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Reviews
Tang ren jie tan an (2015)
Not my favorite
I didn't particularly like this movie. Now, to be fair, this type of film isn't exactly my favorite. There were even some redeeming qualities to it.
For example, I appreciated the script. The dialogue was quick-witted, quirky, and fun to follow along with. I also really enjoyed the general plot, as it was familiar. I appreciated this movie as a nostalgic reminder of the crime movies I used to watch with my grandmother as a child. As with similar movies, I grew to adore the lovable protagonists and even root for their success.
On the other hand, several aspects of the movie were tedious and a little disappointing. While I enjoyed some of the quick and smart dialogue, some of the English subtitles simply flashed on the screen too quickly for me to fully absorb. This left me with a somewhat fuzzy understanding of some of the more nitpicky aspects of the movie. Also, the movie seemed to drag on a little longer than necessary. I found myself hoping the movie would come to an end sooner rather than later.
Overall, I did enjoy the movie, just not enough to watch it again!
Ren zai jiong tu: Tai jiong (2012)
Goofy and fun
I wouldn't give this movie any awards, but it was zany and fun and a great stress-reliever. The shenanigans of the protagonists were nonsensical and bizarre, something that reminds me very much of several American films. These include "Step Brothers," "Black Sheep," and "Due Date," among many others. What these movies all have in common is ridiculous antics mixed with a little bit of heart.
As goofy as it was, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Any movie that can put a genuine smile on my face and make me laugh is a pretty good movie.
As a side note, I attempted to watch this movie without looking at the English subtitles. From my limited knowledge of Chinese, I was able to keep up with the plot to an extent. In fact, I think it made the movie that much more enjoyable. However, I definitely missed some aspects of the movie simply from a lack of understanding key words and phrases. For this reason, "Lost in Thailand," reminded me of watching movies as a kid. While I didn't understand exactly what was going on at every moment because of the language barrier, I was still able to appreciate certain aspects of the plot.
Fang hua (2017)
made me cry
This was a beautiful movie. While i didn't have any previous knowledge of the topics in this movie, I still felt connected to it. I felt as if many of the struggles of the characters are similar to struggles that people in the US have faced.
This was a very timely movie for me. Even though I'm not in the active military, I could related, to some extent, to the internal, emotional hardships of the characters. For example, A big theme of the movie is the struggle of transitioning from the innocence of an adolescent mindset to the mindset of an adult that begins to understand the sorrows, travesties, and desires of the world.
Throughout the movie, I found myself thinking of times where my own worldview has been shaped, molded, and refined. It makes the world feel a little smaller and more cohesive when you realize that human emotions are universal, and that people from all over the world, with many different beliefs, lifestyles, and motivations, feel anger, love, and disappointment all the same.
Lang ya bang (2015)
A little hard to follow
Disclaimer: I only watched the first episode
This show was intense. The fighting and blood started from the very first scene, and it didn't end there. While the plot seems pretty confusing, I attribute that to the fact that I haven't watched more than one episode yet.
From the one episode that I did watch, however, I can tell that this is an interesting historical drama. Being from the US, it's very interesting to see eastern history represented in a TV show. Having been raised going to American history classes, it was a fresh change of information. For example, even something as simple as clothing can create a world of difference in a TV show. The clothing was foreign to me, and created a sense of history and culture that greatly added to the show. Also, I feel as if many of the references went over my head a bit. I feel as if the language barrier made it difficult to understand the significance of the landmarks and people mentioned in the show.
However, I was able to appreciate many aspects of the show. The combat scenes were surreal to watch. I started to connect to characters, and even found myself rooting for certain ones just in the first episode.
Overall, I enjoyed this show. While parts of it were a bit confusing, I can tell that to fully appreciate it I'll have to continue watching.
Ni hao, jiu shi guang: Episode #1.1 (2017)
Different Perspective
I am not familiar with Chinese dramas, so I didn't know quite what to expect of "My Huckleberry Friends." As soon as the show began, I could tell it would be quite different from the shows I typically watch. However, I was pleasantly surprised. While this episode seemed a little cheesy at first, the underlying messages behind it shed some light on different aspects of Chinese culture.
It was interesting to see how the expectations of students in China differ from the expectations of students in the United States. From my own schooling experience, I can tell that Chinese school standards are much more harsh than the standards I was expected to meet. The most severe aspect of the education system, in my opinion, is the age at which students in China are required to determine in what direction they will focus their studies; humanities or sciences.
This decision is one that the main character, Zhou Zhou, must make. I can't imagine having to make such an important decision at such a young age, especially facing pressure and outside opinions from family, friends, and teachers (as Zhou Zhou did).
This episode struck a chord with me, and I was inspired by Zhou Zhou's ultimate decision to pursue her studies in humanities, despite negative connotations associated with the humanities path.