Movie Reviews

Following are some movies I’ve seen over the last couple of months but did not have time to write proper reviews for. I hope this will suffice:

Sweeny Todd (2007)

A great creepy horror-musical in Tim Burton’s trademark gothic style, starring, Jonny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter . A must-see for any Tim Burton or Jonny Depp fan.

Yes Man (2008)

Jim Carrey plays in this cheerful movie about a man that has to say “yes” to everything. Not the best movie ever, but it is a charming feel good movie with just enough magic to lift the spirits.

The Legend of Ip Man (2009)

An excellent kung-fu movie and a must see for anyone that likes the genre. Although I saw it in Chinese with Korean subtitles and might have missed a little of the plot, it is undoubtedly one of the better martial art films I’ve seen in a long time. It is a semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the Wing Chun instructor of Bruce Lee. Donnie Yen, acting as the legendary Yip Man, does not disappoint. Over all a exceptionally crafted film.

13th District: Ultimatum (2009)

The sequel to 13th District, this French movie is an action packed movie, tailor-made to my adrenaline sensibilities, featuring extraordinary parkour and martial arts. Any parkour or martial art enthusiast will enjoy this movie, as well as anyone that likes the action movie genre.

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (2006)

An action packed Japanese anime. This is a classic movie in the genre with a good plot, with the Little Red Riding Hood story weaved into it.

No Regret (후회하지 않아) (2006)

Another movie exploring homosexuality in Korea. A sad tale with some surprising twists in the plot. The film did not go the stereotypical route when portraying homosexuality. One theme in the movie is the fate of male and female orphans in Korea that are released from orphanages at the age of 18; with no money to continue further studies in the highly competitive Korean society, many of them turn to prostitution to earn a living. A sad reality.

200 Pounds Beauty (미녀는 괴로워) (2006)

A parody of the extreme plastic surgery culture in Korea. As part of the recent cultural subconscious, I think it is a must-see for anyone living in Korea.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

One of the best films I have seen. A great story, great acting, great cinematography, great musical score and eight Oscars wins! I definitely recommend this movie. I will forgive it for pushing Dark Knight aside a bit, the latter still being my favourite movie from 2008.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Much awaited, starring Hugh Jackman and Korean-American Daniel Henney of whom I blogged about a couple of days ago. Honestly I was disappointed. There are too many plot faults and the computer graphics and special effects were not on par with the other X-Men movies. Of course, all X-Men fans will see it; it's just a pity that it did not live up to expectations. If you are not a fan of X-Men, or of action movies, I suggest you give this one a skip.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Season 1

In preparation of the fourth Terminator movie coming out later this year, I started to watch the Sarah Connor Chronicles series. I didn’t expect much, which was a good thing since it left room to be surprised. Not the greatest series ever, but not bad either. Lena Headey is not Linda Hamilton, but she’s quite a tough lady nonetheless (remember the queen in 3oo?). An enjoyable series, especially for fans of the Terminator meme.