Luke-Walker Reviews

The Ring (2002)

Inspiring Horror unnapreciated by those who dont get its intentions

[10/10 · 26 November 2002]

I will say it right now that the Japanese version of Ring is the superior film, but this is a damn fine effort that shouldn't be ignored for that reason.

Like the original, the whole point of the film is to take a slow creepy ride towards a climax that will shock you beyond belief. And in that it succeeds. We dont need to know all the details. To those that think a video will kill you in 7 days is preposterous, then leave this alone, as it does not cater to the likes of you (narrow-minded). if however, you take it at face value and enjoy the package that you have, you'll be in for one of the best and scariest horror films in a long time.

the music is perfect, the shock scenes are well timed, but the restraint on the REAL Horror until the end is the best aspect of this movie, and one that should not leave you dissapointed.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Ignore the philistines...

[10/10 · 1 August 2002]

Continuing from the header, many people hated this movie because they couldn't get their head around the physics defying fight scenes. I ask you. Whats wrong with having physics defying fight scenes? We can have fantasies with huge monsters and trolls and magic spells and wizards, and films with huge aliens attacking the earth, ones with genetically altered spiders biting teenage boys, and films with ancient egyptian mummies waking up and sucking the life out of people. Why can we have those entertaining yet unrealistic flicks which i'm sure a lot of people loved, but those same people hated this movie because of the flying. Why cant you get your head around it!

For those enlightened few who can, well done. I'm sure you enjoyed this masterpiece of cinema as much as I did. OK, so the script wasn't as fine tuned as it should have been, and the story did lag a bit in a few places, but the actors gave it their all, and its stunningly shot. I've never seen china look like this. OK, maybe its because its a fantasy (hear that Philistines? Its a FANTASY? That means its not outside the rules for them to fly! In fact I think for a fantasy its incredibly restrained and down to earth. You dont see no magical creatures or spells or wizards and witches in this flick!), but it still looks absolutely beautiful. And the score? Highly deserving or its Oscar. Some people couldn't really appreciate Tan Duns subtle mix of chello and haunting tunes, and very true, its not for everyone. But I felt it was amazing how one instrument could convey every extreme emotion portrayed in the script, from happiness and remembrance to love and loss, it was a musical revelation, and it suited the film perfectly.

And Lee's direction was spot on, and partnered with yen Wo Ping, the otherwordly fights were simply spectacular. While i've seen better fights, i've never seen them performed with such Daring abd Bravado before. This is truly stunning, just like the whole film.

And if you hate the film, just watch it for Zhang Ziyi. She could beat me up anyday...

The Legend (1993)

One of the better Martial Arts films...

[9/10 · 1 August 2002]

Around the late 80's and early 90's, Jet Li was on a roll. Fresh from the success of Once Upon A Time In China, he moved straight into this movie, and in turn crafted 2 masterpieces in succession.

The simple story of Jet Li's forced marriage is run parallel to the more adventurous tale of a secret sect or revolutionarys fighting against the emperor. It sounds like they should clash, but instead they run in and out of eachother with a crafted elegance so that you're always engaged by it.

And of course if thats not enough for you there's the fights, which are Cory Yuens best to date. The coordination displayed in these amazing stunts is superb, and reflects each character marvellously. For example, Jet Li's playful and young Fong Sai Yuk is a far cry from his serious and restrained Wong Fei-Hong from his Once Upon A Time series, and so the fighting style is different to reflect that. He moves a lot more playful, cracks jokes between punches and it is a marvel to behold.

It is one of the funniest and entertaining films out there, and is a definite must see for all martial arts fans.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

The manga for the masses.

[10/10 · 30 July 2002]

This is the most beautiful film i've ever seen.

There, i've said it. Watch it and be awed at how amazingly detailed and fluid the whole film is. Never does it falter in the art department. The colours are just right, the peoples movements are so real its scary, and sometimes the strong story of the film cant fit all this beauty in and so it releases it entirely in a magical scene in the middle of the film with no dialogue and no plot progression, just marvellous panoramic followed by marvellous panoramic shot. This is my favourite segment of the movie. It shows the nameless city in which the protagonists exist as a cluttered, enclosed, claustrophobic world, yet terrifyingly familiar. This film is full of such themes which subtly make their way into your mind and you dont even realise they're there until afterwards.

So lets talk about the story. Its an amazing monster of a tale, squeezing it all in barely in its short running time. It does sometimes feel a little rushed, a little convoluted so that it bears repeat viewings to get the whole thing, but it is still a strong story none the less. In fact it is a very mature story. The creators could have so easily gone the typical manga route and thrown in some invading demons or mega-destructive internet monsters. But no, the whole thing restrains intself to a realistic view of an extra-ordinary situation. it all feels like this is exactly how it would happen in real life, and that is what makes it so engaging, and so scary.

This film deserves to be seen, not just because the heavenly beauty warrants it, but because the deep issues it raises needs to be questioned. If you want to be entertained without thinking, watch Wicked City or the countless millions of other mediocre mangas out there. You want to be entertained and be made to think and question the film? See this.

You wont regret it.

Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)

Flawed masterpiece

[7/10 · 30 July 2002]

This could have been a classic. This could have stood up there with the greatest Manga's ever made. It definitely ranks as one of the best looking mangas ever made. Unfortunately, it falters on a few details that are very importnat to a movie, like plot and common sense.

It has none of those two. Sure it is amazing to look at, and I can really appreciate the hard work that went into it. In fact the animation is so good that I didn't feel dissapointed after the end credits rolled out after 48 minutes, as I had to admit, it was some of the most beautiful 48 minutes I had ever seen.

But the plot doesn't just hold up. It throws it all into your face, and doesn't explain any of it. Now I dont mind if it doesn't explain everything, as I dont like to be spoon fed the information, but at least a little hint? A little something to get us fans theorising about what the hell the film is about? We're not even given that much! We're just given exemplary set-pieces and action and expected to turn our brains off. I'm sorry but I cant do that. The movie need to be 3 times longer. This could be the first act. Showcasing the excellent action and animation, then taking us into the 2nd act which explains what the hell is going on, who Saya is and her origins, and the 3rd and final act with more amazing action and finishing it off with a huge satisfying twist. If it had followed those lines, then it would have been a masterpiece.

But now it is merely excellent.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

A film under-rated by those that didn't GET IT.

[30 July 2002]

OK, so I was initially dissapointed by this film carrying itself off as Final Fantasy, because it wasn't very similar to the games. But then I suddenly came to my senses and told myself that I am an idiot. It was very much like final fantasy, maybe not exactly like the games, but the themes explored are very similar, such as different characters going on an adventure to stop a strange interesting foe, while at the same time trying to save the spirit of the Earth known as Gaia (covered in Final Fantasy 7 also...). All at the same time looking so-good-it-makes-your-eyes-bleed gorgeous.

The story is a solid, sci-fi tale, probably not told as well as it could have been, but its still interesting and exciting enough to keep me watching.

MAny have complained that the story was too unconventional, and that they didn't get the ending.

Well I cant really see what there isn't to get. You have to understand that this is coming from a completely different culture, so it will be inherently different from the drivel produced in Hollywood (and we all know thats a GOOD thing). There will be philosophical issues and deep concepts explored, and this scares too many away who just want a dumb movie, who dont want to think too hard.

And I saw the ending as refreshing. Too many films chuck in a forced sentimental happy ending which destroys everything the movie had been trying to achieve. The ending may not have been the happienst, but it was the most satisfying, and it did a nice job of tying up the necessary loose ends.

A great movie. Not the best, but it makes you think and entertains you, and thats a very good thing in my books.

Perfect Blue (1997)

Something is very wrong.

[10/10 · 30 July 2002]

The movie starts out like some small-scale drama about a boring pop singer wanting to become an actress and so leaves her band. So far so unoriginal. Or is it? Realistically I should have been thinking that while watching this movie, but I wasn't. Because something was horribly horribly wrong. There was a sense of foreboding so strong in this film it was almost tangible. It was also extremely captivating and tense. I cant really describe it any other way, just that the film had me hooked from the get go. I knew something was wrong, and then the murders started happening. Oh wow.

never before have I seen a film switch just like that. What started as a creepy drama suddenly turned into a gut-wrenching, disturbing yet highly engrossing. The sick nature of the film is not for everyone, but those that can stomach it will be amazed beyond belief at how tense and scary this film becomes. It is horrible, but it is entertaining, a contradictory I dont think I like, but cannot help.

No one under 18 should watch this film. Not because of the content, but also because I dont really believe they're going to understand it. there are no monsters or giant robots. Just an excellently crafted psychological thriller that will have you talking about it for ages after its finished.

Just dont watch it alone.

Akira (1988)

Information Overload...

[10/10 · 30 July 2002]

The first 15 minutes of Akira is a beutiful example of one of the main themes of the film. Information overload. Every single plot of the film is thrown into the mix with amazingly chaotic and hectic results which are absolutely spellbinding to look at. The film always captivates its audience, they never want to look away.

Perhaps this is because of the beautiful animation, or the original story. Essentially the film isn't perfect. The plot is rather complex, with so many characters and stories running around, it doesn't allow enough time to flesh out all the characters. And the story, while deep and interesting, doesn't really touch on all the issues as much as it should, leaving the film with a few loose ends. But then again one can't help but feel that this is intentional, as the fundamental theme of the film is information overload. The tag line says that Neo Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E. and one believes that!

It is by no means one of the greatest movies, but it is a great movie, and one of the best manga's out there. This film deserved to do well because of the obvious effort that went into its production, and that it opened up Anime to us westerners, and we couldn't be happier for it. We needed Akira. Without it there would be far less anime available to us today you can gaurantee it.

American Beauty (1999)

A film that touches everyone.

[10/10 · 29 July 2002]

This film touched me. It made me open my eyes and look at the world in a new way, it made me appreciate things that I had taken for granted, made me appreciate every day that I am alive, and made me appreciate my family. I'm not saying I was a sad pathetic guy in need of a morale boost. In fact I was a normal guy. Normal job, normal house, normal family. Its that kind of person that will appreciate this movie the most. the normal person. Because it will make you realise one very special and uplifting thing. You're not normal, you're special. Guess what? So is everyone else.

Everyone is different, everyone is unique, everyone has the potential to be the happiest or most depressed person they can be, and it is all up to that one person.

Kevin Spacey takes us on that journey through Lester Burnham. In this epic tale, we see him become that normal person into someone that realises that he is special, and if the world doesn't appreciate that, then screw it. Its a marvel to behold the transformation, and you cant help but be pulled in by the amazing script, intially off-putting but then embracing imagery and visual style and untilmately tragic ending. It is almost magic. Movies should do this to its audience. Movies are meant to be thrill rides that you use to waste 2 hours away. Its not meant to change the person.

This one did, because it knew it was special, and that can be a very powerful thing.

Shrek (2001)

Pure Comic Genius - One of the funniest films of all time.

[10/10 · 29 July 2002]

Has to be one of the greatest comedies ever. The fairly simple story of a fairy tale gone disasterously wrong is filled to the brim with humorous touches, rib-splitting dialogue and wacky slap-stick.

Each actor is amazing in their voice roles, clearly all enjoying themselves. Mike Myers is a revelation as the scottish sounding Shrek, John Lithglow plays it up gloriously as the selfishly evil Farquad, Cameron Diaz is the not so princess-in-distress Fiona. And Eddie Murphy? He gives the performance of his career. As the animated Donkey, I have literally never seen (should say heard) him funnier. He literally makes the movie. He definitely brings all the characters together!

The animation is beautiful to behold. The environments are realistic and always stay in the background, never too distracting, letting the characters stay at the front of the picture (unlike other computer animated attempts like Final Fantasy). The characters themselves are on just the right side of cartoon and realism, another balance thats rare these days.

But its not the amazing animation that makes this film, it really is just the script. For lack of better words, its as funny as hell. From the opening credits that sees Shrek going about his normal routine, to the rib-splitting hilarious closing scene of the swamp kareoke (which is worth admission price alone), this is one constant laugh. Live action films would love to be this funny. What really makes this film enjoyable isn't that it is extremely funny, but that it is CONSTANTLY funny. It doesn't just have its great moments. All the moments come together so well that the whole movie is one great moment. And thats what makes it stand out. Take any scene, any one scene from this film, and it will have 5 laugh out loud moments, hundereds of background jokes and this never lets up, throughout the whole film.

It does have more, the adventure and action is well timed and shot, the music is excellently placed, but thats not what this film is about. Its there to make you laugh. And it succeeds. More gloriously than it has any right to.

Seven Samurai (1954)

Each decade has a greatest film...

[10/10 · 29 July 2002]

One of cinemas true greats. In has a rightful place to be in the top 10 greatest films of all time, and for good reason.

This is a perfect movie. Its perfect because I cant fault it. believe me i've tried. I've watched it so many times trying to find something wrong with it, a lull in the acting, a bad line in the script (but even if I had that would have faulted the translation, not the film itself), the directing, the choreography, the lighting the pacing, the music, even the damned end-credits! I'll say it again.

Its perfect. Its flawless. Its one of the greatest films ever made, and I cant tell you why. You have to see it for yourself and experience this beast.

The film will take you in, and through Kurasowa's masterful directing (re-phrase that, how about: GOD-LIKE directing) it will make you one of the characters. You will be with the samurai as they go on their adventure. It throws you into the movie at the deep end and doesn't let you away until the end credits roll (which are also perfect - I think I already mentioned that?).

Without a doubt the greatest film of the 50's. The greatest film ever made? Close enough...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

Greatest TV show ever created.

[26 July 2002]

Not just the greatest Trek show, but THE greatest show. And i've seen West Wing, Sopranos, ER... lets just say i've seen a lot.

Throughout its triumphant 7 year run, every season had amazing stories and stirring revelations. And they always bettered themselves with each passing year.

OK, it broke away from the classic Trek formula, but trust me, for this show that was a good thing. By setting it on a space-station, where the adventures came to them instead of vice versa, it allowed a greater sense of continuity. The characters grew with each episode, and even the background characters that didn't experience the honor of being named in the opening credits were fleshed out more than some of the main cast in Voyager in its 7 year run!

The storys were dark, real, and had repurcussions. The same can be said for the characters... every... single... one. There was never a truly dire episode of DS9. Most were very good, many were exceptional.

It was truly sad to see it end. That is not how I felt for any other TV series at its end. This was the only one. Why? because like I said, it grew on me. I learned to love these characters, even the villians and began to care for what happened to them.

Damn I miss this show. It was the greatest. Literally.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

Wow....

[10/10 · 26 July 2002]

This film left me utterly utterly speechless. It completely blew my mind, played with it, threw it around, kicked it, beat it into submission and then completely destroyed my perception of all martial arts movies ever. Confused? Let me explain.

When someone mentions a martial arts film, most think of crap movies with nothing but fight scene after fight scene with no regard for plot or characters. Even if you hear about a 'really good' martial arts film, it generally meant it was only as good as its fight scenes. And sometimes that was OK. Sometimes that was all you wanted. You weren't looking for Shakespeare, just the stunts. But it also meant that they could never be made into legendary movies. Just immature little diversions. That was the case, until back in 1991, when Once Upon A Time In China was released. It became legendary.

This became the greatest martial arts movie of all time, not just because of the martial arts, but because of the fact that it is a genuine MOVIE. The characters are real people, with real ambitions, and real hopes and dreams. None are stereotypes presented just to be beaten up. The story is perfectly set to the characters. With China being slowly lost to Western culture as the backdrop, it provides an amazingly epic and deep well of thought for a type of movie which you would expect to be as mature as an average Pokemon episode.

The romance between Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan is also well handled, thanks to a strong script, and the capability of the actors involved. The music too is excellent, mixing a traditional chinese mix with some adrenalin pumping beats to really help you get into the movie.

But let us not forget the fight scenes, as boy does this move have 'em! There are stunts and moves in this movie that you have never seen before, and will never be seen again. How it was accomplished without the modern advent of computer manipulation defies belief, but somehow they achieved it, and what you see are the greatest martial arts scenes ever put to film. And i'm saying this post-Matrix. Never have I seen choreography so perfect, seen one brutally efficient, swift and elegant move follow one one after the other for so long while I watched captivated, drooling, forgetting to breathe, forgetting to think. forgetting to do anything until it stopped and I realised I had the hugest grin on my face and goosebumps on my arms from enjoying the scene far too much that I am ever possibly meant to. They are that good. And lets not even begin to say what they can do with the ladders. It has to be seen to be believed - no really.

Every living human being. Watch this film. You'll wish they were all made this way.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

The greatest animated film - bar none

[10/10 · 25 July 2002]

Continuing from the title, this also comes very close to becoming the greatest FILM of all time. Why is that? Because it has everything that makes cinema great. It is one of those rare gems whose total worth is greater that the sum of its individual parts. Every aspect of the movie words wonderfully together to make a sense of harmony that is unique to this film.

The script masterfully works its strong characters around an amazing and epic story. If there is any fault to the story, is that it is TOO epic. So broad in scope and range it is, that even at a lengthy 133 minutes long it still feels like its running at breakneck speed. But this also means that there is never a dull moment in the whole picture. Every one of the hand drawn frames is a portrait to this amazing fantasy world. The creatures are animated with fluidity and grace, even when the intention is to make them clumsy and slow. The same can be said for the human characters, that while not looking incredibly life-like, have a marvellously distinct and interesting style.

The voice acting is way above par for typical anime. The lip-synch was manipulated to fit the english soundtrack, and it works (like everything else in this movie) incredibly well. And the music? Pure bliss. It brings goose-bumps to my every time I hear it. Why it was not nominated for best original score at the oscars just goes to show the narrow scope the judges look to at that insult to cinematic awards.

This is more than just a movie. It is a testament to how meaningful and great cinema can truly be. You will leave this movie feeling elated, inspired, and down-right entertained. For those that dont like this movie, fair enough, its an aquired taste.

I call it good taste.