Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[kihei]

Shanghai Noon (2000) - 7/10

In the 19th Century, a Chinese Imperial Guard teams up with an outlaw to rescue a Chinese princess who has been kidnapped in Nevada.

Jackie Chan stars as Chon Wang, an Imperial Guard who volunteers to travel to the United States following the kidnapping of Chinese Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Lui). During his journey, Wang is separated from his team following a botched train heist at the hands of outlaw Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson). However, after O'Bannon is kicked out of his own gang, and with Wang completely lost, the two men decide to team up to rescue the princess.

Shanghai Noon marked the directorial debut for Tom Dey, and was written by the screenwriting team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (2004's Spiderman 2). The film came out in the middle of Jackie Chan's biggest period of commercial success, being released two years after the blockbuster hit Rush Hour (1998). Shanghai Noon follows a similar "buddy" formula to that film, with two men from dramatically different backgrounds teaming up to pursue a common goal. How does Shanghai Noon hold up against Rush Hour?

Pretty well, though a little rougher around the edges perhaps. Shanghai Noon is a popcorn movie through and through, with a plot that is only there to set up the action and comedy. By Hollywood standards the action is pretty good, but by early 2000's Jackie Chan standards it's decided light. Chan's best moment involves some work with a horseshoe in the middle of the film, and there's also a brief homage to 1987's Project A II involving hatchets early in the film.

Where Shanghai Noon shines is its comedy. The film has a lot of inside jokes to other westerns (including the movie's title) and has a number of really funny scenes. The most memorable comedy scene is when Chon and Roy play a Chinese drinking game at a brothel, and it's the moment I always think of when I think of Shanghai Noon. Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson's chemistry is certainly not as good as Chan's and Chris Tucker's chemistry, but the duo still make it work in my opinion.

With that said, Shanghai Noon is very predictable and has a lot of filler scenes in it. I would argue there are even filler characters; Lucy Lui is completely wasted and gets little screen time, and main antagonist Lo Fong (Roger Yuan) is a complete throwaway character. Fortunately Xander Berkley is great as secondary antagonist Van Cleef (yep...), and there is a small but memorable role from Walton Goggins as a member of Roy's gang.

Overall, Shanghai Noon is a highly enjoyable popcorn flick, and did moderately well at the box office ($99M earnings against a $55M budget). I'm rating up slightly by giving it a 7; I think its 6.6 rating on IMDB is about right. I could give the film a 6, but despite its shallow plot Shanghai Noon has managed to entertain me numerous times over the last 23 years. I recommend this film to Jackie Chan fans, or anyone looking for light, fun entertainment.

With this ongoing retrospective of yours, you have the makings of a terrific book on Jackie Chan movies. You should definitely look into that possibility.

 

[sdf]

I can never keep these two movies straight in my head either. But it is definitely a remake of Ikiru. Ugetsu is about two peasants whose ambitions get them into lots of trouble.

Perhaps. To be honest, I have not watched these two films and have no idea what they are about

 

[nameless1]

With this ongoing retrospective of yours, you have the makings of a terrific book on Jackie Chan movies. You should definitely look into that possibility.

Agreed. I enjoyed the posts so far. The book will be perfect if it has a chapter on the Jackie Chan curse too.

 

[kihei]

Return to Seoul (2022) Directed by Davy Chou 7B

Adopted and raised in France but born in South Korea, Frederique, now in her mid-twenties, returns to Seoul to visit friends. During her two week stay she decides to try to find her birth parents and she is initially half successful, as she meets her father and his new family. She also has a one-night stand with one of her male acquaintances. The family is understandably distraught to find her turning up after all this time and the friend clumsily falls in love with her. But Freddie, tone deaf as they come, has no interest in trying to figure out cultural differences or how or why she has upset so many people's apple carts. Basically she doesn't give a f***. But she keeps returning to Seoul over the years, at one point working as a marketing adviser for a French firm in Seoul. "Ah, you're a Trojan horse," a friendly arms dealer who she picks up in a bar perceptively tells her. He thinks she would be good at his job. That intrigues her.

A tretise on the long term effects of cultural alienation, Return to Seoul is a in-depth, stylish character study of a young woman with lots of edges, not exactly your typically ideal rooting interest. The movie isn't as much concerned with judging her as it is with seeing her as a work in progress for whom change is the only constant and impermanence is the existential condition. To achieve this end, the film relies heavily on atmosphere, ambiguity and ambivalence, a very heady mix as it t;urns out, to get inside her head and examine her complicated, conflicting feelings and hurts. What makes all this work is first-timer Park Ji-Men;s perfect performance as the spontaneous, headstrong, drop-of-the-hat caustic Freddie. No loger quite at home anywhere, she makes her life up as she goes along.

subtitles


Absolutely Final Best of 2022

1) The Banshees of Inisherin, McDonagh, Ireland
2) Aftersun, Wells, UK
3) Decision to Leave, Park, South Korea
4) The Quiet Girl, Bairead, Ireland
5) Pacifiction, Serra, Spain
6) Hold Me Tight, Amalric, France
7) No Bears, J. Panahi, Iran
8) Hit the Road, P. Panahi, Iran
9) Everything Everywhere All at Once, Kwan and Scheinert, US
10) Return to Seoul, Chou, Cambodia

 

[nameless1]

Return to Seoul (2022) Directed by Davy Chou 7B

Adopted and raised in France but born in South Korea, Frederique, now in her mid-twenties, returns to Seoul to visit friends. During her two week stay she decides to try to find her birth parents and she is initially half successful, as she meets her father and his new family. She also has a one-night stand with one of her male acquaintances. The family is understandably distraught to find her turning up after all this time and the friend clumsily falls in love with her. But Freddie, tone deaf as they come, has no interest in trying to figure out cultural differences or how or why she has upset so many people's apple carts. Basically she doesn't give a f***. But she keeps returning to Seoul over the years, at one point working as a marketing adviser for a French firm in Seoul. "Ah, you're a Trojan horse," a friendly arms dealer who she picks up in a bar tells her. He thinks she would be good at his job. That intrigues her.

Return to Seoul is a in-depth, stylish character study of a young woman with lots of edges, not exactly your typically ideal rooting interest. The movie isn't as much concerned with judging her as it is with seeing her as a work in progress for whom change is the only constant and impermanence is the existential condition. To achieve this end, the film relies heavily on atmosphere, ambiguity and ambivalence, a very heady mix as it t;urns out, to get insider her head and examine her complicated, conflicting feelings. What makes all this work is first-timer Park Ji-Men;s perfect performance as the spontaneous, headstrong, drop-of-the-hat caustic Freddie. A creation of cultural upheaval, she makes her life up as she goes along--the sort of woman who may be poison in a relationship but how do you resist the adrenalin rush that comes with her?

subtitles


Absolutely Final Best of 2022

1) The Banshees of Inisherin, McDonagh, Ireland
2) Aftersun, Wells, UK
3) Decision to Leave, Park, South Korea
4) The Quiet Girl, Bairead, Ireland
5) Pacifiction, Serra, Spain
6) Hold Me Tight, Amalric, France
7) No Bears, J. Panahi, Iran
8) Hit the Road, P. Panahi, Iran
9) Return to Seoul, Chou, France
10) Everything Everywhere All at Once, Kwan and Scheinert, US

I heard a lot of great things about this movie. The person who played the biological father is a well-known supporting actor who did very good work in Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy, so I look forward to this one when I can find it.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Man Without A Past (2002) - 8/10

Just humans helping humans. I think the style feels more natural and less of a parody here, really nice simplistic beauty.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - 7/10

Decent noir but not much going here imo. Neatly made but doesn't really make good use of suspense and its climax is anti-climatic in a way. You know where it's headed, crime is bad, etc. Certainly makes you appreciate something like Rififi a bit more.

 

[nameless1]

I love The Asphalt Jungle myself. All the characters have their own personality and thus are memorable, and I really like the ending. Indeed, the movie reinforces the idea that "Crime does not pay", and it is typical of Film Noir of that era, but their fate actually make them feel human and thus relatable. That is certainly different from other Film Noir, where the characters are archetypes at best. I have it at 8/10. It is one of John Huston's greatest works, and I would even say it is a top 10 to 20 greatest Film Noir ever made.

Spoiler

I especially like the fate of the mastermind. He is in control the whole film, but he gets caught in the end, because he allowed himself to indulge in this one vice he has. I thought that is a brilliant setup, and it just makes him relatable. I also like how the main character have to go back home no matter what. That is all he wanted throughout the movie, and he died in his effort. That, again, makes him feel human, and the humanist quality gives the film extra depth, as it is not just a crime thriller, but also a story of the human condition.

 

[Spawn]

Living (2022) Directed by Oliver Hermanus 6A

Hold the popcorn. Substitute with tea and crumpets. Living is a very British remake of Kurosawa's great Ikiru. Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy) has spent his life as a zombie-like bureaucrat in service to his office job where keeping a firm sense of decorum and a stiff upper lip were more important than actually accomplishing anything. When he is informed that he has six to nine months to live, he begins to reconsider his life and is determined to build a modest park for working class kids. On one level, Living is an example of industrial-strength nostalgia with a good deal of sentimentality accompanying it. In some ways, the movie reminded me a little of A Christmas Carol with Mr. Williams being an updated Mr. Scrooge who finally realises almost too late that life is worth living. It is hard to see the movie appealing to people under fifty years of age and it probably helps if you voted for Brexit. But Nighy is wonderful. I mean, he is always Bill Nighy, but he has managed to create an immensely likeable persona that is somehow actually comforting, which, of course, makes him perfect for this role. His work here is among the best of his career, making Living worth seeing for his sake alone. But if you found The King's Speech too British for your taste, well, Living makes that movie seem practically multicultural in retrospect.

You’re comment about it being hard to see it appealing to anyone under 50 definitely fit with my movie going experience when I saw it. My friend and I who are in our mid-30s looked like we were about 30 years younger than the average of all other attendees.

I agree with the rest of your review too fwiw. Bill Nighy gave the best performance I’ve ever seen from him. And the movie is as British as it can get.

 

[shadow1]

With this ongoing retrospective of yours, you have the makings of a terrific book on Jackie Chan movies. You should definitely look into that possibility.

Agreed. I enjoyed the posts so far. The book will be perfect if it has a chapter on the Jackie Chan curse too.

To make the book completely authentic, I'll start experimenting on myself with the Jackie Chan shampoo.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Emily the Criminal (2022) 5/10
My wife and I recently made a cup full of popsicle sticks with movies written on them so we can randomly choose one when we don't know what to watch. This film popped up on there last night.

Aubrey Plaza kills it at the title character, and Theo Rossi does an excellent job as the leading man Youcef. Both actors played their roles incredibly well and I was rather impressed with how Plaza did with her first leading role.

That's pretty much where my compliments for this movie end. Plot holes galore... The main plot is painfully generic. Emily has student loans and needs money, but is struggling to pay her bills with a lowly catering job. If only she could make some money then she could finally just be free from debt to focus on her art(I saw a Hallmark movie on TV saturday at my in-laws house that had almost this exact storyline)


She gets recommended a shady person to contact to make an easy $200 in an hour and gets embroiled in a dangerous credit card fraud ring. As she takes on more jobs the work is more dangerous. Eventually with seemingly no relationship development at all she starts sleeping with the guy helping to run the ring.

Emily has almost no character development or real changes throughout the film, following the same exact pattern of behavior multiple times in the movie, just with slightly bigger stakes each time. She acts polite, she gets slighted, she gets hurt, and then she lashes out. Rinse and repeat throughout the film. Youcef hardly has any notable qualities at all, really. The sub-plot of her relationship with Youcef is very lame and forced, the friendship between Emily and her 'best friend' Liz feels like filler.

The dialogue was absurd and not believable. The worst part was when Emily's friend says "You can make $200 in an hour" and then she texts the number and they respond "Do you want to make $200 in an hour?". Also a few characters overuse the phrase "Hook you up/Hook me up"

The ending of the movie is really a weak point as well.

Spoiler: Ending

Youcef's brother beats him up and cuts him out of the business because of his relationship with Emily which leads Youcef to try to clean him out of everything in their storage unit and offices. Well Youcef is one step ahead and clears everything out before they can get to it. In response Emily convinces Youcef that he needs to rob his brother and jump ship, which they do incredibly easily, especially considering this guy is supposed to be some kind of kingpin.

Emily leaves Youcef for dead, steals a very modest take from his brother (trash bag with a small amount of cash), and makes her escape to Mexico where she steals the brothers' business pitch word for word and decides to be a fraudster herself in Mexico.

Overall really thought this movie sucked. It was short enough that I didn't feel tortured, but too short to the point where everything felt very surface level.

 

[nameless1]

View attachment 664247

Emily the Criminal (2022) 5/10
My wife and I recently made a cup full of popsicle sticks with movies written on them so we can randomly choose one when we don't know what to watch. This film popped up on there last night.

Aubrey Plaza kills it at the title character, and Theo Rossi does an excellent job as the leading man Youcef. Both actors played their roles incredibly well and I was rather impressed with how Plaza did with her first leading role.

That's pretty much where my compliments for this movie end. Plot holes galore... The main plot is painfully generic. Emily has student loans and needs money, but is struggling to pay her bills with a lowly catering job. If only she could make some money then she could finally just be free from debt to focus on her art(I saw a Hallmark movie on TV saturday at my in-laws house that had almost this exact storyline)


She gets recommended a shady person to contact to make an easy $200 in an hour and gets embroiled in a dangerous credit card fraud ring. As she takes on more jobs the work is more dangerous. Eventually with seemingly no relationship development at all she starts sleeping with the guy helping to run the ring.

Emily has almost no character development or real changes throughout the film, following the same exact pattern of behavior multiple times in the movie, just with slightly bigger stakes each time. She acts polite, she gets slighted, she gets hurt, and then she lashes out. Rinse and repeat throughout the film. Youcef hardly has any notable qualities at all, really. The sub-plot of her relationship with Youcef is very lame and forced, the friendship between Emily and her 'best friend' Liz feels like filler.

The dialogue was absurd and not believable. The worst part was when Emily's friend says "You can make $200 in an hour" and then she texts the number and they respond "Do you want to make $200 in an hour?". Also a few characters overuse the phrase "Hook you up/Hook me up"

The ending of the movie is really a weak point as well.

Spoiler: Ending

Youcef's brother beats him up and cuts him out of the business because of his relationship with Emily which leads Youcef to try to clean him out of everything in their storage unit and offices. Well Youcef is one step ahead and clears everything out before they can get to it. In response Emily convinces Youcef that he needs to rob his brother and jump ship, which they do incredibly easily, especially considering this guy is supposed to be some kind of kingpin.

Emily leaves Youcef for dead, steals a very modest take from his brother (trash bag with a small amount of cash), and makes her escape to Mexico where she steals the brothers' business pitch word for word and decides to be a fraudster herself in Mexico.

Overall really thought this movie sucked. It was short enough that I didn't feel tortured, but too short to the point where everything felt very surface level.

This is not Plaza's first leading roles. Her best ones before this are Ingrid Goes West, and Black Bear.

That said, she is somewhat of an enigma to me. She is limited as an actress, mainly because she likes to use a more deadpan style, but for some reason, in lead roles, she makes it work more often than not. Personally, I think it is because she has a good eye for scripts, and she picks the right people to work with. One of her better performances is in Black Bear, and the director said in an interview that they had known each other a long time, and she had always wanted to work with him. Thus, it seems like if there is rapport and subsequent trust with the director, both of them are able to fit her talent within the character, and that is probably the secret to her best performances. In more mainstream roles, she simply gets lost, and is always barely visible.

I watched this movie because it is on Obama's year-end best list, and I usually like his taste. While it is not great, I somewhat enjoyed it. Sheila O'Malley for Ebert.com wrote, "In a different world, a different time, Emily the Criminal may very well have been a romantic drama, similar to Jacques Audiard's Rust and Bone, mixing romance, criminality, class divides, and moral/ethical dilemmas." That statement sums up best why the movie works, because even though the plot is as basic and well-recycled as it comes, at least the theme is universal, and people can relate to it. Plus, it has an identity, which is more than what a lot of other similar movies can say. Sure, it is just another one in the long line of movie about the American Dream, but it knows what it is, and it never tries to be more than it is not. Add on the brisk pace and Plaza's presence, it becomes a rather smooth experience.

I have it at 6.25/10. It is not the best movie I have ever seen, and I might not wholeheartedly recommend it, but I did not regret that I watched it.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Plaza was great in White Lotus season 2. She seemed to have gotten hotter at some point which is always nice for your career prospects, I did a double take at some magazine covers in recent years. Now she is out here as the eye candy in a Jason Statham movie.

 

[Chili]

The Bridge (Die Brücke)-1959 (subtitles)

The setting is a small town in western Germany, within days of the end of WWII. The locals talk of life with all the losses and privations. A bomb lands near the town bridge, no losses but a reminder the Americans are approaching. The early part of the film focuses on getting to know a group of boys. They talk of the war, some hoping to be called up. And then they are...Saw a dubbed version many years ago, it left an indelible memory. Was reminded of it reading the All Quiet on the Western Front remake reviews. Directed by Bernard Wicki who directed scenes in The Longest Day. A profound, tragic, painfully real, anti-war film based on a real incident.

Rififi-1955 (subtitles)

A man (Jean Servais) gets out of prison and is invited to join two others in a jewel robbery. He's reluctant until he finds out his lady has taken up with another local gangster. They then plan a larger job. For the folks here who recommended this film thanks! The 30+ minute elaborate sequence of the heist itself is as good as it gets for me. No music or dialogue just step by step precision.

Loved the Rififi song by the chanteuse (Magali Noël) with a man providing shadow imagery in the background. Lot of scenic shots of Paris. The 7th Jules Dassin film I've seen, practically all memorable. Brilliant film.

 

[nameless1]

I absolutely love Rififi. That is probably the greatest Film Noir of all-time for me, and in my personal top 30. Like Chilli stated, that 30 minutes heist sequence is likely the best of all-time. There is no sound, but that is a brilliant choice, because it just adds to the tension. It has been over a decade since I watched it, but I doubt I can ever forget that scene. It is that good, and I recommend people to watch it if they can.

 

[kihei]

The Bridge was the first film with subtitles that I ever saw. How it got to the small town I grew up in, I will never know.

 

[shadow1]

Shanghai Knights (2003) - 6/10

At the turn of the 20th century, two former law enforcement partners travel to London in search of a killer.

Jackie Chan returns as Chon Wang, who is now the Sheriff in Carson City, Nevada. He receives a letter from his sister Chon Lin (Fann Wong) that their father has been murdered in China, and that she has followed the killer to England. On his way to meet her, Chon Wang reunites with Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), the former outlaw-turned-lawman who has moved to New York in hopes of starting a family. After arriving in London, the two men learn that Lin has been arrested and that the killer is Lord Nelson Rathbone (Aidan Gillen) - a member of the Royal Family who's 10th in line to the throne.

Shanghai Knights was directed by David Dobkin, and was once again co-written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The film was released during Jackie Chan's most commercial successful period, coming out after Rush Hour 2 (2001) and The Tuxedo (2002). However, this would be the last successful American film for Chan in a while, as he came out with a series of commercial bombs following this film before rebounding with the critical flop - but commercial hit - Rush Hour 3 (2007). As the unofficial "end" to Jackie Chan's string of box office dominance in the late 1990's/early 2000's, how does Shanghai Knights hold up?

Better than I expected on this rewatch. Though no longer set in the Wild West, Shanghai Knights still feels like a follow up to Shanghai Noon thanks to retaining the themes of friendship, honor, and culture clashes. Like the original, there are tons of historical easter eggs crammed in, with more than one character in this film later revealed to be a historical figure.

Action wise, Shanghai Knights has what I would call above average action for a Jackie Chan American production. No, this film's fight sequences don't hold a candle to Police Story (1985), but there are some entertaining sequences. My favorite sequence happens relatively early in the film, with some fun umbrella work from Jackie Chan. The comedy isn't bad either, though some of it is of the low hanging fruit variety.

Plot wise, you do have to suspend your disbelief quite a bite. The screenplay really stretches things to get our two leads in England, and the climax of the film completely jumps the shark during a clocktower sequence. It doesn't detract from the film too much, as this is a very lighthearted affair, but it's worth noting.

I would argue the cast in Shanghai Knights is slightly more memorable than its predecessor, with good supporting performances from Tom Fisher, Fann Wong, and a young Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Aidan Gillen's Rathbone character is also a much better, more entertaining antagonist than we got in Shanghai Noon. However, like Lucy Liu in the first film, Donny Yen has a supporting role and he is completely wasted due to portraying a generic character with little screen time. He and Jackie Chan have their first ever on-screen fight in this film, and I'm sad to report it's probably the most forgettable action sequence in the movie.

Additionally, like Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights does suffer from the pitfall of having a number of filler scenes. The film also copy and pastes some of the ideas from the first film, like Chong Wang and Roy O'Bannon having a quarrel after one of them overhears the other badmouthing them during a private conversation. Worse, this scene makes very little sense in this film, and feels like a subplot that is quickly added and then forgotten moments later.

Overall, Shanghai Knights is a solid sequel to Shanghai Noon. It is a light, fun movie that never takes itself too seriously and is a very easy watch. As the last commercially successful film in a stretch of hits (and on a personal note, the final Jackie Chan film - and I think film in general - this reviewer bought new on VHS), Shanghai Knights performed moderately well at the box office, earning $88M against a $50M budget. Though not a must watch Jackie Chan film, I'd recommend Shanghai Knights to fans of the original or action movie fans in general who have two hours to kill.

 

[nameless1]

Shanghai Knights (2003) - 6/10

At the turn of the 20th century, two former law enforcement partners travel to London in search of a killer.

Jackie Chan returns as Chon Wang, who is now the Sheriff in Carson City, Nevada. He receives a letter from his sister Chon Lin (Fann Wong) that their father has been murdered in China, and that she has followed the killer to England. On his way to meet her, Chon Wang reunites with Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), the former outlaw-turned-lawman who has moved to New York in hopes of starting a family. After arriving in London, the two men learn that Lin has been arrested and that the killer is Lord Nelson Rathbone (Aidan Gillen) - a member of the Royal Family who's 10th in line to the throne.

Shanghai Knights was directed by David Dobkin, and was once again co-written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The film was released during Jackie Chan's most commercial successful period, coming out after Rush Hour 2 (2001) and The Tuxedo (2002). However, this would be the last successful American film for Chan in a while, as he came out with a series of commercial bombs following this film before rebounding with the critical flop - but commercial hit - Rush Hour 3 (2007). As the unofficial "end" to Jackie Chan's string of box office dominance in the late 1990's/early 2000's, how does Shanghai Knights hold up?

Better than I expected on this rewatch. Though no longer set in the Wild West, Shanghai Knights still feels like a follow up to Shanghai Noon thanks to retaining the themes of friendship, honor, and culture clashes. Like the original, there are tons of historical easter eggs crammed in, with more than one character in this film later revealed to be a historical figure.

Action wise, Shanghai Knights has what I would call above average action for a Jackie Chan American production. No, this film's fight sequences don't hold a candle to Police Story (1985), but there are some entertaining sequences. My favorite sequence happens relatively early in the film, with some fun umbrella work from Jackie Chan. The comedy isn't bad either, though some of it is of the low hanging fruit variety.

Plot wise, you do have to suspend your disbelief quite a bite. The screenplay really stretches things to get our two leads in England, and the climax of the film completely jumps the shark during a clocktower sequence. It doesn't detract from the film too much, as this is a very lighthearted affair, but it's worth noting.

I would argue the cast in Shanghai Knights is slightly more memorable than its predecessor, with good supporting performances from Tom Fisher, Fann Wong, and a young Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Aidan Gillen's Rathbone character is also a much better, more entertaining antagonist than we got in Shanghai Noon. However, like Lucy Liu in the first film, Donny Yen has a supporting role and he is completely wasted due to portraying a generic character with little screen time. He and Jackie Chan have their first ever on-screen fight in this film, and I'm sad to report it's probably the most forgettable action sequence in the movie.

Additionally, like Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights does suffer from the pitfall of having a number of filler scenes. The film also copy and pastes some of the ideas from the first film, like Chong Wang and Roy O'Bannon having a quarrel after one of them overhears the other badmouthing them during a private conversation. Worse, this scene makes very little sense in this film, and feels like a subplot that is quickly added and then forgotten moments later.

Overall, Shanghai Knights is a solid sequel to Shanghai Noon. It is a light, fun movie that never takes itself too seriously and is a very easy watch. As the last commercially successful film in a stretch of hits (and on a personal note, the final Jackie Chan film - and I think film in general - this reviewer bought new on VHS), Shanghai Knights performed moderately well at the box office, earning $88M against a $50M budget. Though not a must watch Jackie Chan film, I'd recommend Shanghai Knights to fans of the original or action movie fans in general who have two hours to kill.

Boy, the suspension of disbelief cannot be overstated. Jackie Chan suddenly becomes John Wayne, and Charlie Chaplin is a stowaway who goes with them to Hollywood.

At the time, I thought nothing of it, but I really hate it now. That is way too much artistic liberty.

 

[shadow1]

Boy, the suspension of disbelief cannot be overstated. Jackie Chan suddenly becomes John Wayne, and Charlie Chaplin was a stowaway who went with them to Hollywood.

At the time, I thought nothing of it, but I really hate it now. That is way too much artistic liberty.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Traces of Red (1992)

A standard issue late 80s/early 90s detective-chases-serial killer movie. Only missing piece was Andy Garcia (Jim Belushi played the main police detective).

Not great, but not bad. Had some good suspense & some cool South Florida scenery. But ultimately felt a lot like a 100 minute episode of Silk Stalkings.

 

[OzzyFan]

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
3.50 out of 4stars

“A mysterious stranger with a harmonica, a notorious desperado, a beautiful widow, and a ruthless assassin are all brought together by fate in the Old West under mysterious murder-ladened circumstances.”
Another excellent epic Western headed by the team of Leone, Morricone, Delli Colli, Baragli, and company. I won’t repeat their talents stated in previous reviews, but a continued example of their talents occurs. While not as fun, memorable, successful on more levels, and more distant than The Good The Bad and The Ugly, this film betters it in some aspects, is tremendous all around, and is still earnedly ranked amongst the greatest westerns of all-time. For one, the story is grippingly mysterious and unfolds with nice surprises and a strong ending. I don’t know if I’d say the ending is better than TGTBTU, but it hits deeper and is a longer lasting bittersweet sendoff that I won’t spoil. All the actors are good, but Henry Fonda in the main villain role is the clear standout playing against type. Another masterful film all around. Also, this film is a more traditional ascension of and referential ode to the genre compared to the satirizing Good, Bad, and Ugly. The film in small and wide is about the transition of the Old “Wild” West into different times.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
3.35 out of 4stars

“Two down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.”
An excellent western that is a grim morality tale on the dangers and corruptibility of greed. Bogart in the lead playing a villain of sorts is great, as the well intentioned man who slowly becomes aggressively paranoid, selfish, and money hungry. There is some interesting material on the level of corruption and awakening of one’s ‘true self’ from extreme wealth in the film. When the 3 main characters speak of what they are going to do with their money, one talks of small scale business ownership and hobby pursuit with his free time, one talks of a childhood dream, and one talks of excesses, pleasures, and authoritative abilities. That gives a glimpse inside each man’s mind and soul, as do other indirect examples throughout, one specifically involving an inquisitive Texan. Kind of also makes you wonder if Bogart at the beginning of the film was a penniless drifter because of his lifestyle and/or ambitions. That said, all the characters made some varyingly dark tainted choices from their new found riches. A man is defined by his actions. Walter Huston rightfully and charismatically earned an Oscar for his supporting turn here, while the film also won 2 other Oscars (for screenplay and director). And it ends with appropriate closure and meaning.

The Wild Bunch (1969)
3.25 out of 4stars

“An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as they encounter bounty hunters and Mexican Federales along their journey as the traditional American West is disappearing around them.”
A great western that shows the highs and lows of old western outlaw life alongside the corruption and conditions in Mexico in the early 1900’s, villainy greater than small outlaw groups. A few extended scenes of exciting graphic brutal violence, that 50years later still effectively conveys the harsh reality of group gun battles. Visually and emotionally fulfilling while bringing an array of emotions and thoughts throughout. A fun film that impressively contrasts almost everything, aside from the poor Mexican people and their corrupt military/government. Outlaw groups are the most thoroughly both glorified and vilified. They are hunted by gunmen both legally and illegally, face hard living conditions, face jail, are always on the move, murder, steal, deal with unsavory/unethical people, have internal headbutting, are haunted by some parts of their past, and their bodies rack up mileage and wounds. Oppositely, they create tight loyal bonds and memories, acquiring and spending large wealths, partake in joyous inebriation, partake in whore enjoyments, other partaking and partying in joyous fashions, and times of positive exhilaration. It’s a fleeting and wearing lifestyle. Also, bounty hunters are seen as mostly outcast types that are immoral money hungry guns for hire, even if they do attempt to stop wanted criminals.

Johnny Guitar (1954)
3.10 out of 4stars

“A mysterious cowboy named Johnny Guitar arrives in town amidst heated turmoil between a female saloon owner (Vienna), her criminal gang friends, and local townsfolk led by the vengeful Emma Small.”
A great western that has a convention and gender role twisting feminist theme to go along with its love/hate-centric story. Pretty clearly it is about the repression of strong and powerful “single” women. Vienna, played strongly by Joan Crawford, is everything society at the time feared: a controlling, self-successful, smart, argumentative, outspoken, and seemingly sexually empowered. And most of the male characters in the film are weak or faulty to emphasize this theme. McCambridge playing opposite Crawford is an excellent strong despicable female villain too. The events through film all occur from strong love or hate feelings (and their variations of jealousy, rejection, and suppression), including a possible bisexual (and love triangle-esque) tension among the 2 female leads. Tying into the main theme; societal judgments, societal pressures, societal changes/evolution/advancement, and mob justice are other themes within the film. The film also sports some oddness, melodrama, and stylish symbolism.

 

[Chili]

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
3.50 out of 4stars

“A mysterious stranger with a harmonica, a notorious desperado, a beautiful widow, and a ruthless assassin are all brought together by fate in the Old West under mysterious murder-ladened circumstances.”
Another excellent epic Western headed by the team of Leone, Morricone, Delli Colli, Baragli, and company. I won’t repeat their talents stated in previous reviews, but a continued example of their talents occurs. While not as fun, memorable, successful on more levels, and more distant than The Good The Bad and The Ugly, this film betters it in some aspects, is tremendous all around, and is still earnedly ranked amongst the greatest westerns of all-time. For one, the story is grippingly mysterious and unfolds with nice surprises and a strong ending. I don’t know if I’d say the ending is better than TGTBTU, but it hits deeper and is a longer lasting bittersweet sendoff that I won’t spoil. All the actors are good, but Henry Fonda in the main villain role is the clear standout playing against type. Another masterful film all around. Also, this film is a more traditional ascension of and referential ode to the genre compared to the satirizing Good, Bad, and Ugly. The film in small and wide is about the transition of the Old “Wild” West into different times.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
3.35 out of 4stars

“Two down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.”
An excellent western that is a grim morality tale on the dangers and corruptibility of greed. Bogart in the lead playing a villain of sorts is great, as the well intentioned man who slowly becomes aggressively paranoid, selfish, and money hungry. There is some interesting material on the level of corruption and awakening of one’s ‘true self’ from extreme wealth in the film. When the 3 main characters speak of what they are going to do with their money, one talks of small scale business ownership and hobby pursuit with his free time, one talks of a childhood dream, and one talks of excesses, pleasures, and authoritative abilities. That gives a glimpse inside each man’s mind and soul, as do other indirect examples throughout, one specifically involving an inquisitive Texan. Kind of also makes you wonder if Bogart at the beginning of the film was a penniless drifter because of his lifestyle and/or ambitions. That said, all the characters made some varyingly dark tainted choices from their new found riches. A man is defined by his actions. Walter Huston rightfully and charismatically earned an Oscar for his supporting turn here, while the film also won 2 other Oscars (for screenplay and director). And it ends with appropriate closure and meaning.

The Wild Bunch (1969)
3.25 out of 4stars

“An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as they encounter bounty hunters and Mexican Federales along their journey as the traditional American West is disappearing around them.”
A great western that shows the highs and lows of old western outlaw life alongside the corruption and conditions in Mexico in the early 1900’s, villainy greater than small outlaw groups. A few extended scenes of exciting graphic brutal violence, that 50years later still effectively conveys the harsh reality of group gun battles. Visually and emotionally fulfilling while bringing an array of emotions and thoughts throughout. A fun film that impressively contrasts almost everything, aside from the poor Mexican people and their corrupt military/government. Outlaw groups are the most thoroughly both glorified and vilified. They are hunted by gunmen both legally and illegally, face hard living conditions, face jail, are always on the move, murder, steal, deal with unsavory/unethical people, have internal headbutting, are haunted by some parts of their past, and their bodies rack up mileage and wounds. Oppositely, they create tight loyal bonds and memories, acquiring and spending large wealths, partake in joyous inebriation, partake in whore enjoyments, other partaking and partying in joyous fashions, and times of positive exhilaration. It’s a fleeting and wearing lifestyle. Also, bounty hunters are seen as mostly outcast types that are immoral money hungry guns for hire, even if they do attempt to stop wanted criminals.

Johnny Guitar (1954)
3.10 out of 4stars

“A mysterious cowboy named Johnny Guitar arrives in town amidst heated turmoil between a female saloon owner (Vienna), her criminal gang friends, and local townsfolk led by the vengeful Emma Small.”
A great western that has a convention and gender role twisting feminist theme to go along with its love/hate-centric story. Pretty clearly it is about the repression of strong and powerful “single” women. Vienna, played strongly by Joan Crawford, is everything society at the time feared: a controlling, self-successful, smart, argumentative, outspoken, and seemingly sexually empowered. And most of the male characters in the film are weak or faulty to emphasize this theme. McCambridge playing opposite Crawford is an excellent strong despicable female villain too. The events through film all occur from strong love or hate feelings (and their variations of jealousy, rejection, and suppression), including a possible bisexual (and love triangle-esque) tension among the 2 female leads. Tying into the main theme; societal judgments, societal pressures, societal changes/evolution/advancement, and mob justice are other themes within the film. The film also sports some oddness, melodrama, and stylish symbolism.

I love the opening scene to Once Upon a Time in the West as the credits slowly roll by. Sergio loved to take his time in telling a story. Interesting that a woman finally had a major role in one of his films. Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards and Lionel Stander are personal favorites. And Henry Fonda as the villain. My favorite western.

Have watched The Treasure of the Sierra Madre many times and it never gets old. What a great actor John Huston's dad, Walter was. Nice choices Ozzy.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

L'Argent (1983) - 7.5/10

French films can be cold and uncompromising. Impeccable with their outdoor camera shots and using the noise of the unfriendly city and with characters that are unrelenting in their commitment to of how people can suck but that's just life portrayed by staunch actors with a wall in front of their heartless emotions. The quick scene cuts make things go fast in a story that doesn't really ever linger much making 10-15 minutes of storytelling feel like an hour's worth of events in another film. The film is taking you to a destructive and disturbing place with a Haneke like ending and never really giving you the time or the direction to decide how you really should be feeling. It's just a series of unfortunate events shown by a director that's more glas half-empty than full and wants to leave a bad taste in your mouth, but at least has the decency to entertain you along the way.

La Ceremonie (1995) - 7.5/10

French films can be cold and uncompromising. Impeccable with their outdoor camera shots and using the noise of the unfriendly city and with characters that are unrelenting in their commitment to of how people can suck but that's just life portrayed by staunch actors with a wall in front of their heartless emotions. The quick scene cuts make things go fast in a story that doesn't really ever linger much making 10-15 minutes of storytelling feel like an hour's worth of events in another film. The film is taking you to a destructive and disturbing place with a Haneke like ending and never really giving you the time or the direction to decide how you really should be feeling. It's just a series of unfortunate events shown by a director that's more glas half-empty than full and wants to leave a bad taste in your mouth, but at least has the decency to entertain you along the way.

 

[kihei]

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023) Directed by Jamie Payne 5A

Luther: The Fallen Sun, the first movie to be released based on the five season BBC television series, is watchable but disappointing. Idris Ekba as the rumpled, iconoclastic London detective, still creates a magnetic character using his natural, dulcet British accent to great effect. But the story--focusing on a super-evil villain, played over-the-top by Andy Serkis saddled with an absolutely horrible wig, is nothing the least original; thus, the movie starts with a thud from which it never quite fully recovers. Violence and torture are closer to the order of the day than Luther's usual mix of cerebral reasoning and cunning intuition. Some scenes work well, some scenes don't, but it all seems a little too familiar, too generic, too unworthy of this great detective. To make matters worse, wit is in short supply as is character development and believable dialogue. Elba is always worth the price of admission in this role, but Luther: The Fallen Sun cannot hold a candle to the first two seasons of the series.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

all quiet on the western front (2022) : 7.8/10 great acting, cinematography and battle action.

the whale: 7.5/10 great acting and set design ok movie.


ant-man and the wasp quantumania: 6.5/10 one of the worst marvel movies so far.

 

[Osprey]

The Whale (2022) - 5/10

This wasn't an easy film to watch. It deals with depression, lack of mobility, divorce, bitter family members, shame, regret and maybe a few things that I'm forgetting. The morbidly obese main character, Charlie, is the only genuine and positive thing in the whole film, which only adds to making it depressing. Seeing Brendan Fraser give an incredible performance made it watchable, though. It'll be well deserved if he wins Best Actor tonight, IMO. I appreciate films that are set entirely in confined spaces and this one makes good use of its small apartment by moving the camera all around it. It didn't even occur to me that it hadn't left the apartment until 45 minutes in. What didn't really work for me was the story, none of the threads of which paid off like I would've liked. The whole whale theme also felt a little forced and on the nose. Finally, the very last scene made me laugh out loud, and I'm pretty sure that Aronofsky meant it to be powerful, inspiring and emotional. Oops. Overall, the film wasn't as bad as I feared (since I'm really no fan of Aronofsky), but it was mostly just Fraser's performance that made it worth watching.


M3GAN (2022) - 5/10

This really is Child's Play, essentially, but gender swapped, a lot tamer (even in the unrated cut) and with a modern spin. I kept thinking of how this came out just as AI like ChatGPT started taking the world by storm. Put that AI in a doll and you almost have M3GAN. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that was a bit spooky. It really isn't much of a horror movie. The scares and kills are few and not very remarkable. Most of the movie plays out as a drama with the little girl and her aunt getting to know each other and then having the doll come between them. The actress who plays the girl (the real one) impressed me a lot by displaying a wide range of emotions convincingly. I mostly liked the first two thirds of the movie. The final act was disappointing, though, because it was too tame, too predictable and a little too similar to Child's Play. I don't really mind ripping off a premise, as long as it eventually goes in a different direction, but I kept spotting similarities up until the end.


Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) - 3/10

I wonder if I saw a different film than everyone else because I didn't like this at all. It felt like an incoherent mess, a barrage of randomness just for the sake of it. It's supposed to be hilarious, but I barely laughed. It's supposed to be deep, but the admittedly good messages felt a bit trite and obvious, especially when spelled out in the dialogue. It somehow managed to feel immature and pretentious at the same time. Whenever it started to get interesting or sentimental and engage my brain, it quickly slapped me across the face with more absurdity, raunchiness or hyperactive editing. It became very repetitive as a lot of the same visuals, metaphors and interactions appeared over and over and went on much longer than they needed to. I didn't feel much for any of the characters, found the villain ridiculous and was underwhelmed by the acting, considering all of the buzz about it. In fact, I don't understand why the film got 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and is the favorite to win many of them. Nothing stood out to me as remarkable enough to deserve award recognition, but that's my opinion and I can see why other people might enjoy the film, but it wasn't my cup of tea at all.