Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews. What else?!?!

Random Thoughts No. 84.

Posted on by
14

I haven’t seen my Voltes friends for quite some time now – I think the last one was during 2PM’s concert? – so last night, we found some time off our busy schedules (well, THEIR busy schedules :razz: ) to have a movie night.

it_takes

We saw today’s hottest movie, It Takes A Man And A Woman, the third installment of the hit movie series starring John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo. Everyone has seen it except me and Thet (Charity and Lou have seen it multiple times by this screening) so it’s one of those “we must see it to see what the fuss is all about” kind of things.

Fortunately, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The script is witty and has so many laugh-out-loud moments without being slapstick, and at the same time there were so many scenes that will make you cry, mainly because John Lloyd Cruz will absolutely make you cry no matter how cold-hearted you are. On a personal level, I especially love the New York scenes because (1) NYC has always been my dream destination; and (2) nice shout out to Ricky Martin. :thumbup: I only have one complaint about it and that is: Sarah Geronimo’s wigs were so hideous and so distracting. :ayaw: I understood why she had to wear a hairpiece in her other scenes, but it’s totally unnecessary at the wedding scene where she had her hair up. And even with her hair up, the wig was still badly placed on her head. Her stylist on this movie should be :bop: unless it’s really their intention for the Laida character to have bad hair.

===

After the movie, we looked for a place to hang out so we can update ourselves with what’s happening with our lives as well as celebrities’ lives. :hihihi: We were supposed to drive all the way to Tagaytay to get some cool air but it has become too late and our driver is already sleepy, so we ended up at a 7-Eleven instead. That 7-Eleven is located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, but it’s still a 7-Eleven. :P That is where we discovered that a convenience store like 7-Eleven is actually a good place to hang-out, for the following reasons:

1. It’s literally everywhere (unless you’re in a remote area, of course).
2. It’s cheaper to hang out there than at a coffee shop like Starbucks. An equivalent price of a tall cup of coffee will yield you a sandwich or a rice meal + drinks at a 7-Eleven. There’s a much wider variety of food to choose from, as well.
3. In the age of mobile internet and with most malls and ‘gimmick’ places now on WiFi, hanging out at an expensive coffee shop for the internet has become moot and academic.

Basically, most people only splurge for expensive coffee only to be ‘seen’. But for people like us who hang out to be with friends and not to be ‘seen’, we’d choose 7-Eleven over Starbucks any time.

===

The things you find on the internet…

I was randomly surfing around and found this photo posted on one of the forums:

song-hye-kyo-makeup

One glimpse of it and I was like, “that signature on the lip conditioner looks so familiar…” So I clicked on the accompanying link and it turns out, Song Hye Kyo’s stylist used the limited edition MAC Viva Glam Ricky Lip Conditioner by Ricky Martin for the “Oh Young” style in That Winter, The Wind Blows. :eek:

Talk about my fandoms colliding without meaning to…

===

The big news in Korea today that has nothing to do with war is, of course, Psy’s new single Gentleman.


credits: officialpsy at YouTube

The song itself is a little too ‘techno’ for my taste and it didn’t have the same hook that Gangnam Style has, but even Psy knows that Gangnam Style can never be matched so let’s just avoid comparing them.

Aside from the song, the other thing that people were anticipating with this new release is his follow up to the Gangnam Style horse dance. Which turned out to be… the Brown Eyed Girls’ Abracadabra dance. :neutral: It won’t be noticeable to those who are new to, or basically don’t care about K-pop other than Psy, but those of us who have been following K-pop for almost a decade now would immediately recognize it. We certainly did the first time we saw the Gentleman MV.

I just wonder if Psy or YG bought the rights to the routine from BEG? Is BEG’s GaIn being in the MV part of the deal to acquire permission to use the Abracadabra dance?

Mini-review: Gwanghae (Masquerade).

Posted on by
6

Today, April 1st, I am writing something that is full of praise towards Lee Byung Hun.

No, that is not an April Fool’s joke.

gwanghae

Mini-review: Gwanghae, The Man Who Became King (aka. Masquerade)

This is one of those files which took me almost a week before I was able to finish downloading. I actually found it a bit strange that did something like that for Lee Byung Hun. Normally, I would just wait for my usual ‘suppliers’ for the file.

The good news is, it’s worth the wait and agony. Gwanghae is a terrific movie. :thumbup:

While Gwanghae has historical basis (it is an interpretation of the missing 15 days from the Joseon dynasty annals), the basic plot is very similar to the movie Dave starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver where a look-alike was commissioned to temporarily replace the King. All similarities end there. Despite the obvious plot, the screenplay was so engrossing that I didn’t mind the two-hour running time. The screenplay is fast-paced and there were no boring scenes. Every scene is, in fact, essential to the story and character development.

Story aside, this is a Lee Byung Hun movie through and through. I’ve always been a fan of LBH as an actor and he definitely did not disappoint. As an example, take a look at this screencap showing both the real and fake King in one frame:

gwanghae_cap

You can totally tell the difference between the real King and the fake King just by looking at Lee Byung Hun’s face. Any actor with lesser skills would fail to deliver it effectively. Moreover, I was delighted to discover that Lee Byung Hun is very effective as a comedian. :clap: There were so many LOL moments in this movie, and quite a smattering of Adorable Lee Byung Hun, as well. (Yes, you read that right. I described Lee Byung Hun as ‘adorable’. I swear, this is not an April Fool’s joke.)

To be honest, when I first saw the promotional stills for Gwanghae, my initial reaction was, “Lee Byung Hun looked so sleazy in period costume with the facial hair.” While watching the movie itself, I was surprised to find myself not minding the costume and the facial hair at all.

Aside from LBH, Ryu Seung Ryeong was also very good as the Chief Secretary. I’m not sure if I’ve seen him in non-historical roles, but I do remember him in Hwang Jin Yi (the Song Hye Kyo version) and he was very good there, as well.

I wouldn’t describe Han Hyo Joo, who plays the Queen, as a good actress, but she thankfully didn’t falter opposite Lee Byung Hun. I was afraid that it would be weird and she would look like LBH’s younger sister instead, but surprisingly, they have chemistry together. (It helps that LBH is dating a much younger woman in real life for me not to find the Han Hyo Joo pairing as icky.)

I won’t describe the movie much further in order to avoid spoilers. All I will say is: WATCH IT. You won’t regret it. ;)

2PM in Manila, Part 3.

Posted on by
6

(Note: Here’s Part 1 and Part 2.)

Aftermath report: “What Time Is It?” 2PM Live in Manila
March 2, 2013 – Mall of Asia Arena

As I have mentioned in Part 2 of this aftermath report, Lou and I missed the first 10-15 minutes of the show. 2PM was already delivering their opening spiels when we arrived. Since we have no idea about the setlist, we’re not sure exactly how many songs did we miss. It didn’t matter, though, because we’re not exactly fans of 2PM. In fact, I personally know only five of their songs so don’t ask me about their repertoire because I really don’t know anything. :razz:

IMG_6035

The great thing was, despite not knowing most of their songs, I actually enjoyed the concert. :thumbup: I really wasn’t expecting anything from them based on their previous work that I’ve seen so I was pleasantly surprised to find that 2PM are competent performers now. Sure, none of them are excellent singers nor super-excellent dancers, but they gave just enough to make an entertaining show even for non-fans. I personally thought that I got my money’s worth, and I think I’d still feel the same way even if my seat wasn’t upgraded from Gen Ad to Upper Box.
Continue reading →

“That Winter…” Episode 1.

Posted on by
20

poster

After much deliberation and trying to find ways to watch it on drama sites that block access from certain territories (thank you, Hotspot Shield!), I finally was able to start on That Winter, The Wind Blows. I can finally talk about the drama with credibility since I’ve seen at least one episode of it. :hihihi:

A quick mini-review:

1. It’s evident on the teasers that this drama is probably one, if not the most beautifully-photographed Korean drama of all time. The actual drama did not disappoint. The cinematography and camera angles are just fabulous. :arrow: I know we’ve got the most beautiful people in the cast but each of them were captured in such a way that all of them look even better than what they actually are (if that’s still possible).

2. I think That Winter is a throwback from the classic Korean melodramas that began the Hallyu Wave. I got Autumn In My Heart/Winter Sonata vibes from it. Korean dramas of late have been failing to catch that magical thing that the classics have, the type in which we will lose sleep just to finish it in one go and will watch over and over again for many years to come. I’ve only seen one episode, but I believe that That Winter has that magic.

3. The basic plot is actually a rehash of old plots that we’ve already seen in other dramas. Not that they’ve been trying to be original; this drama is a remake, after all. What’s lovely about this is the way the rehashed plots were presented, leaving us a fresh view of something we have already seen before. To this, I credit writer Noh Hee Kyung for doing a good job with the screenplay. The characters were introduced well enough before they plunged into the main story, yet we didn’t have to wait two or three episodes for things to kick off. The pacing grabs the viewer and never lets go. I hope this trend will remain until the end.

4. I’ll say this again because it’s true: That Winter has the most beautiful ensemble of actors ever assembled in a drama. :dream: It’s like, being ugly is a sin in this drama’s universe.

5. Having said that: I want to state, all biases aside, that Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo do have amazing chemisty… as siblings. :ehh: I dunno if it’s because I haven’t reached the romantic parts yet, or because two extremely beautiful people together in one frame is like cancelling each other out, but I only got brother-sister vibes from them. Don’t get me wrong, they have chemisty. Oodles of it. But only of the sibling kind for me.

6. Song Hye Kyo’s acting is just WOW here. :clap: I actually don’t see much difference with Jo In Sung as he’s pretty much the same as in the other movies and dramas that I’ve seen him in, but Hye Kyo just blossomed so much here. That scene where Oh Soo was reading the other Oh Soo’s letter to Oh Young was the highlight of Hye Kyo’s acting in the first episode for me. The subtle changes in her facial expression as she reacts to her brother’s words were just sublime. Any other actress of a lower caliber would’ve either over-acted to smithereens or would probably not know how to react at all. Hye Kyo just nailed it.

I’ve only seen the first episode and I already yakked so much. And I had the nerve to call it a ‘quick mini-review’. :hihihi: Let’s see how this develops. For now, I’m in the process of debating with myself whether to load Episode 2 or not because it’s past 1:00am and I have to work later. We’ll see.

Public apology.

Posted on by
2

FH2012

When we took this photo last October 2012, I was still very much against the idea of my most-loved Korean drama having a sequel (the term “sequel” being used loosely). That was before. I now humbly apologize to the people behind Full House Take 2, because my initial assessment was totally wrong.

fh2

I do believe, though, that it would’ve served them better if they totally shied away from the original Full House. This drama had to suffer the unfair comparisons with the Rain-Song Hye Kyo starrer. Most Full House fans – myself, included – even vowed never to support it unless they cast the original actors. Although the use of the phrase Full House in the Take 2 edition was not forced through, still, on a marketing stand-point, it was a huge risk on the part of the producers. It’s either a good idea to latch onto something famous (albeit, the popularity might have dwindled down due to current circumstances; I mean, as a BiKyo fan, it would be so painful to keep watching that drama. Or was it just me?), or a bad idea because it would have to live under the shadow of the first one’s immense popularity. In this case, it was the second one. And it’s just too bad because Full House Take 2 is a great drama. In fact, I’ll go ahead and say that story-wise, it’s a much better drama than the first Full House. :shutup: Yeah, feel free to throw stones at me now.

The central plot is essentially the same: The main protagonists had to live under the same roof and participate in a contract relationship. But the great thing about Full House Take 2 is, the scenario was well-presented that the contract relationship and the fact that they had to live under the same roof was more realistic than the completely absurd scenario of Full House 1 (I mean, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who is still scratching her head at the scenario of the house being successfully sold by people who don’t own it). Every scenario was fully justified in FH Take 2. Even my biggest K-drama pet peeve, that is, people talking in different languages yet managing to understand each other, was explained here.

However, I do think that while Full House Take 2 had the better story and screenplay, it did not have characters whom you can root for and remember for years to come. Sure, Noh Min Woo, Hwang Jung Eum and especially the adorable Park Ki Woong did a great job at tackling the roles of Lee Tae Ik, Jang Man Ok and Won Kang Hui, respectively. But I immediately forgot about them after the last episode. They weren’t able to sustain my attention the way Kim Soo Hyun or Micky Yoo Chun did. It could be because I’m not fond of flower boys (then again, Jung Il Woo is a flower boy and his roles in 49 Days and Moon-Sun are still making a mark in my consciousness), or because every time I see those three, I crave for ramyeon noodles. :err:

Which reminds me, there goes another thing that I’m not too fond of in FH Take 2: the clothes. :ayaw: I thought I’ve seen the worst in Full House 1 (that hideous neon-green V-neck of Lee Young Jae still haunts me to this day), but Take 2 runs away with the prize for the fugliest clothes ever worn in Korean drama. At least Han Ji Eun had cute clothes in FH. I’ll never forgive Jang Man Ok of FH2 for wearing the Adidas tracksuit with lace (try putting that on Glee‘s Sue Sylvester and let’s hear what she will say) (ironically, that hideous outfit paved the way for her to work as coordi for a Hallyu star) and the teddy bear necklace. Or was that her neckline? Whatever, it’s the type of clothes that should not be worn on a daily basis, unless you’re Lady Gaga. Then again, the character is supposed to be stylist who makes her own clothes, so maybe that’s just her style. However, I’ve seen enough stylists to know that they don’t wear stuffed animals on their necks as they go by their business. (Or maybe I’m just not fashion forward? Any opinion from an actual stylist is welcome on this blog.)

But all the fugly hair and outfits aside, it’s very engrossing to watch. If you’re a fangirl, you’ll also be able to relate to some scenes here. Acting-wise, the cast is generally good. I think the weakest link here is the female villain Yoo Seoul Ah as World Star Jin Se Ryeong, but she managed to make me hate her so much that it came to a point when I wanted to pull her by the hair and slap her silly, so good job, I guess?

So yeah. I know it’s blasphemy and all that, but I highly recommend Full House Take 2.