JapanGaijin Reviews

Vehicle 19 (2013)

Good Story But Don't Let The Trailers Fool You

[7/10 · 28 February 2013]

I watched this last week on February 23rd at the theaters. I am not sure why this was released here in Japan well before the rest of the World because Japan tends to be last in getting movies released.

It was a good story overall and I must say excellent cinematography. The film takes places in Johannesburg, South Africa and the film does an excellent job showing the ins and outs of the city.

Paul Walker does a great job playing Michael Woods. His role reminds me of his role in Running Scared as he seems to have a short fuse and quite foul-mouthed. Don't let the trailers of this movie fool you however. You see Paul Walker and car chases and might expect a Fast and the Furious type of flick. However this movie is more of a car adventure/drama than action/car chase movie. I can say however that most of the movie takes place in a car.

I liked this movie overall but it is not the type of movie that you rush out to see in the theaters. There aren't enough action sequences to get the theater effect. Wait for DVD.

The Dilemma (2011)

Part Comedy/Part Drama- Entertaining to the say the least

[8/10 · 14 January 2011]

Many will go into this movie expecting a roll on the floor comedy since Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are the leads. There are a lot of funny moments in this movie that will have you laughing out loud if you like the Vince Vaughn brand of humor of getting under people's skin.

Queen Latifah is hilarious in this movie too and was actually a breath of fresh air to make up for Kevin James who was a little more on the serious side in this movie. Most movies he tends to be either the clumsy or naive part.

I won't get into the whole plot because you know it and have seen the trailer a million times. The whole moral of the story is what would you do if you caught your best friend's wife cheating. Do you have the tenacity to tell your best friend or just sweep it under the carpet? Movie overall is good, acting is great, and fun to watch. A little on the long side but a good date movie. 8/10

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Enough to make a grown man cry!

[10/10 · 23 August 2009]

Hachi is a movie based on the true story about a dog in Japan, Hachiko, who would wait at the train station every day for his owner to arrive even after the owner passed away.

I have never seen the original Japanese version of the movie but know the story well as I have been told by many people here in Japan. There is a statue of Hachiko that stands outside of Shibuya Station in Tokyo. Now the statue is the most popular place for Tokyoites to meet their friends before going out shopping or dining in Shibuya.

Unlike other Japanese remakes, this movie actually gives credit to the original story so that you don't get the sense that Hollywood wants to call it its own. All actors/actresses in the movie do a superb job in making you feel as if you were a part of the community embracing the dog. Compared to the original story, people were more accepting of Hachi rather than considering him a nuisance. Of course this is going to be released in the U.S. as a holiday movie so the goal is to make it uplifting.

Just a warning, do take many tissues. I am a grown man and can honestly say that I have never really cried during a movie. I think the score of the movie plus the dog being so adorable made me lose myself. When I looked around the theater though, every single person was crying and I saw a lot of red eyes as I left the Men's restroom. Any movie that can make me do that deserves a 10/10.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Fantastic Entertainment for Entertainment Lovers

[9/10 · 19 June 2009]

Out of all of the movies due to come out this summer. This one and G.I. Joe are the ones that I decided to make it a point to see on the day of release and even reserve my seat well in advance to feel like I'm right smack in the middle of it.

This Transformers, compared to the first one, was geared a lot more towards action and less storyline kind of like Matrix 2 compared to 1. A lot of reviewers are griping about Megan Fox's weak acting but I didn't go into the movie expecting Oscar-worthy performances. I came into this one expecting to be entertained.

The Special Effects in this one are mind-blowing. When I left the theater I was still in awe on how long we have come in the movie World with visual effects. I just think about the geniuses that it takes to put a movie like this together.

I also enjoyed the comedy in the movie. John Turturro was a perfect addition to the movie and he was funny every step of the way. I like the twin robots speaking like some Mid-90s hip-hip MC's. The parents are hilarious too.

I am giving this movie a 9/10. It gets a 10/10 on an entertainment level but the 9/10 is for the storyline and a little confusion here and there.

Who's Got Jokes? (2006– )

Excellent Stand-up comedy kept clean with a twist

[10/10 · 20 January 2007]

I was able to catch the TV One marathon of this show. It's basically a stand-up comedy competition of young Black comedians from around the country. The winner of each show will head to Atlanta for the finals.

This show is hosted by Bill Bellamy and Tommy Ford is the Pope who sits on stage. The rules are basically no swearing and no going over the 3 minute time limit. If you break these rules, the pope deducts a point. They are judged by a panel of 3 judges who score out of 5. The first round is a 3 minute routine and the second round is the same. The cool thing about the 2nd round is that they plant a heckler to see if a comedian can work under pressure. Some handle it well, others lose all concentration.

When I recorded the show, I didn't know beforehand that TV One was a public cable station so swearing was prohibited. I usually like my comedy with swearing because it is a lot more natural. I really liked this show though and soon after watching, never even noticed the absent swearing. The heckling part in the show makes this show stand above other comedy programs in the past such as BET's Comic View. It basically separates the born comedians from the amateurs.

Unfortunately I am back in Japan now so will miss the show to see what happens in the finals. I'd better have my mom back home set the VCR, I need some more jokes!

Airport (1996–2008)

Great Reality Series, an addiction for those that love to travel!

[10/10 · 16 August 2006]

In the U.S., this show ran under the title "BBC: Airport" as it is a BBC-produced show. It ran on the Discovery Wings Channel which eventually turned into the Military Channel so the show disappeared along with the channel. I was fortunate enough to record the marathon of the show that they aired before the end of the channel.

This show allows one to view what goes on behind-the-scenes at the airport and within an airplane and those who work there. The shows that I saw were mostly focused on Heathrow Airport which is one of the busiest airports in the world. You would know if you have been there. One show consists of 3-4 different stories that they follow and flash back to each story as the show goes on. One particular person that the show follows a lot is a ground staff member of Cyprus Airlines. As passengers, we tend to get sensitive when something doesn't go our way. On this show, we are able to view the staff's perspective on how tough their job really is. Stories on this show usually end on a happy note. As a traveler, it only motivates me to travel more. It also helps me to appreciate the work and care that airport and airline staff gives to make my journey better.

I am not sure if this show still exists because of conflicting comments but it is a must watch, new episode or old episode. Bon Voyage!