Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Rapeepimol Chaisaena
Cast: Patthita Attayatomwittaya, Setsit Limkasitdej, Thiti Vetchabul
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Encore Films & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/encorefilms
Opening Day: 28 February 2013
Synopsis: One morning, beautiful lady, Wipawee, wearing her white bridal gown jumped from 20th floor of apartment. The motivation of her suicide is still questioned and mysterious. It is not an ordinary suicide. There may be something behind the incident. It may involve with the bad spirits, black magic or Thai beliefs. More than anything, this incident is related to 9 other accidents unbelievably. Either the man staying in the other side who fell in love with her, the maid, her close friend, teenage who steal her belongings, father and mother, investigation police, new tenant, and specially her boyfriend. All 9 incidents was told by 12 directors while all will reveal the mysterious and lead to the fearsome roundup.
Movie Review:
Over the years, Thai horror films have proven themselves to be some of the best in the world, and have cultivated high expectations for themselves, especially with psychological masterpieces such as Shutter (2004) and Coming Soon (2008). These expectations will unfortunately be dashed with the latest Thai horror movie to come to cinemas in Singapore, 9.9.81.
9.9.81 is a portmanteau film, meaning that it is made up of a few separate movies put together. In 9.9.81, there are no less than nine short films which essentially tell the same story, but from the point-of-view of different characters. We see the plot unravelling through the eyes of Wipawee’s fiance, her mother, and even the young man who lives in the same apartment block as her who, at the time of her brutal death, had stolen a pair of her panties from the communal laundry.
Apart from the obvious telling of the events through the eyes of nine different characters, having a different director (or directors) for each short film also meant that the story was told from nine separate points-of-view.
The directing styles in each of the nine shorts are largely similer, but one or two of the segments prove to be distinct with their approach to relating the story. Friend, which is told through the experiences of Wipawee’s best-friend is outrightly disturbing while The New Tenant shows a more comical, abstract approach.
That being said, some of the films in the nine would have been better off excluded from the final movie. Towards the third-quarter of 9.9.81, the repetitive narrative structure meant that the film begins to get boring, with the same story essentially being retold over and over again. The occasional revelation was not enough to re-engage the audience. It doesn’t help much that the audience doesn’t get to know every character before they are either killed or their episode in the film ends, and we begin to explore another character instead. The character development was, for the most part, touch and go.
Patitta Attayatamavitaya (who plays Wipawee) and Setthasitt Limkasidej (who plays the character Kong) are a real-life couple, but that did not help the fact that there isn’t much chemistry between their characters on-screen. It’s a pity because their characters are two of the few in this film that the audience has a chance to really connect with for a longer period of time. Even the cliché of the bride killing herself in her wedding dress and the poor portrayal of Wipawee’s mental state overshadows their relationship.
With a poor story and character development, the only saving point of 9.9.81 is its visual appeal. In this regard, the production design and exquisite lighting brought together all nine directorial styles and enabled each segment to flow smoothly into the other. That said, it still isn't up to par with what we have come to expect from Thai horror films - simply put, the effects looked cheap, unconvincing and not very frightening.
On the whole, this is a poorly-executed and sad entry into the Thai horror genre.
Movie Rating:
(Nine films for the price of one, all of which fail to satisfy what one would expect from a Thai horror film)
Review by Nishanthini Ganesan
Genre: Animation
Director: Tatsuya Nagamine
Cast: Ryoko Shinohara, Teruyuki Kagawa, Hochu Ootsuka , Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Nakamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Otani, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Kazuki Yao
RunTime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Fighting Scenes)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 1 February 2013
Synopsis: The story begins with the theft of Dynarock, said to possess energy that rivals that of an ancient weapon, thus putting the New World in danger of being destroyed! The mastermind behind it is Zetto, a legendary ex-Navy admiral, who schemes to wipe out all pirates. It isn’t long before he goes after the Straw Hat Crew, too! Also chasing Luffy and his crew is the Navy’s Justice. Meanwhile, Aokiji has distanced himself from the Navy and is following the Straw Hats… Even in the face of all these mighty powers bearing down, Luffy and crew refuse to stop! With the fate of the New World at stake in this fight, this winter is going to see the hottest ONE PIECE excitement in history!!
Movie Review:
The One Piece manga is one of the most successful manga series worldwide to date. In fact, the series rank at number one for the best-selling manga in history, with over 230 million copies sold to date. Its related merchandise, games and anime receive equally positive reception, proving its unbeatable popularity among people of all ages.
One Piece Film Z is the twelfth feature film based on the manga. Like most One Piece films, this is a character story that is normally not told on the regular television anime. It opens with an immense battle scene, giving focus to the high quality graphics as well as the original sound track composed for the movie. It began well, orientating audiences to the main of the character story, Zetto.
Zetto is an ex-Navy admiral who is all set to reform and reestablish his own ideal of justice in the New World. He aims to wipe out all pirates by borrowing power from the Dynarock, and it was also revealed that he has the motive of resetting the New World. The storyline is one that was dynamic and engaging, going at lengths to explain the character and setting up the background for the story. It was exciting to watch as you journey with the Straw Hat Pirates as they race against time to defeat Zetto and to salvage the New World. Even if you were not with Luffy and gang for the most, you would still be able to understand and enjoy the movie as much.
The charms of the characters are well brought out in the movie, showcasing their colourful personalities and how this group of eccentric people and animals work together as a team. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, is indisputably the star of the movie. His perseverance and sheer determination to attain his goals were inspiring. And he does not even need to try hard to glue the Straw Hat Pirates together, but they simply followed him; he is indeed a born charismatic leader.
In between the animosity and perhaps violence between Zetto, the Straw Hat Pirates and the Navy, it was balanced out with the usual One Piece humour. The candidness and unique personalities surely brought out many jokes. Another bonus to watch out for is the colourful wardrobe of the Straw Hat Pirates. The costumes, namely Armani themed and red themed, were definitely not something that you get to see on the regular TV anime. The amount of detail and design put into them is nothing lack of impressive. Last but not least, another aspect that is really commendable is the accuracy of the subtitles. Trust me, it may seem minor but that makes it so much more enjoyable and easy to watch.
Overall, One Piece Film Z has got to be one of the best One Piece films to date. Complete with the fluidity of action sequences, high quality graphics and brilliant sound track, it is totally deserving of the cinematic release. Although it could get a little sluggish mid-way, the pace of the movie was still well kept altogether. Eventually it leads to a bittersweet ending, which is accompanied by the same opening soundtrack, leaving you with such a strong and poignant imagery.
Movie Rating:
(Outstanding artwork and storyline… as good as anime movie can get!)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
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THE GRANDMASTER gets off to a strong start at the local box office!Posted on 28 Jan 2013 |
Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Director: Amy Heckerling
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Asim Ahmad, Richard Lewis, Kristen Johnston, Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk, Dan Stevens, Todd Barry, Marilu Henner, Zak Orth, Malcolm McDowell
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence And Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/VampsMovie
Opening Day: 7 February 2013
Synopsis: Stacy and Goody have been living the good life as two young and beautiful vampires in contemporary New York City, until love gets in the way and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize their immortality. When night falls, the roommates wake from the coffins in their Greenwich Village apartment to go out and hit the town, attend their night school classes, or hit their graveyard-shift jobs. However, despite their deliberately hidden true identities, the pair’s destiny is set on a new course when love steals into each of their lives. But even in love, the women must overcome obstacles set in motion long ago. Stacy learns that her young beau, Joey, is in fact a descendant of the infamous Van Helsings. Joey’s parents, like their legendary namesake, are expert vampire hunters waging the age-old battle against her kind, so it is up to Stacy to conceal her identity from Joey in the name of her personal safety. When Stacy becomes pregnant, the stage is set for a final reckoning with history. If Stacy wishes to stay with Joey in order to see their unborn child survive pregnancy within the inhospitable conditions of a vampire child-bearer, she and Goody must join forces with the Van Helsings to kill the bloodthirsty Cisserus – the ancient “stem” vampire that turned Goody and Stacy into vampires in the first place. Only by killing Cisserus can Goody and Stacy break the spells and return their souls to the realm of common mortals. Doing so, of course, would require the ultimate sacrifice for both women, but Goody is determined that they live – and die – by her long-held credo: "Sometimes it seems to impossible to make anything good happen, but I guess you have to keep trying."
Movie Review:
This movie is certainly not the answer if one is searching for a film with depth and substance. Vamps is rather entertaining, but the humor is a little overdone at points and most of the time, the script falls flat. The climax doesn’t stray far at all from the comfort zone of the audience. With a lacklusture plot that is too predictable, Vamps simply doesn’t impress.
The script, written by Amy Heckerling, is saved by its one-liners. Injected every now and then into the dialogue, and even then sometimes to the point of being quite unnecessary, they couple the Vampire references of the old to the times of new.
The acting falters especially on the part of the character Stacy, played by Krysten Ritter. Vamps does not hold the level of acting one would expect from notable screen actors such as Alicia Silverstone and Sigourney Weaver. Silverstone did manage to bring a lovable quality to Goody. However, her breakdowns came out of nowhere and didn’t have enough build-up, leading them to be simply too stiff and lacking in any real emotion.
Weaver plays her classic, typecast role of the domineering, female leader. She does nail it with deadly accuracy, but then again, she’s had years of practice. This character of hers has been seen time and time again. One would have thought that she’d have been bored by now, playing the tough, overbearing lady-in-charge.
Most of the Vampires that the audience will see in this film are stereotypes that have been appeared before in cinema; highly steoreotypical, from the classic, Romanian Vampire with the heavy accent, to the lusty alpha-male. At some points, Vamps seems like a satire, but even then it doesn’t go all the way for one to comfortable call it that.
Cinematographically, Vamps is riddled with errors. At one point of time, the 180-degree line is crossed for no apparent reason but a lapse on the part of the filmmakers; and not to mention the level of grain on-screen in many shots.
The makeup and hair are both reminiscent of Beetlejuice(1998) and Dark Shadows(2012). They merely went on to make the movie even more camp. The set design, however, should be commended. The art directors had managed to recreate 1800s America in a manner that was quite pleasing. However, it couldn’t make up for the dismal visual effects.
Overall, a dismal B-Grade movie. Vamps had simply come too late; long after the Vampire far had passed in fact. One cannot help but to wonder about the circumstances under which this movie got released. With a long break between the end of production and the release of this movie, it’s no secret that Vamps had trouble finding distribution. It saw itself going straight to DVD with limited release in some cities, and for good reason. This is definitely not a film for the more serious movie-goer.
Movie Rating:
(Your everyday chick-flick with a vampire twist, that doesn’t require much deep-thinking on the part of the audience in order to be enjoyed)
Review by Nishanthini Ganesan
SYNOPSIS: TO ROME WITH LOVE is a kaleidoscopic comedy movie set in one of the world’s most enchanting cities. The film brings us into contact with a well-known American architect reliving his youth; an average middle-class Roman who suddenly finds himself Rome’s biggest celebrity; a young provincial couple drawn into separate romantic encounters; and an American opera director endeavoring to put a singing mortician on stage. Well-known architect John (Alec Baldwin) is vacationing in Rome, where he once lived in his youth. Walking in his former neighborhood he encounters Jack (Jesse Eisenberg), a young man not unlike himself. As he watches Jack fall head-over-heels for Monica (Ellen Page), his girlfriend Sally’s (Greta Gerwig) dazzling and flirtatious friend, John relives one of the most romantically painful episodes of his own life. At the same moment, retired opera director Jerry (Woody Allen) flies to Rome with his wife Phyllis (Judy Davis), to meet their daughter Hayley’s (Alison Pill) Italian fiancée, Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti). Jerry is amazed to hear Michelangelo’s undertaker father, Giancarlo (renowned tenor Fabio Armiliato) singing arias worthy of La Scala while lathering up in the shower. Convinced that talent that prodigious cannot be kept hidden, Jerry clutches at the opportunity to promote Giancarlo and rejuvenate his own career. Leopoldo Pisanello (Roberto Benigni) on the other hand is an exceptionally boring guy, who wakes up one morning and finds himself one of the most famous men in Italy with many unanswered questions. Soon the paparazzi trail his every move and question his every motivation. As Leopoldo grows accustomed to the varied seductions of the limelight, he gradually realizes the cost of fame. Meanwhile, Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) has arrived from the provinces in Rome hoping to impress his straight-laced relatives with his lovely new wife Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) so that he can get an upscale big city job. Through comic misunderstanding and chance, the couple 4 is separated for the day. Antonio ends up passing off a stranger (Penélope Cruz) as his wife, while Milly is romanced by legendary movie star Luca Salta (Antonio Albanese). While Rome is a city abundant with romance and comedy, Woody Allen’s TO ROME WITH LOVE is about people having adventures that will change their lives forever.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There is a reason why Woody Allen’s career has spanned over six decades. The acclaimed director, writer, playwright and comedian has such a distinct voice of his own that no one can replicate his trademark sense of humor and sharp writing.
Finding box-office success in the European market in recent years, Allen turned to Rome in his latest directorial piece, “To Rome With Love” comprising of four vignettes starring an ensemble cast including Allen himself, Spanish sex siren Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Roberto Benigni and a bunch of talented Italian actors that are unknown to this part of the world.
Allen plays a retired opera director, Jerry who flew into Rome with his wife, Phyllis to meet their daughter’s fiancé, Michelangelo and his family. To Jerry’s surprise, Michelangelo’s caretaker dad, Giancarlo is such an accomplished opera singer in the shower that Jerry is determined to showcase his talent to the public. Populated with Allen’s best one-liners and downright silliness (the joke is Giancarlo can’t sing without his shower so he has to perform on stage with a makeshift mobile shower facility), Allen’s segment is joyous to follow and no doubt serves as the highlight out of the four.
The second interwoven story involves a successful architect, John (Alec Baldwin) visiting a former neighbourhood where he lived in his youth. It’s there where he met Jack, (Jesse Eisenberg), a young American architectural student living with his beautiful girlfriend, Sally (Greta Gerwig). Sally’s best friend, Monica (Ellen Page) is coming to Rome for a visit and during this period, Jack finds himself falling deep in love with Monica, a pretentious and indecisive wannabe actress. Is John serving as Jack’s inner voice and conscious? Or is John actually the older version of Jack? This story takes a bit of patience to follow but the result is satisfying.
The weaker segments belong to a newly married Italian couple who came to the big city for a meetup with the groom’s rich uncle. Penelope Cruz appears here playing a sexy prostitute who finds herself in the hotel room of the groom while the bride lost her way to the salon and being tempted to the bed of a veteran Italian superstar. With the occasional funny moments, it’s hard to justify what kind of marital message Allen is trying to convey here. The last story has Academy Award winner Roberto Benigni playing Leopoldo, an ordinary married office worker who wakes up one morning to find himself a famous man. Paparazzi followed him everywhere, young pretty women await to bed with him and he gets to attend grand movie premieres in chauffeured limousine. This might be Allen’s jibe at the current celebrity craze unfortunately it goes on far too long and boring.
If you have enjoyed Allen’s last effort, “Midnight In Paris” then you might be slightly disappointed by the uneven “To Rome With Love”. Still, Darius Khondji’s beautiful cinematography of Rome and Allen’s charm make up for all the clumsiness of the script.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Aided by a strong cinematography that comprises frequent shots of a clear, bright Rome, the visual is stunning and natural. Dialogue clarity is omnipresent though ambient sound effects and music is at times constrained by the 2.0 soundtrack.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: From Disney and creative genius Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, The Nightmare Before Christmas) comes the hilarious and offbeat Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life - with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor's fellow students, teachers and the entire town learn that getting a new 'leash on life' can be monstrous.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It wouldn’t come as a surprise if “Frankenweenie” were inspired by Tim Burton’s own childhood. The eccentric director whose movies had always include themes of death and the supernatural is back in doing what he does best and “Frankenweenie” is indeed alive with Burton’s trademarks.
An expanded version of Burton’s 1984 short film of the same name, “Frankenweenie” tells the story of a talented loner school boy, Victor who embark on a scientific experiment of his own to revive his dead dog, Sparky after his beloved pet dog is killed in a car accident. However, Victor’s successful resurrection of Sparky comes with dire consequences as his jealous classmates came to learn of the incident. Infested with monsters of all kinds after his classmates attempted similar experiments, Victor and Sparky must save the quiet town of New Holland before it’s too late.
For a start, it’s pretty tricky to adapt a short story to a feature length movie. John August who is tasked with the thankless job fortunately filled the story with enough campy humor, nods to monster movies and adventure to sustain the brief 87 minutes running time. Still, there are numerous characters liked Victor’s next door neighbor, Elsa and his equally weird science teacher, Mr. Rzykrusk that deserved more screentime. Occasionally, you can’t help but feels that a whole lot of other characters are simply there to prolong the playful tale.
Yet, the stop-motion animation works by British outfit, Three Mills Studios (who also did Burton’s “Bride Corpse”) is so beautifully crafted and dazzling to the eyes that you probably forgive the narrative’s missteps. The envision of “Frankenweenie” as a black-and-white movie by Burton might need a while to adjust to but it turns out to be wackily fitting to the somber, gothic mood of the genuinely touching story of a boy and his canine companion.
The insane finale, which pays tributes to monster movie “Godzilla”, is a riot to watch and comes pretty much a shocking surprise if you are watching “Frankenweenie” for the first time. Younger kids might find the ghoulish subject matter a tad hard to swallow but for the older audience, this is one macabre title that is incredibly entertaining after similar offerings such as “Paranorman” and “Hotel Transylvania” in the year 2012.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Frankenweenie Touring Exhibit is a brief 5 minutes that introduce audience to the models, photographs that are showcased at the touring exhibit. A Plain White T's "Pet Sematary" Music Video is also included for the extra features.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The soundtrack is immersive, robust and rear speaker activity is pretty aggressive for a stop-motion title. Details are overall crisp and images stunning for the black-and-white movie.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Clarence Fok
Cast: Donnie Yen, Michelle Chen, Angelababy, Kai Ko, Bosco Wong, Chrissie Chau, Vincci Cheuk, Jin Gang, Eric Kot, Evergreen Mak, Hui Siu-Hung, Kingdom Yuen, Fama
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: GV & Clover Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 February 2013
Synopsis: When one’s memory is wiped out, where will love be stored? If your loved one forgets you, would you have the courage to face it? Traffic police Cool (Donnie Yen) suffers from a disease that prevents him from smiling. He meets the amnesiac Jojo (Michelle Chen), her shared experience of being sick leads her to build trust in Cool, while igniting his concealed yet delicate love. Cool’s revelation angers his girlfriend (Chrissie Chau) which leads to their break-up. However, an amnesiac episode occurs when Jojo's fiance reappears, which completely wipes out Jojo’s memory of Cool. Cool slowly understands loving someone is not to possess her, but to wish her happiness.
When secrets creep into a relationship, without a good reason to give up, can we deal with it earnestly? Wiretapping team member Boy (Kai Ko) is a shut-in with a lovely personality and great aspirations. He meets Nam Lee (Angelababy) during an operation and part with discord, but Boy soon falls for this ambitious and independent girl who first seems superficial and materialistic. They decide to play a game of “Seven Days of Romance”, during which they only enjoy romance and not love. Boy plans many romantic dates, but it is his unique “pork chop dish” that wins her heart. The company Nam works for is under investigation of commercial fraud. Boy is assigned to investigate Nam, during which Boy finds out her handsome and wealthy boss Mr. Lam (Bosco Wong) is interested in her. Not knowing her innocence, Boy struggles in the relationship with the girl he desperately wanted to hold on.
Movie Review:
Which guy in the right mind would break up with a girlfriend as hot as Chrissie Chau - even if he is someone as unflappable as Donnie Yen? Ok we digress, but that is the most lasting impression we have of ‘Together’, a shockingly inept movie that can’t quite decide what it wants to be nor knows how to get there. Billed as a rom-com, it is anything but, since it possesses not one shred of comedy – or for that matter, romance. Instead, amidst the construct of the latter, it adds in both mystery and thriller elements, but the awkward combination falls flat right from the get-go.
There are two unrelated stories here, neither of which prove to be engaging. The first has action star Donnie Yen playing a police officer simply called Cool Sir (an apt but lame name), who falls in love with an amnesiac named Jojo (Michelle Chen, or better known as the girl from ‘You Are the Apple of My Eye) whom he stops for speeding one day. Turns out the paths of Cool Sir and Jojo have crossed before – as a recurring flashback hints – and that encounter had left Jojo with her current condition and Cool Sir with a rare inability to smile.
Contrived though it may sound, we are still willing to take Cool Sir’s temporary disability at face value – if only the quintet of writers (including Hong Kong’s Law Yiu-Fai and Mainland China’s Guo Le, Li Xiaofeng, Wang Hui and Qin Shuang) had weaved a more convincing story between him and Jojo. As it is, we are not told why Cool Sir is drawn to Jojo (and would therefore break up with his on-off girlfriend played by Chrissie!). Neither are we told why Jojo’s parents and best friend would seem to cotton on to their budding affinity at first, and then later on try to keep Cool Sir away from Jojo when her absentee fiancée of two years turns up unexpectedly.
That mid-act twist makes the obligatory happily-ever-after ending even more unbelievable, and with such thinly drawn characters, we’re not surprised that Donnie and Michelle share close to zero chemistry with each other. In particular, we pity Donnie, who must have taken a calculated risk accepting the lead role in a romantic film next to the considerably younger Michelle. Just about the most inspired thing that the scriptwriters could come up with is that absurd disability his character is saddled with, which in effect gives him an excuse to look serious all the time – but hey if you’ve seen his Lunar New Year movies All’s Well Ends Well 2011 and 2012, you’ll know Donnie can do comedy when the role is right.
Even more terrible is the other half of the movie, which pairs Taiwanese star Kai Ko (essentially Michelle’s other half from that hit movie “You Are the Apple of My Eye”) with Angelababy. Kai Ko is Boy, the youngest member of an expert team of police officers specialising in wiretapping simply (or inanely), while Angelababy is Nam Lee, a fast-rising employee of a ‘Newater-like’ company. Using just about the most popular social media app in Mainland China today (i.e. WeChat), the two bump into each other one day and decide to play a game to date each other for seven days but not to fall in love.
Well of course they do, and insofar as the seven days are concerned, there is a fairly whimsical tone that fits the sunny personalities of both Boy and Nam Lee nicely. Yet again, the scriptwriters attempt to be smarter than they actually are by engineering a mid-act twist, this time in the form of Nam Lee’s smarmy CEO (Bosco Wong), who Boy and his team are investigating for commercial fraud. That becomes the source of unnecessary tension between the two, with Boy filled with suspicion at Nam Lee’s possible duplicity and therefore stalking her day and night.
As with the first story, the twist is forced and superfluous, adding little to make the love between Boy and Nam Lee any more convincing. Yet unlike the one with Cool Sir and Jojo, at least Kai Ko and Angelababy look better suited for each other, the former’s straight-laced act a good complement for the latter’s spiritedness. Still, it is neither imaginative enough as a fantasy nor realistic enough as a real-life story, and displays an inordinate tendency to take unnecessary detours with needless supporting acts like Taiwanese star King Kong as an over-eager delivery man (whom Boy hires to send his signature pork chop rice to Nam Lee on a daily basis as well) as well as Benz Hui and Kingdom Yuen as Boy’s parents.
It isn’t just the story that leaves much to be desired; the storytelling is just as dreadful. We’re not quite sure why director Clarence Fok was picked to direct this – after all besides some cheesily entertaining ‘80s movies, the guy has entirely no credibility in front of the camera. And ‘Together’ is ample proof of his incompetence – individual scenes have little payoff; the transition between them shows no attempt at pacing; and worst of all, his idea of being romantic is as one-note and shallow as stitching together images of characters looking wistfully at each other in slo-mo while a sappy ballad plays (complete with lyrics at the side, we may add).
Of all the all-star ensemble rom-coms we’ve seen in recent years, ‘Together’ is unequivocally the worst of the lot, a toxic combination of bad scripting and appallingly non-existent direction draining away any hope that the cast might make the watch worthwhile. Indeed, you’re probably interested in the movie for one of two reasons – to watch Donnie Yen in an uncharacteristic role and/or to watch Michelle Chen and Kai Ko reteam in a movie. We’ll do you a favour by telling you straight-off that Donnie is utterly wasted in the role, and Michelle Chen and Kai Ko do not even appear together (pun intended) in any of the scenes. So yes, there are plenty of reasons why ‘Together’ is a sure contender for one of the worst movies of the year – and why anyone would break up with Chrissie Chau is a good place as any to start.
Movie Rating:
(Let's put it this way - if your other half were as humourless and as unromantic as 'Together', you'll file for separation right away)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Martial Arts
Director: Herman Yau
Cast: Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Anita Yuen, Jordan Chan, Gillian Chung, Timmy Hung, Xiong Xin Xin, Ken Low, Ip Chun
RunTime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 March 2013
Synopsis: In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man is reluctantly called into action once more, when what begin as simple challenges from rival kung fu styles soon draw him into the dark and dangerous underworld of the Traids. Now, to defend life and honour, he has no choice but to fight one last time...
Movie Review:
Is it too soon for yet another story based on the life of the legendary Wing Chun grandmaster? Well, seeing as how utterly disappointing Wong Kar Wai’s version was, the answer is an empathetic yes. Here to revive hope that there is still much we have yet to see about Ip Man’s life is Herman Yau’s ‘Ip Man: The Final Fight’, a sequel of sorts to his much flashier predecessor ‘Ip Man: The Legend is Born’ that focuses on the character’s middle to later years.
Like Donnie Yen’s ‘Ip Man 2’, this one begins in 1949 as Ip Man (Anthony Wong) arrives in Hong Kong from Foshan to settle into a humble room on the roof of a three-storey shophouse. Thanks to a chance encounter with martial arts enthusiast Leung Sheung (Timmy Hung, better known as son of Sammo Hung), Ip gains a small following of working-class individuals to start a makeshift Wing Chun school without needing to go against his nature to advertise his craft.
It might seem like a motley crew – including a policeman (Jordan Chan), a seamstress and union activist (Jiang Luxia), a waitress at a dim-sum restaurant (Gillian Chung), a prison officer (Marvel Chow) and a tram driver – but there’s no denying their passion to learn, and at least at the start, how close-knit a group they make. Yet the circumstances then don’t make it any easier for Ip nor for his students, and it is from casting the fates of Ip and his disciples against a constantly evolving but always tumultuous Hong Kong in the 1950s to 1970s that Yau’s film truly comes alive.
Similarities to Alex Law’s ‘Echoes of the Rainbow’ are not unjustified, since Yau clearly evokes the same sense of nostalgia for the period during which the former was also set. Expertly weaving several disparate themes, screenwriter Erica Li deftly paints a vivid picture of a colony rocked by tensions between the unions and their companies, infighting between the various martial arts schools, corruption of the local police and most importantly, the struggle of ordinary folk to make ends meet and provide for their family.
Li draws on these real-life historical contexts to delineate the fates of Ip and his disciples, in particular that of Tang Sing (Chan) and Wong Tung (Chow). Among the disciples, Tang Sing’s character is the most fully-fleshed, depicted as a good man caught in a moral crisis between following his conscience (as Ip advises) and the temptations of power and money in his position of authority. Tang’s choice to side with the infamous kingpin named Dragon (Xiong Xin Xin) behind many of the illegal activities taking place inside the notorious Kowloon Walled City inevitably entwines Wong Tung, and by extension the entire Ip Man clan that culminates in the titular showdown.
That finale is but one of four thrilling action setpieces, and easily the most gripping and exhilarating one. First within the confines of an illegal boxing ring in a warehouse and then along the exterior windswept alley battered by the onslaught of an imminent typhoon, action choreographers Li Chung Chi and Checkley Sin let the climactic fight between Ip Man and Dragon play out – the joy here not solely being from seeing veteran martial arts actor Xiong Xin Xin show off his impressive moves, but also from how Anthony Wong’s one-year training in Wing Chun has truly paid off. Of course, that is also apparent from the earlier sequences, in particular one in which Ip Man squares off in a friendly closed-door bout with rival ‘White Crane’ master Ng Chun (comedian Eric Tsang in a fantastic cameo that shows off his agility quite certainly honed from his former days as a stuntman).
Besides demonstrating a facet of Anthony Wong’s acting repertoire that is rarely seen (fun fact – the man is a dedicated practitioner of the ‘Monkey Fist’ style), this portrayal of Ip Man also benefits from the dramatic skills of arguably one of the best actors in Hong Kong cinema today. While Tony Leung’s was just like any other of his from other Wong Kar Wai collaborations and Donnie Yen’s was probably more stagey than who Ip Man was in real life, Wong’s depiction is – we dare say – the most nuanced that captures both the man’s humble dispositions and his internal struggles.
The latter is also thanks to a multi-layered script that doesn’t just dwell on the aspects of Ip Man’s life that pertain to his martial artistry, but also his personal life in relation to his wife Yong Cheng (Anita Yuen) and his son (Mainland actor Zhang Song Wen). The first Ip Man film so far to pay due attention to what must have been one of his greatest regrets spending the large part of his postwar years apart from wife and son, it just as poignantly reveals his gentle affection for a Shanghainese songstress Jenny (Zhou Chuchu) - despite the veiled objections of his students - that again finds closure in death. Wong is absolutely brilliant in these intimate moments of Ip Man’s life, and it’s hard to imagine a more befitting actor here to play the role.
In choosing to illuminate the less ostentatious but more relatable characteristics of Ip Man’s twilight years, Yau’s film truly stands apart from the other four films that have come before it. Less concerned about the legend than the Man behind it, ‘Ip Man: The Final Fight’ is the most heartfelt one yet about him, with an assured and sensitive directorial hand from Yau guiding a well-written script and a terrific lead performance by Anthony Wong as well as fine supporting acts from Jordan Chan, Eric Tsang and Chuchu. Even though it doesn’t have Donnie Yen’s star power or the marquee names of Wong Kar Wai and Tony Leung, this is a beautiful film that offers a well-balanced perspective of Ip Man’s later years against the rich backdrop of post-World War II Hong Kong.
Whether out of coincidence or some shrewd planning is not clear, but its ending with Ip Man meeting a young, naïve and cocky Bruce Lee could not have been more appropriate. Hinting that the relationship between master and disciple isn’t as simple as one might have assumed given their differing personalities, it is a perfect scene-setter for Donnie Yen’s next take on the character, the recently announced ‘Ip Man 3’ that will delve into how Bruce Lee becomes Ip Man’s disciple. In the larger context of the Ip Man films, this is more than a worthy addition for the reasons articulated above, and a major contender for some weighty honours come awards season (Best Actor – Anthony Wong anyone?).
Movie Rating:
(More a Ip Man movie than Wong Kar Wai’s ever was, this beautifully realised portrait of the man’s later to twilight years is heartwarming, poignant and thrilling at different times, with an exceptionally nuanced performance by Anthony Wong in the titular role)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Martial-Arts
Director: Wong Ching-Po
Cast: Philip Ng, Sammo Hung, Andy On, Jiang Luxia, Michelle Hu
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 January 2014
Synopsis: In the early 20th century, labourers from all over the country were rushing to the flourishing city of Shanghai. Ma Yongzhen (Philip Ng), a youthful man from Shangdong, arrived at this prosperous city working as a dock labourer. He moves to Shanghai in the hope of becoming rich. But ends up using his kung fu skills to survive and against the evil Japanese.
Movie Review:
At a time when the hopes and dreams of every martial arts movie junkie seem to rise and fall with the coming and going of a Donnie Yen film, the pedigree behind ‘Once Upon A Time in Shanghai’ reads like a wish come true. Leading the cast is the Wing Chun practitioner cum action choreographer Philip Ng, the wushu and Jackie Chan Stunt Team-trained Andy On and last but not least the no-need-for-further-introduction Sammo Hung; but perhaps even more astounding is that the action is directed by none other than Yuen Woo-Ping, who is undoubtedly a legend in his own right.
And indeed, the fight scenes are nothing short of impressive. Together with veteran action star cum choreographer Yuen Chung Yan, Yuen Woo Ping demonstrates why he is the grandmaster (pun intended) of martial arts direction. Every scene exhibits a spontaneous fluidity, one move leading to another ever so effortlessly and gracefully, and the result is balletic and beautiful in its own right. It certainly helps that the Yuens are working with real-life martial artists; despite weeks and even (in the case of Tony Leung) months of training, there is nothing quite like seeing true blue actors trained and raised on martial arts going at each other and complementing each other’s styles at the same time.
Intended as a showcase for the Hong Kong-born, American-raised Ng, the multi-talented 28-year-old doesn’t disappoint in the action department. The film opens with him standing up for a little girl against a group of bullies en route to Shanghai, and right from the start, Ng recalls the form, physique and intensity of Bruce Lee. He gets his first real opponent to speak of in his duel with Andy On, the ferocity and swiftness of their mutually matched blows astounding to watch. And then there is of course the extended climax, in which he takes on a trio of venerable martial arts actors including his choreographer Chung Yan, Chen Kuan-Tai and Fung Hak-On, before moving on to a younger and equally well-matched adversary in budding Mainland actor and wushu-trained Mao Jun Jie.
Those looking for Ng to have a showdown with Sammo Hung however will have to wait for another movie - both of them are cast as the good guys, with Hung playing the village head of that which Ng becomes a part of and whose younger daughter he eventually falls in love with. We might as well caution you too that Hung doesn’t show off much of his prowess here; in fact, while he may receive equal billing with Ng and On, he is pretty much a second-degree supporting act, that ‘alliance of kung fu masters’ between Hung and Yuen Woo-Ping that the poster speaks of quite misleading in our opinion. But even with that notable omission, the action here is among some of the best we have seen in recent years in a period martial arts movie, and more than lives up to the hype that fans must have had since the announcement of the collaboration between Ng and Yuen one and a half years ago.
Next to the fighting, the rest of the movie plays like a companion piece to scriptwriter and producer Wong Jing’s ‘The Last Tycoon’. Like the latter, this one is also set in Shanghai in the 1920s and 30s, the ‘City of Dreams’ which attracted many from other provinces in China seeking fortune and fame. Like the latter too, there is an underworld element to the story, this time in the form of Andy On’s Long Qi (or literally ‘Dragon Seven’ in Mandarin). And finally, like the latter, there is a strong whiff of patriotism, as Ng’s labourer Ma Yongzhen and Long Qi join forces to defeat the Japanese spies infiltrating the city with an insidious agenda to take over it. Jing’s script may not be compelling, but it provides an engaging enough narrative glue to hold the action scenes together.
Amidst it all, it is perhaps easy to forget that there is a young director Wong Ching-Po at the helm. A rather unlikely choice given his filmography, Wong’s contributions here are evident in the surprisingly artful touches the film boasts. You have to credit Wong not only for giving the movie a classy feel, but also for reining in the possible excesses of Wong Jing’s script - after all, a similar clichéd love story spun between Ng and Jiang Lu Xia as well as On and nightclub singer Michelle Hu Ran avoids the melodrama of ‘The Last Tycoon’ no doubt because of Wong’s restraint.
Yes, this is probably one of the rare martial arts films that you can call elegant, and we’re not talking about the action choreography. But of course, the attention here is on the up-and-rising star Philip Ng, his magnetic and perhaps even more charismatic co-star Andy On, as well as the esteemed Yuen Woo-Ping. If it isn’t obvious enough, the fights are nothing less than thrilling, building up to an exhilarating finale that you’ll want to watch and savour more than once. As a remake of the 1972 film ‘The Boxer from Shantung’ in which Chen Kuan-tai played the titular character, it is also a splendid throwback to the old-school action movies which the Hong Kong film industry was founded on. But even if that little nugget doesn’t tickle your fancy, you’ll still find this a fine period action movie that more than lives up to its pedigree.
Movie Rating:
(One of them true-blue old-school martial arts films that boasts impressively staged action sequences and some surprisingly elegant artistic touches)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Dean Parisot
Cast: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lee Byung-hun, David Thewlis, Anthony Hopkins, Neal McDonough
RunTime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: PG (Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://red-themovie.com/
Opening Day: 1 August 2013
Synopsis: In RED 2, the high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide sleeper hit, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they'll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world-and stay alive in the process.
Movie Review:
Defying conventional Hollywood logic, ‘Red’ (or short for ‘Retired: Extremely Dangerous’) cast a bunch of actors all above the age of 50 as aging spies forced back into action when their lives are threatened by the very agencies they used to serve. And yet, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren turned the 2010 risky high-concept movie into a sleeper hit, thanks to a firm tongue-in-cheek sensibility that emphasised the actors’ ages as much as it did the action.
And along with Mary-Louise Parker as Willis’ earlier squeeze and Brian Cox as Mirren’s former love, Willis, Malkovich and Mirren are back for yet another geezers-with-guns action adventure. Even better, the cast list includes the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins, the former playing a Russian double agent who used to have the hots for Willis and the latter a daffy Cold War-era nuclear scientist that may or may not have the answers to their latest embroilment into international espionage.
‘Red 2’ is one of those sequels which rewards fans of the original, especially since returning scriptwriters Jon and Erich Hoeber pick up with Frank Moses (Willis) and Sarah (Parker) having settled down into a quiet and routine coupled life. But as ‘Red’ amply demonstrated, the former telephone operator craves for a life of excitement more than the CIA retiree, and so when Frank’s paranoid former partner Marvin Boggs (Malkovich) turns up with yet another conspiracy theory about a Cold War weapons project named Nightshade that just got hot, Sarah jumps at the chance at getting back into action with Frank.
Though initially reluctant, Frank is once again back to doing what he does best when a murderous Pentagon special agent named Jack Horton (Neal McDonough in yet another icy arrogant villainous role) threatens his and Sarah’s life. A surprisingly twisty plot ensues around the madcap vignettes that make up the rest of the movie, with Frank’s former MI6 British counterpart Victoria (Mirren) sent to take Frank and Marvin out and ruthless South Korean contract killer Han (Lee Byung-Hun) recruited by Jack for exactly the same task.
To the Hoebers’ credit, at no point does the busy plot ever come off throwaway, despite of course being the narrative glue for the various globe-trotting setpieces that see our heroes go from Paris to London to Moscow. Every city introduces a new piece of the puzzle, which ultimately proves cleverer than one expects it to be. Ditto for the bevy of characters, each of them with their own distinct quirks to add flavour to the entire package. Yes, though it’s inevitable that some get more screen time than others, every role seems specifically tailored to the actor’s strengths - whether Zeta-Jones’ sultry old flame Katja or David Thewlis’ information dealer ‘The Frog’ or Hopkins’ shifty scientist Edward Bailey with a questionable case of amnesia.
Certainly, the ensemble cast contribute in no small measure to the roster of sprightly characters. Each and every one seem to relish not only the opportunity to work together, but also the chance to play against age and type. Willis keeps his cheeky wink-wink grin throughout, perhaps even more so now that he gets to romance not one but two beautiful ladies at the same time. Malkovich and Parker get some hilarious scenes together, in particular one in which the former is seen alternately exasperated and terrified at the latter’s sheer aggressive driving skills trying to outchase Zeta-Jones at capturing ‘The Frog’ down the streets of Paris. Mirren is once again a standout, absolutely regal portraying a woman with class and steeliness; while Hopkins is perfect as the inscrutably bumbling scientist with more up his sleeve. It’s any director’s dream come true to have such an impeccable cast, even more so when everyone knows exactly what the material expects of him or her.
In that coveted position is Dean Parisot, who takes over from Robert Schwentke by retaining much of the former film’s mix of wry humour and over-the-top action. Obviously benefiting from a larger budget no doubt because of the success of its predecessor, Parisot amplifies the action to more ludicrous heights, with plenty of shootouts, car chases, bomb explosions and Mirren shooting pistols in two directions simultaneously from inside a spinning car. This is the kind of overblown action that characterised the high-octane baby-boomer action comedies of the 80s and 90s, and we suspect that the older audience that this is skewed towards will indeed be having a blast.
But really, with such a game cast of veterans, it’s hard to resist throwing all caution and credibility out the window to simply revel in the kind of cartoonish live-action Hollywood was built and marketed on. Even though what was fresh the first time round feels a bit more familiar now, there is still much fun to be had in the banter and bullets. If summer popcorn fare is built on escapism, then the reunion of ‘Really Entertaining Dudes’ is just that sort of entertainment.
Movie Rating:
(Returning to the formula of witty banter and over-the-top action, this reunion of aging spies back in action is still plenty of escapist fun)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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