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.

Rebound is a wonderful South Korean sports drama inspired by true events. The once-renowned basketball team of Jungang High School in Busan is on the verge of being shut down. A social worker decides to step in as an unexperienced head coach with a severely limited budget. He wants to lead the team to former glory. His first season is disastrous and marked by skeptical administrators, verbal and physical altercations between frustrated and hopeless players and a shameful and violent disqualification from an important tournament. Players and coach however decide to come back for a second season to clear their names and manage to create one of the most surprising comeback stories you have ever come across.

Make no mistake since your passion for basketball or lack thereof is completely unimportant to enjoy this movie. This film is really about a group of struggling outsiders who become a resilient unity and accomplish miraculous exploits. The acting performances in this film are extraordinary from cameos over side characaters to lead characters and will hook you right from the first scene and only let you go when the credits will start rolling.

While most dramas tend to be depressing, exaggerated and exchangeable, especially when thinking of the elevated number of South Korean soap operas that have started getting world-wide acclaim and attention in recent years, this movie walks an entirely different path. It's based upon true events and offers a powerful message of belief, hope and resilience. Viewers will be having a gigantic smile upon their faces by the end of the movie and this is precisely what we need in difficult times. This movie might depict events that have been happening a decade ago but it's on the pulse of time in the here and now like few other contemporary movies of any genre.

If the combination of a profound drama and an energetic sports movie with a positive message sounds even remotely intriguing to you, then give yourself a gift and watch Rebound with your family members and friends. This movie will leave a lasting impression and you should consider watching it time and again whenever you are feeling exhausted, hopeless or overwhelmed yourself. Even if you don't feel that way however, Rebound is an entertaining, gripping and profound movie that deserves international attention and acclaim.

I have been a massive fan of the Godzilla franchise since my early childhood for more than two and a half decades by now. Some instalments have been above expectations, most have been fairly average and others have been somewhat disappointing. Godzilla Minus One however deserves its universal acclaim by fans and critics alike and is the franchise's greatest entry since at least The Return of Godzilla released thirty-nine years earlier. No matter if you are a fan of the franchise or not, this movie is highly recommended to anyone caring about well-crafted cinema in general as this film qualifies for one of the greatest movies of the year.

There are several elements that make this particular entry stand out positively. First and foremost, the settings are authentic, captivating and dramatic. They manage to capture the bleak final days of the Second World War as well as the upcoming years of struggle in Japan. Viewers get to explore isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean, simplistic military facilities, gigantic warships and technically innovative planes, the poor suburbs of downtown Tokyo and its slowly growing modern suburbs. Despite its historical context, the movie never loses itself in inappropriate patriotism and instead decently criticizes some military decisions made back in those difficult times.

Up next, the characters of this film are easy to identify with. The protagonist is a fearsome failed kamikaze pilot who feels guilt for his betrayal and shame for his existence. The female lead actress portrays a woman adopting the child of a dying mother just to save its life and offering it a better future. These two characters meet by pure coincidence in the devastated downtown sector of the capital and start developing feelings of responsibility, then friendship and ultimately love in the most tender manners. The movie features numerous intriguing supporting characters such as the slowly growing adopted daughter, a courageous, innovative and progressive captain and a bitter military technician with outstanding abilities. Every single character is fleshed out so profoundly that viewers will care about their fates and might even be longing to meet them again in future instalments.

The special effects revolving around the titular monster are obviously what fans of the franchise have been anticipating most. Godzilla appears early in the movie and its nightmarish appearance will send shivers down the spine as the monster leaves a path of bleak destruction behind. The monster develops smoothly throughout the film as the viewers will learn more biological details about it step by step as the monster makes several short but intense appearances. The film's finale features Godzilla in all its gigantic monstrosity and comes around with a few captivating twists and turns. There is no doubt that Godzilla is the true star of this movie and this is exactly the way it should be.

Many franchises have been repeating themselves to death and have been boring even the most adamant supporters time and again. The Godzilla franchise however is celebrating its seventh decade of existence and is still going strong as Japanese cinema manages to reinvent the most magnificent monster to have been put onto the big screen time and again without denying its historical roots and splendid details that make it so memorable. Teenagers will dig this movie as much as elderly people as this film offers historical fiction and science-fiction at its very best. Enjoy this movie for the whole family and make sure to support high-quality cinema by watching it in a comfortable movie theatre nearby.

Be My Family is a Chinese tragicomedy taking place from the mid-nineties over the middle years of the first decade of the new millennium until the early years of the second decade of the twenty-first century. This movie revolves around two impoverished debt collectors and close friends. One day, they want to visit a debtor but only find his desperate wife and helpless daughter in a decrepit apartment. The desperate lady swears to pay the debt collectors back and asks them to take care of her daughter for a few days. However, these few days turn out to become twelve years before the desperate woman suddenly appears again and plunges the existences of everyone involved into maddening chaos.

There are several elements that make this movie a pleasure to watch. First and foremost, the acting performances are vivid, realistic and humorous. Viewers will care a great deal about the resilient daughter who has been left by her father and abandoned by her mother. It's also easy to empathize with the two debt collectors who seem tough on the surface but have true hearts of gold. This movie also introduces an entertaining selection of side characters such as a greedy family member without any conscience, an intimidating businessman who can't even afford to pay for a spa visit and a quirky dance instructor selling pork heads.

This film convinces with an excellent mixture of funny and sad moments. On the former side, it's amusing to observe how the overwhelmed debt collectors attempt to earn the young girl's trust. One the latter side, it's heartbreaking to see the young girl work as a dancer and singer in some filthy bar for drunk adults. This balanced mixture offers quite a rollercoaster ride as hopeful moments such as the girl's stunning career are followed by heartbreaking parts such as a family member attempting to take advantage of her unexpected fame.

One more element that makes this film interesting is that it follows its three lead characters for two decades and portrays several significant changes. The young girl becomes a popular and wealthy dancer and singer. One of the debt collectors gets married and has his own child. The other one is particularly resilient and takes care of all problems by any means necessary.

Another positive thing is that the movie is set in industrial areas, smaller cities and the countryside, thus portraying different facets of Chinese culture and society. The country's minor organized crime scene, widespread poverty and strict rules are shown without any embellishments even though one awkward scene involving a biased school teacher still promotes the regime as the citizens' saviour.

However, this movie isn't without a few significant flaws. It's definitely a little bit too long with a length of one hundred thirty-two minutes and could have been cut by at least half an hour. The story also has a few dragging parts in the middle that are challenging to sit through.

Still, especially the characters in Be My Family are so sympathetic that one wouldn't mind watching a sequel portraying their later lives. This underrated movie finds a balanced mixture between entertaining comedy and emotional drama. Just be aware that the film's length, plot and structure request some patience. If you are able to tolerate this movie's slow pace, you will discover a surprising, realistic and profound film with much depth.