clubhonda
Joined May 2004
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges2
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews10
clubhonda's rating
I love my mom and this movie made me think of her, and that is a success for a movie if we think about it. The basic premise of a movie is to either make an audience feel a certain emotion, or think about it in certain ways, which it succeeded in doing.
Like all mothers, Estelle can be annoying and nags, but also demonstrates the unconditional love that mothers bring. For those that didn't like it, maybe there wasn't a similar connection in their life, but I found it funny and entertaining for an unpretentious movie. It's not perfect, and Stallone never ever says he loves his mother, and some of the plot is slightly over the top while others could be further squeezed for comedic effect, but overall it has aged well and is still entertaining to this day.
Like all mothers, Estelle can be annoying and nags, but also demonstrates the unconditional love that mothers bring. For those that didn't like it, maybe there wasn't a similar connection in their life, but I found it funny and entertaining for an unpretentious movie. It's not perfect, and Stallone never ever says he loves his mother, and some of the plot is slightly over the top while others could be further squeezed for comedic effect, but overall it has aged well and is still entertaining to this day.
I wasn't going to write a review, but in seeing some of the other reviews here, I thought I should probably give it some justice seeing as I enjoyed the movie.
Firstly, this is NOT an action movie. This movie has strong political and triad commentaries, and it chronicles the life of a triad boss, more along the lines of a movie about Escobar, Al Capone etc.
Secondly, if you've never visited Taiwan before or grew up in Taiwan, I'm afraid a lot of really good bits about the movie would just fly over your head which is a real shame. For example, everyone was into foot reflexology during the 90s which was a real craze, and it is believed that the blind masseuses are especially good. Scenes at the night market, or yeshi as it is called in Taiwan, was also very iconic, as were the rampant corruption and rampant Triad infiltration into society; so many aspects of the film would create resonance to those who know Taiwan, and create a level of realism unlike other films, but wouldn't do the same for an international audience. Tony Leung's character was also bold and innovative, and his comments about converting Emerald Island, a famous prison, into a golf course for the triads fits his character perfectly, but wouldn't have the same impact to a foreigner.
In the end I would only give it a 7 though, as everything in the storyline is somewhat credible until the ending finale, which is way over the top and shatters all the carefully built up gritty realism. Over the top is the only way to describe the ending scenes, as there is no way things can happen like that, that it feels like it's switched directors or the producers got involved and wanted pyrotechnics and overrode the filming crew.
It's the only blemish to a great movie which I had enjoyed as a political piece about the corruption of Taiwan politics and the influence of their triads. Indeed, even today, Taiwan's GDP and economy is abysmal considering how hard the average citizen works and how it was once the shining star among the Asian Five Tigers.
Firstly, this is NOT an action movie. This movie has strong political and triad commentaries, and it chronicles the life of a triad boss, more along the lines of a movie about Escobar, Al Capone etc.
Secondly, if you've never visited Taiwan before or grew up in Taiwan, I'm afraid a lot of really good bits about the movie would just fly over your head which is a real shame. For example, everyone was into foot reflexology during the 90s which was a real craze, and it is believed that the blind masseuses are especially good. Scenes at the night market, or yeshi as it is called in Taiwan, was also very iconic, as were the rampant corruption and rampant Triad infiltration into society; so many aspects of the film would create resonance to those who know Taiwan, and create a level of realism unlike other films, but wouldn't do the same for an international audience. Tony Leung's character was also bold and innovative, and his comments about converting Emerald Island, a famous prison, into a golf course for the triads fits his character perfectly, but wouldn't have the same impact to a foreigner.
In the end I would only give it a 7 though, as everything in the storyline is somewhat credible until the ending finale, which is way over the top and shatters all the carefully built up gritty realism. Over the top is the only way to describe the ending scenes, as there is no way things can happen like that, that it feels like it's switched directors or the producers got involved and wanted pyrotechnics and overrode the filming crew.
It's the only blemish to a great movie which I had enjoyed as a political piece about the corruption of Taiwan politics and the influence of their triads. Indeed, even today, Taiwan's GDP and economy is abysmal considering how hard the average citizen works and how it was once the shining star among the Asian Five Tigers.
I watched this without knowing who the director was, and so was free from any pre-conceived notions and walked away largely disappointed.
A lot of the actions and events in the movie doesn't make sense, and some of the scares and deaths just can't happen in that environment. For example, many of the deaths are from zombies seemingly showing up from nowhere or dead spots and biting on veterans. In a post-apocalyptic world, I can almost guarantee that any scavenger groups that still survive will have honed an amazing instinct. Yet one guy who is on lookout has HEADPHONES on, with a stupid skateboard, and he shoots clips of bullets at the shadow of a zombie, only to die to another one when he peeps out of the door he destroyed. That really insults the intelligence of the viewer. Or Cholo getting bitten by an unexpected zombie. It requires a huge suspension of belief. Or that when there's explosions and clear signs of a zombie invasion into the city, residents in the tower are still shopping and sipping tea, allowing the zombies to bite into them as soon as they break the front glass door. What sort of alternate dumb universe would that make sense? Or that there are no barriers around the river fronts or barbed wires or some sort of deterrent? I could go on and on, but this movie seriously insults the intelligence of the viewers.
Zombie movies are great when they show us certain glimpses of human nature in the face of disaster, and masterpieces when it is told in a way that makes logical sense (within the realm of zombies), with no plot armor or holes in the logic just to move things along. Sadly this movie is neither. I didn't feel entertained either as some of the gore isn't anatomically correct either and borders on the ridiculous. You don't really feel for the male lead who is like a flacid can of coke, who is sort of lawful good, but with zero personality or drive.
This is a big insult on our intelligence to watch.
A lot of the actions and events in the movie doesn't make sense, and some of the scares and deaths just can't happen in that environment. For example, many of the deaths are from zombies seemingly showing up from nowhere or dead spots and biting on veterans. In a post-apocalyptic world, I can almost guarantee that any scavenger groups that still survive will have honed an amazing instinct. Yet one guy who is on lookout has HEADPHONES on, with a stupid skateboard, and he shoots clips of bullets at the shadow of a zombie, only to die to another one when he peeps out of the door he destroyed. That really insults the intelligence of the viewer. Or Cholo getting bitten by an unexpected zombie. It requires a huge suspension of belief. Or that when there's explosions and clear signs of a zombie invasion into the city, residents in the tower are still shopping and sipping tea, allowing the zombies to bite into them as soon as they break the front glass door. What sort of alternate dumb universe would that make sense? Or that there are no barriers around the river fronts or barbed wires or some sort of deterrent? I could go on and on, but this movie seriously insults the intelligence of the viewers.
Zombie movies are great when they show us certain glimpses of human nature in the face of disaster, and masterpieces when it is told in a way that makes logical sense (within the realm of zombies), with no plot armor or holes in the logic just to move things along. Sadly this movie is neither. I didn't feel entertained either as some of the gore isn't anatomically correct either and borders on the ridiculous. You don't really feel for the male lead who is like a flacid can of coke, who is sort of lawful good, but with zero personality or drive.
This is a big insult on our intelligence to watch.