This review may contain spoilers
a raw and authentic portrayal of coming of age and personal growth.
control tower is a film that explores themes of coming of age, personal growth, and relationships, which are common themes in many feature films. however, what sets control tower apart is its honest and realistic portrayal of these themes. the film captures the complexities and challenges of growing up with a raw and authentic sensibility, which may be why you find it more relatable than other films.mizuho's character is nuanced and multifaceted, and her complexity is one of the films strengths. her introspective nature and stoic demeanor hide a deep well of emotion, which is gradually revealed as the film progresses. her struggles with her identity and her conflicted feelings towards her family are portrayed with sensitivity and nuance, making her a relatable and sympathetic character.
kakeru's character is presented as someone who is struggling to find his place in the world and to connect with others. he feels alienated from his peers, leading him to act out and engage in reckless behavior. hence the need for music, it helps him escape these struggles. however, as the film progresses, we see kakeru grow and mature, as he learns to confront his issues and make meaningful connections with those around him.
overall, its is a unique and memorable film that stands out for its honest and relatable portrayal of coming of age and personal growth. while there are other films that deal with similar themes, the film captures the complexities and challenges of growing up with a raw and authentic sensibility that makes it a compelling and thought-provoking viewing experience.
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Great buildup with a bit too much overexplaining.
How much you will feel the thrills and how much you will enjoy this movie depends on how fast you will guess the plot. The later you figure out the puzzle pieces, the better. For me, it was around an hour into the story, and after I understood what’s going on, it was a bit too predictable.Still, the movie was for sure well crafted. Perfect pacing, with well written characters and outstanding performance from the cast. A bit of red herring and vague storytelling that helped create the suspense. Even after you figure out what’s coming, it’s still enjoyable. You start to pay more attention to details, dialogues and interactions between characters to see if they all support your theory.
It’s a psychological thriller that truly masterfully builds the layers of the plot and characters’ state. It’s a bit heavy on the explanation at the end, going the “tell not show” and not “show don’t tell” way. I believe the audience is smart enough to make sense of the clues and hints they have seen without the director literally showing what happened and why.
The best aspect of Anchor? Performances. I’m a massive fan of Shin Ha Kyun, and he did not disappoint in this project either. He delivers the lines and expressions with such an ease, you truly believe the character is a real person. Chun Woo Hee did most of the heavy lifting, being the central part of the story, and she aced the role. It was not an easy task to complete, and yet she made it in a phenomenal fashion.
Overall, a nice watch that did not feel long even though the run time almost hit the 2 hours mark. While the charm of it fizzles the moment you figure out the plot, it’s still a great movie with a good amount of twists and turns.
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entertaining but some things that could've been better
Overall, this movie was an entertaining watch.It's very obvious that the horror plot is actually just setting the scene for the bonds of friendship that are made between the main characters. About halfway through the movie, it started to focus on how they were working together as a team to meet their endgoal as opposed to really focusing on the horror aspect. I love anything where characters become unlikely friends, so I enjoyed that aspect of the movie.
Another good thing that I enjoyed were the effects. I always appreciate when movies put in the effort to make good practical effects. The giant doll monster was great.
Things that could've been better:
- I was quite literally screaming at my TV at the end when the main character could've literally just put the head in coffin and ended the whole thing instead of sitting there watching the love interest get eaten. It only happened so she could have an unrealistic last stand against the monster.
- They could have explored the backstory of the Body Search game in general. Who is the entity who is killing the children? What do they want? Is it possible to stop it? That might be something to explore if they decided to film a sequel. I feel like the story was too big to fit into one movie, I think they could've done a better job of making it into a series and hitting all of those questions while still keeping the friendship and team building aspects of the story.
I will say that the post-credits scene caught me off guard and made me question everything. I currently have no theories but am enjoying reading everyone else's theories online.
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TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST YING YANG MASTER DREAM OF ETERNITY!
This is one good but not as good as the first one (Ying Yang Master Dream of Eternity) and I'm waiting for Long Ye (Jessie Li) to come back because at the end of the first movie, she was still breathing and it seems like she's going to appear in here. This is a completely different movie compared to the first one.VISUALS:
The visuals are great but not as majestic as the first one. The first movie was so cool it feels like you're watching a Marvel movie. It really is because they copied the portal spell from Doctor Strange making them sued by Marvel. That's why it was cut early in the cinemas in China. This time they made different teleportation spells (because of the Marvel/Doctor Strange issue. It was not as cool as the first Ying Yang Master.
CHARACTERS:
There are no characters from the first movie. They change the whole character. I've waited for Bo Ya (Deng Lun) to appear because he's one of the main characters of the first YYM. Their teamwork was awesome, I miss that. There are new cute CGI characters. I love the cute little demon ❤️
ACTION
There is not so much action here. It really felt like they rely on visuals which were really disappointing (compared to the first one) The story was ok. Everything was just fine.
OVERALL: If you haven't watched the first YYM I can recommend you this. Watch this first and then watch Ying Yang Master Dream of Eternity because those movies have different stories but the same main character Qingming (Mark Chao) But if you already watch the first YYM, this can satisfy you. It has fine visuals and of course, it's about Qingming--the Ying Yang Master.
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Just beautiful
I read some reviews before watching this movie and i already knew the direction it was headed.It has the most unusual plot ever and you will see the most intriguing romance too.
a simple girl falling in love with a debt collector. it is not simple in any way possible. we get to see how they start falling for each other, but this movie is directed in a way for the audience to feel sadness. To feel pain and loss. everything is short-lived and temporary in the end for the female protagonist.
The leads depict beautiful and real chemistry. you will definitely fall for their love
The cinematography was rather average. It's basically set in some poor, rural areas and that's where the leads come from.
One downside to this movie was the soundtrack. It basically had no background music, just natural sounds.
Overall, a really beautiful movie. If you don't mind some tears to shed, be sure to tune in.
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A must watch
I usually hate watching anything action related but this movie completely changed my opinion, if you're debating on wether you should watch this or not I would recommend finding where this movie can be accessed and watching it, there wasn't even a minute where I found that it was boring or tiring to get through, every second was full with suspense. although if you don't like deaths or anything gore I suggest staying away from this movie, but otherwise this is a must watch and I would recommend to everyoneWas this review helpful to you?
Like a fix-it fanfic
If you watched Present Perfect (go watch it if you haven't yet), you'll know that it didn't have a very happy ending. I don't blame the fans of the first movie for wishing for Toey and Oat to have a chance to be happy together, or even just to be together again one more time, but I don't believe this sequel was necessary at all.After watching for a few minutes, I immediately felt like I was watching the cinematic equivalent of a fix-it fanfiction. The director/screenwriter is the same as Present Perfect, but here in PSP it seems like a big fan of the series wrotetheir own fanfiction of the story, then somehow was able to gather back all the original actors of the first movie and turn it into a sequel.
I can't say it worked too well. The quiet and dream-like atmosphere of the first movie is completely lost here, and the pacing overall is a lot more lively. The writing also got a LOT more cheesy, with dialogues where the main characters put into words their feelings way more often - and this for some reason made the whole story feel less sincere and the characters' feelings less believable.
Present Still Perfect also tries to tie itself to its prequel with elements that have no reason to exist in its plot - Kenta himself being one of them. They also tried to explain multiple untold things to make the reunion of Toey and Oat "acceptable" or at least "understandable", but overall it felt more like the plot was doing somersaults in the attempt to let the two of them be together.
I gave this movie a 6 because despite everything I was able to finish it, but I was truly unsatisfied with all of it, and now I kinda wish I didn't watch it. I only recommend watching it in case you want to see Toey and Oat together again at all costs, and I really mean AT ALL COSTS, including plot and common sense.
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A sad but fluffy reality
I can say that I enjoyed this film enough. The pacing and the acting all remind me very closely of Japanese movies and dramas I've watched in the past, so don't expect the liveliness that you might find in Thai series - there's none of that here other than the two main characters speaking the language. It's also VERY quiet - I'm pretty sure there's just a few moments where some OST can be heard, while everything else just has ambient sounds or is completely silent. The pacing is also pretty slow and meant for the viewer to take in all the details and the acting without rushing in. I can't recommend this if you're one who gets impatient or distracted easily!The story itself is actually touching, although in its own sad way. Toey and Oat meet in Japan in a small town, both far away from their personal problems (Toey just broke up with his girlfriend after years of being together, Oat is on his last solo vacation before getting married). Since they're both so far away from their life in Thailand, the entire film feels almost dream-like, as if it was a fantasy rather than made of actual events, which is something that I liked a lot. This dreamy atmosphere is broken from time to time by real-life events and discoveries, which made me want Toey and Oat to keep being happy in a bubble of their own even more.
I don't want to say more than it's necessary as I believe that it's better to watch the film than have a review tell everything. All I want to add is that there are some themes and events that might not be everyone's cup of tea, so I can't recommend watching before bracing yourself in case you don't digest sensitive contents well. Overall it was pretty good, so I'd say you should give it a go!
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Loving someone is hard!
So when I started watching the movie, I didn't know anything about the plot. I just decided to watch it because of the hype it got at that time. And to be honest, I thought it would be some mediocre film which only did well because the main leads are pretty (lol).But, it proved me wrong. The story is so beautiful. As the story progresses, you could feel the the growing love of Woon-ho for Bo-ra. The actor who played Woonho did an amazing job in showcasing the emotions.
Of course it was not easy for the main leads to be together, but even their shortest scenes together were mesmerizing to watch. The actors had great chemistry and the love between them sparked in every freakin scene.
Poong Woon-ho is the sweetest bub you can ever see in a korean movie. He is so lovable. Also, Bora did an amazing job as well. She really potrayed the emotions with her eyes.
The ending scene is where you need tissues. Many people said that they were dissatisfied with it but c'mon, not every story is meant to be completed. Some stories remain beautiful despite of being incomplete. Bora and Woon-ho story is just like that.
I really liked that they used different actors to potray the diffetent stages of life instead of puting tons of makeup on the same actor. All the actors did an amazing job!
One thing that makes the film more beautiful is the cinematography. The scenes are a bit blurry type which will make you feel nostalgic and you could really feel that the story is set in 1999. The background music is soothing as well and sometimes gives you chill.
So, overall, if you want to see what true love is, this movie is definitely for you. Re-watching it will also make you happy because thats how good the story is!
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Annoying at some point!
I decided to watch the movie after seeing so much positive reviews. I had so much expectations and also sat with a box of tissues because I thought I would need it. But heck, it was nowhere to my expectations.First things first, the storyline is amazing and something new, but the execution is not well done. It could have been way better if there were'nt unnecessary scenes. The FL's character is so annoying. Throughout the whole movie all they do is to breakup and then hookup.
So the thing is, I could never feel that the FL had same feelings as the ML. Even at some point, I thought she used him because she felt lonely. Once when she had a boyfriend, she didnt give a f about him. But when she realised that the boyfriend is evil, she got back to him. This was PBY's worst acting in my opinion. Her dialogues felt forced and failed to impress me.
The ML did a good job and his character was consistent througout the movie. From the very beginning, he was sure that he loved only and only one girl. No one could change his mind, not even the circumstances. The actor also did a good job in potraying the character.
The breakup was so unnecessary. It was just a matter of stressed talking and misunderstandings, which could be SORTED OUT easily. The FL was too quick to judge, especially when the ML had went through so much just to be with her.
Overall, the plot they chose was really good, but the direction was too bad. Scenes were too fast paced and there were unnecessary forced humor scenes. It could have been a great movie if they path they were going was okay.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sweet and already seen
Location is a 1h movie, atypical trope filled story about two neighbour high school kids falling for each other. Sun, with an eternally sunny (get it?) disposition moves next door to moody and taciturn Earth (subtle, right?) under a lot of pressure from his parents to study when all he wants to do is write music. Sun manages to find cracks in Earth's armour and they become friends and then more. And of course, just in that moment a third boy appears and has a crush on Sun, who being kind does nothing to reject Mog's slight advances but Earth gets very jealous and ends all contact.This is a cute little movie, practically a single location: in and around the outside of the house telling a story seen already a million times. Sun's sunny disposition, always sporting a huge smile even when Earth is rude, can be rather annoying. I was there practically shouting at him, show that you are human! Well he did, but it took almost the whole of the movie.
Earth's overbearing parents, who really have no idea who he really is, make him rebel at the end and it takes a day for them to completely change their attitude towards their son. Well I wish that parents were so manageable in real life! On the other hand, Sun's mother is the model of understanding, knows really well her son without him needing to shout out!
The film was made three years ago and the actors have remained unknown (according to the MDL database): they look teenagers, and their performance is lackluster at most, nothing different from majority of Thai bls at that time. What is impressive, though, is the ease with which they kiss: they are obviously very comfortable with each other. I'd love to see them in another movie or series.
Surprisingly, for me at least, was a total absence of second hand embarrassment which was rife in thai bls at the time!
All in all, a good fluffy unoriginal short watch...filler kind of a film, when you need a change of pace between other stuff .
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A Worthy sequel but didn't top the first movie for me
When I finished watching the prequel about 6 months ago, I was immediately jumping up and down in excitement. I rated the first movie a 9.0 (which is high for me). Coming into "Brotherhood of Blades 2", I had high expectations but I didn't end up jumping up and down in excitement.Acting continues to be stella and its strength. The cast is full of veterans. I was mesmerized with Chang Chen in the prequel, and he continues to deliver in the sequel. He took center stage in this movie, surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast. I enjoy the introduction of the character Pei Lun, played by the excellent Lei Jia Yin. His frenemies relationship with Chang Chen's character is a joy to watch. I would have loved to see more scenes between Shen Lian (ML) and Lu Wen Zhao. The introduction of two female characters, Yang Mi's painter Bei Zhai and Xin Zhi Lei's assassin Ding Bai Yi, makes sense to the plot and they are not there just because we need a female presence.
Although there's a tiny romance element to the movie, it's very subtle and lovely. It adds another side to Shen Lian's character without making him go all lovey-dovey and becomes a different person.
I love the hard-hitting, gritty fight scenes. You can see the dedication all the actors put in. There's no flailing, twirling, flying here and there or just standing there to wait for someone to attack you. Each fight scene is choreographed well and each hit is impactful.
However, compared to the first movie, I find the story a little more confusing. There isn't enough time to explain more about the political maneuver behind the scenes, when the majority of the time is spent on Shen Lian trying to run away. Viewers have to really pay attention as a sentence spoken could be the answer to your confusion. I want to know more about Bei Zhai's drawings and their role in the rebellion. What's the backstory between Bei Zhai and the main person behind-the-scene? A 2-hour movie is not enough to answer all my questions. Maybe a drama would do! Oh wait.. there's a drama version now in "Pledge of Allegiance".
Completed: 4/30/2023 - Review #303
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아름다운 청년 전태일 편히 쉬세요.
🔸️Can you imagine what level of despair one has to reach to set themselves alight and die the most horrible death publicly? Will their sacrifice change anything at all? In 5 years? And in 50 years?🔸️Jeon Tae Il used his last resort by the end of the Third Republic of Korea. Two more Republics would change before the democracy is established, and many more bloody years were ahead. Self-immolation is not an effective form of protest but the most shocking one. It does leave an indelible impression on witnesses, making them question their situation. It is only up to the living if the horrible act of sacrifice has a real impact later. In case of Jeon Tae Il, it wasn't forgotten.
The camerawork in the movie is absolutely fantastic. The depth of shadows and light gives sometimes dramatic feel or sometimes the feeling of being trapped. The leading actor Hong Gyeong-In is perfect. It would easily go to my favorites if not for the slightly undercooked screenplay that made me stray in between the two story lines with the newest one less clear.
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Love does not conquer all
We have always heard the famous saying " Love conquers all" but does it really?This movie is the exact answer to that question. It shows first love and childhood romance. Fresh, full of life, and beautiful, but there is a lesson here; Timing matters. No matter how you try to keep it alive, life happens. People change. Hearts change and so does surviving in this world.
The leads depict a beautiful chemistry. Their love is real, and so are their struggles. The story does not drag at all. I can say it's flawless in some way.
Maybe it didn't fit in a movie to show more details, but that was missing a bit. They could've given each other second and third chances, but they didn't. We could've gotten to know their feelings a bit more, but that was missing too.
Overall, a beautiful movie. Not your typical love wins and all movie, but rather a very realistic and in some way heart-wrenching one.
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what the ....
Start it off like the horror supposed to be. The intensity, the gore, the suspense,the madness all was great in the show. Then somewhere down the way. It gave you romantic comedy, it gave you drama and romance. the graphic for some parts was well put together and while other parts I question everything. then everything in between was just too much fillers. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be what it was, especially for what it is supposed to be.if the ending is an indication of something don't.
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