Reviews

Rushed Chinese Jurassic Park with a Volcano Instead

I'm a natural disasters nerd and have been for nearly 30 years; I've read and watched everything I could get my hands on when it came to tornadoes, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, rogue waves, meteors, comets, asteroids, and occasionally hurricanes. Was just cruising Prime Video for any not so great natural disaster flicks and came across this one. Was very surprised that it was a Chinese film and found it here on MDL. It came out on prime two years after its initial release in China, so all of the actors voices were completely dubbed over but done well. I was familiar with only a handful of the actors; though the science wasn't there, this was like a rushed Chinese Jurassic Park with a volcano instead.

Pros: What I liked the most was the CGI which was top notch and all of the actors really played their parts well. Very typical of a state of the art hotel built on an active volcano; so greed over safety. It was entertaining to watch and I gave it the score I did for these pluses. The story needed to be longer and it would have been better if done so.

Cons: The total lack of science. First of all, an explosive eruption doesn't happen in just 20 minutes. This was a typical cone shaped volcano but both of its eruptions resembled those of Krakatoa, Tambora, and Vesuvius though on a much smaller scale. The fact that no one took the time to explain that those ash clouds racing down the mountain were pyroclastic flows that could reach up to 500 mph in speed and 1,000 degrees F, was ridiculous. ML aka dad survived not once but twice even though he was in the open where the flow reached him even if he hid in the hole in the ground; just look at the citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum for that explanation. It's literally impossible to survive at all with just minor burns; each person would be incinerated alive. The ejections out of the volcano are called lava bombs and not only do they explode but they create their own lava flows.

I wasn't looking for a whole lot of accuracy it being only 1.5 hours long but just some basic volcanology would have sufficed; something they teach you in elementary and middle school science class.

Would I recommend it? Yes; as just a natural disaster flick with special effects and good acting. Grab some popcorn and relax.

Leia Mais

the other movie is better. okay watch

I’ve watched the other movie which there is no connection to. The other one is so much better in kind of plot and comedy for me.

I thought I would like this, amazing cast and similar vibe than the other movie : FL pirate and ML bandit. But in the end pretty average for me. The plot with the wale…. not as exciting as the treasure hunt. So I find the plot good at time and boring at other time, okay ending. I wasn’t hooked.

My man was hot though ahah that scene where is shirt is open. But as much as I love this actor, he couldn’t save this movie for me. His fighting scenes were amazing, like the first one in the rain. I think it was beautifully shot.

The cast is good…. The comedy okay, didn’t laugh a lot. The other fighting scenes with everyone are okay, but like I mentioned, the fighting scene with the ML only were better in my opinion.

Happy ending.

So if you want to watch a pirate movie, I would recommend the sequel movie more than this.

Leia Mais

wasn’t what I expected. Overall I enjoyed this movie

it’s not a masterpiece or a mind blowing film, but in general I enjoyed this movie. I was barely on my cellphone while watching, so that already a good point. The casting and acting is good. The actions/fighting scenes were also good, I didn’t expect this much blood and everything. It also not what I imagined before stating with the experience on human and the people become  « monsters ». That was a surprise, I don’t know why I was just expected a girl kidnapped and not monster people ahah

The plot is okay, we already know from their first appearance that they are bad guys and that they would killed the older people. It was kinda predictable plot, don’t expect big plot twist. However, his daughter in the jar, that surprised me. Also at first when we realized that they weren’t dying maybe…. Anyway

Good ending though : bad people dead, happy ending, all our leads alive and happy. But I would have like to see the woman too with them at the end

The guy character with ML is really handsome, I was like I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere. I was right ahah he’s the guy in the upcoming drama The impossible heir… See you soon

Leia Mais

haha I'm depressed

i don't even know how to start
first, i thought the movie would end well
most of the characters would be alive, but haha no
only the pregnant woman and the kid survived.

i wanted to know deeper the story of the characters to develop feelings for them you know? but i only had feelings for the pregnant couple and the father with his kid. (cried when he died lol)
plus, did the mother of the kid was alive or not? she didn't answered the phone calls but she could be alive.

i loved the action scenes! they were sooo cool!! the actors did an amazing job, i felt so emotional 💔 (Gong Yoo always impressive)

overall, the movie is so good!! i dare to say that is the best korean movie I've seen, but the end was empty...could have more

Leia Mais

Takahashi Is Set For Big Things

One of the few Japanese romances that doesn't rely on the tired old "trip grab and hug" trope. Takahashi absolutely smoulders as a moody ML who has his own private burdens. He is a versatile actor with a big future and it will be very interesting to see which roles he is offered as an older adult. The world is ready for Asian leads in Hollywood and European film, and it would be wonderful to see Japan's incredible talent receive greater recognition and roles.
Overall this is a very pleasant teen romance, with fantastic Japanese rock and a fabulous twist when how the two leads finally come to understand each other. All of the actors are highly capable and although it is a school setting with some compulsory scenes, the dialogue is modern and fresh. Stay watching to the very end!

Leia Mais

"You know you are dealing with the yukuza, right?"

Outrage began the trilogy focusing on director Beat Takeshi’s traditional yakuza Otomo. The film could become wearisome as betrayal after betrayal ended in gruesome deaths for those up and down the yakuza ladder of power.

The film’s plot could be hard to follow, or at least all of the players, as the Sanno family chairman started maneuvering all of his family’s subfamilies and tributaries, not realizing he was being played as well. The Murase family is in the chairman’s sights and soon the murders and torture scenes are ongoing. Even the ambassador from Ghana is dragged into their schemes. Dental equipment, a giant snake, chopsticks, knives, guns, and bombs. No one is safe as brother turns against brother, and even girlfriends are hunted down. There truly is no honor among thieves. Or among the police. Tokyo’s finest looked the other way and counted the money in their envelopes as the bodies started dropping.

My biggest problem with Outrage was that there was no one to feel sympathy for, as twisted as that sounds when watching a gangster movie. Everyone could have died a gory death, and many did, but it really meant nothing. They were all killers looking to make a buck and gain more power. Otomo had the old yakuza honor thing going for him, but he was just a deadly pawn easily used because he followed orders without asking questions for much of the movie.

Outrage had moments that were entertaining and the big plot reveal at the end helped to explain some of the mayhem. Character development of a few key figures would have helped enormously. Otherwise, it just felt like random people getting chopsticks jammed in their ears or eating bullets for lunch. In the end, killers killed killers who killed killers who killed killers…

17 February 2024

Leia Mais

I expected way better

The directorial debut of Shinji Higuchi, Lorelei very quickly sinks into ridiculous territory despite the promising initial set-up. Sadly, for all the inspiration it can take from Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot, the humanisation and exploration into the psyche of the submarine crew was not one of them; so much of the film flounders around with nonsensical political undertones that I've seen people criticise Takashi Yamazaki for, yet it's one full display here. Glorifying suicidal charges and glossing over human experimentation as if it were a trivial matter. So much of Higuchi's talent and style isn't here, often coating everything in a horrendous digital sheen; the direction is okay at best but honestly, it could have been anyone else behind the camera, let alone Higuchi. The acting is easily one of the better aspects with everyone turning in solid performances, however, the cast is given so little to work with that all their characters end up as one-dimensional cutouts. The music by Naoki Satō is passable but far from his best work and the less said about the incredibly rough CG effects, the better. I really wanted to like Lorelei going in, but the dubious political alignments and underwhelming filmmaking stamped out any form of entertainment I could have gotten from this, I expected far better.

Leia Mais

And That’s The Thing About Illicit Affairs

Where to begin? Right after watching the film, I find that I’m left speechless for a number of reasons. I’m always iffy towards anything that involves cheating since that’s a touchy subject and a difficult one to tackle. What convinced me was the actors, shallow as it may be, and the confrontation scene between Kris Aquino and Claudine Barretto. Now, I’m glad to have watched this movie.

Real quick: this does include minor spoilers. They're nothing big, though.

The production of the film is great. Clearly. Everyone knew what they were doing: the casting, the shooting, the story—all of it was remarkable. It was a fun film to make. Plus, I loved the rules! The film made me want to get the book to read the source material. The direction and the film’s editing too made the experience so much better.

What made me rate this movie ten stars was the theme. We all know that cheating is morally wrong. It makes for a messy situation and a lot of people get hurt in the thick of it. People cheat for different reasons: they fell in love, they wanted sex, they wanted some fun, etc. Of course, that doesn’t make it right in society’s eyes. Nothing ever does because it is a breach of trust and it shatters love.

This movie tells the tales of five women who are all mistresses. Georgia Torres (Kris Aquino) is regarded as the perfect mistress because of her beliefs and rules. Chloe Zamora (Claudine Barretto) is Georgia’s opposite. Charley Mariquit (Cheena Crab) is the richest of the five women as her partner is a business magnate. Stella Garcia (Iza Calzado), the only one he truly loved (SIX reference, anyone?). And finally, Ina Del Prado, the youngest of the group.

I thought the film’s themes would boil down to: “It’s wrong, so leave when you can.” But it wasn’t just that. Like love, the themes represent a complex circumstance. On the one hand, Chloe will end up believing their affair partners will never love them and choose them. On the other, the antithesis of Chloe’s belief is Stella. Stella proves that it isn’t a linear path. The path is as messy as the lives they willingly chose. Stella and Ambet Villoria (Tirso Cruz III) prove that love can exist in such a clandestine relationship; that the partner can choose his mistress.

Love is beautiful and complex. We wouldn’t be chasing the thrill of it if it wasn’t.

The other wonderful theme they addressed was…well, to put it simply, to entirely love someone with all that you are and how it’s not a bad thing. Constantly, I’ve read about how women who want to become housewives are judged or loving someone ‘too much’ is bad. Too much in anything can sound bad but with love, it’s choosing to love someone past your capacity because it’s unconditional and limitless. There’s no shame in that. There’s no shame in loving even when your glass is overflowing.

Throughout the film, we see that some mistresses aren’t happy with being second best. They want more—they want to be chosen, they want to be number one. And that’s the thing about illicit affairs: unless you are one of the exceptions, you never will be chosen.

That’s what Rule #10 is for: If all else fails, leave them. That’s the other major theme that the film teaches the audience. People sign up for pain and loss when they enter an affair but it doesn’t always have to be that way. It tells you that even if it’s hard, if it doesn’t make you happy, leave. And I love that the film shows you that happiness and love wait at the end of every road.

This film probably got a ton of flak for what it was about. “It promotes cheating!” or whatever argument other people made. But if you peel back the layers, you’ll see a lesson that begs to be heard by those who need to hear it.

I suppose another thing the movie brings light to is the problem of the Philippines regarding annulment and divorce. I don’t mean to become political in a review but this is a significant problem. The marriages of the men in the film have failed. They have become trapped in the prison that their marriages had become. This wouldn’t be a problem if divorce was possible here.

This one, I’m certain of: Philippine society also faces the problem of its people being arrogant, of its people hating failure, of its people prioritising their family, of its people fulfilling a promise they made in front of God as their witness, so they choose to keep going even if it’s become poison to them. I won’t sit here and talk about how it’s right because even if it’s the values taught to us since childhood, the values can become a double-edged sword at the right moment. It can turn into a pointed blade that can slowly kill a person’s happiness and resolve.

I tip my hat to the cast and crew, to the director and executives of Etiquette for Mistresses. At a surface-level glance, it does look like it romanticises and glorifies the experience and life of a mistress. The truth is, it’s a commentary on society and for that, my praise is theirs.

Leia Mais

Trash movie

Watch this for our main lead, NuNew Chawarin Perdpiriyawong & Zee Pruk Panich. Well this movie what happen when u rush to grab any script just for the sake of both actor can be on the same screen again. 1 word only.... TRASH

The only good thing is the chemistry of the lead, NuNew & Zee. The other just trash after trash... From the trash plot, to the trash thriller or horror, even the trash of the ghost make up. Haha....

I'm out of word to describe how trash this movie... One supposed to be quite good story, is what the impression i get from the summary, they make it so trashy just to make NuNew & Zee to be on the same screen again...

Overall just skip this movie. Although only about 1 hr, but i already feel i waste my time... Hope for better future project for NuNew & Zee....

Leia Mais

Great movie, more intense than expected!

I kinda think this is a porno?! There were crazy intense sex scenes that I did not expect to see in a movie. Surprisingly, I did enjoy every bit of the movie very much and do plan to rewatch (yep!). I decided not to give it a 10 because there were torture/rape/captivity and I'm not too sure if it was necessary for the story, given that he is a "doctor." I just can't comprehend why he would choose "that way" to heal a sick/fragile person. It was a bit much but then I enjoyed the steamy sex scenes that eventually led to love and connection. In other words, sex helped them become each other's saviors. The special part of the story (to me) was that both of them were suicidal and they both needed a distraction and SEX was the answer. According to the story, sexual desires/pleasures would help them forget and move on. I think the ending was beautifully done. They found each other and the reason to live again!

Leia Mais

A cult film only but not that good...

The beggining was really good. Then it starts being boring. I hate the MC, he is even more naive than most MCs in shonen as to say. He does nothing except whimping in his scenes so...
For the movie's duration, I felt like we could have more characters' backgrounds explained and character development. Ofc we had some, but it was not sufficient. I still need an explanation of what's going on in between noriko and the teacher. I have an idea but it's something shady and I prefer ignore it.

The only plotwist in this would be when kawada found out how to escape together.

Not sure if I'mma watch the Requiem because for the first part of the movie I was excited to find a site on which to go watch it since it is considered a cult movie (that even inspired hunger games) everyone keeps talking abt and I was really disappointed.

It's a go for a one time watching but I surely won't give it a high rewatch value.

Though shoutout to the stunts choreographers and the actors as well. They did a great job on this aspect. For that time especially !

Leia Mais

AMAZING

this movie is soooo good, it’s so sad how it’s based on a true story, I cried every second. How can 3 early teenage boys the shared the same hospital room all pass away. it was super heart breaking to see the girl and Yangyang friendship grow and how she was always on his side. The last 20 minutes of the movie had me crying rivers, lake and oceans at midnight, my eyes are red and swollen. Another heart breaking moment is when they thought he recovered but he ended up falling sick and worse. in the end with the help of doctors, nurses, family, friends, classmates, teachers, principals and even others, though Yang Yang left us he still managed to succeed his dream, 100% credit to the little girl.

Leia Mais