Reviews

A film with a hazy message

This movie is packed with symbolism, and although there is some sort of meaning behind it all, it was to me, a film that simply lacked structure. The story is told in an unclear and roundabout way, which makes it hard to follow and understand.

There were numbers of dull scenes, due to the long duration of the clips. This style of filming is very common in old movies, but it would have been a lot easier to watch with more variations in the shots. There isn’t a clear conflict in the movie either. We know that there is some sort if inner conflict that the characters are each battling on their own, but it’s not clear what. The only time their emotions reached me, was in the final scenes of the movie with the last client.
There is also little to no character development. Shinichiro said he was going to quit prostitution, but never really did. Tatsuru never resolved the conflict with his family, and was unreadable throughout the whole movie.
So did they find what they were looking for at the end? No one knows.

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A great idea with weak storyline

This was going all good in the beginning with the mother dying , the father grieving and the daughter fighting for her land. But then the whole super power concept got shoved right into our mouths with no clear explanation, but I digress.
I just cannot believe how easily the daughter forgot her mother literally got killed by some people right in front of her. Like, u r fighting for the restaurant nd all but how could someone not think of revenge at that point. Just one funeral and everyone's gathering for freaking land protection meeting. WTF
The father's involvement was rather unhelpful in my view. He could've consoled his daughter but instead was trying to bring her with him in that shabby place. I digress tho. But then again, after learning his wife got killed, the father still doesn't use his powers for revenge, HOW??
I know I m getting desperate for the revenge plot but believe me, revenge was impending but yet the movie doesn't provide that. The mother literally be bowling her eyes out cuz her family not even filing a complaint for her murder.

If I talk about the whole superpower thingy, it was irrelevant. Just bcuz u added superpower doesn't mean anything happens after that would be understandable. U need an emotional story to back it up.

The characters were written vaguely. With the lady boss being the most hilarious one. She literally was shown for the joke.
And the police.??? Literally WTF. Who in the hell sends a whole two building worth police force a handful of common people. Like, who even gave the order for that. It was a complete joke.

In the end I would say, watch it at ur own risk. The movie will compel u to skip faster and faster to the end. So watch it only if u r out of ideas about what to watch.

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you must watch it. it's perfect

This film is really fun. I laughed a lot when i watched it . I love it.
I want to rewatch it.
I think everyone who likes BL and GL genre should see this movie.
This movie shows the hardships of gay life.
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This Movie is a pleasant drama break.

Well, this is a bold shot at classic Chinese film making. Have a wonderfully alluring story with a soft and sweet beginning, a challenging and complicated middle and a captivating ending, all keeping you glued to your seat. Take a visit with me to the ancient Qing Dynasty and share an endearing love story.

The movie The Palace begins with little girls being selected to serve in the palace as maids, as they are frightened into submission for easy training. There is much court intrigue and mischief. This is a well written simple story, which does not use sword fighting, twirls and thrills, and big movements to drive up entertainment value. The movie The Palace simply uses character study as fine art to give balance to the story, as you are drawn in and become fully invested into the lives and outcomes of the characters.

The story takes place during the peaceful reign of China’s longest serving Emperor, Shengzu or Kangxi Emperor of Qing (1654-1722), third Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The Palace is about the ambitions of two little girls who want to control their destinies.

A caution to the viewer. This movie is rated PG 13. However, there are two racy scenes in The Palace, which should bring the rating of this movie up to a strong PG 14, but these scenes are done tastefully.

Actors Corner

Movie actress Zhou Dongyu (Under the Hawthorn Tree) as Chen Xiang, Chen Xiao as Yin Xiang (Legend of Lu Zhen), and Zhao Li Ying as Lui Li (Boss and Me).

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SAD STORY

NO SPOILERS (I… think?):
Oh man… I love the story of these two guys. It’s so fricking sad and… Well... Very fast... I am actually sad that there is just only one episode:(( I like literally cried in every single scene. There was A LOT of cute and sad scenes.
SPOILERS:
It obviously wasn’t a slow burn. They are a couple just at the start. The huggies, holding hands, the kisses… Dayum!! I cried a lot when Beom said they should break up… Then he said they should be together again… And then Minha says that they should break up again. Then we have a scene when we know that Minha is missing… WAAAH BUT WHY IS HE MISSING??? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM??? WHY IS IT ONLY ONE EPISODE?????

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I wish i can unwatch it

i watched it and didn't like it first off the ML has a legal wife (Hai Fu Rong [Maid]) Deng Yu Li because she can't birth a child and only a human can birth a child. that is the reason they need a bride. So when the legal wife found out the ML have feelings for FL obviously she went bad shit crazy and tries to kill FL oh just a bit of a spoiler so when a human birth their child they die by turning into dust so yeah they were trying to speed up the birthing process and they did that successfully but because ML give FL his essence she survives. Let's be real the legal wife had all right to kill the FL don't get me wrong but just think of it she married him for 600 years and waited for a kid and for him to love her but ML fell in love with FL, in short, the legal wife never got his love so when she found out ML love FL she becomes jealous and that's why she wanted the girl dead and gone I think when the FL is dead and gone the legal wife taught she could rise the kid with ML and have ML love. Obviously, it didn't play out the way the legal wife planned it to happen anyways this was prue adulterous love which is why i don't like it. I give it 4.5 plot was ok the FL acting was ok but seriously she didn't ask any necessary questions to the ML and don't get me started on how shitty ML is like really he locked her up to keep her safe. oh hell no it would have been better if he had communicated but there was barely any communication it's only to the end that was it revealed that he was the goldfish. if i could i would like to unwatch this but that's impossible. i really hate this i regret watching this if i could unsee this it would be great like i need this movie to be wiped out of my brain right now. I don't like anything linked to an adulterous relationship

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"All this for a sword"

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was epic storytelling and my highest rated wuxia. For this sequel without Ang Lee and being a Netflix release, I lowered my expectations and was not disappointed. Sword of Destiny was smaller in scope and storytelling, but still a fun movie. Yuen Woo Ping shot it like a more traditional wuxia, albeit with a bigger budget. More than that Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen reteamed again (loved them in Wing Chun!), and that was enough to make my martial arts loving heart beat with love.

Yu Shu Lien thought long dead returns to mourn Sir Te and helps his son secure the legendary Green Destiny sword. The evil and ruthless Hades Dai, wants to rule the martial world and is determined to have the Green Destiny for himself. Silent Wolf, whose rumored death was greatly exaggerated puts together a team of five martial artists from the Iron Way to help protect the sword. Thrown into the battle is Snow Vase, a young martial artist who wants the sword to kill Hades Dai and Wei Fang, a young martial artist who works for Hades and has been tasked with stealing the famous sword. They have a connection that will draw them together all under the watchful eye of Shu Lien. While the warriors work together to keep the sword and each other safe, Shu Lien must decide if she can forgive Silent Wolf for his past mistakes.

The movie was only around ninety minutes long and relied heavily on Michelle Yeoh's and Donnie Yen's chemistry. The supporting characters were not given enough time to be fully developed on either the good guys' side or the bad guys', yet they were archetypes from the genre which gave the viewer a shorthand of what to expect from them-the lone warrior, loyal martial artists, a blind witch, ruthless evil fighters, etc. Snow Vase and Wei Fang were the young warriors who had to find their redemption and way along with a little flirting under the guidance of Shu Lien and Silent Wolf.

The fights were all well-choreographed which was to be expected by Yuen Woo Ping. Was there high-flying action? It was a wuxia, so you betcha! Whether it was Michelle fighting an ambush in the forest, Donnie nonchalantly taking out a gang of hotheads at a tavern, or a spectacularly filmed fight on a thawing frozen lake, they were all outstanding thanks to Michelle and Donnie's experience. Michelle still had a quickness and fluidity that made her captivating to watch. Donnie brought a playfulness and solemnity to his fights depending on the opponent. Watching these two veterans fight back-to-back brought me sheer joy. I loved that there was a tower for the final battle. It brought back memories of Cheng Pei Pei (Jade Fox) having to confront the bad guys with their tower in one of her old movies. And the ubiquitous outdoor tavern from many an old kung fu movie was the perfect setting for the audience to meet Silent Wolf and the Iron Way fighters.

Michelle Yeoh has a regal bearing and elegance that cannot be duplicated. Her expressive face and voice pull you into her character. Only she could make a line like "You will not find it there nor take it from here" believable. Much has been made of the movie being filmed in English and later dubbed with Mandarin. Selfishly, I'm happy it was. There was ferocious backlash over Michelle's accented Mandarin in the original. I tried watching the dubbed version of Sword of Destiny but the professional Mandarin voice actress sounded incredibly generic and flat, sapping all the energy and nuance out of Yeoh's performance. I find Michelle's voice acting essential to her performance and was relieved to hear it in the English version. Maybe it was the wig or makeup but Donnie has never looked better or more romantic than in this film. And as you would expect of him, he handled the fight scenes splendidly. Harry Shum gave a complex performance as the young warrior at a crossroads in his life. The weakest performance of the main characters was Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Snow Vase. This appeared to be her first role and it showed. Finally, Jason Scott Lee made for a sinister villain, even if he wasn't given much to do. This was a Chinese and Hollywood/Netflix amalgam, and an international one at that, with actors from Malaysia, Hong Kong, the USA, Australia, China, Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam. How you feel about a multi-national cast in a kung fu staple may affect your viewing pleasure.

For me, I can look at this film as completely separate from the original. It was not a perfect film, but for the genre it was quite good, I've watched my share of terrible ones. It did take some time to alter my perception of it being in English and not Mandarin or Cantonese, which did take away the authentic feel to it. There was a bit of cheese in it, but the original had its share, too, most wuxias do. The cinematography was nice, fights were solid, the scenery was beautiful, the OST felt integral to the story, aside from that ugly green sword-the props, sets and costumes were excellent, and most of the acting was acceptable to exemplary. Most of all it entertained me. I have watched this film numerous times and still enjoy it upon each viewing. I'm able to watch Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen once again fighting side by side which makes this a winner in my book.

8/4/23

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Perfeito.

Não tenho palavras para descrever o que estou sentindo. Não sei se tenho palavras o suficiente para demonstrar como meu coração está despedaçado, mas ao mesmo tempo quentinho. Que Filme sensacional, incrível, maravilhoso, perfeito, indescritível, uma bomba de emoções e sentimentos. Um amor tão puro, forto, intenso e incondicional. Uma verdadeira obra de arte, um verdadeiro romance. Será que um dia alguém me amara assim?? Será que um dia amareu alguém assim?? Não importa, fico transbordando felicidade apenas apreciando romances como este.
Espero que Bo-ra, com este final, possa finalmente seguir sua vida e ser feliz, como ela merece por ser uma protagonista explendida. Tenho certeza que era isso que o Woo-ho queria.
Em outra vida, espero que dê certo, esse amor tão improvável, mas tão inspirador.

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A short masterpiece

This is a short film where Go Min Si most probably was told to tell a gripping story in less than four minutes and my oh my this girl nailed is!

With very few words this short film shows us love, joy, angst, pain, and more... (not gonna spoil these 3:16 minutes)

The music may not be a pleasure to hear but it setts the mood perfectly, the subs are kind of bad but it does not affect the way the story is conveyed anyway as the pictures pretty much say most of it and even when the translation is awful the message is still clear from the context.

This of course only scratches the surface of the issues it is trying to convey but does seem to fit in a lot more in 3:16 minutes than some full length dramas do.

I watched it out of curiosity when I saw the title under Go Min Sis credits as Screenwriter & Director, and as you can see I was pretty impressed.

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A japanese "Clockwork Orange"?

The movie is a little weird and i love out-of-the-box movies. The gang of the pantie’s "ninjas", the cult of the zero church (zero must symbolizes the number of synapses of the members), even the question of faith and lust, misandry, and so on…
The almost 4 hours does not matter, the story can carry on with different layers…

STORY – lots of intertwined stories in one.
ACTING – I think it was the best of the movie. Wonderful!
MUSIC – not bad but will not remain in my mind except one or two.
REWATCH – some of the crazy and funny scenes yes!
OVERALL - I do not know what to expect because humans can be worse than people think, and reality is more creative than fiction. So maybe the characters could behave like they did. But that is not as important to the movie. The ending is ok, especially the last scene.
But, reading the reviews and watching the movie after… I was trying to discover the masterpiece that was mentioned and all the accolades that were written. I could not find any…
Do not know if a comparison is due, but Clockwork Orange is much much better in addressing some of the themes of this movie and the atmosphere.
Funny, interesting but noooooooooooo, not a masterpiece nor a 10 star!!!
I do not mind when someone gives 10 stars to a show, but do not use technical terms of words like masterpiece. It is not true, mainly in Japanese filmography that is amazing!

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This is a great uncomplicated Chinese movie. Perfect for a little downtime.

This movie is not too complicated and has just enough romance to perk up a Saturday by yourself.

Quote: Many years later, they meet again. "It's not that I've fallen in love again. In reality, I've never stopped loving you." From the movie All These Years.

Sun Qian Actress (A Robot in the Orange Orchard)
Zhang Xin Cheng Singer Actor (Skate to Love)

Country girl lost in the big city after she comes to town to attend boarding school. She was top of her class at home. However, now thrust into a situation where she is among all the top students from all areas, she feels lost, intimated, and alone. She feels pressured to achieve, that is until she meets a suave popular rich boy who takes a liking to her and he takes her under his wing. This movie has great cinematography and a captivating storyline.

Thoughts from the movie

One significant thing that is highlighted in this movie is the elevation in worth of males over females by parents and grandparents in this Chinese culture.

The movie takes place in 2003 and 2019.

These two actors satellite each other perfectly, creating a perfect alignment of lovers. Both male and female leads give notable performances.

It is always funny how many people who have money say that they don’t need it.
He is totally sophisticated and cultured and she is so unworldly-wise.

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Good

This is quite an interesting movie. The plot was quite unique which I have never seen before. The idea that one person can manipulate another person like this was really exciting to see.

Several cases are presented and I must say that I was even surprised at some of them. The actors did a solid job, even if some overacted a bit. I really liked Matsuzaka Tori. He really did a great job portraying his character and I really enjoyed his character. He was actually the best thing in this movie. The other characters were not as interesting to me. I wanted to know more about Matsuzaka Tori character. I also liked the ending.

Overall, I can say that the movie is worth watching.

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Worst than the first one

I like Azumi character and i try to like the movie. It is ok for a dull afternoon or a rainy night...
my review is almost the same as the review of the first Azumi movie.

STORY – the story is the continuation of the first one, but not as interesting. Power struggle between 2 factions. The notion of honour and personal sacrifice for a better collective outcome. Tenkai against Sanada. Doppelganger Nashi and filthy and ugly adversaries to the astonishing beautiful and sexy Azumi.
ACTING – did not like Azumi’s fighting scenes and the adversaries were less interesting than the first movie. The choreography was boring for me, and I prefer samurai movies than marvel superheroes…

MUSIC – I really did not pay attention, so I think it was not so special to me. The ending music was good.

REWATCH – I do not think I will. Mostly because the fight scenes were not good enough and the plot was not so dense.

OVERALL – the end of the story, with boring choreography and characters.

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A B, better, C movie...

I love Martial arts and Samurai movies, mangas and anime!
I wanted so much to like this one…

STORY – the story is very good. Power struggle between 2 factions. The notion of honour and personal sacrifice for a better collective outcome.
Azumi is one of 10 amazing assassins trained in a remote mountain for a mission of preventing a war. She is gorgeous, the best of them and was chosen to accomplish the mission of killing 3 war lords. And there it goes…
ACTING – some of the actors were skilled and agile. Azumi was not the best of them, I think this movie lacked good choreography and it lacked good athletes and performers in the fight scenes…

MUSIC – I really did not pay attention, so I think it was not so special to me.

REWATCH – I do not think I will. Mostly because the fight scenes were not good enough and the plot was not so dense.

OVERALL – I am European, so I thought the Arnold movie Commando was the one where more people were killed. I think this surpasses that one, with not so good choreography or acting. There are some interesting characters and that’s it.
In 2003 there are excellent technology and choreographers. Maybe they were on vacation...

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