Survive Style 5+ [Normal Edition] (product link) Comedy / Mystery An awesomely bizarre film that is strangely unreleased in the USA. It's really too bad this film remains nearly impossible to find on DVD, because this is truly one of the gems of recent Japanese Cinema. A visual feast for the eyes, this film was directed by someone who came from the advertising world (directed commercials). Each frame is a picture perfect work of art with bright, contrasting colors and amazing set detail.
The plot is too crazy to even attempt to describe, so I won't even try. This is a dark comedy, with some incredibly funny parts including a hilarious cameo by Vinnie Jones. Production values on this movie are amazing.
If you have a sense of humor, and want to see a movie that could have only been made in Japan, check this one out (if you can find it, unfortunately).
A seriously underappreciated movie. Rare is it that a modern day movie can have a decent plot, incredible action, and decent acting, all the while remaining believable and incredibly entertaining. This is that movie.
There's no BS drama or romance subplot. In fact, when the girl, Nika (the incredibly hot Olga Kurylenko), tries to make a move on the main man (Timothy Olyphant), he simply sedates her.
The plot is simple: Agent 47 is a hitman who is double-crossed. In the process of trying to find out who set him up, he meets Nika, the mistress of his prime suspect. All the while he must dodge an equally determined Interpol agent who rightly suspects he is involved in dozens of assassinations worldwide.
What makes this movie amazing is that it is based on the video game of the same name. Supposedly Vin Diesel produced the film, and thankfully opted out of starring in it. Considering this movie was probably made on a tight budget, with a no-name actor, a no-name actress, and a no-name director, it is a remarkable achievement that eclipses 90% of movies in the genre. If you're in the market for a no BS action thriller, look no further. The ending is priceless also. As a special bonus, Olga Kurylenko gets naked. :-) Look for her in the Bond film, "Quantum Of Solace".
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Great review for an often overlooked yet excellent movie.
The Machine Girl (product link) Action/Adventure / Girls With Guns Watch it for shock value and inventiveness only. Story is lame. Production values poor. Acting, sub-par.
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I don't know how some people can give this movie less than stellar ratings. The action is simply unbelievable. The movie pays homage to some other great films including "Ong-Bak". These scenes are cleverly done and are NOT rip-offs. The story, I thought, was far better than "Ong-Bak". The action was on par, and you have to keep in mind that it is a 90-pound. woman doing these things, not Tony Jaa. The acting and production values are unbelievable. I watched "The Machine Girl" right after this, and it was like night and day in terms of quality of production. Oh, and the CGI isn't poorly done. I think the only true CGI scene was the flies in the meatpacking plant. Very realistic IMO.
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Excellent action and a very serviceable story. I want to see more from this actress.
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon (product link) Drama / Historical Period epic similar to "The Warlords". I disagree with some of the other comments stating the acting is "flat". The acting and action was good. The editing and ending could have been a bit better. If you like this type of movie, you'll enjoy it.
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This is an appropriate rating - not a great film, but it has many charms.
Ichi The Killer (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure I have a weak stomach for this sort of movie, but I found it mildly entertaining if only for all the wacked out stunts. The violence is so unreal most of it isn't even that gross. I found myself waiting and anticipating the next weird act of violence. The story is pretty basic, but keeping up with all the shifts of language: Japanese, Cantonese, English, and I think Korean also, was troublesome. This seems to be the new trend in Asian films. They include a hodgepodge of different languages in order to garner appeal in multiple international markets. I thought the screenplay and soundeffects were nicely integrated and professionally done. That said, I won't be watching this one again unless I'm showing it to a friend.
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I liked this much more than you did, but your comments seem accurate. The action was so over-the-top that it wasn't really disturbing.
Drive (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Great action. Horrible acting. Cliche plot. On the front cover of this DVD, they dare to compare this to Rush Hour. One small problem: Mark Dacascos is no Jackie Chan and Kadeem Hardison is certainly no Chris Tucker. That said, this is probably the best action movie nobody has ever heard of. The action in itself is absolutely fantastic.
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It could have been much better with a better script and an MUCH bigger budget. It's just me, but I find Kadeem Hardison less irritating than Chris Tucker.
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