Reviews

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THE RUNNING MAN Review: Glen Powell Leads Edgar Wright’s Steady Action Classic Revamp

I never read any literary works by “Richard Bachman,” so like virtually anyone in my generation, Paul Michael Glaser’s futuristic thriller, The Running Man was my first exposure to the IP, and with the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, you can believe it was a seller. It’s enough to be warranted a classic, so there’s no question that any idea there was about revisiting the book in any filmic capacity would draw a mix of prominently skeptic responses. Leave it to writer/director Edgar Wright to take on the task of proving doubters wrong with his latest trudge with co-writer Michael Bacall, for a brand new reimagining which he at once touted as a story more closer to the novel than the film’s 1987 predecessor. I’ll leave it to the bookworms to make that judgement since I can only gauge the film’s performance on its own merits next to the original, while […]

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JFF Theater: TIME TRAVELLER: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME: Time Travel as a Vessel for Memory

Time travel stories have always held a unique allure, possessing a special charm that consistently captivates audiences. This is certainly the case for this story within Japanese culture; based on the 1967 Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel, it has been adapted for the big screen no fewer than four times, with each iteration offering its own distinct perspective. This 2010 adaptation, serves as a  sequel to the 1983 film starred by popular 80´s idol Tomoyo Harada in her screen debut  . It follows the daughter of the original protagonist as she travels back to 1972 to find her mother’s teenage love and deliver a long-awaited message. However, the journey is fraught with errors: she arrives two years late. There, she encounters an aspiring young filmmaker who helps her on her quest, inadvertently weaving a new story that leads them to a poignant realization—in this life, the only thing that truly survives the […]

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BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS Review: A Gritty ‘Soy Western’ That Revitalizes the Wuxia Genre

After seven years away from the lens, the legendary Yuen Woo-ping returns to the director’s chair this Chinese New Year with a triumphant adaptation of Xu Xianzhe’s acclaimed manhua, Blades of the Guardians. In this ambitious project, the Hong Kong maestro revitalizes the wuxia genre by stripping away the over-reliance on CGI that has plagued recent productions. Instead, he embraces a visceral, “old-school” approach: gritty physical combat, traditional wire-fu, and sweeping cinematography filmed on location in the unforgiving Xinjiang desert. Set during the turbulent Sui Dynasty, the narrative follows Dao Ma (Wu Jing), a formidable mercenary and the empire’s “second most wanted fugitive.” His journey begins with what appears to be a routine escort mission: transporting the mysterious prisoner Zhi Shilang across the treacherous Gobi Desert to the capital, Chang’an. The film’s strength lies in its generational synergy. Wu Jing anchors an ensemble cast where icons like Tony Leung Ka-fai […]

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