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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
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La Cage aux Folles II (French)

By Golu

It’s no shocker that when a movie does well, a sequel usually follows, so I wasn't surprised at all to see this campy comedy get a second chapter. It’s a fun new addition to the adventures of Albin and Renato. Even though turning a character-driven comedy into a spy spoof felt like a bit of a weird pivot from the original vibe, you eventually just roll with it. One big difference is that this one moves out of the nightclub and takes the characters from France all the way to Italy.

The story kicks off with Albin having a bit of a mid-life crisis about whether he’s still got his "mojo," so he heads to an outdoor cafe to see if he can still turn heads while Renato watches from a distance. Suddenly, a guy running for his life grabs Albin, drags him to a hotel, and hides a microfilm capsule in Albin's dress right before he’s killed. This obviously sparks a huge mess, forcing Albin and Renato to go on the run. The secret service shows up at their place wanting them to help catch the bad guys who are after the film—which contains a list of every French agent—but the couple just wants to stay alive. They come up with a plan to sneak across the border into Italy to hide out with Renato’s mother. Some of the funniest parts of the movie happen here, as Albin is forced to live like a local village woman and do chores, which really tests his patience. Of course, the spies and the villains eventually catch up, and everything gets settled in the end.

The movie is definitely campy, but I honestly had a blast watching it. There were a few moments where I was laughing out loud pretty hard. It really stays afloat thanks to the actor playing Albin; he’s totally perfected the role and plays it with so much flamboyant energy. Interestingly, Renato feels like he’s a bit more in the background this time around. We still get to see their scantily-clad housekeeper and even the son's conservative father-in-law makes an appearance because of his political job. There are so many great individual gags, like Albin constantly switching between trying to act like a "manly" guy and then going right back to being a total diva. His over-the-top reactions and the funny noises he makes always landed for me. The secret service characters add to the silliness too—there’s one great scene where the gay couple makes the agents dress up in drag just so they can "blend in." Look, if you’re searching for deep logic, you’re definitely watching the wrong movie. From a pure entertainment standpoint, it’s a little bit of a step down from the first one, but it still has plenty of laughs to keep you hooked. Seeing this funny, genuinely-in-love couple handle another chaotic chapter in their lives was really good fun. It’s a very easy, watchable sequel.

While it's a bit of a goofy departure from the original's style, the lead's incredible comedic timing makes it a worthy follow-up. (6/10)

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