Best Commercial Ever

This has got to be the most touching, inspiring commercial ever!

The Storm Warriors (風雲II)

Director: Ping Brothers (彭氏兄弟), Ma Wing Shing (馬榮成), Yee Chung Man ( 奚仲文)

Actors:
Ekin Cheng (鄭伊健)
Aaron Kwok (郭富城)
Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒)
Charlene Choi (蔡卓妍)
Simon Yam (任達華)
Kenny Ho (何家勁)
Wong Tak Bun (黄德斌)

A highly anticipated sequel of wuxia mythology in a decade making from the premiere of the original Storm Warrior. The sequel is about Cloud (Ekin Cheng) and Wind (Aaron Kwok) trying to stop Lord Godless (Simon Yam) and his son Heart (Nicholas Tse) from taking over the wuxia with ruthless method and stopping at nothing to reach their goal. To stop Lord Godless and his invincsible armor they seek help from Lord Wicked (Wong Tak Bun) which he instructs Wind to harness dark power to increase his power instantly. Cloud also trained with nameless master swordsman (Kenny Ho) to take his skills to the next level. The dark power overtakes Wind and it's up to Cloud to stop him.

The sequel is definitely worth the decade wait as the special effect is mind blowing and unimaginable. The detail of all the energy harvesting to final manifestation of the strike is breathtaking. Storm Warriors is based on a popular comic book. Like any other movies based on comic book or books, it feels like a long preview. You don't know the detail to the story unless you've read the comic book. The transition from one scene to another is also very choppy and does not flow well. Acting was decent from all actors except when Ekin Cheng tried to be emotional toward the end of the movie; it was oh so forced and very laughable. I tried to concealed my giggle with no prevail. Aaron Kwok still looks good at his age and definitely a better actor than Ekin Cheng. Oh how I long for another scene of Cloud practicing his martial arts in the waterfall from the first Storm Warriors. Enjoy this for the special effect and nothing more.

Somewhere I Have Never Traveled (帶我去遠方)

Director: Fu Tien Yu (傅天余)

Actors:
You Xin (游昕)
Li Yun Yun (李芸妘)
Lin Bo Hong (林柏宏)
Zhou Yong Xuan (周詠軒)
Lin Mei Shiu (林美秀)
Mei Fang (梅芳)
Li Yong Feng (李永豐)

A coming of age movie about cousins living in a coastal town itching to get out. Ah-Hsien (Lin Bo Hong) is saving money to escape the small town to New York with his boyfriend; while Ah-Gui (Li Yung Yun & You Xin) wants to go to a secluded island promised by Ah-Hsien. Ah-Gui becomes extremely jealous when Ah-Hsien becomes involved with someone and spirals downward into becoming a snappy melodramatic diva. Somewhere I Have Never Traveled is about adolescents discovering who they are and journeying down a new path in life.

Somewhere I Have Never Traveled is beautifully shot with vibrant colors and there's an innocence and purity to the cinematography that feasts the eyes. Li Yung Yun was so great playing the young Ah-Gui. She possess the innocence of a young girl when she's sharing the screen with Ah-Hsien. When she's alone she's melancholy and exudes old soul when she speaks. Lin Bo Hong also did a good job playing a teenager who's discovering his sexuality when a foreigner from japan (周詠軒) visits the small remote coastal town to visit the temple-church with a painting of the last supper with chinese mythology icons. I'm afraid this is another not-so-happy ending for the gay boy. Don't hesitate to watch this. It will definitely keep you engaged.

Prince of Tears (淚王子)

Director: Yon Fan (楊凡)

Actors:
Fan Chih Wei (范植偉)
Terri Kwan (關穎)
Joseph Chang (張孝全)
Oceane Zhu (朱璇)
Lin Yo Wei (林佑威)

Set in the era of White Terror in the 50's in Taiwan, Prince of Tears is a movie about anti-communist witchhunt and two generations connected by a children's story book "Prince of Tears." One autumn afternoon pilot Han Sun (Joseph Chang) and wife Ping (Oceane Zhu) were arrested for treason and association with anti-communism. The daughters given to Ding (Fan Chin Wei) to care and the sisters lives will never be the same again. Love, friendship and betrayl is the theme of the movie.

Prince of Tears is OMG so slow. Picture is beautifully shot and lots of eye candies but OMG did it move so slow; they even walk really slow in the movie. The dialogue is poetic which compliments the picture but it felt a bit dragged out. It's nice to see Fan Chin Wei and Joseph Chang collaborate again after Crystal Boys. Joseph Chang is also known for his excellent performance in Eternal Summer who struggles managing his relationship with his gay best friend and girlfriend. Highly recommended if you like Joseph Chang and wonders what he may be hiding underneath those fabrics. Lin Yo Wei is another pretty boy you may want to keep an eye out for. He was introduced to Taiwan entertainment as a boybander and have appeared in numerous TV series. Aside from feast for the eyes with astounishing picture and beautiful people, Price of Tears is only a treat for the eyes. The voice over got annoying and I really didn't care what happens to anybody in the film but can't wait for it to end. Prince of Tears is also inspired by a true story with a hint of lesbian flair. I want to like this movie so much, especially with Fan Chin Wei and Joseph Chang but dullness of the story trumped anything good associated with the movie.

Haeundae

Director: Yoon Je Kyun

Actors:
Ha Ji Won
Sol Kyung Gu
Uhm Jung Hwa
Park Joong Hoon
Lee Min Ki

A marine geologist Kim Hee (Park oong Hoon) discovers Korean East Sea is showing signs of activity similar to the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 and heads to Haeundae to warn the authorities but was turned away. In the mean time, residence of Haeundae goes through life as usual with problems in life, career and love. Fisherman and seafood restaurant owner Man Sik (Sol Kyung Gu) has feelings for Yeon Hee (Ha Ji Won) but doesn't know how to express it partly due to feeling responsible for the death of her father during the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Man Sik's brother Hyung Sik (Lee Min Ki) is a coast guard who got intertwined with a Seoul privileged university whom he met during a rescue. Coincidentally, Kim Hee's estranged ex-wife Yu Jin (Uhm Jung Hwa) and daughter resides in Haeundae and proceeds to get them out of harms way. The inevitable finally comes and disaster is blanketed over Haeundae.

First disaster movie and one of top 5 grossing film in Korea, Haeundae delivers in special effect and did not fail in keeping the audience engage in the visual effect and emotional turmoil when disaster strikes. The disaster didn't strike until the last 20 minutes of the film, but the first half was necessary to build the characters and understand the lives of those in Haeundae. It makes the devastation that much more impactful when disaster do strike because now you're connected to those who are fighting for their lives. Haeundae is a disaster movie but it did not lose the Korean flavor of including comedy in the film. Haeundae is funny, sad, adventurous all rolled up in one. It's a nice feeling of being able to experience different emotions in one film and not feel so burden by the heaviness of a typical disaster movie.

The Treasure Hunter (刺陵)

Director: Chu Yen Ping (朱延平)

Jay Chou (周杰倫)
Lin Chi Ling (林志玲)
Eric Tsang (曾志偉)
Chen Dao Ming (陳道明)
Will Liu (劉畊宏)

Bounty hunter Ciao Fei (Jay Chou) and novelist Lan Ting (Lin Chi Ling) embarks on a journey to seek lost treasure hidden in the northwest desert of China protected by mysterious guardians.

The Treasure Hunter looks to have pulled inspiration from Indiana Jones with Jay Chou using a whip as his choice of weapon and The Mummy with desert as the primary location and resurrection of a general from the grave. I thought the movie also pulled in a little inspiration from He-Man with one of the characters wearing a skeleton mask; taking in resemblance to Skeletor. The Treasure Hunter has it's moments with some unique fighting sequence and special effect with battle between Jay Chou and Will Liu. unfortunately the fighting and special effect was not good enough to carry the movie or mask the chessy dialect, chessy staging and bad acting. The final battle scene between Jay Chou and the mysterious guardians was a snoozer. The majestic treasure the team are hunting for and finally found displayed only a few gold bars Eric Tsang had holding in his hands or tucked away in his coat. "treasure is hidden in the water" is just a lame excuse to cut corners in feasting the audiences' eyes with jaw dropping blings. I want to like this movie but I didn't laugh at the punch lines but when they're trying to be emotional. It's such a half baked movie that you can't take it seriously. Only give the movie a try if you have nothing better to do on a saturday night when there's nothing better on tv.

十月圍城 (Bodyguards and Assassins)

Leon Lai (黎明)
Donnie Yen (甄子丹)
Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒)
Fan Bing Bing (范冰冰)
Tony Leung Ka Fai (梁家輝)
Simon Yam (任達華)
Eric Tsang (曾志偉)
Hu Jun (胡軍)
Zhang Han Yu (張涵予)
Wang Bo Chieh (王柏傑)
Jacky Cheung (張 學友)
Michelle Reis (李嘉欣)
John Sham (岑建勳)
Lyu Zhong (呂中)
Zhou Yun (周韻)
Li Kang (李康)
Xing Yu (行宇)

Director: Teddy Chan (陳德森)
Producer: Peter Chan (陳可辛)

Intense and suspenseful with an all star cast collaboration of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Bodyguards and Assassins takes you on a journey with ordinary men and women with extraordinary courage to protect the future father of modern China visiting the City of Victoria (British Colony of Hong Kong). The Qing royal army led by Xiao Guo (Hu Jun) was instructed by the Qing dynasty queen to assassin Sun Yat-Sen; a revolutionist. Activist Xiao Bai (Tony Leung Ka Fai) and businessman Li (Wang Xueqi) recruits a team of ordinary men and women to seek safety of Sun Yat-Sen. The first half of the movie focus on planning and recruiting an army to protect Sun Yat-Sen. With little action and lots of dialect; essential to building each of the characters who plays a big role in the movie. The second half of the movie is fast pace, intensed, action pack of battle between bodyguards and assassins which keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Bodyguards and Assassins is definitely a breath of fresh air against the ridiculous movies Hong Kong has been releasing. The quality in the dialogue, acting from superb actors from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, music score and fighting sequence is exhilarating. Everything ties in really well and done superbly to draw the audience into the story and empathize with all the characters. You understand what each of the characters are fighting for, bodyguards or assassins. Though not everyone may be fighting for or against the revolution, but you know exactly what each of the characters are fighting for; let it be for democracy, loyalty, or just simply following orders. Movies with so many high profile actors usually don't do very well in building characters, but it's definitely not the case in Bodyguards and Assassins. You're sucked into the lives, hopes, aspiration of each of the characters and you end up rooting for each and every single one of them. Nicholas Tse did an amazing job portraying a rickshaw driver Ah Shi. He has definitely proven himself to be a worthy actor in Hong Kong Cinema. What's scarier than a man without eyebrows? A man without eyebrows with wild long hair played by Hu Jun. Hu Jun was introduced to America in movies such as Lan Yu (藍宇) and East Palace West Palace (東宮西宮); very controversial films during the released with full frontal nudity and homosexuality. If you enjoyed eye candy Wang Bo Chieh, you may want to check out his breakout role in Winds of September (九降風) where you'll get a treat for the eyes when a group of friends decide to break into the school swimming pool for a mid-night swim.

Bodyguards and Assassins is a must see for the superb acting and awesome fighting scenes. There are some moves you have to see to believe and appreciate. Hong Kong cinema needs to produce more quality movies like this on a more regular basis. With Bodyguards and Assassins, Hong Kong cinema is definitely on the right track in redeeming itself from the gutter.