The Last Stand

The Last Stand
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: Jee-woon Kim [IMDB]

Arnold's back baby! The Governator officially dropped out of politics and has returned to the acting game. This is his first leading role and I was eager to see my boy back on the big screen in an action flick.

Synopsis: The sheriff of a small border town gets unexpected company when a drug cartel on the run decides to stop by for a visit.

The Last Stand is a suitable action film. It's not too bad and worth a poke if you're looking to zone out for a bit and have some fun at the movies. Knowing what Jee-woon Kim is capable of, I was hoping for a little better, but I wasn't disappointed either.

Arnold is okay and gets by on his usual schtick. His one liners weren't too amazing and some of his dialogue seemed a bit stale. I enjoyed seeing a lot of good character actors... mainly Luis Guzman, Harry Dean Stanton and Peter Stormare. I could have done without the lame quasi love story between the girl cop and the inmate. The drug lord was a little forgettable and seemed like an uninspired choice to me.

At the end of the day (or end of the review, if you will) The Last Stand gets by on good action, Arnold, and a solid supporting cast... I'd recommend it if you're a fan of Mr Schwarzenegger and guns.

A Tale of Two Sisters

A Tale of Two Sisters
(2003) [Trailer]
Director: Jee-Woon Kim (IMDB)

I think I added this into my Netflix instant queue because I had seen Jee-Woon Kim's I Saw The Devil and really enjoyed it. My wife saw it in the queue and decided to throw it on because she wanted to watch something scary. There were many times during this film that she cowered into my pillow, so I think she made a good pick.

Synopsis: A young girl returns from the nuthouse, her family has to deal with her and also a mysterious apparition.

I am kind of torn on this movie. Part of me liked it, the other part did not.

The execution of the film is next to perfect. Cinematography is about a good as it gets. The score is eerie and the acting is all spot on. Kim was able to create a very creepy vibe throughout and I especially liked how dark everything feels.

The plot is a bit convoluted and left me scratching my head. So much so that both my wife and I had to look up the synopsis on IMDB and see exactly what the fuck just happened. I kinda of understood most of it before looking it up, but there's still a ton of unanswered questions (even after looking it up.) This film as impores the use of a very played out theme in Asian horror, THIS GIRL (illustration by yours truly.)

I don't know, I feel like a rewatch may be in store for the future, until then judge for yourself.