Forest of Death (2007)

Sadly Over-hyped

Nice effects though.

Just perfect...

Captivating movie !

As much as I enjoy most of the Pang brothers movies, and as much fan as I am of Shu Qi, then this movie sort of left me with an odd taste in my mouth.Now, don't get me wrong, it is not entirely a bad movie. There were interesting parts to the story, just as there were some questionable parts. The movie was good at building up suspense and keep the audience in the dark, with only hints and pieces of information as to what was going on.The things that I didn't like in the movie was the whole concept with plants having a sort of sentient mind and being able to communicate with people. It was just too far out there. And also, once you are let in on what is going on in the forest, and see what is causing the phenomena, I just shook my head in disbelieve, as the movie took a severe blow to the worse with that revelation.But the story itself seems a bit out there as well, especially if this was supposed to take place in a forest in Thailand. Then why were there so many people from Hong Kong milling about there? Wouldn't a remote forest in Thailand be way out of their jurisdiction? Shu Qi and Ekin Cheng did good enough jobs with their given roles, although they were fighting an uphill battle with the script and storyline of this movie.I had been looking forward to this movie for quite some time, but never actually got around to buying it before 2013. And now having seen it, I am not overly impressed, but glad that I found it at a bargain price on the Amazon marketplace.

In a mysterious forest in Thailand, many suicidal youths disappear and rescue teams can not find the way out even with compass. The ambitious reporter May (Rain Li) is making sensationalist journalism exploring the deaths in the forest. Her boyfriend and botanist Shun Shu-hoi (Ekin Cheng) is developing a means of communication with plants. Meanwhile, Detective C. C. Ha (Qi Shu) is investigating the rape and death of a woman and the main suspect is Patrick Wong (Tsun-wai Chou). Detective Ha contacts Shu- hoi requesting his support trying to communicate with the trees around the area where the woman was murdered. They resolve the case and Shu-hoi becomes famous; when May vanishes in the forest, Shu-hoi and Detective Ha seek her out."Sum Yuen" is a deceptive and boring movie of Danny Pang. The terrible and laughable story is so ridiculous and absurd that does not deserve any comment. My advice: do not spend your time and money watching this awful flick. My vote is two.Title (Brazil): "Natureza do Mal" ("Nature of the Evil")

For the very first time, I find myself indifferent about a Pang brothers film. It happens: pin high hopes on anyone, in any field of endeavor, and, sooner or later, you're bound to find yourself wishing you were somewhere else ("Anywhere but here."). Ms. Qi, a strikingly beautiful actress I've always thought of as a Tai Angelina Jolie, can make almost anything worth sitting through. Almost anything. While FOREST OF DEATH has its moments (and a sometimes kinda interesting premise), those moments are rare and far between. The movie LOOKS great, as usual for a Pang production, but the total lack of depth of character cripples this one. Had just a little time been spent on letting the viewer get to know some of these characters, the ghostly goings-on might've had some impact; as things stand, one is left with only hunger Pangs...

The hypnotically beautiful Shu Qi (the main reason I was drawn to this film) plays police detective Ha, who is assigned to a case of rape-and-murder that occurred in a local forest. A lot of people have committed suicide in the same forest lately (some traveling a long distance for that purpose), and the place is considered by many to be haunted. Detective Ha asks for the help of a botanist (Ekin Cheng), who has developed a device that can receive "messages" from plants and trees, drawing him away from his girlfriend (Rain Li), a successful TV reporter who regularly interviews people who have had "near death experiences" in the same forest. The script tries to combine two different main story lines (one involving Shu Qi's investigation and Ekin Cheng's efforts to use the trees as "witnesses", the other involving the suicides and disappearances in the forest and what is causing them), and ultimately comes across a bit muddled. The film has some striking images and riveting scenes, but the resolution is not fully satisfying. Shu Qi's and Ekin Cheng's characters don't have much depth: all we really learn about them is that they are consumed by their jobs and determined to do them right. Rain Li not only gives Shu Qi some serious competition in the looks department, but also creates what is easily the most human and sympathetic character in the film. (**1/2)