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Wu sha 3 (2024)
Pieced together by an AI trained on popular Chinese thrillers
A total mess from start to finish. Feels like the script was pieced together by an AI trained on popular Chinese thrillers like Lost in the Stars and No More Bets, following every cliché in the "viral hit" playbook.
The plot is painfully contrived, and the performances are awkward at best - Duan Yihong seems like he's stuck in a stage play, while the leads have zero chemistry and often look like they wandered in from a spoof.
The editing is chaotic, the sound design over-the-top, and the score is so desperate to create tension that it becomes irritating. By the end, you're left wondering if this was meant to be taken seriously or if it's just an elaborate prank.
Nian hui bu neng ting! (2023)
A Five-Star Comedy Extravaganza
I caught this film in London today, and honestly, it's the best Chinese comedy I've seen in years-an absolute event cinema experience. From start to finish, it's packed with laughs, delivering a sharp, refreshingly absurd take on toxic workplace culture in China.
What sets it apart is how effortlessly it avoids the usual traps-no cheesy sentimentality, no heavy-handed moralizing. Unlike so many recent Chinese comedies that lean on tired, borderline offensive jokes about gender, regional stereotypes, or race, this one steers clear, relying instead on genuinely smart humor.
It also pulls off something rare: weaving absurdity and real-life frustrations into a seamless, well-paced story without falling back on clichés. Even more impressive, it openly acknowledges workplace sexual harassment-a bold move, especially in the context of Chinese cinema. Could it have gone deeper? Sure. But given the censorship constraints, it's remarkable that it even made it to the screen.
That said, a fair warning-many of the jokes are deeply rooted in Chinese cultural and social media references. If you haven't spent significant time in China or immersed yourself in its online spaces, some punchlines might fly over your head.
One Life (2023)
A VCR recording of an awards ceremony rather than cinematic narrative
This film moves at a sluggish, outdated pace-both in its storytelling and direction. "Based on a true story" seems to act as a free pass for mediocrity, as if the filmmakers assumed that an interesting real-life event alone was enough, sparing them the effort of crafting a compelling cinematic experience.
Rather than a well-structured narrative, the film feels more like one of those VCR montages played before an honoree steps onto the stage at an awards ceremony-a glorified tribute reel explaining why this person is so great, filled with empty platitudes and predictable beats.
The pacing of this film is stagnant, the characters lack depth or motivation, historical details are glossed over, and the visual style is indistinguishable from generic television. Worst of all, it drags with excessive, redundant dialogue-characters endlessly reiterating information we already know, as if the goal were to stretch a concise 60-minute documentary into a bloated 110-minute feature.
After watching, I looked up the director's background. Unsurprisingly, his experience is almost entirely in television drama, with little to no history in actual filmmaking. And it shows.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Marvel's Latest: A Disappointing Entry That Falls Short of Its Predecessors
Unfortunately, the most recent film in the franchise falls short of the standards that its predecessors set. As a viewer, you have high expectations for a movie set in this universe, but this one falls short. It feels like a paint-by-numbers superhero movie instead of having the allure and mystery that made the previous installments so popular.
The movie makes an effort to convey a sense of urgency and high stakes, but it fails. It's difficult to comprehend Kang's actions because of his poor motivations. Because of this, the conflict seems manufactured, and the movie's climax is unimpressive. Being relegated to a two-dimensional antagonist for a character with so much potential is frustrating.
The film's visual effects unquestionably save it, but they are limited in what they can accomplish. Although the CGI is visually appealing and technically sound, it lacks the "wow" element that we have come to associate with Marvel films. The visual style of the movie is flat and uninteresting, and the action scenes, which are few and far between, are easy to get bored of.
The plot appears incoherent and the narration is poor, with a slow pacing. It's challenging to care about the destiny of the characters because they are underdeveloped. It's difficult to help but wonder what may have happened if the filmmaking team had taken more chances and pushed the envelope.
In conclusion, practically every aspect of this movie is a letdown. It's a bland installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that falls short of emulating the wonder and thrill of its forerunners. It's difficult to suggest for anyone other than ardent fans, however you might find something to like here if you are one. We can only hope that the franchise will learn from this error and resume providing the exciting and inventive storytelling that we've grown to enjoy.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
A Disheartening Conclusion to a Beloved Franchise
"Avengers: Endgame" is a major letdown for the superhero genre. The film's story is poorly written and executed, lacking the emotional depth and tension that made previous entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) so memorable. The reunion between Captain America and Iron Man is a prime example of this: it lacks the emotional impact it should have had and instead comes off as insipid and pointless.
The script was careless and illogical, treating the death of beloved heroes as a casual decision, with jokes and humor detracting from any remaining emotional impact. The three main heroes - Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America - are written in a haphazard manner, with their motivations and decisions feeling illogical and naive. The film's humor, while entertaining in some moments, takes away from the emotional impact of some scenes and feels out of place. The introduction of space travel further detracts from the film's emotional impact, as death and life are treated as things that can be tampered with at will. The death of several heroes should have been a moving moment, but instead, it falls flat. The cries and fainting of some fans in the theater speaks to the influence of MCU's ten-year build-up, not the quality of the film itself.
The film's use of time travel is lazy and fails to provide the sense of epicness and sadness that some expect. The screenwriter took the easy way out by solving most of the film's conflicts with "Deus ex machina," leaving little room for suspense or tension, and the biggest threat, Thanos, is defeated in a simple and uneventful manner. The humor and anti-climax jokes, a staple of MCU films, do more harm than good, breaking the atmosphere of several scenes. The film's climax, which captures all the heroes in one shot, is a thrilling moment, but it's also a clear indication of MCU's real priorities: fan service and making money, not creating a meaningful story.
In conclusion, "Avengers: Endgame" is a disappointing reminder of the decline of the superhero genre. The film is a prime example of the negative impact of greed, lack of creativity, and toxic fan culture on the film industry. As superhero movies become the dominant interest for more and more audiences, it's a warning that the genre, and perhaps even the film industry as a whole, is at risk of being destroyed.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
A Disappointing Decline in Superhero Storytelling
Spiderman: No Way Home is a disappointing reminder of the declining quality of superhero movies. The film lacks the heart and responsibility that defined the genre in the past and instead focuses on shallow, self-serving actions by the hero. Peter Parker's decisions and motivations are puzzlingly naive and illogical, and the logic behind the disarming of superpowers is a weak and nonsensical plot device. The concept of a multi-verse is full of inconsistencies and plot holes, and the writing is lazy and unsatisfying. The attempts to bring back characters from the old movies only serves to highlight the lack of originality and creativity in the new film. Fans of high-quality superhero movies will be disappointed by this installment and the direction that the Marvel franchise seems to be heading in. It's a shame to see such a beloved character reduced to a cheap excuse for shallow storytelling and lazy writing.
Yang ming li wan (2021)
A Disaster from Start to Finish
This movie is a complete disaster from start to finish. The artificial acting is so over-the-top that it detracts from the story and makes it impossible to fully immerse oneself in the plot. The dialogue is also extremely exaggerated and often cringeworthy. The filmmakers appear to have no respect for regional time and space, as every location seems to have a full sense of Beijing dialogue, regardless of where the story takes place. The cinematography and editing are also lacking in quality, making the film look cheap and unprofessional. It's as if the filmmakers took a script and just went wild, producing a reality show-like spectacle that is full of low-quality production values. The characters are equally uninteresting, making the movie a tedious and unengaging experience. If you're looking for a good movie, this is definitely not it. The best way to experience this movie is to watch a five-minute highlight reel on TikTok, as the complete film is not worth the time or effort.
Kuang biao (2023)
The Slow Narrative Ruins a Good Story
It has a good story, but its slow narrative completely ruins the viewing experience. After watching 27 episodes, I gave up as the show felt like it was dragging on for too long. The only saving grace for me were the episodes from 10-15, which I could listen to as background noise while doing housework. However, this is not the ideal way to enjoy a TV show.
The acting skills of Zhang Songwen and Zhang Yi are the best part of the show. Unfortunately, the writer's draggy storytelling means that they spend 60% of their time performing pointless scenes. This takes away from their excellent acting skills and makes the show less enjoyable to watch.
Lastly, Wu Gang's acting in the show is also a major letdown. His delivery of lines is painful to watch and I wouldn't recommend him as an actor in any film or television.
Overall, while the show has a good story, the slow narrative and poor acting performance makes it a difficult watch. I would not recommend this show to anyone who wants to enjoy an engaging and well-paced TV series.
Liu lang di qiu 2 (2023)
A Disappointing and Poorly Executed Film Lacking in Technical and Performance Quality
A disappointing film, lacking in technical and performance quality. The dialogue often feels dubbed, and the foreign characters are unconvincing and cartoonish. The plot is rushed and lacks tension and emotional impact, with poor editing and chaotic scene structure. The film also includes poorly executed attempts at humor, with serious scenes being undermined by inappropriate comedic elements. The themes of the film are also poorly developed, with an illogical conflict between the "mountain moving plan" and the "digital life plan" that is not well resolved. Additionally, the subtitle's countdown does not add any sense of tension, but rather comes across as redundant and uninspired.