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Showing all reviews beginning with Y
Young and Dangerous
Ho Nam (Ekin Cheng) is the leader of a triad gang, when Kwan, one of the bosses of the society, asks his gang to go to Macau to help him out, they are set up in a plot to get his boss out of the picture so Kwan can take control of the syndicate.
Young and Dangerous is an action packed triad movie with explosions, gun fights and violence galore. The plot is pretty good and the film is well made.
Young and Dangerous 2
The cast of Young and Dangerous return in the second film in the series. Set directly after the first film, Nam (Ekin Cheng) is in trouble again, this time we see the head of a Taiwanese Triad Society coming across to Hong-Kong to wrestle power away from the Hung Hing syndicate.
The Hung Hing syndicate is already split in a battle between Nam and Tai Fai (Anthony Wong) but things get worse for Nam when he is framed for the death if the Taiwanese boss by the boss' half Japanese girlfriend.
Once again, Nam must prove his innocence and save Hung Hing. Young and Dangerous 2 is an amazing sequel to the original which builds upon the characters from the first and pulls you into the series.
Young and Dangerous 3
The 3rd installement in the Young and Dangerous series once again sees Lam (Ekin Cheng) framed by an evil opponent of the Hung Hing syndicate. This time the threat comes from an opposing syndicate who wish to take the Hung Hing territory.
Young and Dangerous 3 won't dissapoint fans of the series or more generally those of silly Hong Kong action flicks. Karen Mok stars as the daughter of the lovable hard kicking priest from the first two films and gives a good performance in her role and the rest of the gang do pretty much what the did in the first 2.
Amazingly funny; full of action and a great film but there isn't much extra in this film which wasn't covered in the first 2. Watch out for the dodgy fake tattoos rubbing off in the finale and the scenes shot in Amsterdam with the Ajax supporters, classic!
Yesterday Once More
Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng star as Mr and Mrs Thief, a husband and wife team of criminals. After a successful diamond robbery the two get into an argument about how the loot should be split up and the husband leaves. Two years later, Mrs Thief is on the verge of remarrying although her affections lie more with the expensive necklace belonging to her boyfriends mother in law than with the husband to be. When a plot to steal the necklace sees it fall into the hands of Mr. Thief, the couple are forced together again.
Yesterday Once More is a well made romantic comedy drama, although with a little more emphasis on the romantic comedy than the drama. Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng both play their roles excellently; the plot is entertaining and with some surprises thrown in at the end is engaging throughout.
Overall, a well made, fun to watch romantic comedy.
Yo
Set on the holiday island of Mallorca, Yo shows a side of the island far away from the booze, sex and excess of Magaluf. Hans is a German handyman who has arrived on the island to work for a rich German, he gets a cold reception from the locals and is disturbed to find that the previous employee that he has replaced was also called Hans.
Yo is a tense thriller which sees us follow Hans as he tries to make sense of the situation he has been thrust into. The film ends with a number of unanswered questions, but there is enough explained to allow the viewer to come up with some plausible answers.
Overall, an intelligent movie which is very well made despite its low budget and which leaves enough room for thought without being completely open ended.
The Yacoubian Building
Based on a best selling Egyptian novel which courted controversy with it's plots of politics, religion, sex and homosexuality, The Yacoubian Building tells the story of an apartment block in downtown Cairo where a number of powerful and wealthy people live. The block is also home to poorer families who have small apartments on the roof in the original servant's quarters.
The film has a number of intertwined plots each following different characters living in the building of the title. An elderly womaniser has an argument with his sister; a young woman leaves her job because of sexual harassment from her boss; a middle age man who picks up other men for sex and a man looking to marry a second, younger wife are some of the characters investigated.
The number of different sub-plots taking place at the same time can get a little confusing and the film runs to over 2 hours 30 minutes to get them all in. Most of the plots are self contained although sometime characters from one will meet in the stairwell of the building.
Overall, a decent and interesting film but I feel I would have gotten more from it if I knew a bit about Egyptian politics.
Yojimbo
When a wandering samurai (Toshiro Mifune) arrives in a village split in half by two gangs of gamblers at war with each other, he decides to exploit the situation by playing the two gangs off against each other to see which will pay the most for his services as a bodyguard.
Full of twists as the cunning samurai keeps double crossing each of his prospective employers, Yojimbo is a film which is captivating to watch. Mifune is great as always, playing the slightly arrogant Samurai of the title. With some excellent sword fights and a hint of black comedy, Yojimbo is a samurai film which despite being on a smaller scale than some of Kurosawa's Samurai epics is none-the-less watchable and entertaining.
Yankee Doodle Dandy
James Cagney stars as George M. Cohan in this biopic of the broadway star from the early 1900's. George Cohan was a writer, director and star of musical comedy on the stage, the film follows his life from his childhood where he was part of a family act, touring the U.S. to his meeting with President Franklin Roosevelt. The film is told in a flashback as a story to the President.
The film features a lot of big musical numbers, some of which were vaguely familiar, Cagney is excellent as George Cohan right down to some stunning tap dancing numbers. Most of the songs in the film are heavily patriotic, which can seem a little over the top for a modern day non-American audience but there are some good numbers in there.
Overall, a film which surprised me, I thought I would hate it, but it proved entertaining and interesting.
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Tenoch and Julio (Gael García Bernal) are two friends from Mexico city. When their girlfriends leave them to go traveling in Europe, they are looking forward to a summer of partying. When they are introduced to Tenoch's older cousin's Spanish wife Luisa, they are fixated with her. After her husband reveals to her he has been cheating on her, Luisa decides to take up the boys' offer of a road trip to a remote beach, introducing them to a world of sexual experimentation on her way.
Y tu mamá también could be described as a Mexican American Pie, but this wouldn't be doing the film justice. While it follows a similar setup, this film has a lot more depth and much more to say. All three of the main characters are excellent in their roles and they have to be to hold the movie together, the plot is interesting and draws you in.
All in all, well worth watching.
Young and Dangerous 4
For a series of films which is so long running, it's surprising that by the 4th instalment, it's still actually quite good. The fourth film requires a bit of knowledge of the characters from the previous 3, but would still probably be watchable for those not familiar with the series.
This time round, the focus of the action is on Chicken rather than Ho-Nam (Ekin Cheng). When one of the street bosses of the Hung-Hing syndicate is killed, the superiors choose two potential successors, Chicken and Barbarian. Barbarian seeks to win the job through dirty tricks and dodgy dealings, whereas Chicken wishes to win fair and square. Extra filler comes in the guise of a few sub-plots which develop the other minor characters as well as some further characterisation of Ekin Cheng's Ho-Nam who up until now has been the main protoganist.
With a strong plot, some great characters and good few action scenes, including car chases and gang fights, Young and Dangerous 4 is a worthy addition to the series and well worth seeing for fans of the previous films, or Hong-Kong Triad movies in general.
Young and Dangerous 5
With most of the plot of Young and Dangerous 4 following Ho-Nam's left hand man Chicken's rise to power on his own, it's surprising that Chicken doesn't feature at all in number 5. This time round, we follow Ho-Nam as he is drawn into a business proposition with a Malay businessman, but when the deal turns sour, Ho-Nam finds himself in a lot of trouble. To make matters worse, another Ho-Nam is challenging him to his turf.
Young and Dangerous 5 provides more of the same Triad action, the tone of the film is very similar to the preceding 4 and with a number of the minor characters from the previous films present, it makes for interesting viewing.
Overall, another good Young and Dangerous film, fans of the series will not be disappointed.
Young and Dangerous
Director:
Wai Keung Lau
Year: 1996
Language: Cantonese (English Sub)
Country: Hong-Kong
Ho Nam (Ekin Cheng) is the leader of a triad gang, when Kwan, one of the bosses of the society, asks his gang to go to Macau to help him out, they are set up in a plot to get his boss out of the picture so Kwan can take control of the syndicate.
Young and Dangerous is an action packed triad movie with explosions, gun fights and violence galore. The plot is pretty good and the film is well made.
Dave W - 4th December, 2005 - 19:25
Director:
Wai Keung Lau
Year: 1996
Language: Cantonese/Mandarin (English Sub)
Country: Hong-Kong
The cast of Young and Dangerous return in the second film in the series. Set directly after the first film, Nam (Ekin Cheng) is in trouble again, this time we see the head of a Taiwanese Triad Society coming across to Hong-Kong to wrestle power away from the Hung Hing syndicate.
The Hung Hing syndicate is already split in a battle between Nam and Tai Fai (Anthony Wong) but things get worse for Nam when he is framed for the death if the Taiwanese boss by the boss' half Japanese girlfriend.
Once again, Nam must prove his innocence and save Hung Hing. Young and Dangerous 2 is an amazing sequel to the original which builds upon the characters from the first and pulls you into the series.
Dave W - 12th December, 2005 - 13:22
Director:
Wai Keung Lau
Year: 1996
Language: Cantonese/Mandarin (English Sub)
Country: Hong-Kong
The 3rd installement in the Young and Dangerous series once again sees Lam (Ekin Cheng) framed by an evil opponent of the Hung Hing syndicate. This time the threat comes from an opposing syndicate who wish to take the Hung Hing territory.
Young and Dangerous 3 won't dissapoint fans of the series or more generally those of silly Hong Kong action flicks. Karen Mok stars as the daughter of the lovable hard kicking priest from the first two films and gives a good performance in her role and the rest of the gang do pretty much what the did in the first 2.
Amazingly funny; full of action and a great film but there isn't much extra in this film which wasn't covered in the first 2. Watch out for the dodgy fake tattoos rubbing off in the finale and the scenes shot in Amsterdam with the Ajax supporters, classic!
Dave W - 12th December, 2005 - 13:33
Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng star as Mr and Mrs Thief, a husband and wife team of criminals. After a successful diamond robbery the two get into an argument about how the loot should be split up and the husband leaves. Two years later, Mrs Thief is on the verge of remarrying although her affections lie more with the expensive necklace belonging to her boyfriends mother in law than with the husband to be. When a plot to steal the necklace sees it fall into the hands of Mr. Thief, the couple are forced together again.
Yesterday Once More is a well made romantic comedy drama, although with a little more emphasis on the romantic comedy than the drama. Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng both play their roles excellently; the plot is entertaining and with some surprises thrown in at the end is engaging throughout.
Overall, a well made, fun to watch romantic comedy.
Dave W - 3rd May, 2006 - 12:40
Director:
Rafa Cortes
Year: 2007
Language: Spanish (English Sub)
Country: Spain
Set on the holiday island of Mallorca, Yo shows a side of the island far away from the booze, sex and excess of Magaluf. Hans is a German handyman who has arrived on the island to work for a rich German, he gets a cold reception from the locals and is disturbed to find that the previous employee that he has replaced was also called Hans.
Yo is a tense thriller which sees us follow Hans as he tries to make sense of the situation he has been thrust into. The film ends with a number of unanswered questions, but there is enough explained to allow the viewer to come up with some plausible answers.
Overall, an intelligent movie which is very well made despite its low budget and which leaves enough room for thought without being completely open ended.
Dave W - 23rd August, 2007 - 13:25
Director:
Marwan Hamed
Year: 2006
Language: Arabic (English Subs)
Country: Egypt
Based on a best selling Egyptian novel which courted controversy with it's plots of politics, religion, sex and homosexuality, The Yacoubian Building tells the story of an apartment block in downtown Cairo where a number of powerful and wealthy people live. The block is also home to poorer families who have small apartments on the roof in the original servant's quarters.
The film has a number of intertwined plots each following different characters living in the building of the title. An elderly womaniser has an argument with his sister; a young woman leaves her job because of sexual harassment from her boss; a middle age man who picks up other men for sex and a man looking to marry a second, younger wife are some of the characters investigated.
The number of different sub-plots taking place at the same time can get a little confusing and the film runs to over 2 hours 30 minutes to get them all in. Most of the plots are self contained although sometime characters from one will meet in the stairwell of the building.
Overall, a decent and interesting film but I feel I would have gotten more from it if I knew a bit about Egyptian politics.
Dave W - 2nd December, 2007 - 22:19
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Year: 1961
Language: Japanese (English Sub)
Country: 日本 (Japan)
When a wandering samurai (Toshiro Mifune) arrives in a village split in half by two gangs of gamblers at war with each other, he decides to exploit the situation by playing the two gangs off against each other to see which will pay the most for his services as a bodyguard.
Full of twists as the cunning samurai keeps double crossing each of his prospective employers, Yojimbo is a film which is captivating to watch. Mifune is great as always, playing the slightly arrogant Samurai of the title. With some excellent sword fights and a hint of black comedy, Yojimbo is a samurai film which despite being on a smaller scale than some of Kurosawa's Samurai epics is none-the-less watchable and entertaining.
Dave W - 7th April, 2008 - 12:39
Director:
Michael Curtiz
Year: 1942
Language: English
Country: America
James Cagney stars as George M. Cohan in this biopic of the broadway star from the early 1900's. George Cohan was a writer, director and star of musical comedy on the stage, the film follows his life from his childhood where he was part of a family act, touring the U.S. to his meeting with President Franklin Roosevelt. The film is told in a flashback as a story to the President.
The film features a lot of big musical numbers, some of which were vaguely familiar, Cagney is excellent as George Cohan right down to some stunning tap dancing numbers. Most of the songs in the film are heavily patriotic, which can seem a little over the top for a modern day non-American audience but there are some good numbers in there.
Overall, a film which surprised me, I thought I would hate it, but it proved entertaining and interesting.
Dave W - 16th July, 2008 - 12:08
Director:
Alfonso Cuaron
Year: 2001
Language: Spanish (English Sub)
Country: Mexico
Tenoch and Julio (Gael García Bernal) are two friends from Mexico city. When their girlfriends leave them to go traveling in Europe, they are looking forward to a summer of partying. When they are introduced to Tenoch's older cousin's Spanish wife Luisa, they are fixated with her. After her husband reveals to her he has been cheating on her, Luisa decides to take up the boys' offer of a road trip to a remote beach, introducing them to a world of sexual experimentation on her way.
Y tu mamá también could be described as a Mexican American Pie, but this wouldn't be doing the film justice. While it follows a similar setup, this film has a lot more depth and much more to say. All three of the main characters are excellent in their roles and they have to be to hold the movie together, the plot is interesting and draws you in.
All in all, well worth watching.
Dave W - 29th August, 2009 - 11:17
Director:
Wai Keung Lau
Year: 1997
Language: Cantonese (English Sub)
Country: Hong-Kong
For a series of films which is so long running, it's surprising that by the 4th instalment, it's still actually quite good. The fourth film requires a bit of knowledge of the characters from the previous 3, but would still probably be watchable for those not familiar with the series.
This time round, the focus of the action is on Chicken rather than Ho-Nam (Ekin Cheng). When one of the street bosses of the Hung-Hing syndicate is killed, the superiors choose two potential successors, Chicken and Barbarian. Barbarian seeks to win the job through dirty tricks and dodgy dealings, whereas Chicken wishes to win fair and square. Extra filler comes in the guise of a few sub-plots which develop the other minor characters as well as some further characterisation of Ekin Cheng's Ho-Nam who up until now has been the main protoganist.
With a strong plot, some great characters and good few action scenes, including car chases and gang fights, Young and Dangerous 4 is a worthy addition to the series and well worth seeing for fans of the previous films, or Hong-Kong Triad movies in general.
Dave W - 26th October, 2009 - 23:23
Director:
Wai Keung Lau
Year: 1998
Language: Cantonese (English Sub)
Country: Hong-Kong
With most of the plot of Young and Dangerous 4 following Ho-Nam's left hand man Chicken's rise to power on his own, it's surprising that Chicken doesn't feature at all in number 5. This time round, we follow Ho-Nam as he is drawn into a business proposition with a Malay businessman, but when the deal turns sour, Ho-Nam finds himself in a lot of trouble. To make matters worse, another Ho-Nam is challenging him to his turf.
Young and Dangerous 5 provides more of the same Triad action, the tone of the film is very similar to the preceding 4 and with a number of the minor characters from the previous films present, it makes for interesting viewing.
Overall, another good Young and Dangerous film, fans of the series will not be disappointed.
Dave W - 26th October, 2009 - 23:34
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