Reviews

Frustrating

The whole movie is just a hot mess of communication issues. If everyone was more honest with each other it wouldn't have been as bad, but then again the movie would be completely different from start to end if that was the case. I found the whole thing more frustrating than sad.

The acting was great and I liked most of the main characters in general. However the whole plot did not do them justice. I feel like a couple of the side characters could have been brought into the story differently -especially the photographer who was the one character that made me cringe with irritation every time she showed up.

I wouldn't waste your time on this one. The Korean one I felt was better, but I think if I re-watched it after seeing this one I may knock my rating down a star or two just because I realize the plot in general is not my cup of tea. I prefer honesty even if it hurts momentarily to just living through a lie.

Leia Mais

this is my comfort show

no words can describe how much i love this show, while i know its not perfect and there is plotholes i still love this serie soo much. first the chemistry of the leads is so goooooooood i need to see them in another bl serie please :( the chemistry and the kissing scenes are so good, i was looking for the movie after watching the serie because i missed it a lot
and the ost? perfection, i saved the song in my phone i love listening to that type of music
Cha Woo Min has a perfect smile like a sunshine, the actor is so pretty and cute and he reminds me of someone... jimin of bts maybe? i dont know whats about it, probably his eyes or his smile, as jimin also give a bright vibe as he also has a beautiful smile.
i will say definitively that this korean bl serie is my comfort serie and im glad i watched it, its underrated so im really glad that i find it out accidently, i highly recommend it, it feels like something that lift your mood and make you naturally smile

Leia Mais

Best movie , Too bad it’s not a drama, it can compete with American movies

I have watched this movie and all I can say is that it’s perfection from actors to everyone included to produce this masterpiece, I hate one thing about this it’s just that it was too short this good story deserves big platform, like tv show/drama because there are some great story that we didn’t get to see we would have liked but it’s played well to not notice great job to the producers and screen writers , am hoping there would be a prequel to this it can also be a great movie and also a sequel . in short apart from this movie being to small for this great story it’s an amazing work it can compete with Hollywood movies .

Leia Mais

I expected a Psycho Thriller

I mean, the main antagonist is indeed a serial killer, so why not? It was more like a political drama with some action thriller. The cast was well-chosen and I have no complaints about their acting. I am still not sure what role the CIA plays in the movie. Why are they involved?

Lee Jong Suk's characters have surprisingly few lines throughout the film. I heard he is really shy in real life, but villainous characters really suit him, to be honest. Looking forward to seeing him playing more challenging characters in the future.

I would recommend this film if you prefer something dark and twisted. Happy watching.

Leia Mais

Sweet

What a cute movie! I wasn't too sure at the beginning, because it seemed so outdated, the film quality was a little iffy.

I didn't care for the ML or the FL at the beginning. He was just a sad sack, and she was completely materialistic. I was wondering if I should continue, and I'm sure glad I did. The growth and development of both characters, both individually and as a couple was lovely to watch.

The concept was slightly like Il Mare, with the two mains being in 1999 and 2018, but here, they end up inhabiting the same apartment. I thought the special effects were well-done, and what they did to the apartment so they could inhabit the same space was really clever.

The ending was bittersweet, but based on the clips following the credits, I choose to believe in a happily ever after for them.

Leia Mais

The movie was good but not great.

The movie was good but not great. **SPOILER ALERT**

1. The actions scenes I love it & they look realistic. I love the coldness of the female lead but also her warm side of being a mother at the same time. Both Boksoon and her daughter demonstrate a common thing is they both afraid will the other side accept the secret. That's like the main wall between them.

2. The actors are great but the plot isn't. The ending is an open ending and abruptly.

3. The ending could have been better if the fight between Boksoon & Cha guy is longer. It's like before the fight, the movie shows the tension between the two so I thought the fight would be mind blowing but it's not. I really don't know whether Cha guy is really love Boksoon or not. It seems like he didn't fight at his best, maybe because he loves her but at the same time, why did he let Boksoon's daughter see the fight between them. It's like love and hatred at the same time. Their relationship is confusing that make me wanna find out more.

Therefore, in terms of actions 8.5/10 ; plot 7/10; actors 9/10. Overall is 8/10.

Leia Mais

"A faithful heart makes wishes come true"

I first watched this film when it was theatrically released in my country years ago. All I had to go on was a friend's recommendation and zero background in the wuxia genre. To say I walked into the nearly empty theater apprehensive would be an understatement. My fears were for naught. In a matter of minutes, I was completely mesmerized by the cinematography, music, and acting. Having watched my share of fantasy and super hero movies, I had no problem with the flying and light body technique as the characters danced across rooftops or fought high in a bamboo forest. The graceful movements and fighting techniques were like nothing I had ever seen. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the gateway into a new world for me. Little did I know that it would set the bar for all films that followed.

Though this movie was a wuxia, the heart of the film were the two romances. Yu Shu Lien, the owner of a delivery escort service and Li Mu Bai, a warrior trained at Wudan had fought their feelings for years. Their love was unrequited as Lien had been engaged to Li Mu Bai's friend, but he was killed and the two would not act on their feelings. Now they are reunited as Mu Bai brings her his famous sword, The Green Destiny, and asks her to deliver it to their protector. His journey toward self-enlightenment has brought him to her and he wishes to leave the bloodshed behind them. The 400- year-old sword is too much temptation for Jen, a young woman engaged to be married but secretly trained by the devious Jade Fox. The incognito Jade Fox had poisoned Mu Bai's master years before for his refusal to teach her the secrets of Wudan. Lien is aware who stole the sword and works to return it without bringing any dishonor to the families involved. The middle of the film focuses on Jen and her previous love affair with Lo Xiao Hu/Dark Cloud, a charismatic desert bandit, and in the present when she takes the sword a second time to find her way as a wandering warrior. Mu Bai and Lien know she needs someone righteous to train her before she becomes a poisonous dragon. The treacherous Jade Fox has only vengeance on her mind for Jen and Mu Bai. By the end of the film the characters will collide in a deadly conclusion.

On a recent re-watch, I could see all of the classic wuxia elements from the over 200 martial arts movies I have watched since that long ago day in the theater. Ang Lee used those elements but blew them up into a grand epic, showcasing a wide variety of stunning scenery taking the genre where it had not been before. Characters traveled through the mountains, desert, verdant valleys, and lush bamboo forests. The inn and outdoor café sets ubiquitous in so many old kung fu films made their appearance in grand style this time. The busy city streets didn't feel like a small set, but substantial with plenty of extras to add an additional layer of realism. Ang Lee made full use of the sets and scenery to bring about an energetic and beautiful atmosphere for the story to be told in. Unlike so many martial arts movies prior to CTHD the characters in this film were more important than the fighting. He not only succeeded in making a gorgeous framework for the story but also in developing characters we could feel empathy with as they struggled with their deepest feelings. They had depth and emotional weight to them instead of the thinly drawn characters of old. By paying attention to the smallest details and insisting on a quality presentation, Ang Lee set the bar higher for those who would follow him.

Michelle Yeoh was a revelation to me, and I will always be thankful for this film introducing me to her. She had been in the business for over 15 years at this point honing her craft and risking life and limb at times to do so. Though her fighting technique was fearless, quick, and agile, it was her expressive face revealing longing, fierceness, and tenderness that quickly drew me in and made me a life-long fan. Her portrayal of the mature and wise Yu Shu Lien was perfect. Chow Yun Fat as the spiritual warrior Li Mu Bai, showed how he was torn between his love for Lien, his desire for enlightenment, and his need to avenge his teacher. His calm demeanor was in stark contrast to Jen's firebrand personality always teetering on being out of control. Zhang Zi Yi in only her second film held her own with the veteran actors. As Jen she conveyed naivete, passion, and anger fluidly. Chang Chen as the ardent Dark Cloud resonated the wildness of the desert and his fervent love for Jen. Again, there was the contrast of Jen and Lo's fiery passion in comparison to Mu Bai and Lien's controlled, repressed love. Rounding out the stellar cast was Cheng Pei Pei as Jade Fox. I have gone on to watch her earlier movies where she had been the young female warrior who faced insurmountable odds, paving the way for other actresses. I'm so pleased they used her in this movie as the vengeful villain and gave the kung fu veteran a chance to shine.

Lien and Jen both sought freedom in their own way and both were bound by duty. Jen loathed being forced to marry wishing only to be free and Lien greatly desired to be with Mu Bai, but was prevented by a rigid sense of honor. The two couples were the inverse of each other emotionally and would gradually become more like the other whether a crouching tiger, biding its time or a hidden dragon of emotions. Lo and Jen, embodied the recklessness of youth with no regard for tomorrow. Lien and Mu Bai sought to guide them to more thoughtful actions. For restrained Lien and Mu Bai, they had reached the point where they were finally able to break through their control to unleash their feelings and unspoken words. True love trumped spiritual enlightenment as what was important became revealed in one last breath.

The only quibble I have with this magnificent film is with the long flashback interlude showing Jen and Lo's love affair. It was similar to The Taming of the Shrew and feels dated in the telling.

Yuen Woo Ping masterfully matched the fight choreography to the mood of the film. The actors did much of the fighting, check out all the face time during the battles. Instead of CGI, the floating and leaping, even in the bamboo forest-truly a thing of beauty, was accomplished by wire work. The fights were more elegant than brutal and more visually captivating than realistic. Aside from the bamboo forest fight, the fight between Lien and Jen was spellbinding. The experienced Lien used a variety of weapons as she sought to subdue the thief of the Green Destiny in a memorable fight choreography.

After my recent re-watch I found that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has stood the test of time. Though I have searched for its equal or better through the years I have yet to find a martial arts film to top this one. Only Hero's stunning aesthetic came close. Compelling characters, wonderfully acted, enchanting cinematography, a haunting score, and balletic fight scenes have made this the measuring stick for all other films. It is rare for a film to touch me deeply emotionally and this one has for over two decades. I need to remember to thank my friend again for encouraging me to visit this world of wonder.

3/31/23

Leia Mais

This is actually nice

So I had read some bad reviews so I had low expectations… but this was actually cute and nice
Yes, sure, this is nothing extraordinary or epic. But this still makes one pass a good time : we have four good stories about love within the family.
It’s not something overly dramatic though : you still get good laughters, especially in the second story, with the father getting his head stuck in a bar, who desperately refuses to take off his mask and take the risk of being photographed (jeez, this had me dead ???, especially the way people who gather around him to try to get his head out).
Nevertheless, the stories are both touching and happy. It will help give you a breath of fresh air, exactly what you need when you don’t want anything serious for a moment.
The actors are great, even the youngest children : some may be disappointed that Dylan Wang is there for only a quarter of the story but honestly ? This is to be expected, the movie doesn’t lie about the fact that this is divided in four parts.

Leia Mais

To be true to oneself

It should not be any difficult to be true to yourselves but the world we live in is not so kind.

Think about it... a person liking same sex as them has to hide it from the world and is expected to "come out" just like a person who is hiding the fact that she is a murderer. It is not blown out of proportion as well. You see this in everyday life, news and everywhere.
It is just sad as fuck that we choose to almost force our philosophies as human beings onto other human beings not knowing what they have been through. Not everyone sees the world through the same lens.

Just open your eyes and be kind to each other.

Leia Mais

Gil Bok Soon is a woman of focus, commitment, and sheer will

Gil Boksoon brought one thing to mind when I saw her "John Wick is a man of focus, commitment, and sheer will".

This movie reminded me so much of what I love about the John Wick franchise: the assassins, the organizations, and the rules that govern their anarchy. I'm a massive fan of seeing groups that work so far outside the law being acquiescent to their own rules that combine their obscure forms of morality with their own back alley justice. The movie was undoubtedly an 8/10 for me and here's why.

Pros:
I live for action and the action scenes and sequences were immaculate. Slowing down the scenes to give you a better view of the fight added to the intensity of the moment where you clearly saw the characters fight for survival.

Her struggle with being a mother while living this life made you relate to the character more. She wasn't just some impossibly amazing assassin, she was a single mother who had to struggle with raising a teen (a task no parent would ever say is easy). But, the mother-daughter relationship was truly the heart of this film. Every choice Boksoon made and everything she did always seem to come back to her daughter. You could see how she struggled with balancing a career she loves and her daughter that she loves.

Each character played their role very well. I felt that I liked who I was meant to like based on their portrayal and I hated the characters I was meant to hate as well. Boksoon's daughter was also an interesting character. I couldn't say I was ever really sure what she was thinking nor was I certain at the end of the movie exactly what kind of person she is but she made me curious. At this point, I want to know what becomes of her character and what choices she would make moving forward, especially given what she now knows.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lee Jae Wok's cameo.

Cons:
I felt like some of the characters' stories could have been fleshed out more. I understand that it would have made the movie much longer, maybe even needed a second movie, but much of the stories felt too short. A backstory for Han Hee Sung or even Kim Yeong Ji would have added to the story. Side characters felt trivialised in the story, they had moments where they could have opened a dialogue to learn more about these individuals but they were just ignored. Fingers crossed this is to build momentum for a second movie...

Overall, I think it's a great watch if you enjoy action with a bit of real-life mixed in. I know it just came out today but I could see this easily becoming a franchise similar to John Wick. While it's reminiscent of John Wick, it still maintains its own identity. I'm definitely rewatching it!

Leia Mais

if you haven't watched any high&low series!

my review based on
• as a new viewer to this series ( I never watched any of past series )
• plot / cast / acting / soundtracks / rewatch value
• nctzen, so will be yuta biased!

firstly I want to thank yuta otherwise I would've missed it! I know this series (high & low) is very well known but as someone who is completely new to this and watched the movie : high & low the worst x , I can say that it's worth your time.

This movie is not just about fights and violence but its also about friendship!! The childhood friendship, the friendshio between a leader and his members & the trust for each other!

For the first few minutes, they will be introduced many characters from various schools (oya high, Senomon tech, housen, suzuran and few more..) the whole plot involves around oya high + their alliance with other schools and the main fight scene with Senomon tech. there isn't much background story of the characters except suzaki ryo (yuta) and amagai kohei. it's not complicated so you will be able to understand and catch up! there are some funny elements in between the plots so you won't be bored and there are also some heart warming scenes where you will be able to see how beautiful their friendship is!!

talking about the acting and characters. there are many characters and without any hesitation I can say that all of them did a great job! very well acted by everyone! The way they delivered the lines just by listen or seeing it you can say these characters were confident!
talking about yuta. I am very impressed with him. Knowing that this is his debut movie he really suprised me. at first suzaki ryo (yuta) will appear to you as a guy with tought shell, he has a lot going inside his mind but by the end I promise you will love his character too! great fighting scene but the last few mins the look, the gaze + way of delivering lines really caught me. you will be able to feel that he was deeply hurt. [ I teared ho badly here] so great job yuta!!

soundtracks are worth checking out! During fighting scenes they play some soundtracks and even during some sweet scenes. I feel the soundtracks really played a great role . Very good choice of musics!

yes it's worth rewatching!the story is simple there aren't much violence [rather I would say the scenes were cool haha] so you will be able to watch again and again. So your 2 hours will be worth!

Overall I enjoyed it yes I was hesitating a bit earlier but wanted to check out too! So I did it and it really changed my mind! If I get time I would love to check out other high & low series.

and little appreciation for the camework! Great effort by the team! with this many cast it really captured Eveyrone well!

Yuta I am so proud of you!!!
[this was my first time writing a review here so please be easy ]

Leia Mais

A must watch for Action-Drama Fans

Definitely has that John wick 1 vibes with the world building and OP Hitman legend. But in a completely different direction of a single mother.

The dynamics were insane, for all the characters. Just when you think it'll succumb to cliches and stereotypes, it pulls a punch from your blindspot.

I can only talk so much without going into spoilers, but every single main character, the boss, his sister, our protag, her daughter, and a few side characters, are utilised very well. Every action they take, no matter how comical, surprising, confusing or deranged meshes well with their established personality.

This movie made me care a bit about almost every character, so when someone dies, you feel the pinch.

Sure, its not feature length shootout fest like john wick, or a family drama, but its a happy mix in between.

The action is coordinated very well, the BGM is seamless enough and the few CGI shots are really well done.

I'm rating this a 10, but this should be 8+ overall at the minimum.

I am seeing a lot of low ratings and i just cant understand why. Maybe its for a small subset of viewers, like the entire John Wick franchise is.

Leia Mais

Extremely brilliant storytelling

First screened at the Berlinale 2023, this has one of the most complex plotlines ever seen in a Korean movie and yet it was executed perfectly due to its brilliant storytelling. It's sort of an assassin story driven in classical melodrama styling and vintage visuals. The story centers around a killer agency that runs like a hotshot entertainment company where they define contract killing as putting on a show, while Boksoon has the highest rank in the agency, she's also a mom of an adolescent daughter which plays another bigger part of the story. There's a lot of social commentary within its storyline and every bit of it hits the mark sarcastically with black humor. The cinematography and transitions were handled with some spectacular camera movements, every scene was shot beautifully and the action sequences were really breathtaking, and how they treated the ending with love is just impressive.

Leia Mais

"Ones that take away and leave nothing."

영자의 전성시대 appears in the introduction episode of the drama Oasis, so while watching I tried to imagine I was a school student who sneaked through the back door with friends to watch the age restricted movie. Jeong Shin was crying at the scene of the kiss from the different sides of the bars, and here are my brief thoughts on her thoughts.

?️The movie was produced in 1974, the years of student and Christian protests against the Yushin Constitution that gave the president the unlimited power. There were 4 emergency decrees proclaimed that year that allowed to use the death penalty on student protesters. Many people were arrested and tortured in jails by Korean CIA. The visit of the president Ford in November didn't help any human rights although gave a little hope to the protesters. On January 22, 1975 the president Park announced a national referendum on February 22 to ask the citizens if they would safeguard the Yushin Constitution.

?️Yeong Ja's Heydays premiered on Feb. 11, 1975, and let's imagine Jeong Shin watched it that day. She definitely knows about the protests, and even if she may not really understand what is going on, Jeong Shin feels that something has to change. It's not extraordinary for a poor woman to end up like Yeong Ja. It's not only the increased prices and police raids all over the country, there are enough bad people around to ruin her life. The only person who cared about her, Chang Soo, was arrested for starting a fight, but he could've been arrested for any made up reason if he was unlucky. (That's literally the reference to the further imprisonment of Doo Hak in the drama Oasis)

What makes you a "plus one" in the Korean society in 1970s? And as a woman? Is that social norm going to make you feel better? Is sacrifice worth it? The movie explores these questions and themes leaving the weak hope by the end: things will probably get better in life, but not how you expected.

After all, the Yushin Constitution was supported again on the referendum on February 22, 1975. The Park Chung Hee's dictatorship continued until his assassination in 1979, and South Korea had many more years ahead before the establishment of the democracy.

Leia Mais

Don't waste your time

Just writing this review so that others don't waste 2 hours watching this mess of a movie.

The synopsis sounded interesting. The movie is terrible.

The first half an hour is incredibly boring but I guess it sets the stage. Then the "irreparable accident" occurs and when you think things will get interesting, it just gets bizarre. And not in a good way.

Finally, I guess they just ran out of budget or time and the movie ends. With no proper ending.
Or rather, that kind of pretentious artsy movie ending that leaves the audience hanging.

Bottom line, watch something else.

Leia Mais