Author Archives: kaist455

Swapped (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Visually wonderful but ultimately flawed

Posted on May 2, 2026 by kaist455

Netflix animation film “Swapped”, which was released on this Friday, works whenever it pays attention to its wondrous fantasy background. Packed here and there with vivid and colorful details to notice, the film is certainly a nice eye candy for … Continue reading →

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The Choral (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A chorus during wartime

Posted on May 2, 2026 by kaist455

“The Choral”, which is currently available on Netflix in South Korea, is a mildly somber period drama about one little choral performance during wartime. Although it feels meandering at times due to its rather thin and unfocused narrative, the movie … Continue reading →

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): She returns – but things have changed

Posted on April 30, 2026 by kaist455

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” has a fair amount of fun and style while showing some surprisingly melancholic aspects. As things have surely changed a lot during last 20 years since “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006), the movie becomes a … Continue reading →

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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) ☆☆(2/4): Bland and uninspired as before

Posted on April 30, 2026 by kaist455

I felt depressed as phlegmatically observing how my mind was frequently turned off as watching animation film “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”, the sequel to “The Mario Bros. Movie” (2023). I did try to focus on its barebone plot and … Continue reading →

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Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A Mummy flick a la “The Exorcist”

Posted on April 28, 2026 by kaist455

“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is supposed to be one thing at the beginning but then turns out to be some other thing in the end, and I enjoyed that to some degree. While it does not bring anything particularly new … Continue reading →

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Ran 12.3 (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The day when South Korean democracy was ambushed

Posted on April 28, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “Ran 12.3” has a number of raw moments which still disturb me and many other South Korean citizens a lot even at this point. On December 3rd, 2024, President Yoon Seok-yeol suddenly declared the martial law … Continue reading →

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Apex (2026) ☆☆☆(3/4): A standard survival thriller driven by Charlize Theron

Posted on April 27, 2026 by kaist455

Charlize Theron is one of the most singular star actresses working in Hollywood. After she earned her own spot around the top of Hollywood with her great Oscar-winning performance in Patty Jenkins’ “Monster” (2003), she steadily and boldly rolled her … Continue reading →

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The General (1926) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): Stone-faced and great as usual

Posted on April 26, 2026 by kaist455

1926 silent black and white film “The General” is simply a great comedy. Although it is 100 years old at this point, the movie is still capable of amusing and entertaining us a lot with many inspired comic moments to … Continue reading →

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My Name (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): As her painful past returns

Posted on April 25, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “My Name” tries two different things together. On one hand, it is about an old woman who comes to face the repressed pain and sorrow from her hidden past. On the other hand, it is about … Continue reading →

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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) ☆☆☆(3/4): A Holocaust fable

Posted on April 24, 2026 by kaist455

Mark Herman’s 2008 film “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”, which happens to be released in South Korean theaters in this week, works as a fable rather than a realistic Holocaust drama. While its story premise is no more historically … Continue reading →

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