Reviews written by Dorama-san
-
Dance, Subaru! (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Dance, Subaru! (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$15.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:October 16, 2010 For Dance Fans OnlyDance, Subaru! lives up to its name with plenty of Subaru and plenty of dance, but somehow it seems less than the sum of its parts. While Kuroki Meisa does a commendable job as Subaru I couldn’t really feel her passion for dance, except as a child, during her last dance and a little during her 'bolero’. Most of her ballet comes across as wooden and unexceptional (the other cast members are forced to tell us that she’s actually amazing).
I think the main problem lies in the use of split shots for the dance scenes. Naturally, any movie with an actress in the role of a dancer is going to have difficulties convincing the audience the performer is always the actress, but Dance Subaru! seems to struggle more than usual (it’s quite obvious when it’s Meisa and when it’s not). I found it particularly frustrating when the film forgoes a full-body shot of a leap or jump (from an angle which would conceal the face) for the far less satisfying shot of only Subaru’s upper body (what is the point in a leap if we can’t even see the legs!?!).
Dance, Subaru! is based on a manga and I can see the characters are perhaps more fully fleshed out and explained in the original format but haven’t come across as well in the film adaptation. I think this is probably particularly true of the relationship between Subaru and the other two girls. Similarly, Subaru’s father's reaction to her decision to become a ballerina (and to dance in general) seems unlikely and a little too extreme, even given what happened in the past.
Fortunately there’s some eye-candy in the form of Hiraoka Yuta as the ‘guy friend’ but his character seems to have been thrown in ad-hock and doesn’t really have a purpose.
If you love dance-related movies (as I do) it’s probably worth your while watching this; otherwise I wouldn't recommend it. Sadly, it just doesn't quite have that 'extra something’ to bind all the parts together and make it great instead of average.
Technical Aspects:
English Subtitles: Excellent - I don't remember noticing any mistakes.
Picture Quality: Very Good
Sound Quality: Very Good
Special Features/Packaging: The special features are practically non-existent; a few photo gallery stills and two short trailers. The packaging seems not very well thought out; the images of the faces on the front cover appear to be collected randomly (not from the film) and are partially obscured on the DVD disc. The actual quality of the printing on the DVD and cover seems fine.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Baby & Me (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Malaysia Version)
Baby & Me (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Malaysia Version) DVD Region 3
(2)Our Price: US$12.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
October 16, 2010 Boring & MeIn Baby & Me, high-school student Joon-soo (Jang Geun-seok) finds himself in the unenviable position (even though it’s arguably his own fault) of being suddenly saddled with a young son he never even knew he had! His parents have conveniently headed for the hills in order to teach him a lesson, so what’s a teenage guy on his own to do? Why, recruit help of course!
Enter Joon-soo’s weird chicken-suit-wearing social-recluse love interest (or to be more accurate, love disinterest). Although I was rooting for her by definition of her role as female lead, her peculiarity wasn’t really ever satisfactorily explained. Her apparent love for Joon-soo is based entirely on his supposed good looks (you'll have to forgive me but I've never found him to be particularly handsome). Warning: the romantic scene shown on the inside of the DVD case is NOT even in the movie! I suggest you look elsewhere for a romance...
The baby 'Han Woo-ram' (I wish the movie explained the significance of his name) is cute but has been given an occasional voice-over by a gruff-sounding man. I found it entirely distracting and quite erratic. I think it would have been better to use a less masculine voice and be consistent in the viewpoint (e.g. either Joon-soo tells the story or Woo-ram does).
Jang Geun-seok has some emotional scenes and he pulls them off credibly well – the boy can certainly cry (and I’m not talking about the baby, although he has a good set of lungs too)!
If you are a Jang Geun-seok fan looking for a good comedy I would leave the decision up to you, but for everyone else I would suggest you try something else. There is little that sets Baby & Me apart from the hundreds of other mediocre comedies out there that somehow don't quite make it.
Technical Aspects:
English Subtitles: Good - I noticed less than 10 minor mistakes throughout the film.
Picture Quality: Average – while it doesn't really detract from the enjoyment of the film the picture quality is not as crisp as it could be. Also, the aspect ratio is 14:9 instead of 16:9 so on a widescreen TV it appears stretched. If you correct the aspect ratio the subtitles then appear a little squished and are harder to read but my eyes quickly adjusted and I didn't find it a problem.
Sound Quality: Good - I noticed no sound problems.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Spy Girl (Hong Kong Version)
October 16, 2010 This film struggles.....with almost everything, but mainly the lack of a plot!
A North Korean spy (shown half the time as a fighting-machine & the other as a naïve klutz) goes on a mission to capture a fellow spy who’s run off to South Korea with a large sum from the treasury. She arrives bizarrely on the doorstep of a former spy couple & takes on the name of their daughter Hyo-jin.
Despite its title there’s very little spying in this film. 'Hyo-jin' just suddenly knows where the traitor's haunt is & goes undercover at a nearby fast food store to keep an eye out for him.
Because of her pretty face Hyo-jin becomes a favourite with the customers & an object of jealousy for the (highly annoying & stereotypical) 'Angels' working there. They embark on a petty vendetta to put her in her place & when that backfires by her beating up the leader they suddenly become friends!
Meanwhile failed-student Ko-bong falls in love at first sight with Hyo-jin and essentially begins to stalk her taking photos to post on his friends’ 'Angels' website. Fearful her identity will be exposed (to whom we never find out) she agrees to date Ko-bong so he’ll remove the photos.
And that ladies and gentlemen is the extent of their relationship. He loves her only for her looks and she dates him only so he'll stop cyber-stalking her. Why at the end she suddenly decides she loves him I have no idea. Other than one foot massage there’s zilch development in their relationship or characters.
I bought Spy Girl on the strength of its comedy but found it to be sadly lacking in that aspect. There’s occasional humour, but not enough to make up for the film’s many other failings.
The ending is no better than the rest of the film & although it reaches the perhaps inevitable conclusion, I wish I hadn't spent the time & money to watch it. Try something else. If you're a fan of Gong Yoo I suggest Coffee Prince or My Tutor Friend (although he's not the main character in the later, his role is still far superior).
Technical Aspects:
English Subtitles: Average – There are only occasional minor mistakes & everything seems to be grammatically correct, but I felt there was something 'missing'. Perhaps the translation is quite literal & several of the small details & nuances have been missed. Or it could just be a poor script to begin with.
Picture Quality: Average – neither noticeably good nor bad. It had the slightly 'grainy' look typical of older films; whether it’s intentional I don't know.
Sound Quality: Good – I noticed no problems.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Drop (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Drop (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$15.49Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
October 15, 2010 People DO die that easily!Warning: This is a VERY violent movie. It is not a teenage flick with the occasional fisty-cuff ragtag fight. We are talking about an almost constant stream of fights involving baseball bats, metal bars, wooden poles, the occasional 'decorative' sword, and even a 'hot' car!
Despite gang-leader Tatsuya's frequent catch-phrase “people don't die that easily” I have to strongly disagree. If any of the actors were subjected to the blows they receive in Drop they would be dead (several times over!) Yet apparently one bandaid to the face & perhaps a bruise at the corner of the mouth the next day accounts for everything!?
Despite its violent nature it's essentially a story of self-discovery and the transition to adulthood. And while I would hesitate to call Drop an outright comedy it certainly does have comedic elements.
Watching the preview for Drop I couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of Mizushima Hiro as a tough gang leader but surprisingly he does pull it off quite credibly. Although I never understood his motivation to fight he still felt like a real person, not the 2-D cardboard cut-out I was expecting.
I admit the reason I bought Drop was because it stars Narimiya Hiroki (the guy has talent & once again he brings it to the fore). Hiroshi is immediately likeable as a sissy high school guy who wants to join a gang before becoming a serious adult. His attempts to talk his way out of the many fights being in a gang inevitably entails are both amusing and endearing.
Being a coming of age film Drop does inevitably take a more serious turn towards the end. Hiroki once again pulls through and shows just what acting material he's made of (if you don't want to cry in public watch the end alone).
I haven't read the manga but I was impressed by the clever way it’s been integrated into the film. Images from the manga are shown as stills which then come to life in real action, & vice-versa.
The plot wanders aimlessly for a while in the middle (likely the result of being based on a manga) but it comes together in the end. So in summary, would I watch it again: at the Drop of a (pink) helmet!
Now for the technicalities of this version:
English Subtitles: Excellent – The subtitles are clear, easily readable and grammatically correct. I noticed no mistakes.
Picture Quality: Excellent – Crisp picture quality clearly showing every graphic detail.
Sound Quality: Excellent – I noticed nothing wrong with the sound quality.
Special Features: This version has no special features. At all.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
Showing: 1-4 of 4 items
Page:
1
Bookmark & Share