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Mulan (2020)
Breathtaking, Clever, Virtuous
Featuring one breathtaking scene after another, Mulan is a stunning remake of the animated version.
A well-written screenplay that left out the silliness and trivialness present in the first movie. The weighty subject of woman soldiers/warriors is dealt with intelligently, elegantly and powerfully.
The spectacular sets, richly- colored costumes and glowing scenery all add up to make this one of the best movies released during the pandemic.
The all-star cast was led by Liu Yifei, a relatively unknown actress, who was absolutely superb in the role of Mulan.
Includes a very clever and well-choreographed phoenix.
The only criticism would be a few weakly delivered lines sprinkled throughout the movie by several of the Imperial conscripts.
Unlike many Disney movies, this movie's ending is both meaningful and emotional.
(T. S.)
Soo-sang-han geun-yeo (2014)
A Cute and Funny Hit
Another clever story from South Korea that would resonate with most Americans. Clean and funny. Musical numbers are listenable. Storyline somewhat raises the difficult question faced by so many families: Are retirement homes really the best option? The story went several unexpected directions, which will keep viewers guessing about the ending. While there are a few plot holes near the end, they get buried and forgotten by several really huge waves of emotion.
Little Fires Everywhere (2020)
Baby info inaccurate
Interesting drama or melodrama.
Raises some interesting issues regarding selfishness, revenge and race. Though some of the racial issues seem too contrived, fanciful and convoluted.
Possibly one or 25 too many teen drama issues, which most teens would be groaning all the way through.
Spoiler. Discussions over the mother/baby scene made two absolutely incorrect and wrongheaded conclusions. The reality is:
(1) Leaving a baby at a fire station is not illegal nor is it a punishable offense. This is why fire stations are known as safe surrender sites; (2) A mother who leaves her baby at a fire station is not irresponsible or a bad mother.
One Last Thing (2018)
Touching
Heartwarming story that illustrates how families are built many ways. Great cast and solid gold chemistry.
Spooks: The Greater Good (2015)
Clever
Tight script. Good pacing. Excellent sound editing. Clever twists and some surprising turns. Great casting and acting. Better than the other MI movies with Ethan Hunt. Average soundtrack.
The Hangover (2009)
Disappointing, fell short of its potential
The writers failed to tap into all the talent and potential of a star-studded cast, leaving viewers at the end wondering, "Is that it?" Too many dumb gags that could have been hilarious ended only being dumb or duh. What should have been the high point of the movie, Ken Jeong, ended up only being a half-dimensional, stereotypical portrayal of a gangster speaking poorly written lines in broken, Asian-accented English. Scene after scene appeared to be ad-libbed or improvised by the actors and writers, who had run out of storyline and clever ideas before the movie even started. The movie's only funny scene (the Taser) was cruelishly humorous, which the movie desperately needed about 100 more minutes of. The baby and the baby's mom (and the convertible) were the only likeable characters in the whole movie. Surprisingly, the movie (up until the credits) was clean and not excessively vulgar.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
A Tennis Ball Homerun
This movie is the funniest, most original and clever romcom to come along in a long while. The criticisms of ethnic stereotypes and "tired tropes" are simply narrow-minded, wrong-headed and backwards-looking.
Asian-Americans have been and continue to be the least-represented group in Hollywood and Broadway. Virtually every other group and sub-group has been represented.
Asian-Americans continue to be left out and overlooked for leading roles, supporting roles, ancillary roles.
Even when an Asian-American is cast in a recurring role (i.e. "Modern Family"), their part is typically a mute part, devoid of lines ... and any apparent purpose. Plus, Hollywood continues to follow the unspoken rule that allows only one (or less) Asian-American to appear on any given movie or TV show.
Randall Park and Ali Wong are blazing a trail that can only lead to a world that finally recognizes the acting talent - and writing talent - of Asian-Americans.
"You'll Always Be My Maybe" is a movie whose time has finally come.
#sacgazette
Beast Legends (2010)
Outdated Westerner's view of the world
White-Canadian host spends much of the first episode criticizing everything Vietnamese and Asian during his visit to Vietnam. He began the episode by expressing complete surprise that his Asian-Canadian cohost(?) had never visited Vietnam before. He then went on to criticize the driving ability of their Asian translator. Then began severely criticizing the intelligence of the 4-5 locals (who had come to their aid) because they didn't know how to repair their jeep when it broke down.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Best Anti-War Movie
As with any plan, the devil is in the details. And when a plan is based on faulty intelligence, cultural approximations and poorly calculated logistics, the devil is the only one pulling all the levers. One of saddest chapters in American warfare, portrayed with anguish, grit and long-suffering by a talented and very enormous cast.
Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
Small Town Saved By Shopping Mall
Quirky, funny, slimy and surprisingly entertaining. A mid-budget film with quality writing and a musical score filled with originality and clever twists. Not for anyone who has a fear of spiders, especially really, really, really big ones.