Movie Reviews

Last week I finally found time to clear the backlog of movies I've been wanting to catch.

Monga
Set in the 1980s, this Taiwanese gangster movie revolves around in fighting between gangs in the Taipei, Wanhua District. The story hit its climax when an outside gang seeks to move in and change things while the Temple Front resists change. Exploring on the tussle between brotherhood in gangs versus friendship, like what Mark Zhao (who plays as 蚊子) says: Sometimes I don't understand why we're fighting against each other when we're best friends. A rare peek at the life of a Taiwanese gangster.

Youth in Revolt
This movie celebrates all the good and silly things of being young. The crazy things you're warranted to do and the promises you give without thinking of the consequences. And when things go wrong, youth is conveniently used as the reason. 青春真是王道啊！

Kick Ass
From the title, I wouldn't watch it. Even the movie poster didn't really attract me. And it was a funny story how we, or rather I, eventually decided to watch this. jH and I were discussing over MSN on what movie to watch that night. My perception was we're watching Clash of the titans, but somehow or rather, she mistook it as Shutter Island. Being a non-horror movie fan, I obviously violently objected and bought the only available movie that's of a convenient timeslot and more importantly, wouldn't give me nightmares.

So you could say we stumbled onto this action-comedy. And this movie really reminds me of Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2. The action, the gore, and even tight fitting superhero costumes. Awesome show to watch if you're looking for a good laugh. KICK ASS IS THE NEW ATTITUDE!

Clash of the Titans
I would say this is a must-watch movie for all action-flick junkies. See Mr Avatar turned Perseus slay Medusa with his eyes closed; turn the Kraken thousand times his size into a stone, and finally damning Hades back to wherever he came from. All this of course without him being injured in anyway, afterall he's the son of Zeus. Verdict: Despite all the violence and impossibilities, movies can also be educationally enriching.

Shutter Island
挣扎! Being a non-horror movie fan, I really dragged myself to watch this despite reading many positive reviews. But since you're reading this, it means I've lived to tell the tale. The horror in the movie was more mental than visual, though visually it was quite.... I would say... bloody. And it was another stand-out performance by my favourite Leonardo Di Caprio. 演什么象什么！ And you know why this is a good film? There's a final twist at the end which just overturns whatever conclusions you've made, and leaves you wondering what the hell just happened.

After the movie, jH and I were discussing over dinner and making sense of the earlier movie scenes and dialogues. And the pieces just fall nicely together. Fantastic storyline.