Animal World (2018)

Story: Okay we'll start here, the story-line is very intriguing. I'm all about these smart leads being thrown into games that test their brains. With this movie we also get a character that has had a traumatic past that has caused him to see himself as a clown. The only part of the story that I need more of is this. I see why the Clown scenes happen I just need to know exactly why they are there and why it was important to move the plot-line along. I know the movie is to be continued as the credits scene said so. I really hope we get more of that because the scenes just seemed irrelevant to the plot-line but regardless weren't annoying or anything, they looked visually pleasing. Onto one other thing, I love that the game is simple like rock, paper, and scissors but I wish the entire game wasn't just that. I kind of was wanting more than one round on the ship. I want more to be explained about what happens to those who don't get 3 stars and no cards left rather than just rumors?

Acting/Cast: Brilliant! That's all I have to say here. They were brilliant. I really loved how many races and languages were spoken in this movie!

Music: It was perfect when it was needed and not overly used and annoying. Nothing stood out to me though.

Rewatch Value: While I wouldn't watch it again right away, I could see myself watching it again before the next movie comes out. Or if I suddenly wanted to show a friend or family member this movie. (Which is possible.)

Overall: (9/10)

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Are you guys serious rating this movie so low ? This action movie, with good suspense, has a thrilling storyline ! The script is so clever, the staging so interesting with very good timing and amazing photography, the acting is so good, what more can you expect ? I enjoyed all of it without getting bored even a single second, I hardly can believe this film last more than 2 hours !
Main character Zheng Kaisi (Li Yifeng) is forced to enter a survival's game where players are expected to show out their deepest animal's emotions at any time of the game (you've got here strange visual effects making humans kind of extraterrestrial creatures). The game has its rules with many chances to loose, Zheng Kaisi has to play smart in order to survive. His childhood trauma showing up whenever he gets too emotional will help him... but also his altruism and straightness.
Li Yfeng gives Zhen Kaisi's character all his sincerity and charisma. It's nice to see him with Mickael Douglas. This movie is just perfect, thank you director Han Yan for the screenwriting, the casting and the filming. It's such a good show ! Hoping for Animal world 2.

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Animal world is great! But I feel like if the script writer had put a little more time and effort in the plot. This movie would have reached at least a 9. But overall the cast is Amazing! The story's great! and the soundtrack is decent! This movie is a definite re-watch for me! I already LOVE the main character. Did I mention he's just my type? It also wouldn't hurt to see a little "every man for themselves match" for the 2nd movie (If there's a second movie). My advice to the author, this deserve another movie for sure! Only this time focus on the plot a bit more. Oh! and spice up the soundtrack. Would Yah?

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Decent story ruined by overused cgi

Randomly came across this movie with a friend since the premise seemed interesting. I wasn’t aware of the manga/anime/Japanese live action until after watching the movie.

Acting: Li Yifeng is good with his facial expressions and he alone really carries this movie as most of the other cast really don’t get much depth or backstory. I just wish they gave his character clearer backstory as his “math genius” and his relationship to the loan shark was not made clear until halfway through the film. As for the other characters there is some cringe acting from the non Chinese acting roles that was hard to watch (minus the legend that is Michael Douglas).

Story: premise is simple game with high risk high stakes consequences if you lose being played by a genius but lazy school dropout with some mental issues who’s been backed into a corner. Main character development is done decently. Theres a good sense of pressure and the plot flows nicely -ish. And that’s a huge “ish” because this movie is riddled with over the top, unnecessary, disruptive cgi/action sequences. The movie can perfectly set intense anticipation with a simple Rock Paper Scissors game only to interrupt the pacing with a dramatic cgi sequence that immediately takes you out of the tone they’ve set so well. 80% of the cgi transitions do nothing to advance the plot, if anything they ruin any mood or emotional intensity that’s been set in many scenes. There are times where it’s used well but those are far and few as the cgi seems to be showcasing more what it can do more than how it can help propel the story.

Music: can’t say much about this, some cheesy badass rock and roll songs to go with the overused cgi

Rewatch: Meh, probably won’t rewatch. Will I watch the sequel, perhaps to see how the story continues as it did have some intrigue, just hope they edit and keep in mind the pacing.
One other gripe about the cgi, was it necessary to do all that contouring to Li Yifengs man boobs during his shirtless scene, looked very unnatural and really stood out in a bad way?????

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Dudes play paper, scissors, stone for 2 hours. No, really!

I went blindly into this after seeing the rating. Sometimes, I prefer to not know what a film's about so it can surprise me... unfortunately, the only surprises here were that Micharl Douglas is in it and that some clown thought blokes playing a simple card game *to the death*, would be a good idea!

Some geezer has mental issues: he imagines himself turning into a clown and killing everyone he doesn't like, which he accepts as being okay by dehumanising them literally, as they all become monsters in his head.
While this all looks absolutely amazing - and for those who love crap like Transformers, prepare to be blown away! - for those of us who require a tad of mental stimulation, it's all a pointless distraction from the fact that, if you hate films about poker, like I do, this is 10x worse!

The set-up to the card games is competent, the nurse actress is super cute and I'm sure the male lead was picked to appeal to 13 year old girls, but, aside from this and the admittedly, astonishingly good CGI, there's absolutely nothing to recommend.

I actually turned this off just less than an hour from the end, when I decided that the hour I'd already given it was too much.
Knowing that they play paper, scissors, stone to the death, you can now decide for yourself whether or not you'll even give this film 5 minutes.

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Am I too dumb for this movie or is this movie too dumb for me? Guess I will never find out.

Things happened... there was a clown, but not really. And aliens, but like fake ones. They played rock, paper, and scissors for 2 hours. But by the end they forgot about the rules. The main guy is hot.

I HAVE QUESTIONS THOUGH!

Why all the rules, why use the brain power with all the probability and math stuff, when apparently you can just steal the stars? Here's how you win folks!
Steal at least 12 stars, play 12 rounds without caring if you win or lose and be done. Have any extra stars by the end? Sell them. They just stole each other's stars by the end. So what was the point of the game?

Why did the big guy (close to the end) bring the diamonds in, when he was not planning to use them? What would he use them for? Was it only his backup plan if he lost, to get others to buy him out? This part was so random...

They should have explored the whole "psychological problems" the main character had. He thought he was turning into a fighting clown... and people around him into aliens... He needs help. I need help... this movie ruined my last 0.5 brain cell.

WHERE ARE ALL MY LADIES?!

Overall, watch it with friends, have a blast, try to understand the rules and the plot and then be angry by the end, because nothing really matters. Enjoy the beauty of Li Yi Feng (he drops the clothes at some point), the random existence of the mastermind Michael Douglas and that one hot asshole player played by Alberto Lancellotti.

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A quirkier version of Kaiji (Japanese ver.)

This is basically Kaiji but with a main character who calls himself crazy because he is obsessed with clowns or something weird like that. He kind of gave off a sober Chinese version of DC's Joker vibe lmao.

Anyhow, like its Japanese counterpart, the story is pretty identical in terms of the first challenge (i loved it btw) and the main character is smart and calculative yet soft-hearted, which actually makes you root for him despite me making fun of him in the first paragraph.

I recommend watching this, but Kaiji is even better and there is no cliff-hanger!

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I like the math part here ahhahaha

Sorry im honestly biased with this review because I like Math and was really very amaze how the probability of rock paper scissors was explained here. Like, wow!! It is rare to find drama that incorporate such script. It open my mind that rock paper scissors can be played that way (Ehhe thanks to rewind feauture of netflix. I wont understand this whole thing when watched continously). ( I suck in probability so I hope I had even 10% or 20% of Kai Si`s intelligence. That will help me a lot I swear)
Ahha sorry I dont care about the other flaws of this movie except for the the part wherein the clown is killing aliens like huh?? It look gross and it is frustrating. I understand it symbolize the stress the main character is going through but it actually made the movie worse.

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