Reviews written by Feekiecats
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Mibu Gishi Den (When the Last Sword Is Drawn) (Japan Version - English Subtitles)
Mibu Gishi Den (When the Last Sword Is Drawn) (Japan Version - English Subtitles) DVD Region 2
(9)Our Price: US$44.49Usually ships within 7 to 14 daysRelated promotions:October 8, 2007 Incomparable Movie!Comparing American-made The Last Samurai to Japan's When the Last Sword is Drawn is like comparing a Junior High School play to a great Broadway production. There is no comparison. Tom Cruise vs. Kiichi Nakai? Please -- It's laughable and insulting to Nakai. Kiichi Nakai gives the performance of a lifetime playing Kanichiro Yoshimura, the country samurai whose first and only responsibility is feeding his family amidst a famine which has struck his beloved homeland.
Yoshimura faces disgrace and banishment from his clan because he dares leave his homeland to find work to keep his family from starving to death. The jobs he takes are distasteful to him and morally wrong, but he is driven by his desire to take care of his family. Every little bit of money he earns, he sends back to them. He is made fun of because of his constant drive to earn more money for his family and is thought to be a weird samurai who does not understand the true nature of being a samurai.
This attitude is especially expressed by fellow samurai Saito who hates his quirky country samurai ways so much that he tries to kill Yoshimura. However, Yoshimura quickly reinforces his unparalleled swordsmanship, and Saito is put in his place rather quickly. Still, Saito continues to hate Yoshimura and fails to understand Yoshimura's greatness until they (the Shinsengumi) are faced with certain defeat from the approaching Imperial Army.
The last thirty minutes of the movie are so emotional that I challenge anyone not to cry during Yoshimura's final speech. This movie is so much more than a samurai movie. It's about what kind of person each of us should strive to be. Yoshimura is a perfect man in an imperfect world. He is so good, so loyal, so dedicated, so courageous and so loving. The movie is inspiring and must stand on it's own and never be compared to any other film -- because it is so superior in every way. The story is told brilliantly and is approached from an angle not seen before. The actors, most significantly of course -- Kiichi Nakai -- are extraordinary. Koichi Sato as Saito is at first darkly menacing. However, later, because of his relationship with Yoshimura, he comes to know the true nature of what it is to be a real samurai. Sato's performance is so genuine and heart-felt that the viewer will also undoubtedly be deeply moved by his character.
In my opinion, this movie cannot be casually viewed. In other words, I can't imagine a person watching this movie and then immediately going to the club or out shopping. It's a movie to savor like a fine wine or a great piece of literature. It's a wonderful movie and should be on everyone's must see list.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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Hard Boiled (DTS Version) (US Version)
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October 8, 2007 Ultra Violent! Ultra Cool!Chow Yun-Fat is possibly the coolest gun-toting policeman (or gangster) to ever appear in any movie! It looks like he is having such a good time blowing the bad guys away! Even when he's shot, and he frequently is, it doesn't slow him down or dampen his spirit. Usually chewing on a match and flashing the famous Chow Yun-Fat smile, it's impossible not to like this guy. I think if you're a girl, you want to be WITH him and if you're a guy you just want to BE him! He has one of the strongest and most charismatic personalities in movies today.
Hard-Boiled is thrilling from start to finish. I've never seen a movie in this genre take place in a hospital. It's really a stroke of genius, because it's so unexpected and kind of taboo -- putting all those innocent people -- and babies -- in danger. Yet, it works! I especially like Chow Yun-Fat blowing the bad guys away while carrying a small baby who seems to be having a great time! The baby flashes a big smile every time Chow Yun-Fat's bullet hits its target, which means the baby has a big smile on its face almost all the time. This baby has a big future ahead of it in movies. He's a natural!
Tony Leung is terriffic in his role and also looks gorgeous! This movie really doesn't have a down-side. It has interesting characters, unexpected locales and tons of bullets and dead bodies! It's an exciting violent fun film which keeps your interest from beginning to end. You won't be checking your watch during this movieDid you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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The Moon Warriors (Eng Dubbed) (DTS Version) (US Version)
The Moon Warriors (Eng Dubbed) (DTS Version) (US Version) DVD Region All
(3)Our Price: US$15.99Related promotions:October 8, 2007 There's Nothing Andy Can't Do!First of all, I do not own the English dubbed version. Mine has subtitles -- hate English dubbed movies! And now for my review. I am a huge Andy Lau fan! I just discovered him a few months ago when I became aware of the excellence of Chinese cinema and music. I have many Andy Lau movies, music videos and cd's. Andy Lau can do absolutely everything and do them perfectly! He can sing beautifully, dance like a professional dancer, play a killer, a romantic hero, a geeky guy, a feudal fighter, kung-fu master and swordsman. He can ride a horse most impressively, make you laugh and cry with his superb acting talent and the list goes on and on. In this movie, he rides a whale! Yes, it's really him and he's really riding, swimming with and hugging a whale! America has no one who comes anywhere close to being his equal when it comes to talent. He's a genius in so many different areas. I sometimes wonder if Chinese directors and movie moguls realize the extent of his greatness or, because he does everything with such ease, they just take his talent for granted? This particular movie is a great adventure/love story. I won't describe the plot, etc. because other reviewers have done that. I just want to bring your attention to the multi-talent genius of Andy Lau. Check out some of his other movies, and you will soon understand why I am such a huge fan. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Running on Karma (DTS Version) (US Version)
Running on Karma (DTS Version) (US Version) DVD Region All
(41)Our Price: US$11.49Related promotions:October 8, 2007 Ridiculous Bodybuilding Suit!!First let me say, I love Andy Lau, and this is basically not a terrible story. The ideas portrayed are interesting. To be sure, karma is always interesting. I understood the premise. I understood (I think) the ending. What I didn't understand was the ridiculous foam rubber bodybuilding "suit" Andy Lau was forced to wear. Oh, I cringe at how he must have felt! There were many other viable alternatives that could have been employed to show Andy's transcendental journey. Who is responsible for this unforgiveable lapse in judgment? I had the feeling the person who came up with this silly idea must have been having his own out of body experience. The whole movie is good -- except for the suit. What makes it worse is that the viewer can never forget that it IS a suit! Andy's head is too small to go with the rest of his body, and the foam rubber muscles bend and are not realistic. Andy Lau did a tremendous job of portraying this character (despite this awful suit) and the other actors were good as well. It could have been a 5-star movie all the way -- except for the suit. Still, Andy Lau fans should not pass this one by. It's not Andy's fault. However, if you're not an Andy fan, I hate to say this, but I can't recommend it. It's just too ridiculous -- the suit, that is! Can you tell the suit really ruined it for me?? Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Andy Lau - Best of My Love (New+Best Selection) (2CD+DVD)
Andy Lau - Best of My Love (New+Best Selection) (2CD+DVD) DVD Region All
(4)Our Price: US$19.49Related promotions:August 28, 2007 First Love RememberedSpeaking or understanding the Chinese language isn't important when you listen to Andy Lau sing. The songs on this 2 disc CD are beautiful and romantic. I found they transported me back in time to the feelings I had when I was experiencing love for the first time. All of the sweetness, sadness and yearning are expressed in these songs. Though very often mixed with pain and loss, the bittersweet memories of our first love are forever a part of us -- waiting for songs like these to awaken them once more in our consciousness. Like a long forgotten fragrance, the memories come alive once more when listening to Andy Lau's music. That's what I love about this CD. I don't know what Andy Lau intended when he recorded these songs, but these are feelings they evoke in me. Additionally, there is a DVD which contains about ten or so music videos in which Andy Lau performs some of the songs from this 2-disc set. The music videos are visually compelling and seem to fit the mood of each of the songs. Some of the videos contain footage of Andy's movies. In fact, each one is akin to a mini movie, which I really like. There is one video where Andy does a very good take on Usher (or perhaps Usher does a very convincing take on Andy). Andy Lau is a superb singer, actor and dancer. All three are vividly expressed in this 2-disc 1 dvd set. I feel this set is worth every penny I paid for it. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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