Reviews

Emergency Declaration (2022)

I watched a youtube video where they said it took 3 years to write the script and it's amazing how the actions of the passengers are very similar to what has been happening with the current pandemic.

This movie is about a terrorist attack on a plane bound for Honolulu. Because of the circumstances, the plane is not able to make a landing in various cities and the passengers and officers have to make a choice.

Another disaster movie that appeals to our humanity. The stories of each passengers are nothing new, but focused more on family. I think I probably would have made the same decision if I were on the plane.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Just Superb!

One of the Best Stories in Aviation history of Cinema
gotta give it to the writer for a wonderful script.

Rarely very rarely I would give a movie almost perfect 10
it's just that good

Story
Writer Han Jae Rim, outdid his self in this movie, he will not believe it in the future that writing of this script is going to be one of his top 5, introduction of characters, plot, climax, that's it, no other sideline stories needed.

Acting/Cast
one thing that missed it for a perfect 10 is the scene in Bricom, no executive of a company will comedown and argue with the police about warrants., aside from this sole scene its very great acting from a powerful cast

Music
BGM fits the and timingly appropriate for each scenes
this is how you insert BGM to each scenes and cuts of the timeline

Rewatch
Yes, there is very rare good aviation movie out there, SULLY is one, aside from that,
can't think of another one that will keep me in the edge of my seat being curious on the next scene

Overall
Watch it with popcorns and plenty of water, trust, you don't want to miss any scene
easlily and highly recommended movie. I think cannes is good in nominating this movie

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Money and Cars

Seoul Vibe (2022)

Likes
1. Fun, light action comedy flick when you have nothing to do on friday night
2. I like the cast, felt like everyone was having a blast shooting though sometimes yoo ah in is being so serious with his acting (lighten up!). And whew! No one died!
3. 1988 olympics didnt really have much to do with the story but i loved how they styled their car ala olympics style. And the old music (i was listening to 80s rap just this morning!)
4. The Prosecutor ahn scene was the main thing that struck me most in the movie. And surprise that the lead prosecutor isnt a baddie!

Dislikes
1. Felt like they tried so hard to make them look cool but the 80s vibe felt forced (did the writer grow up in the 80s or did the writer just googled the 80s?)
2. Too long and some parts were boring. It only gets interesting in the last part. The ending was also too unbelievable (are they trying to be f&f or mission impossible?)
3. I was expecting general bald will be some famous actor considering how they tried to conceal his face, so was disappointed when i saw who it was.

Rating: 8/10

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It's really wild how CGM manages to execute a film with a cliched plot into something magical

On a random afternoon, I decided to watch this film without expecting much. Just for kilig (an expression of squealing with joy). And what I did not expect is that.... I'll like it.

With the famous 'star magic formula', the story revolves around teenagers' lives with how they consume social media. Of course, romance is inevitable. Although the social media context is a bit draggy, I could say that there are a lot of life lessons in this film: how social media could manipulate you, and what you could do for clout. I even thought this would just be romance-centric. There is an observation of family drama, too. The mother-daughter relationship dynamic got me crying.

How the casts managed to pull off their chemistry is really great. They never acted like they were neophytes. Especially the main leads. Agot Isidro is exceptional as always.

The soundtrack was alright. Considering some films would just add songs to fill the ~vibes~ in the scene, Love on First Stream has the exact music that would fit the scenario. But it did not give me the LSS.

Overall, it is a nice watch thanks to the actors' gold acting. If you want to watch a plot that is not really too heavy or disturbing, this is your sign to start the film.

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"I am a wandering bird in tears"

In a chaotic world with war and a financial depression The Dancing Girl of Izu ponders whether love or stability is more important. A happy heart or a full belly? Safe shelter or life on the road?

College student Mizahara helped out a band of traveling performers and became friends with the head of the group, Eikichi. As he traveled with them, he fell in love with Eikichi's sister, Kaoru. Eikichi had inherited a gold mine but squandered his money and sold it to Zenbei, a friend of his late father. Now he and his wife and sister are forced to earn money as itinerant entertainers.

A disreputable engineer who had worked with Eikichi, tried to shake down Zenbei for a reward for showing him the vulnerable mine years ago. Zenbei gave him some change and kicked him out. The engineer went to Eikichi telling him that Zenbei had taken advantage of him when he bought the mine so cheaply and motivated Eikichi to ask for more money from the mine owner. Zenbei refused to give Eikichi money outright but offered money to buy his sister. Eikichi, who was furious at losing his reputation along with his money had no problem with throwing his sister to the wolves.

Mizuhara intervened by confronting Zenbei who also happened to be the father of his best friend. At this point, in the movie we find out that all is not as it seems. Mizuhara realized this as well and also realized that Kaoru's best chance for "happiness" was not with him.

Zenbei and Mizuhara made choices for Kaoru, as did her brother. Regardless of their motivations, Kaoru was left without choices, her future in the hands of the men around her, some she didn't even know.

Director Gosho used the beautiful Izu Peninsula to good effect with the mountains and streams often in the background. The character development seemed to come second to the melodramatic plot, leaving me disconnected from their trials. It was hard to see a strong love developing from the short scenes the lovers had. Their feelings came across as more of a holiday crush. Probably best one of them was thinking pragmatically.

This silent film had no music and I'm unaware if it ever did. The film was originally intended to be a talkie but ran short of money. The copy I watched was faded with salt and pepper pocking but it didn't take away from my viewing experience. I was more curious if the sides had been cropped as there were times people's faces were cut off which looked more haphazard than artistic.

The acting bordered on overacting at times as happened with some of these older films but overall they did a good job. I usually enjoy Tanaka Kinuyo's performances and it was interesting watching her in one of her earlier movies. She was required to cry often which could wear thin after the third or fourth crying jag. The tears were understandable as her character was not consulted on her future, but as I said, it started to feel like overkill even for a supposedly very young girl experiencing love and heartache for the first time.

The start-up was misleading with a missing "geisha" which had little to do with the plot, but once it got past that red herring, the story started to gain traction. If you enjoy silent films this is an emotional one of young love to try.

"I am a floating weed
I spend my youth in traveling
In every waking moment
flowers of love and sympathy bloom"



9/17/22

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Simple story, yet very engaging

Method acting is a very famous acting technique. Some think it's completely unnecessary and over the top, and this film certainly demonstrates how it can cause harm emotionally and even physically, to an extent.

The performances were outstanding! Coupled with the music, the tension was felt. During the beginning love scenes and the play's opening night, for sure. I was on the edge of my seat and the film does a great job of putting you in Jae-ha's shoes during that last moment. We believed the same things and I was curious what he was going to do. This film does a great job flipping the experienced actor v. beginning actor where, by the end, the character with the upper hand switches.

In terms of representation of homosexuality, which I haven't really seen explored in the k dramas and films I've seen so far, I think it kind of leans into harmful stereotypes. Infidelity with an added age gap that makes it clear why Young Woo's agents thought it was predatory. The only mitigating factor (and it's very, very slight) is that it does not seem to have been a genuine intent from Young Woo. At least, I took from the ending that he was intending to move on and the entire affair was to perfect his role on stage.

So, it was a very riveting watch. I'd be curious to rewatch it again because the shift in their relationship was interesting to watch. I added Night Like You to my playlist on Spotify because I really liked it.

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What a mess.

Bleh. Meh.
It took me three evenings to finish this.
The "sorcerers doing wuxia stuff in the past" part is fun and enjoyable - the characters likable and interesting.
All the alien stuff (most of the film) is ugly, convoluted garbage.
Imagine the final fight from Black Panther stretched to hour and half - that's the alien stuff.
This is such a disappointment.
(I say this as someone who liked Woochi a lot. What the actual fawk.)
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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typical celebrity-commoner love story

What happens when you fall in love with a Star(Celebrity), you come under the surveillance of the media and your quiet life might become chaotic. Either you continue the relationship hiding or break up to let the celebrity have his name and fame untainted.
Writers are so obsessed with sacrificing the love concept, I am leaving you for your own good and then suffer alone in the name of love. Pushing away the person you love is a really irritating premise.

Almost every star story has this typical storyline. you get to see typical banters and indifference of personality. The movie had a predictable ending and the leads have mediocre chemistry. For me, it was a waste of time.

ML, Yi Feng had good and effective acting. FL, Yang Mi was blank for me. She just didn’t have any facial expressions. If it's sad it ought to show on her face, eyes anywhere I just couldn’t find expressions on her. No offense to her fans please but sorry I didn’t like her.
Dilraba Dilmurat was the reason I watched the movie, but she had very less screen time. And being a newbie she was average.

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Really Good Story About Friendship and Sacrifice

I loved it.

Story
- It's a bit predictable and simple but it's well-told.
- I loved the characters and the story of a friendship between fox and mortal

Acting
- Li Xian being the playful fox spirit Bai Shi San here is ... His performance was unexpected. Playful, mischievous, funny, yet vulnerable
- Chen Linong is new to acting but he's not bad
- They have good chemistry together.
- Hanikezi is super cute and sweet and so funny.

VFX
- I like the CGI foxes hahaa

OST
- Definitely adding the themesong to my Spotify playlist
少年无邪 by Chen Linong

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Seoul Vibe is mostly style over substance, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an entertaining ride

PROS
+ The cars and music have a cool, retro vibe
+ There are some exciting pursuits and extreme stunts that give the film a unique charm
+ It's refreshing to see the team function well together and pull off the complex and far-fetched plans (it's similar to something like the A-TEAM)
+ The sense of danger is conveyed very well once things start going bad

CONS
- The depth on each character is paper-thin and often made me lose interest
- Even some of the story seems lackluster in its writing
- A lot of the racing scenes in the beginning seem to be pretend with a heavy reliance on quick camera work and varied action shot rather than legitimate driving/racing
-------------------------------------------------
I don't think I would re-watch this one, but I'm glad to have seen it once. It's nearly 2.5 hours and some of it just feels like a highlights mashup of a TV drama series.

If you're like me and recently watched Special Delivery, then this might help you come back down to earth.

7.5/10

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Misfortune Teaches Us the Truth

What would you do if you had six months left to live? When we are young, aflame with dreams and a perfect view of what our world will be we never think that one day due to life circumstances we might become a mere cog in a machine and the weight of corporate or public bureaucracy will extinguish that flame with its inertia crushing in on us. If we are not careful each day can become the same without making any difference in the world. Director Kurasawa breaks through the darkness of merely enduring the days by elevating a civil servant nicknamed "The Mummy" who hasn't really lived in 20 years to hero status. The hero's journey is not without suffering and heartache, and a behemoth of a monster to face before he leaves this plane of existence. With the sands of the hourglass rapidly streaming out he has one goal to reach, one thing to do to have made his life worth living and in the final moments to give it meaning.

Ikiru begins with a death sentence being handed out to the Public Works Chief, Watanabe Kanji. Watanabe sits at his desk stacked high with papers just as he has for 30 years without taking a sick day, shuffling and stamping the papers validating his reason for being there. Once 20 years ago, he submitted a proposal for making the job better only to be shot down. Now he uses the proposal pages to wipe his glasses.

Upon finding out he has stomach cancer he is devastated. Kurasawa gave us a brilliant scene as Watanabe leaves the hospital so absorbed in his own thoughts that the world is silent. When he is jarred into reality the loud noises of life intervene once again. His son and daughter-in-law only want his money to buy a house and don't even ask what's wrong when they find him sitting in the dark. With no one to talk with, in a powerful moment he covers his head and cries himself to sleep.

At a chance meeting in a bar, Watanabe meets a small time writer. The writer plants seeds in his brain about no longer being a slave to life but being its master. Never having ordered a drink before Watanabe asks for help in having a night of fun out. The writer takes him out on a raucous night on the town. At their last stop the piano player asks for suggestions and Watanabe asks for "Life is Brief". In a low deep voice, the older man sings as the pianist plays silencing the revelers around them as the listeners reflect on the words of the song and Watanabe's grief.

A young girl from his office shows up the next day at his house because she needs his stamp to hand her resignation papers in. When he asked why she is leaving she tells him the boredom is killing her, that the only thing of interest that's happened in over a year is when he didn't come into the office. Her youthful exuberance and their casual meetings lay the step for his next revelation. He needs to make something to feel useful and relevant. Happy (Re)Birthday Watanabe Kanji!

With the energy of a man possessed he determines to answer the pleas of some local women who have been given the run around about a cesspool in their neighborhood. The women want it filled in and turned into a park but had been shuffled between 20 different departments before being sent back to Public Works.

The film jumps to his funeral and the last half of the movie is shown in flashback as the mourners piece together his motivations and what courageous steps he took as he fought the machine he was a cog in by wearing it down to have the park built. At first the upper echelon patted themselves on the back saying he had nothing to do with the new park. After they leave the cogs in different departments start comparing notes and realize how hard he fought even as he was dying to do something worthwhile, no small feat in a world of petty bureaucratic fiefdoms.

The cogs are jarred out of their complacency and vow to make a difference and not let the machine kill their desire to make meaningful changes. But as they find out as well, the machine doesn't like change, making Watanabe's work all the more heroic.

There are moments in Ikiru that will give you pause, make you misty-eyed, and even laugh. As the mourners gossip and take credit your blood will boil at the injustice and cause you to cry out for Watanabe. The silenced voices of small cogs eventually join the viewer in being advocates for the man willing to change and willing to make a change, regardless of the cost. A man no longer afraid to keep persevering in the face of the word "no". No longer having the time or energy to hate. No longer afraid of death. This hero had only one enemy-time and only one super power-tenacity.

Watanabe had faced an existential crisis. Not only had he been handed a death sentence but he was faced with the realization that he had only been going through the motions for 20 years, wasting the precious gift of life. We are all handed a death sentence the moment we are born, we just don't know its date. Ikiru is a beautiful film that asks the viewer as much as the central character to self-reflect on their life and its meaning, whether it is being lived with purpose. The final scene of Ikiru is poignant and reminds us all that Life Is Brief, remember to live it while you can.



9/16/22

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North-South conflict with Americano blend

The usual formula of North-South conflict but with a style of "Americano" blend, overall a pretty high quality production but does have its shortcomings. Despite the complicated three way multinational storyline, it still pale in comparison like this year's best selling korean movie The Roundup, it lacks defining thrills as the villain doesn't even look intimidating enough, and most of the time it was overwhelmed by comedy all over the place. The meaty part kicks off too late and the first half of the movie is basically lifted only by comedy, fortunately it gets better when the main case is on track which provided a satisfying ending sequence with enough pressure points. Action scenes do look very gripping with accurate sound effects and exhilarating scores, but i guess most audiences will be moved by the visuals of the two male leads which is prominently highlighted in here.

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