Change Your Image
chappaai-836-114963
Reviews
Madame Web (2024)
This film is genreless
This is a heart warming story, a detailed origin story for a team of will-be superheroes, focusing on how they BEGIN to form their bond.
The problem: it didn't get to the part where the protagonists formally become superheroes, or even comrades. By the end of the movie, 3 out of the 4 protagonists are yet to acquire super power, and the one did get to master her power is yet to start fighting crime. They just became friends by saving each other's life, and the only practical thing those kids have learned from the Madam is how to do CPR. This film therefore fails to meet the expectation of superhero movie fans, or even the definition of the superhero genre. As for viewers who are not superhero fans, it wouldn't make sense to watch a film with superpowers.
Plenty of people would love this film. It is a down-to-earth story about caring and sticking together. However, without belonging to a genre, there lacks a way for this film to find them. What a shame that this isn't the first few episodes of a superhero TV series.
Ni shi ying jiu (2017)
A still rusty but interesting Chinese production
Since the media frenzy caused by the Three Body Problem winning the Hugo award, Chinese sci-fi community has been taking advantage of the situation and pushing for major expansion. The abrupt increase of Chinese sci-fi films production is the evident result. However, the sustainability of this development relies on the quality of these products. Although still rusty by art standard, this film is good enough to earn further support for the genre from the public and officials alike.
This film is set in near future, with somewhat detailed characterization of near future life.
On the story side, the character development of the main protagonist seem a little too fast to be natural, which is only justifiable if attributed to the side affect of time travel. However, the contrast of these personalities is rather interesting.
It also consists of all the necessary elements of a successful film in China, action, humor and weird personas. Also, an obvious educational element is added at the end of the film to secure the dragon seal required for a mainland release.
Chek dou (2015)
Fascinating settings and great twists
The film began with a crashed planes being inspected by an officer from MSS (Ministry of State Security, China's version of CIA and FBI combined), followed by an nuclear facility in Korea being attacked and an important object taken.
The story is about a black market trade taking place in Hong Kong of a South Korean nuclear weapon named DP8, which is the smallest nuclear weapon ever created. (In reality, South Korea is not supposed to have any nuclear weapons) A task force comprised of Hong Kong police, Korean Intelligence and an enlisted physicist sets out to defuse with the situation.
In the middle of the film the MSS official from mainland China intervened with a secret higher priority, but eventually they are all bested by the criminal master mind named Helios.
This film is paced in a fashion favored by Chinese (but not by Americans from the reviews I saw). Every twist of the plot left me puzzled with some more questions, yet despite being prepared for surprises, when the big reveal happened, I was surprised.
Elements catering to audience from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Korea are obvious. However, this film is not strong on character building, I'm not even sure who is the main character of the film, since non of the characters' personality is deeply depicted.
Story of this film is not ended, as the criminal mastermind is still at large. A continuing film is expected.