Reviews

More tragic love story than horror

The first half focuses on village life, Nak and Mak meeting and their early married life. The second half is a mix of comedy-horror, supernatural and tragic love story. The copy I found to stream was (re)dubbed and included strange "space-age" sound effects and much later music.
The end, where they stopped speaking, I found more affecting. I'd very much like to see this with the original sound though that may no longer exist.
Overall though, it was worth watching as part of the history and glimpses into early Thai cinema and how, in 1959, they presented life in the previous century.

Having seen Nang Nak (1999) first made it easier for me, with only rudimentary Thai, to follow the story in this version of the legend. The auto-generated English subtitles sometimes clarified, sometimes confused.

This mix of original and redub makes it hard to choose ratings, so I just gave it 7's across the board. The music in the redub was inconsistent - some of it was traditional and effective, some of it western and out of place. Likewise, I'm inclined to rate the original acting higher, but the redubbed voices lower. I watched this out of interest in the different ways stories are told and this mixture has its own place in that.

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Terrible pacing & doesn't stay true to source material BUT somewhat redeemable for Mari-Mattsun

The first time I watched this film, I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely engaged in all aspects of the film - I was only interested in watching Mari and Mattsun's parts. However, I recently revisited this film again and this time being fully engaged in all plot points, I’m sorry but I have to say this movie is kind of a disappointment and has so many flaws. I have completed the anime and am in the middle of reading the manga so I have a grasp of the original source material now. The first time I watched this film, I wasn’t aware of the many inherent issues with this film adaptation as tbh I just skipped to Mari and Mattsun’s scenes, which is why I initially gave it a relatively high rating because I think their storyline was done pretty well in the film and is the only redeeming part of it.

Firstly, my main issue is that this film has terrible pacing - everything moves too quickly and they essentially don’t give enough time to let the characters or story to ✨ marinate✨. Because of this, it's really hard to become invested in each characters' struggles. It also makes the timeframe of when scenes are taking place to be confusing. There were so many quick time shifts that at one point, I was confused about whether a following scene I was watching was in their current present or a few months later. This issue in itself is unrelated to the film's inability to stay true to its original source material.

That being said, being a manga film adaptation, not enough thought was put into understanding the original source material. Knowing the original source material well enough, I am bewildered at how they got each of the characters’ personalities so wrong. Natsuki comes off as cocky and annoying whereas in the manga, he is a loveable clumsy pure-hearted fool. Tsuyopon was probably the character done the worse and felt nothing like the manga character. The manga character is stone faced but secretly soft, so why was he so lively and goofy in the film? He is supposed to be the calm and collected one but they made him exactly like the others - immature and childish. Keiichi was done alright - I understand why they had to remove the intensity of the original character's sex kinks out. Though it would have been better if they made his character more lively to make up for the removal of that key part of the original character's personality. Mattsun was probably the only character done relatively well in still maintaining the essence of the original character's personality.

It felt like there was no real substance to this film and that I was watching four teenage guys just being immature and stupid for the entire duration of the film with no meaningful purpose. The film's fast pacing deprived us of seeing any true development between the characters. What bothered me particularly was how we didn’t see the development of Anna and Mari slowly becoming friends with the guys. They presented it as them just having to hang out with the guys and becoming used to it rather than them developing a fondness for the guys and actually enjoying spending time with them.

It seemed like the film adapted specific scenes from the original manga but put their own spin on it? But they didn’t do it very well. Honestly, this film would have been a bit better if they literally just did a scene by scene portrayal of the original manga than the fast paced mess they ended up concocting that seemingly had no consideration for the original source material.

Now my favourite part of the film! Which really lends weight to why I was able to enjoy this film to an extent and will rewatch it. Mari and Mattsun. The only storyline that actually had any development. And I’m glad they didn’t fuck it up because they’re my favourite part of the original manga. Mari’s character in the film is definitely a tamer version of the original character, but understandably so, because she is really intense in the manga. Literally all criticisms I've mentioned for this film are absent from the Mari-Mattsun storyline. The pacing was done well (as well as it could be for this film) - we got to see them first meet and become aware of each other, develop an understanding of each other, which leads to fondness and romantic feelings, etc. The two characters' personalities stay pretty true to the original manga characters. And their interactions with each other actually lead to meaningful personal character development!!! Whereas for Natsuki and Anna, it felt like we were just thrust into their interaction with seemingly no idea of how they came to know each other and it’s just them pining after each other but we don’t know why or the reason they’ve become truly infatuated to the other person due to lack of development.

Overall, honestly a very poor adaptation and I would rate it worse if I didn’t love Mari and Mattsun so much.

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"I went far away only to find nothing was different"

The Breaking Ice was a slice of life film that was more mood than plot. Filmed during the frigid winter in Yangi, China near the North Korean border, the snowy mountainous setting was easily the fourth main character in the story of three young adults disenchanted with their lives and in need of healing and connection.

Na Na leads tours in the Korean prefecture of Yanbian and doesn’t hesitate to ask for tips and good reviews with a smile on her face. Han Xiao works at his aunt’s restaurant in Yangi where Na Na brings the tour groups to eat. Hao Feng has come to town for a wedding. He spends most of his time dodging phone calls about his missed mental health appointments and staring down from the building wondering whether he has the courage to jump. He sees Na Na’s tour group and joins it the next day. When Na Na lets her mask slip around him, he finds a kindred spirit. After his phone is lost with his virtual wallet, Na Na invites him to dinner with Xiao. The three drink, dance, and later sleep it off at Na Na’s apartment. The next day they jump on Xiao’s motorcycle and travel on their own tour of the area.

“Whether I like it or not, I still have to do it.”
Zhou Dong Yu managed to lift dour Na Na above the material and give her emotional depth where the script did not. Liu Hao Ran brought a fragility to Hao Feng even though the writers were stingy with his backstory. Qu Chu Xiao’s Han Xiao wisely underplayed any jealous feelings Xiao might have had as Na Na and Hao became more intimate. The men’s friendship overcame hurdles that would usually derail them. Xiao was a good apple who even gave Hao a coat when they went hiking in the knee-deep snow, showing that the German saying, “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes,” worked in China as well. Though Xiao wasn’t a well-developed character his compassion toward a stranger was revealed in different significant layers.

“I’ve been away so long, I’m not even sure where home is.”
Xiao and Na Na had moved to Yangi and became stuck professional and emotionally. Both of their jobs had been adversely affected by the pandemic and both dealt with family separations. Hao may have had a good job in Shanghai, but he was equally disaffected. The three people were as isolated and closed off as the snow-covered mountains surrounding them. Yet they found warmth and healing connections as they spent time together.

“I don’t want to be alone.”
Director Anthony Chen and cinematographer Yu Jing Pin created beautiful shots of ice and mountainous roads and trails, lighting everything with exquisite care. The interior shots in contrast were warm, although the clubs highlighted the remoteness of the individuals as they drank and danced in the crowd. The film was gorgeous to watch and the music set the mood perfectly. The acting was all on point. My only complaint is that little was revealed about the characters, especially Hao Feng. Sometimes I had to create my own dots to connect. Despite my reservations, I quite enjoyed this film of three people reaching out and accepting each other where they were for the time they had together.

2 November 2024
7.75

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High entertainment value and not much more

I feel the same way about this movie as I did about its prequel. They are fun and action-packed. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, no big flaw that will make you frown, in fact you'll even have a good time watching them. Despite that, there's nothing that makes them particularly great or memorable either.

I watched Veteran 1 eight years after its original release so I had to take that into account and recontextualize, think about what kind of movies were being made back then. It made it harder to judge it. However, when it comes to this prequel I can confidently say this: it would've been an amazing film had it come out a decade (or more) earlier. But it's 2024 and it feels like Veteran 2 brings nothing new to the table. It isn't novel or fresh in any aspect, be it in terms of writing or execution.

It was extremely predictable, as in you can figure out the plot and most twists in the first twenty minutes or so. It feels like I've seen this very same story or variations of it many times before in books, TV shows or other movies. Obviously, its selling point isn't its originality—it's not supposed to revolutionize the genre—but rather its entertainment value, and it certainly delivers on that front.

The acting is good, as you'd expect from this cast; seeing Jung Hae In in this kind of role is fun. The execution, while far from being mind blowing, is still very clean: the movie looks great for sure, and there's some nice cinematography here and there. The OST wasn't anything note-worthy, I honestly didn't even notice it (which isn't necessarily a flaw for this type of film). I thought the choreography for action scenes was pretty neat too.
When it comes to the plot, as I mentioned earlier this isn't where the movie shines (we're quite literally told that the whys don't even matter), but the story is definitely well-paced and the comedic moments should at least get you to smile or snort.

There are some references to the prequel as well, although you don't need to watch it to understand this (but I'll always recommend watching prequels before sequels). They've also added some depth to Seo Do Cheol's character. Nothing too big but it was just the right amount imo. I liked Park Sun Woo as a character too but there were a few things that were kinda questionable to me.


Overall I slightly preferred Veteran 2 over its prequel, but I also got to watch it on the big screen so that might've played a part. I think it's up to personal preferences at this point because both are quite similar.

In the end it's a popcorn movie. You watch it because it's entertaining, not because it's a masterpiece. It suits the characters and the story: it's not a bad thing. Not all movies need to be 10/10 philosophical pieces. Movies like these are important and worthy in their own way; they should be made. I just wish there had been something, anything, to make the plot a tad bit more original, because this is basically the only thing keeping it mid rather than great.

I'm glad it exists nonetheless and who knows, I might even rewatch it in a few years?



(Btw don't miss the post-credit scene)

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Various Levels of Mediocre

I am a little bias when it comes to movies with a paranormal aspect which is why I was hoping for something better. Overall, this movie was just ok. It had a great story concept, but the script was lacking in many ways. There were a few times that the script just skips random things that made it a little confusing. The main problem is the horror, comedy, and romance elements were not successfully done and became boring after a while. Because of this, I started to skip some sections towards the end. However, I did apricate the slight twist in the end. As for the positive, the cast was great. They really did the best with what they had to work with. I also enjoyed the music and the special effects were not that bad.

Random Notes:

The location for Joe's house was also used in the series “Bake Me Please” (Peace’s house), “Shadow” (Dan’s childhood home), “Sing Again” (Piano’s childhood home), “Mama Gogo” (Annie’s house), and in “21 Days Theory” (Q’s house). Once again, I acknowledge that I'm a nerd for this kind of stuff.

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Good cinematography

I went into the movie without any expectations and without knowing much about it. I hadn’t even watched the trailer. All I knew was that it’s a Netflix movie from South Korea, and the cast is strong.

While watching, I did skip through a few parts—some scenes felt a bit repetitive, and the fight sequences ran a bit long. As the story unfolded, I realized it was structured almost like chapters in a book, focusing on themes like war, revolt, chaos, and ultimately, uprising. That aspect was pretty cool.

That said, I have to admit that the story itself wasn’t particularly striking. It felt more like a series of events leading up to the uprising rather than a gripping narrative. Still, I understood the message of brotherhood, and Yi Jong Ryeo’s final words were beautiful and moving.

Overall, I wouldn’t say it was a bad movie, but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

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The trailer is thrilling, what went wrong?

I saw trailer some times ago and I was looking forward to this movie, it was thrilling, giving excitement, the base story has potential that could be great. I walked into the cinema today, many people were taking lots and lots of pictures with the poster, I can’t help but ended up having high hope but then I fell out of the horses.
Throughout the story, I felt more of the slice-of-life type of movie which it was not I expected, it didn’t give me any thrill, slow pace running the story got me distracted… it didn’t hit the spot, it was just not there, could it be better? I don’t know
I won’t talk about the acting here since it seems like ML have strong fan base 😆 I’m scared. I looked him up and I realized he’s 97’s line and a friend of EunWoo and JungKook.
overall, the last line was “that grandfather is not me” to confirm that this is not a romance movie, cliche 😛

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A film out of time

A film out of time, there's something rather tragic about Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, it's just so poorly misguided that it ends up feeling off in direct contrast to its predecessors. There's a good film in here somewhere but it feels like a film from a different era, one that for all Tsukamoto's intent does not work as intended. It's hard not to assume he knew what he was doing. When he made The Bullet Man's face first turn to iron, he must have known that face paint looks cheap. He must have known those hyper-awkward script deliveries from a cast and crew who don't share the same language as its American lead would come across as embarrassing. It certainly feels like Tsukamoto knew full well that certain elements would be off and just tried to run with it, the zaniness is here but it feels wrong. The digital look does not work for this film with the overly excessive shakey cam coming across as simply nauseating, there's rarely a moment it sits still. The film's obnoxious sound mix only alienates the audience further, with dialogue delivered in hushed whispers but seemingly everything else amped up to eleven, I found myself adjusting the volume way too often to even attempt to engage with the film. Ultimately, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man feels more like a poor man's American remake of the original duology, lacking the gonzo mystery and waking nightmare horror. Trent Reznor's theme song is a banger though.

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Easy On The Eyes But Falls Flat On Any Emotional Resonance

"Under Parallel Skies" on Netflix, starring Win Metawin, is one of those movies that *looks* promising but ultimately feels like style over substance. On the surface, the film has the recipe for success: attractive leads, scenic shots, and a dramatic storyline. However, it doesn’t take long to see that it leans more on the aesthetics than on storytelling, and that’s where it starts to unravel.

The chemistry between the characters is, frankly, nonexistent. Win Metawin, though undeniably charming, struggles to bring the depth needed to make us care about his role. His interactions with the co-stars feel stiff, almost as if they're rehearsing rather than acting. There are these long, awkward silences and stares that seem to *want* to be meaningful, but they just come off as cringeworthy. The cast has all the good looks Netflix rom-dramas love, but that’s about it.

The plot, while it has potential, feels thin and overly dependent on the actors’ appearances to carry the emotional weight. But without chemistry or compelling performances, you’re left watching a story that doesn’t quite connect. It’s a shame because there’s a sense that, with better direction and more genuine performances, this could’ve been something heartfelt.

All in all, "Under Parallel Skies" might be easy on the eyes, but it falls flat on any emotional resonance or engaging storytelling. If you’re in it just for pretty faces, go for it. But if you’re looking for a truly gripping movie, you might want to keep scrolling.

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