Log: week 14 / 2019
Completely unnecessary. I didn't really see the point of bringing the Unbreakable and Split universes together, definitely not when it's just to conjure up some infantile comic book referencing plot. The actors do a solid job and the film looks decent enough, but it's a bore from start to finish. Shyamalan can do so much better.
Cheh Chang meets the new wave. Classis Shaw Bros martial arts with additional comedy bits, that feel like they were taken from a Jackie Chan/Woo-ping Yuen film. The result is pretty decent, but not as good as its peers. It's a decent Shaw Bros film, but it can't really distinguish itself from the many (many) others.
Shimizu is back with another horror flick. Don't expect scares or gore though, what the film lacks in genuine horror it makes up for with fantasy and drama elements. While set up like a classic Japanese horror film, Shimizu trades scares for mystique and mood. Not a bad film, just approach it with the right expectations.
A decent enough thriller. It's not original, on the contrary, but it's solid genre work that is executed quite well. The acting is good, the tension is present and the atmosphere is there. The more is revealed the more momentum it loses, but that's typical for this kind of film. It's a fun little diversion, pretty okay filler.
Somewhat strange, quirky, but also slow and slightly boring film. The father figure is clearly the star of the party, but somehow the comedy never quite settles into its own. 160 minutes is quite silly for this kind of film, especially when the drama fails to engage. There are some memorable moments though, just not enough.
It feels like I've seen this film before. Between The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, there are just too many film series with pretty much the same plot and structure. The sci-fi elements aren't all that impressive, the actors are pretty dull and the drama really doesn't make much of an impression. Not very good.
Very early Alan Mak film. I never realized he started off doing Cat III work, though I'm not all that surprised either. It's a pretty common route for directors of his time. Like most of these films, the quality really isn't there yet, though splashes of Mak's talent can be seen. At least it's short and quite gruesome, but nothing more.
When a documentary starts by saying many of the facts or unknown/unclear, you know what you're in for. This is entertainment more than it is a recount of true events. Take some colorful characters, have them tell their wild story and that's that basically. There's some fun to be had here, but in the end it's a load of nonsense.
An impressive, edgy drama with strong thriller influences. Tricky characters and a veiled narrative keep things interesting, while the acting, score and camera work make for a tense atmosphere. Shiraishi has worked himself up become to one of the leading drama directors in Japan, Birds Without Names is proof of his talent.
Lifeless sequel that is heavy on morality. It's a very typical Pixar production, lacking subtlety while sporting a pretty plain and dull story. Technically it's nice, but not as big a step up as usually the case. I got a strong feeling though that this film was squarely aimed at kids, not so much fans of animation, hence the low score.
Chow and Yau return with a Mainland remake of Chow's own King of Comedy. The original isn't my favorite Chow and this remake doesn't improve on it. There are a few chuckles and it's clear Chow grew as a director, but in the process the silliness that set his work apart seems to have gone lost. Not bad, not great either.
Horrible reboot of Bay's franchise. Gone is the typical Bay fun, in comes the mushy 80s retro filter, completely family proof and not too hard on any of the senses. Cleaned-up action scenes, a couple of jokes, girl and robot friendship and whatnot. It's sterile and dull, an abomination that does no justice to the franchise.