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Author Topic: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 561826 times)

1SO

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #710 on: July 09, 2009, 01:06:53 AM »
Getting Any? vs. God of Gamblers 2
I’ll start with a quote from The Muppets…
Sam Eagle: Will you stop this foolishness?
Gonzo: What foolishness would you like to see?

Takeshi Kitano’s Getting Any? And Wong Jing’s God of Gamblers 2 have to be a pair of the silliest films in this Bracket.  I watched one thinking it would certainly lose to the more sophisticated humor of the other… and then I watched the other.

More than most films, this is really a matter of personal taste.  Both films reminded me of Mark Whalberg’s The Big Hit, which I enjoyed back when I was 17.  Not so much now.  They are films seemingly written by a 15 year old and then directed by a 12 year old.

This gives you no bearing with Getting Any?, for no matter how many of Kitano’s films you’ve seen, nothing in his film catalogue can prepare you for this.  (Closest example would be Woody Allen’s Bananas).  The film is really silly (*slap*).  It’s really deadpan (*slap*).  Silly (*slap*). Deadpan… It’s both really silly and really deadpan.  In fact, the film is so lacking in anything beyond being Laugh-In: The Movie, it’s hard to stay with it.  You could begin this film at any point, or play the DVD chapters in random order.  Sure, there are some motifs and repeating gags that build, but the plot changes direction every 5 minutes.  And while the jokes are relentless, the film wore me down and I laughed very little.  By the end, I was mostly scratching my head. (Could have been the giant insect man.)

A childish attitude isn’t too big a stretch for Jing, whose mostly enjoyable romps are full of over-the-top silliness.  And this time he’s paired with Stephen Chow, who hadn’t yet come into his own as a creative force, but was already one hell of a go-for-broke comedian.  The star and director compliment each other well and set an effective tone for the movie.  Mixed with the easy cool of Andy Lau, it’s kind of like Ocean’s 13 if Soderbergh was in a more Schizopolis frame of mind.

The silliness felt like a feature length Will Farrell routine at times, but there was the bones of a plot here, and I think what ultimately puts God of Gamblers 2 over the top is the gambling scenes which are… well over the top, but I mean that in a good way.  The gambling scenes steer quickly into fantasy scenarios – 4 blackjack decks and all the Aces come up at once – but the scenes are well shot and create actual excitement and tension.  I’ve seen the original God of Gamblers and God of Gamblers Returns (which is ALSO called God of Gamblers 2), and this is definitely the weakest of the series.  But it’s still a really entertaining series, completely unbelievable in a way you wish real life would be more like.

So while I admire Kitano’s effort, nearly all of his other films deserve to go on.  Not this one.
Score another victory for Stephen Chow.  God of Gamblers 2 moves on.

Tequila

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #711 on: July 09, 2009, 02:02:27 AM »
Stephen Chow can't lose!
'What am I doing? I'm quietly judging you'
http://letterboxd.com/Tagave/

smirnoff

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #712 on: July 09, 2009, 07:13:29 AM »
God of Gamblers 2 sounds kind of fun, so I'm happy to see it move on. Nice verdict.

worm@work

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #713 on: July 09, 2009, 08:36:59 AM »
This gives you no bearing with Getting Any?, for no matter how many of Kitano’s films you’ve seen, nothing in his film catalogue can prepare you for this.  (Closest example would be Woody Allen’s Bananas).  The film is really silly (*slap*).  It’s really deadpan (*slap*).  Silly (*slap*). Deadpan… It’s both really silly and really deadpan. 

:D

Is Andy Lau in all of the God of Gamblers movies? They sound like a lot of fun.

duder

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #714 on: July 09, 2009, 09:17:15 AM »
Getting Any? is way, way longer than it should have been, but damn, it's so funny. I'm partial to nonsense humor though. Haven't seen God of Gamblers 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6ofxEQGcU8#ws
« Last Edit: July 09, 2009, 09:18:54 AM by duder »
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Melvil

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #715 on: July 09, 2009, 10:59:47 AM »
Kitano finally loses one, crap! Both movies sound like they could be a lot of fun though. I'll watch any Kitano, and probably anything with Chow, so I guess I can't lose. :)

1SO

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #716 on: July 09, 2009, 11:00:47 AM »
Is Andy Lau in all of the God of Gamblers movies? They sound like a lot of fun.

This is difficult to answer as the God of Gamblers series as a twisted family tree.  Lau is in the original with Chow Yun-Fat. 
The film was so successful that many rip offs followed, including Stephen Chow's comedic take on the franchise, known as All for The Winner.  I haven't see that, but I hear Stephen's character in that is the one in God of Gamblers 2. 

Andy Lau is the sidekick in GOG 1, but for GOG 2 he has graduated to "Knight of Gamblers" (the actual title of the film). 

Next in the series is God of Gamblers 3: Back to Shanghai, which has Chow but not Lau.  (It does have Gong Li, however).

Next up, Chow Yun-Fat is back on board for God of Gamblers Returns, which is also called God Of Gamblers 2 because it is a direct sequel to the original film.  No Stephen Chow or Andy Lau, but instead we have Tony Leung Ka-Fai (not to be confused with the more famous Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

The franchise died with God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage, which didn't feature anyone but was written and directed by Wong Jing, who made all of the official films.

If the films weren't so hard to get copies of I would suggest a marathon.  The three I've now seen are very entertaining and the whole premise is really neat to watch.

1SO

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #717 on: July 09, 2009, 11:20:20 AM »
Kitano finally loses one, crap! Both movies sound like they could be a lot of fun though. I'll watch any Kitano, and probably anything with Chow, so I guess I can't lose. :)

It was pretty sweet.  I felt like I got a Round 3 match up, although I don't expect either film to go too deep.  Neither represents their stars at their best.

duder

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #718 on: July 09, 2009, 10:05:02 PM »
(Shunji Iwai, 1995)

After losing her fiancée in a mountain climbing accident, Hiroko decides to write him a letter and mail it to an old adress of his, even though the house is not there anymore. A letter to Heaven, she calls it. Much to her surprise, the letter gets delivered, and soon after, she gets a letter back, signed by her fiancée. How could it be? As we come to learn, it just so happens that the letter had been delivered to a woman with the same name as him (Itsuki Fujii).


Not only that, they'd actually gone to school together. They were in the same class!


 If this setup sounds stupid and contrived, it's because it is. It takes forever too, we're a good 50-60 minutes into the movie at this point and I'm about to die of boredom. What follows is a shift in perspective, as we start following Itsuki and her recollections of her teenage years spent alongside Itsuki #2. This takes the whole second hour of film. Past events relived, demons exorcised, epiphanies ensue; you know how these go, right? Hiroko talks to a mountain.




Ok? Also, pet peeve: jittery handheld shots of just two people having a conversation. It worked in Undo in that it got progressively worse as the tension grew between the two characters. It's completely unnecessary here. Pet peeve #2: cloying, sentimental music at the most inappropriate times. Which is always. I'm surprised Hollywood hasn't remade this yet, it's just begging for it. I don't know what to make of you, Shunji.


(Johnny To, 1997)

WTF is it with the music in these movies. Enough already. This is on par with Rescue Me as far as firehouse soap opera goes. Like, they're not even trying to hide it. In a scene that perfectly epitomizes the first hour of this movie for me, a firewoman leaves the bathroom in a rush to answer the fire alarm. As soon as she gets on the truck she pulls this out


That's right. It's not enough that there's a fire I have to attend to, I just found out I'm pregnant! Whatever fireman action there is during the first sixty minutes serve no purpose other than inflating the soap-ish drama. Like, the rescue of the suicidal woman turns into a meet cute



the baby rescue is just an excuse for the lady firefighter to decide she doesn't want to have an abortion after all (though it was still pretty awesome)


Stuff like that. It's a good thing To directs drama and romance as swiftly as he does action.   


If you don't believe in me, forget it.


What does that mean?


Since you don't believe in me...


Breaking up?


You said it.

DONE. Had he directed He's Just Not That Into You, it wouldn't have lasted more than 15 minutes. Anyway, halfway into the proceedings, the crew gets trapped in a factory while attempting to rescue the people inside. I did not realise at the time, because there was still an hour to go, but this is the final set piece. A rescue sequence of epic proportions, 45 minutes long, everything's falling apart, the flames engulfing the actors in slow motion, it's beautiful. And, it totally makes the movie. 


So, half a good movie is better than no good movie. Lifeline moves on.
...

smirnoff

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #719 on: July 09, 2009, 10:29:08 PM »
It's too bad Love Letter wasn't better. The video quality looks waaaaaaaaaay above the average for this bracket.
 
Quote from: duder
If this setup sounds stupid and contrived, it's because it is.
Actually I was thinking 'this is sounding pretty good'... and then you squashed it :)

I enjoyed the write up though!  :D