(may contain spoilers)
Successor
Douban rating: 7.4
Director: Damo Peng, Fei Yan
Starring: Shen Teng, Li Ma, Rina Sa
Douban Comments: “The movie seems funny on the surface, but it’s actually a ‘horror’ story. In the end, the second son didn’t go to a top university like Tsinghua University or Peking University; instead, he went to a sports school. But then, he gets distracted by small things, like picking up a bottle and smiling foolishly. As a result, he doesn’t succeed in running either, and his future is pretty much ruined. The audience laughs while watching, but if you think deeply, it’s actually quite disturbing. Even at the end, when the main couple’s first two children are ruined, they still want to have another child. It’s a scene that gives you chills.”
“This movie isn’t like ‘Hindi Medium’; it’s more like a parenting version of ‘The Truman Show’. While good comedies may have elements of tragedy, this one feels like it has a horror feel at its heart. The pacing isn’t great, with the first two-thirds dragging a bit. The humor is also lacking, and some jokes feel awkwardly written.”
“Making you endure hardship and then claiming it’s for your own good – this is how Chinese parents show love for their children. I wish those who glorify suffering would experience it every day. Ma Jiye’s situation is truly tragic; I can already imagine his future. Even though he got into a sports university, he missed the prime age for training; so becoming a professional athlete is nearly impossible. In the end, he’ll probably have no choice but to go back and inherit his family’s business, though it’s a painful decision.”
“The film touches on a very serious topic and does so accurately, with a mix of sarcasm and irony that reveals underlying frustration and heaviness. Shen Teng’s long-winded lecture at the end perfectly captures what ‘dad energy’ is – a mix of extreme arrogance and deep insecurity, a fear of failure paired with an absolute refusal to admit it, embodying the frustrating yet pitiful traits common in East Asian parents. The film reflects too many real-life situations and people, which made me burst into tears. Ma Jiye’s final reaction was spot on – hesitant to speak up to his father, yet still managing to give his mother one last gentle explanation. It’s heartbreaking.”
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Douban rating: 7.4
Director: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
Douban Comments: “Hollywood studios often go all out to create big spectacles with VFX, but the results can sometimes be worse than even the weakest CGI shots in this film. George Miller, on the other hand, delivers the most exhilarating and straightforward blockbuster by using action to replace dialogue and visuals to tell the story. Unlike those Hollywood blockbusters that claim you should ignore the plot and just enjoy the spectacle, but end up wasting over an hour on pointless scenes and lame banter before giving you 30 minutes of half-hearted action, Miller’s film fully immerses you in the brutal, blood-soaked battles of the wasteland.”
“The final revenge scene was anti-climactic. The film offers more spectacle than substance, and with younger actors, the depth is further diminished. The flashback to the previous movie, especially those few seconds of Charlize Theron on her knees screaming in agony, immediately made Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance seem lacking. Despite enduring so much throughout the film, her character showed little emotional depth, coming across as a mere symbol of a strong woman rather than a fully fleshed-out character. Furiosa feels like a woman being shaped into a female version of a man. Charlize Theron brought more complexity to the role, while Anya’s portrayal felt emptier.”
“A 7 out of 10 – this film just can’t compare to the previous one. The previous film had an unrestrained madness that’s hard to replicate, while this one tries harder to tell a story, fleshing out and expanding many of the concepts from the last film. Though Furiosa has few lines, other characters, including Chris Hemsworth’s, are much more talkative, with Hemsworth’s role feeling especially chatty and somewhat oddly designed.
Overall, it feels like an attempt to replicate some of the successful elements from the previous movie, but in a watered-down way. It’s still good, but definitely not on the same level.”
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Douban rating: 6.6
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle
Douban Comments: “As a pure action movie, it’s quite satisfying. The film takes the “hollow earth” concept that was so striking in the previous installment and expands it to cover 80% of the runtime. For fans of monsters and gigantic creatures, it offers two hours of total immersion in a world of giants, free from the annoyances of reality. Typically, monster movies blend elements of disaster and horror, but this one feels different – more like a superhero or martial arts film. The “monster content” has been significantly increased, delving into the creatures’ perspectives and telling the story from their point of view, with humans finally taking a backseat as mere supporting characters. It’s clear they understand what the audience wants: to see big monsters in action.”
“The film’s genre choice is on point, with lots of monster battles. However, despite the intense fighting, it ends up being quite boring. The battles are over quickly, and the big showdown is a confusing mess of random fighting. The colourful visual effects are overwhelming and make it hard to follow, leaving out the classic tension building elements.
The villains lack any real sense of menace; one of them just waves a rock around and seems quite weak. The typical American movie tropes are all there, but they feel predictable. What’s most disappointing is the drop in overall quality: the special effects aren’t great, and the monster designs are uninspired – just oversized versions of a king crab, an eel, a red gorilla, and a salamander. The anthropomorphized monsters are also unsatisfying. Many scenes are abstract and hard to follow, and the underwater sequences, including the weightless fight scenes, are unintentionally amusing. It might be worth checking out ‘The Challenge’ for a better example of how to make zero-gravity scenes.”
“A 6.3 – this film clearly had a huge budget, with Kong and Godzilla each getting their own power-ups: Kong with a mechanical arm and Godzilla with an evolved pink dorsal fin. It feels like the writers took cues from ‘Boruto’ and ‘Dragon Ball Super’. The mystery is gone, and the film dives straight into action with split storylines. On the human side, it’s an Indiana Jones-style jungle adventure, awkwardly tying their journey to the monsters to maintain relevance.
This time, the villains include Snow Demon and Scar King, leading to a fun 2v2 battle at the end. The film is packed with both plot-driven and character-driven special effects.”
