(may contain spoilers)
The Hedgehog
Douban rating: 7.4
Director: Gu Changwei
Starring: Ge You, Karry Wang, Li Ping
Douban Comments: “Karry Wang completely understands Zhou Zheng’s feelings of being “out of place” and his pain. The adult world, with its societal standards, feels like a cage with too many rules. Like a young, inexperienced hedgehog, he stumbles and crashes, but even if he hits walls and gets hurt, he still tries hard to keep going and live fully. Karry Wang makes Zhou Zheng’s character come alive, valued, and not wasted or overlooked. If life gets you stuck, be brave and keep going like a hedgehog that refuses to give up – keep charging forward, towards freedom and light.”
“Ge You’s performance is mainly in the first half of the film, while Karry Wang’s is more focused in the second half. The movie revolves around two characters who are seen as “abnormal” by others, using their relationship and actions as the main entry point. Ge You’s acting elevates the entire film, with the black-and-white scenes at the beginning showcasing his top-tier skills, living up to his self-proclaimed title as the best mainland actor. Karry Wang’s performance later on is also quite good, especially in the scenes with Ren Suxi at home and the noodles scene that he helped design.
Both male leads have well-developed characters. Ge You’s acting is undoubtedly excellent, and Karry Wang has shown significant improvement compared to his previous roles. For me, the only downside is the repetitive scenes where both characters are mistreated by their families and Ren Suxi’s recurring role as a fortune-teller-like character, which I found annoying, though it did add some tragic undertones to the story.
Ge You’s scenes end abruptly, and Zhou Zheng (Karry Wang’s character) resolves the situation in the end. Overall, the film is of high quality, and it feels like director Gu Changwei has returned to the level he had when he made Peacock. I think the film deserves a Golden Goblet Award. Also, the end credits song performed by Ge You and Karry Wang is great!”
“This is a very typical work of Gu Changwei, as he often focuses on “outsiders” who bear the weight of society’s gaze amid the tides of changing times. From the young woman passionate about music, to the doomed lovers in the AIDS village, and now to this unlikely pair of an older man and a younger one, these characters often resist mediocrity but are helplessly trapped in it. Through the way he shapes his characters, the director subtly points to society and the times as the root of their struggles. It’s society that’s “sick”, yet it’s the individuals who pay the price.
Zhou Zheng’s final line, ‘I don’t forgive’, is not only a rebellion against his family but also a protest against broader societal prejudice. Wang Zhantuan and Zhou Zheng mirror each other – Wang Zhantuan, who has never seen the ocean, finally manages to escape and disappears into the crowd; Zhou Zheng grows through his pain and eventually sails across the sea, fulfilling his uncle’s unachieved dream.
There are many ‘Wang Zhantuans’ in this world, individuals who spend their entire lives bearing the pressure and humiliation of being ‘mediocre’, stuck in many places in life, unable to move forward. But spring always comes, and the peacock will eventually spread its feathers. Hopefully, none of us have to become like Wang Zhantuan, and at the same time, we all aspire to truly live as he does in the end.”
Deadpool & Wolverine
Douban rating: 7.1
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Douban Comments: “Disney pretends to respect Deadpool’s style, but it’s really just another reminder that they have the power to consolidate decades of Marvel’s cinematic works across different studios. They can pull out forgotten characters or revive old projects from defunct companies whenever they want, and throw in some actor jokes for fun. At first, the cameos and references are impressive, but the excitement fades as soon as you leave the theater. The multiverse concept isn’t even new, and the idea of showing different versions of the same character feels like a sign of creative exhaustion. They’ve sidelined actors from the first two Deadpool films, making the same mistake as Ant-Man 3: expanding the scope too much while losing sight of the core essence.
Instead of making good use of Fox’s legacy, they’ve ended up adopting the same fragmented storytelling issues that plagued Fox’s Marvel films. The disappointment of seeing these characters neglected overshadows the excitement of a few old faces showing up. It feels like Disney’s handling of Marvel has been losing its original spark, and maybe that change was inevitable the moment they acquired the old studio.”
“This version of the multiverse with Deadpool, combined with a X-Men: Days of Future Past twist, may not be the most original concept, but it’s absolutely hilarious. All the jokes come from Deadpool’s relentless and absurd roasting of his inability to fit into both the Avengers and X-Men franchises, yet still forcing himself in. By dragging both his old studio (20th Century Fox) and new one (Disney) through the mud, Marvel is finally poking fun at itself. In a way, Deadpool isn’t saving his friends and family; he’s saving Marvel.”
“Even though they keep playing the nostalgia card, when I saw the big X-Men cameo in the post-credits scene, I couldn’t help but cry. Wolverine with his mask – Hugh Jackman looked so cool! That scene where he bursts through the bus window was just amazing. Hugh Jackman is truly unbeatable as Wolverine, and in this movie, he took it to a whole new level. He’s always the best and the only Wolverine!
As for Chris Evans, I was totally shocked! He managed to play both Captain America and the Human Torch from Fantastic Four in the same movie! Marvel really went all out with the jokes and references – they had way too much fun with this one.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Douban rating: 6.2
Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand
Douban Comments: “The pacing is slow, and it’s clear the director wants to explore the relationship between humans and other species, but the message isn’t very clear. The female lead really exposes the selfishness of humans, with ideas like human-centered thinking and the belief that the world belongs to humans. I don’t think New Caesar did anything wrong – he was just a failed dictator in a slave society. On the other hand, I feel that Noa’s narrow focus on his own species shows limited vision, but that’s how he was raised. The handgun tightly gripped in the final scene is also quite ironic.”
“The apes didn’t rise this time; instead, it seems like humans are the ones on the rise. Despite having gained intelligence, hundreds of years have passed, and the apes are still stuck at a primitive tribal level of technology. This ‘new’ ape protagonist exploring a city for the first time feels like a cliche setup, and the director stays in their comfort zone, almost turning the movie into a teen ape adventure film. The new ape lead isn’t a likable character, and the story drags in the middle. No matter how long the runtime is, it doesn’t make it an epic; it just adds more boring parts. The conflict in the third act is resolved purely by the writer’s whims and cleverness, as the main villain conveniently forgets he has a bunch of muscle-bound ape henchmen. The film’s highlight might be how realistic the apes’ fur looks – just like how every piece of metal in Transformers has realistic reflections – but that doesn’t do much to actually improve the quality of the movie.”
“The film has a serious storytelling approach and isn’t just mindless popcorn entertainment. It’s tight and thrilling throughout, with impressive post-apocalyptic visuals and top-notch special effects. It exceeded expectations. It expands the themes to explore the coexistence and long-standing conflicts between humans and apes, moving beyond simple tribal conflicts and family revenge.
The narrative adds depth through various characters’ differing perspectives, showing the complex nature of humanity versus the straightforward nature of apes. The protagonist ape, caught between these conflicting views, struggles with his ideals but remains good-hearted. This dynamic is engaging, and it raises questions about the future of human and ape relations, and whether Caesar’s vision was merely a utopia.
The film does feel somewhat like a ‘trailer’ for future developments. The experiences of the main characters might seem a bit repetitive on their own. The real antagonist is not a false Caesar but humanity itself. The apes need to advance their technology quickly and defeat humanity for the real ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ to begin. I’m looking forward to seeing how the series develops from here.”
