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genethagenius
Reviews
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (2023)
Wow! Now a fan of Ncuti Gatwa's 15th Doctor!
I am a big "DW" fan. I originally saw some of the 4th, 6th, & 7th Doctor serials as a child in the U. S. on PBS. And then when the new series started, RTD made me fall in love with the show all over again. However, I was not a fan of the 14th Doctor's run. Not because of Whittaker, but because I am not a fan of Chris Chibnall's writing for the show & since he was announced I thought he was a poor choice for showrunner. And... it seems he was. The poor writing that plagued Capaldi's last 2 seasons returned. And then... RTD came back! I missed the first 3 specials but caught this one. I had only seen clips of Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor. And the reviews on YouTube weren't kind. I have no idea why because this special was INCREDIBLE!!! Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor is amazing. He's... the Doctor! I don't know a better compliment than that! I think his Doctor will be remembered as one of the greats by the end of his run if they keep up this level of writing & production. I had not seen Millie Gibson before but I'm excited to have her as a companion! Her, Michelle Green, and Angela Wynter were excellent in the episode! I really liked their characters & family dynamic. I hope we see them again! The special is another great "DW" episode. The antagonists were interesting & I don't believe we've seen them before. But I do hope we see them again! There's a musical portion of the special I got ready to cringe when it started. Turned out to be one if my favorite parts of the episode! "Who" is BACK!!!! Thank you RTD & thank you especially to Mr. Gatwa who gets the character! I'm excited to see what's next for the 15th Doctor & you should be also!
Shao Lin yu Wu Dang (1983)
A Classic!!!
First, watch original English Dub. It just... has this charm that will grow on you. Both characters, the villain, and both sisters are just awesome. Johnny Wang as the villain is hilarious. He has NO tact! Idy Chan is also excellent in her role as Gordon Liu's sister. She steals every scene she's in! Li Ching is also great. You're honestly never sure if she's in it for herself, the villain, or some other purpose. And Gordon Liu & Adam Cheng are phenomenal as always. One of my favorite roles of Adam Cheng & Gordon Liu during this time period. The action & fight choreography is top-notch and still stands the test of time. Ever since I first saw it as a child in NY on Fox 5 after Saturday Morning Cartoons, I've been a fan of the film and the genre!
Shao Lin san shi liu fang (1978)
One of the best Kung Fu films of ALL TIME!
How can ANYONE who has watched this give it less than a 10??? Seriously, even one of the most popular hip-hop groups named their first album after this film! It stars Gordon Liu in one of his most famous roles. A young man who goes to Shaolin to learn martial arts. But in the process, he discovers more than just fighting. The training sequences of the monks & chambers is just incredible! So many good ones. And the empty-hand skills and traditional Chinese weapons are of greater skill & variety than most other films in the genre. The soundtrack is great also. It's been sampled numerous times by the Wu-Tang Clan & its members among others. It's one of those films I can just watch over & over! Most Gordon Liu films are excellent, especially from this time period. But this one is on a whole other level. Go watch!
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
A treat for fans of Wuxia & Chinese Cinema!
I grew up watching kung fu films from Shaw Bros., Golden Harvest, & Bruce Lee after Saturday morning cartoons would finish in NY. And my love for wuxia & kung fu films only increased as I got older. I was not familiar with the comic or character before this film. But I immediately became a fan! I'm not sure if I had seen Simu Liu in anything before this, but I was very impressed by his martial arts ability and performance. Awkwafina (seriously, just the name & its spelling were a turn-off initially) was the biggest surprise! You really feel & believe her character & Simu Liu's are longtime close friends. And she also did great with a wide range of wmorions & has GREAT comedic timing. The other stand out performance to me was Tony Leung Chai-Wai. I have been a fan of his films for decades. (Especially "Hero" & "2046"!). He shines here as always. Michelle Yeoh is just phenomenal no matter what she does. I've been a fan of hers since the 90's and her roles in "Tai Chi Master" w/ Jet Li and as Yim Wing Chun in the hilarious "Wing Chun". The film is great! The story is good, the characters compelling, and the fight choreography is top-notch. The only negative I have to say is the ending. The main villain/monster and some of the final act & battle were... not up to par with the rest of the film. Enjoyable, but not the best part of the film. I have one more MAJOR gripe: Shang-Chi's sister. I like her backstory. However! And Hollywood & writers keep doing this with female characters. We want to see people improve and grow. Especially in martial arts films. Training is one of the best parts outside fight scenes in martial arts films. So we come to the character of Xu Xialing played by the excellent Meng'er Zhang. So... she learned martial arts from spying, (okay I'm still on board) and then taught & trained herself (with no instructors or training partners) to such a high degree that she easily beats skilled martial artists & MMA fighters? Let alone her brother, who was PERSONALLY trained by their father. See the problems? And this is prevalent across media right now with female characters. Please don't see this as a misogynistic rant. I just see this as becoming alarmingly common. Characters who are already good at everything and "just need to realize it" are kind of boring. Where's the struggle? But overall, I greatly enjoyed this film. If you like martial arts films, wuxia, or just MCU films in general, you can't go wrong with "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings". I really hope Disney greenlights a sequel. It deserves one.
Chang Yue Jin Ming (2023)
Perfect Xianxa!
I grew up watching 70's & 80's kung fu & wuxia films after Saturday morning cartoons as a child. Loved Chinese cinema & television ever since. This show does not disappoint! I read another reviewer call it "Xianxia, but with HBO production quality" and I'd have to agree! The wardrobe especially is spectacular. (Shout out Huang Wei for an incredible job!). Bai Lu looks like an empress of immortals in many of her outfits and Luo Yunxi's outfits are also a pleasure to the eye. The sets are also gorgeous. If C. G. I. Was used, (outside of the action & cultivations scenes) it was very tasteful & blended well. The whole cast is great, but Bai Lu shines in particular. Especially as the "former" spoiled princess! This was not just one of the best shows from China I've seen in a while, but an overall great show! The classic "war of the sexes" tropes that play out are often done in a humorous manner and never seem like tropes.
RocknRolla (2008)
So under-rated!
I love this movie! If you are a fan of other Guy Ritchie films such as "Snatch" or "Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking Barrels", this is more of the same, in a good way! It was the first film I saw who has become one of my favorite actors, Tom Hardy also. He and the rest of the star-stuffed cast give incredible, memorable characters. But Thandie Newton steals the show with every scene she's in! One of Hollywood's most talented actresses, I'm honestly surprised this performance didn't win her an Oscar or Golden Globes nod. Toby Kebbels also shines as a mob boss's delinquent rock star step-son. It seems like this is one Guy Ritchie film that we never hear mentioned that much. Which, while I did greatly enjoy his recent "The Gentlemen", I think "RockNRolla" was a much better, funnier film with stronger characters. We were promised a sequel at the end of the film but I doubt that will ever materialize. (If it does I'll be there to watch it day 1).
Heart of Stone (2023)
Great action!!!
I see a lot of negative reviews on here nitpicking the littlest things in the script & film, which I don't understand. Films like this and "John Wick" are first and foremost action films! And the action in this film is non-stop adrenaline pumping fight scenes and stunts! And unlike many films these days with female leads, the fight scenes are excellently choreographed! Probably the best action film I've seen so far in 2023. I hope it gets a sequel! Gal Gadot is really good in it. Action films like this and "Wonder Woman" seem to be her strong point. The stunts were great also. Reminiscent of the "Mission: Impossible" or "James Bond" franchise. I was honestly never bored the whole film.