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Reviews
Wo hu cang long (2000)
Understanding the Impact
Personally, I can't find anything in the movie that really gives justice to the praise everyone gives it. I mean it has beautiful scenery and the acting is pretty good. But so what if people fly around? I found nothing special about this film that makes it stand out from other contemporary chinese films. Or maybe because I've seen too many chinese movies to acknowledge the fuss. There are many other chinese films that have much better plots, but they were just never able to have a big enough budget to open like CTHD. For me, once you've seen one chinese contemporary sword-fighting film, you've seen them all.
The Devil's Own (1997)
It Could've Been Worst
Bad script? Definitely. But Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford really looked like they gave their best efforts. The plot at times though dragged and even though I am a huge brad pitt fan, I can't say that I enjoyed this movie very much. Even at the high points, like the confrontation between Ford and Pitt's characters, I wasn't really pulled into it. The plot lacked direction. At first, when it comes in, you think it'll be a cool action flick but as the story goes on it seems like it should've been called, A Day in a Cop's Life.
Spy Game (2001)
James Bond Step Aside
Ok, I mean I was really impressed with the trailer. I mean these are the two golden boys of Hollywood's two eras. But I didn't realize what a cool movie it turned out to be. I mean this story doesn't just have the bad guys and guns like those other spy movies but it also has depth. That's something pretty hard to pull off in an action flick. But Spy Game can and did and I'm not just talking about the Pitt and McCormack's love story but also the compassion between Redford and Pitt. The two men work fine together and I wouldn't mind see it again.
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
A Mix of Driven and Gone In Sixty Seconds
The Fast and The Furious is a pure andrenaline rush. It has reached the peak that Driven tried to reach but didn't. It's got speed, speed, and more speed. The cast is a little too studded, with an unrealistic bad boy undercop. I mean I like Paul Walker but his pretty boy image doesn't give him the actual tough sincere character that i think should've been played. Some of his dialogue was pretty weak too. The film though was awesome. Diesel and Rodriguez look like they got real chemistry.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
A Dazzling Follow Up Masterpiece
Ok not everyone understood what was going on in Romeo + Juliet and a lot of people probably were still confused with Moulin Rouge but I have got to say that Baz Luhrmann is a genius. His innovative way of seeing films is inspiring. I came out of the movie theatre for Moulin Rouge thinking I have got to see this movie again. It's just such a good movie.
Lola rennt (1998)
Excellent Masterpiece
In this movie, a movie goer finally realizes the importance of a second. In one second, the choice one makes can affect everything that comes after. I don't know anything about the two main leads and I don't think I have ever seen any of their movies before but I simply love this movie. The concept of fate and fortune is mind-blowing. It's very powerful and it's concept and theory can be placed alongside those of Fight Club. And what is the final question that we are all wondering? It is: What if?
Legends of the Fall (1994)
A Gorgeous Film
Though the movie doesn't follow the novella exactly, it is still breath-taking and is able to stand on its own. Many people turn away from this movie because of the lead actor, Brad Pitt, but this movie proves that the man can act. He has wonderful depth in his character. His chemistry with Julia Ormond and Anthony Hopkins is remarkable. The movie itself is a gorgeous film with cinematography that will blow you away. Epic romantic dramas like these are the ones that become classics.
Wong Fei Hung II: Nam yee tung chi keung (1992)
So what about the martial arts?
I personally don't see much of a unique plot line between this film and the first one. Ok, i mean it has your martial arts for all those martial arts fans but Jet Li doesn't personify the character Wong Fei Hung. I mean I can think of a lot of other actors who can fit the role of this character much better. I didn't enjoy this movie one bit. It seemed like every 10 minutes, someone was beating someone else up, and over what? Geez even the first couple of fights, my attention span was elsewhere.
Indochine (1992)
Still One of the Grand Classics
Not many foreign films have caught my eye. A lot of them seem surreal and have hidden messages that you have to try hard to convey. Indochine is different. It is intense and gripping and all the while you never lose sense of the message. The love story intertwined makes it remarkably attractive to females, the adventure makes it great for males, and the epic history of Vietnam makes it a masterpiece to critics and professionals. I thoroughly found this film to excel and it does live up to its praise.