torrentstorm
Joined Dec 2009
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Reviews29
torrentstorm's rating
"Heroes aren't born, they're cornered". I didn't know Mickey Rooney said that, but according to Dean Fox (James Belushi) , he did. I couldn't agree more. It takes guts to try pull off an adventure of this nature, involving unsatisfied, lonely mature ladies, but it takes guts too to make a hero, inasmuch as the word can imply.
Lately we've seen a string of movies involving mature, horny ladies, most of them forgettable disasters. I was unsure about this one, but all things put together, it was an enjoyable movie. The theme, yes, might be risqué, but it was a well done and mature story. Several acting roles are highlights in this one. Kyle Gardner, as Sam, made some powerful scenes as the young escort service manager, too young to tackle a venture of this nature, but yet, mature enough to behave responsibly and respectfully. The scenes involving heart to heart conversations with his High School Dean were well done. James Belushi, of course, is a veteran of such, and I couldn't help smiling at his conversational quirks and facial expressions. So like Belushi.
That is another of the strengths of this movie. It never vilified or sullied women, whatever their sexual preferences, nor did it ever make them look vulgar or cheap. These women craved love, there were some nice, horny boys around willing to please, the ladies were willing to pay for a good time together, Sam needed the money to pay for his tuition, so you had a deal. There was no attempt to make things seem dirty, it was just a circumstance that happened. The nice thing about it, too, no one ended up as enemies. Everyone was mature enough to understand the situation and act accordingly, so despite the obvious scandal in the end, the story ended well for everybody. It was not a fairy tale ending either, in case you think this was another tear-jerker. Everything was plausible and very believable.
There was no stupid behavior, brainless monkeying around, boys acting stupidly like I've seen in other movies. That too was another plus in this one. The ladies were pretty and nice to them, the boys were also nice and gentlemanly with the ladies. I think the screenwriter of this plot likes women and respects them, and it shows in the story. That's so nice to see.
But like everything in life, there are consequences. The final 'showdown' talk between Sam and his friend Dean Fox was heartbreaking, but so very very true these days, where families are dysfunctional and...well. not quite families anymore. Powerful acting in this scene. Both actors show their talent.
Bottom line, then, not a ten-pin-bowling strike of a flick, but very enjoyable, intelligently done, and time well-spent. Highlights notwithstanding, when you think of it, this is a very difficult movie to film and pull off.
I think you will like the style of this one.
Lately we've seen a string of movies involving mature, horny ladies, most of them forgettable disasters. I was unsure about this one, but all things put together, it was an enjoyable movie. The theme, yes, might be risqué, but it was a well done and mature story. Several acting roles are highlights in this one. Kyle Gardner, as Sam, made some powerful scenes as the young escort service manager, too young to tackle a venture of this nature, but yet, mature enough to behave responsibly and respectfully. The scenes involving heart to heart conversations with his High School Dean were well done. James Belushi, of course, is a veteran of such, and I couldn't help smiling at his conversational quirks and facial expressions. So like Belushi.
That is another of the strengths of this movie. It never vilified or sullied women, whatever their sexual preferences, nor did it ever make them look vulgar or cheap. These women craved love, there were some nice, horny boys around willing to please, the ladies were willing to pay for a good time together, Sam needed the money to pay for his tuition, so you had a deal. There was no attempt to make things seem dirty, it was just a circumstance that happened. The nice thing about it, too, no one ended up as enemies. Everyone was mature enough to understand the situation and act accordingly, so despite the obvious scandal in the end, the story ended well for everybody. It was not a fairy tale ending either, in case you think this was another tear-jerker. Everything was plausible and very believable.
There was no stupid behavior, brainless monkeying around, boys acting stupidly like I've seen in other movies. That too was another plus in this one. The ladies were pretty and nice to them, the boys were also nice and gentlemanly with the ladies. I think the screenwriter of this plot likes women and respects them, and it shows in the story. That's so nice to see.
But like everything in life, there are consequences. The final 'showdown' talk between Sam and his friend Dean Fox was heartbreaking, but so very very true these days, where families are dysfunctional and...well. not quite families anymore. Powerful acting in this scene. Both actors show their talent.
Bottom line, then, not a ten-pin-bowling strike of a flick, but very enjoyable, intelligently done, and time well-spent. Highlights notwithstanding, when you think of it, this is a very difficult movie to film and pull off.
I think you will like the style of this one.
Another day in paradise...no, in Bangkok (again). Another movie based on the less appealing side of Thailand...let's see: a cute Thai girl following a black guy (something smacks of a stereotype which porn films have successfully exploited), a sleazy Aussie involved with the underworld = honestly, I think this was one of Kevin Bacon's worst acting roles ever - i.e., girls, bar scenes, supplier of guns ... this guy has an arsenal!, then more big guns as the hit-man decides he needs to kill more people, and then even bigger guns when the hit-man decides he needs to kill even bigger numbers!
And Kevin Bacon with an Aussie accent? C'mon now, why an Aussie? Because Aussie's regard Thailand as one of their fav spots for drinking and whoring? What's this, a cliché?
In all this, the little Thai girl's role isn't clear until the end when we find out she is somehow linked to a white elephant that the head honcho keeps as a pet of sorts. I'm not sure what "new meaning" this entailed for the hit-man, but there you have it if you want to find out. I didn't understand it. Then, near the end, we have the dude saying goodbye with a new dress as a gift and a stash of foreign money - huh? it is unbelievable what a cheap image of Thailand such movies give, not just abroad, but within as well. It is no secret people there, girls especially, look upon foreigners as walking banks.
What was an intelligent director like Mr. Prachya Pinkaew trying to do here, other than give the World another vision of violence and sleaze which is prevalent in some circles in his otherwise beautiful country? Of course, it's all money, is it not? That is why he brought in Kevin Bacon and Djimon Hounsou, whom I watched in disbelief after remembering them in great movies like "A Few Good Men" and "Amistad". Big names, maybe, to adorn something akin to what you see in Thai TV every day? Guns, killing, brutalizing young girls...well, about 20 minutes into the film I said to myself: "Who made this? another Thai mentality, I'm sure", and when the end credits rolled by - there it was, true to type!
But maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself, because even though I am not Thai, I have been in Thailand some 6 or 7 times now, and every time I am impressed by the people, usually sweet, loving, and kind. In this the girl Mae (should be spelled 'Mei', the Thai form), -Jirantanin Pitakporntrakul- acted her part perfectly as the embodiment of what a nice girl behaves like in general. Her acting and expressions were spot on with what I have also seen many times there. I believe she single-handedly saved the movie in some way. Back dropping to another film of similar nature (Bangkok Dangerous, yeah, another based-in-Bangkok hit man movie - man, they churn these out by numbers there, don't they?), it was the girl, the deaf-mute who played Nick Cage's love interest, who gave some sense to that flick.
Back to 'Elephant White', I couldn't understand why Mae chose Curtie Church (Djimon Hounsou) as her 'avenging angel', since she repeatedly warned him about killing so many people. The Buddhist belief pleads forgiveness, understanding and acceptance. What I somehow understood was that as he was the one hired by the Head Honcho's son (disguised), to avenge 'his daughter's death' (how come a seasoned hit man didn't see through trick?), she became involved, although you will learn things go somewhat deeper, if you can get through the jumpy scenes, poorly filmed actions, disconnected story lines, incoherent sub-plots.
If you want to see naked Thai girls being forced into prostitution, drugs being injected between their toes, bullied, killing after killing, an Aussie and a hit-man in a silly rent-my-guns-today-but-break-my-nose-tomorrow, then this is the movie for you. Oh, and don't forget the everlasting dogma posted at the end, "2 million girls are forced into prostitution and slavery", a figure that has been disputed by serious authorities both in Thailand and abroad. Again, another negative check - no wonder every time I am asked 'where did you go', and I say Bangkok or Thailand, I spot the sneaky, suspicious expressions on people's faces. It's an image that unfortunately has become de facto thanks to movies and other media like this.
Aren't there more interesting and beautiful dramas and stories to be told from or in Thailand? Many places have some wonderful legends. How about a nice drama?
Why not tell some of these?
And Kevin Bacon with an Aussie accent? C'mon now, why an Aussie? Because Aussie's regard Thailand as one of their fav spots for drinking and whoring? What's this, a cliché?
In all this, the little Thai girl's role isn't clear until the end when we find out she is somehow linked to a white elephant that the head honcho keeps as a pet of sorts. I'm not sure what "new meaning" this entailed for the hit-man, but there you have it if you want to find out. I didn't understand it. Then, near the end, we have the dude saying goodbye with a new dress as a gift and a stash of foreign money - huh? it is unbelievable what a cheap image of Thailand such movies give, not just abroad, but within as well. It is no secret people there, girls especially, look upon foreigners as walking banks.
What was an intelligent director like Mr. Prachya Pinkaew trying to do here, other than give the World another vision of violence and sleaze which is prevalent in some circles in his otherwise beautiful country? Of course, it's all money, is it not? That is why he brought in Kevin Bacon and Djimon Hounsou, whom I watched in disbelief after remembering them in great movies like "A Few Good Men" and "Amistad". Big names, maybe, to adorn something akin to what you see in Thai TV every day? Guns, killing, brutalizing young girls...well, about 20 minutes into the film I said to myself: "Who made this? another Thai mentality, I'm sure", and when the end credits rolled by - there it was, true to type!
But maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself, because even though I am not Thai, I have been in Thailand some 6 or 7 times now, and every time I am impressed by the people, usually sweet, loving, and kind. In this the girl Mae (should be spelled 'Mei', the Thai form), -Jirantanin Pitakporntrakul- acted her part perfectly as the embodiment of what a nice girl behaves like in general. Her acting and expressions were spot on with what I have also seen many times there. I believe she single-handedly saved the movie in some way. Back dropping to another film of similar nature (Bangkok Dangerous, yeah, another based-in-Bangkok hit man movie - man, they churn these out by numbers there, don't they?), it was the girl, the deaf-mute who played Nick Cage's love interest, who gave some sense to that flick.
Back to 'Elephant White', I couldn't understand why Mae chose Curtie Church (Djimon Hounsou) as her 'avenging angel', since she repeatedly warned him about killing so many people. The Buddhist belief pleads forgiveness, understanding and acceptance. What I somehow understood was that as he was the one hired by the Head Honcho's son (disguised), to avenge 'his daughter's death' (how come a seasoned hit man didn't see through trick?), she became involved, although you will learn things go somewhat deeper, if you can get through the jumpy scenes, poorly filmed actions, disconnected story lines, incoherent sub-plots.
If you want to see naked Thai girls being forced into prostitution, drugs being injected between their toes, bullied, killing after killing, an Aussie and a hit-man in a silly rent-my-guns-today-but-break-my-nose-tomorrow, then this is the movie for you. Oh, and don't forget the everlasting dogma posted at the end, "2 million girls are forced into prostitution and slavery", a figure that has been disputed by serious authorities both in Thailand and abroad. Again, another negative check - no wonder every time I am asked 'where did you go', and I say Bangkok or Thailand, I spot the sneaky, suspicious expressions on people's faces. It's an image that unfortunately has become de facto thanks to movies and other media like this.
Aren't there more interesting and beautiful dramas and stories to be told from or in Thailand? Many places have some wonderful legends. How about a nice drama?
Why not tell some of these?
or horns coming out of your forehead.
Aladdin's mission is basically that: find the lost treasure of Minos (the Colossus' head), and in the interim, overcome a few perils, or should I say "perils", such as an evil dark mage and his human fighter/horror necro ghoul, an island whose inhabitants turn into would-be 'minotaurians' from some kind of curse, some thugs here and there also intent on stopping him, and of course, the infamous minotaur, a CG-created enormous bull that bellows and stomps its way through a cave called a labyrinth (of course), flaming red eyes and no other grotesque features other than a hideous head and ginormous horns.
But to Aladdin, all these are just "details, details", as he often interjects during the movie. I don't ever recall thinking of Aladdin as a throw-all-caution-to-the wind guy, strutting into all kinds of 'unknown' dangers, and when entering the 'labyrinth', (careful! the minotaur!), "details, details". About half-way through the movie, just sitting there dumbly watching this, I am wondering where this is all going, or what exactly is this supposed to be. For a fairy-tale story, it falls pitifully short. For special effects, it is not that highly budgeted an adventure. For teaching some lessons or morals, nothing either. Appealing to an adult audience - not unless you've got less than half a brain. For children, some parts maybe, but it was much too violent and gory for a young audience (ripping off body parts and horns going right through and breaking off). The story was also poorly scripted and acted out, and I say this, not because it had to be a highly paid or budgeted film, but because it lacked substance and imagination.
How many movies have I seen throughout the years, seemingly uninspiring and old story-based, but made with such dedication and inspiration, you fail to notice they're old? Way back, even, in the days when, as a kid, I was mesmerized by 'Jason and the Argonauts', 'Clash of Titans', 'Sinbad the Sailor' (and there were a host of these with similar themes), many of them not big movies, but most left something, which today, sadly, is lacking in many of such.
No need to say more, I believe. You get the picture.
Aladdin's mission is basically that: find the lost treasure of Minos (the Colossus' head), and in the interim, overcome a few perils, or should I say "perils", such as an evil dark mage and his human fighter/horror necro ghoul, an island whose inhabitants turn into would-be 'minotaurians' from some kind of curse, some thugs here and there also intent on stopping him, and of course, the infamous minotaur, a CG-created enormous bull that bellows and stomps its way through a cave called a labyrinth (of course), flaming red eyes and no other grotesque features other than a hideous head and ginormous horns.
But to Aladdin, all these are just "details, details", as he often interjects during the movie. I don't ever recall thinking of Aladdin as a throw-all-caution-to-the wind guy, strutting into all kinds of 'unknown' dangers, and when entering the 'labyrinth', (careful! the minotaur!), "details, details". About half-way through the movie, just sitting there dumbly watching this, I am wondering where this is all going, or what exactly is this supposed to be. For a fairy-tale story, it falls pitifully short. For special effects, it is not that highly budgeted an adventure. For teaching some lessons or morals, nothing either. Appealing to an adult audience - not unless you've got less than half a brain. For children, some parts maybe, but it was much too violent and gory for a young audience (ripping off body parts and horns going right through and breaking off). The story was also poorly scripted and acted out, and I say this, not because it had to be a highly paid or budgeted film, but because it lacked substance and imagination.
How many movies have I seen throughout the years, seemingly uninspiring and old story-based, but made with such dedication and inspiration, you fail to notice they're old? Way back, even, in the days when, as a kid, I was mesmerized by 'Jason and the Argonauts', 'Clash of Titans', 'Sinbad the Sailor' (and there were a host of these with similar themes), many of them not big movies, but most left something, which today, sadly, is lacking in many of such.
No need to say more, I believe. You get the picture.