Sentimetal Boy
10 April 2007
Tadaima. Took me 10 whole days before I updated this again but what do you expect? I broke my record twice in two consecutive months, I deserve a holiday! Truth is there hasn't been much worth writing about. Aside from the nice weather we're having it's been a pretty mundane week. The film I ordered from HMV arrived a few days ago. It's called Wasabi and stars Jean Reno and Hirosue Ryoko. I've known about this film for a long time. Ever since I finished watching Summer Snow and became a fan of Hirosue Ryoko in fact. If she wasn't it the film I don't think I would have had any interest in it. Although anything with Jean Reno in it is pretty cool in its own right. As it turns out it's not a bad film, especially for £3.99. Jean Reno plays Hubert, a French cop who has a habit of punching bad guys in the face. He is suddenly called to Japan after the death of Miko - an old flame who disappeared from his life 19 years ago. Upon arriving in Tokyo he is shocked to discover that he has a 19 year old daughter, Yumi, played by Hirosue Ryoko. He also finds out that the circumstances of Miko's death aren't quite as simple as they appear to be. He sets out to uncover the truth of the matter, backed up by his old friend Momo.
Wasabi is a decent film considering it's pretty low budget. It has lots of funny moments which Jean Reno seems to have a knack for. I think Hirosue Ryoko did a good job alongside him, though I could be slightly biased. I was also quite surprised that she can speak fluent French. I'm not sure if it's her actual voice in the dub, but from her lip movements I can tell she's definitely speaking French. I wasn't too keen on the English dubbing, it was hard to tell what they were saying sometimes because of their accents. I found it much more preferrable to watch it in its original language, like with most things. Aside from that the film is enjoyable. I'd give it a 7.5/10 (I thought 7/10 was too low, and I would give it an 8/10 but I think that would only be because of Ryoko so I went halfway /laugh).
I also watched Arlington Road and Night at the Musuem this week. Arlington Road is one hell of a disturbing film. The end is so depressing and makes you feel there's no good in the world. The main character's slow decent into a living nightmare is horrible to watch but at the same time strangely compelling viewing. One of the darkest films I've ever seen. Night at the Musuem on the other hand is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It's a brilliant family comedy filled with loads of great actors. You have Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, and the unsurmountable Brits represented by Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais. It's an eclectic mix of some of the funniest people around and it's awesome viewing. I'd been looking forward to watch this film for a long time and I wasn't disappointed.
HaroMoni finished last week after 7 years of broadcast. It's a real shame it had to end but I guess all good things must come to an end. But all is not lost, in its place is a new 30 minute show called HaroMoni@. I downloaded the first episode today and watched it just before. From first impressions they've turned it into a more of a kids show compared to the old HaroMoni. They didn't do much in this first show except take a talking baby doll around Tokyo in a little pram. They met a 65 year old body builder who could still lift one of the girls with just one arm. They also went to the park to view the cherry blossoms and chased after a passing ice cream van. I was kind of disappointed in the content of this episode. I really hope they go back to the old stuff they used to do instead of this new format. I would be a major shame if they didn't. I'll keep my hopes up for the next episode.
Posted byHocchan at 2:38 am
