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Naisu no mori: The First Contact (2005)
.........you might like it?
So you're reading the comments section to see what other people thought about this movie, and you're wondering if you should watch it (that's why I came here).
Simplest way to answer this: do you relish all super surrealist films and have a burning passion for all that is extremely weird cinema? Then you will very likely love it.
I enjoy bizarre cinema to a certain extent but this was way past the line for me. Why? For starters, it's too long for the type of film that it is, which is slew of skits and characters that from time to time overlap. It felt like I was watching footage from several films and was hastily stitched together to try and make....something. I can't compare it to other films because I think you really can't compare it to anything (this is also likely why its loved by other IMDb reviewers). For some reason people have brought up the Taste of Tea, Survive Style 5+, Kamikaze Girls and a slew of other films, but to me these films are all a world apart from each other. If you enjoy weird films but want more developed characters with a more stable plot then watch those other films mentioned.
I already know this comment will get the thumbs down and will be written off as being "above my head" or that there are specific Japanese cultural references that I couldn't possibly understand, but considering that even Japanese viewers gave it 1 and 2 stars on amazon.co.jp, I don't think it's necessarily a culturally specific film, just a film that certain people will enjoy.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Dry on rum, but full of complicated plot points.
I am a HUGE fan of Pirates of the Carribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and I admit like most I was quite disappointed with the second film, Dead Man's Chest- but I was still there at 10 PM on May 24th for the three hour premier of the third installment. Too bad.
What went wrong with this film (with no spoilers):
1. Overlapping of secret deals and negotiations (too much)
2. Mostly stock character based- majority of characters aren't really developed. Or those who were developed were strongly out of original character. Some characters that could have greatly contributed to the story and seemed interesting weren't used at all. At least everyone in the first installment was interesting.
3. Same jokes and dialog-somewhat funny, but gets pretty boring. Sorry Captain Sparrow (and you were my favorite!)
4. Unexplained pasts, decisions and characters- an example we have no idea WHO Lord Beckett IS, everyone in the film already knew all about who he was, however nothing about his character or what his relation is to the other characters is ever explained- definitely a huge raw back. I also found that those who met their demise was completely unnecessary, and just seemed to make this film even worse.
5. While the second film could have had about 1 hour cut because of unnecessary footage (despite the fact that it was interesting it added nothing to the story), this film was very long and the creators tried to cram as much as they possibly could, which I found to be in vain.
6. HEAVY use in special effects. The first installment was simple, the only CG was distant shots of ships (and those that were blown up) and the skeleton pirates. But almost every scene had some sort of CG addition.
BUT! There were some good aspects of this film as well:
1. Twist in plot and the clip AFTER the credits. I applaud the creators for being fearless from this aspect.
2. Chow Yun Fat and several other talented actors were added to the cast (but again I'd go back to #2 above of why this wasn't a great film).
3. That's all.
For those who are IMDb: Would I say that you should see it in theaters? Maybe, because there is a lot of action and those types of films are best on the big screen and after all, most people will have seen it by the time you can rent it-BUT! If you have a friend with a large TV or a projector- rent this film instead.
But my personal opinion, and recommendation for people who like REAL films: I really detest this film and unless you absolutely HAVE to know what happens, just have your finger on the fast forward button.