THE EYE
(2002)
Dir - Danny Pang Phat/Oxide Pang Chun
Overall: MEH
The most well known effort from the Pang brothers and the first in the The Eye series, The Eye, (Seeing Ghosts), is a promising yet ultimately tame, unoriginal supernatural yarn with some consistent problems. It can fairly be seen as the Hong Kong/Singapore answer to The Sixth Sense, minus any kind of twist or even remotely frightening set pieces. The lack of spookiness is a major problem since it is actually a ghost story, but since the audience is fully aware of what it takes the characters far too long to discover, it remains unengaging by the time that the movie starts to answer its own questions. The climax seems abrupt at best and sloppily handled at worst, plus the movie still tries to present itself as an uplifting tale with a happy ending. The awful, warm piano music that continually reemerges also conveys a safe mood that plays its part in making the film even less potentially scary than it already is. The performances are adequate and the horrible digital effects get a pass due to the era and moderate budget, but not enough is done with the material to make it stand out.
(2004)
Dir - Jeong Yong-ki
Overall: MEH
A South Korean revamp of the type of killer doll movies that were churned out here or there throughout the 1980s and 90s, Doll Master, (Inhyeongsa), is less intentionally schlocky than the Charles Band productions that influenced it, adhering to bog-standard scare tactics and a dour tone. The directorial debut from Jeong Yong-ki, (who also penned the screenplay), it has many familiar motifs at its disposal, with a common enough premise of several strangers who have been invited to an isolated mansion where strange things begin to occur. We also have a "vengeance upon the descendants" angle that gets divulged in a silly expository dialog dump during the third act, making sure that every audience member is crystal clear as to what has been going on. The presentation is both bloated and monotonous at times, particularly where Lim Eun-kyung's mysterious Mi-na character is concerned, who repeatedly stares longingly at Kim Yoo-mi with her enormous eyes while fighting back tears. Some of the set pieces are gruesome and inventive, (like a girl who gets mutilated in a bathroom stall that has a life-sized doll hovering over the toilet bowl), but the story tries to be more profound than it actually is and the whole thing overstays its welcome after awhile.
(2007)
Dir - Kim Tae-gyeong
Overall: MEH
A notable footnote for being the first produced Vietnamese horror film following the fall of Saigon as well as the first Vietnamese movie to receive a rating, Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait is actually a co-production between that country and South Korea, serving as the second full-length from director Kim Tae-gyeong. Though it boasts effective atmosphere and performances, both the story and presentation strictly adhere to derivative J-horror motifs as well as the hackneyed trope of characters witnessing supernatural events and never mentioning them to a single soul; a trope that spans generations of horror movies across the globe. The idea of a cursed painting and a woman investigating an urban legend for journalism purposes is passable if not unique, yet the more intriguing moments are between the two central characters who have a troubled backstory. Sadly, the screenplay does not lean into this dynamic more and keeps the focus on the formulaic supernatural elements, with vengeful spirits, countless nightmare sequences, loud screechy noises and/or creaky sounds accompanying scares, and CGI monster faces undermining themes of judgemental and selfish betrayal amongst former friends. Still, it is agreeably paced and the mystery has just enough juice to keep one on board until the nasty, revenge-tinged finale.
No comments:
Post a Comment