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Royal rumble!
Kaiju Mono flipped Kaiju parodies on their head and then slammed them with a DDT. In the opening scenes, reports of violent weather, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions were explained as Mother Nature not taking our BS anymore. Kaiju Mono came as a warning. Filled with sexual innuendo and a monster that hunted virgins of any sex, this film didn’t try to take itself seriously or make sense at any point. Somehow it also managed to be ridiculously funny even when it was completely inappropriate at times.Kaiju Mono was an underground dweller who came to the surface when she needed snacks or to take her anger out on humans. Deep in the woods, two lab assistants came across a strange egg where a bizarre incident connected to Mono had just occurred. When the monster decided to go on a rampage and head toward Tokyo, Dr. Jotoro, a Sailor Moon cosplayer and scientist, developed a serum that would make his skinny lab assistant a giant, muscled Titan. Dr. Jotoro had also developed expandable briefs so that Nita wouldn’t have to wrestle nude, much to the chagrin of the ladies watching the downtown battle. Nita managed to drive Mono away and instantly became a celebrity, especially since his muscles remained after returning to normal size. When Mono once again stomped into town looking for her egg, she thrashed Nita, causing Dr. J to have to work on a new formula for him.
Nita had three different iterations, each bigger and badder and played by three different actors. The wrestling scenes were funny and fairly acrobatic for the limited space they fought in. The movie made fun of the military, protestors, industrial espionage, the fickleness of fame, and the news media. No one was immune to their zingers and Mono’s chomping. The film did show the benefit of older people when another hero emerged. As the movie explained for the non-Japanese audience, the original Ultraman made a guest appearance. The biggest drawback for me, other than some draggy moments in the middle, were a few gay and cross-dressing jokes that have not aged well.
“Will this lead to a glorious future or man’s extinction?” Kaiju Mono didn’t answer that question or any others, but it didn’t need to. Director Kawasaki playfully poked fun at Godzilla movie tropes and created some solid laughs throughout the film. This film isn’t for everyone, it helps if you enjoy Kaiju films, pro wrestling, and irreverent humor. Silly and never taking itself seriously, Kaiju Mono managed to not lay an egg.
10/24/23
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"The fear of men makes them the perfect prey of the devil"
Water Monster was a taut 78-minute monster thriller with very little filler. No slapstick comedy, no overwhelming CGI, just a fishing village trying to find a way to survive a lethal water monster attack.Shui Sheng witnessed the Water Monkey killing his father a decade before. Now the creature is back and Uncle San, the village elder, declares they must once again sacrifice a virgin to save the village. After the death of her father and brother, Xiang Lan is willing to die, but her love interest, Shui, is not going to let that happen. He gathers a small force to face the village and the monster which at this time is difficult to differentiate between. Shui saves Xiang Lan. Then the heroes confront the Water Monkey and after a fierce, deadly battle cage it. Uncle San refuses to let them kill it thinking the creature to be a god. With that fateful mistake the village suffers even greater losses and must now confront not only the Water Monkey, but their fears and mistakes of the past.
Water Monster went where few guys in rubber suits movies dare to go. The body count of familiar characters was extremely high. Old beliefs were faced head on. Shui Sheng dared to call the village elder’s self-protective action as murder. Anytime someone in a movie says, “Please don’t blame us,” nothing good or righteous follows. Why is the guy who decrees someone must be sacrificed never volunteers himself? In a world where women are devalued, why not sacrifice a virgin male or the village chief as a more valuable “gift”? Chief Liu’s eyes were finally opened and he realized that “begging, sacrifice, and wishful thinking” only strengthened the monster and weakened them. It was time to unite and face death.
The atmosphere was perfectly dark and foreboding. The music and some of the lighting were reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean. Every time the familiar “bong pulse” rang out I wondered who had a piece of the Aztec gold. The monster costume looked like an updated version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), a movie that gave me nightmares when I watched it on the late, late-night show on tv at a childhood slumber party. The Water Monkey really would have given me nightmares as he was fast, extremely flexible and possibly a kung fu master. The fights were fierce, bloody, and deadly. An abundance of inventive weapons were created to stop the seemingly invincible foe.
The Water Monster kept the action coming at a thrilling pace. I was invested in several of the characters despite the limited amount of time devoted to them in this short movie. The village not only had to face the vicious monster, but also their fears and responsibility for their own safety. For what looked like a low budget horror movie, these still waters ran deep.
10/24/23
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A Wannabe Tarantino Movie That Fails Even as a Copycat
It started off well enough, and since the actors were all such pros I was invested in the characters. Alas, midway it descended into a wannabe Tarantino film replete with an R&B song blasting while two sexy, young hipsters shoot up a room full of dozens of people. But in a Tarantino movie the violence is aesthetically stylish. In this movie it came off as just plain silly.Some of the silliness involved a petite 90 pound girl who was bashed in the head with a hammer 6 times but did not die; and later in the movie was shot in the chest 3 times, but still did not die. I began to think of her as "The Immortal Femme Fatale." And that's just one of the film's sillier elements. Trust me, there are bucket loads more.
But of all the silliness, I'd have to say that worst involved the director's attempt to copy certain plot lines from "Reservoir Dogs" and certain scenes from "Pulp Fiction." The imitation was so lame that I began to feel embarrassed for this director. Really, by the end of this movie I was just plain cringing.
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A story about people who often go unheard
This movie is a very rare gem indeed. It's not often that you get to see Own-Voices productions of stories about queer people or deaf people and here you get both woven into one, all based on the real life experiences of the director.Because of this, the film feels undeniably real in a way which I really enjoyed.
The actors' performances are fantastic for the most part, and the sound design is phenomenal. It fully immerses the viewer in the world that its deaf characters inhabit while still being entirely accessible for those not hard of hearing, it really is masterfully done.
I also really loved how much the story focused on the importance of community and support, of found family in a way.
Now, will some viewers, such as myself, who enjoy certain privileges in their lives find this movie boring? Unfortunately, yes.
As someone who is lucky enough to be able to live openly and without fear and whose coming out was fully supported by a host of loving family members and friends, I couldn't relate to a lot of the struggles the characters faced.
But that in no way diminishes the film's value or should prevent anyone from watching it.
For anyone struggling with societal pressures due to their identity, for anyone who has to face rejection and recrimination for being who they are, for anyone grieving the "normal" happy life they haven't gotten to live yet, this movie will undoubtedly mean a lot. It's a promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the reassurance that, no matter what, you are not alone.
This is an incredibly important and meaningful message and for that alone I consider this movie well worth watching.
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O:G 5 - Continuity returns!
So for the first time since part 2, we have direct continuity with the previous film intact. I'm a fan of that, however, again with the weird re-casting Chico in a new role, she actually plays 2 separate roles in this one. I guess we're just meant to understand he has a definite type.I found the pacing to be in line with the 4th film, for the most part, and the plot was fun despite its over-familiarity at this point. I can see how audiences might have been losing interest and/or patience with the series by this point, however, so it's not a surprise that they ended the franchise at 6. Overall, I do tend to think the entries are stronger when they at least acknowledge past entries, so this one is amongst the strongest of them.
I do believe if they had linked all of these films more closely together it may have been possible to keep them going for a longer time. Fear of breaking what seemed to be working well is what probably did them in. Still, it's a very good series and I'm looking forward to watching the final instalment soon.
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Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella with a twist...
The cast was really good, especially Kirei Miritani, I didn't expect her to be part of this film. I watched it when I saw that Yuko was part of the cast.There were some loopholes in the story, but still I had not have the faintest idea as to who was murderer.
This was really a fresh take on the stories that we watched growing up.
Some questions still remain:
Did Red have special power or was that her intuition?
Why did the King let everyone go when the murderer wasn't cleary caught during the ball?
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The Second Half Is Worth The Watch
This was one that surprised me. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. It was definitely a tale of two halves. It almost seemed like each half was created by two different directors as they were so contrasting in tone, style, depth and cinematography. I’ll be honest, if I had watched the first half only, this would have gone on my list of bls that I watched and never thought of again. But the second half packed a punch. It’s the better half. It’s tragically beautiful and I’m so surprised I came away feeling hopeful, despite the bitter and painful things unfolding on screen. There was so much beauty in the relationship between the lead and the mother of his dead partner. So much beauty in uncovering that the dead partner truly loved him. So much beauty in the bonds forged through pain. I recommend this movie whenever I can because I don’t think many people watch it long enough to get to the second half - which is where it shines.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful Bittersweet
This one was such a beautifully heartbreaking story. The only criticism I would level at it is that with the ending reunion scene you don’t leave feeling as hopeful as you should. You can’t get away from the feeling that they lost something that they can never get back - the feeling of what might have been. The regret slightly overshadows everything and you leave feeling more bitter than sweet. It’s for this reason I cannot give it a 10/10. It’s a blemish on an otherwise magnificent bl. Like ITSAY, this series can stand up against any mainstream production. It’s another cinematic masterpiece. The young actors are able to convey so much - the angst, the fear, not knowing what you feel, not wanting to accept what you feel, the burden and the expectations, the flawed thinking of youth, the unfairness of the world, and the loss of something precious that can never be re-attained. If I could sum this series up into one phrase, it would be ‘an exhaled sigh’.Was this review helpful to you?
a beautiful and thought-provoking piece of cinema.
Past Lives is a captivating tale that delves deep into the complexities of rekindling old connections and navigating the ever-evolving dynamics of life. The film's premise revolves around Nora, who articulates the essence of her journey perfectly – a childhood friend from 24 years ago reduced to a mere image on her laptop 12 years later, only to emerge as a flesh-and-blood person once again.The narrative subtly explores Nora's magnetic pull towards this long-lost friend, accentuated by her profound yearning for her hometown, Seoul. Their separation and eventual reunion rekindle a flood of memories and emotions, making us ponder whether their different cultural backgrounds and life circumstances will allow them to be together.
Past Lives elegantly unveils the perpetual struggle of life, the ever-present dilemma of sacrificing something dear for the promise of something new. Nora is forced to confront these choices, adding layers of depth to the storyline.
What sets this film apart is its masterful use of dialogue, which feels incredibly genuine and relatable. The characters are brought to life with nuance, and the cinematography, though understated, carries an aesthetic charm that enriches every scene.
It is a beautiful and thought-provoking piece of cinema. It serves as a reminder that life is a continuous journey of self-discovery, woven with the delicate threads of past connections and the decisions we make along the way. This film, with its simplicity and engaging narrative, is a gem to behold.
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A movie full of suspense and excitement.. you should not miss watching it (^-^)/
Starting from buying second-hand items on an online shopping platform, Soo-Hyun (Shin Hae-Sun) fell victim to a scam and intended to report the fraudster. Instead of getting her money back, she found herself subjected to a series of relentless terrors.Korea has never run out of storytelling ideas, and in this film, Korean cinema explores the issue of online shopping scams that have victimized many.
The story is meticulously crafted, and its mystery leaves the audience questioning who the real culprit is. Terror after terror is delivered gradually with various ‘crazy’ methods that keep the viewers on the edge of their seats.
Shin Hae-Sun delivers an outstanding performance, and the villain’s presence is filled with malevolence that makes the audience feel afraid whenever they appear.
The various terrors depicted, coupled with the investigative elements from the police, left me intrigued by the story until the end.
The climax is brilliantly executed, with an escalating intensity of terror. Many viewers applauded when the film concluded.
For fans of the thriller genre, TARGET is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat!
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Why I hated this kind of great movie.
There are many positive comments about how this is such an amazing piece of cinema. Yes, it is graphic and not for the faint of heart. I think the two male leads were pretty great. Lee Byung Hun as Kim Soo Hyun was good as the "good" guy, and Choi Min Shik was awesome at making Jang Gyung Chul one of the most despicable, disgusting, terrible characters ever.That said, there is one facet of this movie that just turned me off to the whole thing. SPOILER AHEAD:
Soo Hyun puts a tracking device in Gyung Chul and lets him go. Oh, is he going to track him through the woods or some deserted area and just keep messing with him? No. He lets him go right where he is, to go and offend on a bunch more people. I believe he killed at least 3 people after Soo Hyun let him go. Those are the most egregious. But that poor nurse will also never be the same. Soo Hyun could have done many different things to torture that a$$h0l3. But letting him go like he did just ruined the movie for me. Soo Hyun turns out to be a terrible character as well. I know he didn't want that, or intend for that to happen, but the fact is that the baddie ruined a bunch more lives because of the way Soo Hyun decided to handle it. Sooooooo lame.
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5 > 7
Five red-headed ghosts visited Jackie Chan in Spiritual Kung Fu. In this kung fu flick there wasn’t just one secret kung fu book, there were two!Long Yi Lang is the dull, mischievous, often bordering on unlikeable, student at the shaolin temple. One night a thief sneaks into the temple and steals the forbidden Seven Deadly Fists book. The Luk family took it in their plan for revenge against the monks for preventing the father from becoming the Wu Lin leader a decade before. Using the techniques in the secret book, the Luk son will be able to eliminate the competition and gain the leadership role. The only counter to the Seven Deadly Fists style is the Five Style Fists and that book has been lost. Right on cue, a sparkler from heaven crashes into the temple library depositing 5 red-headed ghosts who just happen to reveal where the Five Styles secret book is hidden and begin training Yi Lang in Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Crane, and Leopard styles. Meanwhile, the Luk son studies his book and begins killing off his competition. The inevitable duel between the two men will determine whether 7 is greater than 5 in a kung fu battle.
Jackie Chan’s Yi Lang was more irritating than funny or endearing. When the fights started in earnest, the mugging for the camera and whining finally stopped. James Tien often played a bad guy as he did in this film. Dean Shek and Wong Ching both played comic relief buddies to the two fighters. Wu Wen Siu had the rather thankless job of being the only female in the cast but made the most of it when fighting Jackie and James. I deducted points for the spanking scene she had to endure that detracted from the film for me.
The beginning of the film was slow and the humor decidedly low brow. One low point was when Jackie was putting live frogs and an eel into his pants. Some of the characters integral to the first half of the story all but disappeared during the second half. Maybe they had to rush to do another kung fu movie being filmed. The movie improved when the ghosts dropped into the temple and shook things up. They were funny but the first encounters with them became repetitious as if the director needed them to fill time, especially when he resorted to fart and urination jokes. Jackie choreographed the fights. They weren’t as slow as some of his earlier efforts, but were still indicative of the time and nothing like his more inventive fights he would create later on. It took nearly half the movie to begin the fighting. The pole fights were interesting when he had to fight the 18 Lohans though like the ghost scenes went on too long. Jackie and James’ duel was entertaining as was the fight with the secret Luk father, which didn’t take a genius to figure out early on. Jackie showed off the five styles with a minimum of wire and trampoline work.
Once the training and fighting began, I started to enjoy this film. The clownish mute ghosts in their tutus were low tech but their antics were engaging most of the time. When watching an older Jackie Chan film like this one, it helps to remember that this was near the beginning of his starring roles and his comedy and fight choreography would evolve.
10/23/23
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“ no one in this world ever loved you, except me “
A beautiful movie about love, friendship, soulmate and a lot of feelingsA MUST WATCH
“ no one in this world ever loved you, except me “ -SOULMATE
A MOVIE WHO DEFINITE THE MEANING OF “ SOULMATE “
A sad happy ending + a plot twist + a lot of feeling + a lot of up and downs + a lot of love + dreams.
SOULMATE is someone who you have a special relationship with , more than JUST FRIENDS .
🩷love Kim da-mi 🩷
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(😭i didn’t write much , it’s my first time trying to write a review)
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Very educational, relatable and relistic
I live in South East Asia. Online bet, illegal online loans, love scams you name it, is an occurring problems an epidemic that really wreck havoc in many household. Like in this movie they showed an guy from an upper middle class, very well educated but got an online gambling problem. Meanwhile in my country this online betting disease is targeting lower class, this movie trying to say that online gambling will targeting at everyone regardless their economic background or social background. What's insane is that, China have a very strict internet control and online betting, scamming is still happening in the country. Imagine where the internet is not so regulated. Boom an epidemic. Also some of the workers who went to work in those "factory" are also victims of human trafficking. Some were aware that they're going to work in that kind of place because they have no other choice for work. Very sad.If you say this is a chinese propaganda kind of movie. I mean, the Chinese police really did and go to SEA to get these workers. It's all over the news.
The acting are sooo good.
Many people should watch this for educational purposes and awareness.
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In my opinion, the film is not quite a typical representative of the production of Pinoy gay films and it is mainly dominated by Topher Barreto (Cris). Not even the famous "nudity" here except for one scene near the end. A picture with a stronger story did not leave me completely cold, but the big shortcoming for me is the bad copy of the film and the unavailability of English subtitles ...
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