The Good, The Bad, The Weird Blu Ray Review
August 25, 2010
The Good, the bad, the weird is the Korean take on the Sergio Leone’s classic Spaghetti Western, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. This has to be truly one of few Korean movies to deal with Western subject. Instead of the Wild West, the setting is the 1930s Manchuria. Until recently, Korean films were mostly dramas and melodramas. Only in last 10-15 years has Korean cinema produced broader genre including action and adventure films. The Good, the Bad, the Weird is the latest attempt at something different that might appeal to international market.
The story revolves around three characters trying in pursuit of a treasure map. The story opens up with a hitman, the Bad, trying to steal a map from a Japanese official traveling by train. During the robbery, a thief, the Weird, steals the map from the Bad. The Weird escapes with the map. Meanwhile, a bounty hunter comes upon the scene and decides to pursue the Bad for the bounty. All three are tangled up in a classic chase as they all hunt for the treasure and each other.
The movie is clearly influenced by many classic western movies. Even so, the movie has distinct Korean elements. There are some humorous dialogues that might only appeal to native Korean speakers. Even so, the overall plot and subject matter should appeal to broader international audiences. There are some breathtaking cinematic and photography in Manchurian desert. The opening train sequence as well as all the action sequences are top notch. Any fan of western and Spaghetti western should appreciate this fine film.
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The Good, the Bad, the Weird [Blu-ray]
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Date Night Blu Ray Review
August 20, 2010
The combination of Steve Carell and Tina Fey in a comedy movie is a dream come true for the fans. They both star in two of the funniest comedy shows on television. Whoever came up with the idea to put them together in a movie should be given a medal. Having said that, Date Night was little disappointing even with the two great leads. Even with the comedic chops between the two leads, the film feels like a formulaic and derivative. Perhaps I expected too much and had too high of expectation from two of my favorite comedians.
The plot is nothing new in a movie. You take two ordinary people and put them in an extraordinary situation. Only this movie does it with funny situations. Phil and Claire Foster, played by Steve Carell and Tina Fey, are married couple who go on their weekly date night. They are a very busy couple who insists on having a date night every week to get away from their family and work for a day. On one particular date night, they decide to go to a fancy/hip restaurant on a spur of the moment. They soon realize they cannot get a table without a reservation. To get around this little problem, they pretend to be another couple when one reservation call is unheeded. They soon find themselves in a trouble when they are mistaken for the other couple. Two men approach them and insist on following them out. Phil and Claire think it’s about taking the reservation. But, they soon face bullets and murderers on wild night out.
Even with very vanilla material, Steve Carell and Tina Fey carry the movie from start to finish. The played out plot doesn’t seem so bad when the two leads are so funny. Maybe that’s enough to carry this movie. And, that was the goal when the movie maker got Steve Carell and Tina Fey. I don’t think you can have really unfunny movie with two of them. While the movie was funny, it easily should have been better with the two great leads. Overall, it’s very pleasant way to spend 90 minutes.
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6 Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Rolling Stones / [2 DVD]
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Clash of the Titans Blu Ray Review
August 2, 2010
The remake of the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans retains the overall similar plot and adds the latest visual effects. While the original wasn’t a big success, the story and mythology was ripe for a modern update. The lead actor, Sam Worthington, seems to be in every other movie these days. The success of Avatar has propelled him leading man in Hollywood. Even before the release, the early screenings returned poor reviews from the viewers. The critics universally derided the movie as being shallow and light. My expectations were fairly low after the first round of reviews. The movie wasn’t total bust but it was a letdown.
The overall story is in line with the original 1981 version. The war between human and gods is about to erupt in the Greek city of Argos. Humans, following the lead of the King, rebel against the Gods and look to overthrow them as the supreme ruler of the world. The three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all decide that humans must be dealt with in harsh terms. Tangled up in this war is son of Poseidon, Perseus, who has been raised by fisherman and his family. Hades plans to overthrow Zeus during the war. Perseus must track down Hades and find a way to defeat him and expose his plot to Zeus and Poseiden.
The action is the main attraction of this film. There are many action sequences including the fun battle between Perseus and Madusa. The fight sequences are fairly straight forward and heavy on CG usage. The character development is extremely thin and poorly done. The overall story is driven from action sequence to action sequence without any character development. With talented cast and very action oriented story, the movie should have been better. Instead we are left with a mediocre movie with some decent action scenes.
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Clash of the Titans
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