Bullets 'n' Babes

Knetan wrote:I know Donnie Yen expressed trying to answer to Ong Bak but in the end SPL plays more like a thriller for me with a few brutal fights. I like.

Which imo is the problem with Sha Po Lang, the cop thriller storyline is completely generic and the melodrama so over-blown that it is literally laugh-out-loud funny in places. The action and performances are pretty much its only redeeming factor. That is enough to earn it a 3/5 from me though.

hey,

felt more affected than that personally so I would stretch to 4/5.

Quote war?

So we have a cynical British git in one corner and big Swedish girl in the other, fighting for 1 mark out of 5?
:minigun::rock:

Well, I only gave SPL **/4 so you can both turn your guns on me.

:shock: :shock: :shock:

hey,

so tell me all what you gave this flick then:

China Dolls 1.5/5

It's a poor mish-mash from the director of Pretty Woman (Veronica Yip) but not entirely boring however, especially since it throws caution to the wind with a quick narrative, lots of genre excursions during 90 minutes, including a big gunplay scene towards the end. Amy Yip tries, finds new ways to conceal her breasts and Charlie Cho is Charlie Cho and Wu Ma does one of his more uncommon nasty turns. Too little Lam Ching Ying in the film however.

She Shoots Straight - 3/5

Decent 90's HK actioner I liked some of the fights in this - The booby trapped forest fight, boat fight and finale were good fun, and brutal, and when Chung Bo dies, and the mother finds out at her birthday party, that is sad

24 season 5 5/5

Granted a few bits in their were 'suspend your belief' type moments, but it is still probably the best action TV show around. Edge your seat stuff all the way, with lots of nice twists and agonising questions that don't get resolved... will just have to wait till later seasons!! Can't wait till season 6 is out!!

hey,

did you ever listen to the song in ther dvd menus, grim? :shock:

Yes I did, made me laugh

"This shit is gangsta!" It was a really bad rap song.

Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
1/5

A high production value, extravagant score and star studded cast could not save director Shinji Higuchi’s debut title. Lorelei borrows its title from German folklore and applies it to a new state of the art submarine, which has the ability to detail precise underwater topography, giving the Japanese major advantage in naval warfare. Commander Masami is given orders to lead a team and intercept the atomic bomb, which is due to be dropped on Nagasaki. Having failed to prevent the nuclear disaster, Masami’s superior commands him to hand over the Lorelei system to the allies and prepare for a new Japan, after a third atomic bomb is scheduled to be dropped on Tokyo. Masami then decides to undertake a suicide mission to save Japan’s capital city from total annihilation.

There is precious little to recommend in this overlong action-drama. The most irritating aspect is the nonsensical political motive behind Masami’s superior, Asakura. I am still not sure exactly what the director was trying to say. The dialogue is so overly patriotic that it would make Michael Bay blush. Whenever Koji Yakusho (who plays Masami) gets the opportunity, he gives one of his dramatic speeches in front of his men, alongside an unnecessarily theatrical score and tear-jerked reactions from his men. Even the science fiction element is pretty absurd and quite frankly, a lazy attempt to give this film a “blockbuster” feel.

The flip-side is that the film is so bad, it’s good. Nothing beats watching this with some friends a few beers, and absolutely ripping it to shreds.

The Prestige

7 out of 10

I saw this earlier and thought while it took a bit too long to get going (20 or so minutes could probably be exorcised) it was otherwise excellent.

There's two cracking twists. Funnily enough I got one (the Angier twist) but not the other (the Borden twist), but the person I was with got them round the other way. It's the sort of film you're left thinking about for ages afterwards, trying to work out where all the bits fit together.

You need to pay attention as there are lots of little clues sprinkled right throughout the film, which my friend and I enjoyed pointing out to each other afterwards.

hey,

The Blade 4/5 (Encore viewing, Hk Video dvd)

I still have some problems getting involved in the story of Ling and her trying to define the violent jiang hu world but Tsui Hark always scores in all other areas of this film. I mean there's not a lot of clean choreography in the regular sense in the film but boy does his wild choices have more to do with the design....production design, sound design, camera work and SOUND. Final fight between Zhao Wen-zhao and Hung Yan-yan is as dizzying and brutal as ever. Floors me every time.

I'm sorry you didn't like Lorelei Bisc, IIRC I recommended that one to you in a thread on these forums somewhere.

Not seen CHINA DOLLS, Ken.

But I can reveal a **.5/4 rating for THE BLADE.

Shingster wrote:I'm sorry you didn't like Lorelei Bisc, IIRC I recommended that one to you in a thread on these forums somewhere.

Ah so it was you? :x

Haha nah don't worry about it. I'd rather sit through the odd terrible Japanese movie, if it means I'll eventually find a hidden gem.

hey,

Blade Retrospective documentary 4/5

An all English language retrospective on the film resides on the HK Video disc. Featuring interviews with Tsui Hark, Hung Yan-yan and co-writer Koan Hui, this is an excellent and honest breakdown of the film. The approach to it and its behind the scenes stories is really proof that HK directors of this kind are way too fucked up to go onto a Hollywood movie set and adhere to the strict conditions there. Tsui for instance talks of the difficullity of getting his DOP to shoot the documentary style and how he wanted no continuity in fight scenes

Tsui is also not afraid to vent his dissappointment in Zhao Wen-zhao's commitment to the film as he was apparently equally busy talking contstantly on the phone with his girlfriend Anita Mui. Finally the trio talks of the failure of the film in HK while also expressing the fact, however hard it is to do so, that filmmaking should please you first.

bradavon wrote:The Prestige

7 out of 10

I saw this earlier and thought while it took a bit too long to get going (20 or so minutes could probably be exorcised) it was otherwise excellent.

.

Why, were those 20 minutes possessed by an evil, demonic force?

Yes

Warai no Daigaku (aka University of Laughs)
4/5

Warai no Daigaku (aka University of Laughs) is director Mamoru Hoshi’s debut title, which takes its name from the popular 1996 play by Koki Mitani. Set in Tokyo’s bustling Asakusa theatre district during the early 40’s, the story depicts a battle of wits between a nervous playwright and fierce censor. As per the law, any new play must be approved by the Government censorship board prior to public performance. The problem for Tsubaki (Goro Inagaki) is that he is up against Sakisaka (Koji Yakusho) – the new censor who is incredibly strict as to what can and cannot be shown in public. Sakisaka believes that in the midst of the Second World War, Japan should unite as one and there is no time for theatre, comedy and laughter. Too bad for Tsubaki as he comes from the infamous University of Laughs – a theatre group specialising in impeccably timed humour and slapstick. Unimpressed with the playwright’s initial draft, Sakisaka deems his work unacceptable unless a few changes are implemented. Tsubaki reluctantly obeys but to his fortune, the changes make the play even funnier. Furious at how the new draft has turned out, the censor demands further changes – each one more ridiculous than the one before. Once again, Tsbaki obeys and his play becomes bigger and better. The government changes start to become so frequent that it soon changes from censorship to story-editing. In the ongoing battle between free speech and censorship, the two protagonists soon realise that they have more in common than they initially realised.

I was pleasantly surprised at how amusing Hoshi’s film was considering that:

1) The film predominantly takes place in a single room, where the only props are a desk and two chairs.
2) There are only two lead characters, battling it out for what they believe is right.
3) The entire film occurs over a 7 day period.

Remind you of something? The aforementioned points were essentially the parameters behind the Duel Project – Aragami vs 2LDK. Whilst these two films featured a duel in the literal sense, Warai no Daigaku is more of a verbal effort. Much of the humour originates from the logic behind the desperate Tsubaki's arguements – discovering loop holes and rewrites to bypass the censor. Although the story is relatively light-hearted, the final act casts a shadow with some sensitive social issues. It raises the question of how far the Government will go to limit free speech, in the midst of a devastating war.

The film is beautifully shot - Hoshi plays with lights and shades to turn a single room into multiple locations, by adjusting the mood and atmosphere. Similarly with the theatrical score, adding a layer of nostalgia to 1940’s Tokyo. I stayed in Asakusa for a few days and this film brought back plenty of fond memories. Even though many of the buildings are well and truly abandoned, Warai no Daigaku showcases the theatre district in its absolute prime.

Wonderful Days - 4/5
What the hell is with all these big budget flashy CGI/Anime films having near identical plots and social messages? Not to mention IDENTICAL characters in every single bloody one of them.
You know though, Wonderful Days is actually pretty good. Unlike other such films it doesn't drag its feet and waste your time attempting to create more drama or feeling than it deserves to have. Before you ever start to think "dear God make this cheesey shit stop" you're whisked off the the next scene and saves you from needing to cringe. It has almost a perfect balance in this respect, you get the desired feelings without ever becoming bored.
But this film isn't really about plot, it's all about being the best looking animated feature I have EVER seen. The CG isn't the greatest ever and overall the CG and 2D animation don't mesh as well as they do in Innocence. However, overall it still looks better than anything else out there. The characters and backgrounds are simply incredible. It's no wonder why the Japanese have so much animation done in Korea.

Highly recommend this to anyone that hasn't seen it yet. You all know how intolerant I am of most films lacking in substance, but I sure enjoyed this one. It both moved and amazed me, a great experience.

(And watching it in 1080i was VERY nice indeed).

I saw that one a while back Bisc, good film but you really miss out on a lot if you're not a native Japanese speaker. :/

Ah shoot - I forgot to say. I noticed how the puns conviniently translate into English lol. I think the translations were decent but it'd be interesting to know what was actually being said.

Regarding Wonderful Days... I've seen Sky Blue (the English version) and thought it was very so-so....

Not in a rush to watch it again. Don't think I'll even bother with the director's cut.

It's not convinient for the translators, if they can't think of a way to even vaguely make it work they have to come up with another pun that fits (which happened a lot in this one) or skip it. It's a shame most commercial releases don't have any translation notes. I don't like hearing something I don't understand withut any explanation.

Borat - 5/5
I can't remember to have laughed so hard in a theater ever.