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cristom3
Reviews
Breakin' vs. Krumpin' (2005)
A whole messworth of dance
The Bridges/ Shabba Doo trainwreck entitled 'breakin vs krumpin' set sail to hopefully get peoples interest in the clashing battle between a fairly old hip hop style of dance VERSUS the new leaders of the proposed future of hip hop dance. Todd ' WIllis ' Bridges takes the 5 pioneers of Krump under his wing, while SHabba Doo lofts out to search for lionhearted BBOYs in Socal. this is the tip of the iceberg, and the beginning of a long end.
the film focuses OBVIOUSLY on the birth and emergence of the krump kings. it shows heartwarming accounts of these dancers and the hardships they dealt with while growing up. we see the ghettos and shortcomings of the Krumpers, and begin to feel why they have to release all this energy and emotion through their dance. we splice these scenes with studio auditions w/ Shabba Doo and his lowly PR's. (reps, not Puerto Ricans) the auditions are going awful as the stylish yet style-LESS hip hoppers take to the stage whilst trying to impress him. the lack of energy and even misunderstanding of certain styles leave Shabba Doo in a terrible mess.
*flash forward 30 minutes* Shabba Doo finally enlists the help of BBoy Crumbs (you got served, style elements). with Doo and Crumbs, they hand pick the best quintet to battle the Krumpers. the wheels are set and everything seems to be in motion. At the battle, the 40 people in attendance are obviously rooting for the home turf favorites (the krumpers). the BBOys only ever come out to very underground rap beats (no anthems whatsoever) the Krumpers don't do any routines or sets, and the vibe is obviously set to give the krumpers the higher upper-hand that the producers obviously had in mind. when the film concludes, we only have this to discover...the Krumpers actually beat the Breakers. now this is by no means what i had concluded, but this is what the judges (bridges and Doo) figure out for themselves. the krumpers have just defeated 5 live and direct BBOYS on national straight-to-DVD....so with that, i hung my head in despair and convolution.
even though i DO NOT agree with the direction the film went in, i respect and understand the style and processes of this film. thus, i give it a 7 overall. I recommend this film for anti-BBOYS and also anti-Krumpers ONLY.
Chin wong ji wong 2000 (1999)
visceral piece of Chow!
IMHO stephen chow was on his A game when he put this film out. sure it may not have the amazing high production effects of films like Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle, but Tricky Master is a great tongue in cheek presentation on popular Asian cinema. the parodies of Ringu and A man called Hero are great examples of the combination of 'in' jokes and also aesthetic humor. humor is not all about spectacle, as 'Hustle' leads you to believe. 'Tricky Master' tips its hand towards more script-oriented jokes and a lovable storyline which follows an amazing comedy duo. the best piece of his (Jing's) thus far.
the film really kicks into high gear at the get go when it lets you into the prison environment and gets you up to speed with Chow. and as lovable as he is, you almost forget that the movie has to come back to him as it follows the lead through his problematic life. there are very entertaining montages, great spoofs, and above all - amazing physical comedy.
Lumpia (2003)
consider the following...
with a very very low budget and also the fact that it's pretty much a totally innovative idea - "lumpia" came out as a huge success to me. i had the opportunity to see it at a premiere in Fremont California, and was very happy to see all the hard these people put into this project. the collaborative effort was something i applauded, especially being a filmmaker myself. the fact that even after day one, they were still able to pick up after 7 years and tie up all the loose ends. it was funny, and i felt a good sense of where the main character was. it's a good flick to check out if you're second or third generation Filipino - or even from any immigrant household here in the States. rad! i personally have always favored independent films, and also have always entertained the fact that without being under the thumb of some big corporation - directors and screenwriters alike are able to pull through and come up with products that actually hold substance with audiences. who needs to see superstars well lit, running in slow motion across the rooftop of a burning building and glide through the air, missing every bullet and STILL manage to get the girl? it's overdone. and over-hyped. almost mundane. LUmpia was the epitome of what it REALLY feels like to migrate to a new area. viewers can both relate to the gangsta and fob lifestyle the film portrays. did i say 'rad'? well there it is again then.