I just watched this truly haunting and majestic Henson masterpiece for the first time and the visions of the film still linger in my head. The planet of Thra was so dystopian, the thought of it just hits you on the head and breaks your heart at the same time. I wonder if Henson and Froud had subconscious thoughts of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, or Mao and their actions of unparalleled savagery when making this film. It seems that what Thra went through was meant to be a warning to mankind not to tinker with weapons of mass destruction. This was made during the Cold War after all.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Ten Years
(2015)
Narrative sci-fi that's styled like a documentary
13 August 2016
A futuristic Hong Kong no one wants to fathom! The whole premise of the five clips that make up this film is bold. Having said this, there is a mix of good and bad in this film.
The first clip starts off too slowly. The dialogue is too full of British influenced Hong Kong slang and at times it is hard to understand, even for Cantonese speakers who do not reside in Hong Kong like myself although those reading English subtitles will have no problem. Too bad because the plot was a good one but it was just not well acted or scripted.
The second clip is almost unbearable to watch. It was too far into the sci-fi mode that it made the story unbelievable. The acting was wooden, the story line was wandering, the filming looked cheap, and overall it just looked amateur. Fast forward if you wish, nothing missed here.
The final three clips are why you should watch this film. All are spoken in standard Cantonese, all are well acted, the scripts all make sense, and the viewer ought to leave with a sense of wonder and amazement. I liked the fourth clip the best with superb directing, acting, and filming and this clip alone can carry the whole film.
Definitely a must watch but skip over the boring parts after the first time.
The first clip starts off too slowly. The dialogue is too full of British influenced Hong Kong slang and at times it is hard to understand, even for Cantonese speakers who do not reside in Hong Kong like myself although those reading English subtitles will have no problem. Too bad because the plot was a good one but it was just not well acted or scripted.
The second clip is almost unbearable to watch. It was too far into the sci-fi mode that it made the story unbelievable. The acting was wooden, the story line was wandering, the filming looked cheap, and overall it just looked amateur. Fast forward if you wish, nothing missed here.
The final three clips are why you should watch this film. All are spoken in standard Cantonese, all are well acted, the scripts all make sense, and the viewer ought to leave with a sense of wonder and amazement. I liked the fourth clip the best with superb directing, acting, and filming and this clip alone can carry the whole film.
Definitely a must watch but skip over the boring parts after the first time.
Labyrinth
(1986)
OK movie, great story
21 February 2016
I had heard about this movie for a long time but never watched it until it showed up again on TV recently, probably in part tribute to the recently passed David Bowie.
Overall, it was an OK movie, not Star Wars or Lord of the Rings level in my opinion but still fun and entertaining to watch (it kind of reminds me of "Legend" another fantasy movie with Tom Cruise and Mia Sara that appeared the year before). I liked the humor but sometimes the appearance of the puppets were too distracting and that is what I think dragged the ratings down. Jennifer Connelly held her own as such a young actress at the time and David Bowie was spectacular as the brooding, sinister Jareth the Goblin King.
The plot and storyline are what keeps viewers like me in tune for years to come. The thought of a selfish teenager wishing something in a fit of anger without first thinking carefully about it repeats itself over and over again and is a wise message to tell to all children and adolescents. For this alone, Labyrinth is worth watching. I kind of think this story could come out even more vividly through the books that came out shortly after the movie was released but I'd have to find out for myself.
Overall, it was an OK movie, not Star Wars or Lord of the Rings level in my opinion but still fun and entertaining to watch (it kind of reminds me of "Legend" another fantasy movie with Tom Cruise and Mia Sara that appeared the year before). I liked the humor but sometimes the appearance of the puppets were too distracting and that is what I think dragged the ratings down. Jennifer Connelly held her own as such a young actress at the time and David Bowie was spectacular as the brooding, sinister Jareth the Goblin King.
The plot and storyline are what keeps viewers like me in tune for years to come. The thought of a selfish teenager wishing something in a fit of anger without first thinking carefully about it repeats itself over and over again and is a wise message to tell to all children and adolescents. For this alone, Labyrinth is worth watching. I kind of think this story could come out even more vividly through the books that came out shortly after the movie was released but I'd have to find out for myself.
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
(1993–2000)
not as good as original but not too bad either
30 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
It has been over a decade since I last watched Saved by the Bell: The New Class but remembering how I grew up watching the hilarious series, I was not able to hesitate borrowing the DVD tapes from the library to watch again.
After watching several episodes of seasons 3, 4, and 5 again, the first thing I have to say about this series is that true enough, the plots and story lines cannot match the original SBTB series. The acting was very wooden at times, the scripts likewise seemed too scripted, the story lines seemed rehashed from the original series, and there weren't as many serious issues the characters dealt with as compared to the original series that hadn't been covered already. All of this made SBTBNC rather average.
Yet there were some things that made SBTBNC very worthwhile to watch. The fashion was definitely better than the original series though that's my opinion because I was teenager myself during SBTBNC's years. Seasons 4 and 5 also hit well with the stepbrother duo of Ryan and Nicky and the hot tempered Maria also being a delight to watch. This series also branches out of the high school and shows what teenagers can do outside of school such as obtaining part time jobs, doing community service at a hospital, and travelling (all courtesy of a good economy during the Clinton years). Surprisingly, the odd and unlikely duo of Mr. Belding and Screech also helped keep the series alive.
One may wonder why Screech is not in college but working as Mr. B's administrative assistant and that is because his days as a Bayside student prepared him for this. After being tormented, cheated, used, bullied, mocked, and ignored throughout high school, Screech very likely felt like an insecure loser, and this was his opportunity to relive high school and try his luck again. His emotional outbursts (though sometimes overacted), his obsession with being the save-the-day know-it-all, his off-campus ventures such as an out of control lottery ticket gambling habit and balloon business (season 4) to a second job as mall security guard (season 5) also proved that Screech was more insecure than ever and was trying to come out as a hero and overcome his perception of himself as a loser. Yet there were times that Screech would cunningly outsmart the students or even Mr. Belding himself which showed that he did shed some of the his old timid self.
This same goes for Mr. Belding who is always friendly to his students but by this late a time is clearly suffering some sort of midlife crisis and tries to deny that he is getting old by refusing to wear glasses (season 4), trying to prove that he has special abilities in all areas (running a hospital experiment, taking ballet classes, running outside businesses at Palisades Mall, and living in a mock space shuttle) and desperately trying to be the best mentor and friend to his students. Underlying the comedy, the theatrics, and the overacting,these two characters reveal very serious, scary, and at times depressing issues that have to do more with life after high school and sends a potent message to young viewers.
All in all, the series is not as bad as one thinks.
After watching several episodes of seasons 3, 4, and 5 again, the first thing I have to say about this series is that true enough, the plots and story lines cannot match the original SBTB series. The acting was very wooden at times, the scripts likewise seemed too scripted, the story lines seemed rehashed from the original series, and there weren't as many serious issues the characters dealt with as compared to the original series that hadn't been covered already. All of this made SBTBNC rather average.
Yet there were some things that made SBTBNC very worthwhile to watch. The fashion was definitely better than the original series though that's my opinion because I was teenager myself during SBTBNC's years. Seasons 4 and 5 also hit well with the stepbrother duo of Ryan and Nicky and the hot tempered Maria also being a delight to watch. This series also branches out of the high school and shows what teenagers can do outside of school such as obtaining part time jobs, doing community service at a hospital, and travelling (all courtesy of a good economy during the Clinton years). Surprisingly, the odd and unlikely duo of Mr. Belding and Screech also helped keep the series alive.
One may wonder why Screech is not in college but working as Mr. B's administrative assistant and that is because his days as a Bayside student prepared him for this. After being tormented, cheated, used, bullied, mocked, and ignored throughout high school, Screech very likely felt like an insecure loser, and this was his opportunity to relive high school and try his luck again. His emotional outbursts (though sometimes overacted), his obsession with being the save-the-day know-it-all, his off-campus ventures such as an out of control lottery ticket gambling habit and balloon business (season 4) to a second job as mall security guard (season 5) also proved that Screech was more insecure than ever and was trying to come out as a hero and overcome his perception of himself as a loser. Yet there were times that Screech would cunningly outsmart the students or even Mr. Belding himself which showed that he did shed some of the his old timid self.
This same goes for Mr. Belding who is always friendly to his students but by this late a time is clearly suffering some sort of midlife crisis and tries to deny that he is getting old by refusing to wear glasses (season 4), trying to prove that he has special abilities in all areas (running a hospital experiment, taking ballet classes, running outside businesses at Palisades Mall, and living in a mock space shuttle) and desperately trying to be the best mentor and friend to his students. Underlying the comedy, the theatrics, and the overacting,these two characters reveal very serious, scary, and at times depressing issues that have to do more with life after high school and sends a potent message to young viewers.
All in all, the series is not as bad as one thinks.
Run
(2004)
so much like Hong Kong films
14 October 2007
I don't know if anyone else who has watched Hong Kong cinema agrees with me but this film is very much like the action films that come out every year in Hong Kong. From the storyline and plot right down to the action scenes and even comical scenes, there are just so many similarities. The only differences of course are that it it is in Hindi and it contains musical scenes, which Hong Kong films sadly do not have. Even though Abhishek will probably not come down as Jackie Chan, this film is worth watching if you like action films with kung fu fighting or if you are curious to know what experiments the directors in Bollywood are always up to.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
(1995)
overrated film
14 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is the third Sharrukh Khan film I have watched and the second one in which he is paired up with Kajol. While I can see things that definitely make this film memorable, which explains its long running success, the film is not without problems.
Sharrukh Khan as Raj is as funny as he will be in later films and Kajol does give a strong performance but the first part of the film relies too much on slapstick. Some aspects of the film are truly unbelievable. While Sharrukh and Kajol are outstanding actors, director Aditya Chopra could have done better in choosing actors of Indian descent with real British accents to play Raj and Simran as the two are second generation South Asians who were raised and schooled in Britain. It just makes the two characters as British born unbelievable, especially in scenes like the time Simran was hitchhiking and then questioned by the Swiss police. Even more unbelievable is the scene in which Simran throws a brick through a shop's window and steals a red dress with Raj just standing by and shaking his head. In real life, the two would have been immediately arrested by the authorities and charged with theft and property damage.
The film's ending seems rushed. Sharrukh's character shows really strong emotions only late in the film. When he realizes that marrying Simran would be breaking her family's honor he agrees to leave without her. Simran's father is adamant that she will not marry Raj but changes his mind at the last second right in front of his friend without much explanation. Remember that Simran is still bounded by agreement to marry Kulreet. This sudden change is bound to open a can of worms which only a sequel to the film can resolve. Also the fight scene between Raj and Kulreet looks to be ripped off of an Abhishek Bakchan action film and is totally unnecessary.
All in all, I really recommend Kuch Kuch Hota Hai over this film as Sharrukh and Kajol really perform their best and the plot is much more believable in that film. KKHH is a very fun family film. This film can only serve best as an introduction to Kajol and Sharrukh Khan.
Sharrukh Khan as Raj is as funny as he will be in later films and Kajol does give a strong performance but the first part of the film relies too much on slapstick. Some aspects of the film are truly unbelievable. While Sharrukh and Kajol are outstanding actors, director Aditya Chopra could have done better in choosing actors of Indian descent with real British accents to play Raj and Simran as the two are second generation South Asians who were raised and schooled in Britain. It just makes the two characters as British born unbelievable, especially in scenes like the time Simran was hitchhiking and then questioned by the Swiss police. Even more unbelievable is the scene in which Simran throws a brick through a shop's window and steals a red dress with Raj just standing by and shaking his head. In real life, the two would have been immediately arrested by the authorities and charged with theft and property damage.
The film's ending seems rushed. Sharrukh's character shows really strong emotions only late in the film. When he realizes that marrying Simran would be breaking her family's honor he agrees to leave without her. Simran's father is adamant that she will not marry Raj but changes his mind at the last second right in front of his friend without much explanation. Remember that Simran is still bounded by agreement to marry Kulreet. This sudden change is bound to open a can of worms which only a sequel to the film can resolve. Also the fight scene between Raj and Kulreet looks to be ripped off of an Abhishek Bakchan action film and is totally unnecessary.
All in all, I really recommend Kuch Kuch Hota Hai over this film as Sharrukh and Kajol really perform their best and the plot is much more believable in that film. KKHH is a very fun family film. This film can only serve best as an introduction to Kajol and Sharrukh Khan.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
(1998)
excellent film
7 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I first started watching this movie and was a little bored with the first few scenes thinking that it would only be mere slapstick humor with Rahul and Anjali (Sharma) joking around as best buddies. I was so wrong however when I watched it a second time, this time in its entirety. To see Anjali transform from a tomboyish happy go lucky schoolgirl into a mature and devoted young woman is simply amazing. To know about Tina's young life tragically cut short and the fact that Rahul and his daughter (also named Anjali) had to live with that fact is simply heartbreaking. The first half of the movie is really funny as Rahul, Anajli, and Tina experience love as young college students. The second half is much more sympathetic drama as Rahul struggles to reunite himself with his true love (though still with very funny scenes such as the one at the hotel lobby when the two Anjalis get mixed up.) A definite must see.
Lyddie
(1996 TV Movie)
not as good as the book
15 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is a fair adaptation of Katherine Patterson's masterpiece children's novel but definitely not as good. The fact that it changes locations from Lowell, Massachusetts to Cornwall, Ontario does not do the book very much justice because it leaves out important historical intentions such as the significance of mill towns in 19th century New England and the Underground Railroad (which leaves the scene with Lyddie and the runaway slave as awkward because the slave has already arrived in Canada in the movie).
The killing off of Diana Goss in the movie (which does NOT happen in the book) was also an unnecessary change to the original storyline. In the book, Diana gets pregnant by a married man and had to hightail out of Lowell before the mill owners find out and thus damage the reputation of her reformist following. After being fired from the mill, Lyddie heads to Boston to try seeking employment from her but has no luck as Diana is living with another family and has no need of help. It is this episode combined with a few others not mentioned in the movie that leads Lyddie to a sense of abandonment and then one of self-reliance.
Overall, this is not a bad movie but the book is much more powerful. Perhaps the BBC should have done a longer miniseries on the book and put it in "Masterpiece Theatre" instead.
The killing off of Diana Goss in the movie (which does NOT happen in the book) was also an unnecessary change to the original storyline. In the book, Diana gets pregnant by a married man and had to hightail out of Lowell before the mill owners find out and thus damage the reputation of her reformist following. After being fired from the mill, Lyddie heads to Boston to try seeking employment from her but has no luck as Diana is living with another family and has no need of help. It is this episode combined with a few others not mentioned in the movie that leads Lyddie to a sense of abandonment and then one of self-reliance.
Overall, this is not a bad movie but the book is much more powerful. Perhaps the BBC should have done a longer miniseries on the book and put it in "Masterpiece Theatre" instead.
Change of Habit
(1969)
interesting but underrated
15 July 2007
Unlike earlier films featuring Elvis Presley that involve mostly singing, partying, playing the hero, and getting the girl, he actually plays more serious roles here. Nevertheless, this movie is underrated. At the time it was released, the film was probably used as a social-political instrument for change but watching it now refreshingly brings the audience back to a time when people thought things differently and society was going through tumultuous social changes. This film captures the full spirit of its time and really sets the stage for the dawn of the 1970's. It is also a surprise that so many reviewers do not mention much about this side of the film as it probably was the intention of its directors.
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