Reviews by Asiana

The South Korean - American martial art action 90s flick or as some fan would say, the real Mortal Kombat movie, made in 1996, but declined release until 2002 when fantastic films international got a hold of it, re edit, re cut, and dubbed but for some reason still feels incomplete.

Lang is a Mongolian with dragon ancestors, lives in Chicago and work as a cop with his girlfriend Beth, his best friend Lucky, and his Brother Charlie. One night, a sting operation goes horribly wrong and Lang loses everything he holds dear. Three years later Lang goes solo to find the gangster Taz who destroyed his life to get revenge, but only to find out Taz is after the book of swords who can resurrect a dragon demon and enter the spirit of Langs other brother Kyu.

What's bad about this movie?
Despite the editor help a few years later, it's still is a mess, the plot is not well portrayed and is easy to get lost in the story. Worse is that some fight scenes are too quick edited even the sound doesn't catch something did happen, for example in the sting operation scene, Lang managed to wrestle a man who captured him but the music still plays melancholy music and no sound is heard, not even a ouch. 0/5 stars for this edition.

What's good about this movie?
Almost all actors and actresses who were involved with the first and 2nd mortal kombat games are the man roles in this movie and they play out their roles equal as their characters from the game. Ho Sung Pak known as Liu Kang is very similar as playing the role of Lang, even look the same with Bruce Lee outfits and a red head rope, Danny Pesina who played Johnny Kage, has one cameo scene as the fighter in the disco club play his role out cocky as Johnny Kage and even wearing sunglasses as him indoors, Richard Divizio who played Kano is playing Taz same style as his mortal kombat character, and there is a female assassin same style a Kitana from Mortal Kombat two, and The monks and the dragon demon is similar from the mortal kombat games and so is the narrator and music. 5/5 as a mortal kombat fan

all in all

Despite the god awful editing, the movie is a guilty pleasure and feels great to watch the mortal kombat actors in action. But I wonder how the movie was like in early 1996 before the company re edited it, something is missing, 5/10 stars.

We all heard the story, of a martial art hero like a fish out of a water enter a new country but gets into trouble with local underground fight club. Fighting fish or Brawl is a Thai version of Last Kung Fu Monk but with more high budget and better developed characters backgrounds but lack of the story.

Mike arrives to Thailand to start a new life. After he be robbed he meet Yo. Yo and Mike gamble but Mike knows Yo cheated and they fight. After the fight Yo and Mike relies they have one thing in common. They are both skillful in Muy Thai and they become friends. Mike reveals he had an accident in a boxing match and his rival died during his match and he need money to start a new life. Yo has a wife named Catoon, who is on wheelchair and need money for surgery. They combine their forces and join an illegal fight club. They do well but they earn too little money. Mike hears about another fight called fish fight. But Yo tells him no because he knows that once he steps into fish fight he can't get away from it. But the money is good so what will Mike do?

What the movie do well is Ofcourse good budget, and great stunt effect and great character development. A martial art movie that gives what it promises, although some actors are not convincing in the roles, the girl who play the catoon is very cute but she never feels like somone who is on a wheel chair, but the rest is good though and the man who play Yo really show how much he love his catoon. 3/5.

But what the movie lack is the story, Mike and Yos friendship feels forced, and no reason for them To be friends, they both manage to escape the police and they are both good in martial art but part from that there is no reason for them to be friends, it's like wow you can fight let me invite you to my home, that doesn't add up, and when they go to the illegal fight club no one ask any question, like let's do something illegal sure why not, the story is lacking but it didn't promise a story so 3/5.

All in all it's a guilty pleasure martial art movie and to compare it with Last Kung Fu Monk I give this movie a 6/10. Same as Last Kung Fu Monk, yes it's a tie.

Merry Christmas every one. To celebrate Christmas I will review my top 5 favorite anime movies from Studio Ghibli.

This first movie is named Ocean Waves. Made in 1993. It was ment to be a student project but thankfully it caught the eyes of a great anime maker Hayao Miyazaki. And made a great drama what we all go through in our young ages.

Taku gets a phone call from his old high school friend Matsuno about a class reunion party. While waiting on the train he see the girl he was inlove with in high school Rikako. He starts to remember those days in high school and the time he had with her. The times he thought he was used by her and the times he thought he should stay away from her due to Matsuno also had a crush on her.

What makes this movie so heart feeling is because every person can be identified. I remember my high school moments through this movie by all characters, the spoiled Rikako, the mature boy Matsuno, the sensitive Taku and so on. The characters are brilliant relatable and gets 4/5.

What maybe slow the movie down is probably it's too similar to reality and sometimes doesn't feel exited. But the is beautifully and the Miyazaki magic is there to a 3/5.

A great movie that should be in your studio Ghibli collection and a nice Christmas present. 7/10

Halloween month is almost over, and I want to make the final review of the South Korean monster horror with a little comedy, The Host. Made in 2006, T that time we were use brutal Korean movies like old boy, a monster movie was very rare, the host broke the ice and now it has been common with monster movies from Korea.


A laboratory near the border between north and south, an American chemist expert pouring out chemicals due to too many dust in th jar. Without knowing the chemical is running through a wide lake. 10 years later it's summer time near that lake with many tourists, a family by the name of Park is working there. Suddenly a monster appears from the lake and attack the tourists. As the Park family trying to escape, the youngest child, a ten years ear old girl Hyun Seo, is captured by the monster and brought to the monsters lair. Despite the military has closed the lake area, Hyun Seos father is desperate to find his daughter, he will go on a monster hunt to find her once again.


6 points of what the movie does well:

1 we got a cool and scary monster

2 a heart loving leading role played by the legend Kang Ho Song

3 a lot of action packed scenes that feels exiting

4 an unusual story of how the monster were made , in Jurassic park the dinosaurs were made by DNA , in Godzilla he was made by nuclear, here the monster is made by chemicals dropped in a lake mixed of fish and a suicide man.

5 a little archery sport commercial

6 made in 2006 that brought monster movies back to life because during late 90s and early 2000s monster movies were falling apart.


But there are -4 points the movie flaws that it doesn't reach 10/10.

-1 mixed with comedy in a horror movie is not a good idea

-2 it never felt like a horror movie in any scene, thought the script were written in that way

-3 too many unnecessary characters, like the drunk uncle and the two fugitive kids

-4 a sad ending that had no meaning or didn't live up to the thrill


All in all

Despite its low feeling in the horror and the ending put down the movie completely, the action and the monster is really exiting and which makes it a guilty pleasure. 6/10

My profile normally is focus on Asian movies but this Russian sci-fi movie is so good I couldn't resist, Dance to Death or Tournament of Death is a mix of HR Gieger and Matrix art work plus break dance.

Kostya is a filter smuggler who ran into trouble with a street gang, one day he steals filter from a higher authority and he becomes arrested and selected for the Arena. Arena is a break dance tournament that collect energy from every opponent, if an opponent lose his/her soul will be lost and travelled to earths core. Will Kostya be sacrificed or will he find a way to escape?

The movie is from 2017 and it's wonderful because finally a movie with a new idea. In the beginning of 2010s we haven't had many new idea of stories, mostly remake or reboots. Dance to death gives a new blood of movie and feels exiting every minute.


I give this movie a complete 10/10, perhaps too much, but I favor for it's new idea and deserves credits.

Halloween is soon here and the movie that scared probably a lot of boxing wannabes away from the arena is Tokyo Fist from 1995, after Shinya Tsukamoto made success with the crazy movie Tetsuo about a man who became a robot, he brings us now with another nightmare about fear and envy.

Tsuda and Hizuru are a married couple with no exiting jobs, one day Tsuda is forced to deliver a package to a boxing club , where he meets his old rival Kojima. Kojima starts to stalk and threat both Hizuru and Tsuda until Tsuda agrees to train boxing and challenge him in the boxing arena. Tsuda finally agrees when his wife sees him as a wimp and choose side of Kojima. No th bloodiest boxing match will begin.

How is it as a sport movie?
Probably not intended to be a sport movie although it has a good view of what boxer can go through after a few injuries, but if you are looking for an exiting boxing matches like Rocky the forget it, this movie is more brutal like a boxers nightmare. But it's educational of what some boxers can go through in pain. I give it 3/5.

Is it a horror movie?
Definitely, a horror movie is not only about monsters, but it also about fear. Is movie does it brilliantly focus on fair and pain with some blood and gore. Tsudas fear of losing Hizuru is there and fear that she might lose herself is well shown in her piercing scenes. Although it's sometimes overdoing fight scenes when one punch makes blood come out like water and also that Shinya the director play the leading role is a little reality take away but I will admit his brother Koji Tsukamoto who play the rival Kojima is really good, he really perform well with fear and pain and crazy like a monster boxer, 3/5.

All in all it's a classic new style of horror with based on fear, jealousy and pain it goes to show horror a new step even in sport, 6/10.

Perfect Blue is not exactly a horror movie but the situation of the leading role is like a horror story, Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller about giving up a former life to start a new but it turns deadly than expected.

Mima is part of a famous pop group contain three members, one day Mima wants to quit the group and try acting despite her agent is against it due to Mimas role is a rape victim. After the scene is finished Mimas life suddenly starts to change, her fan website describe her feelings falsely, everyone involved with her movie dies one by one, a stalker is sending her explosive mails, suddenly she see he old self when she was a pop star, talking to her in threatening manners, all these murders are made by a crazy stalker or herself?


Is the movie misleading?

It is but in a good way, everything that's happening make sense, even if it doesn't, it's perfect psychological thriller that things happen and audiences don't know what to trust, but that's what happening with Mima life after the success, you can feel that she s struggles from her old self to her new self which is happening to all actors and singers famous or not, when they are force to retire, the normal life kicks in and it's not easy adopt to your new surroundings, perfect blue show that perfectly and gets a 4/5.


How is the animation?

It's TV level of animation, to compare it with street fighter ii and ghost in the shell, both movies were made 3 years earlier but it's animation is more highly done and a lot f money was put for those movies, but in this movie the anime looks like a tv series, maybe it was its attention or the manager didn't give enough funds because they didn't believe the story would work. And there are TV series that has higher budget anime and this movie like street fighter ii V and Slamdunk. But despite that the story and voice acting is so good and the plot twist is excellent. The movie gets another 4/5 for making the story real.


How is the movie all in all?

Great story and perfect plot twist, it's a great thriller that really know what their message is about, perfect blue is a perfect 8/10 movie.

Soon it's Halloween in the end of October, and to celebrate it I will review my favorite horror movie of all time. Hell, a Thai movie from 2005 that flopped in both Thai and worldwide box office but 12 years later became a cult classic about 7 souls accidentally stuck in the land of sinners.

A filmmaker crew has been selected to make a documentary about a strange place where unfortunately events has happened. The crew are lead by uncle Tao who is an abusive alcoholic, Ja who made an abortion to revenge her unfaithful boyfriend, chod a cold hearted playboy and ex boyfriend to Ja, Lae a disobeying teen with smoking addiction, Oon a Casanova who left one of his girlfriends to death, and the two sin free members Art and Kim. But when they arrive they have an accident and crash the car and they all dies. But when they wake up, they relies they are in Hell, the guardians pick them up where the get their judgment from the devil, except for Art and Kim who had too little sins and are allowed to leave to heaven. But on the road Art get a vision that the team is not dead but in a coma and fighting for their and their souls were transferred to hell by mistake. Both Art and Kim relies they can't leave their friends behind and go back to hell to save them.


Why did the movie flop?
Possible because a that time there was a lot of talk of this horror movie and a lot of behind the scenes which could have put high expectations unnecessary, when the movie came out was a big disappointment due to the setting wasn't hell look alike but more like a dessert place and some nature and the lava look like water that was cgi colored orange. But the lair of the devil looked creepy but the devil himself was obviously a man in a costume, and most complaints was also the rasist cast that the demons guardians were played by white wrestlers. Eventhough I can agree with some point of the argument and the settings hasn't aged well eventhough it's only 12 years old but the ambition is there, and the message of the plot is clear eventhough perhaps too many morale but it's understandable and I never felt lost so it's a 3/5.


How is this movie as a horror movie?
In my opinion one of the best. Because of its story telling, and it mixes of adventure and despite their characters were bad people in the life before, you still feel for them and want them to survive and in the beginning there is some drama that introduces the characters perfectly, but perhaps the movie feel more as an action adventure then horror but there horror awful feeling specially at the Oon final dream scene. A 3/5 horror movie.


How is the movie all in all?
I understand that many horror fans will put this movie as one of the weakest but I think for that it's watchable because its existing and you feel for the characters and the message for the movie is clear, a well deserve 6/10 movie.

One of the most epic and strong and perhaps one of over the top violent in anime history, Ninja Scroll gave 1993 a big storm and keep storming it's audience even today. When I first saw it, I was use to sailor moon and Disney movies and wasn't prepared for the gore scenes so I got scared but now watching it with adults eyes I can see the true colors of ninja scroll and respect it for it's fandom.

A female ninja Kagero is captured by one of the 8 devils of Genma ninja clan. As he try to rape her, she get rescued by Jubei a wandering vagabond. Jubei has a score to settle with Genma who betrayed him and made Jubeis clan disobey him. Genma however has a horrible plot to hatch, with tricking the small town people there's a plague in their village, he will use their town to collect gold from a sinking ship to melt and make it an ultimate weapon to become the conqueror of the world. Jubei and Kagero has no choice but to work together despite their differences, a man who has not long to live and a woman who has no desire to live.


How is this all time classic?
Back then it was a big hit, perhaps the most biggest hit in Japan during the 90s with a reward of 7 j awards in the film festival, and it's clearly shown why, the feeling is epic, the characters are touchable and the story is following the same line, it never switches to a different direction, which is good, it's a 5/5.


How is the blood and gore?
Well it's violence as it's expected but some of the scenes goes too far, for example when tessai one of the demons kills somone then he drink blood from one of the victims arms, and even the rape scene is short but some of the sexual harassment feels uncomfortable. That's the only thing that push the movie down for me and feels it didn't need to go that far. 2/5.

How is the movie all in all?

And epic movie with too much blood and gore, but a great epic story and warm characters and an extra bonus for the ending song, the epic movie deserves 8/10 and forever classic.

Based on a famous manga from 1998 to 2001. Umizaru is the first of four umizaru movies from 2004 to 2012 plus one tv serie from 2005. This is more of an introduction plus explaining the situation of a life guard and man butts..... a lot of.


Daisuke is tired of his fleet job and volunteered for a class to become a coast guard, he team up with Hajime who is a short guy but with a good heart, he later fall inlove with Kanna, a girl who lost her job as a photographer when she visit her mother in hospital. Daisuke and Hajime work well together despite some other teams bully them, until one tragedy happens.


How is the first Umizaru?

It's a great introduction but perhaps the weakest of all the film but it's introduce the characters well, it's a shame though that one character dies that I started to like but it's a movie humans vs storms, so it's a great introduction and no need for reading the manga because the movie is easy to follow. 3/5.


How is the quality?

Exellent quality, you can feel when they dive under the water, you can feel you are there, the cast do a superb job, sometimes over doing but you feel the likes and dislikes of characters like they connected, Jun Kunimura is the actor who I consider one of the best, and his performance as Admiral Masaki is very strong and you can feel him identifying himself with Daisuke. And the guy who play Daisuke Hideaki Ito is very cute and likeable, perfect person to choose as Daisuke. However the director seems to love butts a little too much, I'm not against nudity at all, I defended the scene of Chun lis breast scene in street fighter ii and I defended many scenes of that, and I would defend this movie too if they had maximum only two scenes of that, but this movies has too many I think six or seven and it doesn't feel like this is a kind of movie for that one or two scenes is ok but not almost entire movie like that, 4/5.


How is the movie all in all?

A good introduction of the series, not the strongest but but the underwater diving scenes a majestic totally 7/10.