has that John wick 1 vibes with the world building and OP Hitman legend. But in a completely different direction of a single mother.

The dynamics were insane, for all the characters. Just when you think it'll succumb to cliches and stereotypes, it pulls a punch from your blindspot.

I can only talk so much without going into spoilers, but every single main character, the boss, his sister, our protag, her daughter, and a few side characters, are utilised very well. Every action they take, no matter how comical, surprising, confusing or deranged meshes well with their established personality.

This movie made me care a bit about almost every character, so when someone dies, you feel the pinch.

Sure, its not feature length shootout fest like john wick, or a family drama, but its a happy mix in between.

The action is coordinated very well, the BGM is seamless enough and the few CGI shots are really well done.

I'm rating this a 10, but this should be 8+ overall at the minimum.

I am seeing a lot of low ratings and i just cant understand why. Maybe its for a small subset of viewers, like the entire John Wick franchise is.

Read More

Extremely brilliant storytelling

First screened at the Berlinale 2023, this has one of the most complex plotlines ever seen in a Korean movie and yet it was executed perfectly due to its brilliant storytelling. It's sort of an assassin story driven in classical melodrama styling and vintage visuals. The story centers around a killer agency that runs like a hotshot entertainment company where they define contract killing as putting on a show, while Boksoon has the highest rank in the agency, she's also a mom of an adolescent daughter which plays another bigger part of the story. There's a lot of social commentary within its storyline and every bit of it hits the mark sarcastically with black humor. The cinematography and transitions were handled with some spectacular camera movements, every scene was shot beautifully and the action sequences were really breathtaking, and how they treated the ending with love is just impressive.

Read More

"Ones that take away and leave nothing."

영자의 전성시대 appears in the introduction episode of the drama Oasis, so while watching I tried to imagine I was a school student who sneaked through the back door with friends to watch the age restricted movie. Jeong Shin was crying at the scene of the kiss from the different sides of the bars, and here are my brief thoughts on her thoughts.

?️The movie was produced in 1974, the years of student and Christian protests against the Yushin Constitution that gave the president the unlimited power. There were 4 emergency decrees proclaimed that year that allowed to use the death penalty on student protesters. Many people were arrested and tortured in jails by Korean CIA. The visit of the president Ford in November didn't help any human rights although gave a little hope to the protesters. On January 22, 1975 the president Park announced a national referendum on February 22 to ask the citizens if they would safeguard the Yushin Constitution.

?️Yeong Ja's Heydays premiered on Feb. 11, 1975, and let's imagine Jeong Shin watched it that day. She definitely knows about the protests, and even if she may not really understand what is going on, Jeong Shin feels that something has to change. It's not extraordinary for a poor woman to end up like Yeong Ja. It's not only the increased prices and police raids all over the country, there are enough bad people around to ruin her life. The only person who cared about her, Chang Soo, was arrested for starting a fight, but he could've been arrested for any made up reason if he was unlucky. (That's literally the reference to the further imprisonment of Doo Hak in the drama Oasis)

What makes you a "plus one" in the Korean society in 1970s? And as a woman? Is that social norm going to make you feel better? Is sacrifice worth it? The movie explores these questions and themes leaving the weak hope by the end: things will probably get better in life, but not how you expected.

After all, the Yushin Constitution was supported again on the referendum on February 22, 1975. The Park Chung Hee's dictatorship continued until his assassination in 1979, and South Korea had many more years ahead before the establishment of the democracy.

Read More

Don't waste your time

Just writing this review so that others don't waste 2 hours watching this mess of a movie.

The synopsis sounded interesting. The movie is terrible.

The first half an hour is incredibly boring but I guess it sets the stage. Then the "irreparable accident" occurs and when you think things will get interesting, it just gets bizarre. And not in a good way.

Finally, I guess they just ran out of budget or time and the movie ends. With no proper ending.
Or rather, that kind of pretentious artsy movie ending that leaves the audience hanging.

Bottom line, watch something else.

Read More

Disconcerting movie: boring at first but heart-warming and emotional in its second half!

This movie was a bit disconcerting to me: I was not sure what the narration was trying to accomplish with its numerous storylines and characters. Its first half was pretty boring and generic in my eyes and the second half positively surprised me. Indeed, I was able to finally immerse myself in the plot and to be concerned by the characters' lots. There was a couple of scenes that were tears-inducing but it was not over-the top: they were well-played and made total sense in the context of the story.

The ensemble cast did a suitable job overall but it is clearly the pets that are the stars of the film. I was super impressed by the emotions they were able to transmit and all the tricks they were playing. It must not have been easy (both for the human actors and the production team) to manage all the scenes with the various animals. I really hope that the various pets were not hurt and were well-taken care of during the filming.

While the production was classic and colourful, the OST was not memorable at all: I do not remember even one song.

I would recommend this to people loving stories showcasing pets and in search of some heart-warming feelings. This does not revolution the genre and is a bit strangely paced in its set up but it will make you go through some emotions for sure.

Read More

Good not great

It's a good movie to pass the time and you certainly won't be bored watching it but the ending leaves more to be desired. It doesn't quite feel complete. There were certain aspects that I thought would be explored but weren't. It only explores the relationship between a mother, Kill Bok Soon and her daughter.

The action sequences were enjoyable but it's not the best female action sequences I've seen. It's good. There's plenty of action in fact. Just nothing mindblowing.

The movie has some comedy and lots of blood.

One thing to note is there is a sex scene. Nothing is shown.

There were a few characters and appearances that I really enjoyed.
Esom as Cha Min Hee, the company CEO's annoying sister. I last saw her in Taxi Driver and loved the contrast in the characters. I was quite amused.
Lee Jae Wook as the young CEO. It's a short role but put a bright smile on my face. This is the first other project I'm seeing of his after Alchemy Of Souls.

EXTRA SCENE
Just after the credits first start, there is a small extra scene so don't forget to catch that.

Read More

The Struggles of a Single Mother Done Right

This was just such a pretty drama, a lovely depiction of the struggles of the typical single mother trying to survive in the workplace type of movie..

The story is not really new, but it does have a few nice touches twists and turns involving backstabbing colleges who literally will stop at nothing to get a head.

The core of this drama is the mother-daughter relationship where the two seem to care a whole lot for each-other but also struggle with honesty as both mother and daughter have a whole lot of secrets and insecurities in their relationship. Pretty much like most teens who are trying to find themselves as well as their sexuality. Finding a way to come out to ones parent is not always easy. Especially if that parent keeps pulled back to work at the most inconvenient times creating a whole lot of misunderstandings. As one could expect in a movie about this type of relationship. It does also make way for some pretty decent lines questioning the whole idea of coming out, done really smoothly and did not feel forced at all.

There are also some back and front stabbing teens as well, as well as some guy who really should learn a whole lot about consent.

There is also some slight romance, lust and even a show of true friendship hidden somewhere in there between all the stabbing, shooting and other ways to kill/die. As this is pretty much all covered in a lot of gorgeously filmed slow mo blood-splatter, shining shreds of glass and legs kicking in beautiful surroundings and to the sound of perfectly mismatched music. Just the way I like it.

Did we get to see anything new?

No not really, but it was well made, pretty and definitely one of the better mother-daughter movies out there. Also if you do watch it make sure not to miss the epilog it was like a perfect little stab in the heart.

Read More