Tag Archives: action

#242- Once Upon a Time in China

Quick recap: It’s about Imperialism! FINALLY. That’s been my go to response for classic literature since high school and now finally, I’m right. Also, there’s a bunch of fighting. 

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If I tried this, I would just end up setting myself on fire or something

Fun (?) fact: Jet-Li’s voice had to be dubbed over because he speaks Mandarin, not Cantonese.

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If you like Piña Coladas and doing Tai-Chi on the beach….

My thoughts: My experience with Martial arts consists of a solitary Tae Kwon Do class I took back in college. I’ve never been athletically inclined and this class put that fact in the spotlight.One time, my partner wasn’t there so the teacher practiced with me. I had practiced outside of class and when I asked him if I was doing the move right, he shook his head sadly and walked away. Some might call that unprofessional but I’m afraid that if he encouraged me, I might’ve ended up accidentally killing someone while attempting a roundhouse kick. He was right to do it.

There’s definitely a plot in Once Upon a Time in China, but good luck trying to figure it all out. I watched with my husband, who knows these kinds of movies and I’m surprised he didn’t pack his things and move out because of all the times I kept asking who the bad guys were.  From what I gather, there is the hero Wong Fei Hung, who is in several of these movies and I think he is the leader of a group of guys who fight for good. There’s a bad-ish gang as well as another bad guy who I don’t think is associated with anyone else. And then there are the British and Americans, who are taking the Chinese and selling them into slavery. Basically, everyone fights everyone at some point in the film and I think that’s all you really need to know to get by.

The fighting scenes were impressive, even though there were a lot of wires used. I don’t get the hatred some people have for special effects like this. These are the same people who go to museums and complain that they could’ve created the same kind of art and sold it for millions of dollars. Yeah, you could’ve buddy, but you didn’t. Any kind of fighting requires physical stamina that most people don’t have. They don’t just strap you to wires and leave you to fly around, looking flawless. I was also impressed with the humor used during the fight scenes. There was plenty of graphic violence to go around, but a lot of the fighting looked like the 3 Stooges.

Final review: 2/5. Enjoyable, but not really my thing. My opinion might change with more opportunities to watch this genre, though.

Up next: Rio Bravo or E.T

 

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#205-Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Quick recap: A man finds out that the girl he made out with is really his sister. More family problems arise when he confronts his deadbeat father, hoping to change his ways before it is too late.

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Fun (?) fact: All of the Ewok actors quit at one point, in protest of the tough outdoor conditions (being a teddy bear with creepy lips is tough). They eventually returned, all wearing ‘Revenge of the Ewok’ t-shirts.

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My thoughts: Once again, I’m sort of at a loss as to what to write about the final Star Wars episode this book has (the editors wisely passed on adding in episodes 1-3). I realized while watching Return of the Jedi, that this might be my favorite of the three. I’ve always said it was Empire Strikes Back, because it’s so dark and there are so many important things that happen. This movie, however, is just fun, something that I think gets overlooked when it comes to the franchise as a whole (I’m talking to you guys who bombarded the Toys R Us and bought all the toys before kids could get their hands on them). This is the film that gets me excited for new movies, and it is the one I hoped my son would enjoy most, also.

One of the biggest turn-offs serious fans have are the Ewoks, and I admit that they are pretty silly. At the same time, they also fit in perfectly within the narrative. I never loved them, but I didn’t mind them, either. My six year old LOVES Chewbacca, so he naturally gravitated toward these creatures, and I think having them in the movie made him appreciate what he was watching a little more.

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As for a favorite scene or part, it’s a toss up between Jabba the Hutt and the Emperor trying to entice Luke to give in to his anger. Both scenes are a great representation of Luke’s character, and also how much he has matured since he was a whiny kid back in Episode IV. This is the hero that everyone wants, yet his greatest strength is not in himself, but the people (and family) he is surrounded by. I also loved the ending between Anakin and Luke. Yes, Darth Vader was evil, but that wasn’t always the case. In a positive light, it means that there is good inside all of us. In a negative light, it means any of us can head down that path without really realizing what we are doing.

Never mind. Darth Vader turned Incredible Hulk will always be my favorite thing.

Never mind. Darth Vader turned Incredible Hulk will always be my favorite thing.

Final review: 5/5 of course

Up next: Zero for Conduct, which If… is based off of

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#174- The Matrix

Quick recap: This is not the real world. The world you live in is just a computer program and we are all slaves.  Happy Tuesday!

Stop collaborate and listen

Stop. Collaborate and listen

Fun (?) fact: It isn’t until the very end that Keanu Reeves speaks more than five lines of dialogue in a row.

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My thoughts: Picture it: The year was 2000 and my small town had just caught Matrix fever. It was one of those movies everyone could agree was awesome. Whether it was about the fight scenes, the deep philosophy, or the very obvious religious message, it was near impossible to find someone who didn’t like it. I myself was a huge fan for many years and even saw the sequels, which I would later come to regret. So, how does the movie stack up 15 years later?

In short, it doesn’t. Everything I remembered was there, but I am now looking at it as an adult, not some sheltered kid. The most obvious difference from 15 year old me is that I would absolutely take the blue pill. The scenes of the people being grown in pods were frightening, but only if you know about them. This world may be the Matrix, but it is my Matrix and it’s pretty nice. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose. So this time around, I guiltily found myself identifying with Neo as he is trying to come to grasp of this terrible truth, and even more so with Cypher who wanted to remember nothing. I mean, saving the world is cool and admirable and all, but not so much if no one really wants it.

The fight scenes were still pretty cool and I was surprised by how well they have held up. This was the part I was expecting to let me down the most and it ended up being my favorite part of an otherwise (now) disappointing movie.

Finally, what surprised (and angered) me most was Trinity’s storyline. Here we have a badass chick, willing to risk her very life for the cause she believes in. Except that, really, she’s just in love. Why the hell is there a love story? Of all the cool things that could’ve happened, Trinity is reduced to a love story. It’s even her destiny to be in love with Neo. I don’t remember my thoughts at the time I first watched this, but now it seems like such a blatantly bad idea. Was the reasoning to put that in there so girls could like the movie? Or was it to cement Neo’s legacy? Either way, gross.

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Final review: 3/5. I feel that it’s important to note the cultural impact this movie had, even though I didn’t get much out of it now. I caught myself saying ‘glitch in the system’ just the other day, so it has become ingrained in me to some extent.

Up next: Raging Bull

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#171- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Quick recap: A young man learns the startling truth about his lineage while his friend learns the art of ‘cooling down’.  A good time was not had by all.

Neat!

Neat!

Fun (?) fact: In the original movie, one of the asteroids was actually a shoe. According to IMDb, ‘The rumor is that George Lucas asked the SFX people to redo the scene so many times that they got annoyed and one of them threw in their shoe’. The scene has since been corrected- or ruined- depending on who you ask.

This is for all you Leia/Wookie shippers out there!

This is for all you Leia/Wookie shippers out there!

My thoughts: Like any patriotic American, I fully agree that Episode V is the best. I mean, I’m sure there are people who might argue for IV or VI, but when the apocalypse is nigh they will surely see the error of their ways. As for the small percentage of the population who would vote for Episodes I-III, I truly hope they are in therapy getting the help they so sorely need.

So, you ask, why is The Empire Strikes Back the best of the original trilogy?

Well, first of all, slap yourself for even asking. Now, think about all of the pop culture references we have, thanks to this one movie:

  • Boba Fett
  • Yoda!
  • Han Solo frozen in Carbonite
  • ‘I love you’ ‘I know’
  • the whole ‘I am your father’ thing
  • AT-ATs

Tons of stuff that I didn’t even mention are as a result of The Empire Strikes Back. And not just all the fun stuff, this movie is DARK. One of the reasons I love it is because it ends with the good guys losing. I love most superhero movies, but it’s annoying after awhile to have them save the day, only to come back for a sequel and do it all over again. Star Wars is all about the never ending battle of good and evil, which I think appeals to most people and in some crazy sense, makes the world more believable over all.

I got to watch this with my 5 year old on Star Wars Day, since he is just now getting into the fandom. He said he was a little bored by all of the Leia/ Han Solo scenes, but loved anything with R2D2. He was underwhelmed by the big reveal of Luke’s father but I think it was mostly because he was hoping for more info about Chewbacca.

Final review: 5/5

Up next: Being There

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