Goldenboy142 Reviews

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

This is the true spirit of Star wars

[10/10 · 2 July 2005]

Reading through the comments on this movies by other IMDb members, I'm simply appalled at how so many people have lost faith in Star wars. It seems that many film goers have lost the sense of wonderment, and now so jaded. This film, in my opinion, is the best of all the Star wars, and the best science fiction film I have seen in a long time.

I've seen all of the star wars, so let me tell you where I'm coming from. I love the franchise because it can stir a sense of awe in me, it immerses me into its universe, and tell a wonderful story. Before I saw the new trilogy, I loved the original. Now that the saga is complete, I love the original even more. I like Episode 1 and 2, but realize that there are problems. I had doubt going in the third one, but when it finished, it instantly became my favorite. This in no way discredits the original, I'm just saying the third episode is the best.

The film captures the star wars spirit perfectly. It gives the viewer WAR on a large scale. This is a galactic war between countless star systems. A war that feels like a war. I just love how the film's scale is so large, while it managed to focus on such a specific dramatic level. I was in awe with the images on screen, never give a thought to how CG it all looked. The film releases me of my disbelief, and grabs me into itself. I felt for Anikin, and Padme. I understand Obiwan, and sympathize with him. I felt sorry for Yoda, and his broken pride. This is a true Opera, with emotions on a grand scale.

As a side note: to those who complained about the simplicity of the dialogs, I felt that the dialogs must be this way. Imagine if you watch the original trilogy one day and Han Solo said "Jive", or "cool thang" or other vernaculars at the time. That would just simply takes you out of it. The film is set in another galaxy at another time, so it can't use any familiar vernacular. It's not about how it is said, it is what is said. What really matters is the message and the emotional intensity behind it. This film cannot and must not be written by dialogs that mirror the way people talk. This is the way the film can remain timeless.

The craft of the film is on another level. The production design is not only beautiful, but it is also believable. I believed people have inhabited this world long before the story began, and will be there long after it is over. It provides a foundation for this story to be on, and will stand strong to support it. That is what separates Star wars from the rest of the sci fi films. It never feels like a movie, it doesn't follow the conventions and structure of a movie. This is not a film that people will just say "been there, done that" to and simply graze over it.

This film is told like a timeless fable, a story a grandmother tells to her grandson before he goes to sleep. This film will survive this generation, and many more after. I can confidently say what I say because I have seen the film many times since it came out, and it gets better every time. Anything that stands out in the initial viewing smooths itself out. This is levelheaded talking, and not some fan boy overexcited that he just saw Star wars ahead of everyone else. This film is the real thing. To those who didn't like the film, I don't agree with you, but I respect your levelheaded opinion. I just feel sorry that you didn't see the film that I did, a film that influenced me tremendously. I guess you missed out on the wonderment when you grew up too fast.

Equilibrium (2002)

it's really good

[20 December 2002]

I was really impressed by this movie. I saw the trailer on Joblo.com and decided that I should see it in the theaters. I went during CSULB's Finals week, totally disregard the fact that I have 2 finals the very next day. It was worth it. The thing that made it work was Christen Bale and his action scenes. I've seen many many gun fights and action scenes by many many talented directors. You name them, I probably watched most of their movies. John Woo, Johnny To, Tsui Hark... among other Americans and Japanese directors. I've seen films that I thought was the very definition of gun fights and coolness. And Yes, I've seen the Matrix, and this movie's action scenes were similar to the Matrix, but it was filmed differently, and in many ways, better. I do realized my last sentence was a run on sentence. The action scenes were very inventive and original. I felt that if this was better marketed, it could start a whole new revolution just as the Matrix did with bullet time effect. Gun Kata... now that's something. I bought it, and I thought it was cool as hell. The Matrix 2's action scenes has gotta be fricking impressive to top this one. SOmehow I doubt it. I love the movie. Catch it if you can. If you are a movie lover who focuses more on what the movie has to offer, rather than trying to crack jokes and puns based on a movie's short comings, like what many many many film critics seem to do these days, you'll like the movie. I remember a time when film critics used to like movies.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

pure blissful Bebop

[10/10 · 2 May 2002]

I have a been a close follower of the Cowboy bebop series for over a year. I loved the series for its high kinetic action and wonderful sense of humor. The series never seemed rush, and always delivered with perfect timing and execution. Its characters has many verisimilitudes that gave them incredibly believable. They're just a bunch that you cannot resist falling in love with. Furthermore, Yoko Kanno's music composition were simply amazing. The score often times over shadowed the series itself. However, the series redeemed itself almost immediately with the direction of Shinichiro Watanabe and the Keiko Nobumoto's script. When the series ended wonderfully and the movie was announced, I was skeptical to whether the creators are simply trying to cash in (which they deserved every right to do) or they still have enough in them for a big final showdown. Now having seen the movie twice, all my doubts were simply vaporized by what I had seen on the screen. The movie realized and surpassed all limitations that series had, and simply blew all my expectations out of the water. The gang that needs no introductions is back and more glorious than ever. In the movie they are brought alive once again with the talented crew. Shinichiro Watanabe once again gave us those amazing dogfights he specialized in, and impressed us with a-sight-to-behold fistfights. Keiko Nobumoto's script once again gave us a exciting adventure to embark on. And to top all of this off, Yoko Kanno's score breathed passions into every single frame. Cowboy bebop has always been acclaimed with its rich style and high production value. In "Heaven's Door", viewers are treated with powerful visuals polished with a high production value. Everything on screen animate extremely well and looked vibrant and eye-poppingly beautiful. There aren't enough words to describe how wonderful Cowboy Bebop is. It never set out to revolutionized the animation world, but only to entertained. That it did, and will do so in viewers' hearts for years to come. Bravo. 10/10

Fulltime Killer (2001)

Pleasantly surprised

[9/10 · 26 February 2002]

I just finished seeing Fulltime Killer. What a pleasant surprise. 2 months ago, I was sorely disappointed with the flicks that H.K churned out. Apparently, i was tired of watching every action directors in H.K imitating Tsui Hark, John Woo, Ringo Lam, and Johnny To. Every movie I saw, there was that typical shaky cameras, and sweeping movements, making everything seemed cooler than it actually is. Even the Greats imitated themselves in such mess as Zu Warriors. But then I saw Shaolin Soccer, and that shook my disturbed belief a bit. And today, I saw Fulltime Killer, and my faith in H.K is fully restored. I know that Fulltime Killer is nothing original, compared to the action classics such as "the Killer", but it was done right for once. I found myself lost in Johnny To's perspective of this excellent story. In the end, I took what seemed like the first breath since the opening of the film. Apparently I had a very good time. I was certainly pleasantly surprised. I found that every actors did their jobs well. Andy Lau, who always seemed a bit feminine to me fit the role well, and made it work. I was impressed with Takeshi's performance. Although his role seemed very stereotypical and slightly less demanding, he made it work well. I found myself in awe with Kelly Lin's portrayal of the innocent girl. The action scenes were very well done. Although they were noting revolutionary as the recent films "crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "time and Tide", but I found them incredibly effective. The Music was certainly the highlight of the film. Its haunting theme weave in well with the scenes, and made them alive. All in All.... not the most original, but at this day and age, it's almost impossible to find originality. Very fun time, and quite a pleasant surprise.