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Reviews
Cobra Kai: Head of the Snake (2022)
the Chozen one
I've loved Chozen's return to the latest season of this wonderful series. Apart from being hilarious, his character also introduces (or at least brings more light on) the skill of weapon based martial arts, which climaxes in a thrilling blade showdown with supervillain Silver. Cross fingers his phone call to that special someone bears fruit, not just for his character but also for us the viewer :-)
This season's finale, which came all too soon, delivered in both suspense and emotion, with the action scenes expertly done and all the characters highly watchable. The cliff hanger was fantastic, so here's hoping we don't have to wait a full year for the sixth season!
Celebrity Letters and Numbers (2021)
Not all bad
The only flaw in this version are the weak comedic contributions of some (not all) of the so-called 'celebrities', usually when they're trying to pass off a fake word for a real one. I'm not sure whether they do this thinking they're being entertaining, but in actuality it's just annoying. I feel sorry for David having to go through the motions of checking the dictionary even when it's clear the word is a joke.
The strengths of this show are obviously Lilly & David who still manage to deliver high brow content despite the crudeness of the some of the guests. I especially admire Lilly who, unlike her British counterparts, always goes through the working of her solutions. Carlos (David's dictionary corner assistant) is also a great addition.
Cobra Kai: The Fall (2021)
Moment of Truth
Exciting tournament atmosphere much helped by the great surprise performance by Carrie Underwood singing the montage song of the original film. I love the interspersing of the old Karate Kid film clips, and get quite misty eyed every time I see a Mr. Miyagi one. Season 4 went by quite quickly, hopefully next Season will have more than 10.
Cobra Kai: Party Time (2021)
Loved it!
I got quite teary at the end of this one, what with Miguel thinking he's been playing second fiddle to Robby all along in the eyes of his girlfriend & his Sensei too. The development of Kenny's character as the bullied boy who's starting to bite back is also very interesting to follow.
Cobra Kai: Bicephaly (2021)
senpai kouhai
I have to confess i'm a bit of a Japanophile, & i like how in addition to the usual exploration of the Sensei/student relationship, this episode also touches on the Senpai/Kouhai dynamic with the new arrival Kenny & his fellow Cobra Kai's.
Cobra Kai: Let's Begin (2021)
My boys are back!
Scrolling through Netflix and finding Cobra Kai Season 4 finally there was a great start to my new year. Daniel & Johnny together never fail to crack me up, & it's great seeing the other members of the Larusso family getting a more developed story line.
Superman II (1980)
Magic!
I remember watching this for the 1st time as a child in the evening at the Village Cinemas on George Street, Sydney with my family, & at the end everyone was clapping & the whole experience was so exciting and magical. More than 30 years have passed & I still watch this movie on DVD with the same feelings undiminished. It's such an excellently edited film, the action, the humour, and enhanced with one of the best musical scores.
Superman 2 for me was actually even more enjoyable than the 1st (which I loved as well) maybe because of the 3 villains & superman having to battle against them like David vs Goliath. I even love all the product placements they had in the city night battle! Sadly I don't think there will ever be a Superman movie that tops this one.
La nuée (2020)
Barely passable as a "Horror"
1hr & 7mins in & there's still zero "horror" of any kind, so it's unfair to label this as such because it only leads to viewer dissatisfaction & of course only so-so reviews. The only thing that kept me from giving this a complete fail is that the acting is quite good, so maybe just categorize this as a "Thriller" & not "Horror".
Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)
Trying not to judge...
But C'mon?! I know it's the film that has to be reviewed and not the 'players' in it, so I'll try not to mention the fact that the victim's parents were not just naïve but criminally negligent, and that a harsher judge might even think their behaviour was bordering on complicit (I mean who doesn't call the authorities when your child disappears with a family friend for several days?).
Anyhoo, I think the film did a great job in getting their subjects to reveal a lot of things on screen most people would be too ashamed to even put down on paper. The pace is good and like a good mystery you want to watch till the end.
Arashi's Diary: Voyage (2019)
My 2nd Family
These five guys have the priceless gift of being able to make you happy just by being themselves, which is why since discovering them only 4 years ago I watch at least one of their tv shows (of which there are many) at least once a day. This documentary of the lead-up to the group's hiatus has a more sombre feeling (understandably), which does take some getting used to when you've been accustomed to watching them goofing it up in their various 'variety' style programs, but it is rewarding to a fan like me and maybe even to those who might want to enter the industry in whatever capacity.
Each member is very honest about what their expectations were for 2020, and how covid almost dashed all of them, were it not for their (& their team's) ability to adapt to the situation. The final episode had me in tears (of course).
Cobra Kai: Miyagi-Do (2021)
Excellent writing & kick-ass action
& not to mention SO FUNNY! Particularly the Chozen & Daniel re-match in Okinawa, & the rehabilitation of Miguel by Johnny. Being an 80s girl I'm also loving all the appearances of past characters so far (hope they keep coming!) & the development of Kreese's backstory. The writers really do deserve applause for how beautifully they incorporate the past with the present, & how they are able to further develop existing characters with the addition of new (or old) characters.
Once Were Warriors (1994)
Traumatic & unforgettable
This film left me distraught, such was its power to completely take control of your emotions and send it down & up & down & up.
From start to finish my pulse never had a chance to slow down, even the quieter scenes had my complete attention.
The domestic violence is quite hard to watch, as are the many misfortunes (to put it lightly) that befall this family, but it does manage to end in a very hopeful way.
Strong performances from all the cast, especially those playing the members of the Heke family.
Mok-gyeok-ja (2018)
Depicts realistic human behaviour -sadly
Was going to give this a 7 but the very last scene was so poignant & really got to me so I gave an extra point.
The lack of response by the apartment residents to the cries for help, the unwillingness of the witnesses to come forward, & the inability of the police to guarantee protection to those witnesses that do come forward, are all realistically depicted.
To digress briefly there was a similar occurrence (sans murder) in my building where my elderly neighbour was yelling for help from her balcony as she had locked herself out. Luckily my mum heard & asked me to check it out & I ended up ringing emergency services. Only after the firies came did much of our neighbours start coming out of their apartments to say they thought they heard someone yelling for help & asking if they could offer any help.
Getting back to the film, I thought the pace was great with never a dull moment, & the final scene of the witness standing where one of the victims had succumbed & yelling for help at the unresponsive buildings packs a punch.
Then There Was (2014)
Wish i cud rate it more for the Mandylors
I wudv rated this 3, but being an Australian i thought i'd give it an extra star as a show of support for the Aussies involved in the movie (the Mandylors :-). I had several issues. The lawlessness developed at such lightning speed (& all because of a couple of days blackout?) that i thought i must've missed a scene where they explained how many months had elapsed. I didn't understand what the basis was for everyone assuming that the blackout was worldwide (or atleast nationwide). Throughout the film there was a lack of 'thrilling' moments, but due to some of the positive reviews i was expecting a spectacular revelation at the end, but the lights just came back on. One realistic aspect was the panic buying. Overall i was irritated by this film, but appreciate the underlying message.
The Karate Kid (1984)
...the Best! Around!
I first watched this as a 9yr old in 1984 & fell in love with almost every character in the movie.
There's not a moment where I lost interest, even during the quieter scenes (which are wonderfully balanced with the more action packed scenes). This is all credit to Avildsen's master class in editing.
Bill Conti's music is amazing throughout the film, but especially in the final scene. The cinematography is beautiful & often overlooked because the viewer is so immersed in the storyline. The acting is authentic & the character's are engaging.
Most of all I love the Miyagi/Larusso friendship, something you don't usually see in modern day films.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Loved it!
This series is surprisingly hilarious and does a great job in incorporating the past with the present. I'm the original movie's number 1 fan and love every plentiful reference to it. Also touching is how the relationship between the already deceased Miyagi and Daniel endures, as it was the foundation of the Karate Kid story. I hope they can keep up the good work for the (fingers crossed) 2nd season.
Seoulyeok (2016)
packs its biggest punch at the end
I don't know why, but 2 of the main characters (the daughter & her boyfriend)kept irritating me throughout the film, but redeem themselves at the end in a way you wouldn't expect.
Conversely, the father who started out the film heroically in search of his daughter, in the end proves he's anything but.
The social commentary of how we judge & fear the mentally ill & homeless is exemplified well, particularly in the only scene with a bit of humour in it where the daughter & her homeless companion are desperately trying to lift the security roller door in an attempt to escape the clutches of what appears to be a zombie running towards them.
Like Train to Busan, the final father & daughter scene was quite devastating, but in a COMPLETELY different way! It's an ending that caught me by surprise emotionally & shows there are fates worse than being killed by the undead.