February 2012

Review: Little Big Soldier (2010)

"Ultimately, the underlying story is about the conflict between the two kingdoms and how it affects the people who get involved. "

Let me start off by saying that Little Big Soldier is not your typical Jackie Chan film.  Maybe it’s because he’s getting older and can’t quite pull off the crazy stunts he used to, or maybe it’s because he’s not as much of a pop star anymore and finally has the opportunity to work on some more serious films.  Who knows?  All I know is that this movie, though it has its share of amazing stunts and fight scenes, is a much more serious and philosophical film than one might expect.

Review: Ashes of Time (1994)

So this time around, I’m going to go ahead and plug yet another one of Wong Kar-wai’s films, Ashes of Time.  This film I saw many years ago, but recently re-watched it to discover that I still enjoy it thoroughly.  Ashes of Time didn’t do so well during its box office run, but since then has receive much critical praise as one of Wong Kar-wai’s most underappreciated films.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)

While browsing through my Netflix the other night, I decided, quite at random, that the title of this film, The Good, the Bad, the Weird, was sufficient enough reason to warrant a watch.  Chinese and Korean cowboys, the Japanese Army and a map to a hidden treasure, all set in 1930s occupied Manchuria.  You really just can’t go wrong with such an absurd combination.

Review: Fallen Angels (1995)

I sat down last night, scrolling through my Netflix and despondent at the selection I found.  Eventually I made it to the “romance” section, an area I commonly avoid, and came across a film I’d never heard of called Fallen Angels.  Hit men and romance?  Well, can’t go too wrong as long as there are some guns a-blazin’.  Turns out that this is one of the better movies I’ve had the pleasure of seeing for some time.  Little did I know at the time that the director, Wong Kar-wai, was the same man who wrote and/or directed some other films that I love, such as 2046, In the Mood for Love, Ashes of Time and Chungking Express.