Saturday, July 16, 2005
UNLEASHED
(also known as Danny the Dog)
Featuring: Jet Li, Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman
Brief Synopsis: A man who gets treated like a dog, fights like one when let off his err leash. But what happens when the owner gets killed?
Comments: The grittyness of Luc Besson's writing is evident; the gray, depressing world of criminality is once again familar together with the turn around in the lead character (although all his main characters are like that!). The familar setting in Britain was a nice return for this viewer as he was hearing more familiar accents and also seeing Spar!
It was a change for Jet Li to test stretch his acting skills alongside Oscar winner, Morgan Freeman & Bob Hoskins and I think he does OK in this dramatic role as he progresses from slave (or b*tch) to a free man - there is nothing extraordinary - simple expressions, reactions and actions. As usual his action sequences are impressive. In camera long shots, he really did look like a Chinese actor in his twenties although this was betrayed by one close range shot which really showed his thirty plus years.
I know some people say that his character is degrading and insulting to the Chinese (hence the change in title for Asian audiences) but Danny fights back and kicks a whole load of Western ass! I think these people kinda missed this point. However Grace (and pretty much every other Chinese person) says that he is just not as good as in his Chinese films.
Things to learn from this film: I thought the dialogue in the last scene involving Freeman, Hoskins & Li was very much like a dialogue between God, satan and man.
Rating: 4.75 /10
(also known as Danny the Dog)
Featuring: Jet Li, Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman
Brief Synopsis: A man who gets treated like a dog, fights like one when let off his err leash. But what happens when the owner gets killed?
Comments: The grittyness of Luc Besson's writing is evident; the gray, depressing world of criminality is once again familar together with the turn around in the lead character (although all his main characters are like that!). The familar setting in Britain was a nice return for this viewer as he was hearing more familiar accents and also seeing Spar!
It was a change for Jet Li to test stretch his acting skills alongside Oscar winner, Morgan Freeman & Bob Hoskins and I think he does OK in this dramatic role as he progresses from slave (or b*tch) to a free man - there is nothing extraordinary - simple expressions, reactions and actions. As usual his action sequences are impressive. In camera long shots, he really did look like a Chinese actor in his twenties although this was betrayed by one close range shot which really showed his thirty plus years.
I know some people say that his character is degrading and insulting to the Chinese (hence the change in title for Asian audiences) but Danny fights back and kicks a whole load of Western ass! I think these people kinda missed this point. However Grace (and pretty much every other Chinese person) says that he is just not as good as in his Chinese films.
Things to learn from this film: I thought the dialogue in the last scene involving Freeman, Hoskins & Li was very much like a dialogue between God, satan and man.
Rating: 4.75 /10
Monday, July 11, 2005
HOSTAGE
Featuring: Bruce Willis, Jonathon Tucker, Ben Foster, Michelle Horn, Jimmy Bennett
Brief Synopsis: 3 youngsters from the wrong side of the track break into a house and find themselves in a tricky situation where they are surrounded by lots of law enforcement people.
Comments: The one word title should explain all.
But that would make a lousy film review so here are some further words:
Well my friend, Grace, said it was a typical Bruce Willis film - filthy language + lots of action. However it was fun to watch as the story was paced quickly together with its many twists and turns. You soon found yourself empathising with Jeff Talley (Willis), rooting for the kid (Bennett) and despising the truly evil bad guy Mars (Foster). With the twists and turns, there are quite a few jumpy bits and this is the first film that I watched where Grace screamed so much that I noticed (and probably the people in front of her too!!). However the sound system is terrible - I really wish Golden Screen Cinemas (Penang) would really sort out their speakers.
It did start to get a bit more cliched towards the final quarter of the film - actually the whole film is a bit of a cliche but it was only towards the end it was more noticable (with, of course, quite a few loopholes but you don't have time to think about them)!
I guess in the end, everyone was a hostage either literally or metaphorically. Talley with his family being held, the Smiths being held captive in their house, the younger brother stuck as a reluctant guard by his older brother, the (rich) bad guys as they want a certain DVD (no kidding!), Mr. Smith Sr. as he is trapped in his own body and Talley again as he is held captive by his past.
What was also very annoying was the censorship of the language. Firstly it was an 18 anyway. Secondly I think scenes showing people getting shot, thrown off a balcony and stabbed somewhere really painful are graphically violent - and frankly it is unnatural to see this sort of thing WITHOUT swearing. The censorship chopped up the dialogue to such a degree that watching it (in conjunction with the lousy sound system) made the first 5-10 minutes very irritating to watch.
Things to learn from this film: Molotov cocktails are a handy thing to have in a bad situation.
Rating: 5.75 /10
Featuring: Bruce Willis, Jonathon Tucker, Ben Foster, Michelle Horn, Jimmy Bennett
Brief Synopsis: 3 youngsters from the wrong side of the track break into a house and find themselves in a tricky situation where they are surrounded by lots of law enforcement people.
Comments: The one word title should explain all.
But that would make a lousy film review so here are some further words:
Well my friend, Grace, said it was a typical Bruce Willis film - filthy language + lots of action. However it was fun to watch as the story was paced quickly together with its many twists and turns. You soon found yourself empathising with Jeff Talley (Willis), rooting for the kid (Bennett) and despising the truly evil bad guy Mars (Foster). With the twists and turns, there are quite a few jumpy bits and this is the first film that I watched where Grace screamed so much that I noticed (and probably the people in front of her too!!). However the sound system is terrible - I really wish Golden Screen Cinemas (Penang) would really sort out their speakers.
It did start to get a bit more cliched towards the final quarter of the film - actually the whole film is a bit of a cliche but it was only towards the end it was more noticable (with, of course, quite a few loopholes but you don't have time to think about them)!
I guess in the end, everyone was a hostage either literally or metaphorically. Talley with his family being held, the Smiths being held captive in their house, the younger brother stuck as a reluctant guard by his older brother, the (rich) bad guys as they want a certain DVD (no kidding!), Mr. Smith Sr. as he is trapped in his own body and Talley again as he is held captive by his past.
What was also very annoying was the censorship of the language. Firstly it was an 18 anyway. Secondly I think scenes showing people getting shot, thrown off a balcony and stabbed somewhere really painful are graphically violent - and frankly it is unnatural to see this sort of thing WITHOUT swearing. The censorship chopped up the dialogue to such a degree that watching it (in conjunction with the lousy sound system) made the first 5-10 minutes very irritating to watch.
Things to learn from this film: Molotov cocktails are a handy thing to have in a bad situation.
Rating: 5.75 /10
Sunday, July 10, 2005
INITIAL D
Featuring: Jay Chou, Anne Suzuki, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To, Edison Chen
Brief Synopsis: Does the local tofu driver become the best in his area against the superpowered machines that are Evos?
Comments: I know people have compared it to The Fast & The Furious and there are some similarities obviously what with racing cars, some of the camera angles, both films have humans etc. But what Initial D was a big hit in Japan with its Manga comic books and then films so it has a storyline of its own and not at all Hollywood influenced. However I've not read/seen any of the Manga comics/films so there will be no comparison from re: them.
Obviously the cars are the stars. The races are great fun to watch, they are always tense and whilst you have an idea of who is going to win, you never know how and in what style. And people will never look at the Toyota AE86 in the same sad way again. There could have been a problem with racing down the same road, again and again and again, in that cinematically, it could have been very boring and repetitive but race after race, you don't get that feeling at all.
If it was all about racing, it might have been dull but the storyline would still appeal to a non-car or non-racing fanatic. There are, of course, some driving explanations by the mentor but it is not enough to complicate (and bore) the film or take away the story of the main protangonists. There is also a vaguely romantic subplot involving a childhood sweetheart to parallel with his father's life. Jay Chou is a little stiff in his first major acting role (can someone look so relaxed whilst driving up/down such a windy road? - surely you must have at least 2 hands on the steering wheel) and unless this was deliberate, I have to say that I thought he played the character in way to show that he was err not mentally all there! The rest of them are fine if a little stereotyped (some of the other racers especially in their matching uniforms), with Chapman To again providing most of the laughs in the film.
Things to learn from this film: Every man has to find a world that they are comfortable in.
Rating: 7 /10
Featuring: Jay Chou, Anne Suzuki, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To, Edison Chen
Brief Synopsis: Does the local tofu driver become the best in his area against the superpowered machines that are Evos?
Comments: I know people have compared it to The Fast & The Furious and there are some similarities obviously what with racing cars, some of the camera angles, both films have humans etc. But what Initial D was a big hit in Japan with its Manga comic books and then films so it has a storyline of its own and not at all Hollywood influenced. However I've not read/seen any of the Manga comics/films so there will be no comparison from re: them.
Obviously the cars are the stars. The races are great fun to watch, they are always tense and whilst you have an idea of who is going to win, you never know how and in what style. And people will never look at the Toyota AE86 in the same sad way again. There could have been a problem with racing down the same road, again and again and again, in that cinematically, it could have been very boring and repetitive but race after race, you don't get that feeling at all.
If it was all about racing, it might have been dull but the storyline would still appeal to a non-car or non-racing fanatic. There are, of course, some driving explanations by the mentor but it is not enough to complicate (and bore) the film or take away the story of the main protangonists. There is also a vaguely romantic subplot involving a childhood sweetheart to parallel with his father's life. Jay Chou is a little stiff in his first major acting role (can someone look so relaxed whilst driving up/down such a windy road? - surely you must have at least 2 hands on the steering wheel) and unless this was deliberate, I have to say that I thought he played the character in way to show that he was err not mentally all there! The rest of them are fine if a little stereotyped (some of the other racers especially in their matching uniforms), with Chapman To again providing most of the laughs in the film.
Things to learn from this film: Every man has to find a world that they are comfortable in.
Rating: 7 /10
