Reviews

Its just does not hit home.

I had purposed to write a review to this movie but there was no excitement in the movie and so the review just took a back burner....The cast was stellar so their performance was not a problem.The story was straight forward so the plot/script was also not the problem...but i just don't understand why it was lucklusture.From start to end the movie maintained a singular tone,and at no certain point was my heart rate high due to an exciting scene.An ironic point that never left me was that despite everything happening in the illegal side of the law,there was no police to take a bribe, doing an investigation or threaten anyone with blackmail or arrest, EVERYONE who appeared on screen should have had some sort of police interaction.To me that's an oversight i couldn't get over with, what do you mean there was not a righteous police or a 'dirty' police to even things out.Finishing the review makes me think maybe the police aspect was the thing missing to keep things tense or thrilling.

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A Love That Refuses to Be Forgotten

Some movies entertain you.
Some make you think.
And then there are the rare ones—the ones that reach into your chest, wrap around your heart, and refuse to let go.

This is one of those movies.

Even now, my eyes are still filled with tears, and my mind feels overwhelmed by how beautifully this story was put together. Without hesitation, I would rank this as my number one Korean film. It carries everything a powerful story should—growth, understanding, love, heartbreak—and blends them together so naturally that you don’t just watch it… you feel it.

The female lead (FL) lives with a condition where her memory resets each day. Every night, she writes down what happened and what she must remember for the next morning. There’s something quietly tragic about that kind of life—starting over again and again, holding onto fragments of yesterday through ink on paper. And yet, there’s also a strange beauty in it… like every day is a chance to rediscover the world.

Then there’s the male lead (ML).

From the very beginning, something about him feels off—not in a bad way, but in a way that makes you pause. Still, you find yourself drawn to him. You want to understand him. And when you finally do, it hits like a wave you didn’t see coming. He’s living with a serious heart condition, fully aware that his time is limited. There’s a quiet sadness in him, a kind of acceptance that makes his smiles feel heavier, more meaningful.

When they fall in love, it doesn’t feel rushed or forced. It feels real. It grows in the spaces between moments—in laughter, in shared experiences, in the small things that slowly become everything.

But love, especially this kind, is never simple.

In what I see as both a loving and selfish act, the ML makes a decision. Knowing he will die, he asks her friend to erase him from her life—to remove the items, the traces, the pieces of him that might cause her pain. Because she forgets each day, he believes he can spare her the heartbreak. He doesn’t want her to wake up to a world that suddenly feels empty, stripped of the joy he brought into it.

And I understand that… but I also don’t.

Because love isn’t just about protecting someone from pain. It’s also about the right to remember.

And that’s where one line from the film stays with me, echoing long after the credits roll:

“Memories don’t just disappear.”

That line… it says everything.

This movie reminded me that even when someone we love is gone, they never truly leave us. They live on in quiet ways—in habits we didn’t realize we picked up, in laughter that sounds like theirs, in moments that feel familiar without explanation.

They remain in us.

That’s what makes this story so powerful. It doesn’t just tell a love story—it honors what love leaves behind.

And for that… this movie isn’t just something you watch.

It’s something you carry with you.

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A waste of it's potential and the talent of the cast

This movie was ok and the fight scenes were good but I don't see them being as memorable as the fight scenes in other action movies. The most disappointing thing about this movie was it's wasted potential. The story could have been so good and it had all the ingredients. The characters and they're relationships with each other could have been really interesting but were not fleshed out and are only saved by the actors who all do a great job. The main issue I had with with movie is that I didn't understand some of the characters motivations. I shouldn't be asking "wait, but why?" when a character makes a decision or an event occurs. For example, I barely understood why the final fight was happening and what little I was able to grasp was flimsy at best. The writers needed to spend more time establishing these characters and their motivations. The character I understood the most was the female lead but even then I still wasn't completely satisfied with what her motivations were. The person I understood the least was the main villain. Why was he doing the things he was doing? It made for a frustrating watch. What a waste of the cast.

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"I can't jump! I'm not Tony Jaa!"

If you are looking for a tight, nail-biting action film with strong acting, Striking Rescue ain’t it. If you are in the mood to see Tony Jaa cut loose with fierce elbows and knees on his opponents like he hasn’t done in recent history…this is it. My rating is comparing this film against other Jaa films.

Bai An is on a vengeful rampage after his wife and daughter are gunned down in front of him. Believing the perpetrator to be his wife’s boss, Chairman He Ying Hao, Bai An leaves no stone unturned and no body unbroken in his hunt for He. Lying in wait for He and his caravan travelling through the jungle, Bai An is surprised to find He’s crew attacked and He taken prisoner. In a strange trick of fate, Bai An ends up saving He’s daughter, Ting. The two join forces to find He with nearly everyone in town hunting the pair including Ting’s dutiful bodyguard, Wu Zheng.

The story was a flat framework used to hold up the fights. There were a half-dozen bad guys with their own crews of machete carrying minions that queued up for Bai An to pummel his way through. Despite his hatred of He, he risked his life repeatedly to keep Ting unharmed. Chen Duo Yi made the most of her damsel in distress role. Wu Zheng ended up being a nice fight buddy as the two reluctantly helped each other out. Two of the villains were wildly over the top which didn’t enhance the story. Shi Yan Neng played a villain he could do in his sleep at this point.

Now for a reason to watch this film. Tony Jaa at nearly 50 years old was amazing. I had to look up the fight choreographer and discovered it was Guo Yu Long. I’m not familiar with his work and it doesn’t look like he’s worked on many films, but he certainly knew how to showcase Tony’s talents. One of the best things about Tony’s fights was that he didn’t do a lot of rapid-fire punches that seemed pointless, unless it was the main villain. He aimed for the weak spots-elbows, shoulders, knees, and neck, which down an opponent immediately. Tony may be small but he’s mighty and a thing of frightening beauty to behold.

Striking Rescue may not have provided anything new in an action story and did run long, but it was good to see Tony in fine form again. I’ve missed his vicious knees and elbows. Don’t stay away so long, ‘kay? Rated on a Jaa curve. If you are a Tony fan, you’ll think it’s Jaa-some. If not, probably Jaa-ful.

21 March 2026

Trigger warnings: A few grisly fight scenes and a short operation scene. Child murder.

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STOP WHY DID JAEWON HAVE TO DIEE

I honestly loved this movie I don't understand why everyone is hating, like all seoyun wanted was to try something new and jaewon provided with TRUE LOVE like omg, and their first date at the beach was so cute and seoyun learning about jaewon’s mum dying and was so respectable and omg if he didn't die they would definitely would have been endgame like I already see it with jaewon being a stay at home dad and seoyun going off to be a successful artist with loads of exhibitions BUT NO WE JUST NEEDED TO HAVE THE PLOT TWIST WHERE HE HAS A WEAK HEART AND DIES LEAVING SEOYUN ALL ALONE EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THE ONLY WHO UNDERSTOOD HER AND HIS DAD HE WAS PROBABLY ALREADY GOING THROUGH DEPRESSUIN BECAUSE JAEWON’S MUM DIED 5 YEARS BEFOREHAND. and jaewon was such a green flag like he was genuinely just secretly supporting her with her anterograde Armenia where she forgets anything that happens after she experienced a car accident and her memory resets the next day, and yet he comforted her in ways she needed and jaewon didn't want seoyun to know that he knows about his condition because he didn't want her to be painted that the day would end and that she would forget her memories rather than enjoy the present moment with him, especially with the limited time they had left. He knew all the reassuring words yet HE NEEDED THEM HIMSELF BECAUSE HE KNEW HIS DEATH DATE WAS GETTING CLOER AND CLOSE LIKE UGHH and eventually she remembers after visitung the place of their first date, after visiting jaewon’s dad who gave her jaewon’s old iPad and a mini jaewon that was gifted by seoyun made from glass and jaewon’s dad reassured her saying that although some memories fade, what you feel in your heart never leaves. And BRO SHE VISITS HIS FUNERAL AND CRIES BUT BECAUSE OF HER CONDITION SHE FORGETS THE FUNERAL THE NEXT DAY YET OBVIOUSLY FINDS OUT AGAIN THROUGH HER JOURNAL SO SHEKS GOING THROUGH THIS CINSTANT CYCLE OF PAIN UNTIL JIMIN, HER BEST FRIEND, DELETES JAEWON FROM HER JOURNAL BUT THEN OUT IF GUILT SHE TELLS SEOYUN ABOUT HIM AGAIN since seoyun constantly asked jimin about who the guy was in her sketches since seoyun used to sketch jaewon a lot since he was such great sketch material ehehe, AND THEN THE MOVIE ENDS WITH HER SAYING IF EVERYONE WILL FORGET HIM BIT BY BIT THEN SHE’LL TRY AND REMEBER HIM BIT BY BIT.

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Korean Women

We had this book for our Korean Book Club, but I decided to watch the movie instead. Now I think the book would have been more interesting because, in the book, the writer explains the emotions of the characters, while in the movie we have to pick up on the emotions ourselves during long silent scenes.

This is a movie about women—women of different generations and views on life—giving us a chance to reflect on how Korean women lived 60 years ago, 30 years ago, and today, each period represented by one of the main characters. Thinking about that, it appears that each of them represents a type of outcast from a traditional society where having a big healthy family is the norm.

The movie mostly focuses on a mother, and we often just watch her as she apparently stoically bears all the issues. Everything else in the movie is seen through her eyes. Another main character is an elderly woman without a family, totally dependent on care in a nursing home. And also, not to forget, there is a daughter who mostly stays in the background. The movie is called "Concerning My Daughter", but it is 105 minutes long, and the daughter has no more than 10 minutes of screen time.

So, it’s not really about the daughter—it is about human connection. We are all afraid of being left alone and helpless. The movie shows that certain human connections are stronger than blood relationships. I strongly agree with that, but still, real marriages and children are the foundation of our society and the exceptions should only enforce the norm.

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I was actually ready to watch the series before the movie, until I realized that they’re connected.

I really liked this film. It has the kind of story and intensity that I enjoy, and it kept me engaged the whole time.

This is definitely the type of movie/series I tend to like.

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"A thief is still a thief"

Saga of the Vagabonds, Part 2: Forward at Dawn took place one year after the virtuous Taro was betrayed by his family and being hunted by the magistrate. He joined Rokuro’s bandits as their leader, changing all of their lives.

Taro’s leadership of the bandits has changed their entire operating procedure. They now only rob from the rich and give to the poor. There’s no raping or murdering of the peasants. Most of the bandits are strangely okay with this. Everyone, that is, except for Bonten and Jibu who have their eyes on the farm girl who had saved Taro in the first film. Their betrayal devastates the gang. Betrayals also hit close to Taro’s home when the evil retainer Hyoe’s plans are revealed.

Taro and Rokuro guided the band of merry thieves and fought side by side. I was shocked at how easily the bandits accepted Taro as their leader and was then reminded of a line from Ragnarok by Loki, "Well, it seems that you are in desperate need of leadership". Korg, “Well, thank you.” These bandits were not very bright and were also in desperate need of leadership.

This time the body count rose as Taro dealt with the fallout of Hyoe’s deadly actions. Part 2 was shortened in the version I watched and I wondered if they cut out the romance between Taro and the farm girl Tazu and any extended scenes between Taro and his love Koyuki. There seemed to be implied scenes that weren’t shown.

Whereas Part 1 was lighter and livelier, Part 2 was much darker as the deep betrayals burned away any ties that Taro had with his past. Not quite as engaging as Part 1, Part 2 was still enjoyable. The screen always sizzled more when Rokuro was engaged. Taro, bless his heart, could be a bit stiff. The message in the films was that the powerful and wealthy abused those beneath them in both social and economic status in order to prosper themselves. And when in doubt as the body count rose---the butler did it.

20 March 2026

Housekeeping note: In the version I watched, Parts 1 & 2 were combined. Part 1 was missing around 14 minutes and Part 2 over 20. If anyone finds the two in their entirety, please let me know.

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"Promise to not get angry"

Legend of the Vagabonds, Part 1: Tiger and Wolf began in a rather lighthearted manner. But as so often happens, as the story went on, the shadows descended.

Toki Taro Tarao chastises his young brother Jiro when Jiro’s men devastated the suffering peasants in order to gather a larger tribute to the Hojo clan. Taro accompanies the small fortune only to be besieged by bandits. Taro is injured and saved by a small farm family. Kahi Rokuro, a new member of the band of thieves, made off with the money, much to the chagrin of his gang. Rokuro becomes distressed when wanted posters for Taro appear as he knows Taro to be the best of men and not deserving of such derision.

The most compelling character in this film was not the upright and uptight Taro, it was the flamboyant and strangely ethical Rokuro. Once Rokuro realized who he had stolen from, he did whatever he could to make things right for his old childhood friend, Taro. Taro, on the other hand, had to learn the hard way that his family and villainous retainer were willing to sacrifice him for their own evil ambition.

Part One ends with Taro making a fateful decision that will change his life and the lives of the bandits. This was an entertaining film with several limited fights. Nakamura Kanemon III’s rousing performance as Rokuro lifted the story when rigid Taro’s presence often let it down. The vile Hyoe and immoral Jiro may have caused problems for the virtuous Taro in this film but they had more in store in Part 2.

20 March 2026
Housekeeping note: The only available version of this film I could find had Parts 1 and 2 combined. It appeared that Part 1 was shortened by 14 minutes and Part 2 was shortened by over 20 minutes which would have included credits as well.

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All Over the Place and Hard to Follow

As a stand-alone film, this movie struggles heavily with storytelling. The narrative feels choppy and often incoherent, with little connection between scenes or character actions. Many moments seem to jump from one point to another without proper buildup, leaving the viewer confused about what is happening and why. For someone unfamiliar with the original story, the film can feel disorienting and, at times, frustrating to follow.

The pacing adds to this problem. Some scenes are stretched out unnecessarily, while others pass by so quickly that you barely have time to process them. This uneven pacing creates a scattered viewing experience where important moments don’t get the attention they need, while less significant scenes are given too much time.

I also found myself questioning certain directorial choices. Some scenes, like extended introductions or visual sequences, do not add much value to the story and instead take away time that could have been used to develop the plot more clearly. On top of that, the CGI throughout the film is noticeably weak, which further affects immersion.

Overall, the movie feels disconnected and poorly structured. With better editing, tighter storytelling, and improved pacing, it could have been much more engaging. As it stands, it’s a disappointing watch, especially for viewers expecting a coherent and well-executed narrative.

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