Anyways their individual life arc was kinda boring, but I think its important to be added to build up their character. Originally wanted to give this movie 6/10, but that last sequence when they were in the restaurant….. it’s cinema. Plus the acting won’t disappoint you, the acting carried this whole movie.
Last thing: everyone in this movie needs a freaking therapy, jeez.
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I originally watch this because of Lee Jehoon but I was simply amazed at how great this movie is. As a person who isn’t really a fan of war movies, it’s surprising to found myself liking this one. Truly one hell of an emotional war movie.
I really love the message that they showed in the movie. It really does slap you right in the face with powerful anti-war messages since the first minute. We’ll see how little the individual soldiers matter in the eyes of politicians and high-ranking officers. We’ll see how those soldiers are tired to make pointless war anymore. We’ll see how they are slowly losing their idealistic self. We’ll see how they are tired of deaths and killings. We’ll see how they don’t even know what is the purpose for the war anymore.
“Our enemy wasn’t the commies, but the war itself.”
The Front Line goes for a melodramatic tone more than I expected, but neither the score nor the acting goes over the top, yet it still left a deep emotional impact on its audience. Kudos to Shin Ha Kyun, Go soo, Lee Jehoon for their top notch acting.
I don’t have any comment on the cinematography, its already perfect on its own. That slow motion side scrolling shot of the battlefield is really bone-chilling.
I really held back my tears yet when the North Korean and South Korean soldiers were singing together, I just lost it. It’s really heartbreaking.
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Less romance, more harassment
This isn't a romance story. It's harassment and bullying wrapped that is pretending to be 'flirting'. The story is terrible, rushed, and makes no actual sense. The characters are two-dimensional, with no actual motives for anything they do. There is a sub-plot around a kidnapping that is seemingly ignored by the main lead so he can flirt/insult the female lead a little more, and romances seem to happen out of nowhere.I watched this purely for Xie Binbin, who does very well with what he's given, but even he can't save this film.
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Ahjussi(아저씨) is a good person.
Before the review, I just want to say that this fim has a special place in my heart. Having a little brother simikar to our main character, the sadness and tears from this film naturally came.Story: the story was nothing mindblowing but was a good way to deliver the social messages, emotions, and experiences against people with disabilities.
Acting/Cast: let me start off with Kim Hyang Gi. Iam a bigggg fan of her therfire this might bias but she delivered her performance so well it was mindblowing. The acting as a person with disabilities was not over the top and was pleasent to watch while still delivered the overall theme. Jeong Woo Seong was as always a great veteran actor and a perfect fit. He delivered the complexety of the cruel and practical Lawyer to someone empathetic and sentimental. Our main antagonist also delivers a good performance, she wasn't entirely an pure evil one but my hatred for her was off the roof.
Music: I was either not paying attention or the music is forgettable. The soundtrack did not come at right times and was saved by the actor's performances
Rewatch Value: I will rewatch this because of a few reasons:
1. SOLID CAST AND ACTING PERFORMANCE
2. As said at the start, it has a special place in my heart
3. It was a wonderful conclusion
Overall: it's a light watch, where you don't need to focus too much on details but will still get the grasp of the film. It has humor, family love, and mystery throughout but gets emotional as it progress. My verdict is its a fun watch and something anyone can watch and enjoy, highly recommended!
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Unexpected heartwarming plot amidst comedy
The story is overall great. I had a lot of times that I bursted laughing although I felt like there are too many unnecessary details that could be omitted to point out the plot. I felt like there were too many side characters that makes the story a bit of messy for me however I still find this movie worth the watch and it warms my heart.I find the sound engineering very well made because there were scenes that couldn't have been funny but because of the sound effect, it made it very funny.
I recommend this movie if you're just trying to rest and doesn't have anything in mind to watch.
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Bittersweet
I watched this movie a few days ago and I let the impressions settle in. I enjoyed the story, because it is really original one. I kinda felt sad watching it. The whole story missed some intimacy and I wanted more. But this didn't ruin the movie for me. Lately I felt that growing older triggers me, so this might be the reason I felt the sadness while watching it. I am highly recommending this movie, specially for older audience. It might speaks to us more. If I could review this movie with one sentence, it would be - bittersweet love story, family story and the story about the effect of making wrong and right choices. It is life story with a Sci-Fi twist. Could be longer and could be more detailed, but overall not bad at all.Was this review helpful to you?
Such a hard movie to watch, but such a good movie
I did not expect to be moved by the story so severely. I sobbed during the final scene with the father, because I was that moved. The amount of anger I felt on behalf of the father was intense. In the end, the words I've heard my husband say many times flitted through my head, "I'd rather see 20 guilty people go free than 1 innocent person incarcerated." It never weighed so heavily on my mind. Guys, this isn't like Juror #7. This movie is a tragedy. But the story sticks with you. Watch it, but be ready to be angry, sad, appalled, devastated, and left with a bitter sweet ending.Was this review helpful to you?
I have watched the series version with Zheng Shuang and Ma Tian Yu and I really enjoyed watching the story as well.
Both the movie and series deal with a difficult and more mature issue, such as bullying, divorce and suicide (Not your typical c-drama romance topic). The actors and actresses I thought portrayed their roles well, especially the movie version. It's like you can feel her heartache and sorrow just by looking at her eyes.
This movie (and the series) are not for everyone, but if you like a "darker" drama theme, I would definitely recommend watching the movie and the series.
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Good Movie, But Lacked Substance...
This was, I believe, supposed to be a biographical piece but fails in many instances.I saw this a long time ago without English subtitles, and it seemed a typical 'R'-rated movie: lots of topless women, especially in the interview scenes and some simulated sex along the way.
The cinematography is good and music keep the moments light and humorous...
After finally finding a English-subbed version, it is very hilarious and guys will get a kick out of the sexual humor it entails.
But it still misses the man point of why women become prostitutes, massage girls, etc.
It starts out with two guys fired from another magazine and decide to make a Hong Kong porno magazine, with run-ins with the Hong Kong police, Hong Kong mafia, and all the hurdles of starting a new magazine...but the two guys start 'partaking' of their advertising clients while ignoring their girlfriends, girlfriends that sacrificed in order for them to get the magazine up and running in the first place.
Andy (Louis Koo) and John (Eason Chan) also start fighting over content and the magazine's direction. Andy loses his girlfriend and decides to replace her with someone that "needs him" rather than the other way around and John gets tired of Andy always having the final say with his technical work being what 'made' the magazine in the first place and goes here his abilities are better appreciated.
Don't get me wrong; as a guy, I enjoyed the topless women running around and if that is all you want to watch it for, be my guest!
The guys seemed to forget all the women they had or met in their magazine buildup. Another sad fact is with the comedy background, they could have made a social statement as to WHY women in this world have to turn to massages and prostitution in the first place in society in general, and Hong Kong in particular.
I also didn't like the ending, which seemed 'forced' by the director and writer; that is why i umped it down to a '7' overall as a movie.
RE-WATCH: only occasionally; there are other movies that show a little skin that do a better job at making a social statement...
since there is no age restrictions on the internet-posted movies online, young guys should enjoy it a lot!
It is not what it did that I gave it a lower rating; it is what it DIDN'T DO that killed a better rating from me.
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A must-see to complete this couple's story
Thank you Productive Procrastination for the translations!This movie is a sequel and continuation of where the story left off in Puppet Prince, which you should watch first. The story in this movie is set three years after Puppet Prince, where the FL is trying to save the ML from his vegetative state. It honestly was more frustrating than the first movie, but not gonna lie the twist near the end got me. Did it absolve the frustrating bits beforehand? Somewhat... but in general I wasn't here for the angst done to the FL.
PROS
❀ The FL remains as optimistic, fun, and good-hearted as always | In my review of the first movie I noted how hesitant I was about the FL, but I ended up really liking her, and in this movie she stays great! I love how determined she was to save the ML and to regain his memories. When she realized she was overstepping her boundaries, she steps back. She's also smart and capable though, and ends up figuring things out on her own despite people going against her. We stan a heroine who knows kung-fu and uses her brain!
❀ Those twists near the end got me | The first 45 minutes got me low key upset, lol. I felt like the FL deserved so much better and there were more romantic scenes between the ML and the 2FL villainess. BUT the plot was saved by those twists near the end. I like how everything was fast-paced so watchers get to figure out the bad guys along with the main characters. I think both movies were unpredictable in some ways which really turned the storyline for the better. My only complaint is all that angst leading up to the twist.
CONS
✕ Not a huge fan of the amnesia plot | I guess you can't expect an epic Chinese story without an amnesia plot (/sob... why must they be like this). Anyway, this amnesia trope was hard to watch in this movie because the ML felt so cold towards the FL who had only the best of intentions. Like - sir!!! But future watchers should have more faith in him (at least more than I did, lol), because there are ~reasons~ why frustrating things happen. Y'all's patience will be rewarded. :')
✕ Not a fan of how much screen time they spent on the ice puppet | At one point I felt like I was watching a totally new couple (with the ice puppet as the FL) and my eyes rolled so hard. There's a limit to how many scenes I can bear where the actual FL's feelings get stomped on!! They even gave the ice puppet a flashback scene. All in all she was a pretty annoying character but at least she had good character development.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 9/10 | Bruh, even *I* as the watcher was misunderstanding the ML. All in the name of noble sacrifice.
OVERALL
Sad to report that while this is about the romance between the couple from Puppet Prince, there aren't romantic scenes surrounding them. I mean, the feelings are still there, but they're too busy trying to save the other (lmao). I'd say watch this if you're okay with investing a bit over 2 hours for both movies. The story is still pretty exciting (a lot is fit in these movies) and while I would have liked more ~romance~, at least we get a happy ending for our main leads.
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
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Steampunk, historical romance that packs a lot into the story
On my continuous quest to find Chinese fantasy movies with happy endings (one of my favorite genres but unfortunately not quite popular compared to sad/open/ambiguous openings), I found Puppet Prince.Thanks to the translator Productive Procrastination for the great translations (you can watch it subbed on their site)!
PROS
❀ Likable main leads and supporting characters | I don't know any of these actors but they were pretty solid! I was hesitant towards the FL at first - she gets saved by the ML in one of the first scenes (like yes I guess it's necessary but is it really??) and her dubbed voice was a bit annoying. BUT she gets so much better! Throughout the story you can see she's a good soul and knows enough kung fu to stand up for herself and help other people. She's determined to get to the bottom of what happened three years ago and find her senior brother, even if it means going against the governor. I liked how capable she was.
On the other hand, the 'governor' aka our ML aka a powerful puppet is a literal puppet being used by the bad guys. When he meets the FL, he sees color and a potential future past being just a heartless puppet. It's really adorable how innocent he is about emotions and the world outside the government. (Of course, he just needs a spunky heroine to show him the good stuff!!)
The senior brother and FL's master are great characters that I also enjoyed - they definitely added color to the script!
❀ Creative settings | I loved the steampunk foundation of this movie. We got to see the illegal puppet market, an underground palace/prison place, and other cool background settings. While the plot wasn't anything new, I enjoyed this puppet-centric historical (I guess it would technically be a xuanhuan?) romance.
❀ There's an OST I really like | It's the second track in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9_Mp97iPY8. In general I thought the music was well-placed and added to the overall atmosphere.
CONS
✕ Honestly the beginning was rough for me | But hold on tight - the movie gets better!! Like I mentioned before, the FL wasn't the best at first and the first scene's CGI was... omg, it was so bad. There's a reason why Chinese movies have a special place in my heart with their questionable CGI (Bollywood movies are also up there, lmao). But after that over-the-top puppet scene in the beginning, everything else that follows is is pretty solid.
✕ Romance is kind of rushed since the movie tries to fit a bunch of things | My rule for going into these types of movies is not expecting much from the romantic storyline. The main leads get around 3-5 scenes (maybe 20 min in total?) to develop feelings and then they get pushed to the rest of the plot. While they're falling in love, there's an evil commander, random evil woman who wants to get with the puppet governor (which is never explained why), missing senior brother, mysterious events 3 years past, and a secret plot in the background. We get usual Cdrama tropes from hidden identities to "I can only see color near her" to asking the age-old question on what it means to be human. Anyway, I stan.
✕ Kind of forced the ending | I think this story could have been completed in one movie, but a random move by an unimportant character added angst which led to the need for a second movie. Was it satisfying? Not at all, and we could have saved screen time by instead getting the main couple to see rainbows or something as promised. Was I okay with it? Yeah, I'll bite because there's another movie... but still. The execution left a lot to be desired.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 3/10 | Happens once towards the end of the movie with your typical noble sacrifice move. Doesn't happen for a long time, but I have to note that it's another trope the movie utilizes.
OVERALL
If you're looking for a quick movie with steampunk/historical Chinese vibes and a sweet romance, I recommend this series (should watch both of them to get that happy ending). It's not a must-see, but I'm a fan of romance movies with happy endings in general and it's good enough to pass the time. Just a warning, this one has a bittersweet ending (low key cliffhanger) but the next movie completes the couple's story. Happy watching!
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
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Truly Realistic Movie
Since the story happens in the 80s, you guys know that LGBT was really taboo and... unfamiliar with society.This is really realistic - yes, two men might share the same feelings, but then what? Will the society accept them? Will the people think of them as crazy? Will they endure?
Their friendship eventually turns into something more passionate. What will happen to the young boys? And what's more amazing is that this is based on the true story. Well, damn you, director for making me bawling.
AND I read that the two main leads even lived together for some times, writing letters to each other so that they could feel the roles better. Kudos for them and staffs for giving us this masterpiece.
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Anyway, the cinematography is really amazing; really really eye pleasing to the eyes. The music is also a perfect blend to the story - making me feel like crying every time a sad song being played.
The casts?? ARE AMAZING!! I feel their angers, sadness, loneliness, happiness, and... love. The words are really stabbing my heart, like it's genius without any doubt. Do watch it; it clearly depicts a relationship and you'll understand the heart wrenching aches.
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Sharks never stop moving or so I heard
An inspiring movie about never giving up, not even in the darkest moments.Story
It's simple even if it sounds cliche.
The story is fast, something is happening every moment and it's like that from the beginning to the end, you could say there is no time to breathe.
Unfair things happen, you feel sad for the characters but since they never give up, you cheer for them and feel happy when they succeed.
Woo Sol reminds me of anime characters who always get up after getting beaten to pulp. It makes you think how many lives does this dude have.
The story is simple, he goes to prison, people want to beat him up, he trains, fights, wins, fights again, wins again, fights again, wins and that's how it goes to the end of the movie.
It's pretty straightforward.
I liked the story and characters but I always felt something is missing and I don't know what that is.
Maybe the movie should have been longer, maybe the characters should have been explored more. I don't know.
The villain was awful and I hated him, he played the victim when it was benefiting for him even though he destroyed other people's lives. He had no remorse.
I don't know if he ever regretted his actions.
He literally got stabbed in the eye. If that didn't open his eyes, I don't what will.
Do Hyun was a cool character, a mentor and a friend Woo Sol needed. He didn't appear much but his influence was big.
If there is a second movie, I will definitely watch it because I want to know what happens with the characters.
The quote that sums up the whole movie.
"You know sharks?
They don't have swim bladders so if they stop swimming, they sink and die. That's why they keep moving. You are the same."
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It was pink while it was someone else's but then it turned gray
I saw a comment where a person said this was their favorite movie and that's why I watched it.Did it become my favorite movie? No.
Did I like it? Yes.
Story
I was a little confused at first but I understood it at the end.
First, I didn't like any of the characters, they are all bad in some way but I'm not saying that's bad. They have flaws, they do stupid things.
I liked the first part of the movie more than the second but both of them were great. I think the second part showed the characters as they are while the first part was more what they are supposed to be.
Since the first part was the story and the second part was the reality I wondered how much of the story was real and how much was fake.
The bromance was interesting, I thought the bl fan in me looked too much into it but some scenes looked like they will escalate into something more. They were close and the chemistry was there. Those were my favorite scenes because the emotions were the best then. Especially the one when they see each other again after a long time.
There was a lot of subtext, things were hinted but never actually said. I think the whole movie is open for interpretation and there could be many meanings.
And at the end I think everyone will find their answer.
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