Jocul Calamarului (2021)

Unpopular opinion: Overhyped (great start,poor ending)

When life becomes a game, brings out the scariest ride of life. This has a fascinating story line not new but still it's captivating games relating to childhood is really interesting.

Good points :The starting is really great showing people economic condition so that we feel bad for them and showing pity to have us emotionally bonded, that's great. It's didn't look forced

The production design is great. The cinematography and ambience created is spot on for me. The actors all stood out in their characters specially grandfather character, cop and that wild girl haha.

Twist: The participants can choose to quit and participate again if they want was kind of surprising totally not expected.

Bad points: See this is not a new story line where character participate in game and dies when they cannot complete task.
Like #CUBE and #ESCAPE ROOM they have done before. So ,it was kind of similar nothing really unexpected happen.

The ending, it sucks. The last episode was boring felt disconnected from other episodes. Of course , a setup for next season but really do we need it?

Definitely, there are loop holes if thought carefully like how that grandfather character can be in two places at the time of VIP thing and no one notice a contestant being missed?

But, at the end of the day, this show shouldn't be missed.

Citeste mai mult

Sentimental, not strategic.

I hated that the show highlighted the sentimental aspect and not the games. Besides the 3rd game, the other games were lame and anti-climatic with so little strategy. If you plan to watch this because of the strategic aspect of the games, lower your expectations.
The only saving grace of the show was Wi Ha Joon's character, but alas look how that turned out... a cliffhanger plothole, literally.

*Spoilers below*
I also hated that MC, I wish Park Hae Soo's character would be the MC instead. The MC is a goody-two shoes but has no sense of reality at all. He returns back into the game knowing that people were gonna die but he is still nice to everyone, even till the end he thinks they can win without people dying. I wished they removed the whole segment where they all left the game because that episode just made the series draggy for me and made me think the MC has no sense of reality. There has to be a second season or that ending would be tragically terrible.

Citeste mai mult

Overrated, just watch Liar Game. Here's my rant...

YeaH... this was pretty overrated. The production, cinematography was great but... The "VIPs"... omg their dialogue was soO cringe. These are some fake a$$ rich ppl if I've ever seen any. LoL.

The motivation behind why the game came to be? Yeah not very convincing...

Also, was pretty disappointed that there were soO many predictable moments. Especially with the old man doing a "Jigsaw".

And what happened to the daughter? Was the Gi Hoon soO depressed that he just gave up on her even though she was the damn reason he went back to the game?!

It seems that they set up the beginnings for season 2... But with the foundation being season 1, I seriously can't imagine watching.

Omg one more thing, when Gi Hoon was having a serious heart-to-heart dialogue with Ali... Wtf was that sh!t? LoL. Conversation literally was:

Gi Hoon: "So why are you here?"
Ali: "Money"
Ali:"What about you?"
Gi Hoon: "Money"

Well damn.

I sure hope so, cause this ain't no slumber partY.
D:

Sorry this was much less a review and more of a rant. But I can't help it. It just— it could have been soO good. It could have beenN something. But it wasn't. And that to me, is maddeninG.

Please abandon ship and don't make a season 2 lol.

Citeste mai mult

This is my first time writing a review I felt that the cinematography was amazing i loved the contrast with the the content of the show which had a lot of gore and the light background with the games that had light colors, overall the acting and music was great i just really hate the main character I expected some sort of development from him character wise it felt like he only won in the end out of luck he didn't really earn that money, this is someone who literally signed away his physical rights the loan sharks were going to take his organs and they most likely were not going to do it in a hospital so after or maybe during the process of the organ harvesting he could die he was in mortal danger and yet he didn't take that seriously even his diabetic mother wasn't enough to motivate him were it not for his childhood friend killing himself he wanted them to quit together and then what were they going to do financial wise, I felt like that didn't make any sense the writers wanted him to be a 'good' person a little too much most of the other main characters were willing to do whatever it took to survive and he just wasn't the same.

Citeste mai mult

So, squid games.

I've taken a lot of time thinking what to write on it. Everyone who has watched it has absolutely loved it.
I absolutely understand the hype-the cast, the cinematography and the directing deserves the appreciation.

In the beginning, it absolutely hooks you. The games, the adrenaline rush, human dying in a wink.

The sneak peak into the background of the characters contributed so much into the understanding of the different characters and their reasons for doing the things they do during the game.
The relationships they forged, the various games, the music; everything was going well...
Until.

Until it fizzled out.
It could have done with 6-7 episodes with more compact writing - after episode 6, it went downhill for me.
1. The reasoning behind the game was unconvincing and washed out. (Maybe the fact that after episode 6, I knew who was the mastermind, it took away the shock element and the surprise that I should have felt).

2. What was the purpose of the inspector? (Yes, I do know he will be in the next season), but what was his purpose in this season?
The reunion with his brother, again, didn't surprise me. Was the reunion supposed to be surprising? Or was Lee Byung Hun playing the brother supposed to be surprising. I felt that it was latter.

3. Gi hoon's characterisation was a bit flat for my liking. He was afterall -a son who'd not hesitate to steal and gamble and an irresponsible father and I don't know when he developed a moral compass!!
There is also this glorification of GH and vilification of SW that i have seen around and I do not agree with.
Maybe it was intended, maybe not.

Having said all, I would be eager to watch a season 2 of it, to see where it all culminates.

And I'd like to know the secret of the inspector's phone. The battery lasted hella long.
Mine drains out after 12 hours!

Citeste mai mult

Best Korean Drama of 2021

This drama is 100% addictive and really keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first episode on until the very end. This is not your typical korean drama - the story of Squid Game is something completely new and extraordinary. Hopeless adults with more debt than they can ever pay off come together for a survival game consisting of mainly children’s games to hopefully survive and win an insane amount of money in the final game. From being excited, shocked, disturbed, scared, angry and sad, it really is an emotional rollercoaster that made me go through all the emotions.

Another thing that was absolutely fantastic about this drama were the many incredible sets that looked so real but so artificial at the same time and really made up the whole atmosphere of the drama. Together with the unsettling music and the amazing acting of the actors and actresses everything just worked together so very well.

Talking about the characters - the actors all did an amazing job. The characters were interesting and each had their individual story and reason to take part in the game. It was interesting to see their relationships with each other as well as the change they went through individually.

This drama had so many plot twists, hidden meanings and connections and really has me craving for more. There has to be a season 2 in the future!!!!

Lastly I do want to warn that this drama is very brutal and gory. So if you can‘t see violence or blood, this might not be a good choice for you!

Citeste mai mult

excellent show with an excellent message

Just when I was in desperate need of something actually good to watch, these two words appeared EVERYWHERE, suddenly everyone had watched this show and was talking about how addicting it is. And they were absolutely not wrong. The plot keeps you on your toes the entire time, even for someone who is struggling to watch one-hour-long episodes. While not necessarily "scary", even if the violence was censored, this show was overwhelming in the best way possible, every single element of the show helped me feel exactly what I was supposed to feel, the anger, the sadness, the fear, and for that, I appreciate it a lot. But the most important thing here is the message. Sure, the plot, the production, the actors, everything was on point but the message was conveyed in such a good way that I was speechless. I think that this is a show definitely worth watching, especially if you are a fan of thrillers, this show will NOT disappoint you at all

Citeste mai mult

Will have you hooked like crazy

A whole masterpiece. A masterpiece is the best and only way I can describe this drama. I binged all the episodes in a single day, each episode having me hooked and unable to wait to start the next.

It so perfectly portrays human instincts in life and death situations. How humans will forget all their morals and betray their close ones when money is in the picture. How we are so susceptible to greed and the inhumane extents we go to for money because of it. At the same time it also portrays any of the positive things that could happen in such a situation so realistically and beautifully, in the most moving way, keeping us hooked and giving us the hope that maybe humans aren't so bad.

Basically I just want to appreciate the way this drama had such a hold on my emotions, from giving me hope to killing the hope then bringing it back. How it challenged my mind on guessing to what's going to happen next.

I had been watching lots of romance and cheerful dramas recently and this was a well written change that I decided to watch. If you're considering watching this or are thinking of not watching it, I highly recommend you to re-think and give it a watch. You learn a lot about people and most of all, it really is just a good show in general (yes its sad and makes you mad and even very scared at times but that just shows how good it is).

Citeste mai mult

Great but slightly over-hyped

Squid Game is like the BTS of K-Dramas - very good, definitely up there in the top league but not really justified to be so much more hyped than others.

Sometimes we can't really explain why a piece of pop culture gets such attention from the masses - probably a mix of good timing and sheer luck. Because objectively, there isn't really any novelty about Squid Game. Don't get me wrong, it's a good drama. But the plot isn't all that shocking and surprising, if you've seen works like "The Hunger Games" and "Alice in Borderland". The cinematography is good but doesn't stand out like it does in other popular dramas, such as "Goblin", "Crash-landing on you" and "Kingdom". The OST is forgettable - the only songs I remember are classical music pieces and not original compositions. The acting is great, but again, not any more outstanding than in other dramas.
But let's look into it in some more detail.

Plot
The story is exciting, no doubt. It is fast-paced for the most part and when it slows down, we are given background stories that help us understand and sympathize with the characters. The pacing is generally done well. I have seen many people talk about how shocking this show was, but maybe I have seen too many violent movies and series, but nothing about Squid Game really shocked me - except maybe the sex scene, which was more risque than in your usual K-Drama.

Acting
The cast did an amazing job bringing these characters to life. To be fair, Jung Ho Yeon did not have to show that much range, since her character usually wore the same closed-off expression. But I'm sure she will further impress us in future roles. My favorite discovery from Squid Game was Anupam Tripathi. His Ali was simply adorable and pretty much everyone's favorite character. I also really enjoyed Kim Joo Ryeong's performance. She really knows how to do crazy.

Writing
I really liked the villains. There are the obvious villains but there are also one or two that will take you a bit longer to spot.

What I liked least about the drama though, were the "VIP"s. First of all, I know we all like to fall back on stereotypes. And God knows there is plenty of Western media with Asian characters being stereotypical caricatures. But did they really have to paint the only white characters as brainless, sex-crazed geezers? (Not to mention they even pulled out the predatory gay trope.) Don't even get me started on how abysmally bad these American actors were. This being a Netflix production, did they really not have the means to fly in some decent actors who won't over-enunciate every single word?
The revelation of who these VIPs are was also quite underwhelming. I got excited when they were first mentioned. Who could it be? Politicians? Celebrities? Maybe even someone one of the characters would know? Surprise, it's just a bunch of depraved foreigners.
And then there's the issue that their extensive screentime seriously messed with the pace of the plot. During the last two episodes these foreign VIPs were constantly explaining and commenting on what was happening in the game, which took the thrill out of the otherwise high-paced plot and also raised all kinds of "show don't tell" red flags for me. The fact that they were such bad actors made the experience even more jarring.

In conclusion, it was a really good drama up until the last two episodes, where the VIPs kinda ruined it for me.

Citeste mai mult

"Do you still have trust in people?"

People and their values. Even better: people and their greed.
Squid game was a very anticipated Netflix series. The trailer is phenomenal, the cast eye-catching. I mean, we have Gong Yoo and Lee Byung Hun as guests. Where do I sign up?

The game-style show reminds me of Liar Game. Except that with more money, more contestants, and more brutal deaths.
Even though this game is everything except righteous, we cannot forget that every individual was given a choice. Several times. People wanted it. The main character included. So to blame the creator of the game for your own decision to participate is true hypocrisy. That is one of the reasons why I hate Seong Ki Hoon. He is an awful person and an even worse father. I´m not saying that we´re supposed to like him. But it sure felt that the writer wanted us to.

"You don´t trust people because they´re trustworthy. It´s because you have nothing else to lean on." Yes. I hate Ki Hoon, but he knew what he was saying. People are selfish and greedy. If you want a concrete example, just look at the sexist Garden of Eden men. Someone supposedly faithful to his religion who prays and prays but only when it suits him. He also uses religion to justify his sexism and allow him to have a better chance to win the prize money. And at last, what outraged me the most. While praying, he thanks the people who died and allowed him to win as if they made that option. Well, I can guarantee him that didn´t die for him.

Three good people played the game: Sae Byeok, Ali and Ji Young. The rest, pure scum. Like most of us. Me, writing this and you, reading it. I don´t intend to offend anyone, but unless you´re 100% sure that you´re as selfless, innocent, kind-hearted, and naive as they are, don´t pretend to feel hurt.

Overall, I enjoyed this series quite a lot. There were some obvious gaps that I would love to see filled. These gaps of information make me believe there will be a second season. If so, I look forward to it.

Citeste mai mult