Reviews

The movie that started it all, and still stands strong today.

Godzilla (1954) is not just an important movie for pop culture, but also one that delivers a strong message that still resonates with audiences today.

The history and inspiration for this film and its creature creation are fascinating. This movie was released barely ten years after the events of the Second World War, and offers commentary on a post-war Japan which is still left with the after-effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The now iconic monster Godzilla was intended as a metaphor for nuclear weapons, and in this 1954 movie we see him as a force of nature fighting back against the humans which disturbed the natural order of things during their war.

Godzilla (1954) poses many questions to its viewer, both to an audience in the 50's and to one today. We have characters that wish to see nothing but the destruction of this creature, as it threatens and destroys everything they know. Some characters wish it no harm and want to study it, amazed by both its ability to survive and adapt to nuclear attack and also the fact that it even exists at all. There are characters who create weapons that rival the power of an H Bomb, and are posed with the decision of hiding such research away out of fear for what it falling into the wrong hands will do, or using it to save Japan and, potentially, the world.

The film from a production point of view is a product of its time, yet a strong one. For one it is entirely in black and white, which may already put some viewers off if they're not used to this. But considering the technology of the 50's I'd have to say the set, prop and costume design are strong. Scenes where Godzilla destroys the city hold up well, and the miniatures and costuming of the creature are perhaps still some of the best in those Godzilla movies that use practical effects. I'd say the lack of colour also adds to this, and acts as an aid to the movie's overall tone and mood.

All in all, Godzilla (1954) is one of - if not the - essential movie to watch for any Godzilla fan. After all, if it wasn't for this masterpiece of cinema, we wouldn't have equally as wonderful movies that follow in its predecessors' footsteps - such as Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi's 2016 Shin Godzilla, or Takashi Yamazaki's more recent 2023 stand-out entry to the franchise, Godzilla Minus One.

*Additional note for any who read this review and are interested in watching Godzilla (1954) because of it, please be aware that the 1956 American and International versions of this film were heavily edited and cut, including scenes with Canadian Actor Raymond Burr, and retitled Godzilla, King of the Monsters! Until 2004, this was the only version of the movie that existed internationally outside of Japan in any official capacity. Do check which version you have before watching, as much is lost in the Americanization compared to the original version of the movie.

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For lovers of the manga/anime a 10 and a must watch for the whole live action series, for those new to the story they may find this confusing and disjointed . .

(Rurouni Kenshin is one of my favorite mangas.)

A faithful, thrilling rendition of the best scenes of the manga/anime, this string of moments is awe inspiring to watch. The strong themes on life after trauma - paired with thrilling action, compelling romance, and beautiful visuals is hard to beat.

If I had one nitpick, the manga is written by a man, but the story has fully developed women characters and themes, separate and apart from the 'villain of the week.' Yet here, the women become side characters, and strangely, the villains have lots of screen time. There was no need to overload the drama with these disturbing scenes, given the series already struggles to honor the large number of characters included in the manga.

Watching the live action Kenshin reconcile his past, and take a step into a better future with Kaoru and our gang showing him the way, is a rewarding, touching, even sublime experience. When I ended this series, I was incredibly sad to say goodbye to this universe.

It's the greatest compliment I can give when I say I wish there was more . . .

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instant cry

It's a typical father and daughter story but I loved how they deliver it so well. Nice storyline the comedic side is also present. They father and daughter bonding is immeasurable that nothing can fall them apart. He will do anything to make her daughter happy even though the plot twist is that it's not his biological daughter as what the DN a says he still claims and treat her as his own.
You will cry in this movie because it's very emotional and heartwarming, you will be touched with the strong bond that they had towards each other.
The girl who plays Mira is a good actress because she did well in making me cry, dalang-dala nya ako.
ALERT: Get ready with your tissues.

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It was nice i guess, but it could've been better

When I watched this, I thought I watched the wrong movie and baited me because it started off with a mild horror scene, and you know that white lady look in an old horror film where the iris of the eyes is like a small black dot, I find that in today's standard a very generic look, It's a good jumpscare, but it doesn't feel scary to me at all... I didn't know that scene was just used to set up the characters that we're gonna follow.

The story is really heartwarming, it's about a cold-hearted girl discovering the warmth feeling and being in love for the first time, and pretty much so it was done very well, but there are some parts in the movie that I felt like it would've impacted well if they built it up properly because there are some things that just happened out of nowhere to make things happen and some things that were left unexplained or they've never expanded on it properly.

The CGI in this film is not perfect, it's a B-grade film so I tried to be open-minded about it and kudos to the editing department because it was used cleverly, around the middle of the film though, it looked like they kinda gave up because the green screen editing became really obvious and not clean, but it's only that portion. The Fighting choreography in this film is really good, it looked like that aspect got a big budget. The sets are really good looking especially the Underworld, it kinda looks familiar as well... was that the same set in the later bit part in 'The Longest Promise'???

The characters, since they can be counted with 2 hands, no one was wasted or maybe there are some because 2 of them for me were pretty much passive, the last character that they introduced/added was done really fast, they've hinted it once, but it was soo minor that I doubt you would expect it. ML and FL's dynamic is cute and has nice chemistry as well. ML wasn't really explored that much so I hardly got attached to him, the way he fell in love with FL wasn't really built up, so it kinda looked like an asspull and they pulled a fast one on that plot twist about the two at the end. FL is really cute tho, i like her acting... that's it. I watched this mainly because of Wang Xing Chen and she's pretty as always, knowing how hot she is, i noticed that the directors really like her body assets huh? because in every media that she's in, she would always be introduced in a perverted way, so i kinda feel bad to her about it.

Notice how i gave the music a very low score because, i watched this on iQIYI's youtube channel and the audio sucked ass, every now and then it would sound muffled like you're under the water, and then would return to normal.

Overall it was a nice fantasy/action/romance, i came out not thinking like I wasted my time, I would say I had a bit of a pleasant time watching the movie, but I probably wouldn't go back and watch it again.

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Really cute movie

I really enjoyed watching it is kind of predictable but it is worth watching. I kind of cried watching it but of happiness. I really really recommend watching it! My favorite Japanese movie so far ! (☆_☆) 。 *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:* ･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･ *:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･* (☆_☆)(◐‿◑) ^_^. Y(^_^)Y. *^o^*（＾ω＾）^_^ (*☻-☻*) yay yay yay yay really nice movie it has comedy and is really rush of emotions all combined together!!!! Watch it if you can the main leads are really cute! I kind of related with both main leads so it was even more interesting watching the movie ! ! ! ! !

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BL Movie with an interesting intention but too short to really captivate me

This very short film (only 28 minutes) is mostly a slice-of-life within a Taiwanese family with siblings who reunites for their mother's birthday. The story is centred around one main question: will the gay son comes clean to his mom ? Given the short duration, there is not a lot of content but the film does a good job setting up the stakes for the various characters.

In terms of casting, I feel that the actress playing the mother did the best job in interpreting with nuances her role. You feel her stress and care for her family. I was slightly less convinced by the actor playing her son, I felt the chemistry was a bit lacking in his couple. Still, he manages to be very real in displaying the emotions and hesitations of his character.

The film felt very indie: there are clearly on a budget but the decors and filmmaking was totally suitable for a proper storytelling. The ending song was nice but not memorable.

I would recommend this to people looking for a short BL indie movie. The question approached by the story feel very real and the way it is discussed makes sense. I did not find it very captivating as it was too short to feel connected with the characters. It is of course a very personnal opinion as I think it could really touch the heart of some other viewer. As it is very short, give it a shot ! I enjoyed learning about what Komorebi means.

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Some scenes were so touching , some scenes were so flat :( I really am confused with this one

Hase yuuki was such a lovely boy who is an absolute imaginer. you could feel the excitement he has and the kind heart he has there, he is also a boy who respect people's feelings , even if that means the girl she loved likes someone else. he is sincere and cute.

our girlie was on the other hand , I felt like we knew almost nothing about her personality... I couldnt figure out her personality at all , I didnt understand her feelings too. I get it was because of her condition , but she was too cold to me. I knew she treasured yuuki and was a good person overall but other than these I feel like we absolutely know nothing about her. I kinda loved the second more more , she was always taking care of yuuki and showing affection to everyone , had some personality going on in front of us.

it sadly felt like it was only male lead loving the girl again. the ending was just too open to me even tho it probably wasnt made to be an open ending.

did she completely remember him? or is that just traces of her memories? does she love him in that way? what was gonna be her response when she was gonna meet koju back then? did she liked koju? is she again gonna forget everything after that? I had so many questions left with no answers at all.

yet , it was a smooth watch for me even tho it got a little dragged towards the middle . it was enjoyable to watch overall ,not boring.

ESPECIALLY. that scene where FML found the book yuuki doodled and recalled their memories ALMOST made me tear up because it felt so nice and cute yet heartbreaking :( it really was a special scene and probably the best thing about this movie.

I think it was a bit of a waste of potential. I felt like they could give us a second couple like ML's best friend and 2nd female lead or kujo and second femal lead. non lead characters were loveable to me , i thought they could have been given more screentime. and they should just give us some information after that sudden ending scene and just answer my questions like that. maybe with a future cut kinda thing.

it was watchable tho. dont get your expectations so high ,but its still enjoyable. cant say the ending didnt make me pissed a bit (a lot actually)

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Flowers, colours and love

So with a cryptic title like this, I needed to do a bit of research. Here it is:

Tuberose symbolizes attraction, lust, and obsession for someone else. It can send a message that you're having a hard time letting go of someone ...
In many cultures, Tuberose flowers are considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity...
The blue tuberose flower represents fidelity, reliability, security, and extravagance.
The light pink tuberose flower stands for excitement, ecstasy, and promises of a great romance
Contrary to the typical interpretations of white, the white tuberose (carnal) flower is the ultimate symbol of lust and gratification. Its long-lasting sultry scent is guaranteed to sinfully and treacherously enchant your partner. It indicates anticipation of rapturous times and is commonly used to decorate the bridal room of newlyweds in Asian cultures.
The yellow tuberose flower embodies a love that flourishes openly and bravely under the sun and breaks away from the secrecy of closed curtains...
All in all, the tuberose flower symbolic meanings are: passion, obsession, decadence and dangerous pleasures!

What does all of this has to do with this short film?

Ming has been in love with Song, his sister's boyfriend ever since he met him ages ago. There has always been a certain hesitancy in their relationship then but Ming lacked courage to pursue him. Suddenly, Song shows up at Ming's door after not being in touch for ten years. He wants a relationship. Now. Ming has never been able to get over his crush. Now that Song is back in his life, will he finally find the courage and move forward with Song?

The film is very ambiguous about everything, the basic story including. And the ending leaves you with the impression that everything that happened was just Ming's wishful thinking. There is a lot of symbolism going through this film: firstly the flower tuberose I mentioned above, but also the colour yellow (yellow balloon, yellow envelope). Yellow is the practical thinker, not the dreamer. Yellow is non-emotional, coming from the head rather than the heart. - this applies to one side of Ming. The way the director showed us Song mostly as a shadow, I think also confirms in a way that the whole story is just a dream.

The film is made in a rarely seen format now days 4:3, the colours a bright and oversaturated, the sound is rather badly recorded and the acting is correct.
Interesting short film by a creative and talented director which can be taken in a few different ways.
Either it is this symbolic meaning through the flower(Ming's heart) showing one man's difficulties of letting go and the colour yellow (Ming's head) indicated his having made peace with reality....
Or is it really just a love story that finally came to its happy ending, suddenly, after 10 years?

What do you think?

Cast:
River Watcharapong Kanjankrit starring as Ming, short film written and directed by him as well.
Teerajate Somboonaburana starring as Song

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BADASS ACTION, ACTION, ACTION

The story is quite simple with no twist and turns. U can predict the story but, if u love full on action then its your cup of tea. Some of the scenes are quite brutal but, i love it wholeheartedly. Visual effects and quality are top notch. BGM is good. Acting wise all done a amazing job. Ma Dong Seok action is no dojbt outstanding. Lee Jun young performance is amazing and his bromance and acfion with Ma Dong seok is perfect. Roh Jeong eul done a good job in her role. The antagonist Lee Hee Joon done a crazy job in the mad scientist role. Ahn ji Hye done a quite a action with Dong seok and jun young which was great. Kudos to all the supporting artist who done a fabulous job in the movie.
I don't know why the ratings are low but i recommend it you are willing to watch a topnotch bloody badass action movie.

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REAL TALK

FINALLY got to watch this. China has had this movie on lockdown like it's some kind of national treasure. Yeesh.

Anyway, Real Talk, this is a legitimately entertaining movie to watch.
The beginning was a little rushed to get characters introduced, and it was about as predictable as one expects an underdog movie plot to be. Some dance moves were also exaggerated for cinematic flare, BUT those minor things did not take away from it being an entertaining movie.

It was well acted and fun and funny and emotional and heartfelt. I liked the cast and characters, and I don't just mean all of the familiar dancers, I mean his mother, uncle, love interest and various coworkers. All of them were likeable. I also like Jiang Long (I saw him for the first time in Luoyang and then briefly in Under The Skin) and I considered watching The Future Handbook, but it's unsubbed. It was nice to see him here, he's a very emotive actor. I would watch him more if he's cast in shows that appeal to my taste.

On a fan note, about Wang Yibo, imo, this movie is the best thing he has done since TU. I've watched the stuff he's done from before and after TU, and aside from Hidden Blade (which was good), the shows and films he's done have been very MEH. Just grazing above an average level of enjoyment and in some cases not even making it. One and Only was engaging and it held my attention to the point where I rewatched a few scenes and laughed a lot.

I would recc this. Not just for dance fans, but also for people who like a plain and simple underdog story.

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The Anno influence

Chronicling the bloodiest and most pointless last stand of the Pacific Theatre, The Battle of Okinawa is far more well-known nowadays for essentially giving Hideaki Anno his career. Told in a quasi-documentary-like format, with black and white newsreel footage juxtaposed with narration from Kiyoshi Kobayashi over the dramatic scenes, Kihachi Okamoto manages to expertly balance horrific authenticity with few artistic liberties taken along the way. It's a film that captures an essence of bravery, lunacy and hollow childlike subservience, as well as the sheer devastating horror that gets increasingly desperate and progressively violent the longer it goes on, the final 5-minutes alone comparable to the likes of Saving Private Ryan in its entirety; Okamoto pulls no punches in the graphic details with his cynical, dark sense of humour coming out in full force. With incredible performance from its cast, most notably Tetsurō Tanba and Tatsuya Nakadai, a fantastic if limited score by Masaru Satō and energetic direction, The Battle of Okinawa is an incredible epic, one of exhaustive and continual bombardment that takes no prisoners leaving the camera smeared with blood by its dramatic end.

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Icy beauty

Underneath all its gorgeously cold and snowy landscapes lies a film designed to make you feel warm inside even with the uncomfortably cruel realities and melancholic tone it proudly parades. Despite being so innocently titled, Station from the get-go doesn't just tug at your heartstrings, it grasps them firmly in its hands and refuses to let go until you've wept multiple times. Director Yasuo Furuhata utilises Daisaku Kimura's photography with such wickedness, piercing deep into your psyche through a cosy sense of atmosphere; combing a quiet, emotional drama with a gritty and exciting detective thriller, all the while Ryudo Uzaki's stunning musical score mesmerises and dances gently throughout the film's runtime. It's with Station we find the insurmountable Ken Takakura once again on top form, a man of unchallengeable masculinity who still manages to project great sensitivity beneath his stoic outer surface. As professional and fatalistic as it is subtle and cryptic, Station lights up the screen with a glow comparable to that of a warm log fire.

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Based on a true story...

If you have ever watched HOPE this is along the same lines as that story only it is an ex convict's abuse towards an entire family of three. The "sexual abuse" occurs more or less after he grooms the 7 year old, I suppose, and has her parents hanging by a thread with all his threats and taking over their household.

Remember this is a movie not a drama series so don't expect it to be so in-depth.

We don't see a lot, but enough to know exactly what is going on. No problems for me there!

Good luck to finding this in English!

The main male lead that played the part of the ex con in this one is in a number of other movies and series including "What Happens To My Family" - he looks so different in this one in comparison to the cold faced son (doctor) he played in the other one. Not as handsome for some reason.

But it does show what a great actor he can be - and he is!

I was so hoping it wouldn't be him as the "baddie" doing the damage, but rather the "baddie" coming to the family's rescue like the pawn shop owner in "Man From Nowhere"

Nope!

Great watch, but not as gut wrenching as HOPE.

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The power of three

I like Ma Dong Seok when he portrays action movies his chubbyness makes him even more cute. It's like he is trained enough to fight non- human in Train to Busan hehehe... I love the action scenes in this drama the fighting and gun fights are very well executed. It's amazing that only 3 person that fight that bad community.
Dr. Yang is so desperate to save her daughter's life the he uses different kind of subjects for his experiment no matter of he risk other people's life.
Good thing Ji Wan and Nam San the great hunter come to save Su na. In saving Su na they need to fight those bad guys, they are not only saving Su na but the entire community that has been abducted by Dr. Yang's people.
Lee Jun Young shows his action moves here I'm starting to like him already.

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Beautiful story and excellence acting!

I am so grateful to have found this film and decided to watch it. A unique experience when watching this, the story is interesting and very warm, and the way it is conveyed is also good, I rarely see someone who works in funeral services in films/dramas so this gave me a new point of view. Crying in most of the scenes :( This film is very good in terms of story and the acting of the actors is also very good, especially the child actresses. ZYL acted very well, bringing his emotions and sadness to the audience. Very worth watching!
"There is nothing more important than death in life"

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