Eye for an Eye, originally known as Mu Zhong Wu Ren, is a Chinese martial arts film inspired by the legendary tales of Zatoichi. The movie entertains with sympathetic characters, wonderful fight choreographies and beautiful settings through seventy-seven short but concise minutes. A sequel is already being worked upon which underlines this film's commercial and critical success. Director Yang Bingjia is a newcomer to the genre and already manages to deliver the goods with the first feature film. Lead actress Gao Weiman is also new to the cinematic industry and delivers a balanced performance propagating values such as loyalty and resilience. Lead actor Xie Miao has already been working on several great genre films in the past such as The Taking of Tiger Mountain and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia and his experience shows when portraying a character who is ruthless in his martial arts style but ethical in his decisions.

The story revolves around blind, calm and ruthless bounty hunter Cheng Xiazi who comes to a new town. He is coincidentally invited to the wedding of restaurant owner Ni Yan. However, the wedding turns into a nightmare when the lady's rebellious brother shows up. A group of thugs appears soon afterwards and massacres the family as well as the wedding guests. Only the restaurant owner and the bounty hunter survive. Cheng Xiazi decides to intervene to help Ni Yan and avenge her murdered wedding guests.

This movie convinces on several levels. As mentioned previously, the female and male lead characters have enough depth to build an entire movie series upon. Blind bounty hunter Cheng Xiazi has a strong moral compass and protects those who are alone, desperate and struggling. Restaurant owner Ni Yan delivers the goods as underestimated young lady who exemplifies loyalty, resilience and strength. Viewers will care about the fates of these two fascinating characters who are incarnated by experienced male actor Xie Miao and a promising young actress Gao Weiman whose name should certainly be remembered.

The fight choreographies are certainly stunning. Don't make the mistake to expect clumsy, repetitive and slow fight scenes just because the lead character is blind. The opposite is actually the case since Cheng Xiazi is constantly underestimated and thus defeats his opponents with grace, rapidity and skill. The different types of fighting styles as well as actual and improvised weapons used throughout the film will keep viewers entertained from start to finish.

The settings of Eye for an Eye are also definitely above average and bring ancient China back to life in an authentic manner. This includes rural landscapes as well as urban settings. While many contemporary Chinese movies overuse special effects which make movies taking place in the past look like video games from the last decade, this film here keeps the settings simple but real. This approach adds atmosphere, authenticity and depth to the film.

This movie however also has a few minor flaws that keep it from being considered an excellent or even perfect genre film. First of all, the idea to base a movie around a blind martial artist isn't new at all. The movie can't rival with the creativity of the Zatoichi movie series from the sixties and seventies that you should definitely watch if you appreciate this film.

Up next, the film's story is quite predictable. An underestimated martial artist supports an innocent damsel in distress and defeats a clan of ruthless criminals. This concept has been used time and again in martial arts film but also in numerous other genres such as westerns. Don't expect any creative twists or turns when watching this movie.

While the movie has no lengths whatsoever, the total running time of seventy-seven minutes is nonetheless particularly short, especially when purchasing a physical version at full price. The sympathetic main characters and intriguing side characters would have deserved some more screen time for sure.

At the end of the day, Eye for an Eye, originally known as Mu Zhong Wu Ren, is a good to very good martial arts film with profound characters, excellent fight choreographies and authentic settings. Genre fans should certainly give this movie a chance and look out for its upcoming sequel. It has been some time since a decent martial arts movie series has been around, so the release of this movie feels like a welcome breeze of fresh air.

Last Suspect, originally released as Zheng Jiu Xian Yi Ren, finds the perfect balance between a courtroom drama and a vengeful thriller clocking in at an excellent one hundred nineteen minutes. This movie manages to touch viewers emotionally thanks to its profound characters. It also succeeds in surprising audiences thanks to a creative story with numerous twists and turns. Even after further analysis, this underrated film doesn't have any flaws and thus qualifies as the greatest movie released in the past year. If you haven't watched it yet, do yourself a favour and enjoy it to the fullest before recommending it to anyone else who might have been missing out on this masterpiece.

The story revolves around dedicated single mother and excellent lawyer Chen Zhiqi who has never lost a case in her professional career. When she attends a school activity with her smart daughter, her child gets kidnapped in a brief moment of inattention. The lawyer is soon contacted by phone as a distorted voice orders her not to contact the police or tell anyone else about her ordeal. In order for her daughter to be released, Chen Zhiqi is asked to take on an incredibly complex case. She has only seven days to clear the name of a death row convict accused of homicide. Chen Zhiqi must investigate a controversial case that might destroy her professional career, keeps being worried about the fate of her kidnapped daughter and lies to her best friend and police officer Jin Zhixiong who realizes that something is wrong with her and starts his own investigations.

This movie convinces on all levels. First and foremost, the film's plot is filled with creative ideas, smooth turns and radical twists that will keep viewers watching until the final scene that reveals that nothing is as it had ever seemed to be.

The combination of courtroom drama and vengeful thriller has rarely been executed this convincingly in cinema. The lead character's race against time to save her daughter without revealing to anyone the ordeal she must deal with will make even the toughest viewers shed a tear. The clever story with its twists and turns as the lines between guilt and innocence as well as everything in between start to blur will leave a lasting impression. The fact that this Chinese film is a remake of overlooked South Korean movie Seven Days, originally known as Sebeun Deijeu, doesn't take anything away from this remake's remarkable storytelling.

Up next, the characters are particularly fascinating in this movie. This includes the mysterious kidnapper with a hidden agenda. It continues with the smart, resilient and creative daughter. One must point out her resilient, dedicated and courageous mother. Let's not forget her attentive, empathic and helpful friend. The calm, intellectual and unpredictable death row convict will send shivers down the spine. Every single character in this movie is fleshed out with remarkable depth.

The acting performances go hand in hand with the wonderful characters. Every single actress and actor involved deserves attention, praise and recognition. If there were one actress to be pointed out in particular, one would need to select lead actress Zhang Xiaofei who portrays both a mother with the heart of a lion and a successful lawyer who ouwits even the most complex challenges. Zhang Xiaofeng manages to find the perfect balance between showing her character's remarkable strengths displayed in public and her tender weaknesses shown in her personal life. This actress has only been playing in half a dozen productions thus far but let me suggest you to keep an eye on the upcoming projects of this outstanding talent.

At the end of the day, Last Suspect has grown so much on me that I would describe it as the greatest movie released throughout the year 2023 and let me tell you that I have been watching many movies and that several of these have indeed been excellent. Last Suspect however stands out most because it is half drama and half thriller. It convinces with a creative story, outstanding genre combinations, profound characters and excellent actresses and actors from the lead roles to the side characters. Give yourself a gift and enjoy this movie to the fullest. If you are as amazed by it as I still happen to be, do the world a favour by recommending this contemporary masterpiece to family members and friends.

No More Bets, originally known as Gu Zhu Yi Zhi, is a Chinese movie that could be categorized halfway between a drama and a thriller. The movie clocks in at an excellent running time of one hundred and thirty minutes as it entertains from start to finish. The final result finds a perfect balance between imagination and realism. The movie's topic is on the pulse of time. Even though the film's topic refers to events in Eastern Asia, it's easy to empathize with the characters and care about the story no matter where you come from. This movie deserves more international acclaim.

The story revolves around a fraud factory that destroys the lives of three different characters. Programmer Pan Sheng fails to get the job he was dreaming of and decides to work abroad. He realizes much too late that his new employer is a criminal network and that he won't be able to escape and make it back home all by himself. Model Liang Anna dreams of stardom and accepts working as an online croupier abroad. She realizes that this was the greatest mistake of her life as she is being held captive, physically abused and verbally bullied. Gu Tianzhi is a young adult who initially gambles online for entertainment only. As he gets addicted step by step he doesn't only indebt himself but also starts neglecting his girlfriend and lying to his family members while his psychological well-being is spiraling out of control. These three characters will try to find different ways to deal with their challenges while Chinese police forces decide to intervene and bring those stranded abroad against their will back home.

No More Bets convinces on numerous different levels. First and firemost, the movie's story is diversified, emotional and realistic as it should keep viewers on the edges of their seats until the very end.

The three lead characters are particularly intriguing. They all have significant flaws and strengths that are shown in an unpolished manner. These characters go through drastic changes and deal with their challenges differently. Their fates are difficult to predict and lead to some intense twists and turns towards the end.

The acting performances are equally great. Zhang Yixing convinces as an ambitious programmer who constantly tries to outwit his oppressors. Jin Chen excels as beautiful model who needs to become tough in order to hang onto her resilience. Wang Dalu delivers the goods as young adult whose organized life is gradually spiraling out of control until there doesn't seem to be a way out of tragedy anymore.

The mixture of genres offered by this movie is also gripping. The fates of the three lead characters are particularly dramatic and at times even tragical. Emotional viewers will certainly shed a tear now and then. The way the characters fight for their freedom and how police forces gradually start intervening lead to dynamic action scenes and mild thriller passages leading to a memorable finale.

The only element that might bother intellectual viewers is that all the villainesses and villains in this film come from abroad while Chinese victims are portrayed as heroines and heroes who are saved by brave Chinese police forces who intervene in a foreign country without caring about local jurisdictions. These patterns of propaganda are greatly exaggerated and feel like attempting to not only entertain but also indoctrinate audiences. As a matter of fact, illegal organizations such as the one described in the movie can also be found in mainland China itself.

Despite its inappropriate propaganda, No More Bets is a highly entertaining mixture of a drama and a thriller on the pulse of time. The story has many intriguing twists and turns. The characters offer depth, diversity and dynamics that will make viewers care about them. The acting performances are stellar and deserve critical acclaim. This movie isn't only interesting for fans of Eastern Asian cinema but produced so expertly that it easily outclasses most contemporary Western movies of the past year.

Ransomed, originally known as Bi-gong-sik-jak-jeon, is one of the greatest movies of the past year. It could be described as an action-thriller that finds the perfect balance between uplifting humour and gruesome realism. The film manages to entertain from start to finish and deserves more international attention and acclaim.

The story is quickly told. A South Korean diplomat gets kidnapped by terrorists in war-torn Lebanon in the mid-eighties. The South Korean government doesn't want to get officially involved in order to present itself as a modern country, avoid negative press for the upcoming 1987 South Korean presidential election and make a successful bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics. Diplomat Lee Min-jun receives a mysterious call from the kidnapped colleague after months of silence and insists on a thorough investigation. He is essentially sent onto a suicide mission as he heads for a foreign country on the brink of self-destruction. The only person he has no choice but to rely on is shady civilian taxi driver Chun Doo-hwan who is only interested in financial profit. The two completely different men must make significant compromises to rescue the kidnapped diplomat and make it out alive of the terrifying country.

This movie convinces on all levels. First and foremost, the film's plot is so tense that it will keep viewers on the edges of their seats for one hundred thirty-two minutes. The movie's little twists and turns feel natural and are never blown out of proportion.

Up next, the combination of different genres is perfectly balanced. This movie has some tense kidnapping scenes. There are violent shootouts and car chases to be witnessed. The isolation of the characters leads to deseperate ethical conflicts and profound dialogues. The clash between the two divergent lead characters offers some comic relief that works splendidly in its small doses.

The movie is partially based upon true events and its sincere realism deserves significant praise. This movie portrays South Korean politics and politicians as dishonest, manipulative and unfaithful, criticizing its own country rather than praising it. War-torn Lebanon looks like the most terrifying place you could possibly imagine as the movie doesn't try to be dishonestly diplomatic by giving the country a beautiful exotic touch.

What also needs to be mentioned is that good and evil characters are shown in both South Korea and Lebanon while most characters are actually situated somewhere in between those extremes. This movie is filled with authentic humanism portrayed by diversified characters viewers will end up caring about.

The acting performances go hand in hand with the profound characters. The two lead actors deserve special praise. Ha Jung-woo excels in his role as a courageous diplomat who severely underestimates the life-threatening dangers of his mission and needs to overcome the most incredible challenges to save his colleague and survive. Ju Ji-hoon delivers the goods as quirky cab driver who doesn't exactly have a place to call home and who is constantly stealing, lying and betraying in order to survive another day as he must learn to develop a moral compass to help new friends, old friends and ultimately himself survive.

To keep it short, Ransomed is a wonderful movie that takes viewers on an intense roller coaster ride through action, comedy, drama and thriller genres with profound characters played by ecellent actresses and actors. Do yourself a favour and watch this criminally underrated masterpiece if you haven't done so already. In case you are already familiar with this cinematic delight, don't hesitate to promote it by writing a review and recommending it to others.

Yowamushi Pedal is a sports film that fluidly combines genre elements of comedy and drama. This live-action adaptation is based upon the manga series that has been existing for fifteen years and counting, featuring eighty-six volumes as I'm writing this review. The manga series has also been adapted as anime series with one hundred thirty-seven episodes thus far, television drama and video game. The main issue that I have with anime and manga series is that I don't have the time or motivation to read eighty-six volumes or watch one hundred thirty-seven episodes. Watching this movie right here is thus the best way for me to discover this gigantic universe for two hours and then turn the page to discover something else entirely.

This movie here revolves around timid high school student as well as dedicated anime and manga fan Sakamichi Onoda who discovers his talent for cycling. While initially not being taken seriously by classmates and sportspeople, his resilience, motivation and kindness lead to a positive change as he starts making friends and becomes the most important cyclist in his high school team.

This movie convinces on several levels in my opinion. First and foremost, lead character Sakamichi Onoda represents very positive values that are easy to empathize with. His slow progression at making friends and taking on more responsibilities as an athlete are heartwarming. His struggles and successes are realistic. They focus on genuine emotions rather than ridiculous exaggeration. This hero who doesn't attempt to be one simply behaves like the shy guy next door that you can find all around the world.

Up next, the acting performances are particularly convincing as well. Nagase Ren manages to become one with his role and appears to be very helpful, kind and timid throughout the entire movie. The other characters from his charming crush over his motivated coach to nagging colleagues are also portrayed very decently and without any exaggerations.

Lastly, this film's story convinces with its simplicity that makes this film a recommendation for audiences of any age. The cycling tournament in the last third of the movie is particularly gripping. It features many ups and downs in a spectacular race and values tenacity over cheating which makes watching this movie much more interesting than sitting through real professional cycling tournaments involving despicable cases of doping.

At the end of the day, I may not be able to compare this movie to its original manga series or even its anime series. However, I can tell you that Yowamushi Pedal is an entertaining movie for any audience that mixes comedy and drama combined with the sport of cycling. This movie promotes excellent values such as courage, responsibility and team work that are essential in our real lives. These are the reasons why I would recommend this very good movie that convinces from start to finish and even excels in its final third. I wouldn't actually mind watching a sequel with the same cast for once.