What Have You Just Seen... Marks Out of 5

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 07 Jan 2007, 17:29

Perhaps Love - 3,5/5
A bit of a mixed bag. Great opening scene followed by un-original musical scene. The story is too familiar to anyone who’s seen a few of love stories before, but I like how reality and fiction (the characters are shooting a movie which has a story very similiar to their own life stories) are mixed so that in the end you don’t quite know what’s real and what’s not. It’s handled very gently so that it works as a strenght instead of becoming irritating like it could.

Music-wise the film is pretty standard but enjoyable. The very first song isn’t very good, but the rest works nicely with Jacky Cheung (not 100% sure if he sang himself) delivering the high points. Cheung is actually the best thing about the film. I never considered him a very good actor (he tends to over-act) but here he gives such an unbelievably wonderful performance that he should’ve won every single award on the planet for it. The rest of the actors are okay but tend to get over-shadowed by the visuals. With two top cinematographers (Christopher Doyle and Peter Pau) the results are pretty much what you’d expect; more than perfect. Perhaps Love is without a doubt one of the best looking HK movies ever made.

The clock tower scene near the end ranks among my favourite sequences ever shot on film. Music, cinematography, acting, everything... perfect. Musical in it’s purest form. The film is worth watching for that scene alone.

Exiled - 4/5
Last time I spent the whole night thinking about whether the film deserves a 3½ or a 4 star rating. Now on the second viewing I managed to enjoy the film a bit more. I think I was being a bit too hard on the films soundtrack on the first time. It works wonderfully at times, but action scenes would benefit from better music. Those scenes are still good, it’s just that they could’ve been near perfect with more fitting music.

Spoiler
I think the film is all about 5 men on their journey to death. Wo knows his fate right from the beginning, and once he’s dead, the rest of the guys realize they’ve got no way out alive either. Even if they manged to escape, they’re not sure if they’d rather die than live the rest of their lives hiding. The gold stealing scene is a good example. They didn’t steal it because they though it was their way out. They did it for fun. They even threw coin about it. That shows how little they cared about their lives at that point. That’s why the movie gets so wonderfully off-track after Wo’s death. This part of the film is definitely my favourite.
End of Spoiler

There’s still some parts I don’t like (many scene’s involving Wo’s wife for example), though. But as a whole, I think it’s a fine piece of cinema.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 07 Jan 2007, 17:36

A nice interpretation there, Hung.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 07 Jan 2007, 18:04

BiscLimpkit wrote:Aye I decided to boycott my own boycott of not seeing a censored film.

Ditto.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 07 Jan 2007, 18:41

Bill Bailey: Part Troll

4.25 - 4.5/5

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 07 Jan 2007, 20:10

grim_tales wrote:As to whether it was uncut, I don't know
It was in a 3 DVD set (with NRNS 2 and 3.

If it's a UK DVD: it's the uncut long version.

Yes, The Karate Kid came first (by a matter of months). Ng Sze Yuen obviously saw the potential for a quickie rip-off.

Tang Lung's real name I believe is Kim Tae Jong.

He played "Bruce Lee" in Game of Death and Tower of Death.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 07 Jan 2007, 20:50

Yeah, indeed he did play "Bruce Lee", I couldnt remember his real name.
What did you think of it? (NRNS), it felt VERY 80's most of the time IMO, didnt think the action was that good, but it was OK I guess

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:17

No Retreat is great,i have the danish region 2 which is uncut.didn't know the uk one was,i'm sure when it was released on vhs it was cut.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:42

saltysam wrote:No Retreat is great,i have the danish region 2 which is uncut.didn't know the uk one was,i'm sure when it was released on vhs it was cut.

Yes it was, I have that version, and you can def see where the cuts are, there are actions where Van Damme is not in the picture, and the next, he is beating the crap out of Kurt. I loved this movie, so will get the UK version soon.

I want to get that, Karate Kid and Best of the Best (Phillip Rhee best i feel, where is he now, he was a wicked marital artist?)

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:47

I thought NRNS was a pile of cheesy tosh. The "sequels" (and I use that word loosely) were better.

slasher13 wrote:Yes it was, I have that version, and you can def see where the cuts are, there are actions where Van Damme is not in the picture, and the next, he is beating the crap out of Kurt.

Actually, that cut you refer to was one of many done by the US distributor to shorten the movie (they took out flashbacks to Jason's training - hence the unfortunate jump). The BBFC made 37s of additional cuts for the UK release, but the DVD is now uncensored and unabridged as intended. Alas, the print is poor and full-frame.

I want to get that, Karate Kid and Best of the Best (Phillip Rhee best i feel, where is he now, he was a wicked marital artist?)

Have you seen Best of the Best 3? Surprisingly good and, IMO, the best entry in the series.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 08 Jan 2007, 09:49

Yes, I must have seen the uncensored version as you say (15 rated?). It was full frame.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 08 Jan 2007, 10:12

Markgway wrote:I thought NRNS was a pile of cheesy tosh. The "sequels" (and I use that word loosely) were better.

slasher13 wrote:Yes it was, I have that version, and you can def see where the cuts are, there are actions where Van Damme is not in the picture, and the next, he is beating the crap out of Kurt.
Actually, that cut you refer to was one of many done by the US distributor to shorten the movie (they took out flashbacks to Jason's training - hence the unfortunate jump). The BBFC made 37s of additional cuts for the UK release, but the DVD is now uncensored and unabridged as intended. Alas, the print is poor and full-frame.

Mmm if I see it for under 3 quid I will get it then, I really liked this movie

[/quote]

I want to get that, Karate Kid and Best of the Best (Phillip Rhee best i feel, where is he now, he was a wicked marital artist?)

Have you seen Best of the Best 3? Surprisingly good and, IMO, the best entry in the series.[/quote]
Yes ages ago, it the one with the racist group right and Gina. I need to watch it again now, thought the 2nd one was pretty bad..

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 08 Jan 2007, 13:10

grim_tales wrote:Yeah, I found the action to be 80's American standard rather than HK standard (if that makes sense). As to whether it was uncut, I don't know
It was in a 3 DVD set (with NRNS 2 and 3.

I've seen the movie years ago, but the action was certainly better, and more fluid, then any American movies at the time. Especially the scenes with Van Damme beating up guys, were much faster, sharper and had a much better choreography then any of his other USA flicks.

Anyway, I hated the movie, but the action scenes, which are too few, are pretty good (for that time). Acting and story is absolutely ridiculous ofcourse. It's a miracle I even finished the movie, and didnt turn it off halfway through...

Havent seen any of the sequels and also never will.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 08 Jan 2007, 15:37

DOA:Dead Or Alive 2/5

Mindless & stupid actioner with a non-existent plot and poor acting. In it's favour?the female leads are gorgeous and the movie never lets up for a second,it's pretty entertaining. surprised to see the star of the Mortal Kombat movies reduced to a bit part role.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 08 Jan 2007, 18:58

Grim, both the cut VHS and the uncut DVD are '15' rated.

Slasher, you can usually get NRNS for about £3.99 in HMV sales or try Play.com.

Yes, Best of the Best 3 is the one with Gina Gershon and the Neo-Nazis. The action is good (looked more like Hapkido that Taekwondo) and Rhee has taken time with the plot and characters - compared to the other parts especially. I have the uncut Canadian DVD.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 08 Jan 2007, 19:00

Markgway wrote:Grim, both the cut VHS and the uncut DVD are '15' rated.

Slasher, you can usually get NRNS for about £3.99 in HMV sales or try Play.com.

Its £2.97 in Muisc Zone at the moment

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 08 Jan 2007, 22:50

Daiteiden no yoru ni (aka Until the Lights Come Back) 3.5/5

Writer-director, Takashi Minamoto, follows his 2005 film Tokyo Tower with another sentimental piece, set in the heart of Tokyo during the festive season. It’s Christmas Eve and Santa is on the move, delivering millions of presents to the little children of the world. In Tokyo however, the citizens face a power cut due to a falling satellite; trapping people in elevators, halting trains and plummeting the city into darkness – only to be lit by beautifully coloured candles. Around a dozen protagonists take time to comfort, make friends and possibly even fall in love during the blackout. They all have their lives and dilemmas intersected, very much in the style of Love Actually and The Uchoten Hotel. With a diverse range of characters and even wider ranger of coincidences, Minamoto paints a delicate landscape of ‘lost and found love,’ in one of Japan’s more interesting take on the romance genre.

Full of slow, lingering shots and infused by a hip jazz soundtrack, Until the Lights Come Back is one mellow, chilled out film. It is absolutely exquisite to look at, and despite predominantly taking place during a blackout, masterfully utilises subtle filters and carefully placed lighting to capture the essence of every scene. Thankfully, the director decides to illustrate this, without the need to exploit horrible melodrama. The story plays on irony in the sense that in one of the world’s brightest neon-lit cities, individuals choose to wander in absolute darkness. Only when a blackout occurs, do people allow their fears, tempers and hostility to subside. The candlelight acts as a metaphor to release one’s demons and finally open up to those who matter. It would be futile to list the challenges of every character, simply because there are so many. However their problems are an accurate reflection of everyday people and Minamoto has done well to tie everything together. He even hints a little religious symbolism and plays with the idea of Santa Claus being responsible for everything. Although these are not quite as effective as the power cut being a catalyst for bringing friends and loved ones together.

Whilst Until the Lights Come Back is quite nicely structured, it could do with some faster pacing, as certain chapters are unnecessarily slow. Dialogue is vital in this film, especially due to the wealth of characters involved, so a lot of concentration is required to understand how everyone fits in. Overall however, it is a delicious little attempt from Japan in sparkling up the festive holidays. Perhaps the best summary of this film originates from a quote from an Orange advert (apologies for sounding cheesy): "Sometimes things just need to switch off, so everyone can switch on."

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 08 Jan 2007, 23:21

Memento Mori 3.5/5

It was a 4/5 maybe 4.5 until the end. The end that didn't really seem to make a huge amount of sense and was a major anti-climax. I was gripped all teh way through, then it completely lost me.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 09 Jan 2007, 08:42

Life on Mars - Eps 1-3 - 4.5/5

Awesome series on 2nd viewing, I love the police drama aspect combined with the thriller/time travel part.
Can't wait for Season 2.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 09 Jan 2007, 10:10

The Living Daylights - 4 / 5
After an successful trade with Mark, I thought and see what Dalton was like in Bond. I have never seen any of his bond, so I was a newbie. Right first movie off, Lovely opening scene with the mi6 agents parachuting and the whole setup. I really enjoyed this movie, He goes bring a cold streak in Bond, yet he is human and makes mistake. Love the Astin Martin in this movie, and the whole setup with the defector going into the tube in Germany. I feel the end was hurried alot thou, especially with the US wannabe general, that was over way too quick and cleanly. But still Tim does make a good bond, better than I was led to believe by some people (family and friends, no one here).

License to Kill - 4.5/5
Now this is a Bond movie with a different, James Bond getting stripped of his licence, and being a rogue agent... Excellent. Tim is def cold blooded in this one, and it really works for James Bond. I can't see no one else pulling this movie except for him (Haven't watched Casino Royale yet). Poor old Felix, surprising at the end he is in a good mood, considering his newly wife is dead

One thing that Irk me about Pierce Brosan James Bond was that the female lead always says, Never before in a bond movie has the female lead been his equal. I can recall Halle and Denise saying this, well that a bit of bull, especially with Licence, where the female is totally his equal and helps him out moreso then previous bond movie, so that really grates me when I hear that.
Also does Tim appear in the documentary or doesn't he like his James Bond past, watched all of Living Daylights, and it shows old footage, not the new one which is a shame.

Overall Tim Dalton is an excellent James Bond, really wished he did continue, in my opinion he didn't kill off the series, it was better suited to him.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Jan 2007, 16:29

Clerks 2 : 4/5
Much better than expected follow up to the great original.

Severance: 3/5
Daft but entertaining british horror comedy which loses it's way towards the end unfortunately.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 10 Jan 2007, 17:24

Dreadnaught - 4/5

Really enjoyed it, great movie, thought the ending was abrupt though.
Is the burly Marshal dude played by Fan Mei Sheng?
I know Yuen Biao and Leung Kar Yan, plus Kwan Tak Hing of course

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 10 Jan 2007, 17:57

hey,

one of Woo-ping's finest. A lot of genre crowded fun.

http://www.sogoodreviews.com/reviews/d3.htm#dread

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 10 Jan 2007, 19:13

Ken,

At the end of Dreadnaught, what happens to Mousy, Biao's character? Does he just collapse from exhaustion or actually die (unlikely I know) after killing the painted face guy?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 10 Jan 2007, 19:17

slasher13 wrote:I feel the end was hurried alot thou, especially with the US wannabe general, that was over way too quick and cleanly.

I thought the same.

slasher13 wrote:But still Tim does make a good bond, better than I was led to believe by some people (family and friends, no one here).

Me too but they're so wrong. People like Bond to be the same again and again, Dalton isn't.

slasher13 wrote:where the female is totally his equal and helps him out moreso then previous bond movie, so that really grates me when I hear that.

A bit ballsy isn't equal

slasher13 wrote:Also does Tim appear in the documentary or doesn't he like his James Bond past, watched all of Living Daylights, and it shows old footage, not the new one which is a shame.

He's not keen on media attention.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 10 Jan 2007, 19:51

Hey I liked him as Bond