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Li xiao long (2010)
False sense of action movie
Though it is not a very bad movie, but what does not fit with this movie was its action movie color grading through out the movie. I think if they movie was re-edited with a different grade that reminds more to the tone of the period, it would had been a better movie as it just constantly looks like a big fight scene was going to happen because of the grade that is typical of a lot of action movies. While with a much more grainy vintage grade it likely been a better looks as mostly dramatic scenes happen and the action grade does not fit in. Overal I do like it references a lot of Bruce Lee things when he was young, but also because this is from the eyes of the brother and sister of Bruce Lee, we can see how he grew up to become the Bruce Lee we all love.
It is also quite intersting how to were allowed to film this without Bruce Lee estate to give permission to this movie. Because it is from the viewpoint of Bruce Lee family instead of just another Bruce Lee movie. Though I do rank this movie higher than the Birth of the Dragon which went totally off rails with the wireworks kung fu and such.
Kung Fu Leeuw (2023)
Pushing too much orientalism
This was a frustrating watch of a movie, as the main conflict of this movie is mostly caused by misunderstanding between the characters, which causes a lot of half bake conflicts and turning the main character Jimmy into the antagonist in this movie because of his unfound jealousy of Li Jie.
Due to likely because this is made as a child friendly movie, the action of the group of bullies are half baked and you just don't feel much for Jimmy as he just escapes easily and gets out of the situations himself and comes out unharmed out of any of the bullies situations. And also nothing gets a strong resolve. So bullies get away stealing ball and also trashing the Mo Kwoon and setting fire to it and not get into any trouble for what they have done nor punished for it. So yeah kids, become a bully and get away with doing bad things, live less frustrating live than then trying to be the nice protagonist who gets misunderstood by everybody and just have to deal with the punishments, that the hidden message of this movie.
The end of movie is also half baked as everything gets resolve far too easily, especially when the bullies had trashed the Mo Kwoon , Jimmy just befriend them after throwing the main bully on the ground and honestly quite lazy writing for this resolve.
Though having a Dutch Chinese Director / scrip writer. You can see and hear the overly pushing the orientalism down your throat through out the movie. Especially end of movie showing whole group of people doing Tai Chi in park in Rotterdam, like as if its China. But living so many years in Rotterdam, not once seen people regularly practise Tai Chi in public in the Netherlands.
But also the music choice of constantly using some stereotypical oriental soundtrack in so many of the scenes. While movies like Karate kid from 1989 and 2010, but even recent Shang Chi or everything everywhere all at once has very little oriental music. And if you watch actual modern Hong Kong movies you rarely hear those kinds of music, unless for some ancient chinese fantasy movies where modern music does not match. But because this movie is happening in a modern time in a western country. It should just use normal modern music and only reserve the use of such music for only a few moment where it makes most sense.
And it feels like they haven't learned from the other bad fake Chinese film "Fighting Fish" which also filmed in the same city of Rotterdam, which also has the same issue pushing stereotypical orientalism and also the oriental music.
Though I do give some stars to this movie as they hired a Chinese actor from Hong Kong for the Sifu, but the constant switching between English, Dutch and Chinese also is quite annoying. Also because the Mo Kwoon has images showing this place been teaching Kung Fu for 3 generations and you think if the Sifu was 3rd generation Chinees in the Netherlands he would had learned Dutch well like most 3rd gen Chinese.
There are also some oddities of locations as they walk from Maassilo in Rotterdam the other moment to Aqua Asia which there is quite a long walk between the two locations.
I just wished less movies like these gets made, because it isn't pushing for more Asian to be inclusion into the Dutch movies industry, but it is just pushing stereotypical orientalism which already happens in a lot of Dutch movies, where we see Chinese or Asian actors playing a stereotypical role instead of playing a normal person like any other race. Because the only Chinese in this movie played a kung fu student, a kung fu sifu, tai chi wife and a chinese restaurant owner.
What I want to see is a Dutch Movie, where we finally see a modern local Dutch Chinese story, that has nothing to do with gangster, martial arts or a Chinese restaurant. Just a person in a proper local story.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Great movie with a lot of moment to cheer
I saw this movie at Camerimage and cheered with the crowd multiple times. It is an awesome movie to watch, though it doesn't really state who the enemy is, it is kinda obvious from the planes they used. But still it is a thrilling movie to watch especially knowing all the actors where really in the air and not just filmed on a green screen and it is quite visible and as you can feel the g force they are hitting.
However I didn't give it a full mark, as I myself work as a first AC and notice some very off focus shots several times, which werent inside the cockpits but on the deck of the ship.
Also the plothole of that Maverick was riding his old bike at the start of the movie and suddenly has a totally new bike.
The Whale (2022)
Great story set in one location
The start of this movie you kinda need to get into it especially get pass the gross stuff that happens, but once that is past, the real emotional journey of the story start, with one heck of an ending. I understand why this movie got a standing ovation!
And this whole movie pretty much just takes place in one locations and it isn't even boring because of this. As a good story don't have to have tons of locations. You get to see the emotional struggles of charlie, though this movie is about an obese person, it isn't a cliche story about how he become healthy but far the opposite of it.
Acting from all the actors were really good and Brendan Fraser definitely deserve to get oscar awards for this role.
Go Back to China (2019)
The Devil wears Prada in China
The synopsis could had made a great movie, but it failed hard, as after Sasha arrived in China and get introduced to a crazy family dynamics and quickly become a boring predictable Devils wears Prada like story which many Drama shows have regurgitated for many years already.
Where someone inexperience comes in struggles a little with the work and then sudden change things up and get an important task to save the company.
This movie literally just full of expositions showing how bad and crazy China is compared to the USA, making up tons of crazy stuff just to demonise China.
Also watching this movie, it never once really felt like it was even shot in China. Most of China is just indoors with just some B-Roll stock footage of the streets of China. It never showed the modern City of Shenzhen. The house doesn't feel that authentic and more like how someone from America think a house would look like in China after watching Crazy Rich Asians.
Its very obvious this movie was made just to try and ride on the hype of Asian American movies like Crazy Rich Asian and The Farewell. Its like a really bad knock off that doesn't know what a proper Asian American story should be, as it copies both stories having an Asian Female who lived most of their lives in America and needing to go to Asia for some reason and learn more about their own Asian Culture. But this movie Sasha learns nothing and had zero struggles she had to overcome, even when she made a big mistake, her Deus Ex Machina of American friends fixed her problem instantly.
Having read that Emily Ting's interviews that she was inspired make story from her experience, it seems this was her own self China hating movie. As there are so many ways the script could had been written to improve this story. As none of the jokes landed nor was it really emotional, just meh.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
This destroyed Star Wars
The trailers set me up for something awesome, but this movie was just a horrible mess with large plot holes.
This whole movie is just frustrating to watch and don't even know how this was green lit.
Entire movie just having tons of twist in almost every scene that happens, making this whole movie way to predictable after you seen so many twist happening, that just the next thing that happens, you would know a twist is coming to ruining it.
Even the movie ending is a twist on the title of this movie.
This movie is learning material how not to make a sequel and how to destroy a sequel and loose your fanbase.