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EvilNinjaPhil
Reviews
Cast Away (2000)
Saw it, was okay, wanted to FedEx something.
*Some possible spoilers here, but none that haven't been given away so far.*
How come no-one here so far has mentioned the sheer amount of product placement in this film? It goes beyond the point of silliness (like the Nokia phones on Charlie's Angles) to the point where a FedEx package is the reason for the main character to live.
First thing you see is a FedEx truck. Hank's character works for FedEx. FedEx parcels wash up on his island.
But, maybe, this is a statement. Hanks has given himself totally to this corporate world, even so far as to leave at Christmas to go with a delivery. Maybe his island is his means to escape from this.
Fat chance. FedEx parcels wash up regularly, leaving a corporate brand on a uninhabited island.
But by the time Hanks makes his escape (c'mon, you know he gets back, it's in the damn trailer.) he's left everything behind. His Maglite torch has run out. His clothes are now just unrecognizable shreds. The one parcel he has left unopened has had all the branding washed off it. Maybe that's a metaphor for him? Maybe. So off he goes, a better person... ...until he raises his sail. He's painted a FedEx logo on it.
Damn you Hanks.
I think I'm being to harsh on it. Maybe reading the book No Logo isn't helping.
Maybe this is it's statement. Thanks to his loyalty to the corporation, Hanks looses everything and is left just as alone as he was on that island.
Maybe it is subversive.
Maybe.
(See? I got through a whole review without loads of !!!!!! and no caps. Learn, people, please.)
Wong Fei-Hung (1991)
Jet Li + Tsui Hark = Brilliance
Tsui hark is a genius. Jet Li is a baaaaad man. Go buy/rent/steal/beg a copy NOW! It may seem to be yer basic martial arts film, but it is has an epic scope and range of emotions that lift above the average chop-sucky. Superb.
Dip huet seung hung (1989)
If I could take one film to a desert island...
Then The Killer is it.
After A Better Tomorrow it seemed impossible to beat it. It wasn't. Again the dream team of Tsui Hark, John Woo and Chow Yun Fat combines to create sheer brilliance. Thats not to forget Danny Lee, of course. He perfectly counterpoints Chow's guilt ridden assassin with his hard-boiled cop.
It is impossible to put into words simply how good this film is. It just is. Without this film, then the action genre would have been over-ran with overly musculed Austrians. Praise the Lord for John Woo.
'A' gai wak (1983)
Want to see Jackie Chan in his prime? See this.
This is just a great film; Chan at his prime, Sammo Hung being cool, Yuen Biao doing amazing stuff and a great level of genius. Chan's breakthrough movie combines all of the elements that would make him the biggest Asian star; the stunts, balletic martial arts sequences and a fair dose of humour. One of the best HK martial arts movies ever? Yes.
*For the best HK martial arts film, see ProjectA II, by the way.
Suk saan: San suk saan gim hap (1983)
Swords! Heroes! Demons! Flying Rocks!
This is the best kung-fu-comedy-action-horror film I've seen since "Big Trouble in Little China". I know that Asian films a bit...off centre but this takes the biscuit. The story revolves around a Scout during an Ancient Civil War who, via the most colourful battle scene EVER, ends up a mystical mountain range. There he meets heroes who battle the vile demons who roam the mountains. Who attack with flags. Then the Blood Monstaer appears and things get a little surreal...