I don't know what is wrong with you people who gave this a 5 and below. What were you watching? Or missing rather? Everything is the answer to the latter. The script is not perfect and unwinds a tiny bit in the last half hour of the movie- but other than that the direction, cuts, angles, timing, graphics, and acting are all top notch! When I saw this movie I wanted to know WHO directed it because I found their style really effective for this movie and rare! The directing talent of this movie is rare in that it seemed very comic-book stylized- like they followed well drawn story boards perfectly. As I said, the cuts (transitions) from one interesting camera angle to the next created a nice flow- and the voice acting and expressions were for the most part all good. The story is rather simple but so many other movies have simple stories and fail- i thought this movie had a simple story and succeeded in it's delivery of it. It could have had better character development so that we would care more about the characters- but for some reason I don't expect that nor care for that because it's Josie and the Pussycats for crying out loud! The only silly movie I can think of that had good character development was Austin Powers- where it showed Dr. Evil's childhood and background and gave you a sense of why he was evil. That was good. he was a well developed evil villain. Had this movie shown the background of the background perhaps it would have added a needed level of depth. But overall I enjoyed this movie enough to give it a 7 out of 10 at least. The poor 5 rating of this movie on IMDb is one of many inaccurate ratings on IMDb. There are many other movies I think are good enough to be a 7 but are rated a 5. It makes me have less faith in this rating system and from now on if I read an interesting synopsis for a movie and it's rated a 5 i am going to watch it anyway! - rendering this site ALMOST useless.
Reviews
24 Reviews
Josie and the Pussycats
(2001)
Criminally Underrated - 5.3?! REALLY? C'MON! More like a 7!
1 August 2015
Tomorrowland
(2015)
Should be PG-13
1 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The protagonist of this film who is somewhere between 16-20 years old steals a cowboy's car (that is grand theft auto), steals a man's house, and destroys 3 cranes costing a company thousands of dollars.
In this same movie we see a robot vaporize (in other words KILLING) 3 police officers. So this robot is essentially a pig killer....Only those weren't necessarily pigs, or bad officers but the good kind so....It's double the bad.
How is this movie even PG when 3 adult men die and so much crime including GTA is done? Also a little girl is hit by a speeding pick-up truck- but its okay because she is a robot? What? And there is a romance between this little girl and an older man but...again it's okay because she is a robot....
This movie has many things wrong with it. It's too simple for one. It's illogical for another. The whole movie is rather rubbish outside of the CGI scenes which are quite amazing. The little girl does kung fu on some older looking robots and manages to escape death multiple times....The fight and chase scenes are rather good...so are the flying scenes. That is about all I liked about this movie. 15 minutes or so of action- the rest is hogwash.
In this same movie we see a robot vaporize (in other words KILLING) 3 police officers. So this robot is essentially a pig killer....Only those weren't necessarily pigs, or bad officers but the good kind so....It's double the bad.
How is this movie even PG when 3 adult men die and so much crime including GTA is done? Also a little girl is hit by a speeding pick-up truck- but its okay because she is a robot? What? And there is a romance between this little girl and an older man but...again it's okay because she is a robot....
This movie has many things wrong with it. It's too simple for one. It's illogical for another. The whole movie is rather rubbish outside of the CGI scenes which are quite amazing. The little girl does kung fu on some older looking robots and manages to escape death multiple times....The fight and chase scenes are rather good...so are the flying scenes. That is about all I liked about this movie. 15 minutes or so of action- the rest is hogwash.
Cherry 2000
(1987)
IMDb's rating is too low for this movie. It's more like a 7+
25 May 2015
This movie is one I ALMOST skipped entirely because in my mind 5.3 is an abysmal score to give ANY movie. I once saw Talledega Nights with a girl I was very much in love with-it was a time when NO good movies were being released and Snakes on a Plane was out at the same time so those were our choices. Let me tell you that Talledega Nights was the worse movie I ever paid for and had to suffer through. Terrible film. But the reason why I bring it up is that a piece of junk movie like that was still well received by a few airheads and they thought it was funny- the girl i liked being one of the few airheads who liked it. That movie scores higher on IMDb than this movie does and that is a down right shame because I would give TN a 1 out of 10 or 4 out of 10 if I were being more fair, but I would give THIS move Cherry 2000 a 7 out of 10 at least. What does this all prove? That movie ratings can sometimes be misleading. That someone can tell you a movie is awful and you would find that same movie great, and vice versa. So what this ultimately means then is that you have to watch this movie yourself and come to your own conclusion. As for myself I was pleasantly surprised. I had low expectations and found this entertaining enough and it moved right along smoothly. The movie has a good pace.
A Better Tomorrow
(1986)
I Wanted to Like This Movie But Will Not Because it is BAD!
16 May 2015
I am a fan of Asian cinema. I have probably seen more Chinese, Korean, and Japanese films than anyone you know. I like Asian cinema because it is different- some things can be gotten away with in Asian cinema that cannot be gotten away with in Western/Eurpopean cinema- it is probably due to the language barrier that I can see many scenes in Asian cinema that don't bother me- but WOULD if it were done with English actors in the English language. I am straying from the topic, but it's important to preface this with the fact that I have seen more Asian gangster films than I have Western ones.
The fact is: I wanted to like this movie but cannot and will not. It is a very poorly done movie. The action is over the top and unrealistic- like video game type violence- which is common in Chinese movies- and the story is simple- too simple- its like a children's story for adults- what I mean by that is- the language used is very simple. It's like ABC type stuff- elementary- nothing about the script is challenging for a writer to come up with. It's simply a revenge tale with a love/hate triangle. A brother loves his brother and his brother hates him and that brothers girlfriend wants to see them reunite- and so does a friend of the older brother- but the two brothers are opposites and this creates 1/2 of the drama- the other 1/2 being that the mob is after both of them and they have to survive while fighting each other which makes it harder to. The main characters have infinite ammo- in the whole movie I have seen the main character reload his gun maybe only once- in this movie barrels explode unlike in real life- and in this movie we see a cripple who normally walks with a limp- RUN like an athlete when he is being shot at and trying to avoid the bullets- but it's not done for comedic effect- simply done based on negligence of the director/choreographer who didn't notice this mistake or did not care. Worst of all about this movie is that I found it boring! Not only am i criticizing the action of it (which was fairly good but too over the top fake for me) but the pace is very slow and the acting is great, but the lines and story are not so it hardly matters to me. I have a bone to pick with most if not all Asian action movies that come to mind- gangster films or not there is always something that by the end makes me not want to watch it again or recommend it to anyone.....I say this because I would love to recommend a movie to watch in place of this but cannot think of a solid recommendation to act as a substitute. Watch this if your time means nothing to you and you would gladly waste it. Or if your time does mean something to you- watch the actions scenes of this movie alone on youtube- and perhaps play a first person shooter video game online- would be more fun than sitting through this boring movie.
The fact is: I wanted to like this movie but cannot and will not. It is a very poorly done movie. The action is over the top and unrealistic- like video game type violence- which is common in Chinese movies- and the story is simple- too simple- its like a children's story for adults- what I mean by that is- the language used is very simple. It's like ABC type stuff- elementary- nothing about the script is challenging for a writer to come up with. It's simply a revenge tale with a love/hate triangle. A brother loves his brother and his brother hates him and that brothers girlfriend wants to see them reunite- and so does a friend of the older brother- but the two brothers are opposites and this creates 1/2 of the drama- the other 1/2 being that the mob is after both of them and they have to survive while fighting each other which makes it harder to. The main characters have infinite ammo- in the whole movie I have seen the main character reload his gun maybe only once- in this movie barrels explode unlike in real life- and in this movie we see a cripple who normally walks with a limp- RUN like an athlete when he is being shot at and trying to avoid the bullets- but it's not done for comedic effect- simply done based on negligence of the director/choreographer who didn't notice this mistake or did not care. Worst of all about this movie is that I found it boring! Not only am i criticizing the action of it (which was fairly good but too over the top fake for me) but the pace is very slow and the acting is great, but the lines and story are not so it hardly matters to me. I have a bone to pick with most if not all Asian action movies that come to mind- gangster films or not there is always something that by the end makes me not want to watch it again or recommend it to anyone.....I say this because I would love to recommend a movie to watch in place of this but cannot think of a solid recommendation to act as a substitute. Watch this if your time means nothing to you and you would gladly waste it. Or if your time does mean something to you- watch the actions scenes of this movie alone on youtube- and perhaps play a first person shooter video game online- would be more fun than sitting through this boring movie.
Prisoners
(2013)
Slow paced, tacky decisions, poorly constructed, and unresearched,
18 July 2014
This movie is slow paced and there are many slow long drawn out scenes. the movie would benefit if it moved faster and had different shots & angles and possibly even music in different scenes. personally i feel overall this movie was poorly constructed and would have been much better if worked on by a team of different professionals.
this movie lacks some realism. this movies version of realistic scenes is....so holly-woodish and fake. i mean certain scenes seem to me as an avid-movie buff to be.....as real looking as a fake apple is to hold and touch. and the dialogue and decisions of the characters and their character-build are as sharp as a polished marble.
some things i didn't like: i didn't like the African American actor who played one of the fathers in this movie. i don't like the way he looks, sounds, or that he couldn't play his instrument in the beginning, and i don't like his comments. i would have preferred him to be someone else with different dialogue, and directions.
i don't like how the detective in this movie looks like a frickin ex-con prisoner. when i first saw him i thought he was the antagonist/bad-guy. the detective was made to look this way cause some fool in the production crew thought this was the hot-guy look teens go for and maybe her personal preference for men so she (or he?) made this character look this certain ex-con fashionable way. to me his look and the things he says and does is totally unprofessional. I didn't like how the detective talks to his boss (captain) with disrespect and disdain in his voice as if he is superior to him- the the captain hearing and witnessing this disrespect allowed it and seemed incompetent. this to me seems entirely unresearched and fabricated. in other words it's unrealistic. if a detective talks to his commanding officer in any agency in any town the way this fellow does in this movie he would be looking for a new job quick. yet im supposed to buy that this hipster cool detective can get away with this? why? and his captain is some loser behind a desk? is this a comedy? no. its just badly written because it's unrealistic.
Anyway...the detective is supposed to be some genius of a guy who has solved all six of his cases and the actor who plays him does as good of a job as he can with poor dialogue and direction but unfortunately its not enough to save his poorly constructed decisions. what i mean is- this actor does what he is told to do- and he is told to do some dumb things by the director/writer. otherwise i have no problem with the way he looks or talks to his captain. what i mean is- he is SUPPOSED to be a genius detective but what he actually does and says in this movie opposes his role as a genius because there is nothing highly intelligent about discussing astrological signs in his opening scene, being disrespectful to his boss, and disregarding rules and doing things by the book. nothing he does is really special at all is what i mean.....he has this higher than thou attitude but what we see him do in the movie is new yorker-ish in the bad attitude sense and is common! so he is written and introduced by another character as being "special" but he does nothing special! His actions are rudimentary and unprofessional- that is why i say this movie is poorly constructed and poorly researched!
This movie reminds me of some South Korean thriller movies but are not as fast paced and fun to watch as them. I recommend you watch The Chaser and I Saw the Devil if you liked this junky movie.
The things I liked about this movie: The main characters Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal have great acting skills and presence in this movie. they are likable fellows and i enjoy seeing them in this movie and have an affection for them because of other movies i have seen them in. they practically save this poorly structured and poorly written movie. without them this movie would appear on Lifetime channel as a TV movie as it is poorly made like one.
this movie lacks some realism. this movies version of realistic scenes is....so holly-woodish and fake. i mean certain scenes seem to me as an avid-movie buff to be.....as real looking as a fake apple is to hold and touch. and the dialogue and decisions of the characters and their character-build are as sharp as a polished marble.
some things i didn't like: i didn't like the African American actor who played one of the fathers in this movie. i don't like the way he looks, sounds, or that he couldn't play his instrument in the beginning, and i don't like his comments. i would have preferred him to be someone else with different dialogue, and directions.
i don't like how the detective in this movie looks like a frickin ex-con prisoner. when i first saw him i thought he was the antagonist/bad-guy. the detective was made to look this way cause some fool in the production crew thought this was the hot-guy look teens go for and maybe her personal preference for men so she (or he?) made this character look this certain ex-con fashionable way. to me his look and the things he says and does is totally unprofessional. I didn't like how the detective talks to his boss (captain) with disrespect and disdain in his voice as if he is superior to him- the the captain hearing and witnessing this disrespect allowed it and seemed incompetent. this to me seems entirely unresearched and fabricated. in other words it's unrealistic. if a detective talks to his commanding officer in any agency in any town the way this fellow does in this movie he would be looking for a new job quick. yet im supposed to buy that this hipster cool detective can get away with this? why? and his captain is some loser behind a desk? is this a comedy? no. its just badly written because it's unrealistic.
Anyway...the detective is supposed to be some genius of a guy who has solved all six of his cases and the actor who plays him does as good of a job as he can with poor dialogue and direction but unfortunately its not enough to save his poorly constructed decisions. what i mean is- this actor does what he is told to do- and he is told to do some dumb things by the director/writer. otherwise i have no problem with the way he looks or talks to his captain. what i mean is- he is SUPPOSED to be a genius detective but what he actually does and says in this movie opposes his role as a genius because there is nothing highly intelligent about discussing astrological signs in his opening scene, being disrespectful to his boss, and disregarding rules and doing things by the book. nothing he does is really special at all is what i mean.....he has this higher than thou attitude but what we see him do in the movie is new yorker-ish in the bad attitude sense and is common! so he is written and introduced by another character as being "special" but he does nothing special! His actions are rudimentary and unprofessional- that is why i say this movie is poorly constructed and poorly researched!
This movie reminds me of some South Korean thriller movies but are not as fast paced and fun to watch as them. I recommend you watch The Chaser and I Saw the Devil if you liked this junky movie.
The things I liked about this movie: The main characters Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal have great acting skills and presence in this movie. they are likable fellows and i enjoy seeing them in this movie and have an affection for them because of other movies i have seen them in. they practically save this poorly structured and poorly written movie. without them this movie would appear on Lifetime channel as a TV movie as it is poorly made like one.
Castle in the Sky
(1986)
If You Have Seen Fututre Boy Conan or Howl's Moving...Skip This
26 May 2014
Miyazaki's films often have similar themes and similarly drawn characters. If I have to reframe from mentioning his other works and look solely at this film I suppose I would give it a 7 out of 10 and say it was good. However having seen Future Boy Conan before this as well as Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind and Howl's Moving Castle I would have to say this this movie in comparison to the aforementioned is skipable as it pales in comparison to those movies in story-telling, overall scenes, and English dubbing. I find that this movie shares similarities with the other movies in that: In Future Boy Conan the aircraft resemble moths/bugs. In this movie the aircraft resemble dragonflies/bugs. In ever movie mentioned here there is a theme of high technology controlled by the government/past that can destroy the world and a young boy and girl try and prevent this technology from destroying the world...There are similar looking characters.....Overall Future Boy Conan has more lovable characters and more humor. There are scenes in that series that are laugh out loud funny and heart warming as well! It's well worth the watch. And Nausica of The Valley is a great summary of Future Boy Conan.. It closely follows the theme of that series and reinterprets it in a new way and puts it in a feature length film VS a series of episodes and it does a great job of expressing high destructive technology vs peace loving nature....Does that make sense? Basically I have seen those movies and love them more than this. I was looking forward to this movie being great but i felt it was just a waste of time. It also bothered me how the boy in this movie never got to fly his aircraft that he built (then why even show it???) and how he didn't seem to posses any special skill 3/4ths of the movie yet somehow could climb like spider-man near the end and do things no human could ever do. He somehow had hands and feet that could cling unrealistically to a metal tube that went upwards- and free-climbed across roots like a monkey and it was just so unrealistic it bothered me....At least in Future Boy Conan the boy was shown from the very beginning as having unusual strength and skill. But this boy in this movie was ordinary until the end when he made a 360....
3 Women
(1977)
Horribe Movie. Predictable. Not funny.
28 July 2013
Went into watching this movie without knowing a thing about it. Predicted more or less how it was going to end very early on. Did not find it funny, clever, or cute despite someone calling this a 'black comedy' there is nothing comedic about it, and I find it to be disgusting because it is a waste of time and has weird ugly looking women all throughout it whom I find to be very annoying to listen to talk and they have nothing good to say. This movie is rubbish. If you want to watch something equally as engrossing why not go to a home that has weird and whacky ugly men and women and listen to them talk- you might get just as much out of them if not more than you would from watching this piece of a crap film.
Pointless Movie
19 July 2013
I am a Stephan Chow fan. So much so that I would go gay for him BUT have an asexual realtionship with him. I just want to spend as much time with him as possible in a relationship without gay sex. I just want to see him come out of the shower wearing a bath robe, and shake his hand, and eat meals with him and tell him what a fan I am because I am, but this movie sucks. It just sucks because it's funny only in certain circumstances but then has no underlying great story to it. It's characters are all underdeveloped and I don't know much about them because their depth is kept very shallow. It's like Stephen Chow got bored one day and said "I want to make a movie" and wrote a script in 1-2-3. The most time consuming parts about making this movie must have been setting up the CGI, the costumes/sets, and getting the right contracts and what-not. Otherwise i felt with this movies writing it could have been shot on a shoe-string budget by a few friends with a hand-held camera and the will and determination to tell this story to others. It's not a bad story, but it gets lost in the elaborate special effects and small jokes every couple of minutes. It's fun to watch, don't get me wrong, but it's like a junk food that is too sweet and leads to an 'Ugh' feeling after a while. This movie was not satisfying for me, instead I had too many conflicting emotions in me. I was angry at the main character, angry at the female lead for being so persistent to get the MC to love her without a motive, and angry at the demons for not having a justification for their evil deeds. Every character should have a motive for doing what they do- even the bad guys, and in this case the bad guys didn't have one- the monkey king did- but even so he seemed more despicable than I would have liked him to be and I was not satisfied the direction this movie took with every character and it's overall story from the get-go. I would have told it so much differently and that is the mark of a bad movie/story in my opinion. A Chinese Odyssey is a much better movie/story than this.
Five Deadly Venoms
(1978)
Terrible Kung Fu Movie
17 July 2013
This movie stars most of the same cast of The Crippled Avengers. It suffers from the same problems too. This movie has an interesting premise but it falls apart because the fighting choreography is more flips and ridiculous spinning low kicks than genuine gungu fu. It makes me think the one who choreographed these fights was a circus perfomer or gymnist/opera type person and not a genuine martial artist at all- if he was he must be real low class and must have been kicked out of his school or quick because none of the fights in this movie show a skilled practitioner in the martial arts yet there are supposed to be martial art heroes in this movie- martial artists that can do the impossible- and what do they do? Break chains? Do flips? Big whoop- Conan the Barbarian can do that. Nothing in this movie is special or representative of the true martial arts way or kung fu- there are so many stupid things about this movie besides the poorly staged fights. For example: They are all trying to steal a fortune. One of them is rich already so why is he involved and trying to get the money? It's never explained so technically he doesn't have a motive and yet goes after the money anyhow. Does that make sense to you? Then there is another guy who GETS the money/treasure and yet thinks he has to kill the rest too. Why? And then why doesn't he just do it? He could have skipped town when he got the treasure and yet he stayed like a fool- and more importantly he didn't kill all the members when theoretically he was absolutely in a place to do so. Stupid movie. It doesn't make sense because it's not supposed to- it's just plain dumb. When Bruce Lee said Kung Fu movies at the time had pointless fighting that was explained with no real reason he sure was right- and movies like this and My Young Auntie prove it. That movie too was dumb. At least The Crippled Avengers had a very good reason for fighting but again that had bad choreography like this one and the story got very weak by the 2nd half. Save yourself time and watch another Shaw Brothers film. - Mad Monkey Kung Fu is a good one. And Clan of the White Lotus is a good one too.
My Young Auntie
(1981)
Horrible Movie
16 July 2013
I am a Shaw Brothers fan, but they made some standout great movies, and some crappy waste of time movies. I had to force myself to log on to IMDb after watching this garbage trash of a film just to not make the mistake of watching it again by accident. If I remember the title of this movie 10 years from now it would only be because of how bad it is.
Challenge of the Masters is another one I remember but being a waste of time.
My favorite SB movies so far are:
Mad Monkey Kung-Fu Return to the 36th Chamber Clan of the White Lotus Legendary Weapons of China Heroes of the East Executioners from Shaolin
Any one of those movies if you have not seen them already is worth watching over this one because they have more substance and better fight scenes. This one movie is purely about fighting (as are some other SB films I don't like- and the fighting is unrealistic and has dislikable choreographed fights)
Challenge of the Masters is another one I remember but being a waste of time.
My favorite SB movies so far are:
Mad Monkey Kung-Fu Return to the 36th Chamber Clan of the White Lotus Legendary Weapons of China Heroes of the East Executioners from Shaolin
Any one of those movies if you have not seen them already is worth watching over this one because they have more substance and better fight scenes. This one movie is purely about fighting (as are some other SB films I don't like- and the fighting is unrealistic and has dislikable choreographed fights)
God of Gamblers
(1989)
Watched this by accident. Clearly it was by accident.
31 May 2013
I watched this when I meant to watch another movie that someone said translates to God of Gamblers. I didn't really trust them or believe the comment I should say but I took a chance cause I couldn't find the other movie by it's original title.
Anyway. I gave this movie a chance as if it were the right one I wanted to see, but I couldn't stand it. We all know one of the main characters in this movie is a famous actor, and he is good looking and suave but not really a super-great actor in my opinion. He is just so-so. More importantly the movie here feels SLOW. The gambling scenes in the opening with the Mah Jong and Dice game are so slow that I thought it was to build tension because I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt, but even if that were the case it is inexcusably slow because there isn't much tension in the movie and I can predict that the main character will win EVERY time. So the long scenes are inexcusable because there is no suspense in them. Only a waste of time.
I could not stand watching this movie and shut it off half way through because it is so predictable and not funny or enjoyable to watch in any way. The ONE good thing I will say about this is that there is a 1-2 minute fight on the subway that I liked watching. That is all.
Anyway. I gave this movie a chance as if it were the right one I wanted to see, but I couldn't stand it. We all know one of the main characters in this movie is a famous actor, and he is good looking and suave but not really a super-great actor in my opinion. He is just so-so. More importantly the movie here feels SLOW. The gambling scenes in the opening with the Mah Jong and Dice game are so slow that I thought it was to build tension because I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt, but even if that were the case it is inexcusably slow because there isn't much tension in the movie and I can predict that the main character will win EVERY time. So the long scenes are inexcusable because there is no suspense in them. Only a waste of time.
I could not stand watching this movie and shut it off half way through because it is so predictable and not funny or enjoyable to watch in any way. The ONE good thing I will say about this is that there is a 1-2 minute fight on the subway that I liked watching. That is all.
Watched a Downloaded Copy with Crap Subtitles. Still Great!
29 May 2013
First off let me say that I watched this movie not under the best circumstances. I downloaded it from Piratebay and was watching it on my Media Player when I realized within the first 2 minutes that the subs were awful. There were many English typos and because of that it seemed to be a poor translation. HOWEVER the acting was so good and the scenes so good that even with rudimentary dialog (that is to say basic translations) it still made me laugh quite a lot and I can't remember when was the last time I enjoyed a movie THIS MUCH! It's been SO long! This must be one of my favorite movies. Top 10 at least. Maybe even top 3 if I dare say so- but the problem with saying so and with saying it is absolutely one of my favorites (and it is) is that I am not sure many others will understand why it is one of my favorites or will even care to understand. It is one of my favorite movies for a number of reasons. Let me tell you why.
1) It kept me in suspense. I am familiar with Goku the monkey king and how he was mischievous and had to pay penance for his sins and play a good guy for a while to gain freedom or whatever. That is as far as my knowledge of Goku the monkey king goes, oh and I know he is supposed to have a circlet and lance and was reminded of that later. Big deal, right? Wrong. This movie told me a story I have never been told before and kept me wildly guessing and entertained throughout! It is like a fairy tale. A very good fairy tale to movie translation. A very good play of sorts. What I enjoy about it the most is that I went into it not knowing what to expect. I thought it was about Buddhism? hello? but instead it was about....Well. It's hard to put into words. Read my first sentences about what I knew of the story of the monkey king. That much in this movie is still true. However there are many things I did not know that this movie tells and because my life is so boring and most things predictable (that is to say most movies, video games have predictable plot lines) this was a movie with nice twists and turns that got me to be interested in story-telling and cinema again. And boy did it get me interested again in a big way! I am in awe with how good the writer(s) must have been- the original writers that is to say who came out with the skeleton of this story because there is some wild stuff in here.
2) This movie is surprisingly funny. Actually I had another 2 and 3 in mind as to why this movie is one of my favorites but forget them both. Oh yeah! It reminds me of the wild and wacky stuff I used to watch as a kid in it's creativity! Namely the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. If you're a 90's kid like me and grew up on that show you may actually love this. It's similar because there is martial arts and funny bad guys and action scenes in this. Also the special effects are old school with make-ups and costumes, none of that CGI stuff. I can appreciate the old ways because it doesn't really detract from the story or acting here and that is what's strong.
I suppose people may give this a 7 or 8 instead of a 10, maybe even worse, but I am not too concerned about that. I know why others may not like this (because it's too foreign, or they are too busy to appreciate it's intricacies, or they don't find it funny, whatever the reason someone may not like this, maybe they have heard the story differently and have a preconceived idea of how it should be, who knows, but I had fun watching this and that is why I watch movies to begin with. To have fun. To forget life for a bit. Watch it if you want to be entertained and are not scared of Chinese films as an American or if you can laugh at silly faces, voices, and remarks.
1) It kept me in suspense. I am familiar with Goku the monkey king and how he was mischievous and had to pay penance for his sins and play a good guy for a while to gain freedom or whatever. That is as far as my knowledge of Goku the monkey king goes, oh and I know he is supposed to have a circlet and lance and was reminded of that later. Big deal, right? Wrong. This movie told me a story I have never been told before and kept me wildly guessing and entertained throughout! It is like a fairy tale. A very good fairy tale to movie translation. A very good play of sorts. What I enjoy about it the most is that I went into it not knowing what to expect. I thought it was about Buddhism? hello? but instead it was about....Well. It's hard to put into words. Read my first sentences about what I knew of the story of the monkey king. That much in this movie is still true. However there are many things I did not know that this movie tells and because my life is so boring and most things predictable (that is to say most movies, video games have predictable plot lines) this was a movie with nice twists and turns that got me to be interested in story-telling and cinema again. And boy did it get me interested again in a big way! I am in awe with how good the writer(s) must have been- the original writers that is to say who came out with the skeleton of this story because there is some wild stuff in here.
2) This movie is surprisingly funny. Actually I had another 2 and 3 in mind as to why this movie is one of my favorites but forget them both. Oh yeah! It reminds me of the wild and wacky stuff I used to watch as a kid in it's creativity! Namely the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. If you're a 90's kid like me and grew up on that show you may actually love this. It's similar because there is martial arts and funny bad guys and action scenes in this. Also the special effects are old school with make-ups and costumes, none of that CGI stuff. I can appreciate the old ways because it doesn't really detract from the story or acting here and that is what's strong.
I suppose people may give this a 7 or 8 instead of a 10, maybe even worse, but I am not too concerned about that. I know why others may not like this (because it's too foreign, or they are too busy to appreciate it's intricacies, or they don't find it funny, whatever the reason someone may not like this, maybe they have heard the story differently and have a preconceived idea of how it should be, who knows, but I had fun watching this and that is why I watch movies to begin with. To have fun. To forget life for a bit. Watch it if you want to be entertained and are not scared of Chinese films as an American or if you can laugh at silly faces, voices, and remarks.
Crippled Avengers
(1978)
Unfortunate 2nd half. Hard to Score this, Worth watching.
27 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The first 1/3 of this movie I would dare say is genius. It's a really smart and great movie. The rest of the movie (that is to say the last 2/3rds of it) is pretty stupid...
Let me be brief, since this is all opinion anyway. I would rate the first 1/3 of this movie a 9 out of 10- easily. It was fun and entertaining to watch and intriguing. Even the following parts (after the martial arts training the avengers get) is SOMEWHAT interesting, but the film for me all falls apart definitely in the 2nd half of the film because it seems like the movie loses purpose and it's pointless violence and has corny fight scenes and corny bad guys to make matters worse. I mean really now. The 2nd half of the movie is nearly ALL action and reliant on action and not so much story telling and the action is not all that good! The action is not at all real kung-fu, instead it is circus acts and it is absolutely ridiculous to watch. At least some kung-fu movies (like Jackie Chan movies and The Prodigal Son to give you an idea) make their ridiculous fight scenes funny or fun to watch, but these fight scenes are long and grueling to watch because they seem SO choreographed and staged. It does not seem authentic. Some of the stunt work is sloppy, and just seems like it's done by poor performers. Overall I am not pleased by the 2nd half of this movie but I enjoyed the first half for the concept and storytelling so much that I would like to see this movie remade some day and done properly. That is to say- with a story that stays intact and that does not simply disappear for poor fight scenes that follow the characters main quest. It seems like this movie is very much 'hit it and quit it' in the 2nd half. In and out, and yet for such a simple idea/concept it is lost in how long they drawn the movie's fight scenes to do it. So in the end it is a waste of time it feels like cause it builds up to a rather lame 'climax' if you can even call it that. *** spoiler alert *** Also we never see them bury one of their fallen or how they live their lives after the battle, or how the city is changed for the better afterward. It's really a rushed ending and 'hit it and quit it' like I said it is, but takes so long to get to? Doesn't make sense. They could have used that last half hour of precious movie time to explain what happens after the battle, and they could have gotten to the battles sooner and made them shorter and sweeter. But ah well. It is what it is. A very mixed movie, and a waste of time in the end if you ask me. But first 1/3 is worth watching if you plan to write your own remake of this story which I think is worth telling- just differently.
Let me be brief, since this is all opinion anyway. I would rate the first 1/3 of this movie a 9 out of 10- easily. It was fun and entertaining to watch and intriguing. Even the following parts (after the martial arts training the avengers get) is SOMEWHAT interesting, but the film for me all falls apart definitely in the 2nd half of the film because it seems like the movie loses purpose and it's pointless violence and has corny fight scenes and corny bad guys to make matters worse. I mean really now. The 2nd half of the movie is nearly ALL action and reliant on action and not so much story telling and the action is not all that good! The action is not at all real kung-fu, instead it is circus acts and it is absolutely ridiculous to watch. At least some kung-fu movies (like Jackie Chan movies and The Prodigal Son to give you an idea) make their ridiculous fight scenes funny or fun to watch, but these fight scenes are long and grueling to watch because they seem SO choreographed and staged. It does not seem authentic. Some of the stunt work is sloppy, and just seems like it's done by poor performers. Overall I am not pleased by the 2nd half of this movie but I enjoyed the first half for the concept and storytelling so much that I would like to see this movie remade some day and done properly. That is to say- with a story that stays intact and that does not simply disappear for poor fight scenes that follow the characters main quest. It seems like this movie is very much 'hit it and quit it' in the 2nd half. In and out, and yet for such a simple idea/concept it is lost in how long they drawn the movie's fight scenes to do it. So in the end it is a waste of time it feels like cause it builds up to a rather lame 'climax' if you can even call it that. *** spoiler alert *** Also we never see them bury one of their fallen or how they live their lives after the battle, or how the city is changed for the better afterward. It's really a rushed ending and 'hit it and quit it' like I said it is, but takes so long to get to? Doesn't make sense. They could have used that last half hour of precious movie time to explain what happens after the battle, and they could have gotten to the battles sooner and made them shorter and sweeter. But ah well. It is what it is. A very mixed movie, and a waste of time in the end if you ask me. But first 1/3 is worth watching if you plan to write your own remake of this story which I think is worth telling- just differently.
The Magnificent Butcher
(1979)
Would Give it a 9 if not for a few things...
27 May 2013
Very good movie. Fun to watch. Very funny. Entertaining. Great fights. Really good fighting in this. My only gripe is that there doesn't seem to be enough characters. Perhaps not enough Master Wong. Too much Bum. And....Maybe a few deaths and things I consider unnecessary. Although the fight scenes are good the main reasons for the fights in this movie after the first are weak. I mean....There are so many unrealistic things in this movie to nit pick about. So excuse me for nitpicking because that is all I am doing, and I am imagining it being 'better' or different, but maybe that is not fair for me to do. In any even this movie is definitely not perfect or could be better, but it is fun for me to watch, and funny so I would have to recommend it anyway and regardless of what I consider to be a few flaws in this movie. Pointless fighting, pointless deaths, and decisions by multiple characters throughout the film that do not make sense for them to make at the time. Like Master Wong leaving when things were getting hot. Crazy Cow holding on to a man with a knife and not properly defending himself. Skinny Pig killing such as such in front of many different witnesses and not being reported to authorities. What gives? Is there no law in that town? And the main antagonist is rich but has no guards that can fight better than him? What? That's like a rich man today being the best shot among his guards and only having 2 guards when he can afford 4 or more. This man is supposedly rich yet almost never has an entourage- or at least he does until they get beat up and then all of a sudden they disappear and are never seen again in key parts of the film where he should be protected. It makes no sense. Such a rich man who is a mediocre fighter walking the streets alone and killing alone? It's unlike any other Martial Arts movie in that sense which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good cause it focuses on individual fights and bad cause it's unrealistic for his character to be alone.
The Prodigal Son
(1981)
My Favorite Kung Fu Movie
26 May 2013
I do not like the majority of kung fu movies I have seen in my life and have always felt many of them do not deserve the recognition they have received. Recently one of the movies i have seen which fits under this profile is 'Master of the Flying Guillotine'. I do not like that movie and yet many people do. This is another movie that many people like, but unlike the others I feel it deserves it's attention and even more so, because it is a very entertaining movie with great fight scenes, comedy, dialogue, characters, and sets! Basically this movie is a win/win firing off on all cylinders- my only complaints are that it ended and maybe there are 1-2 things I would have changed or done differently but overall if you want to watch a good Chinese martial arts film with a great English dub and want to be entertained I say look no further! I just hope you understand some of the jokes in this movie because some are lol funny, and others will make you scratch your head, but you have to take it all into context and realize that the WHOLE movie is a comedy with great action and a good storyline involved, so basically if you see something weird it is SUPPOSED to be that way and it's not that way and it's similar to kung-fu hustle in that sense, though I would prefer watching this movie if i had to be given one on an island because for me it has more value throughout.
Dragon
(2011)
Strange Movie. Fun to Watch.
25 May 2013
This movie is very strange. Let me sum it up with few words.
Mystery. Suspenseful. Funny. Unique. Turbulent. Fun.
This movie has low and high moments. It is definitely strange and unique and unlike anything I have ever seen- which is both good and bad as you can imagine. SOME stuff is predictable and I have seen it before. Actually quite a few things I have seen done before....But never all stitched together for one story. So that is somewhat new.
This movie is like an old-fashioned crime-detective novel, with some crappy fighting thrown in that later turns to be better. The fight scenes improve somewhat- but don't go in this watching it for the fights. It's more of an entertaining keep you guessing while you laugh at it and are intrigued by it with a family member or friend type movie. I had fun watching it. I enjoyed it. Don't think I would watch it a 2nd time, but I would consider recommending it for sure. 7 may be too low considering how I have seen worse martial arts/suspense movies with higher ratings. This movie does leave some unanswered questions, and a few things to be desired. I would have liked to have seen a few more details in it, or would have changed a few things myself, but overall it was fun to watch with my sister so I can't complain too much. 7 is too low or just right depending on how you look at it, but there are definitely worse movies than this out there so give it a shot will you?
Mystery. Suspenseful. Funny. Unique. Turbulent. Fun.
This movie has low and high moments. It is definitely strange and unique and unlike anything I have ever seen- which is both good and bad as you can imagine. SOME stuff is predictable and I have seen it before. Actually quite a few things I have seen done before....But never all stitched together for one story. So that is somewhat new.
This movie is like an old-fashioned crime-detective novel, with some crappy fighting thrown in that later turns to be better. The fight scenes improve somewhat- but don't go in this watching it for the fights. It's more of an entertaining keep you guessing while you laugh at it and are intrigued by it with a family member or friend type movie. I had fun watching it. I enjoyed it. Don't think I would watch it a 2nd time, but I would consider recommending it for sure. 7 may be too low considering how I have seen worse martial arts/suspense movies with higher ratings. This movie does leave some unanswered questions, and a few things to be desired. I would have liked to have seen a few more details in it, or would have changed a few things myself, but overall it was fun to watch with my sister so I can't complain too much. 7 is too low or just right depending on how you look at it, but there are definitely worse movies than this out there so give it a shot will you?
The Sword of Doom
(1966)
Painful. Painful to Watch.
25 May 2013
I saw this movie when IFC was giving a Japanese movie nearly every day or every weekend. In the last 9 years of my life I believe it is safe to say that i have watched more Japanese cinema than I have given attention to any other kind and it was in this period that I watched Sword of Doom that I watched the most Japanese films out of my entire life.
I watched this movie again last night (possibly 6 years after I originally saw it)and I did so by accident. First off, I did not remember that THIS movie was called Sword of Doom- that is how I ended up watching it a 2nd time by accident. When a movie is so bad that I don't even remember it's title- that is bad.
So far I have only given you my opinion. Let me give the only 'fact' I can give about this movie- and why I hate it. It is SLOW. VERY slow. I watched the movie for 20-30 minutes of 2x speed last night and it was STILL too slow- I kid you not. Sometimes I fast forwarded it by 4x speed and higher and it was still very tedious to watch- I am not this way with any other movies. I treated this movie differently than I have treated others because of how slow it is.
The good thing about this movie: The main antagonist which appears to be a emotionless snake of a man. A 'badass' if you will- the guy who goes around killing innocent people and not showing a shed of remorse- his character is cool to look at. I am aware that some anime and maybe even some other movies have attempted to make a character just like him and this actor that pulls off this persona (although it may not be highly original) does a VERY good job at it. In other words the main bad guy is an interesting one- but after about 20 minutes his character gets old and I am tired of seeing his emotionless silent self. I want to see him get angry but he never does. I want to see him interested in SOMETHING but he never shows interest in much of anything. It's as if he is a walking ghost. Which as I tried to say is cool at first, but gets old after a while.
The bad about this movie is nearly everything else. The pace and the dialogue is beyond boring for me to sit through and I cannot justify doing it because I see no reward in me sitting around for the end. I can't imagine an ending for this movie that is not predictable and therefore there is not enough suspense in it for me to enjoy or to even recommend for someone else to enjoy. Anyone smart and who knows the value of their time and how to manage their life well will not sit through this garbage. There are so many better videos to watch out there. Even real fencing videos as opposed to this. Or anime with other badass main villains and a more interesting suspenseful action-packed story. Sword of the Stranger for example...Check it out.
I watched this movie again last night (possibly 6 years after I originally saw it)and I did so by accident. First off, I did not remember that THIS movie was called Sword of Doom- that is how I ended up watching it a 2nd time by accident. When a movie is so bad that I don't even remember it's title- that is bad.
So far I have only given you my opinion. Let me give the only 'fact' I can give about this movie- and why I hate it. It is SLOW. VERY slow. I watched the movie for 20-30 minutes of 2x speed last night and it was STILL too slow- I kid you not. Sometimes I fast forwarded it by 4x speed and higher and it was still very tedious to watch- I am not this way with any other movies. I treated this movie differently than I have treated others because of how slow it is.
The good thing about this movie: The main antagonist which appears to be a emotionless snake of a man. A 'badass' if you will- the guy who goes around killing innocent people and not showing a shed of remorse- his character is cool to look at. I am aware that some anime and maybe even some other movies have attempted to make a character just like him and this actor that pulls off this persona (although it may not be highly original) does a VERY good job at it. In other words the main bad guy is an interesting one- but after about 20 minutes his character gets old and I am tired of seeing his emotionless silent self. I want to see him get angry but he never does. I want to see him interested in SOMETHING but he never shows interest in much of anything. It's as if he is a walking ghost. Which as I tried to say is cool at first, but gets old after a while.
The bad about this movie is nearly everything else. The pace and the dialogue is beyond boring for me to sit through and I cannot justify doing it because I see no reward in me sitting around for the end. I can't imagine an ending for this movie that is not predictable and therefore there is not enough suspense in it for me to enjoy or to even recommend for someone else to enjoy. Anyone smart and who knows the value of their time and how to manage their life well will not sit through this garbage. There are so many better videos to watch out there. Even real fencing videos as opposed to this. Or anime with other badass main villains and a more interesting suspenseful action-packed story. Sword of the Stranger for example...Check it out.
Waste of my time. Horrible.
24 May 2013
I want to give this movie a 4 out of 10 for wasting my time, but I also want to give it a 6 out of 10 since I watched about an hour and a half of it and endured it for that long.
The good about this movie: The opening scene. Looks interesting. Looks very good. Unfortunately it doesn't turn out to be very good.
The illegal fights. Most fights I have seen have 'no eye-gouging' etc. This is a no holds barred match and a fight to the death. Unfortunately as unusual as that is to see in a martial arts film or match it is not at all entertaining to see in this movie. Cringe-worthy in some parts, yes, but so was Riki-Oh cringe-worthy and that had entertaining fights. This one did not.
The music and colorful scenes, jokes on the characteristics of Thai, Indian, and Japanese fighters are all very interesting. What I have noticed: This movie was done in 1976. I know it must have influenced Tarentino somewhat in his music/colorful scenes for Kill Bill. I know this movies Indian character must have influenced the creators of Street Fighter for their Indian character can stretch as well. I know this movie may have influenced Punch Out! with the stereotypes within (cause that game and this movie makes fun of race cultures a bit without making the race/culture weak. You have to be familiar with this movie or that game to know what I mean.
The bad things about this movie: Matches in this movie are mediocre and unexciting. The movie is VERY predictable except for maybe 1-2 parts and even then it's not like great 'wow that surprised me what a great movie!' suspense, but like 'heh. Wasn't expecting that. meh. Oh well'. It's just a boring movie all through out. Boring fights, and predictable ending where the protagonist wins in the end against the antagonist.
The good about this movie: The opening scene. Looks interesting. Looks very good. Unfortunately it doesn't turn out to be very good.
The illegal fights. Most fights I have seen have 'no eye-gouging' etc. This is a no holds barred match and a fight to the death. Unfortunately as unusual as that is to see in a martial arts film or match it is not at all entertaining to see in this movie. Cringe-worthy in some parts, yes, but so was Riki-Oh cringe-worthy and that had entertaining fights. This one did not.
The music and colorful scenes, jokes on the characteristics of Thai, Indian, and Japanese fighters are all very interesting. What I have noticed: This movie was done in 1976. I know it must have influenced Tarentino somewhat in his music/colorful scenes for Kill Bill. I know this movies Indian character must have influenced the creators of Street Fighter for their Indian character can stretch as well. I know this movie may have influenced Punch Out! with the stereotypes within (cause that game and this movie makes fun of race cultures a bit without making the race/culture weak. You have to be familiar with this movie or that game to know what I mean.
The bad things about this movie: Matches in this movie are mediocre and unexciting. The movie is VERY predictable except for maybe 1-2 parts and even then it's not like great 'wow that surprised me what a great movie!' suspense, but like 'heh. Wasn't expecting that. meh. Oh well'. It's just a boring movie all through out. Boring fights, and predictable ending where the protagonist wins in the end against the antagonist.
Macho
(2009)
No Way! Why would the score be so low?!
4 January 2013
This movie by the end reminded me of 500 Days of Summer but it can't be said that either movie copied each other since they came out the same year. This movie in my opinion is very realistic and relevant to my life and I can watch it over and over again because of that. It is like taking a look at myself and my life objectively. Some people can do that with their own lives easily and some like me need films to make them see and appreciate things in their own life from a new angle.
So this movie is relevant to me and the on-screen acting is fantastic and the chemistry between the actors is very strong. I get the feeling that they really are in a relationship for their roles in the movie so much so that they do not seem like roles at all but documentary footage of their actual thoughts and lifestyle. Like a vlog type journal.
I can't recommend this movie to everyone, but then again what film CAN I recommended to everyone? Maybe nothing but star wars will appeal to both kids, and adults, but this movie will definitely appeal to you if you are an adult, liked 500 Days of Summer, and have been in at least one relationship that started to go fast when you thought it would go NOWHERE and fell madly in love with that person/each other and then things seem to magically fall apart as they often do until a unit of one becomes two.
This movie isn't exactly sad, but very comedic and enjoyable to watch. For me it is somewhat reassuring that I can find my love, and that there may be two of em out there. That sounds wrong as I type this, but if you watch the movie or even experienced a relationship like the one shown in this film you may understand that in life you have to move on whether you like to or not.
So this movie is relevant to me and the on-screen acting is fantastic and the chemistry between the actors is very strong. I get the feeling that they really are in a relationship for their roles in the movie so much so that they do not seem like roles at all but documentary footage of their actual thoughts and lifestyle. Like a vlog type journal.
I can't recommend this movie to everyone, but then again what film CAN I recommended to everyone? Maybe nothing but star wars will appeal to both kids, and adults, but this movie will definitely appeal to you if you are an adult, liked 500 Days of Summer, and have been in at least one relationship that started to go fast when you thought it would go NOWHERE and fell madly in love with that person/each other and then things seem to magically fall apart as they often do until a unit of one becomes two.
This movie isn't exactly sad, but very comedic and enjoyable to watch. For me it is somewhat reassuring that I can find my love, and that there may be two of em out there. That sounds wrong as I type this, but if you watch the movie or even experienced a relationship like the one shown in this film you may understand that in life you have to move on whether you like to or not.
Facing Ali
(2009)
Waste of Time
12 June 2012
When I was 10 years old (in 2000) I first heard of Ali through a Nickelodeon broadcast. I was so proud of what I had learned, and what I had seen that I went to school and I asked the smartest boy in class "do you know who Muhammad Ali is?" He either said no, or gave an unenthusiastic nod of the head yes. I was shocked that no one in the class seemed to know or care about him as much as I did.
The show I had watched was "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: A Lifestory of Mohammed Ali: Mohammad Ali".
For YEARS after that I loved Muhammed Ali, just based on that show alone. I would talk highly about him on occasion, and even rented books on him. I held him in high regard with the likes of Bruce lee, and all the other heroes at the time.
Well long story short: I loved him up until I saw this film. This film was so crappy, and such a waste of time that I actually lost respect for Muhammed Ali as if it was his fault that such a crappy film was made.
What makes it so crappy? Well 1) Nothing new is covered. Everything I learned in that Nickelodeon program that I watched at ten years old is still here, and I would say that program was still better. 2) Not enough details are given. I didn't learn how he trained, how long he trained, what he ate, or even how he thought of felt before a fight. I didn't learn his inner thoughts or inner-workings. I didn't gain any insight or wisdom from him 3) there are too many replays and re-hashes of old footage, no full fights or anything enlightening.
Bottom line: It's not fun. It's a collection of sad sob stories with occasional praising of Ali thrown in. I would recommend "Nick News: A Lifestory of Mohammed Ali" over this because in that 30 minute I learned everything I needed to know about about Muhamed Ali, and in this hour plus program I learned nothing new.
The show I had watched was "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: A Lifestory of Mohammed Ali: Mohammad Ali".
For YEARS after that I loved Muhammed Ali, just based on that show alone. I would talk highly about him on occasion, and even rented books on him. I held him in high regard with the likes of Bruce lee, and all the other heroes at the time.
Well long story short: I loved him up until I saw this film. This film was so crappy, and such a waste of time that I actually lost respect for Muhammed Ali as if it was his fault that such a crappy film was made.
What makes it so crappy? Well 1) Nothing new is covered. Everything I learned in that Nickelodeon program that I watched at ten years old is still here, and I would say that program was still better. 2) Not enough details are given. I didn't learn how he trained, how long he trained, what he ate, or even how he thought of felt before a fight. I didn't learn his inner thoughts or inner-workings. I didn't gain any insight or wisdom from him 3) there are too many replays and re-hashes of old footage, no full fights or anything enlightening.
Bottom line: It's not fun. It's a collection of sad sob stories with occasional praising of Ali thrown in. I would recommend "Nick News: A Lifestory of Mohammed Ali" over this because in that 30 minute I learned everything I needed to know about about Muhamed Ali, and in this hour plus program I learned nothing new.
Southland Tales
(2006)
I'm surprised R. Kelly hasn't committed suicide for embarrassing himself.
6 May 2012
When one makes a bad movie that is one thing, but to make a bad movie with so many stars that is another.
This movie started out promising enough. It's not until 12 minutes in that it starts to deteriorate.
At first it reminded me of the series Jericho because of what happens in the opening segment. You'll know what I mean when and if you see it. Hint: Ka-boom.
Then it made me think of Quintin Tarentino's Kill Bill. The directing, casting, music, & comedy style choices all made me believe he was gearing toward that kind of film, but he failed to pull that off because 1) he is NOT Quintin Tarentino, and 2) He is not intelligent enough to have his own identity. Which is why this film failed. R. Kelly does not know himself as a writer and that is why this film did not know itself as a story.
There are no proper introductions. No explanation of who the narrator is, or why he is narrating. No information on where he (the narrator) gets his information from, or why he is telling it, and to who.
Kill Bill had proper introductions, we knew who the narrator was, and for the most part we knew why she was narrating. It was a journal-like movie in the 2nd volume. Perhaps a movie this big needed 2 volumes as well, but since he tried to cram crap writing into a 2 hour and 40 minute film, that is why it falls flat. It is because he rushed, and tried too many things at once.
Sorry for comparing this to another film, I am just convinced R. Kelly was trying to be Tarantino in his effort in this.
The many stories told at once (although a poor attempt on his part), the cameos, the comedy bits (although they weren't funny), and the F bombs (at least he got that right. In that they are unnecessary both in this movie and Tarentino's!) The summary of the movie is as follows: A boxer is married to a woman whose parents are in politics. His parents-in-law hire a goon squad to try & find him because he is missing. He is dating a porn star who is using him for the money. -- She writes a movie that she wants him to be in. The movie is somehow found by rich people. They make the movie into a reality.
Sounds good? It could have been- but I am telling you the truth (why would I be lying?) it is not funny. It is poorly written. It is boring an hour through. It is a shame how much money was spent, and how much talent was WASTED.
Basically the moral of the story is this: Violence, & greed guide the world to it's so-called end.
This movie started out promising enough. It's not until 12 minutes in that it starts to deteriorate.
At first it reminded me of the series Jericho because of what happens in the opening segment. You'll know what I mean when and if you see it. Hint: Ka-boom.
Then it made me think of Quintin Tarentino's Kill Bill. The directing, casting, music, & comedy style choices all made me believe he was gearing toward that kind of film, but he failed to pull that off because 1) he is NOT Quintin Tarentino, and 2) He is not intelligent enough to have his own identity. Which is why this film failed. R. Kelly does not know himself as a writer and that is why this film did not know itself as a story.
There are no proper introductions. No explanation of who the narrator is, or why he is narrating. No information on where he (the narrator) gets his information from, or why he is telling it, and to who.
Kill Bill had proper introductions, we knew who the narrator was, and for the most part we knew why she was narrating. It was a journal-like movie in the 2nd volume. Perhaps a movie this big needed 2 volumes as well, but since he tried to cram crap writing into a 2 hour and 40 minute film, that is why it falls flat. It is because he rushed, and tried too many things at once.
Sorry for comparing this to another film, I am just convinced R. Kelly was trying to be Tarantino in his effort in this.
The many stories told at once (although a poor attempt on his part), the cameos, the comedy bits (although they weren't funny), and the F bombs (at least he got that right. In that they are unnecessary both in this movie and Tarentino's!) The summary of the movie is as follows: A boxer is married to a woman whose parents are in politics. His parents-in-law hire a goon squad to try & find him because he is missing. He is dating a porn star who is using him for the money. -- She writes a movie that she wants him to be in. The movie is somehow found by rich people. They make the movie into a reality.
Sounds good? It could have been- but I am telling you the truth (why would I be lying?) it is not funny. It is poorly written. It is boring an hour through. It is a shame how much money was spent, and how much talent was WASTED.
Basically the moral of the story is this: Violence, & greed guide the world to it's so-called end.
Kick-Ass
(2010)
The girl looked soulless
10 August 2010
I thought this movie was going to be great but was sadly mistaken. I could not tell you how angry this movie made me. I wanted to turn it off at least 3 different times. Instead I ended up fast forwarding it.
Here is a rundown of my thoughts:
Unbelievable. (x2)
You've got to be kidding me.
What a piece of $#@!. (x2)
Absolute garbage.
Have you ever seen those Japanese robots? The ones that can express emotions almost exactly like humans? Well I say almost because they can never get it right, & probably never will. No matter how good CGI gets or how good robots become there will always be something missing. A soul. Nowadays it's hard to tell actors apart from those Japanese robots. I blame this on Disney. Yes, Disney-style acting has got to be the worst, most artificial acting on the planet. Actors are encouraged to smile & talk in ways that they never would in real life. In short; they lack authenticity. To see a good example of this watch Cory in the house, or Hannah Montana. All they do is smile & move their !@#$in eyebrows! They can't act for sh!t & it pisses me off! This Disney-style acting has becoming increasingly popular & hard to spot, but if you wanna see a prime example of someone who uses it watch RayWilliamJohnson on Utube. His facial expressions kill me! I'm sick of these know-nothing people making it big. Not just the actors but the entire crew-set. Everyone involved with this POS! The dialogue wasn't even funny or smart. It seems like they're using the excuse that this was based on a comic-book, for the overall lack-of-skill displayed throughout. Sadly this isn't simply commentary on a movie or genre, but the continued downward spiral of America & it's cinema. I don't believe in god but after this can't help but ask; Why in God's name was this made?
Here is a rundown of my thoughts:
Unbelievable. (x2)
You've got to be kidding me.
What a piece of $#@!. (x2)
Absolute garbage.
Have you ever seen those Japanese robots? The ones that can express emotions almost exactly like humans? Well I say almost because they can never get it right, & probably never will. No matter how good CGI gets or how good robots become there will always be something missing. A soul. Nowadays it's hard to tell actors apart from those Japanese robots. I blame this on Disney. Yes, Disney-style acting has got to be the worst, most artificial acting on the planet. Actors are encouraged to smile & talk in ways that they never would in real life. In short; they lack authenticity. To see a good example of this watch Cory in the house, or Hannah Montana. All they do is smile & move their !@#$in eyebrows! They can't act for sh!t & it pisses me off! This Disney-style acting has becoming increasingly popular & hard to spot, but if you wanna see a prime example of someone who uses it watch RayWilliamJohnson on Utube. His facial expressions kill me! I'm sick of these know-nothing people making it big. Not just the actors but the entire crew-set. Everyone involved with this POS! The dialogue wasn't even funny or smart. It seems like they're using the excuse that this was based on a comic-book, for the overall lack-of-skill displayed throughout. Sadly this isn't simply commentary on a movie or genre, but the continued downward spiral of America & it's cinema. I don't believe in god but after this can't help but ask; Why in God's name was this made?
Horrible Editing/Narration. Good/True information.
23 September 2009
This movie deserves anywhere from 6.5 stars to 7. No more, no less. The editing & narration is done in such a shuffled & boring way that I had to stop the movie 3 times in 2 days. I couldn't finish it in one sitting. The reason why this is important is because I've been watching war documentaries all this week- hoping to compile my own with all I've seen. I've taken notes on SuperPower, Manufacturing Consent, Sicko, Commanding Heights, The Secret Government, 911 Road to Tyranny, Fog of War, and this. This by far as been the most boring movie I've had to take notes on. Not just boring, but depressing as well. How a man like this can assume so much power is beyond me, but then again he is a "Rockefeller" man, so I shouldn't be surprised one bit. As far as I knew he was Rockefeller pawn, in that the evil bastard used him to do his bidding. I know the 2 were in cahoots, so this explains why he gave Nixon & himself so much power, as well as the CIA etc. These evil men acted as a cancer to an already sick democratic society, and it is all but Game Over. I have learned enough to know that a lot of sick men like HK have spread their influence too wide, & too covertly to show any difference. (Too the unaware anyway.)
This movie has good information, and it's about the only documentary I know of that investigates Henry Kissinger solely. As someone mentioned he was involved with the 9/11 commission. More proof in my eyes that it was an inside job carried about by the Masons. Henry even gives a masonic handshake to one of the Vietnamese prime ministers or what not. As shown in the video 10-13 seconds at the very beginning. Don't think of me as a conspiracy theorist, but as a historical analyst. There's lot's of proof showing the plan/steps for a New World Order. Don't underestimate the Free Masonic influence in America & all across the world either. You shall see one day. I'll be working to prove it.
This movie has good information, and it's about the only documentary I know of that investigates Henry Kissinger solely. As someone mentioned he was involved with the 9/11 commission. More proof in my eyes that it was an inside job carried about by the Masons. Henry even gives a masonic handshake to one of the Vietnamese prime ministers or what not. As shown in the video 10-13 seconds at the very beginning. Don't think of me as a conspiracy theorist, but as a historical analyst. There's lot's of proof showing the plan/steps for a New World Order. Don't underestimate the Free Masonic influence in America & all across the world either. You shall see one day. I'll be working to prove it.
The Squid and the Whale
(2005)
Some of the things Benard and Walt say in the film are absolutely brilliant.
20 April 2006
My favorite characters in the film are Benard and Walt hands down. Both these characters contribute to some of the best dialog in the film. Both Benard and Walt express themselves in smart, sophisticated, and often witty situations in the film. It's just so great to hear them talk and articulate themselves in the way they do. Because sometimes they sound like they are talking a load of sh!t and sometimes they sound absolutely brilliant. I just wish I could express myself as artistically and as funny as Walt can. Anyway I this film is great. I was very disappointed by it at first. I have to say I thought it was garbage actually. But after watching it a second time I gained more respect for it. I know a good movie when I see one I am not new to films. I have seen extraordinary films like Seven Samurai and Roshomon and while I know this movie comes no where close to these monumental films, it still racks up as one of my favorites. I am just trying to get the point across that I have good taste in movies, I don't watch crap. This movie is great in the sense that it was not done perfectly, in fact it's quite the contrary, there are many flaws in this film, but if you can look past that it is still a good movie...for entertainment, okay. Anyway, I feel this movie is worth at least a rental and a shot. While I didn't like it at first it kind of grew on me...To see the way these two characters converse with people in the film alone is worth seeing the movie for. --------------------- Hey guys I wrote this review when I was 14. Cut me some slack. It was really funny going back & reading this. Man I sounded like such a troll. I made a complete joke out of myself & didn't even know it. Now that I think about it, I should be ashamed :(
Tell Your Friends