1. Detective vs Sleuths (2022): 3/5
This film has way too many twists for its own good. The incessant flow of twists and turns make this film appear to be over-aggressive and thus tiring to watch. It seems that the advantages of Wai Ka-fai as a screenwriter - unique characters and crisp, engaging, and innovative plots suddenly become his very own pitfalls as a director, since, in this film for example, he focused too much on character description and plot implementation and somehow became negligent in ensuring the pacing (that would maintain the interest of the audience while NOT tiring them out with surprises) and character development. It is thus clear that Johnnie To's genius direction has really helps Wai Ka-fai's scripts a lot in amazing films like "Running on Karma" and especially "Mad Detective" - the "spiritual" prequel of this film. I also really could not stand Raymond Lam's VERY wooden acting despite his general good looking and particular immerse opportunity in this film, no wonder why he has always been a zero on the big screen despite scores of popular roles in TVB series and beyond. On the other end of the spectrum, I was pretty surprised with the mellow and very mature performance of Charlene Choi, who has been clearly able to escape her "cutie" image during her Twins ear, and compensates really well Sean Lau's overacting and craziness. The latter is of course as charming as ever and proves again that he still one of the very few actors/actresses in Hong Kong that can carry the whole film and attract viewers without the need "to be attractive". 3/5 might not really be a high score (I could not give this one a higher score due to its aforementioned issues), still I enjoy this film a lot as a fan of authentic crime Hong Kong cinema and the crime/mystery genre in general.
2. Escape from New York (1981): 2.5/5
I know that this is has the cult status among avid fans of the action genre, but watching it probably a little bit too late (four decades too late), I find it pretty mediocre in all aspects except for the interesting dystopian setting (not a unique one, though, many have explored this setting with equal, if not better/much better outcome). Aside from a simple, B-movie-level script with an equal dose of melodrama and illogical details, this film has a terrible-across-the-board cast with poor performance and poor choreograph (which is actually a very important point for any decent action film, but the action in this film is just stiff, overdramatic, lack a decent amount of aesthetic, and poorly lit and filmed), an equally terrible editing with way too many abrupt cuts that made this film disjoint and lacklustre in terms of pacing.
3. See How They Run (2022): 3/5
This is a decent mystery film but still a disappointment to me as it has a lot of potentials and many ingredients of my taste as a whodunit à-la-Agatha Christie and an idiosyncratic visual and colour palette clearly influenced by Wes Anderson. A disappointment because the monotonous execution is very "by the book" (despite trying to tell the audience that they will "go against the book" right from the beginning) without any exciting ingredient until the very end, which is aggravated by less-than-stellar performance by a talented cast that could have done a much better job aside from Saoirse Ronan, whose stoicity and intelligence really shine throughout the film. The only questionable thing about Ronan's character is that she is a widow with two children, as Ronan, despite being 28 (!), still looks very very youthful and innocent for such a "matured" character. Still, a solid film with fun and hearts, just not enough creativity or surprises to elevate itself among other whodunits.
4. Primer (2004): 2.5/5
I understand this film's novelty but could not find it an entertaining one due to the (almost) inaccessibility of the pseudo-scientific plot (this is not a blame on or criticism of the filmmaker, though, as I know that this is purely his $7,000 hobby project that has been somehow blown up into a cult film with huge following), terrible acting, especially by Shane Carruth himself (again, not a zap on Carruth, as I understand that he originally made this one purely for fun, and with a $7,000 budget it was no way that he could find a decent lead for him), and confusing plot (you can make a script sophisticated, science-wise even, but a confusing one only makes the audience getting bored of the film, fast).
5. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022): 3.5
A fun film, but not as "weird" as I expected. It turns out that the film is just a full-on parody film and not a pseudo-biographical one, which would be a much better choice as the blending of fact and fiction would always be more interesting and creative than a parody one that would bore the audience really fast without a strong script. And the latter is exactly what was missing with this film, which made the film feel very incoherent and like someone trying to jump from one place to another, from one idea to another without any transition that might help the audience to digest and enjoy instead of draining every single calor to follow the all-over-the-place plot and asking themselves "What the hell does this mean?".
6. In Our Prime (2022): 2.5/5
The mathematic premise of and human interactions in this film reminds me of the delightful "The Professor's Beloved Equation" and this film even has much more potentials due to pretty novel angle exploring the fates of defected North Koreans in the South, and the perverse race by South Korean high-schoolers to a good future through exams and competitions. Those potentials, however, were squandered by the lack of focus on a single issue (math? the guilt of defections? the coming-of-age mental conflicts?) and and over-dramatized yet too melodramatic and simplistic third act. The acting quality is equally underwhelmed, despite being led by one of the best Korean actors (ever?) in Choi Min-sik, as the young leads (Kim Dong-hwi and Jo Yun-seo) are too one-dimensional, whereas the main protagonist played by Park Byung-eun is again an overacted and substance-less "evil" very typical in Korean films and television series. Had only the director and writer of this film focused on one single angle (the mathematic side of the film has a lot of potential, so does the defectors angle), the film would have benefited and become a much higher-quality piece of cinema than just another made-for-simple-entertainment film like it finally turned into. As a side note, I was also rather disappointed by the repetition of the "North Korean tropes" proliferated by South Korean media, such as North Koreans' total lack of knowledge on modern technologies like smartphones or Internet (they do, by any account of anyone that has visited this country), the "simple mindedness" of North Koreans in comparison with their Southern compatriots, or the "free" nature of the South Korean society and cyber space (trying to read a piece of news published by North Korea, or simply watch a mature/adult-rated piece of content on the South Korean Internet, one will easily find out that this progressive country is not as progressive as it makes itself to be).
7. In The Wake (2021): 3.5/5
A rather disappointing and predictable film for a "whodunit"/"serial killer" one, but a very engaging and emotional cinematic work about the impact of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami (and the forever troublesome bureaucratic system in Japan) on ordinary Japanese. This film made me realize that there has been NO Japanese film fully exploring this traumatic subjects, despite some focusing fully or largely on the Fukushima nuclear accident (which, ironically enough, has zero direct casualty and much smaller impact on the economy and wellness of this region). Perhaps similar to the fact that there are few decent American/Hollywood films actually on the 9/11 event, the earthquake and tsunami event is still too traumatic for Japanese filmmakers to translate into a good cinematic piece of work. But if they need a start, this film really is that stepping stone due to its very delicate and ingenious depiction of the physical, mental, and material difficulties that local communities faced right after the event, and have still faced until now due to the extreme rigidity of the Japanese bureaucratic system (and of the Japanese mentality of self-sacrifice for the community above all) that has prevents its very own people to benefit from the country's vast wealth. Hopefully more films will come out with this angle so that the world can actually have a better understanding of what happened and have happened since the earthquake and tsunami (and NOT just the nuclear accident, which had much lower impact when comparing to the former).
8. Black Adam (2022): 3/5
Yeah, just like any other superhero films, this one has a pretty mediocre story with poor character development. Still, I enjoy this film thoroughly thanks to exactly that simplicity, since the larger portion of the running time is thus saved instead for action sequences, which look absolutely amazing thanks to well-put slow-motion sequences, realistic and yet very colourful CGI (especially from the motions of Cyclone, which are aesthetically pleasing and elegant - a rare feat even in this CGI-dominant era and reminded me of Quicksilver in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" but with more colours and femininity). Funnily enough, I really enjoy the fact that this film actually uses less The Rock, despite him acting the titular character, since his acting capability is really limited and his "staged" persona often overshadows his very own character. Alas, in his place is Amon Tomaz who was depicted in a very corny manner and poorly acted by a very inexperienced Bodhi Sabongui. Still, this film is good fun (the dreadful sense of apocalyptic pessimism - a trademark of Zack Snyder's DC Cinematic Universe still permeates here, but at least the quirky nature of the "Shazam" spirit still prevails and thus makes the film a much more pleasant watch, akin to "Shazam!" - another DC film that I also enjoy.
9. Warriors of Future (2022): 3/5
Despite its very bland story, this film turns out to be a pretty entertaining sci-fi thanks to excellent pacing (especially the action sequences), superb CGI and visual concepts (especially when taking into account the general lack of experiences by Hong Kong filmmakers in this sci-fi, CGI-heavy genre.
10. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022): 3/5
An okay satire/comedy film that can be considered representative of this pandemic era. As a mystery film though, this is a pretty mediocre film with a disappointing "revelation" third act. At least the acting is decent enough for a well-rounded and enjoyable film, albeit not really a memorable one.
11. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022): 3.5/5
The film is very well made (especially in terms of photography, aesthetically this film is just marvelous) but not really impactful to me as I could not really connect with the characters (whom were acted very competently by Farrell and Gleeson) or the themes. This film reminds me of "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", which was another fine work by Martin McDonagh, but to me "Three Billboards" is a much more accessible film, emotionally and thematically. Of course I understand that many might find this film very moving and meaningful (about the nihilistic view of good and bad, of life and death), but to me, somehow, the stories and the characters seem ... pointless, probably due partly to the slow pacing (too slow in my opinion), as well as the very, very dry humour that did not (again) connect with me in most parts that all together make the film difficult to follow and enjoy - as a black comedy. The only connection I could make with this film is its allusion of the pointlessness and cruelty of the Irish Civil War (that fascinated me deeply thanks to "The Wind That Shakes the Barley"). Still, such connection is kind-of far-fetched and actually does not make this film that much better anyway.
12. Aftersun (2022): 4/5
I find watching this film less interesting, less emotional, and less engaging than ... reading about what people think about this film after watching it. I do not know why, but I could not shake myself of the sense of disappointment that this film does not live up to its "best-film-of-the-year" status despite sensing the tingling feeling of depression and finality from the very beginning of the film. Probably because the film has very slow pacing with a lot of less-impactful "spaces" between key scenes, as well as some camcorder-style sequences that were clearly constructed with the intention of recreating a lost childhood (via a lost technology) but are physically uncomfortable to watch. In addition, the open-ended nature of the film also somehow made me feel very unfulfilling, as I understand that this film is NOT about a defined story but about unavoidable destruction of depression, about the "memento mori" of everything, including memories and father-daughter relationship, about the fragility of lives and feeling. Despite all those disappointment, this is still a very, very beautiful film, just not enough for my thirst of films about nostalgia about the past (like last year's best film [in my opinion] "Licorice Pizza").
13. Triangle of Sadness (2022): 3/5
An interesting satire, but probably might work better as a written story instead of this two-and-a-half-hour indulgence. The messages in this film are loud and clear, too loud and clear in fact that I find them obnoxious and way more on-the-nose than necessary. A gross satire can be a good satire, but a good satire should be subtle, and there is no subtleties in this satire at all, a lot of symbolism - some very difficult to decipher, but no subtleties for the audience's enjoyment. Also, maybe I have just grown old and tired of everyday issues that I just want to find films with heart to escape the reality with, and this cruel film has no heart at all, no sympathetic character at all, probably due to its director's intention, much to my dislike. So, in short, a film to appreciate, not a film to enjoy.
14. The Outfit (2022): 2.5/5
A decent play-like/single-set mystery/gangster film but with a pretty disappointing third act and a very mediocre "revelation" by the end that is quite a surprise but in a disappointing sense. The bespoke premise of the film made me think that this would be at least an interesting film like the "Kingsman" ones, but it turned out to be a rather uninspiring take on the mystery/gangster genre. Admittedly the film is well-acted, but beyond that there is actually not many things memorable or noticeable about this film.
15. Tár (2022): 4/5
An excellently-made film with meticulous script with a lot of symbolism and hidden meanings, as well as memorable dialogues. Still, a little bit too heavy and depressing for me to fully enjoy.
16. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022): 4.5/5
Probably the most beautiful film I have watched this year, despite its harrowing settings, both in "moving" forms (aka. fighting sequences) and "still" forms like the winter forests in Northern France or no man lands on any day without gunpowder. The only qualm I have with this film is this slightly less impressive character development for the main protagonist. Still, a very beautiful and poignant film that reminds me of "Come and See" (an even more powerful film I must stress). The smooth switching back and forth between German and French in this film is also intriguing in terms of symbolism since French has often been attached to culture, enlightenment, and thus to a certain extent peace, whereas German often makes people think of law and order, responsibilities, and war ("Tár" - another good 2022 film also employs this language switching approach [from English to German to French and back] to highlight its protagonist's pretentiousness and shallow - a nice trend that should have been explored more after the success of the OG language-switching "Inglourious Basterds").
17. Kingdom (2019): 4/5
I am always very skeptical of Japanese cinematic adaptations of their well-known mangas, since most of them are often subpart (especially in comparison to their superb manga counterparts), or mediocre even. For that exact reason, this film caught me in a big surprise since it is very, very well-made with good pacing, engaging stories, excellently-crafted characters and settings. Even the martial art choreography in this film is simply marvellous and looks clearly superior to the wire-heavy martial art films currently produced in bunch, with questionable quality, by Chinese and Hong Kong filmmakers. The only drawback of this film is, like many other Japanese "live-action" films, its less-than-impressive acting of the cast, most of whom still overact like stage actors - a common issue encountered in many Japanese films. Not Masami Nagasawa, though, her Yang Duan He - leader of the mountain people is not only very beautiful but also powerful and memorable. She is so good that I now have the urge to watch other films that she has played the lead (especially after realizing that she was the lead in "Crying Out Love in the Center of the World" - once a "must-watch" film among Vietnamese youngsters of my age).
18. Kingdom II: To Far Lands (2022): 4/5
Excellent follow-up to the surprise that is "Kingdom". The absence of the beautiful Masami Nagasawa's Yang Duan He saddened me, but her "replacement" (as in a strange, overpowered, and beautiful leading lady) Nana Seino, who played the moody assassin Qiang Lei is more than enough to compensate, since the character played by Seino has a lot of heart and emotional depth. The switch from small-scale duals to large-scale CGI-heavy battles is also a very welcoming change because it makes "Kingdom II" a totally different taste and thus helps the audience to avoid boredom that often happens with a sequel. Kento Yamazaki's acting as the main protagonist Xin does not show any real improvement, though. Thankfully the film has so many good scenes to more than make up for that. Hopefully the third film in this series, which supposedly will come out this year, will continue this impressive quality.
19. The Last of Us - Episode I (When You're Lost in the Darkness) (2023): 4/5
I decided to watch this episode, despite my aversion to American TV series that often have no conclusion and are often extended unnecessarily just for the money, partly due to my curiosity thinking about how such an epic and cinema-ready videogame like The Last of Us could be brought to the small screen, partly due to knowing that this series has gotten praises from all over the place, and also partly due to knowing that this series will have an ending, just like the videogame - and not like many series without ending due to cancellation or producers running out of money. And this is definitely a very good episode, just not as impactful and emotional as expected and hoped for (that the series could be just as moving and emotional like the game) - especially with regards to THE scene with Sarah (I do not like the fact that they cast a dark-skin girl with curly long hairs to re-enact the pale-skin and bright short blonde Sarah of the game - especially since her image during THE scene - probably one of the most emotional sequence in gaming history, has ingrained in my brain after watching so many playthroughs of this sequence. Still a very good, very gut wrenching episode, of course. Hopefully the rest of the episodes would be just as good.
20. Masquerade Hotel (2019): 3.5/5
A very charming film despite its pretty ridiculous "crime passionnel" with sophisticated-to-the-point-of convoluted plot and disappointing revelation (a trademark of Keigo Higashino). The acting, though, is masterful as Masami Nagasawa did it again with her beauty and likability, and Takuya Kimura (at his prime a huge idol among teenages of my age) complemented her perfectly with his coolness with a hint of wildness. The appearance of Takako Matsu (famous for her role in the cruel "Confessions") in this film in a pretty memorable and well-acted role is also a pleasant surprise to me.
21. The Last of Us - Episode II (Infected) (2023): 4/5
I dare to say this episode is even better than the pilot as it follows closely, to a tee, the game, probably thanks to the direct involvement of Neil Druckmann as episode director. The pacing, tone, and emotions of this episode also reflect the excellence that is the game, especially during the final sequence when the second "major dead" occurs. The only negative comment I can make about this episode is the pretty amateurish body acting of the "clickers" (their sounding and make-up are perfect, not really the acting though).
22. Masquerade Night (2021): 3/5
Keigo Higashino's "crime passionnel" has become repetitive and kind-of tiring with this one, especially since the murder conspiracy is very improbable and unbelievable. Still, the film retains a lot of charms from the previous one ("Masquerade Hotel") thanks to very strong performances from both Masami Nagasawa and Takuya Kimura. I really hope that there would be a third film with these two lovely leads, hopefully at the fictional "Hotel Cortesia Los Angeles".
23. Yesterday (2019): 3/5
This is a competent three-out-of-five-stars rom-com but I really, really wanted to downgrade it to two stars since so, so much potential was wasted! Firstly it was written and directed by two of my favourite filmmakers - Richard Curtis (whose "Love Actually" is among my all-time favourite films, and even the lesser "The Boat That Rocked" and "About Time" also moved me a lot - not to mention his outstanding writing rom-com credits) and Danny Boyle (I enjoyed his "Trainspotting" series a lot). Secondly, and most importantly, it uses the absence of The Beatles in our life as a premise, and explores how the world re-discover the monument of modern music that are The Beatles' songs as main plot. The Beatles was my childhood, and to this very day, I still listen to The Beatles, think about their lyrics, reminiscent about my long-gone past closing eyes drifting with the melodies of "Yesterday", "Let It Be", or "Hey Jude". Thus, I expected a lot from this film, especially after watching the very moving short sequence where the protagonist "introduced" "Yesterday" to the utmost amazement from his friends. And I was disappointed, deeply disappointed as The Beatles' song just served as "background" music for the decent but nothing really memorable rom-com plot of this film that was played out by two very, very forgettable protagonists, given the long list of memorable ones written by Richard Curtis. I felt so disheartened following the film since it is simply too predictable without anything truly remarkable, and the fact that the filmmakers did not use the subtexts and melodies of The Beatles' songs to drive the film forward (they were used in some parts, but very superficially) really, really saddened me. Still, ones with little attachment to The Beatles would still enjoy this film, for it has very positive view of life, successes, and failures. Curtis's positivism and lack of cynicism have always been something that I cherish a lot from his films.
24. The Last of Us - Episode III (Long Long Time) (2023): 4/5
Another excellent episode, well-acted, well-set, well-written. I understand the overhyping of this episode due to its emphasis on gay romance, but to me the actual love story in this episode is just so-so and not so much better than, or different from other TV-level romances (especially given the distinctive setting of this series - a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of deadly and infectious "carriers", which would have been utilized more to make this episode stand out instead of receding to the background like the final product). I also miss the hilarious banter between Ellie and Bill in the game, which would bring out a much (again) different flavour to the world of this series. Still, a very decent episode and one can only hope that this quality streak will continue with the rest of the series.
25. The Quiet Girl (2022): 4.5/5
Very simple yet deeply moving film. After watching this film, I am really, really surprised by the absence of this film during this year-end film award season, despite its being clearly superior to another coming-of-age film "Aftersun" or many other films of this pretty boring year of cinema. There is just a simple revelation in this film, yet it is an extremely effective and emotional one that helps to peel a pretty dry (or I should say "quiet") surface of this film to reveal its true substance of emotions, sadness, loneliness, and of course love, a lot of love. Probably due to its simplicity in script and performance that this film has not been considered a contender in film awards, especially in comparison to other flashier ones like its compatriot "The Banshees of Inisherin". But thanks to that exact simplicity that the audience could fully focus on the very distilled character and emotional development of the coming-of-age protagonist, whose fragility and loneliness are what any teenage could find when approaching this stage in life. Such a delightful small film this one really is.
26. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022): 2.5/5
This film has the most righteous and interesting villain of of the MCU and somehow he was written to lose in the most embarrassing and incomprehensible way possible, such an irony. Other than his cool flying and fighting sequences, as well as the equally cool whale army, there is nothing memorable about this film full of poorly-written banterings, illogical script details, extreme political correctness/wokeness, and forgettable characters. How in the world Angela Bassett could not only get nominations, but actual wins in this year-end award season with this overacted, poorly-written role I have no idea. It does not help that I am reading Jin Yong’s masterful “The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber “ that has ten-times better plot and more intricate characters. Also, this film definitely stole the “crane troops” from Yang Jimou’s awful “The Great Wall” for its own “main battle” sequence. When you have to steal the most ridiculous and illogical idea from a terrible film for your climax action sequence, that is actually telling about the quality and preparation of your own film.
27. The Emperor's Shadow (1996): 3/5
Very cerebral and philosophical film, especially for those who have good knowledge about China's long and bloody history. Funnily enough, this film has a lot of wide-angle shot that showed off the massive crowd mobilized for this film - the number is so staggering that this film is easily comparable to or even has an upper hand over many epic films. "Funny" because the film did not use those wide-angle shots really well and the filmmakers seem to focus on the small-scale and intimate struggle between the King, his Daughter, and the Musician. Good film, but not really outstanding as this film is slow at times whereas the acting - aside from Ge You and Jiang Wen is equally forgettable.
28. Coherence (2014): 4/5
Excellent little sci-fi with intelligent plot but not too cerebral to digest (like "Primer"). Funnily enough, I watched just the day after the C/2022 E3 (ZTF) comet passing by the Earth. I have no idea about this comet, but it is mentioned by Wikipedia on its frontpage "In the news", this should be a significant comet. This one-set film handles the multiverse theme very well in a surprisingly simple way that does not violate the single-direction principle of time, while still provides a satisfying and strangely refreshing solution for any related paradox. Nice and very memorable film with excellent premise, although the acting or dialogue are not much to talk about (probably also due to the fact that the filmmakers did not even make it clear for their own cast about how the film would proceed - surely not ideal to get a good performance out of them).
29. The Last of Us - Episode IV (Please Hold to My Hand) (2023): 3/5
A rather short episode that probably serves as the "intro" for the pivotal "Henry and Sam episode that is coming next week. That is a general problem with TV series as some stories are stretched more than they should be to "fill in the blank". Still, this is still a pretty good episode as Joe and Ellie have more time to connect to each other in this lack-of-action episode, in waiting for more exciting episodes that are definitely will come. Other than that stretching issue, this episode was competently produced and acted, just like the previous three.
30. Dark City (1998): 3/5
This film has a really, really good concept but the execution is really all over the place as the acting is terrible (Rufus Sewell's total lack of charisma and his distractive lazy eye really did not help, whereas Jennifer Connelly, despite her magnificent beauty, was pretty mediocre as well, and the rest of the cast was just as forgettable, including the talented William Hurt), the CGI is beyond pale (especially in comparison with the very similar - plot-wise but much, much, much superior - visual-wise "The Matrix" that came out just ONE year after this film), and the production design is just unimaginative - probably intentionally given the "setting" of the film that was "imagined/recreated" by "aliens" but nonetheless not rememberable at all to the audience (particularly when compared to the awe-inspiring "Delicatessen" and "La Cité des enfants perdus" by Jeunet and Caro that came out BEFORE this film with similar steampunk-inspired visual but much, much more original and interesting production design). Even the way the romance/finale of this film was treated also reminds the audience of better films in the same memory-deletion/retention vein like "The Truman Show" - came out the same year or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" - come out just a few years later. Really, the interesting concept of this film might be the sole reason that salvage the quality of the film (somehow), as the audience must be hard to forgive the terrible CGI and practical effects that plague throughout the film.
31. The Last of Us - Episode V (Endure and Survive) (2023): 4.5/5
Despite unluckily knowing the ending of this episode (ANY gamer should be familiar with this famous Henry-Sam act already), I am still caught off-guard by how this episode not only stayed true to the source material but was even able to bring that to a whole new level with some twitches here and there that please gamers like me greatly. As this episode is jam packed with severay story arcs and action-packed sequences, not to mentioned the extremely impactful and well-known ending, that bring the audience from one emotional note to another in just one heartbeat. Thoroughly delightful episode (yes, I know it sounds strange given the bleak nature of the show in general and this episode in particular) that deserves all the loeve it can get. I would even go so far to rate this episode higher than the famous episode III.
32. Equilibrium (2002): 2.5/5
The dystopian premise of this film, which is clearly influenced by or even a mixture of "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and "Fahrenheit 451", is okay, although a little bit monotonous due to the boring setting (intentional, I understand - but intentional monotony does not mean lack of uniqueness), and lack of any "innovation", plot-wise", in comparison with other films of this genre, even when taking into consideration the various "Easter eggs" throughout the film like the Nazi- and Bolshevik-like costumes of the clerics and soldiers, the Trotsky-like "Resistance" member who "enlightened" the protagonist in the middle of the film, or the curved corridor of the Librian government that is actually the very Olympiastadion in Berlin built by Hitler himself for propaganda purposes. The choreography - a frequent "high point" of this film praised by numerous Western viewers and critics is actually a poorly-imitated version of the "gun-fu" genre of Hong Kong cinema, as the action sequences look "fancy" but lack aesthetics and smooth transition typical for the good film in the latter category, probably due to the absence of any Hong Kong master choreographers like Yuen Woo-ping. The extremely wooden performance of the cast, especially Christian Bale's character during these action-heavy shots does not help either. But the worst aspect of this film is the poorly-written script with all-over-the-place pacing, mediocre character development, illogical storylines, and disappointing "climax" and "final bosses". In comparison with "The Matrix", which came out a whole 3 years before and shares some similarities, this film looks very dated, plot-wise and CGI-wise. One needs only to look at the "corridor" shooting sequence of this film, which is hilariously bad in comparison with the very similar sequence in "The Matrix", to understand this point. Still a somewhat entertaining film, but a very poor effort to follow up (or copy) the success that is "The Matrix".
33. New Kung Fu Cult Master 1 (2022): 2/5
"The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" was among my most favourite Jin Yong's and wuxia novels (WAS, as my re-read of this novel this year turns out to be not really a satisfying experience due to a pretty poor third act - Jin Yong was never a master of the third act, in my opinion, speaking as an avid fan of his novels), therefore I would of course watch this one despite its being directed by Wong Jing - the Hong Kong butcher of good cinema. I do not mind some obvious omissions (Wuji's time with the overpowered doctor was one of the best sequences in the novel, yet totally deleted from this adaption) or character and details changes (Wuji's first time at Wu Dang felt exactly like Yang Guo's stay at Quanzhen), but I was thoroughly disappointed by the very poor performance quality across the board, from the very wooden Raymond Lam, who was so wooden that I could not find any trait of the energetic and righteous Wuji from him, to even the experienced actors like Alex Fong, who would have been a perfect cast as the elegant and witty Yeung Chiu had he paid more attention to his acting. The choreography (and of course the CGI) of this film is equally atrocious despite having Donnie Yen at the helm, his out-of-place presence as the much older and more profound Zhang Sanfeng of course did not help either. All in all a Wong Jing-certified bad piece of wuxia cinema. I will still watch its sequel, though, owning my love for "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".
34. The Last of Us - Episode VI (Kin) (2023): 3.5/5
A decent episode but not really an outstanding one as the emotion notes do not hit as hard as the game, especially during the pivotal "Everyone i have cared for has either died or left me" sequence, despite the obvious effort by the competent Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal. This is probably due to the fact that in the game we spend much more time with the characters and are thus able to observe the organic growth of the attachment between Joe and Ellie, whereas the TV series is much shorter and even has to spare time for minor characters who are incredibly enough memorable throughout the series until now, including the hilarious Native American couple at the beginning of this episode.
35. The Last of Us - Episode VIII (When We Are in Need) (2023): 3/5
Probably the weakest episode of this series that I have watched so far, despite the extremely impressive source material. I found Bella Ramsey was quite underwhelming in this pivotal episode that would have showed off her acting chops (I have not watched the "Left Behind" episode yet) but it turns out that she could indeed complete the role but was not able to bring out the most out of her character in order to connect with the audience (and how was she so fluffy in this particular episode whereas hunger IS the main theme of this one?). The toning down of this episode also made me a little bit disappointed (in the game, when Ellie woke up, she saw a corp being chopped up, not just a blurry severed ear as in this adaptation - the fear/horror factor from sudden cannibalism is one of the most memorable things about this part in the game, and toning it down only made the episode less impactful. The nuanced bits and dialogues here and there throughout the episode about cannibalism for survival, and about the pervert nature of the main antagonist are a nice touch, but somehow it does not really (again) connect with me, probably due to the increasing fatigue of having to follow a series instead of a more concise single feature film. I did not like the lighting and cinematography in this episode either, especially when comparing to the much, much superior production value in Episode III or Episode V. Still a good episode but not really an outstanding one, given the top-notch quality of this series.
36. Missing (2023): 3.5/5
I enjoy "Searching" a lot and hoped that this "spiritual successor" could be good, it turned out that I am right, thankfully. Just like "Searching", this film is again very fast-paced, full of twist-and-turns, a little bit cheesy, has plot-holes or illogical details here and there, but thoroughly entertaining and easy to watch. The acting is pretty poor, though, especially given the solid performance of both John Cho and Debra Messing in the predecessor. Still, I have no complaint about this one and hopefully this "screenlife" series could be extended to at least another one of good quality (obviously it will be continued, given the very low budget of such an almost-nonexistent setting, but how good it is is totally different question).
37. New Kung Fu Cult Master 2 (2022): 1.5/5
This film is so bad that I could not find any redemption point from this at all (maybe Janice Man's very on-point casting - she's perfect for Zhao Min, look-wise, but her acting capability is really limited to worth her look in this film, unfortunately enough).
38. The Last of Us - Episode IX (Look for the Light) (2023): 3/5
Sadly, the ending of this brilliant seems rushed to me, not only due to the short runtime, but also due to the forceful construction of the father-daughter bond between Joe and Ellie throughout this episode. Had this one been stretched into two standard episodes or at least a one-and-a-half hour long episode like Episode III, the emotions would have felt more organic, especially since pivotal moments of the last part of the game like the giraffe scene or the final hospital battle were pretty underutilized in this television adaptation, most probably due to the time constraint. Also, the gradual decrease in terms of quality of this series, especially the last few episodes again demonstrates the peril of the longform of TV series in creating a true and lasting cinematic experience, since the filmmakers are incentivized to stretch things up to suit the runtime.
39. Sakra (2023): 3.5/5
Why the hell is the Anglicized title of this film "Sakra"? It is an obscure name that probably no one is familiar with, especially when in comparison to its actual Chinese title "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" (an addition of "Part I" is better, though, as clearly this film would be followed by a sequel that deals with the rest of the novel, IF this part is deemed successful enough - not at all an easy feat given the very subdued media coverage of this film when it came out earlier this year). Enough with the title, now back to the film itself. I was so, so happy with the first half of this film as it follows closely the original novel while being able to "trim" down some lesser subplots (I like the original novel, but do not think it is the best work of Master Jin Yong, as the novel is way too dense with way too many subplots and under-utilized characters). I particularly love the stunning visual and production value of this film, which reminded me of "Wuxia" - probably the last excellent Hong Kong traditional wuxia film that I have watched since forever (that film was fricking twelve years ago, and also featured Donnie Yen in a very, very good role). The beautiful setting, excellent choreograph and very, very innovative dealing of the "rather" unrealistic and often-time imaginary style of kungfu described by Master Jin Yong in his novels, especially "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" pleased me A LOT and stayed consistent throughout the film, proving that this film was made with care, and not just another cash grab effort like the awful "New Kung Fu Cult Master" that came out last year. Unfortunately though, the last half of this film was half-baked with poorly-developed characters and rushed plotlines that make the film clearly incomprehensible to those who are not familiar with the original novel like me. It seems that the multi-layered plot of the original novel and the complexity of its characters had driven the writers and director (Donnie Yen was credited with this role, but I very much doubted that he would do such a competent job given the little time he had due to his busy schedule acting, and his lesser experience as director except for some minor films) into a corner of illogicality and poor plot structure even after cutting many minor details and characters, as well as twitching the plot to some certain extent (I applaud the filmmakers of this film on this point, though, as the film stays pretty faithful to the original novel and did a much better job of respecting Master Jin Yong in doing so, when in comparing to the many adaptations these days of Master Jin Yong's works that just have so many nonsensical changes to the plots and characters that I have no idea why they even try to do so, knowing perfectly well that they COULD NOT be better than Master Jin Yong himself in creating characters and plots). Hopefully this film would get a sequel, as the last part of the novel is easier to deal with, and Donnie Yen, for once, really is perfect for this role of Qiao Feng (or vice versa), as the stoic Qiao Feng with not much facial expressions or outwardly emotions really is a piece of cake for Donnie Yen, who could still play a wuxia hero better than any other actor these days, but has very limited range of emotions.
40. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023): 2/5
This film is so bad! The casting is bad (Kathryn Newton's uncharismatic appearance is unbelievably bad), the acting is bad (NONE even tried to act properly instead of just saying their dialogue out loud without even a drop of true emotion), the writing is bad (just as bad as any other Marvel one, but the heartbreakingly-bad performance of the cast really aggravated the mediocrity of the script), the bantering is of course bad (this "Ant-Man" series is ALWAYS the worst in terms of bantering), the no-stake position is bad (nothing is ever at stake in a Marvel film, especially given the forever weak series of "super"villains, but the villain in this one is not just bad, but even worse, is forgettable and totally interchangeable), the CGI-only setting is bad (it seems that the filmmakers tried to borrow elements from "Dune" or "Star Wars", but the final blended production contains no uniqueness at all and thus is totally unmemorable). Probably among the worst Marvel films that I have ever watched.
41. Shin Ultraman (2022): 2.5/5
I understand the cultural significance of this franchise to the Japanese public, as well as the carefully-crafted subtlety of this film, but the acting really put me off, even when I fully knew that such unpleasant style is a choice that reflects the tradition of tokusatsu cinema in Japan, and NOT the acting capability of the cast (for example, I adore Masami Nagasawa, not only because of her beauty and charisma, but also thanks to her excellent acting in various films - she was simply atrocious in this film, though).
42. Silent Parade (2022): 3/5
The crime and the twist-and-turn in this film is quite weak, especially for a film based on a Keigo Higashino's book. Still, the production value and the performance of the whole cast really make this film a very enjoyable twist of the "Murder on the Orient Express"-type of mystery and revelation. It is particularly heartwarming to watch the trio Masaharu Fukuyama (Yukawa sensei) - Ko Shibasaki (detective Utsumi - she has gotten so thin these days and made me realize that it has already been more than two decades since the first time I watched her crazy performance in "Battle Royale"!) - Kazuki Kitamura (inspector Kusanagi) still stay together fifteen years after the excellent "Suspect X".
43. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023): 3/5
An enjoyable film but a rather derivative one at that. This film feels like a high fantasy "Guardians of the Galaxy" with all those quirkiness, terrible choreography, banters, and menacing-but-turn-out-to-be-disappointing villains. Even the band of protagonists in this film feels like just a high fantasy mirror of the Guardians of the Galaxy with a overly-optimistic "planner" with a tragic past, a simple-minded "warrior", a petite half-man half-beast with the heavy burden of saving her own kind, and a non-descriptive "magician". The heavy reliance on CGI, which itself is not really outstanding either, is another weakness of this film and might be one of the reason why the high fantasy genre could hardly take off in this day and age of hyper-realistic CGI like during the 1980s and early 1990s. This film has gotten a lot of praises on Reddit, probably because fans of the titular board game would probably be able to get much more out of this film in comparison to someone with no knowledge whatsoever (and no desire to acquire such knowledge, due to his already very busy life) like me.
44. Kisaragi (2007): 4/5
I am very impressed by this whodunit film. The Japanese-style (over)acting still does not sit well with me, especially since this is basically a one-setting/play-style film with mostly actors talking/acting over each other, but the twist-and-turns and the storytelling style were excellent done. In particular, despite its obviously ambiguous ending, this film really gives out all the clues so that the audience can figure out for themselves the big revelation. The interchangeable of clue orders, and their swapability also creates chances to alternate the ending in different versions or different formats - for example, the novel-version of this film made the perverted "Strawberry Girl" the culprit in no ambiguous terms. Such flexibility of plot, and simplicity of sets, really make this film an excellent piece for further adaptations. Still, the unique "fan culture" excellently and authentically depicted in this film - a prominent feature of modern Japanese pop culture and society is very difficult to replicate as it tells a lot more than just a fan culture, but the pitfalls of the modern Japanese society, from the breakdown of the atomic family model, to the disillusion and sometimes desperation of the younger generations. This layered storytelling really makes this film stand out despite its rather "cheap" comedy appearance at first glance.
45. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023): 2.5/5
A much less enjoyable experience in comparison to the first "Shazam", mostly due to the very poor performance of the cast, especially Meagan Good (Darla Dudley) and Marta Milans (Rosa Vásquez). Why in the world couldn't the cast just watch the latest adaptation of "Jumanji" to learn how to act "as a child in an adult's cloak"? The "adult" cast, aside from the pretty decent Zachary Levi, performed so poorly and so unconvincingly that their characters look exactly like some "real" adults pretending to be children in a very caricature manner. The under-development of the villains was equally disappointing, given their potential, the acting capability of Helen Mirren, and the refreshing beauty of Rachel Zegler (I never consider Lucy Liu as a top-tier actress in terms of acting capability and this film again proves that I am correct in my judgement). The lighthearted tone of the script and the okayish CGI of this film are commendable, but other than that, just a watchable but not remarkable entry of the DC cinematic universe.
