Reviews

Blood for Blood

Ti Lung played a dual role in The Revenger, a film that covered twenty years. The title was a misnomer because in neither the father role nor the son role did he truly play a vengeful character. That's not to say there wasn't plenty of revenge to go around, but at least for the title character, revenge was not his defining characteristic.

Chou Tu is a force for good, protecting the abused and downtrodden. This puts him at odds with Mao, a ruthless and underhanded villain. Chou rescues the lovely Shih Szu and ends up taking her as a mate. After being murdered in an explosive ambush, Shih Szu is rescued by two comedic kung fu experts who help her to raise her baby. With Chou Tu gone, Mao fully established his power and destroyed a family who were not loyal to him. The neutral swordsman, Ling Yun, takes the baby daughter to raise while Mao grabs the family's son to raise for vengeful purposes.

Eighteen years later, Shih Szu tells her son, Chou Shu about his father's murder and how his bones are scattered amongst the treacherous villains. Shu is bent on revenge but on her deathbed his mother makes him promise to not seek revenge only to retrieve his father's bones so that she and the man she loved could be buried together. The little girl grew up to be Hsu Feng whose only desire is to destroy those who killed her family while her brother grew up to be Dorian Tan (with no kicking abilities!) who is loyal to the dastardly Mao. It doesn't take long before the new generation is set on a collision course and the bodies around them start to stack up. Though Chou Shu kept his promise there couldn't have been more death in this film had he gone on a purposeful murderous rampage.

The fights used more weapons than actual hand to hand and were more comparable to kung fu dancing than fighting. There was quite a bit of kung fu posing and conversely, sped up fights as well. Why they had Dorian "Flash Legs" Tan play a milquetoast character who only used a whip, I'll never know. His part was extremely small making it seem he might have been filming another movie and only showed up when he had time. Hsu Feng, as the sister, along with her master Ling Yun, were the two most vengeful characters though they didn't have much screen time either. Wong Ching wasn't the most menacing of evil doers and could come across as a sniveling stab you in the back guy instead. Ti Lung as an eighteen-year-old was a stretch but he did give it a good try to distinguish the two characters. Like a less vengeful Inigo Montoya it did become a bit humorous as he kept repeating to each of the numerous villains that he was not there for revenge, only to retrieve his father's bones because no sooner would he utter the words than the bodies would start dropping.

Twenty years' worth of story with numerous characters condensed into 100 minutes made it difficult to emotionally connect to anyone. The second generation had revenge and familial elements that would have made for a more gripping story had they been properly expanded on. It the story is not compelling the fights have to be dynamic and these fights were below average for a 1980 movie. The potential was there, but this was one skeletal script that fell apart.


3/13/23

Read More

Lots of high flying action that doesn't go anywhere

A stolen shipment of government gold, a police chief seeking a pardon, not one but two vengeful daughters, murderous bad guys, and evil monks---sounds like enough plot for an old martial arts film---just barely. Carter Wong and Lo Lieh added kung fu credibility to the blade thin story which required non-stop action to be of interest.

Lo Lieh tricks some petty thieves into gaining him access to the government's gold warehouse and then leaves none alive. Lung Fei, his loyal henchmen, helps him to clean up. Later, an always stoic Carter Wong, enters Lung's gambling establishment and says his name is The North Wind. Lung is so impressed with the way Carter handles a fight he gives him a job. What kind of job and why does he trust him so quickly? Story convenience. Two different women, Nancy Yen, the daughter of two innocent people killed during the robbery and Chi Lan, the daughter of one of the murdered petty thieves, butt heads working against each other for the same goal of avenging their families. James Tien shows up as Lo Lieh's #1 ruthless minion. Miao Tien as one of the Three Tigers works to discover where the gold is with his two buddies. People are pretty touchy and nearly everything results in a fight with everyone either looking for the gold or vengeance.

The fights varied, some were below standard for this time frame, others were better depending on who was fighting. Nancy could almost be seen counting her steps in a couple of fights. Chi Lan, who only made one movie, was more fluid and athletic. Their choreography incorporated too many unnecessary jumps simply to add motion. Generally, if Lung Fei, Carter, Lo, or James were in a fight scene they flowed better. These guys were old pros at fight choreography by this time in their careers. Much of it was the of the strike, block, lock method, some faster than others. The weapon fights used a variety of styles amid wire work. The monks utilized a giant lantern with old UFO sounds which could spin out poisoned darts. Per usual, the finale took place in what looked like a quarry. These old Taiwanese films were the equivalent of a mom telling her rambunctious kids to go play outside. Somehow the final fights always seemed to end up outdoors.

There wasn't much story or character development even for a kung fu flick. What this movie had going for it was almost constant action and a likeable cast. I always enjoy the chance to watch Carter Wong and Lo Lieh square off. Having said that, this film would only be for fans of the actors or the genre as the plot was more lead than gold.

3/13/23

Read More

I enjoyed the movie. Very simple introduction to the BDSM subculture. I like how they just wanted to explain it and tried hard to be respectful of something that not everyone will accept.

The 2 leads I haven't seen in anything else but they were both good here. I liked the FLs character. Very fresh and I like how she knew what she wanted and who she was. I loved her interactions with her mother and with the bar owner played brilliantly by Lee El, whom I adore.

The scene at the hotel the first time Jiwoo and Jihoo are together had me in the floor. JiHoo's ex-girlfriend was super obnoxious and I'm glad she was only in a few scenes. I wouldnt watch again but it good enough to watch once.

3/13/23.

Read More

Shinsengumi history summarized

This movie centers around the historical figure Hijikata Toshizo. He can be seen as famous or infamous, depending on which side you're looking. Written and directed by Harada Masato, who also was behind the sengoku period movie Sekigahara, you should expect a lot of information thrown at you throughout the movie, like having a history lesson. Watching it required a lot of concentration but the story and its portrayal was very engaging. The pace of this movie was much better handled, without being incomprehensibly fast, nor extra scenes to skip. I loved the way the narration helped in understanding situation, while giving us a breather after intense scenes. It moved the story smoothly.

Unline Sekigahara, Baragaki engaged me more by focusing on the relationships and interactions of the characters, all of whom are based on actual historical figures. Well almost all, I'm not sure if Oyuki existed. Her relationship with Hijikata isn't central to the plot and her characters does seem to represent many women during that era so it didn't bother me. It didn't aggravate me like the love interest in Sekigahara.

No matter how you view him, Hijikata Toshizo had a hand in affecting history, and changed the lives of most who have known him, be it by his words or swords, therefor a very interesting point to look through. Like many historical settings, this movie did try to emphasize the heroic of its leading character, however this time it was well balanced with other elements of the setting, including the characters representing the most important people in Hijikata's life.

I think the best part of this movie is the casting. I cannot complain with any of the casting, and some of them were so spot on. I never viewed Okada Junichi as a "Hijikata" type of character but he sure convinced me here, especially with his interactions with Suzuki Ryohei. Now they wouldn't have been able to find anyone more suiting than him to play Kondo Isami, in all his strengths and fragility, in the way he lets himself be manipulated or when he wants to follow his beliefs. The rest of the cast did great as well, fitting perfectly in character and setting. On a personal note, I find it funny when Saito Hajime keeps being played by one of my crushes. This time it's by my newest crush Matsushita Kouhei.

Another thing I loved about the movie, where Sekigahara was also successful, is action scenes. In this movie, the choreography for both dance and fighting was enchanting to watch, with a dose of realism.

My review might be all over the place, I wasn't ready for it. I just felt the need to write one since there is no reviews for this movie. I would definitely recommend it to any history lover. Though this movie was made for an audience that have studied the history, I think it can be enjoyed even without history knowledge. I highly recommend this movie to at least be given a chance.

Read More

I was not expecting to be Destroyed by the feels

I went into watching this as a pretty light high school rom-com with some angsty moments but boy I was taken a bit aback.

The story albeit usual, takes you through a visual journey of 1999 and hits all the sweet spots of being nostalgic in the right way. The phone booths, the pagers, the music, everything is an ode to that era. It has its funny moments, I found myself smiling ear to ear on these people and their situation. The pace of this movie is good.

Half-way through the movie, you'd feel there is a twist. The response to it is predictable on all ends and the ending overall is tinged with sadness.

The actors are delightful. Kim Yoo Jung and Beyon Woo Seok are a pleasure to watch. Rooh Yeon Seo is a believable bestie.

The production and cinematography was of high quality with decent music backing it up. It is definitely worth a re-watch.

Read More

Confused.... and a bit dazed

i wasn't sure what to expect (hadn't read other reviews before - which was possibly a good thing....)

This still has it's charm (think that's still down to the the leads and the way it's shot tbf!). So much of the detail is lost and the key plot of "destiny" being missed out completely somewhat overshadows the missing yoyo-ing of emotions or the eccentricities of the series plot lines. As for the plot holes with story continuity errors, the less said about the gaping chasm of the rings ..... the better.
It's worth a watch as it's still a romantic idea just not the romantic ideal and that makes it a poor substitute. But i kinda don't get what the objective was when not re-shooting some of the scenes? Any clues?
As a side note musically, it's still awesome IMO.

Read More

Well that's another wasted hour of my life.

Let's start with the acting. Either the actors were green or the director pushed them toward melodrama. Whatever the reason, the result was middle-school histrionics on the screen. While we're on the subject of weak and the miserable; let's give a slow clap for the weakest of the weak BL plot devices poured into one script. This was arguably a romance. All I saw were two lovers who should have traded 'Babe, we're so done' post-its within the first 15 minutes. I kept hoping that it would get better and there would be a scene that made Part 2 worthy of watching, No such scene existed. Heads-up. This thing rolled past some serious trigger warnings as it zig-zagged to an ending that wasn't an ending. Why did I watch it? Because this title was featured in the MDL's Fav. Chinese Movies list. And now, I'm going to look at every other title on that list with great suspicion...

Read More

I knew the ending already thanks to Tik Tok, and I still started bawling my eyes out 45 minutes before the movie ended. This was such a sweet and pure depiction of first love, I wish I could have seen even more of the characters because they were so fun and likable the second the movie started. Oh to have such friends like this, to be in the broadcasting club, to eat plums straight from the tree, to have a school field trip at the ocean, to get drunk with your friends, to drunkenly confess your feelings, to have payphone conversations with your first love, to send emails back and forth with your best friend/crush... the list goes on. This broke my heart in a million pieces. To think Bo Ra never got to read Woon Ho's letter because he dropped it in the rain, or that it took so long for her to find out what happened after years of feeling disappointed. It'll take a while to recover from this one ?

Read More

I found it difficult to suspend disbelief enough to believe that her parents would let her stay by herself to go to school, with Kugayama Shusei living right next door. THEN, there wasn't any build up to their relationship, it was suddenly just there. The main couple was cute together, but I didn't feel any chemistry between them. Poor excuses for kisses, they just looked so fake and awkward. The yelling of the male actors was irritating, it just looks like overacting. Sexism is alive and well in Japanese dramas - the male rating the female on a scale of 1-100, talking to everyone about her looks and lack of boobs - not cool.

Yamazaki Kento as Kugayama Shusei was good. He's got that quiet, deep-thinking thing going on. He was the high point of this movie for me.

Read More

Hit pause on the turning point.

This movie is a gentle reminder that it’s okay to just take a moment to breathe and figure yourself out - be it a day, month or a year. There is no point in chasing after things that do not bring you peace and happiness. Yes, you still need to deal with your responsibilities, you need an income to support yourself financially, but that does not mean you need to desire and want what everyone else strives for. We are all different, with different motivations and needs. One person enjoys a fast paced environment, someone else needs more calmness in their surroundings. There are no right and wrong answers in how to live your life, as long as you are not hurting others.

And that’s basically what the movie is about - Hye Won putting her life on pause as she tries to figure out what she truly wants, and if the goal she was trying to reach so far is what she truly desires. She reconnects to her roots, reignites her old friendships and slowly learns about her mother’s decisions in the past - understanding things she was not able to understand when she was younger.

What Little Forest offers is comfort and warmth. Beautiful scenery and amazing short cooking scenes. A message that simple life is meaningful. That making amends with your past is the way to move forward, even if it means starting from the beginning.

Additionally, we get an amazing cast delivering perfect performances. Honestly speaking, the movie is Kim Tae Ri’s, and Kim Tae Ri’s only. She carries the whole film. She fits the rural slice of life genre so well, I would have no issue watching a full 16 episodes show based on Little Forest.

Overall, big recommendation for anyone who loves a calming slice of life content with few cooking scenes that will make you hungry.

Read More

"If my husband is a spy, then I'm the wife of a spy"

Initially, one would ask as to how was this movie greenlit given the Japanese' generally denialist stance on the events of World War II? Then again, it is also refreshing to see their perspective regarding this bitter and painful event of human history. It's even more refreshing that this movie slowly tries to recognize their gruesome role on the war and maybe it can lead to future movies telling the truth of its horror but something that should be remembered for generations to come.

"Wife of a Spy" circles around a married couple - a busy businessman Yusaku (Takahashi Issei) and Satoko (Aoi Yu), amidst the changing and turbulent 1940 Japan. What's more is that the wife's childhood friend, Taiji (Higashide Masahiro), now a squad leader in the military police, is suspecting the husband of being a spy for being "too Westernized".

The first half was a tad bit too long. There could've been scenes removed since it just made me lost on some parts. Yet at the same time, it was intriguing to know what the real story is. But still, its early somber mood was important for what's coming next. This part really showed that ignorance is bliss.

Then, the big reveal happened. Although the incident that was being referred was too vague (in terms of the real historical event), yet it is still important to know that until now, Japan still refuses to fully admit its war crimes.

The clip on an internment camp that was shown, despite brief, but really gave me chills as to how inhumane their military did to the innocent people at that time. It's very ironic to see the smiling barbaric Japanese scientists at one frame yet transitions to the angry but hopeless war prisoners at the next. There was only few violence shown onscreen, but one doesn't have to imagine what dreadfulness that the Japanese empire did to its enemies, even if it was its own people.

But at the same time, I really liked how the music at the second part upped the tension and thrill on the succeeding scenes. This is despite the no to little background music at the start. This could've balanced out the storyline and created equal tension already.

The last 30 minutes of this movie was just too exhilarating for me as the viewer, but nerve-wracking for the leads. Each scene was just brilliant, and the plot twist shook me to say the least. It was truly gripping and enthralling.

It's ending might be quite melodramatic, which was a sudden shift from the high tension it had earlier, but was still done well. The note at the end was tricky for sure, as I thought I was watching a biopic but is not.

My biggest gripe for an otherwise great movie is its production value. Originally, this is a TV movie so budget isn't really the main priority, but still, there were very visible production errors noticed:

First, is the sound mixing which was uneven and at times, there was static heard. Second is the setting itself particularly the storage area, where it was obvious that there were modern speakers near the screen. Third, the exterior set was inadequate for a wartime period film. Though for the third point, it may be understandable as Japan is still new in producing movies set in the 40's.

My next gripe was the terrible borderline funny acting of the English-speaking characters, though I do understand that it's because of the availability of actors, but still.

Nevertheless, it's amazing to see that Japan is now ready to face its not-so-good role during the war, even with some nationalism still interjected.

The story maybe focused more on the characters rather than the plot itself, but there's one line from this movie that really stood out for me and perfectly encapsulated this movie's essence: "If my husband is a spy, then I'm the wife of a spy."

Read More

One sweet martial arts action fest!

If you enjoy martial arts action films and don’t mind a lackluster story---check your brain at the door and kick in your suspension of disbelief, make some popcorn and sit back and be prepared to be amazed by Jeeja Vanin in her first starring role.

Chocolate's storyline uses the most dated of plots. A jealous crime boss doesn't like the woman he loves falling in love with someone else. The woman eventually sends her lover away to save him and has his child in secret. The child turns out to have autism and the woman runs up debts for her care and even more debts when the mom turns out to have cancer. The girl and a boy the mom adopted find her mom's old debt collection book and head out to try and collect the money from some shady characters. Fortunately, the girl has learned Muay Thai and other martials arts from watching tv and video games. I'm going to skip over the magical autism abilities discussion. The story setup is simply a reason for her to drop kick a wide assortment of baddies in ice houses, meat factories, and the Big Bad's headquarters. And punch and kick she does in the most creative ways you are likely to see. The fights started out fairly rudimentary and continued to crescendo until the bonkers, long finale fights that were as brutal as they were graceful.

The writing and acting were mediocre to poor. Just like in a Kaiju movie, when it takes the monster 30 minutes to show up, the only thing people really care about, this film took about that long to get the action rolling as well. The story was nearly irrelevant because the star of this show was Jeeja's astonishing ability to contort her body into a beat down machine, dodging objects, fists, and kicks while delivering punishing blows to men and women twice her size. I read that several actors were injured while making this film and it was not surprising when you see the hard slamming falls people took throughout the fighting. The fight choreography started out slow and breathlessly moved to astonishing.

If you are looking for stellar performances and an interesting, cohesive story, you are likely to be disappointed. However, if you enjoy exciting martial arts choreography, especially with a kickass female lead, this is definitely one to try out.


3/11/23

Read More