Reviews

Space cowboy meets Vincenzo meets WALL-E

It must be really hard for writer-nim to come up with new ideas for a space movie that has mass appeal and yet be as original as possible. In the case of Space Sweepers, they got 1 out of 2 right.

As an adventure movie, it is a blast (figuratively as well as literally). The 2 hours run time flashed by with little drag. Action was the centrepiece of the show and it runs the gauntlet of thrilling space flights, hand-to-hand combat, full scale space battle and zero gravity gun fights. In between, there were rare moments of the crew taking a breather and giving the found family trope a decent airing. It is a bit of a shame that most of what I have described are derivatives of a number of movies that came before. Classics like Star Wars, Blade Runner, WALL-E and others all casted a shadow on this film.

That is not necessary a bad thing. Many successful films have stood on those mighty shoulders. In this case, the script was good enough to allow it to be seen as paying homage rather than outright plagiarism. It was not quite original though but it got the job done.

Being a Korean production, the Korean leads all delivered strong performances. Even the child actor and the CG android have strong personalities. However, the same can't be said for the international casts. The evil antagonist was the strongest showing of that bunch but minor roles can be a real mixed bag. The least said, the better. ;)

The budget for this movie is over US$20millions (cheap by Hollywood standards). The CGI was really well done, the cyber punk inspired settings were expansive with grimy and edgy interior designs. Space structures are impressively huge and intricate. It is rated M but there is little blood nor graphical violence shown. Dead bodies were surprisingly "clean" even after being shot multiple times by an assault rifle.

As to be expected with this type of sci-fi drama, there are inconsistencies with future techs and pseudo sciences. One particular issue I have has to do with the "indestructible" nanobots floating in space. They are used as a kind of deus ex machina but that also contradicted with an overarching plotline so who is correct? There are other causal effects and subplots that were presented to us as fait accompli so it is pretty much 'ask no questions and you will hear no lies'. :)

Finally, the ending was actually not my favourite. I would have preferred the grittier ending as the story suggested but they must have done some market research and decided to go with a fan service version. They rammed it through but you really have to suspend your disbelieve.

OST is generic techno, heroic, eerie tracks which paired well with the scenes but ultimately forgettable.
Finally, please watch this in the original Korean/multilingual soundtrack. The English dub wasn't bad but it is not the same.

Read More

Short, but touching

This was great! The plot was very to-the-point but emotional and the acting was really good too! All I wished for was more communication between the leads.

I am just putting myself in Light's shoes here. If I was assaulted, abused, and treated like shit the way he was, not knowing what I was living for, and suddenly a stranger who I've never met before is being the gentlest human I know of, it'd kill me. The kindness would kill me because it's something I've never experienced before.
And the actors got that so right!

I'm sobbing as I write this because I pray for no one to be in Light's shoes. And for those who live like him, I hope they find a Shuo to help them out!

Read More

Excellent cast, poor storyline

I guess as many, I watched this novice because of the cast! No need to mention all great actors in this movie and I loved Lee Je Hoon in Taxi Driver. I found that he fits well this type of roles in action movies!
This story started well, then there is no storyline but a chain of action & violence. Nothing that wasn’t already done and I have to admit that American or European movies of this genre are by far more entertaining.

The vilain is a vilain for no valid reason, there could have been a plot behind the hard drives with VIP guests & politicians or even with the police .... nothing but a succession of gunfire until the end. The chase finally ends when suddenly the most logical thing happened ... several armed men cane to kill him.

And the end ..... I start to hate these obvious, quick, not thought ends just to give a hint that there will be a suite! What could it be? Vilain vs hero part 2 ? Probably!

If you want to play something in the background while you do something else ... it’s a movie for you!

Read More

Friendship

Well if you're looking for a reason to not have friends, have I got the drama for you!
In true Korean BL fashion, this drama is short but based on the plot I'd be pretty happy with a legit series/movie. I felt a LOT of detail got crammed together and definitely left out but it's worth the watch if you want a quick suspense scare, intense s*x scene or even a plot that isn't cliché and overused. Idk if this is a drama I'd recommend (considering it's lack of storyline) but don't dismiss it just because it's short. I didn't get a campy vibe at all but it did give me ideas on the quickest way to get furniture out of my house lmao
Enjoy...

Read More

Another important to watch BL!

My expectations were pretty low but what a surprise it was ! The plot was simble and refreshing, if you want to watch something heartwarming and yet anchored in reality, this is your show !

STORY :
I think the director managed to portray an LGBTQ relationship in a very realistic manner. Even though it was a less than 2 hours movie, the relationship and the story didn't felt rushed at all. While I think the beginning could have been slightly longer, I loved how most of the movie is around their relationship through the years, we don't see enough in the BL industry. One of the element I appreciated the most was how they used the metaphor of the line (like in the title) throughout the film !
Yuuki is truly a ray of sunshine and it was very interesting to see him grow and mature while retaining his unique character.
Regarding Akira.... I think he was the most relatable character, I could really empathise with everythinf he felt and went through even when i didn't agree with his actions.
+ bonus point for the side story of Akira's sister, we need more female character like her !

ACTING :
Everyone did a good job, I think i could relate to Akira that much because of how great the actor played his charcter. The couple wasn't awkward at all and had great chemistry in my opinion.

Overall, this movie/mini-serie is among the best Japanese BL not only for the BL plot but the overall story of growing up and facing new struggles was flawless !

Read More

Great movie!

I liked this movie very much! I totally recommend it!
First of all, I liked the two main actors and the way they portrayed the main characters . In my opinion the movie not only showed how our choices shape our future in terms of relationships (who you sleep or not sleep with) like other people said, but it also showed that imperfections in our relationships are okay. I thought that female lead was right when she tried to end things with male lead because of the unexpected situation. That was the right thing to do, although she didn't want to. What I didn't expect was that male lead wouldn't care about it and that he would still want to be with her. It was such a pleasant surprise! Female lead's roommate gave a chance to an imperfect man (according to her) and their relationship bloomed too. These are two examples that show how imperfections are part of life !

Read More

Don’t worry. Go ahead and watch it.

I watched this without being aware it is based on he same source material as the famous drama. Or maybe I knew when I put it on my PTW list, but forgot by the time I watched it. Either way, I watched without any expectations and it is very enjoyable. But when I checked on MDL, there is so much criticism comparing it to the series. That’s the reason for my review.

Yes the transitions between scenes are choppy. Yes there are details that are missing. Yes you need to pay attention or you can get lost. But it’s still an enjoyable story. The acting, CGI, is great. For someone who hasn’t seen the series, like me, don’t let the negative comments stop you.

Read More

No amount of regret can change the past. No amount of anxiety can change the future.

The Fear of becoming adult, everybody felt that at some point of life. How it will be like to live alone? Will i have a good job? Will i find love? Those are questions that simply won't be answered before the time comes. As you grow older and you don't have the things you always wanted, you feel suffocated, like you're losing time, it will drive you insane!
Those feelings will make you feel like your life is ordinary, like everybody else have a better life than you.

With a great cinematography and soundtrack, plus a great acting of the male lead, the movie portrays greatly those feelings of Fear and Regret.

Read More

Office Outings Unfiltered

Have you ever been to an office outing and had a few drinks? Have you ever been cheated on? Has a colleague ever spread rumors about you? Have you ever consumed ten bottles of Soju in one sitting? Have you ever been around all that and found a shining light amongst all the chaos? Someone to love…

I liked this movie because it felt like it was about real people. People were living their lives and sometimes making mistakes. Unfiltered and raw at times with non-stop comedy on top of it. A great drama that shows, in realistic detail, the victims of infidelity.

Gong Hyo Jin’s portray of Sun Young was terrific. She never disappoints. I loved this character. She was strong, authentic, and unfiltered. Kim Rae Won was every bit as good as Jae Hoon, the leader in the office. He spent his nights drinking himself into a stupor, trying to forget a woman who cheated on him right before their wedding. Yet, together these two found romance in the most unlikely of settings.

Give it a try. It’s worth the time.

Read More

Even if you start at a disadvantage, you can still be first across the finish line

Zero to Hero is an inspiring biopic about twelve-time Paralympic medalist So Wa Wai. So was the first para-athlete from Hong Kong to win gold and still holds the record in the 200m sprint. Zero to Hero is a feel good movie that also doesn't shy away from it's characters' faults and harsh reality.

So Wa Wai was born with haemolytic jaundice which resulted in cerebral palsy. His mother was told he would never walk or be able to hold chopsticks. And he would only be able to hear 10-20%. She carried him on her back, literally, until he was four. In a desperate life or death moment, the mother challenged him to walk. As he gained more ability, they learned he may not walk well, but he could run.

As a teenager he joined the para-athlete's association and trained to run in competitions. The way to his success did not always run smoothly. His family was poor and used desperately needed funds to help him achieve his success. The movie highlighted how difficult it was for Paralympic athletes to continue training and competing with few subsidies from the government.

The true heart of this movie was the mother-son relationship. Sandra Ng gave a beautiful performance as the resolute mother who refused to give up on her child and sacrificed greatly to ensure he became all he could be and that he would have a financially secure future after she was gone. This created conflict with Wa Wai as he worried she was using him at one point and with his younger brother who felt at times that his only role was to be Wa Wai's future caretaker. Though perhaps flawed, the strength of this mother's love and determination to gain the best for her son and for him to overcome his limitations shined through. "Run to me at the finish line."

Leung Chung Hang's performance never felt patronizing. He poignantly portrayed a child dependent on his mother who grew into a man with his own goals and need to help his family. Yet in the end, it was the love for his dedicated mother that gave him the strength to attain those goals.

Heartwarming and inspirational with enough realistic edge to keep it from being treacly, Zero to Hero is a winner.

Read More

Decent movie with misleading beginning

The biggest flaw of this movie is definitely its first half an hour where the viewer is left to piece together rather important information in scenes that change quite abruptly in what could have been a fun integration of scenes through the eyes of the characters, but ended up just being confusing. The movie significantly improves in the later half and leaves its more experimental scenes behind in favour of what then turned out to be not a rom-com or romance movie but rather a movie about healing, family and past relationships, that culminated in a sad but sweet ending.

The acting is good but not outstanding, same with the score. Kudos that the director at least tried to make this movie a little more avant-garde, even if it didn't always end up working out. The scenes that do work out are nice enough to look at.

For everyone who wants to watch this movie, I'll give you the general advice that the guy in the funky outfits is NOT the ML, it's the MC's brother. This is not immediately apparent and even when the film does explains the familial relationship, it's deliberately vague about it for the sake of the family line plot, but this unfortunately culminated in me being already sort of invested in a ship that would definitely never happen.

If you want to watch the movie on Netflix, the whole thing is only about 1 h 30 min and maybe a good watch for a rainy Sunday afternoon. It's worth a watch.

Read More

Boring and not thrilling

This movie was marketed as a thriller but upon watching it, I did not feel thrilled at all.

The story was just really meh — nothing really stood out to me, and it was kind of predictable. The characters didn't have much depth outside of their stories and the pacing of the movie just felt really slow and boring. I didn't feel the stakes in anything, mostly because a lot of the decision-making was questionable; it just felt as if the characters were going through the motions in order to make the plot play out tragically the way it was supposed to.

I'll still watch the next few movies but hopefully they make me feel more emotions; I didn't feel any while watching this one.

Read More

Interesting and good

This is an older one so the quality was not so great. But the story was interesting.

At times it was just overly brutal and hard to watch and other times it was kinda cheesy which is good cause I couldn't have handled it if it was more realistic. Definitely dark though. Probably won't watch it again though.

Though the scene at the end between the girl and the teacher had me wondering what that was about. I will have to look it up and see if I can find anything.

The music definitely gave me Star Wars vibes and it made it feel more dated to me. It was used well but not something that stood out in a good way in my opinon.

Read More

The movie makes as little sense as the synopsis above.

There is no reason as to why this story is told in the way it is. It's probably the most pretentious movie I've ever seen and the most nonsensically edited movie I've ever seen. It's trying so hard to be clever, and it fails miserably. I can't even tell what the message was supposed to be because it's so poorly executed. This movie is so structureless that I don't even want to call it a story.

Also the tags are wrong. This movie isn't a gl. It might be homoerotic (and that's a very cautious might). Don't watch this if you're looking for gl.

Honestly don't watch this movie in general.

Read More