Reviews

The ending was not it and not scary

This was not scary at all but really entertaining, i liked the story about them being stuck in a time loop and they must find the scattered remains of an victim so they an escape the curse and finally see another day.
The ending was really just not it, it did not made any sense and this series is not worth to rewatch.
It was really confusing for me the first time i started watching and really hard to understand but along the way as I looked i started to understood what it was about.
Overall the movie is worth watching if u like these kind of gore movies this would be the one you're looking for!

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Boy not Girl!

The main reason I am rating this lower, Is because the main character Ciel, is played by a female in this movie unlike in the anime where Ciel is played by a male.

There are a couple differences in the movie compared to the anime but besides the main character being a different gender you can overlook them.

Well there is one thing that you can’t overlook that was a main difference in the movie besides the main characters gender and it’s the reason the Aunt was trying to kill Ciel.

Besides these two things, the movie was overall acted very well and parts were played well. the scenes were made in such a way that you were drawn to what was happening in the moment.

The only reason I rated this slightly lower is for the main two reasons overall this is a very good movie and goes well according to first season of the anime.

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Well, this was mildly interesting. A movie that leaves you with more questions than answers, but since I never took it seriously, I don’t even mind.

Mike Angelo’s face was the best part, not gonna lie. The whole cast did a decent job, the writing at times has been just too messy to follow. Who is related to whom? How do these people know each other? What are their goals? Why is it that no one uses their brain?

The biggest surprise for me was the good CGI. I have seen a fair share of monster flicks, and most are pitiful in that aspect. Seeing some decent effects and design for the creature was refreshing.

Overall, I was not bored, but I was not as entertained as I hoped I would be.

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An okay attempt at something bigger

This film has a-lot A-LOT of potential. On the surface it's quite cheesy, I think it's something that anyone could make if I'm being honest. The concept itself, I think is very relevant and if thought about more could've turned out to be a great social commentary on the use of cell phones and our privacy, but it falls short. Parts of the story are often rushed, characters like more than one trait, and overall not really add much to the film (I hate the detective) The videography does carry the film, it's very beautiful and at times is the main thing that turns up the eeriness of scenes. (Editing was 10/10) I think that tied with our ML's acting, which was pulled off great as he really does do a good job of creating an uncomfortable environment with his two-sidedness. However, that is just not enough to make this film good, and I don't have any urge to rewatch it.

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Two tigers cannot live on the same mountain!

Jackie Chan and Jet Li finally had the chance to team up in 2008's The Forbidden Kingdom. The movie felt like a mixture of Journey to the West and The Wizard of Oz making for an uneven story and one that won't hold many surprises for anyone. There were shout outs to old kung fu movies which will be fun for fans, but a bland American in a fish out of water trope may be more taxing to deal with.

Jason Tripitikas (JTTW reference) is a teenager obsessed with old kung fu movies. He frequents Old Hop's (Jackie Chan) shop to buy bootlegged movies like early Shaw Brothers films. One night during a robbery a wounded Old Hop gives him a staff and tells him he has to return it to its owner. Soon Jason is transported back to China in ye olden times. He meets up with drunken beggar Lu Yan (Chan again) and soon he, Lu, and Sparrow (Crystal Liu-her character named after Cheng Pei Pei's famous Come Drink with Me character who also appeared in other Shaw movies, the Golden Sparrow) are being chased by the Jade Warlord's thugs who want the staff, which it turns out belongs to the rock encased Monkey King. Along the way they pick up a monk (Jet Li-who played a lot of Shaolin monks early in his career) and head for the Five Elements Mountain to return the staff to the Monkey King.

Jason is completely inadequate in a fight so Lu and the monk begin to teach him kung fu like two tigers on a mountain. Before you can say "wax on, wax off", Jason is proficient enough to hold his own in a fight. Li Bing Bing plays a White Haired Witch looking to snag the staff so that she can obtain the immortal elixir from the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou in a delightfully campy performance). The movie follows a formula right to the end, even for the female warriors, much to my chagrin.

The cinematography and scenery were gorgeous. Yuen Woo Ping who has choreographed fights for both Jet and Jackie amongst a plethora of other films made the best use of two aging action stars. There were also some humorous fights using the young disciple. The fights incorporated wire-fu and CGI given the characters' super kung fu powers which wasn't unexpected in a kingdom with magical beings. The fight between Jet and Jackie was entertaining and felt like two skilled friends fighting. Jet as the Monkey King was the most relaxed and genuinely playful I've ever seen him.

Due to Jason having to deal with humiliations and set-backs, he didn't come across like a white savior--too much. Jet, Jackie, and the other Asian actors were the people who were proficient and confident and somehow magically speaking English in ye olden times as well as Mandarin. I would have preferred a slightly different ending to the final fight but this was a story to appeal to teenage males. And of course, Jason learned his valuable lessons and took them home to deal with his problems there.

The Forbidden Kingdom could be cheesy and predictable, but is worth watching if you like the stars and want to watch Jet Li and Jackie Chan fight each other and a whole army of people. The fish out of water trope wasn't too annoying and gave the film a message about global friendship and cooperation to solve dangerous problems, something we really need right now in the world.

3/3/23

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Yakuza Respect

Recommend the film, finished watching it now.

Deep, heavy and meaningful story, I didn't know the yakuza suffered like that back in days, late in 90s till now, I think I knew nothing about them, I feel like I understand more about the yakuza life. Appreciate the hard work, I didn't skip any part.

The ending was unpredictable, how he did that to him, why to blame him, it's not his fault, I feel so bad for him, Yamamoto.
I think a lot of yakuza ppl suffered to be accepted, suffered to have a life, to be part of the community, imagine how awful their life was from seeing all who around yakuza members got abandoned just because they don't want to be mentioned as a friend of them, it's obvious when Yamamoto got out of ..... even him was surprised how everyone and everything had changed..

I remember that yakuza was the reason of Japanese ppl and Japan to be existed and strong like now...

atch it if you like reality and not the happy ending type .

I don't know why I still feel unease....

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Better than expected ( I wanted to fight too :(((( )

I have been a fan of HIGH & LOW for a long time.

They all seem like friends I can rely on for the rest of my life, for real.

The plot was relatively simple and straightforward, with bits of info on the new characters' backstories. The movie had thrilling battles, the power of friendship, and moments where all you could do was clap and root for them, just like in every High &Low film. I believed that High & Low The Worst had one of the best fights, but here - damn, the action was even better.

The actors are spot on. I purposefully did not have high expectations for Yuta's acting, because I did not want to disappoint myself (don't get me wrong, I adore Yuta), but it was better than expected because he fits those kinds of movies pretty well. He has that piercing gaze that school heads always have before a major fight or when they are extremely angry, and it wassss mmmmwaaah chiefs kiss. His acting - perfect, his backstory - super cool, and just, just everything was great. As his acting debut, I think this role could possibly open big doors for him in this area. I cannot wait to watch his upcoming movie and see him in another light.

Overall, the movie was great. The visuals, the OST, the actors, the fights - everything amazing.
If you like those kinds of movies, just watch it without giving it much thought; however, if you want a movie with a solid plot and explanations, you might... consider it before clicking the play button. I'm just saying, because when I watched one of the movies with a friend, they said that, to someone who has no idea what the movie is about, it appears to have no plot and only random fights.

So, an advice, if you want to watch this because of Yuta, go ahead. If you just found it and you want to watch some fights - enjoy. However, if you expect to have a solid plot and a better understanding of why they are the way they are, why they constantly fight, why schools, why there is so much hatred/friendships, and so on, you might consider starting with the first films/series.

But as a fan of them, I absolutely loved this movie!

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Warning!-This movie might give you indigestion

Kung Fu Chefs was undercooked with no one behind the camera knowing what they were doughing. That's right. This movie was so bad I kneaded to resort to using puns.

Sammo, still a delight at 57, played the skilled chef Wong Bing Yi, who was run out of his village when his nephew had the meal Yi had prepared for Ku Feng's birthday a-salted with poison instead of salt and everyone became sickened. The nephew hated Yi because he'd taken the Dragon knife, the family's heirloom, while his dad was drunk and raving which also led to the father being hurt and leaving town. The dad was played by old kung fu actor Bruce Leung. Yi eventually ends up at the restaurant where Bruce had learned his skills and takes over as the chef after besting the current one in a challenge. The restaurant is run by the late master's two daughters, Sam Ching and Sam Ying. The eldest daughter is thrilled to have Yi take over because she is having trouble making ends meat. Vanness Wu as chef Kenichi, coincidentally ap-pears at the same restaurant and begins to study under Yi. The nephew stirs up trouble and Sammo has to put a beet down on him and his henchmen.

What was good--The cooking and the food competitions were actually fun to watch. If you are a vegan/vegetarian you may want to skip this movie as there were a lot of fish and meat prep scenes. Sammo and his stunt double had some very good fight scenes. He was 57 when this film came out and he still had some skillets left. I would like to have seen more of Bruce Leung as well because those two were a recipe for exciting action.

What was not so good—The little sister played by Kago Ai was unrelentingly annoying in what I'm sure was supposed to be a spunky and endearing way. Sexy Vanness Wu ended up having to be the goofy doofus younger cook. Much of the story was focused on these younger people. They simply weren't as ap-peeling to watch as Sammo. Cherrie Ying as the older sister looked like she was thinking that at least she was getting a paycheck. The story was half-baked and not very interoasting.

This film wasn't the wurst, but it could have been much butter. If you like Sammo, cooking, and slapstick humor it might be one to check out. If you don't a-peach-ate any of those things, best to skip it. Oil I can say is thanks for pudding up with my puns.

3/2/23

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"Even before we entered the world we were marked by karma."

Lady Snowblood is the film that inspired Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. Yuki's blood spewing revenge is a cautionary tale of feminine vengeance. Splendidly filmed with an impassioned OST, the unique style based on a manga, and the excellent acting make this film one worth seeking out if you enjoy this genre.

Born to a dying mother in a prison on a snowy day, Yuki was charged with her family's vendetta against the villains who murdered her father and brother and viciously raped her mother. She grew up trained by a ruthless master to become the hand of death to the group that had decimated her family. One by one she hunts the villains down, in her lovely kimonos with a deadly umbrella to gracefully slash her way through the people who had inspired this life she'd never asked for. Beneath her beautiful veneer lay a dark and fiery need for payback for her dead family, one she had never known. Tasked with never feeling emotion, Yuki retains shreds of compassion as she interacts with those she comes across in her rampage. Ironically, she opens another cycle of vengeance by her actions.

The film lays the blood spewing on thick, every slash sends the gooey red paint flying everywhere. Puddles of blood enough for a slain army float around the unlucky bodies. As the story begins on a snowy day with a child born pure but commissioned with her first breaths with the bloody job of vengeance, so the ending scene leaves the beautiful assassin with her butterfly kimono covered in blood in the snow wondering if there is life after revenge.

There were some subtle and not so subtle political messages about corruption in the upper echelons of the military and government. And though the plight of the poor was pointed out, it dispelled the myth that the poor are always good hearted. I wish there had been more of an attempt to understand what a woman must feel growing up with brutal training and an unbreakable oath for people she had never met.

As many older martial arts films with swordplay tended to do, this one used the almost dance and slash technique. Best to not think too hard about the fight choreography from a realistic stance but to admire it for the stylistic forms.

Lady Snowblood was in many ways similar to other revenge fueled martial arts movies but elevated by the haunting music, colorful cinematography, and the stellar acting of Kaji Meiko. If eyes were knives, her targets would already be dead with the cold steely glare she honed in on them with. Kaji's expressive face and graceful moves enhanced the tension filled moments of her hunting her prey even when she had to settle for satisfaction instead of revenge.

If you are looking for a modern movie you may be disappointed. This is a film rich in character with old style effects. Revenge is a dish best served cold and Lady Snowblood served it on a silver blade.

"Forgive me! Spare me!"
"I shall do neither."

3/2/23

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A charming and delightful film based on a manga and about manga

BL Metamorphosis is the story of Urara and Yuki (Sunshine and Snow) who build a cross-generational friendship based on their mutual enjoyment of BL manga. Urara (Ashida Mana) is in her second to last year of high school and facing the choice of what college programs to apply for next year. She's working at a local bookstore when a recently widowed calligraphy teacher Yuki (Miyamoto Nobuko) wanders in to escape the summer heat and a finds a popular BL which catches her eye. Urara is an embarrassed secret fan of the genre, and Yuki had no idea such a thing existed but quickly finds that she loves it and seeks out Urara's advice to learn more about it and get her recommendations.

Acting is reacting, and, as ever, Ashida's reactions are on point, expressing all the embarrassment and social awkwardness of a young woman who has not found herself yet. Yes, she has a crush. But he's already dating the tall, popular, beautiful Eri, and what would happen if he or, worse, THEY ever found out she's into BL? Nevertheless, Urara guides Yuki into the world of BL fandom, and Yuki encourages Urara to try making a manga of her own.

The film is quite smart with lovely parallels drawn between the manga that the two are reading, and the other things happening in their lives. The score and song choices help to propel the story along and as whole the film feels much shorter than its two hour runtime.

It is, indeed, rare for a film to center on a friendship between two people with an age difference of over 60 years, and this film does so lovingly and well. Ashida, if she chooses to, will be Japan's breakout star in the coming years and Miyamoto is a good solid veteran actor. Together their scene work provides all the warm-fuzzies you could want.

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Even when knowing what's going to happen... you can't imagine how bad it is.

I seriously felt like I knew what I was getting into but I clearly wasn't. This movie makes you face the worst part of humanity, and doesn't give you a lot of hope. However, I recommend watching it as it will make you realize how much we have to be ready to fight for people who are suffering, because no one else will do it for you.

A few random points I'd like to add:
The actors are brilliant, all of them, children included. It was so heart wrenching to watch such horrible things happen to children so realistically. But the worst part was probably the helplessness of the very few adults willing to help. Even some of them who clearly realized something was wrong still didn't act. It really makes you think a lot about how much bravery and strength is needed to go against the status quo.

This story is important. So important that even if the movie was horrifying to watch, I don't regret it. Because these children suffered so much, no one should ignore them. It's the least we can do since clearly we all failed them.

All in all, it's a movie that makes you think about yourself and about society. It's a movie that puts you face to face with real life monsters, and I'm not only talking about the rapists and abusers, but also about those who choose to let them continue their rampage only for the sake of money or other menial things. I hope anyone who watches this movie will find it in themselves to act against such abuse if they are to witness it in the future.

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If You Liked The Series, This Is More Of That

All the boys and their cats are back for a tepid continuation of Neko Bukken. If you enjoyed the chill nature of the series, you will likely enjoy this movie that continues from where the series left off. The acting and production quality are pretty much what you saw in the series, but the writing is ... well, let's just say that it's what you might expect for the worst episode of any episodic television series that you like. The script pretty much reverses the character growth of all the housemates in order to bring them back together, and presents a plot objective and obstacle pulled from the dustiest bin of tropeville which the protagonist Yuuto proceeds to address in the stupidest way possible. Because of the wisdom of cats, or some such nonsense. Abetting him as usual is the long-suffering Yumi who manages to get a backstory that is nearly as ridiculous as the larger plot of this "film". And in the end, the people of the Cat Property all come together to live happily ever after. Yay?

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Honestly, the best things about this movie was Suda's hair and the undeniable chemistry him and Nana have. This was written and directed by the same person that did that travesty Netflix film Hot Gimmick. It has the similar weird artsy fartsy style of Hot Gimmick sprinkled with cut and paste dialogue and scenes that make little sense. It reeks of trying too hard. However, the immaturity found in adolescent relationships is the one thing done right in this movie, where characters make grand gestures and absolutes of loving someone forever or dying together in the process.

Drowning Love is pretentious (geez, even the title is) yet has a beauty to it. The cinematography and tone will take your breath away. Very dreamy and atmospheric. If a teen girl's Pinterest board could be captured on film this would be it, with a hodge podge of moody dreamscape palletes to feast the eyes on. Suda and Nana have never looked better than they do here, equal parts alluring and mysterious. I'd say Drowning Love is the more palpable version of Hot Gimmick. It's a hot mess and trash but beautiful trash.

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