danhtram

[danhtram]

Mulan

This gorgeous movie is the classic remake of the Disney cartoon version of "Mulan" 22 years ago. The timeless oriental values of valour, loyalty and truthfulness were the central themes of the story. The 3 words, incribed on the Hua's family sword, were oft repeated in the tone and character of the movie. Mulan offered herself to take her father's place to fight against the nothern invaders as the emperior decreed that every male from a family has to be conscripted into the imperial army. It was an act of fiilial piety and sacrifice for her father and family, a virtue that is steeped in eastern culture. I like the opening scene where, as a young adventurous girl, she chased a chicken zealously, from scaling the roof tiles and doing aerial sommersaults just to ensure that the chicken went into the coop, though her father tried in vain to stop her from going through such unbecoming stunts as it is natural for the chicken to run back to its coop. Her bold adventurism did not earn the nods of approval from her neighbours but her father was secretly proud of her bravery. That scene is very telling about the societal norms during that era, where girls have to behave like dainty and demure ladies who need to know their place in a male dominated society. What was interesting was that Mulan has a lot of "qi" or inner strength, probably acquired from years of martial arts training since she was a kid.

[danhtram]

Frozen

When people speak of their favorite Disney movies, the big four of the Renaissance and films of the Golden Age of animation are likely to be mentioned. The past decade has seen Disney movies that were hit or miss. Some considered classics, some forgotten and some close to being classics but not there yet. Frozen changes this dynamic and creates a full fledged classic. Frozen IS not just a classic, it is THE Disney classic of the decade. It could position itself up there with the best of them. Disney returns to its roots with a vengeance. The best animated film of the past few years in my opinion. The story is heart melting, filled with the pure feeling and heart that has become a staple with the best Disney movies. It is a moving story that has family at its center. It is unpretentious in what it is trying to portray. The comedy hits right on the mark and the action packed adventure and thrilling journey make this a tale with a little bit of everything in the exact right amounts. It is a daring movie that is laugh out loud at the some moments and stunning and provoking at others. All achieved in balance. A true triumph in story telling that proves exactly what Disney does best and again proving that they are back to producing top quality films. This is an affecting human story, one that is significant.

[danhtram]

It Ends With Us

wouldn't consider myself as someone who gets very invested with their books nor someone who enjoys leisurely reading in their free time, but this novel 100% changed that for me. I love how this novel completely strays away from the typical protagonist-antagonist archetype; in the words of Ryle, "there's no such thing as bad people. We're all just people who sometimes do bad things." The sacrifices and the heartbreaking decisions Lily has to make in this novel are what make it such a heart-wrenching read. I could not say enough good things about this book and I highly recommend that everyone reads this (but with Kleenex tissues in close proximity). Something worth mentioning is that Colleen writes this book so personally and eloquently that you'll feel as though you are Lily Bloom experiencing everything firsthand. From topics such as domestic abuse to childhood trauma to rape, etc, Colleen provides different perspectives to all these situations, making them applicable to complex situations that occur in real life. Instead of opting to judge the victim for remaining in their undesirable situation or developing resentment for the abuser, Colleen allows the audience to empathize with all of the characters by making them aware of people's past traumas and how they led to the development of their character. Colleen practically obliterated the black and white mentality some of us carry by allowing the audience to put themselves in other people's shoes for once. Love love love this book with all my heart!

[danhtram]

Turning Red

Parents need to know that Turning Red is Pixar's coming-of-age adventure set in early-2000s Toronto about Meilin "Mei" Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang), a Chinese Canadian teen who unleashes a literal red panda when she starts going through puberty. The panda transformation -- which can sometimes be intense and leads to both unintended and purposeful damage/destruction -- is definitely a metaphor for adolescence, and the movie skews more toward an older tween/early teen audience than many of Pixar's other films. The story centers the city's Chinatown community where Mei lives and features an authentically diverse cast. With puberty and adolescence at the heart of the action, expect references to periods and celebrity crushes, discussions of "hotness," and descriptions of the attractiveness of popular singers (as well as another older teen) and their gyrating dance moves. Occasional mild and insult language includes "crap," "freak," "jerkwad," "butthead," etc. The film encourages curiosity, compassion, courage, self-control, and teamwork, and families who watch together can discuss lots of issues afterward, from the importance of having honest conversations about puberty to the dangers of lying and keeping secrets and the need for both close friends and trusted adults.

[danhtram]

Red Sky

I absolutely loved this movie. I read some other reviews after watching it and I got some things out of this that not everyone else did. I have three kids and got to be a single mom for a large part of their lives. I thought that this perfectly captured the feeling of desperation you can have about your children's survival and success, that you'd do ANYTHING to make that happen. Also, she never rests, she never gets to stop, she's doing the things she's doing at top speed, no matter how painful or uncomfortable or inconvenient, all the way through, which is completely being a mom, even in this unusual context. Other people keep making problems and messes she has to handle that upset her careful apple cart just as such things do every mother's from humans to starlings. I don't know whether that was intentional but I really, really hope so. The reviewer on Roger Ebert's site suggested the story should have been done from the hijackers' viewpoint - instead of the mother and her son - and I say he couldn't be more wrong about that. That would have made this just like every other flat, simplistic and boring action film we've seen a millions times, a plot out of Ye Olde Hacke Plot Drawer, of a bunch of guys and a monster, and lost the amazing, very unique human  focus and viewpoint it had.

[danhtram]

A business proposal

The love story between a boss and an employee, a rich man and an ordinary woman. We’ve seen this sort of romance countless times, so to be honest, I didn’t think this would be any different. But something’s weird. Yes, it’s typical and childish, but I can’t wait to see the next episode. It’s about SBS’s drama. Shin Ha Ri, who works at GO Food, once again takes her best friend’s place on a blind date and, as usual, tries to sabotage the date. But the person whom she was set up with was none other than the new president of her company, Kang Tae Moo. Knowing that she has to sabotage the date even more so than usual, she puts on the best “crazy girl” show. She knows that she did her part more than enough, but hears from her friend Young Seo that Kang Tae Moon wants to marry her. And of course, he has his own story. His idea was that Jin Young Seo, the only daughter of Marin Group, is his most suitable mate to stop his overzealous grandfather that wants to marry him off. The only problem is Jin Yeong Seo he met isn’t the “real Jin Young Seo.”

[danhtram]

Howl’s Moving Castle

Romance is a well-known genre throughout the decades, it has weaved into lore, published in books, made into movies and became the topic of different age groups. Howl’s Moving Castle, a beautiful chaos, yet charming story has became the global phenomenon over two decades ago. Made by the same company of “Spirited Away”, Ghibi animation became the most successful animation ever.  It was so easy to fall in love with the film, especially if you break down different aspects of the movie. It’s not hard to imagine that the great Hayao Miyazaki created a film as outstanding as HMC. 

[danhtram]

Spirited Away

A nostalgic phenomenon that every anime should have seen. Spirited Away is a classic anime movie hand crafted by the famous Ghibli animation and had earned the company, hundred billion dollars in revunue. Still considered as the best animation ever created tilled date, Spirit Away has captivated  many audience from young to old around the  globe to witness a masterpiece in the history. I remember seeing the movie on a small television with my siblings and cousin back in the day. All our eyes are drawn into the vibrant and vivid colors of every single details from the movie. It was the best memory I’ve ever had and I’m sure this movie will bring to you the same joy and excitement it did to me years ago.

[danhtram]

Midnight

A triumph of terror, suspense and horror. The movie midnight is a Korean entertainment success in thriller genre I have seen recently. The main character is one the smartest person I have ever witnessed on a movie or show. Despite being deaf, she’s about to outwit a serial killer using her intelligence and agility. The movie gives sense of hopelessness throughout since the main character is deaf but at the same time increase the suspense to draw audience into the plots. I would rate this movie 8/10.

[danhtram]

Belle 2021 (adventure/drama)

Belle is a recently released movie that I’ve been waiting for almost a year just to watch, so I’m very excited do a review on it. It is absolutely gorgeous and exactly as I anticipated. An anime movie inspired by Beauty and the Beast folklore with flavorful twist of modern virtual reality world. The soundtracks in the movies are gold, they are so well composed; I literally have to listen to them many times after finishing the video. The plot of the movie is also a compelling component, it definitely will get audience hooked in. There’s nothing more to say about Belle, it’s such a creative masterpiece and I would recommend my friends to watch it. 

[danhtram]

Euphoria: Season 2 Ep 5

Spoiler alert! read at your own risk!

Oh so, Euphoria became a sensation over twitter last week when its fifth episode was aired. I think the show is heading toward many direction and it’s sort of over the place right now. On this single episode we got to witness Rue’s mental breakdown because of her addiction and her feeling of betrayal. This ep is basically Rue on a run away and everyone lived for it, including me. Rue was giving so much personally, prop to Zendaya, the actor deserves to win an Oscar for this single episode. In conclusion, I think the episode very chaotic and and show is slightly tilting to different paths so I hope to see more character development in the next couple episodes!

[danhtram]

Fate: Winx Saga

This show is quite controversial over the internet last year as I remember. Several viewers claimed that the show is just a nostalgia bait like Nextflix did with “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” for example but now with Winx club. If you don’t know about the Winx yet, it is an Italian cartoon show  featuring schools of fairies, heroes and witches that had huge success over the decade. So apparently, Netflix once again attempted to bait fans of a famous show to gain their more viewers on their platform. Let’s talk more into the new Netflix’s “adaption” of Winx. To me it’s a plain and ordinary magic shows the platform have been making. I expected to see the characters’ transformation in the show but then I was disappointing by the lack of dramas and not even a single transformation throughout the show. 4/10 for me, At least it still score some point for the idea.

[danhtram]

Squid Game Review

I mean yeah, I’m kinda late on reviewing this show since everyone probably have seen it or have heard of it. It was very hyped up for a period of time to the point I even think it became a culture. We’re currently living in a internet-world where everyone has access to news and trend, so I wasn’t surprised that the show is so well known. Let’s dive into the plot of Korean most famous production of entertainment ever, It’s actually not that unique in term of a survival drama. The survivors are there, the eliminations are there, the trial are there. But what makes it exceed its precedents in the genre is the emotional appeal and different perspective of life from individual contestants. The show is reflective on our current society. 

[danhtram]

Review on Euphoria

Euphoria is a HBO TV show that has been discussed and hyped over social media. As a teenager,  The show has a lot of explicit drug and sex acts, part of the reason why it creates so much controversy over the internet. Most people would argue that actual high school kids aren’t even that half wild as the people in Euphoria. I think it’s a really relatable shows although the scenarios featured in it are quite exaggerated. I definitely live for the show aesthetic and its plot. The characters are really interested as each of them represent different perspective of issues revolving in the world with evolving cultures like ours. I would give it 9/10, one of the best show I ever watched for a long time. 

[danhtram]

Chinese Movie: Life and Death Plunder”

A movie I came across on social media, this post will contain spoiler so please read at your own risk. 

The movie showcases the harsh and brutal life of a Chinese girl in china. Being neglected by her family when she was still a little girl. The main character moved to the rural area to live with her grandmother since her her mother was a mistress of a rich man and they can’t let her stay with them since the man already has a family. Growing up without parental love and care, the girl became social withdrawal and the center of bullying. Her only hope is to become a successful student and graduate at a well known university. When her biological dad first paid her a visit, he gift her two boiled eggs. They are the first gifts she has received from her own father so she treasured but hide her true feeling. The man was willing to pay for his daughter’s school tuition, hoping that one day she can thrive from the mud and survive the the judgmental world. This is a short summary of the first part, I will continue on the next post~ Overall, it is a good movie and I enjoyed watching it. It’s a great movie if you want to learn empathy.

[danhtram]

Eternals

Please note this post may content spoiler, so read at your own risk!

 Eternal is the only Marvel movie that I have enjoyed so far (Some people would disagree and says other Marvel superhero movies are much better, but I won’t change my mind). Despite the media’s criticism and backlash, the movie still attractive many fans, even a Marvel hater as me. First of all, I’m a die-hard fan of the movie’s costumes. Each Eternal’s outfit has very specific and intricate design and this is already a plus for me. A movie contain raw emotions and several spots that lack of connections which hopefully can be harvested more in the next Eternals movie. There are some certain characters’ dynamics and plot twist that I found intriguing like how Icarus turned out to be the antagonist in the entire show and how the Eternals defied their fates to save humanity. Sersi has to be my favorite character throughout the movie, she embodies so much power even as a female character. With that being said, the movie has amazing potential, people just have too much expectation on Marvel movies.