District 9 (2009)

District 9 (2009) by Neill Blomkamp
People was crazy about talking inception that how great film was it. I have different view. In my last five years, my best film is District 9. Not only amazingly solid narrative which contains variety of the modern issues, racism, economically unequalization, and terrorism, but it also uses the documentary cinematography that gives more reality even though it is the scientific fiction genre.

The story,
In 1982, a massive star mother ship, which contained massive population of the aliens, called “Prawns,” appears in Johanesburg’s sky (South Africa). Twenty- eight years later, the initial welcome turns to the hatred toward Prawns. Refugge camp called District 9 is the place where all the aliens lives becomes the militarized ghetto. The government forces them to move to new refugee camp called district 10 having reason that providing better environment for Prawns.

But actually, they want to collect the alien weapons. The main character, Wikus, is the director of the moving project, and he drink the alien chemical liquid. Then he is becoming the alien itself. So, he contacts to the two aliens who plans to re-operate the mother ship for asking them to turn him back to human.
In the district 9, there is a gang who controls the area which government does not take action against them like the real problems of the today’s Africa nations have. The character development of Wikus who is very weak and powerless govern agent becoming develop as mature adult man.
Computer graphic is not overwhelming like Avatar, but it uses as very realistically. approach. A+++++

PUSH (2009)

PUSH (2009) Directed by Paul McGuian

This movie is about the super talented characters, and the people who try to catch them. Therefore, this film is very similar to the Jumper(2008), or X-men Series. In this film, there are nine different super talent people. First, “mover” has ability to make object move to another place. Later this simple ability can upgrade to make some projecting boundary. “Watcher” is the people who can predict the future which depend on the herself. “Shadower” has ability to hide something or changing the outlook. “Sniff” has the ability that can smell very well so that they can chase to someone they want. “Bleeder” has attacking ability by high volume sound. “Wiper” has ability to remove people’s memory. “Pusher” can control people’s mind and memory.

Very well-made film. However, this first film seems a set up episode for the next episode. Unlike Jumper, its variety of the ability is another pleasure to watch this film. And the twist plane for revenge to the “pusher” was very detail and solid.

Dakota Fannning performs very well as always. And Camila Belle looks gorgeous in this film. Exotic background was fresh. But as I mention earlier, the narrative is getting so simple in the end, since it refers to the next episode. But I want to see this series. B-

OLD BOY (2003)

OLD BOY (2003) by Chan Wook Park

Korean Steven Spielberg, Chan Wook Park’s master piece, Old Boy. It gets selected as the world widely top 100 film that people must watch before dying. The Min Sik Choi plays a role as Dae su Oh. He got kidnapped by someone and got lock up in a single room for fifteen years with no reason. One day, he got released, and he tries to revenge to the person who locks him up. This is the whole story.

The reason this film is very impressive and famous not only in Korea and Western nations is Chan Wook Park’s way of presenting mis-en-scene. Especially, the wall paper’s tone and color is very impressive. The most famous sequence is the long take. It is the scene where, De Su Oh fights against about fifty people by holding a hammer. Unlike Western culture which allow to using gun, the action scene is more dynamic with the long take.


No more description. Just watch! A+

Blood Diamond, 2006

Blood Diamond (2006) by Edward Zwick.

One of the best film I ever seen in 2006, Top performer, Leonardo Dicaprio acts Danny Archer roll. In 1999, in Sierra Leone, the fisherman Solomon Vandy dreams on the day that his young son will become a doctor. His dreams are crashed when the rebels invade his village and kidnap his family to work in the diamond mines. Solomon finds a huge pink diamond and while hiding it, the commandant of the rebels sees, but the rebels are attacked and Salomon is arrested by the government army. In jail, the wounded commandant tells the prisoners that Salomon found the stone, and the mercenary smuggler Danny Archer releases Salomon and proposes to exchange the diamond by his missing family. Using the idealistic American journalist Maddy Bowen, Danny locates the wife and daughters of Salomon in a refugee camp, but is informed that his son has been recruited by the rebels. Salomon looking for and finding his son, and Danny looking for the diamond and finding redemption.

Not only the narrative is very solid and tight, but it also the narrative contains the character development, and lesson for today’s real situation as the diamond mines, and children army in Africa. After watch this film, I feel that I learn something besides enjoying the film itself. It contains some of the documentary aspects, but it follows the traditional Hollywood style.

Leonardo Dicaprio perfectly fit with the character Danny Archer who is only working for getting money even though it is legal or not. With the South African accent English makes me to believe that he might burn in the country. And it was fun to watch the Danny’s development by building the friendship with Salomon.
The film that makes audience to stay on their seat even though they see the credit, The End. A+

Tron Legacy (2010)

Tron Legacy (2010)

I couldn’t wait to watch this film when it is released. It is based on
1968 film, Tron. Kevin Flynn was a man as known as the world’s leading
video-game developer. But, he suddenly disappeared. He had a son, Sam
Flynn. When Sam becomes as an Young adult, he visited his father’s old
arcade store, and he found a secret place. Then he is trapped into a
digitalized world where his father has been trapped for 20 years.

This film is just amazing. Especially the computer graphic is incredible.
The story is simple, but very interesting because it introduces a totally
different world like Avatar did. Personally, it gives more impact because
of the digitalized world, which was covered by black color, with several
highlight with blue lines/red lines. Blues are clearly the users or the
good characters and reds are the enemies.

Since people are living in the more and more of the digitalized world, I
think this film gives some sense of what our future might look. In the
end, the Sam shows the sunrise to a female character who comes out of the
digitalized world. The sunrise is supposed to be very beautiful, but it
does not. Because the digitalized world was so overwhelmed fantastic
visualized world, our real life does not seem too beautiful.

It was very entertaining film with clear narrative, fantastic computer
graphic, and modernized digitalized background music. I will give A- for
this film. If you have not watched this film, do not hesitate to go to
theater to watch!

Mindhunters by Renny Harlin (2004)

Mindhunters by Renny Harlin (2004)

Sara Moore ,who is female FBI psychological profiler, takes the training program with other teammates. Since their job is profiling people by their behavior, speech, and outlook, they are profiling people day and night as hobby. However, one day, the professor of the training program, Jake Harris, suggests a final test in a mysterious island, which is purposely built for the Marin force training.

Therefore, she and her six teammates, and unexpected guest, Gabe Jensen, invited for observing the training program go to the island. They are having fun with the empty town fulfilled with human-size mannequins. First test, one of her teammates got killed by the gas that freezes all of the victims’ body. Rest of them tries to figure out who is the killer since they are the only people in the island. Moreover, the killer gives the time limit, so their distrust is getting increasing. No one trusts each other.

This film has the similar idea with Final Destination that everyone is killed by some wired accident. However, this film is based on the psychological analysis. The killer perfectly set up. He/she do not directly kill the victims, but the victim’s behavior is the trigger to operate the killing apparatus.

Very enjoyable, do not expected killer, intensive tension, distrust teammates, and interesting psychological analysis of each characters. Well made thriller, A-

Unknown by Jaume Collet-Serra (2011)

Unknown by Jaume Collet-Serra (2011)

First, I really enjoyed watching Taken, which has the same crew as Unknown. Liam Neeson also appears in this film as Dr. Martin Harris who wakes up from a coma because of the car accident. After the car accident, he tries to reach to his wife, but there is another Dr. Martin Harris. Moreover, his wife does not recognize after the car accident.

He suddenly loses his identity, and his wife, and his life. He is also traced by mysterious guys who attempt to kill him. He realizes something is going on. So, he tries to get back his own identity.

I really enjoyed this film because of the bid twist in the end. After the twist, all the illogical narratives becomes tight and solid script. And the cinematography is very speedy. Especially the fast-pace editing cuts keep the tension for the audience. Even though in the middle part, It gets losing the tension. Unlike Taken, which main character is chasing the kidnappers with a lot of action scenes, this film more focus on the character development. Therefore, audience who expects action film like more focus on the character development. Therefore, audience who expects action film like Taken, such as my friends, easily get disappointed.
However, the exotic background, Germany, is very fresh mis-en-scene, and big twist is very astonished. One thing, I do not like the film is the dialog line because it sounds very scripted. For example, when Dr. Martin Harris and other guys in fight, he says “I do not forget how to kill you!” it sounds so scripted.

I expect this film as action film, but it is not. However, I really enjoy watching it because of the intensive tension. Well made thriller film, Unknown