I Saw the Devil - Korea

          Director:  Jee-woon Kim
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "When his fiancee becomes the latest victim of a killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge."


          I actually watched this a bit ago so I can't be completely in depth.  I ranked this on Criticker on July 4th, so yeah, a bit ago.  I am not sure why it took me so long to write the review.  I originally wanted to watch this movie for Byung-hun, and if you have watched a few of his movies I am sure you can see why I would watch it for him.  Anyway, I did watch it again around Thanksgiving, but I still didn't get around to this post.  The people I watched it with also felt it was a great movie.  That is of course coming from people who don't like subtitle movies and are addicted to online poker.  This movie had them paying attention and struggling with keeping up with their games.
          I think the greatest point of this movie is the idea of revenge.  There are many movies and things that focus on revenge and how it can lead to bad results, but I think this is the best version of the same idea I have seen.  The biggest question this movie poses, is what does revenge get you.  The main character acts against the killer in a way that is quite fun to watch as an avid horror fan.  He toys with him and gives him a little piece of what he did to others.
          The thing is, he walks a fine line between exacting justice and turning into something without feeling.  This is the part that really stuck with me, even after it being awhile since I watched it.  I am not sure that I have seen a movie that has been able to really show the main character where we are unsure where to place him.  Has he crossed the line, or is he in the right?  Of course this also has to do with the killer.  If he hadn't been the way he was, it would have been far easier to judge the main character.  The actions of both the killer and the main character really make this movie something that isn't easy to forget.


          It isn't hard to understand, I really do highly suggest this movie.  It is a little graphic and such, so it is not the best movie for very squeamish.  It definitely wouldn't be the best for my sister, who has even found issues just watching the TV show Supernatural (btw love love love it).  Still, if you aren't completely put off by a little gore and such, this movie is absolutely awesome.  I still will likely try to talk my sister into watching it.  I just won't tell her about the fun stuff.  n.n

Silenced - Korea

          Director:  Dong-hyuk Hwang
          Year:  2011
          Plot:  "Gang In-ho, who is working to earn money for his daughter's surgery, is appointed to a school for hearing-impaired children in Gwangju.  But what he discovers there is an ugly truth: the children are being physically and sexually abused by their teachers.  When he decides to fight for the children's rights and expose the crimes being committed at the school, In-ho teams up with human rights activist Seo Yu-jin.  But he and Yu-jin soon realize the school's principal and teachers, and even the police, prosecutors and churches in the community are actually trying to cover up the truth."


          I know I have been slacking as far as Asian movie reviews go.  I have watched a bunch, but haven't had the time to actually get a review done.  As far as Silenced goes, I had to find the time to review.  I know it is a subject that many might try to avoid watching, I know my sister is.  I ended up watching the movie alone in my room because she refused to watch a movie involving child abuse and molestation.  As I see it though, this movie isn't about the bad, but about the good that came out of this case.
          This movie was stunning to watch and i could see it from the beginning.  I was sold about this movie even after the first 20 minutes.  The fact that the abuse and molestation wasn't shied away from like many other movies might have made the movie all that more impactful.  One person suggested that people fast forward through the scenes on Netflix and I think that is horrible.  I am a person who laughs at blood and gore, but I had to look away quite a few times while watching the abuse scenes, still I never skipped over these scenes.  It just seems wrong to me to actually skip over these scenes when the point was for them to be disturbing.  If you simply skip over them, I don't know that the impact would be the same.
          I also found another response posted about this movie that said how horrible the people were for being a part of making this movie.  The person was upset because of how the movie ended, and that the teacher was a coward for not helping the children.  The problem is that this movie wasn't meant as a feel good movie.  This was meant as a statement about the atrocities that went on at a school for the deaf and limitations that were faced when trying to punish those at fault.  The fact is that you should be upset after watching this movie.  To think that the government had so many faults that the ending happened as it did is outrageous.
          I have to say the person was completely wrong about the teacher though.  He wasn't a coward, he was just conflicted for the most part.  It was really hard for him to go against what he needed to do for his own family to help out the children.  I can only imagine what kind of stress he must have felt knowing that he was doing the right thing, but in doing so was going against his duties to his family.

          This is definitely a movie to watch.  It is sad and disturbing, but it definitely strikes a nerve in a positive way.  The acting in this movie was great, some felt that Yoo Gong (played In-ho) was rather emotionless, but I have to disagree.  I simply felt that he was conflicted and wasn't sure what the best course was.

A Moment to Remember - Korea

          Director:  John H. Lee

          Year:  2004

          Plot:  "A romance blossoms between a clothing designer and a cautious young man, but because the two have both been hurt in the past, it develops slowly. One is recovering from an affair with a married man. The other has lived his life alienated and alone."

          When I came across this movie, I put it aside like many others.  It sounded good, but I wasn't up for a movie just yet.  I was only looking.  Today, I was browsing again, not really meaning to watch when I accidentally clicked on the movie on Netflix (online, you know so it plays automatically).  I wasn't really interested in watching a movie with subtitles as I am working on a baby blanket that demands full attention.  The thing is, I let the movie play because I figured it meant that I must have really wanted to watch it, I just didn't know it yet.
          I really do think there was something to that accidental click after watching the movie.  This isn't one to pass up, and I can't believe I did for some time.  I don't even think there is anything bad I can really say about this movie.  It was a nice build and cute in the beginning.  Su-jin meets Cheol-su due to one of her forgetful moments.  The moment is strange in any normal sense, but it will turn out to be the most important moment for Su-jin.  A real moment to remember.
          The thing is, there relationship starts out strange than moves to sweet.  Of course, as the movie progresses, you begin to notice Su-jin isn't exactly normal.  She is very forgetful and though it is cute and leads to her meeting Cheol-su, it turns her relationship from sweet to bittersweet.  She even goes to the doctor when she starts having trouble finding her way home.  Of course I won't tell what her diagnosis is, but it is something that hurts her and those around her.
          Many of the scenes in this movie are great involving the between the couple, but the best moment is by far the best.  It is a special moment brought on by dialogue of another character in the movie.  Some people complained about the scene being ambiguous, but I didn't feel this way.  The moment for me was something that made sense and was easy to understand.  As I seen it, a husband was making a special moment to let his wife know how he felt about her.  That understanding alone does not do that moment justice.

          As I have already said, this is not a movie to pass up, even for a few days.  Even if you aren't into romance movies, this one is worth a shot because it will pull at parts in your heart and not let go until the movie is over.  There is something about the situation in this movie that is hard for anyone not to feel for.

No Mercy - Korea

          Director:  Hyeong-Joon Kim

          Year:  2010

          Plot:  "When a beautiful young woman is found butchered into six parts by a river, with an arm missing, Kang a forensic pathologist is beckoned for one last job. "

          I have seen a few movies like this one.  The base of this story and others is that someone is kidnapped and instead of going to the less than useful police, they handle it themselves.  This one happened to be more than what I was expecting.  I am very glad I didn't let the seemingly normal Korean thriller plot to stop me from watching.  Based on this, I know I shouldn't be put off by the 'overdone' plot, like some people are.  The last three movies I have seen with this same basic plot (the kidnapping and all) have turned out to be great movies.
          On IMDb, this is listed as a thriller/horror, but I don't see even a little bit of horror in this.  Thus, I chose to put this movie's review on this blog rather than my horror one.  Now, back to the movie.  Like I said, it starts off like a few of the other Korean thrillers I have watched, but it has some differences.  One of the things that really stands out, is that though most of the police force are worthless, there is one detective that seems to know how to actually do her job.
          The other big difference in this movie is the ending.  I was expecting an ending much like some of the others I have seen, but this was completely different.  I absolutely did not see some of that ending coming; okay, I didn't see most of that ending coming.  On another site, someone said they found it to be too much like Oldboy.  I do see a small similarity, but nothing that would really seem like they are copying an idea in anyway.

          I would definitely suggest watching this movie.  I am pretty sure you won't see the ending coming and will enjoy it, even if it does seem to slow down a bit.  I did question a bit whether I should rate this 4 or 5 stars, because some scenes were a little drawn out.  It is the ending though that made me rate it the way I did.

Seven Days - Korea

          Director:  Shin-yeon Won
          Year:  2007
          Plot:  "A successful lawyer who, in order to save her daughter, is pressured into defending the innocence of a man slated to receive the death penalty."

          This movie has been on my "To Watch" list since March.  That isn't as long as some of the movies I want to give a shot, but I decided to watch this before the others.  The thing is, I am not sure how I feel about this movie exactly.  There were parts I loved, and others that I didn't, and others I am just not sure what happened.
          First off, I really loved the ending.  I didn't see it coming, for many reasons, but what happened in the end was pretty great.  It wasn't as great as the ending of Midnight FM, but this movie did have a very effective ending.  This ending though might have been even better if other parts of the movie didn't have some issues.
          While I was watching this movie, I was knitting, but I have absolutely no problem knitting and reading subtitles.  I mention this because I am not one to be distracted by the things I do when watching a movie, so it isn't the reason for the issues I found with this movie.  I have to say this movie had me completely confused, and not in a good way.  There was simply too many suspects that were claimed to be the killers, or covered up the truth.
          I love to be unable to pin down the real murderer, or bad guy, as it makes for a great movie.  This one though made it really confusing.  I get who the killer was, and the kidnapper now that the movie is over, because it was clearly stated at the end.  The issue I have is that some of other suspects kind of blended together.  I am actually not sure what their stories were now that the movie is over and the focus has shifted to the murderer and kidnapper.

          I don't think I would necessarily suggest this movie.  It was decent enough for a watch, and the ending with the kidnapper was great.  For a night where a great movie is called for, this is not one I would watch.  Boring nights are the time for something like this, because it will use your time well enough with some decent scenes.  I just suggest not expecting much, otherwise you are likely to be disappointed.

Kaiji 2: Jinsei dakkai gemu - Japan

          Director:  Toya Sato
          Year:  2011
          Plot:  "Soon after having his debt cleared, Kaiji Ito is soon in debt again, and as is sent back underground. He earns the chance to return above ground for 2 weeks, he takes up the challenge of earning the 200,000,000 yen he needs to help his friends who are relying on him.  To make the money he finds a new game to play, one that is once again set against him."

          It's been over a year since I seen the first one, so I had to go back and look at my post for it.  While watching this movie I really did remember a lot of the first one, but nothing about what I wrote in my review. Time has sure flown by it seems, but I guess movies have a habit of leaving major impressions on me.
          In the second installment of Kaiji, the game has changed.  Instead of playing different strategy games and facing death defying challenges, Kaiji is up against a pachinko machine.  This may not seem like that big of a deal and on the simplest level, it probably wouldn't be much of a big deal.  Factor in that the machines payout would be a little over 1 billion and the fact that the game is likely rigged, and the story line starts to get a boost.
          I am not sure what it is about Kaiji, but these are the only movies involving gambling that I am genuinely nervous for the characters.  I don't know how many times my hands were clenched while watching this.  I think it might have a little something to do with the characters.  Kaiji himself is really sweet and tries to always help everyone, even when he himself is in trouble.  The pressure on him in this movie is even more intense because he not only has his own debt on his shoulders, but that of 20 or so men in the underground that are counting on him.  This isn't enough for Kaiji though and he soon takes on even more charity cases.
           I really don't think either Kaiji movie would have been so good to me if the character wasn't the way he is.  Sure, many consider Tatsuya to be an over-actor, but it has seemed to work really well with the character of Kaiji.  I just couldn't imagine him in any other way.  He is dramatic, but I like the character that way.  n.n

          As with the first movie, I highly recommend this.  Of course, the first one is probably necessary to get a feel for the characters as a few come from that one.  If you don't care for the characters and what is happening to them, neither movie will probably be all that enjoyable.  The thing is, that is the same with every movie, so you have to watch them for yourself to see if you will love the character and the movie.

          Check out my review of Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler!

The Sorcerer and the White Snake - China

          Director:  Siu-Tung Ching

          Year:  2011

          Plot:  "Action director Ching Siu-Tung helms this fantasy film based on an old Chinese legend about an herbalist who falls in love with a thousand-year-old White Snake disguised as a woman. Jet Li stars as a sorcerer who discovers her true identity and battles to save the man's soul."

          I actually watching this movie about a week or so ago, but homework has gotten in the way of writing a review.  As such, this review might not be as specific as those that I write right after viewing the movie.  I bought this from a little stand in the Mall of America, because my store was closed down (F.Y.E).  Because of the place I got it, the subtitles were a little interesting.  They weren't hard to understand, but they were so light sometimes, the white would disappear into scenery and clothes.

          Anyway, that has nothing to do with the movie itself.  n.n  Though I have seen quite a bit of complaints about this movie, I really enjoyed it.  It wasn't the best because I do admit some of the flaws it faces.  This movie has a lot of CGI, and it wasn't exactly on par with some of the movies that come out in the US.  This fact really doesn't bother me though as Asian movies don't usually us CGI as much, so it makes sense that they haven't exactly perfected everything.  Many parts of the movie were still very well done despite the usual CGI problems.  The only reason I had even a little problem with it is that it did take away from some of the fight scenes.

          I really like the story of the movie though.  It does come from a legend so it really has a fairytale feel to it, just with more fighting than most of us are used to.  n.n  I found that some people also had a problem with Jet Li's character in the movie because he is kind of mean towards the demons.  I actually enjoyed his character.  Sure, he is kind of mean to the snake lady, but he is a monk who fights demons.  In general cases, it is usually not a good thing to trust any demon, even if they play nice.  I also have to say that the end really made the movie and especially Jet Li's character.

          I would definitely suggest this movie to those who enjoy a variety of Asian movies.  I do not think this is one for those knew to Asian movies or culture.  I had to explain a few things to my mother, but she did understand the basic story because it falls pretty inline with some of our own tales.  Also, I really only wanted to see this movie because I love Jet Li.  I think Neng Ren is my favorite character though.  n.n

War of the Arrows - Korea

          Director:  Han-min Kim
          Year:  2011
          Plot:  "During Second Manchu invasion of Korea, one village is attacked by Manchurian soldiers.  The soldiers kidnap Ja-in on her wedding day with her childhood sweetheart Seo-Goon.  Her brother Nam-Yi takes on the enemy to free the victims with only one bow."

          I am very glad I decided to watch this movie, despite much of it being very pixelated (watched it on some site).  Even with that, I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie.  I really loved seeing Kim Mu-Yeol in this as well.  I loved him in Iljimae and was happy to see him playing a completely different character.  In Iljimae, he played a rather big idiot for the most part, but in this movie he was quite brave and useful.
          I really loved just before our hero showed up to help the captives the first time, that had to be my favorite part with Kim Mu-Yeol.  I hadn't expected much from his character because of Iljimae, but what he did was really cool in my mind.  And after that my next favorite part had to be with Ja-in.  She was really strong and her scenes with the Prince were definitely notable.
          This movie was of course about a man with nothing but a bow taking on Manchurian soldiers.  The movie did splendid with the entire story and I have to say that the chase through the forest was more entertaining for me then many car chase scenes.  I was definitely invested in the character of Nam-Yi and was practically biting my nails near the end of the movie (I don't bite my nails anymore though).  I have to say Ja-in  did amazing with her choice of shot.
           I could go on forever with this movie I think, but I will stop here.  I just have to say that even with the pixelation, I thought this movie looked great.  The tiger seemed to look rather fake from what I could tell through the blocks, but other than that, everything looked great.

          If you couldn't tell I would definitely suggest this movie.  I also bought this movie for my collection and I do not regret it in anyway.  I even bought it from Walmart rather than trying to look for a better price online.  This is surely one to watch and not easily to disappoint.  n.n

Arahan - Korea

          Director:  Seung-wan Ryoo
          Year:  2004
          Plot:  "When Sang-hwan, the naive and honest police man, is injured chasing a theif driving a motorcycle, the skilled martial artist Eu-jin brings him to her home.  There the six Masters of Tao heal him and believe that he has a powerful chi, the spiritual energy of the universe, and could be a powerful warrior. Sang-hwan begins his training, while the evil and ambitious Heuk-woon is accidentally released from his imprisonment and begins searching for a key that would permit him to become an Arahan and dominate the world."

          I do have to say that this movie is an action comedy.  Not everything is to be taken seriously, and it is in fact funny.  I am one that usually dislikes comedies, that is those made in the United States.  In other countries, I find that much comedy can be thrown in with a real story line and work quite well.  This movie did in fact do that for me.  The main character Sang-hwan is dumb and goofy which leads to many awkward moments or accidents for him.
          In the beginning, I did find Sang-hwan to be a little too dorky to believe that he could ever amount to the cool hero he needed to become.  I am glad that I was wrong.  The movie did well in changing Sang-hwan into the hero, while still leaving some of his personality behind to show that he didn't just suddenly become something he wasn't.  He only grew, not changed.
          I enjoyed the fight scenes in this movie.  There were points that were ridiculous and fantastical, but that was the point.  This was a comedy and those small points within the fights, especially at the end, kept it from being a completely brutal action movie.  I think the best fight scene had to be when Sang-hwan finally confronts the thugs.  It was very interesting to see him finally notice what he could do.  I also enjoyed how the scene ended because it had to be done, as he was in a mind set he shouldn't have been in.
          The best part of this movie for me had to be the swords.  I have a major love for swords and katanas.  The thing that I have an issue with in most movies is all the blade on blade strikes they do without the blades ever getting damaged.  This movie did amazing with that.  They showed the nicks in the blade where other swords struck.  I haven't seen any other movie do this.  Most of them play off the idea that the swords can strike against one another without anything happening but a clash of maybe a spark.

          I definitely suggest watching this movie.  I wouldn't say it is the best movie I have ever seen, but it is still very good.  The story line of this movie is quite good and the actors did well at playing the varying genres that were throughout this movie.  The characters held up well even as the movie flipped between comedy, drama and action.  I wouldn't mind watching this movie again soon.  n.n

The Samurai of Ayothaya - Thailand

          Director:  Nopporn Watin
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Based on a true historic figure during Ayothaya Era, the film depicts the life of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in Thailand and became the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand."

          I know many people don't agree with my rating, by this I mean many of the people who voted on IMDb as it only got a 5.9 out of 10 rating.  Now though I agree that this movie wasn't a 10 out of 10, I loved this movie.  Oh and one person brought up that for a based on a true story it didn't seem very realistic.  My response is that it is 'based on' and not a documentary.  It was made to be entertaining and not exactly completely historically true.
          I really loved the way that they portrayed the story.  I really love the idea that these people would take in an injured enemy rather than leave him to die.  This fact just really spurs on the events of the rest of the movie.  It is kindness and acceptance that leads the main character to want to be apart of the life rather than seeing them as enemies.
          Someone brought up that the samurai and ninjas aren't as weak as you see in the film.  I have to agree that they were impressive figures in history, but I can accept there lacking in this movie for one reason.  In this movie, it seems that the Japanese characters (samurai and ninja) haven't encounter these warriors before.  I find it hard to believe that a ninja or samurai could be prepared for their sort of fighting style.  It would probably be very intimidating to face someone with such a drastically different style for the first time.  I also have to point out that the samurai beat many ninjas drunk, so they already didn't seem very tough.
          There wasn't really too much I disliked.  I didn't like that they sometimes speed up the fighters and it almost looked like they were teleporting.  I mean if you are going for real fighting styles for most of the movie, the teleporting looks wrong.  I mean these are real people.  Sure the fighting is about speed and power, but real peoples speed and power.

          I do suggest you watch this movie.  Despite the vote on IMDb, this movie is very good.  The story line is just great.  I of course have to bring up the quality of the warriors fighting.  It is really quite great to watch.

Waiting in the Dark - Japan

          Director:  Daisuke Tengan
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "Michiru has recently lost her eyesight.  To make matters worse, her father dies shortly afterwards.  She is now all alone and spends most of her day isolated in her home.  Akihiro is a Chinese-Japanese immigrant, that has had to deal with racism all throughout his life.  He is now tormented at work by one of his older co-workers named Toshio.  One day at a train station in front of Michiru's house, Toshio is thrown into the path of an oncoming train.  The only person seen at the train stop was Akihiro.  Akihiro frantically flees from the scene and manages to enter Michiru's house without her knowledge.  After a few days, Michiru starts to sense the presence of another person in her home."


          First off, I have to say that this movie is going in my "Want" list as I will be planning on getting it when I have the money to.  At first, this movie may have seemed a little slow as it goes through the life of Michiru before her visitor comes.  The thing is though it is still kind of interesting to see how she lives.  I really thought what her father did with the card was sweet, working on it at night and all.  The movie gets to the point when Michiru hears her doorbell and no one answers her, yet the person sneaks in.
          The story then switches to that of Akihiro.  I was quite upset with seeing the way he was treated.  It definitely wouldn't be hard to understand why he might have pushed Toshio.  It just isn't right to make the guy go through all of that.  
          His time though with Michiru is rather touching.  No words are said and she doesn't even know he is there.  Little things though clue her in.  When she almost hurts her self trying to reach something, Akihiro mistakenly announces himself without saying a word.  After this, there relationship is quite nice.  Michiru easily accepts his presence, much to the bewilderment of many reviewers.  I though could understand the reasoning.  He had been in her house for quite awhile and never did anything to her.
          I have to say that the outcome of the little mystery was something I hadn't really expected.  I loved how they kept it quite shrouded and alluded to a different outcome.  I usually love hints to the ending, but I was quite happy with the opposite in this one.  Yes, when you think back there are a few things that explain what was really going on, but with other information you really couldn't have guessed it.


          I am not sure why I decided to give this only 4 stars.  The main reason I guess would be that parts were kind of slow.  This doesn't mean I didn't love this movie.  I highly suggest this, but I probably wouldn't watch it when you want something fast paced and exciting.  n.n

Midnight FM - Korea

          Director:  Sang-Man Kim
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Popular TV anchorwoman & late night radio host Sun-Young prepares to work her final radio program. After this program she will prepare to take her ill daughter to America the following morning. During the radio show Ko Sun-Young receives a startling text message."

          Yes, I found this movie to be quite entertaining.  The best point and rightfully so was the ending.  This definitely wasn't one of those movies that build up to a climax just to come up short and leave a bad taste in the mouths of the audience.  This movie came to a very well done and great ending.  It is definitely one that I was completely happy with.
          I don't really understand the one bad review that I found for this movie.  The person said that this movie was predictable and annoying as well as not having one thrilling scene in the movie.  I serious have a problem with that.  There was many scenes that had my heart going and me very worried.  It was the little kids mainly.  I just can't help but worry for cute little kids, especially with the movie being well done.
          There isn't really all that much that I can see as being wrong with this movie.  About all I can see is that the movie starts off a bit slow, but that seems to be purposeful.  The movie starts off will rather boring coworker chatter and all, but that is just a set up.  Once the movie starts its buildup, the pace starts increasing quite nicely.

          I definitely suggest this movie.  It is a great thriller.  I really did enjoy watching this movie and I believe many others will as well.  The only reviews up on IMDb for this movie at the moment highly praise this movie, and as I have said, it is for good reason.

I Give my First Love to You - Japan

          Director:  Takehiko Shinjo
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  "As a child Takuma is diagnosed with a heart condition that requires care from a cardiologist.  He soon becomes friends with his doctors young daughter Mayu while being treated at the hospital.  One day Mayu overhears her father saying that Takumas condition is serious enough that he most likely wont live beyond the age of 20.  Takuma at 8-years-old he makes a promise to marry Mayu when grow up.  Later in life, Takuma becomes aware that he wont be able to keep this promise and he begins distancing himself from Mayu in hopes of protecting her."


          I first have to say that I can't believe I put this movie off since I came across it in May.  After seeing it, it just seems so wrong that I waited so long to watch this.  So this movie is based off a manga of the same name by Kotomi Aoki which I have not read.  I have to say this so those who have read it know that I am simply talking about this movie and not how it stuck to the manga.
          I really enjoyed this one, though I am sure that is evident based on the rating I gave it.  n.n  But really, this is a very sweet touching story, not to mention quite sad in parts.  I just loved the fact that the main characters have been together since they were kids.  You can't beat a first love like these two had.  Usually a first love is just a simple crush, but this is so much more than that, it is a rather amazing little love story.
          I didn't really see anything in this movie that I could say was bad or disappointing.  Of the reviews from others I have seen, it seems all they think was wrong was that it was 'cliche' or boring.  The main point they said was 'cliche' was the fact that two guys fall for the same girl.  I don't feel this is very cliche because for one it is only a small part of the movie, and for another, it is resolved on a rather quiet note.
          As for the point of being boring, I didn't get this at all.  I was really into the characters and the story, so it seemed like the time was used very well.  Time doesn't seem like a big deal when you can feel for the characters.


          I really can't say anything more about this movie, or I might give away everything.  All I can say is that I highly recommend this movie.  It is a really great story and very touching.  I am sure there will be some like the few that I found that didn't like this movie, but you cannot know unless you give it a try.  You might just be surprised and fall completely in love with this movie.

Dasepo Naughty Girls - Korea

          Director:  Je-yong Lee
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "Based on the popular Internet novel, "Multi-Cell Girl", the film takes place in "No-Use High School", a school renowned for its sexual aberrations.  The student body is comprised of sexually ambiguous teenagers.  But amidst this environment, there are some that just can't adapt.  Among them: "Poor Girl", a student who earns money for her family by sleeping with older men; "Anthony", a luxurious pretty-boy from Switzerland; and "One-Eye", the school's sole virgin."

          When the movie first started, I kept asking myself why I was watching this movie.  I mean the opening scene with all the students excusing themselves seemed a little out there.  I mean really every single person (Except One-Eye) was connected and had to leave.  This of course then leads to a very strange musical number.  Though I thought the girls dancing through the different religions was kind of cool.  The fact is though that this movie starts off really strange.
          The interesting thing is though that this movie turned out to be rather good.  I did skip most of the little musical numbers after I figured out what it was about.  The rest of the story line was quite good.  You see the lives of some interesting characters, but it mainly revolves around the life of Poor Girl.
          I also have to say that some parts were really funny.  I absolutely loved the scene with the guy chatting with a girl on the computer.  It was hard to keep from laughing and waking up those who were sleeping.  The only thing that was more ridiculous than funny was the way they were trying to defeat the rather strange being.

          This movie is one I would say I would definitely suggest.  It is a rather funny movie, though it also has its serious points.  It is one that should only be watched if you are in the mood for a comedy.  If you want something serious, you should probably stay away.

The Princess Blade - Japan

          Director:  Shinsuke Sato
          Year:  2001
          Plot:  "In the near future, Japan is ruled once more by a monarchy.  But, rebels opposed to this rule seek to overthrow the government.  The House of Takemikazuchi, a band of assassins is hired by the government to suppress the rebels.  As a conspiracy from within signals the shadowy organization's impending demise, Yuki, the last of the Takemikazuchi bloodline befriends one of the rebels and seeks revenge against the group's leader."


          This movie really was quite disappointing.  It is just that I really wasn't very happy with this movie at all.  I started watching it because I wanted to see a movie with a strong female character.  Though this movie has that, it lacks much else.  The fight scenes weren't very thrilling, but that could also have to do with the fact that I watched it on YouTube, but some things just seemed wrong.  Parts of the fights were just edited too fast to be very entertaining.  It really seems sad from what I seen to know that Donnie Yen choreographed the fights.  It just didn't seem to do much justice, there were a few scenes though that were actually pretty good.
          The characters of this movie were quite dull.  I don't think it was the actor's faults, but the story line itself.  The story line didn't leave enough room for much development of any of the characters, even that of the main characters.  Sure there was a little, but the bare minimum.
          I don't really know much else to say about this movie.  Oh I know.  I want to point out that that one sword gimmick looked completely horrible.  If a sword goes through someone and sticks out their back, how is it perfectly clean and shiny.  Usually I don't notice stupid stuff like that, but that kind of irritated me.  >.<


          This is not a movie I would necessarily suggest to anyone.  It was really quite disappointing.  If you are going to give this movie a shot, please don't expect a masterpiece.  That is the only way you might be at most satisfied with this movie.

Postman to Heaven - Korea

          Director:  Lee Hyeong-Min
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  "Jaejoon, isn't your ordinary postman, he delivers letters to Heaven from those missing there loved one.  Ha-Na is one such person, and together they try to ease the grief of the letter senders."

          Okay before I start, I do of course have to admit that I watched this simply because I am a Jaejoong fan (which add to the fact that I wasn't happy that IMDb didn't even have him listed as the star of this movie, Han Hyo-joo either).  Anyway, the thing is though I am not sure if that had anything to do with how I rated this movie.  You see, this was a really well done movie.
          The idea of this movie was really cute.  I think it is nice that the grieving people would have a place to send there thoughts, and that somebody actually comes and takes them.  The thing is though not all of them want to send warm messages.  Some of them messages show that there is something keeping them from moving on with their life.  The really sweet part is that this is where the movie really focuses on.
           I really thought it was great how the main characters would come up with ways to ease the people's heartache.  It really is very sweet, but also leads to a bit of trouble down the road.  It is hard to see who was in the right, the one lying to make someone feel better, or the one who felt it was wrong.  This rather philosophical is handled quiet well within the movie and I quite enjoyed it.
          There are endings that you just want to see happen and then there are those that are played out in a really cheesy manner.  Thankfully this movie's ending was of the former rather than the latter.  They handled it well when it could have easily turned out to be very cheesy.  This one was rather sweet.  n.n

          This is one I would definitely suggest, and not just to Jaejoong fans.  This is one I would sure like to have in my collection (I have a list going, man I need to get my financial aid refund soon >.<).

My Sassy Girl - Korea

          Director:  Jae-young Kwak
          Year:  2001
          Plot:  "Based on a series of true stories posted by Ho-sik Kim on the Internet describing his relationship with his girlfriend.  These were later transformed into a best-selling book and the movie follows the book closely.  It describes the meeting of Kyun-woo and an unnamed girl.  Kyun-woo is shamed into assisting the girl because the other passengers mistakenly think she is his girlfriend.  Once he helps her, Kyun-woo develops a deep sense of responsibility for her which enables him to tolerate (somehow) the girls abuse."

          So this was another movie that has been sitting in my 'to watch' list for awhile and I just finally decided to watch this movie.  I am kind of glad I did.  I found this to be a rather nice movie.  It wasn't as great as many had lead me to believe it would, but it was still a rather good movie.
          I loved the comedy of this movie.  My favorite parts had to be the high heels and the squash ball.  Those two parts had me laughing the hardest.  I did find how she bullied Kyun-woo to be rather funny.  The part on the subway with the soldiers was quite good.  I mean this guy has terrible luck it seems, but it is cute that things do work themselves out.
          This movie has kind of a little twist if you weren't paying attention.  If you were paying attention, you would have seen it coming, as there was quite a few hints.  Still though when it finally came about I was actually quite happy with it.  Instead of having the feeling that well I figured that out ages ago thanks for catching up, I found it sweet.  It is interesting to see the idea of fate in this movie.
          I can't really say that there was anything wrong with this movie.  It was a little lengthy, but I wasn't really bored during the movie.  I felt that is was quite well done.  It simply just didn't live entirely up to what people had been saying about this movie.  Still, I felt that this was quite good and entertaining to watch.

          I plan on suggesting this movie, but I wouldn't advise people to go into this movie with such high expectations.  It was a great movie, but because I had been expecting nearly perfection, this movie wasn't that.  I think this movie might have gotten a higher rating from me if I hadn't heard what people had been saying about it.