Reviews

The plot is a film about security topics from EU and Finnish centric perspective, which is unique and provides quite a bit to be explored. The current geopolitical environment also makes the basic storyline somewhat believable. However, as the film progresses, the plot holes keep on expanding to the point that the film became quite nonsensical at the end. It is fine if it has the budget of blockbuster Hollywood action flick to cover that up, but it doesn't. Even though they did an outstanding job with the budget, it is still not quite there in absolute terms and it shows. The acting is bland, but perhaps it is a cultural element there. What is clear, though, is that the actors clearly didn't spend enough time/effort training. Their combat techniques (weapon manipulation/tactical movements etc.) look like amateurs when they are supposed to be highly trained agents. It is definitely not the worst action film I've seen, but unfortunately I cannot say I recommend this movie.

For a person who understands only western value, many things will not make sense. Family above individuals, supremacy of elderly in the family, putting ego before lives, women being attachments of men, and nonstop sectarian violence are just a few things that would immediately stand out. The central plot is basically the story of a western educated Lebanese woman being "tamed" and re-educated to accept traditional Arab values. The plot is severely limited by fulfillment of the expectations from its target audience. There are interesting moments early in the series, but overall the plot is flat and predictable. There are some decent acting, but production quality is overall mediocre. Unless you are interested in learning about Arab mentality and culture, you can really skip this one.

There is nothing remarkable about this film. Don't waste your time. The only interesting part is the CGI, which in my opinion is mostly fine.

The acting was bad, there plot is predictable and poorly put together, and the soundtracks were forgettable.

This is a decent drama with actions, from a country normally not mentioned much on the news. The production quality is good and full of Paraguayan humor. I think it will worth your time and it is perfect for an evening's relaxation - give it a try!

On a more personal touch, this film reminds me a lot of my Paraguayan friends. They are really a special bunch. I am very happy that finally there is one Paraguay film on Netflix. Hope to see more in the future!

Saludos de un Taiwanese a nuestros amigos paraguayos :)

I see a lot of reviewers here take issue of the casual use of "Asian" in the title. While I agree with that in principle, I think it should not be a reason to shoot this film down.

This is a decent drama aimed at breaking into white-predominant Western market, and there are many elements designed to make it more easily understood by that group of audience, including the casual use of "Asian". In a way, this is a light intro into dating East Asia guys. There is the issue of typical power struggle between daughter in law and the mother, who typically runs the family. Since Asians typically value family unity and respect the opinion of elderly of the family a lot more than most Western cultures, approval from the parents could be a make or break moment for the relationship. A lot of Asian dramas feature or even center around such conflicts. Such family value also leads to more intense internal and external struggle between collectivity (what the family wants) and individuality. Finally, the sake of family benefit is often tied to material measures (impact on wealth and status from the new member). This is exacerbated by the cultural clash, here represented by a very Americanized Asian, of collectivism and individualism.

Those above-mentioned topics are typically increasingly pronounced as the family net worth increases, therefore it is understandable that a rich Singaporean family was chosen as the story setup. The scenes of glamorous parties also serve as great material for marketing, and help keep the interest of audience, which might have been otherwise difficult had the film dived too deep into Asian family affairs that other ethnic groups have little touchpoint with. I do not agree with some of the reviews suggesting that the point is to flash the money - quite the contrary, it plays more of a supporting role in the film. However, those comments do show that they did distract the audience from the main story/message.

Overall it is an entertainment film, not a social critique or culture study documentary, and for that it is decently made. The main actresses did a brilliant job, but the rest of the pack fell rather flat or even failed quite badly. The camera work was pretty good and, together with the nice cars and beautiful architectures, helped partially cover up the shortcoming of acting. The development of the plot is rather obvious and predictable, and there is not enough relationship-building to support the story. The couple show a lot of affection towards each other but the audience cannot see where that comes from. The protagonist most definitely acted like a NYU economic student rather than a professor (due to the script writing, not the acting). It is the right step for Asian community in the entertainment business, but there is still a lot work to be done. This film can be a good pass time but not a must watch.

This series humanizes both sides of the conflict and depicts how people suffer from the constant fear and losses of loved ones in the war, caught in a system that no one has control over anymore.

The action scenes are very well directed - clearly the crew received guidance from people who have real special forces training and combat experiences. They are abrupt, intense, and fast-paced. The characters are very believable and attention to detail is admirable. I also like how intelligence was a critical part of mission success. The series shows how it is gathered and used before, during and after the operations. Of course, there are some scenes which are clearly dramatized and unrealistic (unfortunately it seems to be increasingly so), but the majority of them are believable.

The series also put a lot of effort in showing the mental toll the conflict takes, and the actresses and actors did an amazing job. It is truly impressive. Again, a lot of attention to detail here, and story line is mostly well aligned. The audience can understand pretty well why each of the main characters behave, what is driving them, their pain and how they deal with it. At some point I realized even during a peaceful dinner scene, I was mentally preparing myself for hell to break loose any moment, or family being torn apart in the next scene.

The series used the advantage of a series (compared to a movie) very well. So far it has mostly avoided dragging, and had the right amount of focus and screen time for developing characters versus action scenes. I would have given 9/10; however, there are noticeable signs of deterioration in terms of repetitiveness and plot development in Season 3. I hope it does not get worse in the corse of the season.

Finally, I think the series was brave to show the dirty side of business without justifying it. The moral question of abducting innocent people to save your son is just as grave as threatening a pregnant woman to kill her baby to save your comrades. In fact, the series was able to re-construct a multi-dimensional space where right and wrong, love and hate are blurred and intertwined in the face of brutal reality. It shows how the conflict feeds on the blood it spills and there is no winner in the end.

I highly recommend it for people who are interested in the topic, though be prepared to see some mentally stressing scenes. There are quite a lot of pain and suffering in the series.

This is a film about the complexity of relationships - how two people can be so deeply connected yet so utterly disconnected at the same time. While the film focuses on a tiny window through the entirety of a decade long relationship, it was a transformational moment, the culmination of years of communication breakdown and growing apart. The divorce lawsuit gave both a chance of reality check - through the eyes of the lawyers and the judicial system, they were forced out of their own narrative to re-examine what happened to their relationship, which roles they played in the sequence of events, as well as how to go forward with the best interest of the child in mind. In the process, they also went from being self-centric and directing emotions outwards, to being more inner looking and empathetic. In the end, decisions about relationships are highly personal and subjective. Good or bad, relationships can never go back to where they were once upon a time. The film captures this aspect of life very well.

The actors did a phenomenal job and the music choices are excellent. However, I do feel at times that the film dragged a bit. In additional, beware that many emotional and plot transitions are subtle, yet closely connected. The actors delivered that brilliantly, but not every viewer caught those slight shifts in the details, which is reflected on some of the confusion or frustration about the movie expressed in the reviews written here. It is not a film about romance, or evil lawyers, or parental responsibilities. Unfortunately, the trailer is a bit misleading and some viewers probably had a different expectation going in.

All in all, this is a well-made film and I recommend it to people who are interested in movies about relationships that have healthy amount of realism and maturity.

It was already obvious early into the series that this is intended to be a glorified tribute instead of a documentary. Although the overall production quality was good, many parts of the series are not believable even as a fictional story. Obviously details of how Cohen managed to penetrate the Syrian circle may never be made public, but what was presented was simply not convincing enough. The desire to create dramatic effects and portrait Cohen and Mossad in a patriotic and purely positive way ruined much of the potential to make it a great series instead of a great series for Israelis. It is nonetheless very entertaining as a fictional thriller drama, if you are able and willing to look pass the likely deviation from reality.

This film managed to find the fine balance between social critique, a theme that German society is almost obsessed with, and humor. It gives the audience the sense of a theatrical drama, as most of the movie is shot between the living room and dinner table, albeit with varying camera angles, which is a challenge by itself as the audience can easily get bored if the conversation is not engaging enough, which is not the case with this film. You can have a good time without being interested in the underlying political discussion, although you would probably enjoy it more if you are interested in the reflection of German intelligentsia on the modern day impact of Nazi Germany's legacy on its society. The script is well-thought out, genuinely funny, and demonstrates that German cinema has the artistic skill to produce a high quality comedy. I highly recommend it.

The movie has great potential, but unfortunately failed to deliver. For a fun and relaxing movie session it serves its purpose, but that is all.

The plot is quite original, but the execution destroyed all the potential twists because hints are constantly dropped about what is coming next. In addition, there are many illogical parts, such as how the villagers reacted to their unexpected visit and the part where they took the money from the protagonists - they would know that it basically amounts to committing suicide. The characters are not developed well enough to support the emotional part of the movie either.

The actions scenes are entertaining but not convincing - the protagonists do not behave like well-trained and well-seasoned special force members, completely losing guard when threat is still present, perimeter not secured for an extended period of time, lacking of discipline, situation awareness and initiative, the list goes on. There are also the renowned Hollywood-made nuclear-tipped 40mm grenade, and shoulder-fired air-fuel rocket that flips 3-tonne SUVs. Some of the money bags appear to be made from very strong, almost futuristic material that can withstand quite a lot of abuse.

I can tell that Netflix has pondered the possibility of making a sequel or even trilogy out of this. I do hope that if they decide to, those problem get fixed - those are the details that does not require huge investment, but will push the quality up a notch.

I recommend it to people who are can have a good time without focusing too much about the details and logic of an action film.

The reason for the low rating is the absolute lack of surprise in the plot - but it is a solid comedy which can be a piece of evidence against anyone who says Germans do not have humour.

I must say, as a former military service man, I was quite intrigue to find the similarities in the military life of different countries. I am full aware of the exaggeration and parody, but nonetheless it resonates.

If you just want to have a good time without turning on your brain, this is a good comedy that you will enjoy.

I don't normally watch series- but I have to say Netflix really made a bold move here. The polarised opinions here is a testimony of its success in the novel approach. It requires the audience to get pass the gore- which, mind you, is much- and see the symbolism and dark humour behind. Apart from the humour, which I greatly enjoyed, the series is relatable and inspiring for me as a parent, a partner, and even, a child. It is a comedy- there is no realistic depiction of the dark side of struggles in relationships. However, sometimes it is exactly what it takes to bring new perspectives and deliver the entertainment that helps relieve stress in real life. Contrary to some critics here, I find the acting quite believable and on point for a comedy. It would have been very ordinary or even boring had "the family problem" not been a surreal one- by doing so, however, freedom for creativity and expression was unlocked, which resulted in a very entertaining series. It is a risky move- first, some cannot stomach the gore and some interested in zombies are not interested in family comedy theme, which might lead to a narrow audience group. Second, I am not sure how long they can keep the audience hooked as the freshness of the zombie element depreciates, given the lack of complexity in the underlying story. So far so good- good luck with the coming seasons, production team!

The major failure of the film is the unconvincing portrayal of military staff and war scenes. If the goal is to take the audience to a tour into the emotions and point of view of a 19-year-old soldier who became a war hero, the details must be accurate in a realistic sense. This is true even if the discussion does not focus on the battle itself. As a tradition of Ang Lee, the scenes are shot with great clarity and contrast in colour; however, while it works well for movies such as 'the Life of Pi', it really undermines the military scenes. The physical or even verbal fights with civilians could not have broken out under the circumstances in the film, either. Those are just two of the more obvious problems.

There are many important topics which were touched upon; however, the delivery, again, is underwhelming. The problem with the rather risky strategy narrating the story purely through interweaving memory flashbacks and reality is that it is hard for the audience to build emotion connection with the characters and develop thoughts on topics. However, the film is inherently difficult to shoot due to the very limited substance in the combat experience of the protagonist. It is realistic, as the combat today is mostly fought in skirmishes. The film could just as easily become bland using more conventional approach.

With that said, the film overall matches my personal experience in military- when inside, I often thought about my civilian life, but once I was out, I felt 'foreign' and had frequent memory flashbacks of the my military experiences. I think the film captures that pretty well. I also thought that the film, as a tradition of Ang Lee perhaps, does not intend to deliver any message, but rather, focuses on the human side of the characters without passing judgment. His films can be quite philosophical. This is why I think the analysis focusing on 'the message' or 'the story line' is missing the point.

Overall, I think Ang Lee was quite ambitious, using an unorthodox way to narrate and new equipment to film a story that might be difficult to resonate with many of the viewers, and could easily draw critique from the military and veteran communities. I respect him for pushing boundaries. It was also a high quality production in many ways. However, I do think that this film has unfortunately left much to be desired.

It is film where the greater political propaganda is put aside and humanity, or the destruction thereof, is put on centre stage. It is realist in that there is nothing heroic about any characters, and certainly no intention to impress anyone with action scenes. There is only depiction of the dire daily reality for those on the front line fighting- in between buildings to buildings, underground sewage system, and bunkers, the propagated cause for fatherland is replaced with confusion, disillusion, famine, death, and desperation. Soon it becomes clear that the real enemy is not those who on the other side of the front line, but the few elites that feed on the massive sacrifices of their own people. This message is delivered without making the film a strong political critique.

This film provides a perspective from the defeating side, where, for those who were trapped and abandoned thousands kilometers away from home, fate was collectively decided on the day they received order to march to Stalingrad. I recommend it to people who want to have a real taste of war and are open to a different point of view.

The film tells the story in a very efficient way- sometimes perhaps too efficient that viewer can easily get lost on a slip of attention. However, the plot is well-developed and to a good level of complexity for action movies.

The action scenes are directed in a rather novel way- much of the intensity comes from the suspension of the action build-up, but not so much the action itself. Viewers get an idea of the setting of the fights, but the timing and place of the fighting are totally unpredictable.

This leads to my third point and why I did not give the movie a high score. While the camera angle and the way of approaching the action scenes were intriguing, the fighting itself was unconvincing to me. The gang was supposed to be very professional, but from spraying with Uzi, to using a long rifle with a magnifying scope in CQB situations, not to mention in one scene the killer did not realise his Berreta has en empty mag and had to pull the trigger to find out (well, good news is at least the bolt was in lock-back position). To me a great deal of details were lacking precision and it kind of made it look unprofessional. Still it is way better than many Hollywood action movies and you will be massively entertained if you are not a enthusiastic military fan like me!

To me this film is great in the sense that it provokes me enough to see messages perhaps exceeding the original intent of both the author and the film maker. The irony is that the film in really serves as a strong critique against the two main characteristics that Tylor represents: anti-establishment and masculinity.

To begin with, the movie was produced by one of the biggest media corporates in the world, cashing on the corporate hatred and self- hatred generated precisely by those corporates. The crowd who followed Tylor thinking that they are liberated from the capitalist treadmill are in fact merely shifting from one treadmill to another. Same as the fascist followers who felt empowered carrying out the orders, in the process of working for Tylor they are really being exploited and given a tiny share of the power and resources they gathered - exactly the same as working for a company. Will their lives really change after credit records are destroyed? We have seen how communist revolutions rose and fell. What is, then, the whole point of the movement? It is a project of the protagonist set out to find his own value, instead of being defined by others. It is a process that requires internal examination and self-awareness. The crowd he draws is used for his personal project; eventually he becomes aware of his other self, Tylor, examined his own actions and those of Tylor's, and finds peace again with himself.

Another mockery the film makes is towards the concept of masculinity. I quickly noticed the crowd drawn by Tylor consists only males, and the character itself is the projection of perfect masculinity perceived by the society. In a civilised society where powerful positions no longer require physical strength, certain male members feel a great sense of insecurity – exactly the members fight club attracts. Frustrated by their failure to gain influence in the establishment, they go to the gym and boxing clubs to regain confidence, or engage in reckless behaviours to show how daring they are. The film portrayed these people as flat in character and seemingly stupid. The only trait that sets Tylor apart from them is his intelligence. In fact, it was the intelligent part of him that woke him up from the corporate slavery, not the masculine part. Violence and sex are used as a tool to express power, but after the short-lived pleasure derived from the power trip, the ensuing wounds and pain are long-lasting. While Tylor dominated Marla in bed, the protagonist does not even feel the pleasure from sex. In the end, the feminine and powerless Marla saves the protagonist by reconnecting the conflicting parts of him and completes his self- searching journey.

My mood was manipulated by the film the first time I saw it; the motivational speech about self-discovery and pursuit of passion sold me. But when I realised they were blindly targeting companies, I suddenly realised the stupidity of the ideology with which the crowd was bonded, and from that departure, I felt alienated from the protagonist and from the film and was able to see the bigger picture. From the interviews of the author and the director I did not see the same interpretation I had, however, I believe an art piece has its own life after its creation. From cinematographic perspective, this is a very well made film. Once again Fincher did an excellent job. I recommend this film.

The mini series is by no means an accurate historical narration, and certainly not perfectly logical, yet it is a good piece as entertainment.

A movie is not a documentary, and this subjectivity allows more freedom to develop characters, plots and expression of social critique. Unfortunately the film fails to exploit this advantage, instead giving too much attention on building the tension to create strong emotional reaction, even sacrificing common sense to accomplish that goal. The probability of many events in the movie are so low (e.g. meeting each other in such a huge battle field, surviving events in which the protagonist could have easily got killed) that towards the end I could not engage emotionally with the story anymore. The transition between story lines and scenes are not always smooth, and it is plagued by cliché and corny conversations, and By Hollywood standard this is completely normal, but I expected a bit more from a German production on this topic.

There are a handful of movies that provoke the same emotional reaction so consistently as this one. I have watched it over at least 5 times.

The movie is very intense in that all the scenes are very well- connected and well balanced between narration and action. There is much less action and violence than the first one, but it is compensated by the well written script, which keeps audience on the edge of the seat as the whole storyline unfolds.

I felt like I have grown with the protagonist from the first movie. As his fight has gone from tactical to strategical, the perspective of the movie has graduated to higher, more holistic level.

Though fictional, the movie tells a story that many different countries share- a society hijacked by systematic corruption, social inequality, and gang violence. As credit rolls, I found myself sitting in silence pondering my role in this ecology, how we have come to this, and more importantly, how we can extricate ourselves from this situation. I believe this is precisely what the director wanted us to think.

The acting and soundtracks are up to the standards in my opinion, and the action scenes are much closer to reality than most Hollywood movies.

Unfortunately, no movie is perfect; in my opinion, the characters are not very well developed. It is a movie dedicated to a political message, and I respect the decision of the director to make it so. However, that means lengthy narration outlining the structure of the corrupted system took priority over develop connection between the audience and the characters. I personally would prefer using more acting, interactions, and development of the plot itself as oppose to plain verbal narration.

Nonetheless, it is a great movie and I would definitely recommend it to those who are interested in political and social topics.