This review may contain spoilers
be prepared to cry
This movie genuinely broke me into pieces till nothing was left. I really loved how there are some teachers that are able to understand students in all their issues in life. We deserve more teachers like these instead of ones that ignore students seeking help in all ways. But anyway, let's get back to the movie. This movie also shows that we shouldn’t give up, even if we receive nothing. In the end, you should be glad you are here today. It's okay to give up. It's okay that you're tired of being alive. Just remember, there's always someone who appreciates you.Was this review helpful to you?
A voyage of unexpected twists
Every coin has two sides,even science too.The advancement of science and technology has adversing effects if not put to proper use.One such story is The Soul movie.
Chang Chen and Janine Chang ,in the movie,take up a case which is very complicated and complex.What appears to be a murder case,after many twists and turns, finally unfolds as a case with a hidden dark conspiracy.
Thought the first half of the movie,may not make sense or may be sometimes tough to understand,but the second half really is very thrilling and quite suspenseful enough to make you glued to the movie till the end.
The actors were good ,the climax twist was really unexpected.
Overall a good movie.It may not be everyone's cup of tea,but if you want to watch,then you will not be disappointed.
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A good watch but might not be for everyone!
If you are a fan of reflective horror, then this movie might be your cup of tea.The movie is visually stunning that blends super natural elements along with history and culture of Korea. Set in modern korea against the backdrop of shamanistic rituals, the movie explores themes of family curses and national trauma through a slow-burning yet emotionally charged narrative.
The attention to detail had me impressed. It is pretty clear that the director had done intense research into Feng Shui and Shamanism to add authenticity. The slow pacing and build up along with amazing cinematic shots were an added plus. With big stars in the leading roles, none can be critiqued about the emotions they conveyed through acting.
Now on the other side, I did find the pacing to be off a bit sometimes. Secondly, this movie definitely isn't a scary one if that is what you are looking for. There are intense moments but definitely not scary ones. Finally, I really didn't connect with Kim Go-eun and Lee Do Hyun characters as much as I did with Choi Min Shik's character for some reason.
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This review may contain spoilers
What did happen? Doesn't make any sense
There is no particular reason mentioned for how the disorder started. Repeatedly you see things shattering and an accident which is supposedly the cause of it that too by assuming. The bird becoming many birds and cloning? splitting? somehow he got the disorder.No mention of parents or family in the story. Only one friend who shows up. Really do not understand how he makes enough money to eat and live. And spend on hobbies of other personalities.
Somehow the doctor lies to him or manipulates his reports and somehow he is fine with it. He was being experimented or something. MK Ultra type I guess. He is fine with the other personalities and he just hates hearing the same song while putting the trash out or seeing the same shows on tv. I mean he can watch any other show or listen to any other music. It simply doesn't make sense.
Two personalities like the same lady but she likes one. Can atleast say to her that he has a disorder, but no, he hides it from her. I mean you cannot trust the person you love?
Who writes notes when they use the same smartphone. And it seems like he has bi polar and it has two personalities which split further or something. One side is way too soft and other side is way too rebellious. And this is just my assumption.
Evil side tries to kill the good side and the many splits merge together. You just lose interest and patience at some point.
But do not watch this if you want your time back and do not take anything which is happening in the movie seriously. Think if it as a thought experiment or something. If anything does not make sense do not try to find answers in the movie. It is just a waste of time.
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meehhhh
Honestly it was a little disappointing, i understand them not being able to fully commit to some of the costumes but still Ykk that’s what makes it unique and brands it as an ai yazawa creationWas this review helpful to you?
"It will be a tasty fight!"
This is the third film I’ve watched by screenwriter Migita Masakazu and as the old saying goes, “The third time is the charm!” I wasn’t overly impressed with Monster Seafood Wars or Death Kappa. The Calamari Wrestler, however, was a strange and joyful movie about a professional wrestler who had suffered from a terminal illness and miraculously transformed into a giant squid. Could Kanichi regain his title and get his girl back? Let’s get kraken on this review!Professional wrestler, Taguchi, had always been in Iwata Kanichi's shadow until the day Iwata disappeared after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Three years later Taguchi is the top wrestler and has Iwata’s girl. After winning the championship, a man-sized squid climbs in the ring and snatches the championship belt. It was on like Donkey Kong and the Calamari Wrestler quickly defeated his two-legged foe. Embarrassed at being beaten by a seafood wrestler, Taguchi wanted a re-match and the Calamari wrestler was all for it. The promoters weren’t as thrilled when Calamari refused to throw the next fight.
The first thing that became apparent was that in the land of Gojira and other assorted kaiju, everyone was unperturbed by a dude who had turned into a cephalopod and who didn’t have to stay in water. I squid you not. Calamari shopped at the markets with no one running for their lives. In fact, when the fight was called off, the people rallied around him and pressured the promoters to schedule him a fight with Taguchi. Kanichi’s old girlfriend, Miyako, decided she was still in love with him regardless of his tentacles or maybe because of them. A whole sub-genre of manga came to life (without any gratuitous scenes).
There was an effort at social commentary in this squidiculous film. The promoter believed Calamari represented the chaos of the world and when Taguchi defeated him, it would alleviate public anxiety. Gradually, the public convinced him that by letting Calamari into the ring it showed that a world without prejudice could exist. The people just wanted to see exciting fights regardless of how many legs the opponents had. And soon there were other seafood wrestlers joining Kanichi in the ring.
This felt like a Rocky movie if Rocky was a squid and instead of boxing it was pro-wrestling. Coinsquidentally, Calamari had a Rocky moment right after his fight. There was even a training montage! All of the characters showed their devotion and love for pro wrestling. The film also highlighted the less savory side of the sport, I mean show, with the promoters working every which way to make a buck off the wrestlers and the fan’s desire to see blood in the ring. The special effects were almost nil. You could sea the human legs below the tentacles and squid costume which was actually part of the film’s charm.
Calamari Wrestler wasn’t inkredible but it was entertaining with gentle humor, as gentle as a reverse suplex or powerbomb. The wrestling scenes were hilarious and the final fight had a reveal I didn’t see coming. Normal issues such as love, greed, and national pride played out behind the tentacles and ink. If you enjoy absurd movies and don’t need a pesky thing like logic, this might be one to try.
1 October 2024
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The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
1 people found this review helpful
Good always triumphs!!
Two yin-yang masters need to deal with a dark conspiracy in the royal court after a serpent awakens.The solid plot combined with beautiful special effects, the acting of the two protagonists and intertwined mysteries make it a must watch production.Qing Ming,played by Mark Chao,is thoughtful,,calculative, attentive,stands for justice,and goes to any lengths to protect the world.
Together with Bo Ya, played by Deng Lun,they form and invincible team and bring peace to the world .
The step by step unfolding of the dark conspiracy,the special effects towards the end,the friendship between Qing Ming and Bo Ya make it a must watch Chinese movie.
All the actors gave their best and Mark Chao and Deng Lun really stole the show.
At the end,good always wins over evil.
I am really surprised and also impressed with this movie.Definitely it's a good and must watch.
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cute but boring
Like the title says i really think it’s a cute movie (the uncle plot doesn’t count under that…) but it’s not very rememberable, like i watched it a week or two ago and i barely remember any of it. but it is a refreshing watch, i wouldn’t say its special or different but its not typical to your dramatic-romances. but i do wonder if its like that because they tried to fit so much into one, it feels like some of the random-small plots are done so quickly to fit the run time. anyways i say watch it :DWas this review helpful to you?
Well…
While i recommend watching this over reading the manga any day im still not sure if even recommend watching lol. The manga is very repetitive and annoying and the ending pays off a lot less than the movie— but it is still much more entertaining than this, the characters are much better and there is more consequences to actions id say! but ill cut the comparing now and just say it is very typical and simple, there are a handful of cute moments too! but it is boring and falls flat on itself, really only worth watching if you have nothing else lol. Also i still think after reading and watching she should’ve ended up with…well youll see if u watch!Was this review helpful to you?
Must Watch!
This series brought me to tears more than I ever expected. I didn't anticipate it would affect me so deeply, but it made me miss my grandparents in ways I hadn’t felt in a long time. Thank you for creating such a heartwarming and loving drama. It beautifully captures the essence of lifelong friendship, a rare and precious bond in a world that often feels harsh. 🥺🥰Was this review helpful to you?
WTF was that?
I have a new synonym for "Complete Waste of Time" ==> Funouhan aka Impossibility Defense or as I'd rather call it "Impossible Crime" which is the literal translation of the title and makes much more sense. It's been years I haven't watched something so terrible or random or... I don't even know what to say... Just that I'm flabbergasted that I've sat through this whole ordeal with the hope that this would lead somewhere...Anywhere.
I'm PISSED because I usually only manage to have a bit less than 2 hours to watch anything per day (basically when I'm eating) and today's treat has been wasted on this dumpster fire.
Watched it on Viki where the Ratings is incredibly low for the platform (8.4) but I naively thought that since most viewers on Viki are women... they tend to lean more towards romance and crime/thrillers usually have less audience which might explain the ratings.
Haha. My Bad. I should have checked the comment section.
I think the best comment I read for this movie is from:
@KuroSteve "I guess most of the actors were young and needed the money ... –_–"
Will I ever bother to watch the prequel ( not available on Viki for now): NO
Will I ever bother to read the manga: NOPE
Terrible as a stand-alone and even worse as something supposed to make you interested in the original manga.
To you, poor naive soul who has gotten lost on MDL and want to find a good Japanese thriller... This is NOT the one. Do yourself a service and find something else.
If you're still curious, well, at least I've done my duty. You've been warned.
If I could rate this show below 0, that would be a minus 10.
PS: Yeah I know the suggested rating is higher... but no way in hell am I giving this more than 1.
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Hopping Vampires!
I thought that I’d been led astray in my research of hopping vampire movies when I began Era of Vampires aka Vampire Hunters. The first creature of the night was a super powered blood sucking vampire that did not so much as hop, jump, or skip. Later on, my patience was rewarded when a whole herd of hoppers appeared. This was a low budget Hark Tsui produced film of which I expected more yet still found enough to keep my attention.Be very, very quiet for Wind, Rain, Lightning, Thunder and their sifu Mao Shan are hunting a vampire. This mostly dead ex-general was juiced up and took exception to the vampire hunters. Many of the red shirt hunters were killed and Mao Shan was feared dead as well. Three months later the weather crew followed their vampire compass to the Jiang residence on the day of a wedding. The Jiangs were experts in making and using wax which led to some uber creepy goings on in a house where things didn’t just go bump in the night but also hopped and slithered. A secret stache of gold, a greedy brother-in-law, the Vampire King, the hunters, and the macabre household would all eventually collide in one gory mess.
This film had a very low budget look to it. The sets were simple but made to appear frightening with blue lighting and copious amounts of smoke masquerading as fog. The Vampire King was gruesome and buggy, no sexy fang banger here. Two of the humans did have time for some romance while running away from and fighting vampires. Even though there was some gore, the special effects were extremely low tech which took away much of the fear factor.
I didn’t recognize the Phoenix from Eternal Love TMOP at first. A young Ken Chang played Thunder and had the most screen time. Old martial arts movie star Chen Kuan Tai showed up as a Taoist corpse wrangler and set the hoppers loose at one point to distract the hunters while thieves sought out the golden treasure. He was even able to show his kung fu stuff in a short fight with one of the baddies. There were several wire-fu fights in dim lighting that weren’t as creative as I would have liked but were okay for this film.
Era of Vampires was more reminiscent of early kung fu films than films from the same timeframe. It had some intriguing moments and for this bargain basement niche mixed genre of martial arts and vampires it held its own.
30 September 2024
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One of the best watch of the year: dark, gripping in the best way
I love a lot this truly thrilling dark movie. It was torturous and violent, gripping and fascinating in the best way. The pyschological aspects coupled with impressive action scenes really got to me. I was on my toes during the full duration of the movie. It does not feel outdated at all (minus maybe the special effect and again it was still quite good to express what needed to be expressed).The cast is amazing. I love Yeo Jin Goo (since he was acting as a kid in Iljimae) and I have seen quite a bit of his work. He was probably about 15 years old maximum when he filmed this movie and his performance was astounishing. There are many very well-known faces in this movie, actors that I really enjoy and who also delivers strong performances. It felt like a real feast to see actors that I knew from other works: Yeo Jin Goo but also amazing Jo Jin Woong, incredible Kim Sung Kyun, great Yoo Yeon Seok, as well as to discover very talented (and new to me) people: Kim Yoon Seok, Park Hae Joon,...and more.
I truly recommend this to people that are looking for a dark action movie that will take you on a thrilling journey with its main character. The psychological elements behind the characters actions and bonds between them are disturbingly captivating and pretty memorable. It is very violent and dark, so if you have any triggers, of course proceed with caution.
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Good for a snow day in!
A pretty light hearted and comedic drama!Pretty much a pleasant Christmas mash up of different stories but was really cool to see how they all tied together to bring various themes!
One of the movies that sort of give you the end of the year gratefulness, giddiness, and just overall let's start over for the new year type vibes!
Don't think I would use my time to rewatch it but it was worth the enjoyment for the one time!
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Waste of time
Poor script, one of the worst FLs I've seen in Japanese cinema, totally unconvincing and talentless. Nonetheless, the ML delivered a commendable performance, which was one of the few redeeming aspects of the film.CS.
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