hansomekim Reviews

A Taxi Driver (2017)

Perfectly Made

[10/10 · 7 August 2017]

This movie had it all: great acting, story telling, emotion, and action.

Though many movies based on real events tend to lack real storyline, this movie has captured that point beautifully. At first a lighthearted movie, both our characters and the viewer are unwittingly drawn into the tragic events that happened in Gwangju.

Our taxi driver is funny and extremely relatable, whether it's when he's being late to pay his rent, cracking jokes with friends, ignoring far-off protests, or prioritizing his only daughter. But as he is forced into situations that violate his basic sense of humanity, it shocks him and all of us to our core.

With powerful acting and character decision making that all can understand, this movie is an emotional tale for all to enjoy.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Worst job they could have done with a great series.

[5/10 · 7 August 2017]

The plot is cringingly predictable. It's the exact same as Episode 4 A New Hope. The new villain is also laughably childish with no depth of character. He's not even scary as he takes off his mask at his hostage's request.

The action is nothing we haven't seen before in other Star Wars movies. If anything, the fight choreography is less impressive than other the other Star Wars films.

No elements of good storymaking. By the time Han Solo dies I was thinking damn what a waste, killing such a character we've invested so much emotion into over the years and yet his death wasn't sad at all.

I give this a 5, only because with how much money they poured into this, the action sequences and special effects themselves make this movie at least mildly entertaining.

Avatar (2009)

Action-packed and thought-provoking

[10/10 · 7 August 2017]

I saw a movie with a similar plot line "Dances with Wolves" many years ago. The one with the white cowboys taking over Native American land by force.

Avatar repeats that story, but this time the villains are us, modern humans. I ignored Dances with Wolves mostly because I thought modern humanity would never again allow a powerful race cruelly conquer a weaker one without even bothering to understand them. But Avatar tells a convincing futuristic tale where we repeat this same offense.

With breath-taking visuals you'd expect to see in a BBC documentary, a captivating romance between man and alien, and great action to keep you on your seat, I give this movie a 10/10.