MovieChat Forums > Crying Freeman (1996) Discussion > Very bad

Very bad

posted 20 years ago by burning_empire_of_illusion
17 replies | jump to latest

OK,

This movie had some cool parts in it, but not enough to make it worth a matinee.
It is NOT a martial arts movie, no matter what they say. It is a wannabe drama with action.

The whole movie doesn't make sense, not the story in general, but all the events that happen don't have anything to do with the story as a whole. A lot of gaps, holes, unexplained happenings, unnecessary sex scenes, pointless characters, under development of ideas, and totally unbelievable shoot-outs (one guy with a pistol Vs. 8 guys with machine guns on a sidewalk at 15 feet away.)

There were some good visuals and artistic qualities to the movie, but they are often ruined by the ultra slow pace.

The movie is very slow-paced, and seems even slower with the annoyingly overdramatic narration of the "lead" woman. I say lead woman in "" because she is one of the main characters although he isn't involved in anything. She keeps rambling on about how her life sucks, and blah blah.

I know this movie was based on an anime (manga) and I love anime....but

Have you ever watched an anime that you felt like your head was about to explode because you couldn't comprehend anything that was going on. Not that you didn't "get it" just that it jumped around and didn't make sense about anything? That is the way this movie made me feel....and I'd like to think that it wasn't my stupidity that screwed the movie up for me, but rather the stupidity of the movie that screwed it up for itsself.

Some actors in it like Docasco were great, while others pertruded like a wart.

Buy Brotherhood of the Wolf instead

"Today's a good day to die" ~Keifer FLATLINERS

[–] EvilRyu 19 years ago

Oooo this movie is the BEST!

Have u ever felt the fighting presence of another?

[–] de_sades-dream 19 years ago

Eeeeehhhhh.

I was blown away by it.

A little underrated masterpiece!!!!!!!!

[–] ali-104 19 years ago

Correct it's NOT a martial arts movie, who said it was? It's not really a drama or action either though it does have elements of all of the aforementioned. It is a comic book adaption. If you accept the fact that it is basically a comic, then you should be able to accept the fact that one guy can kill 8+ guys (think Batman).

You state that things don't make sense, that there are plot holes and unnecessary characters yet fail to give a single example.

There are two sex scenes which you describe as unnecessary without elaborating but if you stop and think about it - when did any film have a sex scene that was considered unnecessary? Sex and nudity exist mainly in movies for titillition, pure and simple.

I could comprehend everything that was going on but even if I did not I could explain it away with the 'comic' excuse - besides a lot of Anime IS confusing and wierd (have you seen Akira?).

[–] averymor 17 years ago

Imagine seeing Akira in the theater,on the big screen, when it first came out and you're half baked! Pbbbsstttt....understand it!?!?! I was blown away and kinda lost all at once.

It took another viewing for me to really get it (dude was selling the movie on VHS outside the theater)it's not easy to follow, but it's cohesive.

Now you want a mind bender of an anime to watch and get lost trying to keep up? try watching "Ghost In The Shell 2"

"Only a numbskull thinks he knows things about things he knows nothing about."

[–] persadie 19 years ago

usually I'm very leanient about
these kinds of films.

Many fans who liked Conan the Barbarian were very
dissapointed with the sequel, not me.

Still this movie was crap.

With all the potential, the budget, a solid director,
the solid actors, a solid manga to base it from........
failed miserably.
The only explanation I can give is like when they say
when you get the best parts and try to make a car
it won't work.
compatability is more important than individual quality
something like that.

Manga to movie films, I definitely liked Fist of the Northstar
WAAAAY better than this.
as bad as that was....... I actually enjoyed it.
This I tried to like, couldn't.

sorry Mark D.

[–] le052383 19 years ago

I never knew they made a movie of this till now. Seems odd, but I assume the original anime/manga is better than this, right?

[–] persadie 19 years ago

the manga is WAAAY better. By far. I just don't like the art work
so much.

the anime.... I saw the 1st one, it was ok.

[–] mhgore 19 years ago

Oh come on, the move does a pretty good job adapting the original manga. The anime on the other hand was pretty much crap. Ok, maybe most anime is crap but I expected better. Come to think of it, after the first couple of story arcs, the Crying Freeman manga is also crap.

[–] squelcho 19 years ago

As a comic book adaptation it seemed pretty adequate. The reason for the "annoying" voiceover is that she is the narrator. Blame the Greeks and Romans for that creaky plot device. Or Shakespeare if you have a short memory.
As an action movie, it works because there's no shortage of action, and most of it is fairly slick. A little too much slo-mo on the big swordfight, but apart from that, no real complaints.
I've seen a lot of manga. Most of them sacrifice plot comprehensibility for whizbang pyrotechnics. I managed to follow the plot of this movie without too much trouble.It certainly doesn't require any great intelligence, or vast leaps of deductive logic, so maybe it's just the attention span thing.
I'm sure there's a gang of outraged juvies somewhere bleating that the live action Azumi is evil and wicked and a crime against the manga. There's no pleasing some folks. Send them to Volcano High and force them to watch Stormriders on an endless loop.

[–] hamsteroffury 18 years ago

Crying Freeman and Brotherhood of the Wolf are both cool enough films (BOTW probably edges it due to combining French period drama, werewolf, martial arts and Vincent Cassel)
Anyway Crying Freeman does the job and although I don't watch it very often (owning it on DVD), when I do watch it I tend to enjoy it.

[–] SirGii 18 years ago

I don't think, that most anime ar crap, have you seen ghost in the shell or Vampire Hunter D? But I do agree, that the anime was pretty much crap. Just read the manga, it's pretty good and much better than the movie or the anime.

[–] really_rancid 18 years ago

I loved it.

[–] atari_saturna 18 years ago

I really like Mark as an actor...but this was by far the most cheap,crappy and boring flick I've ever seen!Like if the movie didn't suck so bad in the first place it did cuz of the extreme use of slow-motion effects...

[–] ugh_the_boot 18 years ago

I liked the music and Mark Dacascos but yea I agree....this movie wasn't very good. The lead female role spoiled it for me cuz it seemed like she was put in as an excuse for Yo's story to flow.

I do however like the comics and the Manga.

[–] lynchboy2001 18 years ago

Watching this film, then finding out it was made in 1995, made me laugh! Emu O'Hara as a character is completely pointless, and her narration is possibly the worst voiceover I've heard!

The film stank of a 1980's straight to video action film that's usually shown at 1pm on a weekday on some digital channel! There were some cool parts, but the film just came off as cheap & tacky.

Mark Dacascos was pretty good in it though, & Christopher Gans has done much better since.

"Why? I'll tell you why. Because a fruit cart, A STINKING FRUIT CART, killed my pa!"

[–] wuatert 18 years ago

Very good movie, same parts manga. the anime same is cool

callate coshetumare la pelicula es wena

[–] spiney-4 17 years ago

Too slow.

It started off good and I thought it would continue, but it didn't. And the end fight was just a massive disappointment after all the wait.