MaedhRos Reviews

Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973)

I totally don't understand why Czechs love it so much but I guess they must have a reason...

[6/10 · 31 October 2009]

One of those fairy-tales that I grew up with; however, I've never really developed any strong affection towards it. It is a solid, well-made film and yes, it is probably one of the best Cinderella adaptations out there. The idyllic winter atmosphere definitely adds to its charm and frankly, there's no particular flaw that I can point my finger at. It all boils down to personal taste and "Tri orisky pro popelku" simply rubs me the wrong way.

It sure won't hurt to watch it, as it's fairly entertaining and its tone is distinctly but not overwhelmingly modern. Chances are you'll love it. This film kind of lacks any serious potential to offend anyone's tastes (which is one of those things that probably result in its getting on my nerves) and it is overall a recommendable watch. So I can't bring myself to rating it lower than 6/10 even though at times (esp. around Christmas, when it's bound to appear on TV) I hate it with a passion.

Huai xiao zi (1980)

reasonably enjoyable

[7/10 · 2 February 2008]

The problem with Cheeky Chap is that one of the most intriguing aspects of the film is also its potentially weakest spot: I am talking about the title character. At the first glance, the young fighter Ma may appear as your typical "naughty kid" type of hero - bad manners, cocky attitude but basically a good lad. However, in this case this is not entirely true. Ma is a very ruthless and arrogant guy, whose saving graces are more or less limited to good looks, filial piety and a certain (somewhat inconsistent) sense of honor. It really is quite difficult to genuinely like him or at least to sympathize with him - simply because most of the time he is one mean, selfish bastard. Being a Wei Pai fan helps. A lot...;-)

"The Cheeky Chap" is also fairly dark, regarding both the humor and some of the plot twists - this film has a devilish grin all over it. This strange blend of slapstick and dark, and the ruthlessness of the main character render the film somewhat weird - with significant potential both to intrigue and entertain and to annoy.

As for the action. I am easily impressed, mind you - but I thought the action scenes were okay. The only one that truly stands out though (and is in my opinion really very good) is the final showdown between Wei Pai and Charlie Chan.

...to cut the long story short: if you are a Wei Pai fan, this is a must-see. If you are not that much into the guy, I would advise you to approach this film with cautious curiosity.