Reviews

Botched story structure damages potential masterpiece

I will warn you when any spoilers are offered, so feel free to read until then.

1. The Western title of this would be, THE LIGHT BULB MAN

2. In general the entire production values are great. The first half of this piece borrows liberally from David Lynch, but in a good way.

3. I knew 3 people in this cast (the Mom, her daughter, and the light bulb man) and they were as good as ever. My only complaint is that the camera wouldn't leave the crying girl. You're not going to force me to cry because a girl is crying forever. That's cheap and it started to become an obvious ploy.

4. A major issue with the film is it changes genres midway -- which is a serious NO NO! You spend the first half of the film selling us on a dreamy Lynchian world only to flip it to a tearjerker melodrama? Nope. Both must be blended from frame one.

5. The major problem with this film was the story. Without spoiling, reveals needed to be re-arranged. And when 'reality' comes into the story, most of that should have been quick flashes, as to suggest we never should have left the dreamy world. And the Light Bulb Man deserved a more central role. And now, as warned, here come the STORY --

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6. In general there should have been a simple and crystal clear quest for our leading lady.

She, like her boyfriend and everyone else, should have 'been' in this weird alter-verse but started to suspect something was off. One by one the others would begin to recall a traffic accident, but never say 'bus'. They would start to recall they were all together, but something is wrong.

Our lead would say, wait, my boyfriend and I weren't in any accident. He'd be like, yes I guess so (for now), and they'd help the others find their bulbs and say their goodbyes. Our lead would help everyone get to that bulb store. She'd often have arguments with the man there, because she knew he was keeping a big picture secret from her.

When the lead and her BF helped the last person, she'd wonder why they were still stuck there. That they had no one to say goodbye too. Only then would the first flashbacks of the accident be seen in her memories, and she'd realized it was BUS ACCIDENT. She'd wonder if her BF was the driver, and he'd say it's time to say goodbye.

Then, and only then, would she wake up at the hospital.

If the above wasn't clear, I've un-divided the film. It's now a dreamy melodramatic tearjerker that still holds a big reveal for the end. This way it's very simple while maintaining a consistent tone.

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good watch

It was quite a good movie. Future possibilities of AI portrayed in a simple story, nothing too much.... The actors are all well known and they did their role justice, music was good specially as it was sung by the cast members, the artificial effects also didn't seem over the top. Overall it was a pleasant, simple but quite emotional film, so I don't see the reason for a low rating. Yes tbh it would've been good if it was made into a series because that would give the story much depth which it needs. As the movie shows the lives of people who were receiving the service but didn't really show the full story of the characters, just fragments which is why we couldn't really perceive their feelings, many things were left unexplained ......

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Monstrous and not in the good way

Monsters was a cheap, confusing film which wouldn’t have been a bad thing if it had been funny or scary. Five people ended up in a monster prison that was sealed in four dimensions but wasn’t impregnable. The ancient creators were super geniuses but forgot about solar eclipses which caused the singularity solar space time quantum magnetic black hole multiverse prison to glitch.

Long before humans crawled down from the trees, giants ruled the Earth. Everything was hunky dory until an underground explosion spewed up lethal monsters that ate everything in their path. The giants decided to leave Earth but eleven warriors stayed behind and caged the monsters. A gazillion years later Gao Fei and her sidekick Su Jun Bao race to the site where her sister, Gao Wei, disappeared a year earlier during a solar eclipse. As luck would have it another eclipse is about to begin. Fei is ready to jump through the newly formed ripples when Zhang Mu Sheng drops in wielding a knife and attacks Fei. Why you ask? Who knows. Jun Bao is accidentally knocked into the portal. When Mu Sheng refuses to relent Fei bounces both of them through the portal before it closes. An observer, Ayo Sayi, finds her way through the portal as well. Hiding in the deep forest is a monster who has a Black Canary cry that disables its prey before it attacks. As the group wanders through the woods, they keep happening upon other people who look just like them, both living and dead. Fei just wants to survive, find her sister, and get everyone safely home.

The creators failed at world building on multiple levels which dragged this movie down. It could have been a translation problem but the characters’ efforts to explain what was going on were just confusing word salads of scientific terms. It seemed liked the creators used the whole black hole singularity multiverse quantum physics explanation so that they could kill off character without having to sacrifice the main characters. How did beings intelligent enough to build a fourth-dimension prison powered by the sun not take into account solar eclipses? Total solar eclipses happen around every 18 months. And how in the heck would a solar eclipse be any more problematic than nighttime? A solar eclipse doesn’t block the sun for the whole planet. The nocturnal beasts didn’t seem to have any problem coming out in the daytime either.

Along with world building, the characters were a mess. Gao Fei knew her sister disappeared through a mysterious portal. She planned to go through it as well when it appeared again. She brought no food, water, weapon, or backpack. To show she was ready for anything she wore a white sports bra instead of a shirt. The Observer in an elaborate costume and wig was not properly attired for traipsing through the forest and fighting off a monster either, although she at least carried a sword. Mu Sheng went from trying to kill Fei to becoming best buddies with her in whiplash fashion. And poor Jun Bao was given a list of scientific terms to rattle off in no particular order. Most of the characters were knocked unconscious at least once. If they survived their ordeal they all needed to schedule CTscans upon return to their world. Quite honestly, my favorite character and the only one I cared about surviving was Master the dog.

Monsters was primarily a singular monster for most of the movie with the kind of CGI you’d expect from this caliber of film. If you enjoy being confused watching confused characters wandering through a singularity solar space time quantum magnetic black hole multiverse monster prison disguised as a wooded forest, this might be something to check out. I told myself if the writers resisted using the most cliched ending for these cheap monster movies I’d give it a .5 bump. It did not receive a .5 ratings bump.

17 October 2024

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Prequel story does not align with parent story

This was very well made. The feelings were there, the chemistry was amazing, the storyline was enjoyable too. I just think it would have been better as a stand alone rather than a parent story.

I felt as though so many questions were left unanswered. Dong Hui went to Seoul to study medicine, but ended up as a coffee shop owner. One time in unintentional love story, he mentioned that he wasn't a doctor. It was very casually stated, so it didn't seem as though he was bothered by the fact he never became a doctor. His personality in this also completely differs from the parent story. So what happened during the time he was in Seoul studying?

This story also ends with Ho Tae and Dong Hui smiling at each other, but in unintentional love story, Ho Tae refuses to let Dong Hui treat his wounds after being beaten up by a girl... So the ending of this and the beginning of the parent story don't really align which I found slightly disappointing.

I really enjoyed this series, the actors did great. The fact that the prequel and parent story don't really align makes this a little less enjoyable for me. If you haven't seen unintentional love story and want to after watching this, I would recommend not to, and pretend this is a stand alone story instead lol. There is too much of Dong Hui's past missing in the parent story, which makes it a little confusing if you have watched the prequel and expect a smooth continuation. They are good in unintentional love story too, just a little different.

That being said, I did really enjoy this and do recommend for people to give it ago.

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Hard to write about

This is a movie that is hard to rate and hard to review, leaving me without words for the first time since I started writing reviews.

One could think that that should stop me from writing a review, and it almost did but that alone makes it worthy of a review.

So what can I say, the movie has a pretty decent approach to puppy love at the twilight moments of teens lives. Combining art, youth, and lots and lots of Garberas colorful moments in the hospital gray... Showing people with terminal illnesses with drams, wishes and I guess more than just people waiting for a cure... With lots of moments of color and fun.

As well as shows the value of normalsy... So I guess I did manage to find some words in the end.

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Breezy, light, fun under no one's expense

This is a definition of light, breezy movie. You expose two recently broken up characters with different values interact with each other with lots of misunderstanding and slowly recover from their pasts in a 2 hr movie.

Both main characters had sufficient depth and character growth, even when we get frustrated at the perinniel drinking or bad mouthing, we slowly warm up to them and what caused them to act this way. And we see some definitive growth by the end.

Except for excessive alcohol induced interactions, I would definitely watch this movie again

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The Book of Mythical Beasts tells the story of Hua Man Teng, a flowering vine demon, whose plot to overthrow the emperor was foiled. On the night of the Great Demon Hunt, she plans to destroy the premiere demon hunters in an effort to take over the world.

Numerous demon hunters descend on the small town of Baihe, the 100 Demon Town. Friends Tian Jiao and Shui Ling work with inventor Mo Lian Huan. Tian Jiao’s father, herbologist Zi Zhong Bai, joins them as does Shui Ling’s mom, San Niang the expert of Ghost Needles. Buddhist monks Liao Yin and Liao Guo come to help save humanity. And officers Tian Can and Di Que bring the might of the Ministry of Demon Suppression. They amass at Bai Ling Long’s Inn, the owner who possesses foxlike abilities. Two bumbling samurai and 3 vengeful demon sellers also appear at the inn for other reasons. Differences of opinions arise over the dispatching of all demons as some are helpful to humanity. The problem is muddled because Hua Man Teng has turned good Buddhist animals evil against their will.

The first half of the film was slow as the above characters were introduced. Each of their abilities varied from the others. Finally, on the night of the Great Demon Hunt, Man Teng made her dramatic entrance with a cauldron of demonic bats. At that point the fight was on and the body count went up. The CGI creatures and weapons ranged from good to poor as did the different actors’ responses to the CGI creatures and vines. For an epic fight, the low production values diminished my enjoyment. As did the focus on Tian Jiao in the latter part as she wasn’t a very likeable character. I was pleased that there were several competent women warriors instead of the usual one token female. Mika Wang’s evil Man Teng did the best she could as most of the time she was rooted in one place with vines extending from her. In truth, I started this film because Yuen Wah played the herbologist father. He and Yuen Qiu made a fun sparring not-couple couple.

The Book of Mythical Beasts had entertaining moments and several compelling characters. This two-hour movie tried to give sixteen characters screen time with mixed results. So many people on screen at any given moment meant that some were going to be sidelined and the main thrust of the story would be bogged down. And the main thrust of the story was confusing at times. There were good demons, good demons who were forced to be evil, and then evil demons. Some demon hunters differentiated and others did not, calling into question humanity’s propensity for evil as well. The film ended with a new threat to humanity crawling over the mountains so the filmmakers might have other questions they want to raise.

16 October 2024

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really good plot, horrible execution

loved the story, i shed a few tears. it's has an emotional storyline. however, the male lead did not fit the role, it felt really stiff and out of character. the persona of the main character was meant to be this carefree, only out there for fun, joker kind of guy. the male lead on the other hand did not give that vibe so it felt really odd. the acting was not that great either for the other cast. and they killed of a character for no reason at all. there wasn't any emotional impact or anything to it so I found it quite odd. it was rushed and felt all over the place. other than that, I liked it, but I would not recommend watching it

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Good But Not Gripping

Decent film, but I’ve seen better in this genre. While the cinematography and acting were commendable, the slow pacing dulled the final reveal’s impact. Typically, I expect suspense/crime thrillers to keep me on edge, with adrenaline surging at every twist and turn. However, this 2+ hour movie dragged to the point where I had to skip parts and watch others at 1.5x speed. Though the storyline was well-crafted with a good twist at the end, the lack of an adrenaline rush made it merely a good watch, not highly recommended. Watch it if you’re a fan of the genre and have time to spare.

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"It's about trying or giving up"

Samurai Swordfish is a heartwarming time traveling samurai story packed into a 25-minute short film. There wasn’t time to fill in a lot of story gaps but most drama and film watchers will know how to fill in the blanks.

In 1863, Eisuke and Toramaru are best friends and samurai training partners. Toramaru is selected to the Shogun’s special unit though Eisuke is not as Eisuke is blind. Toramaru asks Eisuke to take care of his son should anything happen to him. One day while training the son, Toramaru’s practice sword with the words, “Knock and it shall be opened unto you” falls into the river and Eisuke goes in to save it. He surfaces in a modern Tokyo pool with no one else there except for coincidentally his great-great-great-grandson Ryusei. Through Ryusei he is introduced to Toramaru’s descendent who is in need of his help in learning the samurai spirit. Taiga was a competitive swimmer until he recently lost his leg in an accident. Eisuke shows him his disability can’t stop him from being a competitor by training with Ryusei and learning how to swim.

The story skipped over Eisuke coming to terms with being in the future-he just accepts it. It skipped over Ryusei and Taiga questioning whether he’s from the past-they just accepted it. The story skipped over the intricacies of learning how to properly swim freestyle-Eisuke seemed to know how. And while the synopsis maintained that Eisuke drown, he never died. As I said, most viewers who have watched time travel dramas/films will understand the steps glossed over due to the lack of time. The central focus was Eisuke’s sense of duty to Toramaru’s descendent, a surrogate for Toramaru’s son. Eisuke was willing to do whatever was needed to help Taiga succeed and regain his spirit. In the process of doing that, he was also helping Ryusei who had given up swimming when Taiga could no longer compete.

This short film could easily have been made into a full-length film. I liked how it highlighted the Paralympics by introducing two medalists who served as motivation for Taiga. Eisuke was able to show Taiga some of the Bushido principles of loyalty, bravery, and honor. Taiga and Ryusei discovered their inner samurai spirits through the efforts of a blind samurai who never gave up. Definitely worth 25 minutes of your time if you are in need of something uplifting.

15 October 2024

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It's bananas!!!

What happens when you add the quirky 1970’s with one of Japan’s quirkiest directors? You get an insanely creative film like House. Obayashi Nobuhiko took old elements that go bump in the night and used surrealistic effects to create something new for the time. When Obayashi is in the driver’s seat, hold on because it is going to be one wild ride!

Seven school girls travel to spend some time with Gorgeous’ aunt in her huge mansion on a hill. Gorgeous, Fantasy, Professor, Mac, Kung Fu, Sweet, and Melody descend upon the old woman living in her cobweb infested house. One by one the girls go missing as more and more bizarre incidents begin to take place.

The film started out slow as the girls discussed their plans. Gorgeous discovered her dad was getting remarried which propelled her to make the fateful decision to visit her deceased mother’s sister. When the other girls’ plans fell through, they followed Gorgeous. The train and bus rides had almost picture book backgrounds that were obviously fake. Gorgeous told the sad story of her aunt’s lover being killed during WWII with her aunt vowing she would wait for him forever. The story was told in sepia form with the girls all being able to see it. It did not take long for the nightmare to begin once they crossed the mansion’s threshold. A scary old well, creepy clocks, dusty pianos, luminous chandeliers, a skeleton, and an abundance of cat pictures which might normally make the hair on a person’s neck raise took on deadly proportions as the night went on. Obayashi used the special effects of the day and created a few of his own. The special effects were primitive by today’s standards, but this was before George Lucas took effects a giant step forward with Star Wars. Strangely, as gruesome as some of the scenes were, many came across as grotesquely funny and rarely scary.

When Gorgeous was relating her aunt’s story, she and the other girls seemed almost unfamiliar with WWII and the terrible suffering associated with it. Only 30 years out from the war, the girls lived in a peaceful society completely unaware of the price paid for it. The aunt had been unable to let go of her loss and bitterness. Little by little she began to destroy the oblivious young people chaining them to her pain and insatiable hunger. The film turned on its head two common tropes---A man will save us! An adult will save them! This ravenous haunted house hidden in the fog under a full moon had no mercy on anyone.

House is a hard film to define. It was a horror film with a devilish sense of humor. Obayashi seemed to revel in creating a macabre world of the ghostly realm and the teenagers powerless against the inexorable pull of the inevitable. Experimental, weird, and totally bananas (sorry Togo!), House felt like a bad acid trip that shouldn’t have worked but did. Mostly. Screw black cats, I’ll never look at white cats the same.

15 October 2024
Trigger warnings: Dismemberment, so many body parts. Blood

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Depth

I read the synopsis and I was hooked, I honestly love story of people giving life a second chance or turning a new leaf, and this is the perfect example of what. So many moments with valuable lessons and I love how she found her "people". You know you know I really love this. People that "actually" wants a second chance should always be given an option to do so. Side stories were just enough it didn't steal anything from the main story. But the thing that hit me the most was when she was asked what she did before and she was able to say she used to work at a "Bento Shop" it felt empowering IDK.

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