Uriah43
Joined Sep 2012
Badges8
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Ratings4.2K
Uriah43's rating
Reviews4.2K
Uriah43's rating
Out of favor with the ruling elite, a young warrior named "Jang Sa-jung" (Kim Nam-gil) and his small group turn to banditry to show their disapproval. Meanwhile, a young female pirate named "Yeo-wol" (Son Ye-jin) and her crew have just been betrayed by their leader, "Captain Soma" (Lee Kyoung-young), which leads to a skirmish that leaves her in charge of the pirate ship while Captain Soma is presumed drowned at sea. Not long after, a royal seal from the Ming Emperor, granting a kingdom to the general responsible for Jang Sa-jung's rebellion, was lost at sea. Recognizing the importance of this object, both Jang Sa-jung and Yeo-wol become rivals in trying to obtain it. However, neither of them realizes that their main enemies are also after the seal, and they are willing to kill anyone who stands in their way. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film had a striking similarity to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, due in large part to the combination of action, humor, stunts, and special effects. Also noteworthy was the acting of both Kim Nam-gil and Son Ye-jin, who performed their roles to near perfection. On the downside, I must admit that some of the action and CGI were a bit over-the-top and, in my opinion, detracted from the overall experience. Additionally, those who aren't familiar with the history of Korea will probably find parts of the plot somewhat difficult to follow as well. Be that as it may, I found this to be an enjoyable movie, for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly.
Convinced that her husband, "Jessie Rogers" (Dean Cain), is having an affair, "Noelle Rogers" (Kristy Swanson) locks him out of the house and files for divorce. Jessie denies everything, even though a local tabloid has a photo showing him in the arms of another woman. To make matters worse, Noelle's mother, "Claudell" (Sharon Thomas Cain), has never particularly liked Jessie and keeps fueling the fire whenever she can. Meanwhile, Jessie and Noelle's teenage daughter, "Carrie Rogers" (Shannon Kummer), dislikes Noelle's new boyfriend, "Flynn" (Lochlyn Munro), and frequently tries to make him look bad, even though Claudell seems to approve of him. What none of them realizes, however, is that Flynn isn't being as honest with Noelle as he should be, and his reason for wanting to get married is primarily driven by a financial deal worth millions of dollars. I won't say more, but this Christmas-themed romantic comedy could have been much better if the chemistry between the two leads had been stronger or if it had more comedy. Maybe both. That being said, although I don't think it's a terrible holiday movie, these weaknesses prevent me from rating it higher.
This film begins on Black Friday in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with a teenager named "Jessica Wright" (Neil Verlaque) deciding to hang out with her friends and cruise around town. During their trip, one of her friends chooses to buy a new cellphone at the large retail store owned and operated by Jessica's father, "Thomas Wright" (Rick Hoffman). When they arrive, they find the store closed and hundreds of shoppers waiting impatiently to get inside and take advantage of the special deals typical of that day. Instead of waiting outside with the others, Jessica uses her influence to let her friends enter through a side entrance. Unfortunately, once inside, one of Jessica's friends, "Evan Fletcher" (Tomaso Sanelli), begins to taunt the crowd, which leads to them breaking down the doors and storming inside, resulting in several people being killed. As it happens, this riot also injures Jessica's boyfriend, "Bobby" (Jalen Thomas Brooks), shattering his dream of earning a college baseball scholarship. Likewise, the reaction from the local townspeople is quite negative, and it only worsens when Thomas Wright, prompted by his new wife "Kathleen" (Karen Cliche), decides to continue the same marketing strategy the following year. This decision inspires a serial killer to target those responsible for the previous rampage a year earlier. I won't reveal more, but I will say this was an okay slasher movie with several good aspects. First, I liked the depiction of the department store riot because, having attended a Black Friday event in the early 90s, I've seen how rude and impatient customers can be. I haven't been to one since. Similarly, I thought the special effects, especially the one involving the participants at Thanksgiving dinner, were rather well done. On the other hand, some scenes were a bit absurd, and the film's length could have also been shorter. Be that as it may, although I don't consider this to be a great slasher film by any means, it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly.
Insights
Uriah43's rating
Recently taken polls
1 total poll taken