Cyber Heist is a seriously misjudged, overlooked and underrated thriller that isn't only fascinating for people interested in economy and informatics but also for anyone craving interesting characters and tense plots that entertain from start to finish. The story revolves around cyber security engineer Kelvin Cheuk who uncovers a money laundering scheme at his company. One of his colleagues gets murdered, another one's brother gets brutally assaulted and Kelvin Cheuk is quickly blamed for a crime he never committed due to his own criminal past. He decides to cooperate with the police in order to clear his name but his employer has significant control over him when kidnapping the cyber security engineer's daughter who suffers from a serious medical condition. The showdown between the two men soon involves their colleagues, families, friends, the police and the mysterious antagonist hiding in the shadows.

This movie convinces on all levels in my opinion. The plot is varied, tense and fast from start to finish. The film's characters are diversified, profound and realistic. The acting performances are emotional, focused and talented. The visual effects are astonishing and bring elements such as cyber security to life in such a way that even those who aren't familiar with it will understand its different details very easily. The movie has an excellent running time without any lengths. As opposed to many other Chinese movies, this one isn't oversaturated with political propaganda other than the negative portrayal of predatory capitalism. Once the wild ride is over you will certainly feel like watching this movie again in the future and recommending it to your friends.

I went to the cinema to watch this movie without any expectations other than desiring to be entertained. What I have ultimately received is one of the greatest movies of the year and one of the most creative thrillers in a long period of time. I have thought hard and long about this movie but couldn't identify any negative elements in it which ultimately justifies giving it the highest possible rating which doesn't happen very often. My suggestion for you is to keep an open mind, ignore the exaggeratedly negative reviews and enjoy this surprising movie from start to finish.

Since there isn't much information to be found about Lady Yakuza on the internet, a review seems to be mandatory. First and foremost, this isn't one single movie but actually a film consisting of two parts of about one hour and forty minutes each. This means that curious viewers are in for almost three and half hours of entertainment. The North American release in Japanese with English subtitles manages to fit the entire film on one single DVD but in my case there were some minor technical issues towards the very end of the first part and at the very beginning of the second part. Perhaps I have simply gotten unlucky here but potential buyers should certainly keep their receipts in case there are other faulty versions out there.

As for the movie itself, don't be misled by the epic title Lady Yakuza. This movie isn't about a woman working in organized crime. It's rather about the daughter of a Yakuza who tries to get out of the business which leads to dangerous consequences for all family members. Instead of a fictitious action-thriller, Lady Yakuza is a partially autobiographical drama by Tendo Shoko, middle daughter of a mobster.

The two films follow the first thirty years of Tendo Shoko's life. She observes how criminals go into and out of her father's mansion every single day in her childhood. The protagonist gets bullied at school due to her father's debatable career choices. Tendo Shoko starts skipping school with her older sister and taking drugs out of bad influences, boredom and a desperate quest for identity. When her father decides to get out of business, Tendo Shoko is forced into an abusive sexual relationship with a former business partner of her father who makes her a helpless drug addict. The teenage girl only just survives that abusive relationship but stumbles into another complicated romance when she starts living alone in a sinister apartment offered to her by a young wealthy lover who is however married and about to become a father. When she ends this relationship, Tendo Shoko starts dating a manipulative married mobster who becomes obsessed with her as his behaviour drastically shifts from exaggerated affection to brutal physical abuse and back again. Tendo Shoko decides to leave him under dramatic circumstances and ends up hastily marrying a young businessman whom she meets while working at a night club. Tendo Shoko is however far from achieving happiness and even makes a suicide attempt. Other than her tumultuous romantic relationships, she has to deal with financial issues, her mother's untimely death, her father's cancer diagnosis and her naïve older sister who dates an irresponsible gambling addict.

On the positive side, the human relationships portrayed in the movie and partially played by Tendo Shoko herself are quite authentic, emotional and realistic. The acting performances are mostly credible, empathic and profound. Viewers will care about the fate of the sympathetic protagonist whose life goes through numerous ups and downs like a rollercoaster ride.

On the negative side, the final product certainly overstays its welcome with a length of nearly three and a half hours. The film should either have been shortened by an hour or it should have been transformed into a television series. Another downside are the restrained production values that make the final product look like a V-cinema release from the early nineties which nostalgic cinephiles might find charming while it might not sit well with younger audiences.

One thing that deserves to be pointed out is that Lady Yakuza teaches quite a few valuable life lessons. First and foremost, don't ever do drugs as they won't add anything positive to your life. Up next, don't get involved with people who are working in organized crime. Furthermore, don't ever lend money to anyone, not even to friends and family members. Up next, don't force yourself into romantic relationships for the sake of public appearances and closed-minded reputations. Most importantly, don't ever attempt to commit suicide as any problem also has a solution.

At the end of the day, Lady Yakuza is a slightly excessive and cheaply produced but overall still authentic and entertaining drama based upon a fascinating young author. Anyone expecting an intense thriller, epic gangster movie or breathtaking action film should however look elsewhere. The North American release of Lady Yakuza is very simplistic and only just passable. My suggestion would be to pick this release up for a cheap price like I have but not to purchase it at any cost. Last but not least, I would like to wish Tendo Shoko all the best for the rest of her life.

Da Zui Xia, internationally known as Come Drink with Me, is one of the very first wu xia movies coming out of Hong Kong that has paved the way for many more films of the same genre to be released ever since. This genre combines historic settings, plots and costumes with extravagant martial arts techniques that can at times defy realism. This particular movie has a strong female protagonist played by iconic Cheng Pei-pei. She incarnates a governor's daughter who is sent to negotiate the liberation of her brother who was kidnapped by a ruthless group of bandits who demands their leader to be freed in exchange.

This movie has a few positive elements that deserve to be pointed out. As mentioned above, the combination of historic settings, plot and costumes with martial arts techniques was creative, exciting and innovative back in the days. The settings deserve particular praise as the inn that serves as a gathering spot for people living in the country, the beautiful monastery bringing Buddhist culture into the story and the hut next to a waterfall where reclusive beggar Fan Ta-pi resides are truly memorable locations. Another element that stands out is that parts of the movie work as a musical when the charismatic beggar played by Yueh Hua and the children he takes care of are singing numerous songs in the inn. These songs aren't just presented for the purpose of entertainment alone but provide additional information about characters and locations.

Sadly, this movie hasn't aged very well despite its important role in the history of cinema. The worst part of this film are the stiff martial arts techniques displayed here. They are slow, harsh and exaggerated as they happen to be lightyears away from the wu xia cinema of the seventies, eighties and nineties that has brought actors such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li to international stardom. Lead actress Cheng Pei-pei sadly looks particularly terrible as she is completely miscast for her role. The story is also everything but surprising as the movie offers a simple tale of revenge that has been created time and again before and after the release of this movie. The film's conclusion is also very weak as there isn't much focus on the female protagonist, her kidnapped brother and their father. Even the villain of the story escapes unharmed and is never seen again. The ending of the movie actually feels rushed, as if the production company had been running out of time and resources.

At the end of the day, Da Zui Xia, better known as Come Drink with Me around the world, is only interesting for adamant wu xia fans and intellectuals studying the history of cinema. Everyone else can skip this film without any regrets as several actresses and actors involved here have made much better movies. Cheng Pei-pei is a member of the cast of the excellent Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yueh Hua plays the protagonist in the wonderful tale of revenge Fury of the Shaolin Master. To conclude, there are many other wu xia films old and new that deserve your attention before discovering this movie. My recommendation for an older movie would be the brutal Five Fingers of Death. If you are interested in iconic genre films from the nineties, I would suggest you to discover the famous Once Upon a Time in China film series. If you are interested in contemporary cinema, you could give Donnie Yen's Sakra a chance.

Otogiriso, internationally known as St. John's Wort is an independent Japanese mystery horror movie that walks off the beaten path. Some viewers might hate everything about it, others are going to appreciate what they are watching. I certainly belong to the second category and will explain to you why this movie is much better than its dreadful reputation in my opinion.

Let's start by describing the simple story that follows several horror movie tropes. A young woman inherits the mansion of her seclusive father who achieved fame as a deranged painter. Along with her ex-boyfriend who wants to discover the location for the development of a video game, she decides to visit the isolated house. Soon enough, a heavy storm comes up and a tree falls on the car. The two young adults have to spend the night in the sinister mansion and soon have to deal with seemingly supernatural phenomenons leading to shocking discoveries.

Among the positive elements, I have to point out the film's cinematography. Director Shimoyama Ten works with hand-held cameras, security camera perspectives and webcams to only mention a few examples. Each camera is used to support atmosphere, plot and settings cleverly throughout the movie.

Another element that deserves praise are the creative light techniques. Sinister colours turn trees into a dark purple, the mansion into a sinister green and old dolls into a bloody red. The use of colours gives the film a surreal vibe that serves as guideline from start to finish.

This horror movie doesn't rely on cheap jump scares or supernatural phenomena. It's actually much more like being in an escape room, except that the film was released decades before said phenomenon became popular around the world. The two lead characters are caught in a creepy mansion, have to find different sets of keys to advance from one room to another and must even find rooms hidden under staircases, behind shelves or in the attic. This film isn't particularly scary but it has an eerie, mysterious and surreal vibe that sets it apart.

As you can read, Otogiriso, also known as St. John's Wort, has more benefits to be watched than downsides to be criticized. The story might not be creative, the pace is indeed rather slow and the acting performances remain average throughout even though Matsuo Reiko convinces as energetic, extroverted and stylish side character Koseki Toko. However, the film's creative camera angles, excellent use of colours and shades and the eerie escape room atmosphere certainly set this movie apart. I'm glad that I have picked this movie up for a reasonable price, would recommend it to close friends and certainly watch it again.

While the original movie Battle Royale is considered a classic that I happen to find slightly overrated, its sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem is actually quite the opposite since it has been heavily criticized by fans and experts alike but turns out to be a very decent to great film. The story takes place three years after the original film when the survivors of the previous deadly tournament have formed a terroristic group aiming to overthrow Japan's dystopian dictatorship. The group calls itself Wild Seven, is led by Nanahara Shuya, the male protagonist of the first movie, and has found refuge on an isolated island. A new group of forty-two dangerous and difficult students is kidnapped by the restrictive government and forced to attack the island's hideout with the goal to murder Nanahara Shuya. As the students get to communicate with the charismatic leader, they however rather decide to support the rebels and overthrow the decadent government. The Japanese government then sends in the military to destroy the hideout and kill every single teenager, child and baby on the island. In addition to this, the United States of America menace Japan to intervene in order to annihilate the terroristic group for once and for all.

This movie has convinced me on numerous occasions. The introduction creates a swift connection between the first film and its sequel that doesn't bore viewers with any unnecessary lengths. It's even possible to enjoy this movie without having watched the first film at all as the few important events from the first film are shown in poignant and short flashbacks.

The opening scenes recall many elements from the first film and should therefore excite franchise and genre fans very much. The kidnapping of the students is mysterious, their arrival in the security area is gloomy and the speech by their teacher is intensely delivered by brilliant veteran actor Takeuchi Riki who has been among the cast of films such as Dead or Alive. This villainous character remains intriguing throughout the movie as viewers slowly discover his tragical background, his mental issues and his progressive change of mind.

The first battle of this movie convinces on a most brutal note reminding of several excellent war films such as Saving Private Ryan. The realism of these scenes is quite astonishing and half of the students die gruesome deaths in the first third of the film. From this perspective, this movie is even more brutal, intense and pitiless than its controversial prequel. This film certainly isn't for faint-hearted audiences to say the least.

Once the main location of the isolated island is reached, this movie shows some great battle scenes reminding of guerilla warfare. The students attempt to take cover, advance stealthily and infiltrate the hideout while the members of Wild Seven try to locate, slow down and assassinate their unexpected opponents.

The middle section of this film is also its emotional heart piece. The surviving students meet the surviving rebels and talk things out. After initial confrontation, frustration and hesitation, the two sides ultimately discover that they have more things in common than they would have thought. They decide to unite their forces to challenge their dictatorial government. In the process, the characters that are introduced rather quickly in the introduction get more depth. This includes antagonistic characters like the villainous teacher or Japan's Prime Minister but also protagonists like transfer student Kitano Shiori played by an outstanding Maeda Ai and rebel leader Nanahara Shuya.

The movie's ending certainly offers a few surprises and features some social commentary that was on the pulse of time at the time of its release. Imperialistic invasions, abject poverty and childhood traumas are themes brought up time and again throughout the movie and lead to an unexpected climax in the closing shots. This surprising, experimental and controversial ending certainly leaves room for discussions and thought.

However, this movie isn't without its flaws to be fair. One of the most promising female characters, both stylistically and socially, the leader of the delinquent girls called Fukuda Kazumi who is played by charismatic actress Aja, is killed before the first battle even starts which aborts some truly promising development right from the start. Up next, several characters are poorly fleshed out from the start. Several students who behave intriguingly in the school yard, on the bus or in the military facility are killed before viewers can even empathize with them. The developmental passages occur only midway through the movie and severely lack in the introduction.

One element that is often mentioned as flaw but should be analyzed in the context of its release is the anti-American sentiment presented throughout the movie. What might seem to be exaggerated, hostile and even slightly racist had a different intention upon release. The United States of America had just declared the exaggerated witch hunt of the War on Terrorism and had started its invasion of Iraq without any specific evidence for the existence of weapons of mass destruction. Both decisions were heavily criticized around the world and led to much political commentary. Some of the comments made throughout the movie are inspired by those circumstances and can at least be understood with this historic background information.

At the end of the day, Battle Royale II: Requiem is a very good dystopian action-thriller with twisted plot, intriguing characters and wonderful action scenes that is much better than its negative reputation and deserves to be revisited. In my opinion, this film chooses an interesting different approach from the first movie, completes it wonderfully and stands its ground as a creation that equals the original release. For anyone who hasn't watched this movie yet because of the numerous negative reviews, don't hesitate to give this film an open-minded try on a rainy evening as you will almost certainly not feel like your time will have been wasted and might even be in for a very positive surprise.