These Martin Lawrence movies will leave you in stitches!! The differenct characters, jokes, stunts.. are so funny!! These are 'Gotta have' movies!!
Showing posts with label russian comedy movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label russian comedy movies. Show all posts
Blue Streak / National Security (2010)
These Martin Lawrence movies will leave you in stitches!! The differenct characters, jokes, stunts.. are so funny!! These are 'Gotta have' movies!!
The Sex Thief: Remastered Edition (1974)
[The Sex Thief AKA Her Family Jewels 1973 88 minutes directed by Martin Campbell Widescreen] The late David Warbeck (who later appeared in three Lucio Fulci horror films in the 80's and a ton of other films) stars as Grant Henry AKA the Sex Thief in this silly but surprising 1973 British sex comedy. A writer of trashy paperbacks, Henry moonlights as a masked jewel thief who is usually caught in the act but lures his female captors to bed. He is a criminal by choice, not by necessity. Bedroom gyno-gymnast that he is, the women all lie to the authorities about his identity and secretly hope to get burgled again and again.A shameless Hollywood producer and a ditzy blonde wannabe movie star try to drum up publicity by claiming that the notorious thief assaulted her. Enraged and engorged that his name has been tarnished, our beloved Sex Thief purchases a toy gun and stalks the actress. In a forced apartment entry, he catches her in the bath before the pair passionately reenact her made up fantasy scenario. Typically dimwitted and corrupt cops more interested in peddling contraband blue movies (porn in today's vernacular) than catching the thief also become involved for comedic effect. Despite the softcore stereotype of the British sex-comedy film, this one is fairly well made and occasionally funny, mildly sexy and a fairly flagrant female fleshfest.
Michael Armstrong, who acts in the film as a breast obsessed cop, wrote the screenplay under the demonic alter ego Edward Hyde, is most familiar to exploitation fans for the much maligned and frequently banned ‘Mark of the Devil' as well as the autobiographical ‘Eskimo Nell', another Brit sex comedy from that time. The version of this flick known as ‘Her Family Jewels', had brief notoriety when it resurfaced with some hardcore insertions before being yanked (puns intended) from circulation. Another discovery is actress Gloria Walker AKA Gloria Maley who went from being well-worked over by Warbeck's buzzing stimulator here to providing the blood and guts special effects for 1980's ‘Inseminoid' (ugh) a more diverse career move is hard to imagine. ‘The Sex Thief' marginally rises above the typical British sexploitation comedy from that era thanks to some pointed raunchiness, a somewhat subversive script and a charismatic leading man. Oh yeah, and a boatload of nudity, which is the only reason to watch flicks like these. No one under 40 will appreciate it, it's for old codgers (like me) to wax nostalgic over, remember the miniskirts, fashions and marvel at how different times were and how women looked then.
The remastered edition is in widescreen, where earlier editions were only available in full screen, and a decent clean-up of picture, color and contrast are noticeable. So if you want to recapture stolen moments from the bygone era of your wayward youth and pilfer a snicker or three in the process, snatch yourself a copy of ‘The Sex Thief'. All else should consider yourself duly warned.
The film stars David Warbeck who at one time was considered to play James Bond -as Grant Henry, the sex thief, who, during the day, works as a "creative artist" never figured that one out. He is an attractive guy and, when discovered by his female victims while conducting a robbery, they quickly fall for his charms, with one saying, "I should call the police," and Grant just answering, "Later." Yep, as simple as that. However, the cops are after him, due to a clue given by one aspiring actress, trying to get publicity, when she tells the police that, "he had a Russian accent. I'll do anything I can to help such a beast to be put behind bars." Of course, she also got a taste of the thief, or vice versa. Unfortunately for Grant, a sexy insurance lady (Diane Keen) had developed the perfect trap to catch the famous sex thief. She is aided by two inept and horny cops.
"The Sex Thief" is truly funny, with smart and hilarious dialogue. Of course, as any film of the time, it is loaded with female and male nudity. This, friends, is a classic of the genre, in a magnificent Blu-ray edition. (UK, 1974, color, 90 min)
Reviewed on March 12, 2013 by Eric Gonzalez for Kino Lorber Jezebel Blu-ray
Forrest Gump (Chocolate Box Giftset) (1994)
Forrest Gump is a rare movie that succeeded on all levels. It was a box office smash ranking among the top five highest grossing movies of all time. But it was also a critical darling, garnering across the board praise and a truckload of awards. The movie became a cultural phenomenon, spawning cook books, quote books, a top ten soundtrack album and lines like "stupid is as stupid does" and "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" have permeated our dialect. The movie has a nostalgic, feel good vibe thanks to the dimwitted Forrest's trek through 60's and 70's touchstone events. Underneath all those warm feelings lies a darkness. Bad things happen to just about everyone Forrest comes in contact with. His best friend Bubba is killed in Vietnam, his other friend Lt. Dan loses both his legs, his mother dies of cancer and his beloved Jenny dies of AIDS. Even the famous people Forrest comes across meet with disaster, President Kennedy & John Lennon are assassinated, George Wallace is shot and Elvis Presley dies young. There are superb performances all around. Sally Field is feisty as Forrest's mama, Mykelti Williamson is funny as Bubba, Gary Sinese as Lt. Dan is a perfect rough edged foil to Forrest and Robin Wright as Jenny portrays the confusion that young people of the times felt perfectly. While all those performances are of high quality, Forrest Gump is Tom Hanks' tour de force. He is utterly brilliant as Forrest. He is in virtually every scene of the movie and never once does he fail to astound. He becomes Forrest and makes you care what happens to him. Mr. Hanks deservedly won his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar for the role and cemented himself as the best actor of his generation and one of the best of all time.
Forrest Gump is a drama and a comedy. It tells the tale of a mildly retarded man who becomes involved accidentally in the biggest events of the sixties, seventies, and eighties. All throughout his life since he was a child, Forrest has been in love with a girl named Jenny (Robin Wright Penn). However, she refuses him only because she loves him too much and doesn't want to hurt him.
Underrated by audiences, Forrest Gump is simply an amazing film. I was surprised by how hilarious and moving it was. The film generates many big laughs that involve how Forrest initiated and inspired many events in recent history such as how he was the one who taught Elvis Presley to dance and the time he unknowingly ratted on the Plumbers of Watergate.
The performances are what make this film memorable. Tom Hanks gives one of the best leading performances of the decade (and possibly of all time). Coming in almost as good is Gary Sinise as the misanthropic lieutenant whose life is changed after becoming involved with Forrest in the shrimp business. The supporting cast which consists of Wright Penn, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson, and Haley Joel Osment (of Sixth Sense fame) also deliver good performances.
Forrest Gump is a great film that has to be seen to be believed. Cynics might find some problems with this film but they would just be missing the entire point. This is essentially a film about how the most innocent and kind person on Earth has a low IQ and how he views the world. His journey is simply breathtaking.
Buy Forrest Gump (Chocolate Box Giftset) (1994) Now
Forrest Gump is one of the best film of all time. Definitely the best Zemeckis's work so far and he has put so much soul and depth to this 1994 Academy Award winning Best Picture. This movie portrays the life of a slow-witted character who gets embroiled in various ridiculous situations. He was a Vietnam war hero, received a congressional medal of honour, shook hands with many US Presidents and was a successful owner of a shrimp company. We get to see many world events through the eyes of a supposedly "dumb" character. The flow and pace of the movie was perfect as we ride through various historical events like the Vietnam War, assasination of JFK and the Watergate Scandal. Tom Hanks gave an undeniably wonderful performance as Forrest and truly deserves the Oscar that he earned. Gary Sinise gave a superb performance as Lieutenant Dan in the movie. Even though he was only nominated and did not win anything, I felt he really deserves the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The scene where he pulled Forrest down from the bed and cursed him for saving his life, just simply blew me away. Sally Field is also wonderful as Forrest's mother and deserves the Oscar as well. The line "Forrest, you have to do your best what God has given you. Be brave Forrest, be brave in everything you do. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get." really moved me and brought me tears. No movie had bring such emotion in me. Robin Wright did her role well as Forrest's love interest and complements well to Forrest's life. The actors truly brings the characters to life and I must salute Zemeckis for choosing the perfect cast. The technical aspect of the film is just excellent. The visual effects is unlike anything we have seen before. Many movies have not fully utilised the CGI effects to complement it. Nowadays, filmmakers just want to show what special effects they can do rather than what the special effects can do for the film. In Forrest Gump, visual effects are utilised to their best to create unbelievable scenes. Scenes like the flying feather, Lieutenant Dans' missing legs, Vietnam War, meeting of the president is just incredible. This is what visual effects is all about. To create impossible scenes to the big screen. Alan Silvestri's film score is one of the best scores I have ever heard. From the touching piano piece at the beginning feather scene to the uplifting tune of Forrest hugging Jenny at the Washington square scene, Alan's award-winning score truly brings the perfect mood and emotion to the film. Every aspect of this movie is simply excellent from the eye-popping special effects, film editing, wonderful score, sound, to the theme of the movie. This movie makes us realised that we all have a purpose in life and that we all have the ability to do the impossible. Forrest Gump tells us that we all should have strong principles and beliefs to succeed in life. Forrest only believes in 3 person. He believes in God, his momma and Jenny. Nothing can go past them. Just look at what Forrest has achieved. He is the President of a shrimp company, a war hero, a Ping-Pong champion, and a happy father. Forrest Gump simply tells us that we can achieve anything in life as long as we put our best effort and believe in everything that we do. Forrest Gump is no doubt one the best films I have ever seen. It changes my perception of life and makes me realised that we all have a purpose in this world. We probably won't be seeing anything like this forever. A true masterpiece.Read Best Reviews of Forrest Gump (Chocolate Box Giftset) (1994) Here
Forrest Gump is a very hard movie to watch since I am an autistic physically disabled black dude who grew up in the racially charged 1960's. I had always heard so much about Forrest Gump that made me not think it was the kind of movie I'd like watching so I usually avoided it with a passion. Suddenly this Christmas friends of mine roped in into sitting through Forrest Gump and I was shocked by how much I absolutely loved this movie.The movie is vivid fictionalized but oddly realistic life seen through (disabled kid) Forrest Gump's eyes. Forrest Gump's perspective on life was weird but strange as he was the movie felt real in the oddest ways I could imagine. It is true watching life unfold through Forrest Gump's eyes offers a perspective that leaves you altered for the better if you have any heart and soul at all. I owe this movie a huge appology because for years I just knew in my heart I'd hate Forrest Gump yet I ended up loving that it was so much like my own life experience growing up disabled in the 1960's when you got very little encouragement and help as a special needs kid.
I suspect I disliked Forrest Gump because it came way too uncomfortably close to being exactly like my own life growing up disabled labelled the dummy or my neighborhood retard by grown ups and peers alike. Like Forrest I had family members (grandparents mainly) who loved me and fought hard, long and tirelessly to be sure I had the same opportunities for advancement other kids had. I saw the park bench scene in the movie trailer and felt it was acted way too simplistically almost as if the movie was poking fun at or making light of the disabled so I never wanted to watch it. Forrest Gump threatened to reopen many painful memories from my own past growing up disabled and those sores were still sensitive in my heart so why watch it.
I am much stronger as a disabled person now than I have ever been before so I let myself be roped into watching Forrest Gump. I liked and understood myself now so I risked veiwing Forrest Gump this Christmas Eve surrounded by friends. Anyways this Christmas Eve friends wanted me to see the Forrest Gump DVD after hearing I had still never seen it so I saw the movie from beginning to end. Watching Forrest Gump was still very painful because, I experienced personally so much of the torment Forrest did going to regular school as a disabled kid in the mid 60's myself. More than a few times I wanted to leave the movie and just go sit in a corner, retreat into my own autistic world to cry tears of solidarity for Forrest Gump in a place where my heart was my only witness but I did not. I stayed the course and watched the whole Forrest Gump movie despite my own pains being vigorously stirred. I gave my word to friends I'd watch to all of Forrest Gump and a Wolf without honor is no Wolf at all.
Yes Forrest Gump stirred up some real painful experiences in my past but that said the movie answered some real unresolved questions I had leaving me much stronger, secure and prouder as a disabled man for my Forrest Gump experience. In my eyes a truly good movie uses fiction to teach truth in ways that leaves an audience stronger better and more enlightened and in all these measures Forrest Gump excels so completely as to have no equals in its job of putting 1960's life with disability in honest perspective. My grandparents used to insist I never see myself as disabled I was expected to do everything the normal folk did and for years I thought my grandparents were cruel almost to the point of being sadistic. I had started to know my grandparents loved me. Watching Forrest Gump showed me that expecting your disabled child to make his own way in normal society coping using tools he developed alone was the most difficult way to love a special needs child in the 1960's but it was the only way to encourage success back in those days when ignorant hostile cruelty about disabilities was rampant.
I am successful today exactly because my grandparents pushed me forcing me to cope in the world of normal people until I got it right. In my case it took me 41 years to get it right and it is still a daily struggle to live among normal folk but I do it. I had hated and avoided watching Forrest Gump for the same reasons I love and highly reccomend buying it from AMAZON.COM now. The Forrest Gump experience as wacky and off beat as it appears was really how it was to be cognitively and physically disabled in the 1960's. For a long time Forrest Gump was too real. Forrest Gump's message hit me way too close to home reminding me of things I'd rather forget and for those very same reasons I most highly recommend that you please buy Forrest Gump on DVD from Amazon.com because the story might be fiction but the 1960's disabled experince it shares is so REAL it can not honestly be deniedtake it from one who lived it! This I know.
Want Forrest Gump (Chocolate Box Giftset) (1994) Discount?
Forrest Gump is a tale of America's culture from the 50s through almost the present day, and it is brilliantly done. Tom Hanks' performance as Forrest Gump is quite simply flawless as an idiot savant who comes into contact with most of the significant events and people of his day. I have always liked Hanks as an actor, and here he puts in an unusual and yes, a brilliant performance.But the real star of the movie is America of the 50s through the early 80s. The portion of the film that dealt with the Vietnam conflict was unforgettable, as we see large numbers of ordinary American boys swept into a conflict that they little understood. Gary Sinise puts in a very creditable performance as Lt. Dan, Forrest's platoon leader in Vietnam for whom the war is a personal tragedy.
The film hilariously shows Forrest Gump navigate through many of the key events in history during the periods. He meets Elvis and influences his style. He meets President Kennedy. He has a ringside seat in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. He is caught up in the Vietnam War. He meets President Nixon and inadvertantly triggers the Watergate scandal (this part is really a hoot). The film's portrayal of the hippies and radicals of the 60s is particularly funny and in fact rings true.
This is a film that almost everyone will like, and which will touch even the most hard-boiled viewer. The DVD is a terrific value, and most viewers will enjoy watching this one many times.
A New Life (1988)
Maybe Alan Alda has yet to have success in the movies that would rival his television popularity, but it can't be from lack of quality work. A NEW LIFE is perhaps as good as any film he's made outside of his roles in Woody Allen's flicks.One reason A NEW LIFE stands out is Alda's will to let others steal scenes. Hal Linden proves up to the task, playing a dead-honest happily divorced middle-ager dating women half his age in this comedy about life on the romantic rebound.
Portraying Alda's ex-wife, Ann-Margaret stands out in A NEW LIFE. I don't want to spoil the story, but as her woman-who-loves-too-much character realizes her problem, you will be rooting for her to find herself.
As for Alan Alda, who wrote and directed A NEW LIFE, he has the courage to portray someone as flawed as, well, the rest of us. He deserves even more applause for creating an engrossing, funny film without resorting to nudity (A NUDE LIFE?) and profanity (A RUDE LIFE?). See A NEW LIFE!
It reminds me of Danielle Steeles movie "heartbeat".
Read Best Reviews of A New Life (1988) Here
I was glad to see they were able to both adjust to their new lines. Good acting, alan aldan was very goodWant A New Life (1988) Discount?
This is one of my favorite movies, with some really good one-liners. I have watched it many times and still laugh each timeSave 29% Off
Mi Verano Con Amanda 2 (Blu-ray)
I recommend this movie will laugh like never.All very well with this buyer
Go to purchase is movi is very nice :-D
Blue Streak (1999)
Blue streak was a good film, funny, good action scenes and a good cast. Martain Lawerance is always good in the films he's been involoved with, from House Party 1&2, Bad boys and Nothing to lose. This is not his best movie (as Bad boys would take some beating), but is one of his best and a lot better than Nothing to lose. Blue Streak is a solid film. Extra on the DVD lok well worth the purchase inluding an HBO First Look Featurette, music video's and the trailer.
Overall, I think Blue streak is a good comedy that you will love. Buy it cause I know youll love it.I admit, I'm not a very big fan of Martin Lawrence. I don't find his type of humor very funny and do find it crude, unoriginal, and rude. Unlike, say Richard Pryor, there is no wit in Lawrence's comedy. He goes for the lowest level of humor and does not seek any depth or to grow.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by BLUE STREAK. The film stars Lawrence as a jewel thief named Logan who is sent to jail when a heist goes sour. He hides the jewel in a building under construction, but when he returns to the site two years later after serving his time in the pen, he discovers the building to be the site of a new police headquarters. So, he goes "undercover" as a cop to get his "baby" back and along the way nabs crooks and impresses the rest of the force.
The premise of the movie has been done before, but for the most part works here. However, the movie works best when Lawrence is interacting with other actors. When left by himself, the action halts and the film loses continuity (like in the pizza delievery scene). Nevertheless, the movie does have a few moments and rises above it's major flaws.
Read Best Reviews of Blue Streak (1999) Here
Martin is just to funny in this movie. This is the perfect role for him. Nobody could of done a better job in this movie. You'll laugh hard... so be careful...Want Blue Streak (1999) Discount?
Martin Lawrence once again stars in a outstanding comedy, the plot is already interesting and the movie itself is very easy watching and pleasant, the actors are all great and Martin is just too funny. You won't get borred one minute.Save 25% Off
Good Morning, Vietnam (25th Anniversary Edition) (1987)
Many have tried to dismiss this film as nothing more than a comedic vehicle for Robin Williams. The concept of making light of the horrors of war, particularily Vietnam since it's still so recent in the minds of many turns alot of viewers off to the important potential lessons to be learned in this wonderfully insightful movie.Based on the true life accounts of Air Force officer and D.J. Adrian Cronauer we get a birds' eye view into the strict and ridiculous bureaucracy that can at times reign over military policy and in effect hamper the morale and efforts of the American military.
Cronauer provided a much needed spontaneity to the air waves of Vietnam radio and brought however briefly to the American soldiers the contemporary music they wanted to hear. There is alot to laugh at in this film, what else could you expect with the likes of Robin Williams in the lead role. However there is much more going on than what first meets the eye. The concepts of acceptance, friendship, trust and love soon become entangled into the comedic elements which lead to the sad and poignant realization that cultural differences can't always be overcome by good intentions. A bittersweet truth so poignantly conveyed by the beautiful Trinh when rebuffing the romantic advances of Cronauer with the statement, "Vietnam ladies not friends."
This film will definitely make you laugh. It will also make you cry and even more importantly make you think. In the final analysis that's what it's all about. There are many wonderful performances in this movie complimenting Robin Williams amazing tour-de-force. My two favorites are Tung Than Tran as 'Phan' and Chintara Sukapatana as 'Trinh.'
Highly Recommended!!
The V.P., a V.I.P., the P.C., on the Q.T, the V.C, MIA and K.P.
Who else can take all these initials, string them into one sentence and have us in hysterics. Only Robin Williams. The one liners are fast and non stop. He's absolutely perfect as he portrays the real life Adrian Cronauer, an armed forces DJ who shakes things up a bit in Saigon 1965.
Cronauer is a hip DJ, who tries to the chagrin of his lieutanant, to bring a little fun into the lives of the weary soldiers in Viet Nam. He livens up the base and surrounding Saigon with funny characters,absurd news stories(the real ones are edited), and some Rock and Roll, as the Vietnam War occurs around them. The Lt. is more of a Lawrence Welk/Jim Nabors kind of a guy and is appalled at this DJ's style.But nothing can stop this wild and crazy guy from his mission. The script is rollicking good fun, and of course all that great music from the 60's is on tap. But there are poignant moments and a serious nature to this film as well. The war still goes on, and for the people of Saigon it is tragic.As Cronauer finds out when he befriends the townspeople.
Williams' immense talent explodes in this film. He is both funny and compassionate. But he is not alone in making this film the classic it has become. It is directed by the brillant Barry Levinson(Rain Man/The Natural),who always knows how to pull us into a story and keep us there.The supporting cast is marvelous and play right to Williams. It includes the wonderful character
actor Noble Willingham, Bruno Kirby,Forest Whitaker, Robert Wuhl and I must also make mention of Tung Thanh Tran, who plays Tuan/aka Phan Duc To.
A story of Vietnam like no other. It's one I can pull out and watch anytime without tiring of it. The VHS is a good quality. It has nice picture and hi-fi Stereo sound.It has closed captioned for hearing impaired as well. If you haven't seen it in a while, watch it again, and remember why you liked it so much the first time around. For those that have not seen it, you
are in for a real treat.
Thanks and enjoy...Laurie
recommended reading:
Into the DMZ A Battle History of Operation Hickory, May 1967, Vietnam(see my review for bnook details)
Buy Good Morning, Vietnam (25th Anniversary Edition) (1987) Now
i love good morning vietnam because robin williams does an amazing job of balancing humor and drama. this is one of my favorite movies of all time, and i highly reccommend it to everybody. you've got to watch it more than once, because you'll see something new or catch another sly joke each time.Read Best Reviews of Good Morning, Vietnam (25th Anniversary Edition) (1987) Here
Robin Williams is exceptional (as usual) as the controversial radio disc-jockey Adrian Cronauer who is sent to Vietnam during the war to lift the military morale with his special brand of on-air banter. Cronauer's improvised, lightning-speed monologues keep getting him into strife with his superiors, yet are adored by the soldiers who avidly listen to him. While stationed in the war-torn country, Cronauer meets and gets to know some of the locals intimately, and learns about the catastrophes and disasters that lie beneath the airwaves through which his flippantly humourous broadcasts are transmitted.Cronauer's radio persona is an accurate mirror of Williams himself, yet he also portrays well the man who becomes more human and vulnerable as a result of his exposure to the situation in his new environment.
GMV is both side-splittingly hilarious, touching and at times devastating, as we witness the horrors of war contrasted against the light-hearted satirical entertainment of Cronauer's on-air speeches. There has also never been a more ironic use of Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" than here, played as a background to a heartbreaking montage of tragic images.
The soundtrack is also excellent, blending some appropriately upbeat period tunes with snippets of Williams funniest monologues.
Want Good Morning, Vietnam (25th Anniversary Edition) (1987) Discount?
My 1* rating is for the DVD, not the movie which is 5*.Most poeople will have seen this film on video and tv and enjoyed it, some of you old folks may have even seen it at the cinema. I think that this is a great film and it belongs in my favourite collection.
A lot of reviews here talk about the film so I wont. I just bought the DVD and watched it, although I have the video as well.
The picture quality was bad, fuzzy and grainy in many places, and I mean the picture, not the mpeg compression.
It was possible in quite a few places to see the mpeg rings. The sound was average, not brilliant but not poor.
There are no real extra features to talk about.
So given that this movie has a great following in many countries I would have expected the DVD conversion crew to have done a much better job.
With no extras and not been a really long film there is no reason to allow compression rings to be visible, where they are visible the conversion people just have to lower the compression rate for that part, and us the viewers would never know.
It appears that all they did was to copy the old movie onto a DVD without any effort, knowing that many people will buy the DVD. I think that the video copy I have matches the DVD for picture quality, not for sound of course.
If you have Good Morning Vietnam on video treasure it and save yourself £15 ($20). Maybe in the future a 'special' anniversary edition will be released that the producers will have invested both time and money in to give us a DVD worth buying, of course they could just release it again as is for all us muggs to be ripped off again.
Save 33% Off
Chocolate
Chocolate is the perfect "acid test" to determine who are fans of action movies and who are not. How so? Let me explain. A true fan of action movies has the ability to overlook some flaws in film-making (e.g., script, acting, character development, etc.) if the action sequences are exceptional enough to make up for them. This is no different from fans of art-house dramas who can overlook minimal content if the film can portray everyday life in interesting ways. With that said, Chocolate is one of the best examples of an action movie that has such extraordinary fight sequences that they easily overpower any deficiencies in the script.An autistic girl with martial arts skill attempts to collect on the debts of her sick mother. This movie is not well written, and requires some patience from the viewer to slug through the early moments. Once the 30 minute mark arrives, however, the viewer is treated to one of the most amazing displays of asskicking by a female protagonist in the history of action cinema. Virtually all of the remaining 50 minutes is devoted to high quality choreography and bone-crunching maneuvers. The settings and scenarios change frequently, thereby avoiding any feel of repetition or monotony. This is brainless action at its very finest. JeeJa Yanin an amazing specimen with her fluid moves and hard strikes catapults herself into the upper echelon of female action stars with this single movie. Her punches and kicks start off rather basic, but get increasingly more complex until they peak during the jaw-dropping finale that lasts a whopping 20 minutes. Lots of fun to be had here.
Now, a snobby moviegoer will cry about the negatives without even considering the positives. Anyone who does not enjoy the action in this movie seriously needs to get their pulse checked, or at least schedule for a re-alignment of their action movie tastes. There's nothing more scintillating than watching a cute girl kick the living hell out of hundreds (quite literally) of stuntmen in a variety of environments. Basically, if you're not entertained by this, you're not a fan of action movies. (You probably didn't like So Close or Azumi either, right?) Stop fooling yourself and go watch another Tsai Ming-liang film.
Some critics have claimed that this movie "ripped off" other movies. It didn't. There are a few homages that last a few minutes at most (a few Bruce Lee references, a locker scene reminiscent of Jackie Chan, and some footage from Tony Jaa's movies). These few scenes are only a drop in the bucket, because 95% of the action is independent of any references to other movies. The sign-post battle on the apartment complex balconies is one glaring example of a completely novel (and breathtaking) sequence that pays homage to no one but itself.
This is definitely worth a blind buy. True fans of martial arts mayhem will end up re-watching the action scenes about a thousand times.
Premise
*An autistic girl learns martial arts through imitation, and uses her skills to collect money from some unsavory people who owe her mother, who is is need of medication (and was formerly associated with the Yakuza). Then the Yakuza retaliates, and all heck breaks loose.
The Good Things
*Video quality is almost perfect; it's very clean, sharp, and colorful, with only a couple of grainy scenes. The sound quality is pretty good.
*Includes a short 8-minute making-of featurette and a few trailers for other movies.
*Includes both English dubbing and the original Thai language track with optional subtitles.
*The movie has a lot of phenomenal fight scenes. They are extremely well-choreographed and distinctive. Judging from the outtakes, it also looks like they were made to be completely authentic, and the actors sustained some serious injuries in the process. Even though the fighting is fantastic, it's also very real.
*The movie is also very well-filmed, with lots of good camera angles and unique colors.
*Production design is good. Sets are interesting, costumes are good, props are good. Look out for one or two unique motifs.
*It looks like there were one or two homages to earlier films by Prachya Pinkaew ("Ong Bak" and "The Protector").
*The storyline is good and easy to follow. Aside from the action, it has some drama and emotional parts, but it's nothing too sappy. It's actually quite invoking, and seems to carry a strong message about love (believe it or not).
*The characters are excellent. The main character, aside from performing so many amazing stunts, shows some good compassion and emotion and makes the character believable. Other characters are great too.
*Music is good.
The Bad Things
*Not very many special features; it's especially dissapointing since the region-free British import seems to have deleted scenes and featurettes and other stuff. Oh well...
*Not for the squeamish; contains brutal violence, some blood, and some brief sensuality.
Thailand seems to be pumping out some of the coolest martial arts films these days, and "Chocolate" is probably my favorite of them all so far. Aside from boasting some incredible fight scenes and stuntwork, it is a surprisingly emotional story with strong characters. This Blu-Ray has exceptional video quality, and would highly reccomend it to any martial arts fan.This film by the makers of Ong Bak, was both heartmelting, and spectacular in its choreography, featuring as centerpiece the new action star of Asia, Nicharee Yanin (Jeeja) Vistmantananda, who is nothing short of a wonder of the world. The plot of course is simple, focusing on the efforts of young Zen, (Jeeja) to recover funds owed to her cancer stricken mother from her days as a moneylender for a criminal gang, a mission which brings her into several violent confrontations with gangsters. The plot twist, which makes the whole film, is that Zen is an autistic savant, who has assimilated the techniques of the greatest martial artists whom she has watched on TV, from Bruce Lee, to Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and of course, Tony Jaa. (who helped train Jeeja for this part, a program which took her 4 years.) There are many things to criticize in this film, but these fall away quickly and are overcome with the escalating storm of adrenaline which kicks in, as Jeeja demolishes wave after wave of attackers using techniques which are right up there with the best in their execution and form. The one thing which explodes from the screen, is the ferocity and fighting ability which flows from the 5'3" 93 LB little Jeeja, who uses her lithe frame like a whip with a hammer on the end, bringing more power to bear with each kick and elbow strike than you can believe from someone so small, and so cute. She is also very authentic in her sensitive portrayal of an autistic girl, which she prepared for by spending time at a home for autistic kids to observe. For her acting debut, she is superb, and has a fantastic future ahead if she can broaden her audience to the West, and get some Michelle Yeoh type parts.
Read Best Reviews of Chocolate Here
Chocolate [Blu-ray]I went into this movie expecting a so-so movie with a girl that can do decent fight scenes. Well, the girl can do some awesome fight scenes. Using no stunt doubles and no wires, the only fake stuff in this move are the baseballs she catches (you can tell that it's 3D effects there). If she makes another movie, she could become as big of an icon as Tony Jaa.
As for the fight scenes, there are mainly around 4 really good leangthy ones, with the last one being really long and nonstop, taking place in multiple areas of a building, one inside with guns and samurai swords, another on the roof against a transvestite, a couple of women (the only women who actually fight the main character), and one other sequence that has to be seen to be believed, on the side of a building where Chocolate and the never-ending bad guys (seriously, there were too many, but that can be forgiven since it's a martial arts flick) duke it out on narrow ledges, big street signs sticking out of the walls of the building, and the side of a subway line only a couple yards away from the structure, easily connected by the street signs. 3 stories of 2D fighting goodness, and the people who fall take hits that will make you cring, including, but not limited to, a guy falling 3 stories straight down, while others hit a few obstacles on the way down (ouch).
It's also funny to see scenes from Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong (also great movies) on a television Chocolate watches, as well as hearing sound effects from Bruce Lee movies (supposedly). It's great in the first fight scene hearing her immitate Bruce Lee's hoowaaah-ooo! voice. That'll put a smile on your face.
Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda is good in her role, playing an autistic girl who learns from watching, fast. She was already a taekwondo practitioner before production, but then trained extensively for 2 years before the film shooting began, and another 2 years during the shoot. She is somewhere between the age of 21-24 during the filming of the movie.
For anyone who loves martial arts, they'll enjoy this. Anyone who wants to see a woman who can hold her own in these types of movies, definitely watch it. And one more thing, be ready for some bloopers at the end credits to show the real hits that the cast (including Chocolate herself) took during the shooting.CHOCOLATE, named for its protagonist's favorite snack, is about an autistic young Thai girl who is a martial arts savant--parallel to the compensatory abilities of Dustin Hoffman's character in RAINMAN. Early in the film she takes on and defeats a gang of nasty kids. Next, she demolishes an array of deadbeats, who owe her sick mother money. Finally, as we can easily foresee, the evil gangsters who have split up her parents are going to be no match for her. (Telling you this is not "spoiling" the story--anyone who can count to three can see it coming.)
The excellently choreographed fight scenes have a sweet and fairly touching story around them. If you enjoy watching women "kick butt," Yanin Vismitananda (Jeeja Yanin), the star of this film, is sort of a tiny female Jackie Chan. Another big plus in my view is that this film is not pretentiously artsy and "meaningful" the way the excellent CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON was.
As a bonus feature, the DVD includes a rather short "making of" piece that shows just how dangerous its stunts really were and how amazingly athletic these people are!
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