TWO Thumbs up for this guy. very well planned out . More citizens should take heed to the real justice system and do what they feel necessary.
From Tim X (Guest Reviewer) Viewer and Hater of the Justice System Deliver of Man’s Own Punishing System.
Author Archives: JPFmovies
Heavenly Mission–Hong Kong Triads, A Great Lawyer and the Bad Guys Win!
Heavenly Mission–Hong Kong Triads, A Great Lawyer and the Bad Guys Win! I have to tell you this movie came out of left field for me. I watched this flick expecting nothing more than a run of the mill HK Triad movie and I have to eat crow on my assumption. This movie was refreshingly well written, good acting, had a great lawyer and best of all the bad guys win–or at least don’t lose. The story focuses on a triad gang member (Yip) who gets out of a Thai prison after serving 8 years for manslaughter. His return to the HK Triad scene is not welcome by the police who are determined to put him behind bars again whether or not he actually commits a crime. Needless to say, Yip has had eight years to plan his return and has anticipated most (but not all) of the HK Anti-Triad Unit’s tactics to keep him away from society. I love it when the “good guys” are portrayed as criminals with badges who will break the law as much as their targets to get what they want–motives which are not as pure as the driven white snow. Though it is a close call, Yip and his team manage to stay one step ahead of the task force formed specifically to keep him behind bars. If you can handle subtitles and want to see a movie based on a different perspective than typical Americana, take the two hours and watch this one, you will not be disappointed.
A rose.
Crank Yankers–Some Dung Some Roses.
I don’t know how many of you have ever seen Comedy Central’s crank yankers. Where celebrities and others make prank phone calls to the general public which are acted out as puppets. Some of the scenes are so funny I find myself crying with laughter others, however, are such duds you find yourself getting up to get a glass of water or do anything but watch the sketch. Since the show has its ups and downs, we can’t throw it in the dung heap nor can we make it a rose. So it looks like Crank Yankers is just not crap! Perhaps one of the funniest sketches in the show’s history is what I’ve inserted into this post.
Bad Lieutenant—The Original Not That New Crap
One of the great things I always associate with the Bad Lieutenant is sports radio talk show commentary lurking in the background of the film discussing the New York Mets eventual comeback against the L.A. Dodgers. Why? Because my brother, like the Lieutenant, is a hard core sports gambler and he constantly reminded me of where he was, what he was doing and how much money he had on any particular game. My brother also reminisces about hearing the same clips played in the movie, except that he heard them live.
In this movie, Keitel plays a degenerate New York cop, with massive drug, gambling, and sex addictions. Ironically this corrupt cop is investigating the rape of a nun which leads to his eventual “salvation” or as saved as the Lieutenant could get. There is plenty of grit in this movie so it is not for the naïve or squeamish. The film has two ingredients that help make it a rose. First it is original, there is no cliché story line here and second is Keitel’s acting which is almost disturbingly real.
If you are going to go see The Bad Lieutenant Port of Call—or what ever it is, you owe it to yourself to see this one first.
Oh by the way, you can watch this movie on a date, but my significant other warns that you should not expect yourself or your date to be feeling particularly amorous afterward.
I almost feel betrayed.
Recently Quentin Tarantino listed his top films of 2009 (see http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2009/12/quentin-tarantino-lists-his-top-films-of-2009.html) and there was not one word about what in my opinion was the clear winner; that is, Red Cliff–whether parts 1 or 2. Tarantino, a self-proclaimed HK film nut, ignores one of that genres undisputed heavy weight champion’s master pieces: Red Cliff. Indeed, many of Tarantino’s films “borrow” (to say the least) from numerous HK films in both style and thematic plots. Then he names Star Trek as the number one film of the year? The repercussions of this border on the betrayal, betrayal of where Tarantino got his start and made his bones so to speak. I still have a lot of respect and love for many Tarantino movies, but those positive thoughts have diminished greatly as it looks like on its face he is selling out to the Hollywood mainstream.
If you really feel the need to watch some crap then 12 Rounds is for you.
This “movie” could be one of the worst movies I have seen in the last five years. In fact, I could not even sit through the entire show even in the comfort of my own home. This movie has the tired and predictable theme of a policeman whose spouse or significant other gets kidnapped because of something or someone hidden in the officer’s past. Of course the title gives away the trials and tribulations that the officer must do in order to save his beloved spouse. In this particular case, detective Danny Fisher must successfully complete 12 challenges in order to retrieve his girlfriend. Each challenge of course raises the bar to a new level of crap.
Naturally, each level of crap causes utter mayhem and destruction upon the city and surrounding areas while the tough and single-minded Fisher will not let anything deter him from his objective. Not only is this plot embarrassingly stupid, but the acting is the equivalent of watching a high school Shakespeare play. This movie is yet another example of Hollywood trying to buy its way into better films. I’m sure someone figured that if you throw enough money and destructive action at an audience that the plot or story really becomes irrelevant. Seems to me that they’re doing things in reverse order of making movie like 12 Rounds. They have a bunch of action scenes where things get destroyed and then write the script to fill in the gaps.
As I mentioned, I got to about the fourth or fifth level of crap before I was swimming in it and couldn’t take it anymore. It felt like I was drowning in quicksand. I sure hope this movie was not shown abroad because it would only further the stereotype that Americans are either Philistines or morons and we don’t need anymore that crap. I still want my 45 minutes back.
J.P.'s I'm Outta Here Movie Thoughts 