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Forest of Death (2007)
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Monday, 04 May 2009 00:00 |
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DVDs -
Reviews
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Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Horror
ON DVD: April 14, 2009
Rating: Not Rated
Directors: The Pang Brothers
Starring: Qi Shu, Ekin Cheng, Rain Li, Siu-Ming Lau, Suet Lam
Studio: Image Entertainment
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The Pang Brothers are back! The visionary duo from Hong Kong that brought us movies like The Eye and Re-Cycle has returned to bring us another eerie tale that's sure to suck you in, right from the opening credits...
Forest of Death begins as a panicked Asian community is huddled around their television sets; waiting to hear the latest. A recent rash of suicides and murders in a nearby, dense forest has authorities puzzled. The elders whisper of cursed forests and ghosts with red eyes that lurk among the leaves... The news and fear quickly spreads and they can only wait for the next victim to turn up.
But, there are three people that are intrigued and determined to go into the forest to find answers. We meet Hoi (Ekin Cheng), a botanist, determined to prove that plants can talk. He thinks perhaps the forest trees hold the answers to the deaths. We also meet his girlfriend, May (Rain Li); whose tabloid television show needs to improve their ratings. And lastly, we meet Detective Ha (Shui Qi); she is determined to find the truth as well, only with good old fashioned police work.
The three different personal quests create an interesting, multi-layered plot. While the film is at once visually striking, I was also impressed with the story line and dialogue. Forest of Death (seems a really bad title) is so original and refreshing to watch; you never know what direction it is going to take you. The story, where ancient Asian superstitions and myths collide with modern day science and police work makes for a fun ride.
While the ending was classic Pang Bros, it was a little too wistful and whimsical for my taste. The movie had me locked up until that point. I have heard many conflicting viewers' opinions about the ending. This is also classic for the Pang duo; create an odd ending that makes the viewers think...
All in all, Forest of Death was well worth watching and I do recommend it as a rental and/or purchase.
Overall Rating : 3 1/2
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 May 2009 11:33 )
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