Home :: DVD :: Science Fiction & Fantasy :: Sci-Fi Action  

Alien Invasion
Aliens
Animation
Classic Sci-Fi
Comedy
Cult Classics
Fantasy
Futuristic
General
Kids & Family
Monsters & Mutants
Robots & Androids
Sci-Fi Action

Series & Sequels
Space Adventure
Star Trek
Television
So Close

So Close

List Price: $24.96
Your Price: $22.46
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 5 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: this is not "Charlie's Angels", but way better!
Review: The only reason this movie was compared to Charlie's Angels was because they both have three leading actresses who share the same amount of screen time. But "So Close" is far better than Charlie's Angels in terms of fighting scenes, soundtrack, plot (yeah even the plot), and gorgeous ladies!
First the fighting scenes - what can I say! Definitely the best and this alone would make this action movie worthy of collecting. The fighting is very well designed for the ladies and quite unique.

Soundtrack - Theme music is very well scored for the development of the movie. And this alone is also worth collecting. I am surprised to find out that Karen Mok is such a good singer.
The plot - At least it has a plot (and subplots), unlike some of the Hollywood action movies. I have to say it started out a bit slow but it will glue you to your seat till the end.
The three ladies - well we need to redefine what "sexy" means. No bikinis needed for being sexy - it's a feeling. Shu Qi looks mysteriously sexy in that black cocktail dress when she fights with Karen Mok in the parking lot.
If you haven't watched this movie, go get it and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: PHAT- PRETTY HOT AND TEMPTING..
Review: THESE GIRLS WERE GREAT ACTRESSES. THEY MADE IT SEEM AMAZING. IT ALSO KEPT ME OFF MY FEET AND WANTING TO SEE MORE.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Hsu Qi and Karen Mok in a throwdown! YEAH! OK the plot sucks
Review: This film, about two high-tech female assassins-for-hire chased by a female police detective, is imperfect, often implausible and predictable; but it still thrilled me anyway. It has three very positive things going for it:
1. Terrific fight choreography by Corey Yuen, one of the greatest fight choreographers around (he worked on "X-Men" and "Lethal Weapon 4", many Hong Kong films.) The kung fu is great, although the gunfights are standard issue.
2. Hsu Qi, who is one of the most beautiful actresses anywhere, gets a lot of face time and sexy outfits. Unfortunately she is not a great actress, but hey, nobody's perfect.
3. Karen Mok, who IS a great actress and extraordinarily charismatic, though not nearly as pretty.

Drawbacks:
1. The story is standard issue and predictable.
2. Opening action sequence is very implausible; later fights are improvements.
3. The third heroine, Wei (Vicky) Zhao, is way too soft-looking to be a believable fighter. She is a bad actress and unfortunately gets some super-emotional scenes that are cringeworthy.

Now about Karen Mok. I'd never seen Mok in anything before, but as the police detective she was muscular, charismatic, just amazing. Considering how many fights there are here, it's crucial that the women be believably trying to hurt somebody. We want THROWDOWN! In the fights, you definitely believe Mok is trying to hurt somebody. As the story progresses, Mok's character becomes only more masculine/adrogynous. Which is a good thing.

Only once or twice can you believe Hsu Qi is trying to hurt somebody. But she looks gorgeous in a black cocktail dress, so we'll forgive her, and she's photographed well, which is important. (The face time she gets here makes up for how badly she was wasted in "The Transporter.")

What really made me want this on DVD, is the terrific girl-on-girl fight between Mok and Hsu Qi, which happens midway through the film. They ride an elevator together, and each knows the other is her enemy, but they pretend not to know. Outside the elevator they get into a fight so classic, so good that action directors should study it for years into the future. Finally, Hsu Qi gets down and dirty in her black cocktail dress; you can really believe she wants to hurt somebody. Yeah! THROWDOWN! THROWDOWN!! And Mok, who's dressed like a boy, gives it right back to her. Director Corey Yuen pulls out all the stops here: fast motion, slow motion, camera pans, bullet time, the works, but they're all used appropriately to thrill us, not overused as gimmicks. During the fight, Mok manages to handcuff herself to Hsu Qi, which leads to great close-up one-handed fighting.

As for the plot, oh well, it's predictable and often, totally implausible. The opening action sequence, in which Hsu Qi sticks herself to the ceiling while assassinating an evil executive, is quite unbelievable. And it's scored to the Carpenters' annoying song "Close to You." The film's conclusion is even less satisfying: after all the laws that've been broken, none of the heroines go to jail? Oh, c'mon.

But it's worth it just to see Karen Mok and Hsu Qi duke it out in cute outfits! If you want a Hsu Qi movie and are deciding between this and "The Transporter", go for this.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: its no charlies angels
Review: this movie is not a bad movie in anyway, the film quality is great the colors are all vibrant and the movie has a very sharp look to it.but because of that the cgi effects should not have be used in a movie this bright. the story is nothing you havent heard before. and the action scenes are all generic at best, and the few scenes where the action tries to be fresh and new the girls dont look comfortable and ruin alot of scenes. its like barbie trying to do an action movie. i could almost hear these actresses saying ok so ill do a roundhouse kick like this and you duck and hit me here but not the face ok and watch the hair. the movie has such a crisp look to it that on top of these girls trying to look good while fighting you have cgi effects like bullets whizzing by and what i think is a first cgi glass that ads to the overall fake look of the movie. i cant believe they used cgi glass to simulate the shattereing of windows so the barbie girls dont get hurt i guess. the movie doesnt really get interesting until the end with the final battle being probably the coolest part in the whole movie,that and the begining, the middle is filled with been there done that action that can get dull and like i said the worst part is it all looks fake and the girls dont look comfortable strangely though the movie is enjoyable and acceptable, its cheesy goodness in the vain of charlies angels if you love charlies angels than youll like this movie if you hate charlies angels than stay away.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Charlies Angels doesn't appraoch this.
Review: This movie is stylish and cool with sweet action, surprisingly involving plot. To top that off, Hsu Chi is genuinely hot with a capital hot. This movie can't be compared to Charlies Angels, just because it stars three girls. Charlies Angels is produced by Drew Barrymore, who cannot step to hong kong action. From the opening sequence this movie leaves you breathless. Hsu Chi is just that fine.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: SO DAAM CLOSE
Review: This movie? Daang what can I say. I love this S**t. The character build up is perfect. The intro to the movie is perfect. They plug in the action scenes right in the perfect spots. The plot keeps you right at the edge of your seat. And the younger sister? Daam . . watch as she turns up the 2nd half of the plot!!! This movie is a keeper . .

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very cool action flick
Review: This was a very entertaining movie. The action was almost non-stop, the plot was thin, and the violence was sometimes intense, very much Matrix-style. But the Hong Kong scenery and style, and the fitting soundtrack more than made up for the minor deficiencies. I had the music stuck in my head for days. If it were not for the subtle (but unnecessary) lesbian themes, I would have given this movie a full 5 stars!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Three Hot Asian Beauties in Exciting Martial Arts Actioner
Review: Three beauties from Asia join in this martial-arts action flick directed by Corey Yuen, of 'Transporter' fame. The merit of this film lie not only in the eyecandy look, but also in the fact that the three actresses are really doing the ballet-dancing-like, high-kicking actions.

Contrary to our expectations, the film is not Asian version of 'Charlie's Angels.' The story is about two female assassins (Shu Qi 'Transpoter' and Vicky Chao 'Shaolin Soccer' without make-uo here) and one female cop (Karen Mok Jet Li's 'Black Mask') chasing them. As the police investigate the killing of the president of a giant computer company, they detect the presence of two sisters dealing with the dirty business on net.

Then the beautiful sisters, equipped with high-technology and martial-arts skills, then are going to do another job, which turn out bigger and nastier than they thought.

The plot is nothing important. The action-packed and unpretentious film does not hide that it is a popcorn movie made for fun, and it provides lots of it. But well, some may think the film is sometimes a tad too violent, and there is a very sexual nuance between the two sisters (look how the sisters playfully 'fight' each other in ... the bathroom, quite unique version of cat fighting, or male fantasy if you like).

THREE HOT LADIES from Asian are all fantastic. Interestingly, with potential market in mind, the film's actresses are selected from three differenct parts of Asia -- Vicky Chao from mainland China, Karen Mok from Honk Kong, and Shu Qui from Taiwan. You also have a guest appearance from Japan, Yasuaki Kurata, whose name was seen in many Hong Kong-made kung-hu films.

Corey Yuen is clearly having fun with the action sequences, which are beutifully staged. And as I said above, what is most impressive is that the film shows three ladies really doing the action part. One of the few defects of 'Kill Bill' was that Uma Thurman was using the stunt. In this film, when the ladies kick, they use their own bodies.

Mindless, to be sure, but as far as the actions go, it's the first-rate. Just enjoy watching it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I love So Close!!
Review: Well, I really liked this movie. It was much better than other action shows, like The Transporter. Even though i'm only thirteen, I know a good movie when I see one. It's full of action, comedy, and drama. It made me cry, laugh, and tremble with excitement. I recomend this movie to anyone who loves action and comedy. Plus the girls are really hot!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Yes, it does have a plot
Review: Well, it isn't brilliantly original, but SO CLOSE does establish and maintain a strong story line complete with a few unexpected twists, and adds more than gratuitous fight scenes. All three actresses play their parts very well, and all three main characters are well-drawn and captivating. The attraction lies in the slick technology and fight scenes. Also, the erotic possibility in having three strong, capable women working closely and fighting together is, if not fulfilled, at least hinted at more strongly than in Charlie's Angels. It was slicker, had better technology, better acting, better costumes, and much better plot than Charlie's Angels. Then there's the kiss. A must have.


<< 1 2 3 4 5 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates