Customer Reviews

3 Extremes II

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After the vast success of "Three Extremes" three other Asian horror savants (South Korea's Kim Je-Woon, Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr, China's Peter Chan) stepped up to the plate to deliver us a successor.

The original had three tales of distinct horror methods--one of gross-outs, one of violence, and one of psychological maiming. "Three Extremes II" however, seems to have a common theme about all three which is the voyage of the afterlife.

Due to atmospheric and thematic similarities I found the stories a little less engaging when viewed back-to-back. Perhaps this could've been that the first two films of the movie (the first especially) were rather uneventful.

Starting chronologically, the short "Memories" by Kim Je-Woon is South Korea's entry into the anthology. It starts with promise as it shows a man presumably sleeping on a couch and very gradually pans closer and closer to him. Then it shows us more of the room he is in, and immediately Je-Woon strikes a nerve of undeniable creepiness with a huddled women rocking to and from in a corner. This sense of uneasiness quickly dissolves as the story progresses. Nothing really happens throughout. Like I said above it was uneventful--sure people are talking (though there's an odd lack of dialogue in "Memories"), sure they're walking and driving around trying to discover a mystery, but it's a mystery most viewers have probably solved. There's also a woman who seems to have lost her memory, but almost immediately I put two-and-two together and figured out her connection with our main character. Je-Woon uses rather cheap shock-tactics like sudden movements and sharp music to make us jump. Its unfortunate Kim Je-Woon's entry was so weak narrative-wise and predictable story-wise, because he is the director of one of my favorite movies ever "A Tale of Two Sisters". I went in hoping for something exquisite from him but got a rather generic story. I do not dislike the movie, because it does have its pluses like solid acting, beautiful camerawork, and the cutest child you'll ever see in any movie, but I cannot say I liked it either because there was so little story. All-in-all, Kim Je-Woon's "Memories" is forgettable, shiny, and predictable--nothing more than you'd expect from one of Hollywood's J-horror remakes.

The middle segment on the disc is one of Thai origins called "The Wheel" from director Nonzee Nimibutr. Being only briefly acquainted with Thai horror, I found myself excited to see what Thailand had to offer. Many reviews claim this to be the flimsiest entry, but I have to disagree. I think most of "The Wheel" was lost in translation because it is a piece so close to Thailand. It's a cultural short involving Thai beliefs that we North American viewers simply cannot grasp--or at least not appreciate fully. That being said, I personally loved the cultural experience of watching "The Wheel" and felt almost like it was a documentary of rural Thailand. The set design is beautiful and exotic; the costumes and puppets are breath-taking and unique; the entire piece rings with foreign flavor, and was a nice contrast to "Memories" which could've been copied and pasted into any country's film. That being said, while it dealt with horror (spirits, possession and vengeance) it didn't feel like a full-feldged horror. The very opening is chilling but like "Memories" it fades to black rather quickly. Unlike "Memories" I found myself interested by the foreign aspect and the beauty of the setting, from the murky lagoon to the unique houses to the vibrant costumes. The acting throughout is rocky--there's a few actors who deliver questionable performances, and that is probably my biggest qualm with the film. Aside from that it had a very redeeming ending, and in more ways than one.

The closing piece is absolutely and without question my favorite of the three, and probably my favorite out of the original three as well. I think the DVD editors placing Peter Chan's "Going Home" last was strategy, as they started with the most feeble and the "Going Home" segment is powerful enough to make you forget about "Memories"'s weakness and leaves you with a very positive feeling after watching. Had they reversed the order, the haunting touch of "Going Home" wouldn't have survived through the end of "Memories" and my review would be two starts instead of three. That may sound ridiculous but it's all too true. The story starts with a single father and his son who are moving into a new complex, one that looks decrepit and neglected. This dirty setting is awesome for capturing what will happen later. Chan's direction then switches from the father-son relationship and to a much more aberrant relationship concerning a rather shoddy character we're introduced to through the young son and a wife who is seemingly long-dead. This is a ghastly, provocative, touching story of requited love and the testing of lengths one will go through for that love. I will not delve any further into the story--discover this gem on your own. If anything this DVD is worth the $15 for this piece alone--I wish it could've been a feature length film.

Overall, "Three Extremes II" doesn't succeed as horror but are an excellent trio of chilling dramas. It was a disappointing follow-up to "Three Extremes" but the two shouldn't be compared because they are different films with different messages. I picture only a fan of Asian horror liking this DVD, so if you're new perhaps go with something more user-friendly before diving into this piece.

6.5/10

Previously called Three, this movie was actually made 2 years before Three...Extremes was released. I really did not like this movie as I did with the previous Three...Extremes. I'll be reviewing this just like I did with the first Three Extremes since these are three different directors working on three different short movies. The film makers didn't work on the same script or with each other.

The first story 'Memories' comes from Korea by Ji-woon Kim, the director of A Tale of Two Sisters. His story tells of a husband and wife. We learn that the husband has been searching for his wife who ran off one day. But then we see a woman who we definitely assume is his wife. She has woken up in the middle of the street but has no idea who or where she is and all she has is a telephone number from a dry cleaners receipt. Every time she calls the number it doesn't work. Soon she begins to remember things. Soon after that creepy things start to happen. She is covered in mysterious bruises and severed fingers begin falling out of nowhere. The husband also acts very suspicious and is lugging around a heavy mysterious bag.I'm not trying to be a negative Nancy but you can probably see where this story is heading. You pretty much get where the story would end up from after the first 15 minutes. I did enjoy the idea for this story and the few shocks and surprises did make it worth watching. I really enjoyed this director's style. He did the same thing in Two sisters where things seem bright and beautiful on the outside but inside things are dark and more sinister. Thats what I usually get from his style anyways. This is my second favorite story and from what Ive read on further websites this story seems to be the most popular one.

The Wheel is from the director of Nang Nak. Thai director Nonzee Nimibutr brings us a story of cursed Puppets (yeah thats all it really was, cursed puppets). It doesn't sound exciting and yes its exactly as it sounds. I'm not really sure how the wheel title came along. Basically the only person who can control the puppets were the original owner. I guess these puppets were stolen so its hard to say where they came from. You can skip this story, it's was very boring and is my least favorite of all three entires. I don't blame the actors for this even though I'm sure they were taking cues from the director to be more scared. Its not that the puppets were going after people, its just that strange things were happening. It deals with drowning, random fires, deaths and a possessed little girl. The only thing that I probably enjoyed about this movie was that in a few parts the puppets were like Voodoo dolls. Sadly that's about it.

Going Home is from the producer of all 'The Eye' movies (including the American remake), Peter Chan from Hong Kong weaves a story of kidnapping, death and love. Going Home tells the story of two men. The first man is a single father, Chan (a police officer) and his son Cheung have just moved into a new apartment. An apartment which will be torn down in about a month, everyone else in the building has moved out. The only other tenants are Yu and his wife, who is paralyzed from the waist down. Also there is a mysterious little girl who looks to be about 2 years old, we believe this to be the couple's daughter. One day Cheung goes missing, Chan works at night so he does not notice until later. After sleeping all day he goes searching for him. He believes that Yu has kidnapped his son and enters his apartment to investigate. The only thing he finds is Yu's wife dead in a bathtub. Yu has been waiting for her to wake up, afraid that Chan will tell what he has seen. Yu holds him captive because his wife will wake in three days and after that, everything will be fine.

This story was definitely my favorite. It had the most depth and meaning behind it. The movie doesn't really start off like it, it's more of a love story. The ending to Going Home is also very shocking. This short goes a little bit into the distrust of western medicine and the power of the old Chinese medicine. It's hard for me to say too much because I really could go on and ruin the ending by mistake. But if you are a romantic like me then you'll definitely love this story. Sadly the Three...Extremes 2 DVD doesn't include anything special like the first one. You can check out some cool trailers to other movies that are currently on sale and that will be heading to theatres.

As noted in the review below, this film is not a sequel to "Three...Extremes". It is actually a predecessor to that film and was originally released under the title "Three". Unfortunately, this is a rare case where the sequel is far better than the original, as the stories and talent involved in this production just don't measure up to "Three...Extremes".

The best of the three segments is "Going Home" from Hong Kong, featuring Leon Lai and Eugenia Yuan. The Thailand segment goes for cheap scares but makes no sense, while the Korean segment is instantly forgettable. It's an interesting concept, but ultimately this project just serves as a trial run for the much more accomplished "Three...Extremes".

Excellent! The true horror fanatics will love this trilogy. It is flawless...just like the first "3 Extremes". Some reviewers did not warm up to this collection, but I feel that is because it is not your typical non-stop horror-gore exploitation film of the last decade. This one makes you think...makes you guess...wonder...turn your head like an inquisitive pet. "Memories" and "Going Home" were the standouts. Sandwiched inbetween was "The Wheel" - an eery tale of legends and terror. Perhaps others didn't like it because of the subtitles. It didn't bother me at all. Sometimes subtitles can be better than a film that is poorly dubbed. "Going Home" was even heartwarming...tender...a dreamers vision of true love...a love that will never die. Great trilogy! Kudos to the direction and production crew...and to all of the superb actors/actresses. Will there be a "3 Extremes III"? I hope so!

This is a movie comprised of 3 different shorts. The first story is one about a distraught husband in search of his missing wife and the missing wife trying to find her way home. It is very predictable. I knew from the onset what had happened to the wife. It is pretty much a waste of time. The second story concerning puppets is absolutely absurd. I found it insulting to my intelligence. However, the third story, "Going Home," almost redeems the dvd. I have never seen anything like it. It is a story about a man who has lost his son, and a man who is waiting for his wife of three years to revive.

The policeman father goes in search of his missing son and happens to knock on the door of the elusive Mr. Yu. When Mr. Yu denies having a daughter, the father's suspicions are alerted because his son has often talked of seeing Mr. Yu's daughter -- a tiny little 3 year old dressed in red.

The third story stars the amazing Eugenia Yuan (The Eye 2). In both movies this woman says very little but when she does, she grips your heart. She is incredible. As I watched the third story, I half-believed the husband was going to actually revive his wife, but at times I wondered if he was just insane.

The last minutes of this story are shocking and even heart-wrenching. To me it was worth the price of the DVD just to see Eugenia Yuan's performance. There really is no other actress like her.

This DVD is a gamble. The first two stories are silly, but the last one is intriguing. If you can purchase this DVD for a reasonable price you might want to, just so you can watch the third story. But that's up to you.

My greatest contribution to people wanting opinions about this flick is that it is several steps down in interest from the original '3 Extremes' with work from three different directors. Like it's predecessor, it is certainly better than most American and European horror. But, in trying to weave interesting and evocative stories, these writer / directors loose their audience. At least they lost me. If I want complex, highly symbolic plots with lots of dream sequences, I'll watch Fellini or Bergmann. Horror films are supposed to grab you by the short hairs and not let go. These three barely raised my eyebrows.

The first, 'Memories', totally lost me to boredom. The second, 'The Wheel' is another essay in the evil puppet / doll genre. The third, 'Going Home' is the most novel, but it was still hard to connect the two main themes, and if I have to think about a horror plot, I suspect the filmmaker is trying too hard and missing the point of horror.

***Please note that the reviews for 'Saam Gaang' (Three.../3 Extremes) and 'Saam Gaang Yi' (Three... Extremes/3 Extremes II) are all mixed together. My review is for 'Saam Gaang', released in 2002.***

Peter Chan's 'Going Home' makes this collection worth watching. A haunting examination of loss and and the clash between Eastern and Western ideologies, 'Going Home' paints an elegiac portrait of isolation and longing in modern day Asia. The cool colors set a mood of emptiness and despair, while the understated performances are poetic in their simplicity. The child actor who plays Cheung is simply amazing; his emotions are utterly convincing and it's easy to forget that he's acting.

Unfortunately, the other two pieces, 'Memories' and 'Wheel', leave much to be desired. 'Memories' somehow manages to be tense and predictable at the same time, so I have to give the director credit for at least being able to instill some sense of terror in the audience. But ultimately, the hackneyed plot is yawn inducing, though the scenes are shot beautifully.

Finally, that leaves 'Wheel', a confusing mess if there ever was one. Throughout the short, I kept wondering if censorship was the reason I hadn't been scared yet.

All in all, most would probably be happier renting Saam Gaang. Although regardless of your decision, I am sure that 'Going Home' will spark some thought-provoking conversation on the dangers of globalization and the dilution of culture to Americanization.

Let me start off by saying that if it were possible to give half stars, I would give 3 EXTREMES II three and a half stars. However, this is not an option, and though the second of the film's three segments nearly put me to sleep, I think it made the already excellent third that much better. So, four stars it is.

I'm not one for Asian horror films. It isn't anything that I could go into detail about, i.e. - I don't like Asian horror films because of A, B, and C. There is just something about the genre that doesn't quite appeal to me. Not to say that I don't like Asian cinema. I do. Akira Kurosawa is one of my all time favorite directors and that isn't just because he inedvertantly gave birth to C-3PO and R2-D2. However, THREE, and its successor turned predecessor THREE... EXTREMES, are both quality films.

3 EXTREMES II showcases three short films by three directors from Southeast Asia. The openning act MEMORIES is by South Korean director Kim Ji-Woon. Kim directed A TALE OF TWO SISTERS the latest Asian horror film to be refilmed as PG-13 American teen bait. Though a bit convoluted, MEMORIES is a surprisingly tight and suspenseful little number. While it does feature the camera tricks and gimmicks that usually drive me crazy in Asian horror fare, Kim does it tactfully and effectively making for a pretty chilling experience.

THE WHEEL is a film from Thai director Nonzee Nimibutr, and is not only the anchor that nearly sinks the whole collection, but is also the worst segment of either collections now known in the states as 3 EXTREMES I & II. This tale of cursed puppets in rural Thailand suffers from a boring script, a terrible pace, and acting more wooden than the puppets themselves. It's bearable only during initial viewing. I don't think I'll ever sit through it again.

COMING HOME is quite possibly the greatest short film I have ever seen. In my opinion, it is worth owning the DVD for this segment alone. Hong Kong director/producer Peter Chan weaves an absolutely haunting tale of the perseverance of the human spirit. I won't go into a lengthy review because I could write a novel about this film, so I will simply say SEE IT! DO IT NOW! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

All in all, 3 EXTREMES II is a worthy entry to any horror film collector's library.

I think the title of my review says it all. The first story had me interested for a while but in the end it just failed to make any sense to me at all. After that the following stories only served to put me to sleep.

After seeing 3 EXTREMES, I was expecting 3 EXTREMES II to be just as...er, extreme. Well, it isn't. I loved the first 3E (especially the infamous DUMPLINGS), finding it refreshingly weird and mildly revolting. 3E2 is far more sedate, w/ fewer shocks or gross-out story-lines. It's also more concerned w/ the supernatural than 3E. This time out, we get ghosts, eeevil curses, and re-animation along w/ the dismemberment and murder. I loved all three tales. Another excellent Asian horror anthology...