SYNOPSIS: Ever wish you had the chance to get back at the boss who undermined you...the spouse who cheated on you...or the friend who deceived you? One night, a down-on-his-luck businessman, Allan Campbell (Cole Hauser), mets a mysterious stranger, Jonas Arbor (Cuba Gooding Jr.), who claims to be a professional hit man. Jonas offers to take out five targets, free of charge. Thinking it's a bad joke, Allan jots down his own private list. The next day, the people he named start turning up dead and all the evidence points to Allan. Hunted by the police and haunted by guilt, Allan races against time to stop the murders he set in motion. In this world, vengeance always has a price.

MOVIE REVIEW:

With Wesley Snipes serving his tax evasion jail sentence, Cuba Gooding Jr is fast becoming the go-to action leading man for straight-to-video releases, churning out at least three productions a year. “The Hit List” is the latest offering from the 1997 Academy Award winner and for sure, it doesn’t spell Oscar.

As with any other movies of this category, “The Hit List” is another incompetent, pathetic title to grace the video shelves. A corporate engineer named Allan Campbell (Cole Hauser) is being passed on for his promotion cos his boss prefers his younger colleague. Fair enough. Minutes later, he went home and finds his wife having an affair with his best friend. Oops. If you thought your day was bad, think about Allan. Predictably, he went to a bar for a couple of Jack Daniel and met this strange guy named Jonas (Guba Gooding Jr) whom after hours of chatting revealed he is actually a contract killer and even offers Allan to write down his hit list in which he will gladly help to take out. Assuming Jonas is joking and being intoxicated, Allan wrote down the names of his boss, his best friend and his wife on the list. The next day, viola his boss is found murdered. At this point, Allan knew Jonas is not joking and he will kill everyone on the list one by one including Allan’s wife.

At the back of this DVD cover, there’s a quote that says “Collateral with a psychological twist”. No this particular guy is not kidding. “The Hit List” tries so hard to be Collateral that it turns out to be more of an insult to the superb Michael Mann’s thriller than merely a pale imitation. Cuba’s Jonas feels so much like Cruise’s character, from his beard to the gray suit to even the posture he took up. Laughingly, Jonas’s dialogues consist mostly of philosophical nuggets that sounds copied from fortune cookies. Add to the overall stiff performances from the cast, this is a disaster in the making.

If you think at least the action is good enough to warrant some entertainment values, it doesn’t. There are plenty of gunshots but nothing that outstanding that will make you glue to the screen. Did I also mention a highly out-of-place, slow-mo car explosion during a car chase? Ok, if you insist, some credit goes to the climax (spoiler alert) where Jonas went into a killing spree in a police station, Terminator-style.

After 90 minutes, we have yet figure out the full intention of Jonas. Is he a secret agent went rogue or has he simply gone cuckoo after some radiation exposure (it was briefly mentioned but never confirmed)? Is he trying to man-up Allan because he feels the latter is too weak? We never know exactly what’s the movie is trying to convey. Perhaps a lesson to strengthen your marriage in case you wrote a hit list on a napkin in a bar and some guy take it for real.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The video quality appears decent and clean, nothing exceptional to report. There is limited aggressiveness during the banal shootouts though dialogue sequences sound great in the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Posted on 7 June 2011

Genre: Drama
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Treat Williams, John Lawrence, Kate Burton, Clémence Poésy
RunTime: 1 hr 34 mins
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Rating: NC-16 (Gory Scene and Coarse Language)
Official Website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/127hours/

Opening Day: 17 February 2011

Synopsis: 127 HOURS is the new film from Danny Boyle, the Academy Award® winning director of 2008's Best Picture, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. 127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a falling boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated slot canyon in Utah.  Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clémence Poésy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident.  Over the next five days Ralston battles the elements and his own demons to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, descend a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued.  Told with a dynamic narrative structure, 127 HOURS is a visceral, thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.

Movie Review:

The hype for "127 Hours" goes that early audiences needed barf-bags and medical attention during the film's more viscerally involving sequence but perhaps the most gut-wrenching response to the film comes from its central question: What would you do to survive? Yes, the "Saw" franchise has been crassly querying audiences about that for almost a decade now but with Danny Boyle, it all adds some class to the proceedings that surround the true story of adventurer Aron Rosten's (James Franco) memoir “Between a Rock and a Hard Place," about his ordeal in the gorgeous and isolated Blue John Canyon, Utah where he was trapped in crevice with his right arm stuck between a boulder and a rock.

As much as a tactile film-making experience as you will be likely to see anywhere, Boyle's style complements Aron's personality as man who wants to feel and experience the world one stone at a time. Like survival horror done with the verve and narrative flair of a visualist like Boyle who can tap into the manic psyche of those who want and need more from their given reality, "127 Hours" presents a heightened emotional drive that comes from a truly human place of survival that digs into the nature of life. It can be said that in those few days, with half a bottle of water and a modicum of food reserves, Aron might have very well discovered something profound about life itself. Like Sean Penn's "Into the Wild," that deals with yet another true-life adventurer Christopher McCandless' trek into the Alaskan wilderness that led him to his doom, Boyle and fellow screenwriter Simon Beaufoy digs into life before the fact as well as an amalgamation of different ways to document the scenario. In McCandless' story, he leaves journals behind while Aron films a series of face-to-face confessionals with his video camera when he finally understands that he might not make it -- when optimism begins to fade. There remains a good sense of psychology coming from the deprivation that Aron endures, the plight of a multitude of regrets and of a life lived -- when it is said that it flashes before our eyes -- and the awareness of desires becoming salient as well as the mirages of hope glimmering like a particularly poignant shot through the crevice, through the canyon and into Aron's car where he left some food reserves

Boyle's highly tuned aesthetics becomes powerfully rendered by James Franco's terrifically gutsy performance that embodies the written character down to a tee, he turns from a cocksure adrenaline-junkie to a humbled survivor in a compact 79 minute baptism of fire. While Boyle's visual flourishes could be seen as gratuitous or indulgent, it gets carried through my A.R. Rahman's music-video techno score signifies the rush of its protagonist and the absurdity of life's twists and turns and never falters. Boyle's endeavours help the harshness of the material go down easier, and leaves audiences on a grace note of courage and hope.

Movie Rating:

 

(Tactile and at once graceful, "127 Hours" is a bundle of fears, anxieties, epiphanies and hope)

Review by Justin Deimen

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Boris Boo
Cast: Riezman Khuzaimi, Amy Mastura, Datuk Jalaluddin, Adibah Noor, Suhaimi Yusof, Shahili Abdan (Namron), Suhairil Sunari, Wan Noor Aizat, Rohaizat Hassan
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Released By: GV
Rating: PG
Official Website: http://www.akutakbodoh.com/

Opening Day: 14 April 2011

Synopsis: AKU TAK BODOH is a family-comedy movie that is set to make you laugh and cry, as it brings out hilarious and heart-wrenching scenes between parents and children. Popular artistes Remy Ishak and Amy Mastura exude the true behaviour of today’s parents, successful young executives who are highly consumed with their career and have high expectations in their children achievements in school. Their busy work schedules have caused them to unknowingly neglect the emotional needs of their two growing-up sons, eight year old Jefri and teenager Roy. All were well until one day; Roy gave up on seeking his parent’s attention and engaged in gangsterism activities, while Jefri resorted to theft. The two siblings went into juvenile delinquency all for the pursuit of happiness and attention. Can the two boys eventually gain their parent’s attention with their juvenile behaviours? Will the family reunite? The final scene unveils an intimate and heart-wrenching moments of Remy and Roy. Like a famous saying “Blood is thicker than water”, Remy came to rescue Roy when he was caught publicly for an unruly act.

Movie Review:

Let me clear the air by saying, I have not watched the original I Not Stupid franchise for which one might say, my viewpoint might come askew. But coming from a viewpoint without bias comparison may serve a fresh side to ponder upon. That said, although it had the very best of intention, even with very low expectation (although my high regards of "I Not Stupid" that’s said among my peers might elevate that expectation quite abit.), I was disappointed of the end result of this remake.

Labeled as a family comedy the film focuses on the lives of children under a common problem. Being misunderstood. It may be alittle one sided making the parents look bad but the cookie cutter formula is so apparent that you can smell it from a distance. Not that it garners lesser of it’s intended value but many fail to see what proper direction and editing can make or break a scene and even the whole film. I’m not going to repeat the synopsis as you can read them above and if you don’t mind, I'll just go straight to the point.

There is no doubt, the acting chops of these well known good actors are of top notch and had a few gems slipped inside. Shahili Abdan (Namron) seems to be the only character that had depth, I was actually root for more story from him and his past but alas, being a comedy for the family, major part of the film was optioned towards slapstick control. Other stars worthy of mention, Adibah Noor, who is strangely underused and of cos the ever pitch perfect youngest cast in this satire, Wan Noor Aizat as the younger brother who delivered a fantastic performance, balancing both dramatic and comedic role.

Although i fail to mention the rest of the cast, I'll have to give credit where it’s due. All performance were as per expectation and kudos to all. But what i believe brought the film down to the ground is most probably the lack of direction and uneven pacing of the film. It’s the great divide of wanting both worlds, the cutesy comedy that would hit you on your funny bone and give the audience a fun time or cater to the social commentary of today's concerned ethic groups and provide much deliverance of what should be done in family dysfunction and show the right path to those who divert and are blind. Two totally major ends isn’t it? That is exactly the problem. A film is like taking a fellow movie goer on a journey from point A to point B across a sea of emotions. A smooth sailing and proper direction, taking consideration of wind, time of voyage, content and skill can make the movement much applause for effort at least and enjoyable to the viewers.

That said, "Aku Tak Bodoh" was like going through a sea storm with waves that go 100 feet up at random points all the way through, with it’s high point of laughter to low points of parenting issues. In another words, it had bad pacing. I didn’t mind that it had cheesy moments or that it had stereotypical caricature of roles that was presented in such a weird way (which i can only deduce as comic relief but had a point within that structure thus fail because of such portrait) but for the love of goodness, edit the film properly! Either the director didn’t film enough footage and the editor had to make do what was given or someone needs to fire the editor. The tipping point was the ending scene in the hospital which was inter-spliced with a comedic police stakeout which in turn suddenly brought the mood down to a death scene. That comedic point totally made me cared less about the somber moment.

To wrap it off, "Aku Tak Bodoh" had gems where it florished in parts but when seen together, i’ll have to say, it was a mess. One should see it for what it’s worth but to go further then that, “Meh”.

Movie Rating:



(Remakes aside, a family comedy at face value but not a bright one unfortunately)

Review by Lokman B S

Genre: Drama/Romance/Comedy
Director: Ann Hui
Cast: Sandra Ng, Vivian Chow, Cheung Siu Fai, William Chan, Queenie Chu, Jo Kuk, Joey Meng
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Released By: Encore Films
Rating: R21 (Homosexual Content)
Official Website:

Opening Day: 3 March 2011

Synopsis: ALL ABOUT LOVE is an urban comedy in which former lovers Macy and Anita coincidentally get together again by unplanned pregnancies from their respective one-night stands. While the 2 bisexuals are clearly in love, things are complicated by Macy's reluctance to commit and the accidental fathers.

Movie Review:

Despite critical acclaim, Ann Hui’s recent movies like “Night and Fog” and “The Way We Are” didn’t manage to get a theatrical release in Singapore, and her latest “All About Love” in fact marks the first Ann Hui movie to be shown in cinemas in about a decade- though one suspects that this is more likely a result of anticipated audience interest over its lesbian themes than actual merit. Indeed, while “All About Love” boasts many of the trademarks of Ann Hui’s social dramas, this is quite possibly one of her weakest efforts of late- especially given the quality of her two earlier works mentioned above.

The fault though doesn’t lie with Ann, but rather with Yang Yee-Shan’s script (or the lack thereof). Yang was the screenwriter of the Herman Yau films “Whispers and Moans” and “True Women for Sale”, which tended to be social observations of unique groups of individuals in Hong Kong society- in the case of the Herman Yau films, sex workers. Her focus this time round is on lesbians, and for better and for worse, “All About Love” ends up having the same strengths and weaknesses as her earlier films.

There’s no doubt that she touches on interesting subjects here, most prominently about gender and family politics in modern-day Hong Kong. That is the circumstance facing Macy (Sandra Ng) and Anita (Vivian Chow), former lovers who meet years later when they are both pregnant and find themselves falling in love with each other again. Yang’s plotting here shows ingenuity- while one may expect the fathers to want to have nothing to do with the babies to give even more excuse for Macy and Anita to hook up, Yang makes it clear that the fathers (Eddie Cheung and William Chan respectively) actually do want to be involved.

The absence of the male figures significantly in their respective lives- Anita for instance finds herself increasingly discriminated at work for being the pregnant single mother, which only strains her relationship with Macy. Yes these are issues typical across “patriarchal societies”, exacerbated by “heterosexual hegemony”, and Yang’s attempt to highlight these for discussion is definitely admirable. The problem is, she mostly does just that- discuss them- when one would expect the film to portray them.

The didactic approach Yang takes shouldn’t be surprising from her previous works, but in this instance, “All About Love” is less of a film because of it. There is a lot of talk going on especially when Macy gathers with her group of friends of similar sexuality, but these don’t go much further beyond coffee-table discussions of hot-button social issues. She does try to illustrate how these may affect her characters, but that turn comes too late into the story and too strained to inspire much credulity. It also means that there’s not nearly enough character development to make the audience identify with Macy or Anita, and by the end of the film, both tend to be as distant to us as they were at the start.

To Ann Hui’s credit, she does try to make the film livelier by giving it a great sense of place amongst Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels neighbourhood. Macy and Anita first meet along those signature escalators, and most of their time spent outdoors is played out against familiar Hong Kong backdrops near the trendy Hollywood Road. The excellent cast also go a long way to making their performances credible. Sandra Ng is especially lively as Macy, and her easygoing charm is infectious- as is that of her supporting cast, Eddie Cheung and William Chan. She also compensates for the somewhat wooden performance of Vivian Chow, who makes a much-touted though disappointing return to the big screen after a 15-year absence.

And one can probably say the same of this film, which is admirable in its intentions of bringing to light gender and family issues within a distinct Hong Kong context. However, there is too much telling and not enough showing- both in terms of story and characters- and despite the best efforts of director Ann Hui and the exuberant Sandra Ng, “All About Love” doesn’t quite come alive as a film and ends up being a disappointing entry especially in light of Ann’s recent illustrious streak.

Movie Rating:



(A lot of talk, but too little story and character development, leaves Ann Hui’s latest less of a film than a didactic lesson in social observation)

Review by Gabriel Chong

In Mandarin with English & Chinese subtitles
Genre: Comedy
Director: Chan Hing Ka
Cast: Louis Koo, Donnie Yen, Cecilia Cheung, Raymond Wong, Lynn Xiong, Chapman To, Yan Ni
RunTime: 1 hr 43 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & Clover Films
Rating: PG
Official Website:

Opening Day: 3 February 2011

Synopsis:

Make-up artist Sammy is hired by Dream (Yan Ni) as the director of a cosmetic company with Claire (Cecilia Cheung) being the only colleague who is willing to assist him. Sammy invites Ron, a fellow makeup artiste cum woman magnet to join him. Though Ron might appear to be a woman’s magnet, his heart still lingers with his first love Mona, a frustrated writer. A minor incident in the new product commercial ties the friendship among Sammy, Ron and the yacht billionaire Syd (Chapman To). Syd meets Claire and aims to pursue her. Having grown up in a poor family, Claire seizes this as a golden opportunity to live a prosperous life and asks Sammy for help to fulfil her dream, without realizing that she has fallen in love with Sammy.

Movie Review:

Two years ago, Raymond Wong successfully resurrected his “All’s Well Ends Well” comedy series with an all-star cast that included Louis Koo, Sandra Ng, Ronald Cheng and Wong himself. And thanks to the resounding success of that film (it was the box-office champion of 2009), Wong reassembled the same cast last year for yet another round of shenanigans- though in a period setting. Alas “All’s Well Ends Well 2010” could not muster the same success as its predecessor, losing out at the box-office during the lucrative CNY season to Eric Tsang’s “72 Tenants of Prosperity”.

So this time round, Wong has brought together an even more star-studded cast, with new entries the likes of Donnie Yen, Carina Lau and Cecilia Cheung (her first role since taking a hiatus five years ago) joining regulars Louis Koo and Lynn Xiong. In terms of pure star quality alone, Wong has hedged his bets in the right place. Louis is exceptionally funny as the effeminate makeup artist Sammy, and easily the best thing that the movie has going for it. And while it may take some time to get used to seeing Donnie in a comedy, he does a mean spoof of his “Ip Man” character and the signature Wing Chun moves- with makeup and brushes that is.

Chan Hing-Ka takes over both writing and directing duties of this instalment in the franchise, which is probably why the movie is set around the cosmetic industry. Hoping to achieve the same kind of success he did with “La Brassiere” and “Mighty Babies”, Hing-Ka once again reuses the formula in his previous two movies by placing his male characters at the centre of a female-driven industry. The cosmetic business is his topic of choice here, so besides Louis Koo’s Sammy, Donnie Yen’s character Ron is yet another makeup artist.

The former schoolmates are now good buddies- Sammy loving his proximity to women that being in this line of work and pretending to be gay offers; and Ron equally successful through his keen understanding of women, developed through many years growing up in a female-dominated family. A particularly hilarious sequence sees Ron’s posse of female relatives (including franchise regular Lee Heung Kam) mistaking Sammy and Ron for gay lovers and expressing their disapproval in innuendoes- something about a ‘straight’ and ‘bent’ straw- when Ron invites Sammy home for dinner.

But “All’s Well Ends Well 2011” is better appreciated as a movie of parts- some much better than others- rather than the sum of these parts. Indeed, besides the case of mistaken identity, there is another similarly LOL sequence where Donnie dons his Ip Man costume to romance Carina Lau’s writer-cum-ex-girlfriend Mona in the rain. Hing Ka and fellow director Janet Chun make the most of these hilarious bits, but unfortunately there are not enough such bright spots to sustain the movie.

Particularly devoid of laughs is Chapman To’s story arc as the wealthy businessman Syd whose previous relationship with a possessive girlfriend Victoria (Lynn Xiong) has left him scarred and afraid of girls, until he meets the simple and sweet Claire (Cecilia Cheung). The humour is too obviously strained, even bordering on the point of ludicrousness, and not enough Chapman’s comedic abilities can draw more than a chuckle from its audience. Faring not much better is oil baron Ken’s (Raymond Wong) relationship woes with a middle-aged tai-tai wannabe Dream (Yan Ni), their constant bickering more irritating than amusing.

The multitude of characters should warn you that there isn’t much character development to be found here, exacerbated by the need to balance screen time across the stars. Hing-Ka’s screenplay is particularly lacking in story, and it shows amply in the last half-hour when he tries to pull these disparate threads together into a predictable happy ending, which feels even more tacked on and forced than in the previous films. That also means heavyweight actresses like Carina Lau and Cecilia Cheung are pretty much wasted, which only calls into question the wisdom of Cecilia’s decision to pick this as her comeback project over an upcoming Derek Yee film.

Sure there are really amusing moments to be found in this latest “All’s Well Ends Well” instalment, but the hit-to-miss ratio here is pretty low- even by the standards of its two predecessors. The sheer star wattage on display does maximise the comedic potential of the genuinely funny bits, though not nearly enough to conceal Hing-Ka and Chun’s patchy storytelling. Raymond Wong will need to do much more to ensure the continued longevity of his CNY cash cow and this reviewer for one will offer a suggestion- bring back Stephen Chow!

Movie Rating:

(The star-studded cast make the best of the sporadically funny bits, but this glossily packaged film isn’t nearly amusing enough most of the time)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella, Kristen Wiig, Philip Baker Hall, Diane Venora, John Cullum
RunTime: 1 hr 41 mins
Released By: GV
Rating: TBA 
Official Website: http://www.magpictures.com/allgoodthings/

Opening Day: 6 January 2011

Synopsis: Inspired by the most notorious missing person’s case in New York history, ALL GOOD THINGS is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Produced and directed by Andrew Jarecki, the film was inspired by the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family. Mr. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Katie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found.

Movie Review:

If you are old enough to have lived through the 1980s, you would have heard of the “McDonald’s Boys”. Known to be one of the most chilling police cases in Singapore, this mystery has two boys who left home for school in 1986, but both boys, who were said to be good friends, never got to school. 24 years later, the two of them remain missing. The fast food chain had offered a $100,000 reward for information about the boys’ whereabouts, but to date, they remain missing.

As much as recalling this infamous case brings chills down our spines, it also occurred to us how this incident would serve as a sensational inspiration for a movie screenplay. Guess this was what writers Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling had in mind when the duo penned the script for Andrew Jarecki’s romantic mystery film, which is inspired by the true story of a New Yorker whose wife disappeared in 1982.

The film begins in 1980s New York City, where the son of a powerful estate tycoon marries a working class girl. Everything seems perfect in the beginning as the lovebirds move to the country side, but tensions eventually arise due to differing expectations. Tempers fly as family secrets are revealed. One day, the girl disappears without a trace, without any closure. 20 years later, the man’s best friend shows up dead, and the case is reopened, leading to an unsettling truth.

If you didn’t have the context that the plot was inspired a true incident, this 101 minute movie may have played out like any other murder mystery. However, your mind tells you that there is a possibility that out there somewhere, the girl is still alive. On the other end of the spectrum, the girl may be well be dead, without any proper closure. So what purpose does a movie like this serve then?

One thing for sure, it is a stark reminder of what humankind is capable of when desperate circumstances arise. It is, definitely, a reflection of human nature’s darker side. Things are kept fairly ambiguous throughout the film, as it only offers glimpses of what might have happened. Of course, due to the structure of cinema, certain dramatic elements have been played up to make this a commercial project. Ultimately, the paced plot development makes the viewing experience an engaging one from beginning to end.

It also helps that a capable cast has been assembled for this production. Ryan Gosling gives a noteworthy performance as David Marks, an heir to a real estate fortune – the Oscar nominated Canadian actor portrays a torn soul coming to terms with inner demons with empathy. Kirsten Dunst plays his wife, Katie, a caring wife whose life takes a turn when she finds out about her husband’s troubled past. Dunst manages to shed her famous Mary Jane image to play this tormented character. Their great performances are supported by Frank Langella as the demanding tycoon who wants nothing more than his fortune to be appropriately handled. The veteran actor’s gravity lends weight to the character aptly.

Director Jarecki, who helmed the critically acclaimed documentary Capturing the Friedmans (2003), does a decent job to bring this tale of love turned sour to his audiences. Although it prods you like a clichéd mystery thriller, it also intrigues you with the more disconcerting aspect of human nature.

Movie Rating:



(Wonderful performances headline this otherwise average thriller)

Review by John Li

Genre: Comedy/Action
Director: John Whitesell
Cast: Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas, Faizon Love, Sherri Shepherd, Ken Jeong, Emily Rios, Portia Doubleday, Michelle Ang
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Rating: PG (Some Sexual Humour)
Official Website: http://www.bigmommaslikefatherlikeson.com/

Opening Day: 10 March 2011

Synopsis: Martin Lawrence returns as FBI agent Malcolm Turner and as Turner’s deep-cover alter-ego "Big Momma." But this time, Turner is joined by his teenage stepson Trent, as they go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after Trent witnesses a murder. Posing as Big Momma and as hefty coed Charmaine, they must find the murderer before he finds them.

Movie Review:

Even though it’s only been three months into the year, it’s almost certain that this third Big Momma movie will end up as one of the worst reviewed movies of 2011. The hostility it has received from critics is utterly perplexing to say the least, for it is to this reviewer perfectly genial entertainment- even though it may have gotten a little derivative of itself after exploiting what essentially was a one-note joke.

Yes, it was more than ten years ago when Martin Lawrence first debuted as the F.B.I. agent Malcolm Turner, whose idea of undercover was to don fat suits, fake breasts and plus-size women’s clothes for a getup known as Big Momma. And surprise, surprise- the first movie become an unexpected success at the box office, prompting another sequel which didn’t do as well but still made money, and here we are five years after the first sequel for what many have called an unnecessary threequel.

True, it is unnecessary in the strictest sense of the word, but so are the inexplicably successful Tyler Perry films where he appears in granny-drag as Madea, or even the intellectually challenged “White Chicks” which was pure bimbo/himbo fun. Still, there’s no denying Martin Lawrence is amusing in what has become the most famous character of his career, and “Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son” was just another excuse to watch him do what he does best.

It is with that expectation that you’ll learn to look past the lazy plotting by Matthew Fogel and Don Rhymer, setting up a laughably bad premise involving a Russian mobster (Tony Curran) and a flash drive with incriminating evidence acquired by Malcolm’s snitch. It is also with that expectation that you’ll look past the uninspired direction of returning director John Whitesell, who doesn’t know how to stage an action scene or for that matter a car chase to save his life.

If the film remains watchable right till the end, it is surely because of Martin Lawrence remains just as funny- even the third time round. You can already get a sneak peek of the funniest gags in the trailer, but it is still hilarious to see Big Momma attempt to dance on top of a table in the middle of the boarding school’s dining room, or model butt naked sans a white cloth across his/her chest like the Romans did, or attempt to fend off the advances of the school’s hulking security guard (an uncredited Faizon Love).

Lawrence also gets a drag partner in the form of his rapper-stepson Trent (Brandon T. Jackson), whom he tries to protect while looking for that crucial piece of evidence in the up-scale all-girls boarding school. Trent’s Charmaine doesn’t share many scenes with Big Momma, spending most of her time amidst the other nubile girls in the same house, including getting romantic ideas on one of them, singer-songwriter Haley (Jessica Lucas). Jackson proves just as effective a comedian in drag as Lawrence, and is especially a hoot when confronting his co-eds in their nighties.

And ultimately, it is the lively performances of Lawrence and Jackson who make this Big Mommas sequel worth its weight. Sure, it won’t go down as a comedy classic any time, and you probably won’t remember much about it by the time it ends, but it is still funny while it lasts, and will leave you in a pleasant mood. Admittedly, this won’t be everyone’s definition of humour but hey if you enjoyed Big Mommas 1 and 2, you’ll definitely find this just as amusing.

Movie Rating:

(Not super-size entertainment, but this threequel still provides decent laughs with Martin Lawrence and Brandon T. Jackson’s men-in-drag)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS:

Sun's mind was only bent on being promoted to the Creative Director. But the post was taken away by a new colleague Ly. Sun got electrocuted by accident and woke up with a new gift - he can hear women's thoughts! The chauvinist takes advantage of Ly by eavesdropping on her ideas to present as his own and gains the upper-hand. As Sun continues to hear Ly's thinking, he slowly discovers her fragility. Romance soon evolves among this odd couple.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s more common that you have Hollywood remake an Asian film than the other way round, so this China production "What Women Want" counts as a rarity. But if recent Mainland productions are anything to go by, there is definitely a young urbane market for commercial rom-coms, especially since the success of movies such as "Sophie’s Revenge", "Go Lala Go!" and of course "If You Are the One".

Writer/ director Chen Daming adapts Nancy Meyers’ film for his local audience, and his version retains largely the narrative of the original. Sun Zigang (Andy Lau) is Mel Gibson’s Nick Marshall, the equally chauvinistic male executive who meets with an accident one day and begins to have the amazing ability of listening in to women’s thoughts. And just as in the original, Sun will exploit this ability to tap into the mind of his lady boss, one Liu Yi-long (Gong Li), for the betterment of his own career.

The fun, as with Meyers’ film, lies with first watching as Sun tries to understand the opposite sex better by trying out various products for women, including lingerie, lipstick, cosmetics and perfume. Ever the consummate performer, Andy jumps into the metrosexual role without hesitation- and yes, that’s really him waxing his leg before he falls into the bath for the life-changing experience. Indeed, he’s at his most charming in this movie, and dare I say even more so than Mel Gibson.

On the other hand, Gong Li doesn’t quite make up for Helen Hunt’s Darcy Maguire. Her icy-cool performance is in accordance to her role, but she doesn’t quite let up enough for audiences to empathise with her and also root for Liu and Sun’s eventual romance. Indeed, the internationally known Mainland actress remains cool and aloof for the most part throughout the movie, and her character ends up far less likeable than Helen Hunt’s equivalent.

If these comparisons seem unfair, that’s because Chen Daming doesn’t actually bring anything new to the table. Most of the gags would already be familiar with those who have seen the original, and this glossy remake lacks the heart and charm that made the Hollywood original such a delight. It is also at close to two hours too long, and even Andy Lau and Gong Li’s star power is not enough to distract from the fact that Chen Daming has stretched his material far too thin.

Nonetheless, "What Women Want" should be remembered as a robust indication that the Chinese film industry can make sleek rom-coms like Hollywood does, and perhaps just as shallow ones at that. On the up-side, Beijing looks impressive as a cosmopolitan city and that alone should tell you how far China has come in the past decade. Still, that’s not nearly enough reason for you to catch this bland remake, a made-in-China product that’s sadly of inferior quality to the original (and you are free to read between the lines). .

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio comes in dual track, but the original audio track is in fact the Mandarin one. Visuals are clean, but not necessarily as sharp as one would expect.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Gabriel Choing

Posted on 8 May 2011

Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder, Sebastian Stan, Barbara Hershey, Kristina Anapau
RunTime: 1 hr 44 mins
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Rating: M18 (Sexual References)
Official Website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/blackswan/

Opening Day: 10 February 2011

Synopsis: "Black Swan" follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition.

When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well.

Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Movie Review:

Let’s face it – technology has changed the way we watch movies. The main reason why this Darren Aronofsky directed film didn’t make it to many local reviewers’ Top 10 list is due to the fact that it wasn’t released on Singapore screens last year. And because of a peculiar creature called the Internet, people are able to lay their hands on copies of the movie uploaded online. Also, we are not afraid to tell you that many people have out rightly told us that that they have watched this film on their computer screens.

Here comes the clincher: The version that is screened on local screens is edited, due to some censorship regulations. This will probably make more people want to get hold of that uncensored copy of the movie to store it on their computer. Which sections of the film are censored? We’ll come to that later.

But this reviewer is still encouraging you to watch this magnificent piece of work in the theatre – the chilling sensation derived is definitely different as compared to watching it on a small screen.

The screenplay written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John J. McLaughlin tells the story of a ballet dancer who wins the lead role in “Swan Lake”. She may be perfect for the role of the White Swan, the beautiful and delicate princess which everyone is familiar with, but the performance also requires her to be the Black Swan, a twisted and wicked daughter of a sorcerer. To perfect the craft, she goes through a torturous experience, only to realise that she is slowly losing her mind.

It didn’t come as a surprise that Israel born Natalie Portman could handle this role with so much ease. The gorgeous actress has played the regal Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequels (1999-2005), a stripper in Closer (2004) and a revolutionary who shaves her head in V for Vendetta (2006), so we had expected her versatility in taking on this challenging role. Besides some rather graphic lovemaking scenes with co star Mila Kunis (you’d only be able to catch suggestive glimpses of these shots in the local theatrical version), Portman has to master some very painful looking ballet moves. In terms of emotions, to be able to portray the character’s vulnerability and confusion, Portman seems to have allowed the perverse personality to get into her bones. Having already won the Best Actress accolade at the recent Golden Globes, she is on her way to clinching the title at the upcoming Academy Awards, where the film is nominated in four other categories.

Besides Kunis as a new dancer in the troupe, Portman’s supporting actors include Vincent Cassel as a demanding artistic director, Barbara Hershey as a supportive mother and Winona Ryder in a startling role as a ballerina past her prime. This is a competent ensemble which manages to complement the leading lady’s performance. 

Some may scoff the laughable melodrama in this film, but one should also see the power that cinema holds – the ability to heighten sensations through the power of sight and sound. Aronofsky and his team of filmmakers behind this project know that too well, and like the director’s previous works Pi (1998), Requeim for a Dream (2000) and The Fountain (2006), this is also one valiantly crafted art piece.

Director Aronofsky, who has been nominated for Best Director, is clearly an artist. One can appreciate his fine eye for details through cinematography (Matthew Libatique), editing (Andrew Weisblum) and score composition (Clint Mansell). The gallant approach of telling this tale of obsession is also to be lauded – it keeps you tense and edgy throughout the film’s 108 minutes, without letting loose of your emotions. When it finally lets you go in the climatic finale, you heave a huge sigh of relief, but not entirely recovered as you walk out of the theatre immensely disturbed.

Movie Rating:



(A spectacular piece of work which regales with a tale of obsession)

Reviewed by John Li

Genre: Comedy
Director: Lee Thean-Jeen
Cast: Mark Lee, Jack Neo, A Niu, Afdlin Shauki, Jacelyn Tay, Huang Wenhong, Rebecca Lim, Koe Yeet, Liu Ling Ling
RunTime: 1 hr 37 mins
Released By: GV
Rating: PG
Official Website:

Opening Day: 3 February 2011

Synopsis: HOMECOMING is a series of intertwining stories about an ensemble of people on both sides of the Causeway as they head home to celebrate their Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner with their families.

A road-trip movie, comedy and heartwarming family drama all rolled into one, the movie takes place over the course of one day –Chinese New Year’s Eve.

Karen Neo (Jack Neo) and her son Ah Meng (Ah Niu) are traveling by bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to have Reunion Dinner with Karen’s family there. The bus has barely started on its journey when the duo get into one scrape after another: first, Ah Meng takes the wrong medication –sleeping pills instead of motion sickness pills; then Karen gets into a fight with a teenage girl, Mindy (Koe Yeet), who holds a ticket for the same seat as Karen. 

When the bus makes a pit stop, Karen fights with a well-meaning taxi driver, Zool (Afdlin Shauki) over a bottle of medicated oil. When the bus is unable to continue its journey and Zool turns out to be the only person who can get Karen and Ah Meng to KL, the group form an uneasy alliance as theyfinish their journey to KL in Zool’s taxi, complete with a lucky lottery ticket, a visit to the airport and the birth of a baby!

Mindy, meanwhile, is trying to make her way to KL to see her mother after having an argument with her celebrity chef father, Daniel Koh(Mark Lee), who is too busy preparing a Reunion Dinner Celebration in his restaurant for a very important Minister. Although Danielis a brilliant chef, he is also very temperamental: on that day, after he loses his temper at two of his kitchen assistants and fires them, the rest of his assistants walk out on him, leaving behind only his trusted Restaurant Manager, Fei Fei. Now, Danieland Fei Fei have to conjure up a meal for a hundred guests in a matter of hours …

As a last resort, Fei Fei asks her family and relatives to become ‘cooks’ on the busiest and most important day of the year in the Chinese restaurant business. Like an underdog football team, these ‘cooks’ turn the adage of ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ on its head and save the daywith the most comedic and hilarious scenes, a mix of Kung Fu Hustle meets The Eight Immortals!

Finally, in a house in KL that is teeming with relatives, a newlywed bride, Jamie (Rebecca Lim), is spending her first Chinese New Year among her husband, Boon(Huang Wen Hong)’s family. A modern Singaporean girl to whom Chinese New Year means a vacation away from family, Jamie clashes with Boon’s traditional Chinese family, with warm but unpredictable consequences.

Told with humour, irony and warmth, in a mixture of English, Mandarin, and Malay, HOMECOMING is atruly Singaporean-Malaysian collaboration for the entire family.

Movie Review:

The Chinese Lunar New Year dawns upon us again. It’s a time of great festivity and celebration, and everything is supposed to be loud, colourful and happy – at least that’s what this grouch of a reviewer heard. As you can see, the films opening in the same week as this Lee Thean Jean directed movie (to coincide with the Chinese Lunar New Year, of course) have been given rather positive reviews by his fellow columnists. They are probably kinder folks than this him, but this peevish reviewer is not going to be kind on this star studded vehicle.    

Nope, he is also not very interested in what cross dressing can do for director actor Jack Neo since his shocking sex scandal last March.

Neo plays a flamboyant woman who has to travel back to Malaysia with his son (Malaysian singer actor director Ah Niu) for a reunion dinner. The coach bus they are traveling on breaks down halfway and comedy ensues. Somewhere in the mix is also a runaway teenage girl Malaysian actress Koe Yeet) who misses home halfway through her escapade, a haughty celebrity chef (local actor director Mark Lee) and his restaurant manager (local TV star Jacelyn Tay) who find themselves in a fix when the staff walk out, and a newlywed couple (local deejay Huang Wenhong and TV actress Rebecca Lim) who are planning to sneak off for a Bali holiday on the night of reunion dinner.

That’s quite a bit to pack into a 90 minute movie, we hear you say? Truth be told, we are glad the movie wasn’t any lengthier, or we’d be missing out on some other more exciting events happening outside the cinema.

These intertwined stories happen on Chinese New Year eve on both sides of the Causeway, and that is the perfect opportunity for artistes from both Singapore and Malaysia to be featured in this collaboration. This also means that there box offices from two countries can be tapped on – it’s a money making business after all, this thing called movie production.

You may be a fan of Lim, Best Actress at last year’s Asia TV Awards. You may tune in regularly to Huang, who hosts programmes on the Singapore air waves. You may love Tay’s last TV drama and miss her beautiful getup as He Xian Gu. But this comedy is so dreary and predictable that you may wonder why your idol agreed to be part of this humdrum affair. We understand that it’s the Chinese New Year season, and the general public is going contain suckers for messages about family tradition and intergeneration togetherness, but is this really the best way to do it? It may work for half hour TV sitcom episodes, but when the approach is executed for the big screen, things come across as convenient and sluggish. At its best, yhe ensemble acting is passable for TV standards.     

To be fair, there are some bright sparks here. Lee puts on a Hong Kong accent to play an unlikable character. As he wears his chef hat and goes about hurling mean words at people around him, we managed to chuckle a little. Malaysian comedian Afdlin Shauki also does a good job as a taxi driver who has to drive Neo and Ah Niu’s mother son duo to their destination. The spot on comedy moments may be exaggerated, but the roly poly has a natural gift of making people sit up and snicker. Fellow Malaysians Koe and Ah Niu are pleasant to watch = as they share their screen time with the (in)famous Neo as a tai tai wannabe.

Named Karen Neo, the loud and brash character is a gimmick which this reviewer doesn’t buy, even if he is repeatedly told that tolerance should be practised during the festive season.

Movie Rating:



(A sitcom which stretches itself into a feature film)

Review by John Li