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stephenhensley
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Gwok chaan Ling Ling Chat (1994)
Not Chow's greatest work, but a fun film with his usual charm.
Although primarily a parody, "From Beijing with Love" also serves as homage to classic films from the action and spy genre. Take the opening gunfight for example: it is a direct inspiration from John Woo cinematograph, but then Stephen Chow injects his usual wit and comedy. This blend enables Chow to have plenty of fun satirizing beloved films while also filming cool action sequences that are entirely original.
This is far from Chow's greatest work, but it holds his usual style: a never-ending machine gun of jokes punctuated by strikingly sincere, emotional moments between the main characters. If you are a fan of Chow, then you will certainly enjoy this film.
The Marksman (2021)
A Barren "Thriller"
Is this an action movie? No, there is not enough action to call it that. Is it a thriller? Yes, in a strict sense, but tension is severely lacking. Like the barren desert in the movie's opening, the film is mostly empty. There is nothing particularly interesting, and nothing is very memorable.
Liam Neeson has found a home as a dark, gritty action star, and the advertisements for his movie want to bring in an audience which wants to see another "Taken". But this is not the action flick the movie posters want to promise. The two minute trailer squeezes every drop of action or intrigue. In reality, "The Marksman" is a film about a literal road trip. Our hero aims to protect a migrant child by transporting the eleven year old away from a vengeful cartel gang. The two characters bond throughout the journey which helps both to cope with the loss of their families. "The Marksman" feels like a family movie with just a few extra violent scenes.
Tenet (2020)
Fantastic Sequences with Horrible Drab In-Between
The concept behind Tenet is fascinating, and the movie sports truly remarkable sequences at the beginning, middle, and end of the movie.
With all its potential and with those great action shots, it's even more intriguing why everything else in-between those scenes is so bad. Right from the outset of the movie, we are teleported from scene to scene, from character to character, every step force-feeding the viewer with unintelligible exposition and cookie-cutter dialogue.
However, weathering the script is worth it for the movie's wonderful, mind-bending sequences... at least for one viewing.