SYNOPSIS: An alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop-forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Vrataski take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Never underestimate the power of Tom Cruise. He might have received a lot of backlash for his personal life but his choice of movies and his dedication to his craft is nevertheless a triumph over many negative reports.
An adaptation of a Japanese short novel and originally named All You Need is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow is a superb, meticulously entertaining sci-fi flick worthy of live-die-repeat viewings I must say.
Directed by Doug Liman (the guy whom everyone tends to forget and credit for kicking off The Bourne fanchise and Mr and Mrs Smith), the movie opens with a certain deskbound PR officer, Major William Cage (Cruise) who is unwittingly sent to the battlefield by a no-nonsense General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson). It’s the future and the world is being invaded by a ruthless, faceless alien species dubbed the Mimics. While the army is facing a losing battle, Cage finds himself strangely repeating the loop of dying after battling an alien up-close. From a solider that has never been field trained, Cage with the help of Sergeant Rita (Emily Blunt) must find a loophole in the aliens attack and in turn save the world from extinction.
Making use of the Groundhog Day approach, Edge of Tomorrow oftendelivers fast-paced action, incredible humor and quirky time travel logic simultaneously. All thanks to the tight script, which was rewrote several times over and amended by Cruise’s frequently collaborator Christopher McQuarrie. Liman hardly recycled the action bits and even that; he opted to shoot it from different camera angles thus keeping the sequence fun and generally refreshing for the audience.
Edge of Tomorrow also benefitted from the supporting cast such as Bill Paxton playing a tough Master Sergeant and Emily Blunt putting in her first gung-ho performance as a heroine. It’s hard to imagine someone else playing the role of William Cage other than Cruise. He is at times goofy, at times getting himself horribly killed and most of the time playing the exo-suit equipped hero battling tentacled aliens. There’s seriously not much stars out there that could rival Cruise’s charisma.
If there’s one thing that have to nitpick about the overall cleverly conceived Edge of Tomorrow, it’s the disappointing concluding last act. The aliens with their extraterrestrial badass killing antics are easily subdued which reminds one of Independence Day. In spite of this, this is a must-watch sci-fi flick of 2014. The visual effects are flawless, the sound as loud with everything else, smarter and sharper than a movie with transforming robots.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Weapons of the Future is an 8 minutes segment that discuss the practical exo-suit wore by the cast members and the various physical stunts involved.
Creatures Not of This World discusses the look of the alien creatures and how their physicality and movement is conceived.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Details and imaging are insane in the visual department and the Dolby Digital 5.1 is no doubt an outstanding achievement with realistic madness and chaotic surround effects especially during the assault sequences.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Director Robert Luketic and screenwriters Jason Dean Hall and Barry Levy team up to adapt author Joseph Finder's novel centering on a tech-savvy twentysomething who becomes a corporate spy for a scheming businessman. Determined to make the most of his new job at Wyatt Telecom, Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) is horrified when a felonious mistake earns him the wrath of unforgiving CEO Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman). Typically, Wyatt's first response would be to throw a lawbreaking employee under the bus. But this time he's willing to cut a deal: Should Adam agree to infiltrate Wyatt Telecom's chief rival, the CEO will turn a blind eye to his employee's error. In no time Adam is climbing the corporate ladder straight to the top. No one suspects a thing, and Wyatt is gaining a distinct advantage over the competition. Later, upon realizing that his success is a mere illusion and he's become a simple pawn in a much bigger game, Adam hatches an ingenious plan to get out of his situation before it's too late.
MOVIE REVIEW:
According to the filmmakers, corporate espionage is more common than espionage between countries. Sounds comforting enough.
Paranoia which material is based on a bestseller by Joseph Finder (the Ashley Judd’s thriller High Crimes was based on his book as well) is far from the page-turner that people proclaimed the novel to be. Perhaps the fault lies with Jason Hall and Barry Levy’s screenplay, which is ridiculously mundane and never quite believable to be a high-end espionage thriller for the big screen.
Thor’s younger brother Liam Hemsworth is Adam Cassidy, an engineer who is blackmailed by his boss, Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman) into committing corporate espionage after he is caught abusing company funds for leisure. His task is to infiltrate into Wyatt’s former mentor and now rival, Jock Goddard’s (Harrison Ford) company and steals his revolutionary prototype cellphone. In order to do so, he needs to first win over the heart of Emma Jennings (Amber Heard), the Director of marketing to gain access to Goddard’s secret vault or faced seeing the death of his father and close friends.
Aussie director Robert Luketic who broke into Hollywood with Legally Blonde fumbles with the given material and the final product offers not a single ounce of suspense and thrill despite having a desperate man as the central character and a high stake game of technology and business as the backdrop. You probably still recall the reason why Tom Cruise runs away from all his corrupted colleagues in The Firm but you won’t even remember Liam Hemsworth’s plight in Paranoia once the credits end.
Yet, it’s nothing short of a miracle how the lackluster script managed to attract a busload of big and familiar names. There are of course Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman that needs no further introduction, the soon-to-be Mrs Depp, Amber Heard, Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class) as Adam’s best friend, Julian “NIP/TUCK” McMahon as Wyatt’s henchman, Josh “LOST” Holloway as a blink-and-miss FBI agent and the most interesting of all, Richard “JAWS” Dreyfuss as Adam’s dad.
Having matinee good looks sure isn’t enough; Liam Hemsworth needs better scripts and acting classes. Paranoia is worthwhile only for watching both Ford and Oldman gritting their dentures and snarling at each other.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Players is a 5 minutes segment that interviews the main cast and crew.
The Paranoia Begins talks briefly about the source material by Joseph Finder.
Privacy Is Death is another short segment that has the cast and crew mumbles about cameras and stuff.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visually, the movie looks sleek, prim and proper on DVD. In terms of audio, excellent especially when Ford mumbles or Oldman having an outburst and pumping music courtesy of Junkie XL, you never miss a beat.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Rob Minkoff
Cast: Ty Burrell, Allison Janney, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Lake Bell, Leslie Mann, Ariel Winter, Stanley Tucci, Mel Brooks
RunTime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: G
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website:
Opening Day: 6 March 2014
Synopsis: Mr. Peabody, the world’s smartest talking dog, has invented a time machine he calls the WABAC, which enables Peabody and his adopted human son Sherman to witness world-changing events first hand. But when Sherman breaks the rules of time travel, our two heroes find themselves in a race to repair history and save the future.
Movie Review:
To the uninitiated, it may come as a surprise that “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is based off a slapstick cartoon in the 60s about a genius dog and his “pet boy”. Billed as a “cartoon for adults”, it straddled both target groups of kids and parents. Director Rob Minkoff (“The Lion King” – but don’t expect anything similar) dusts off its vintage origins and repackages the cartoon for the big screen in 2014. This time round, Mr. Peabody (Ty Burell) is a genius dog who has proven himself worthy of being an adoptive parent of the human boy Sherman, after graduating from Harvard, riding a Vespa, mastering a myriad of musical instruments, excelling at every sport and even manipulating the space-time fabric to invent a working time machine, known as The Way Back. Young and impressionable, Sherman (Max Charles) is sprightly and eager to please. The two travel back in time to learn the truth about historical events by coming face-to-face with the people who made history – not just what’s in the history books or Wikipedia.
But all that academic theory being drilled into Sherman doesn’t necessarily prepare him for the school of hard knocks, which in Hollywood movies is often really just school: jealous classmate Penny (Ariel Winter) cruelly makes Sherman a lunchtime spectacle after he overrides her contribution in class with a dubious claim that contradicts common knowledge (courtesy of The Way Back). Ridiculing him for his abnormal parentage, the incident turns ugly when Sherman bites the girl’s arm and ends up under the disciplinary spotlight. With the right to his son’s custody being questioned, Mr. Peabody invites Penny and her parents over to their home in a bid to persuade them to settle things informally. Sherman does his best to appease Penny, ultimately turning to the last resort of defying his father’s explicit warning not to use The Way Back.
What follows is a journey through time as Sherman and Penny stumble into roadblocks at every turn (Egypt, Italy, France, Greece, throughout the ages), only to be saved by Mr. Peabody’s formidable wit and knowledge. LeonardoDa Vinci, Shakespeare, Marie Antoinette and Agamemnon all make appearances. Apparently able to calculate and extrapolate events using the laws of science, the genius dog may inadvertently sow the seeds of ambition in more than a few young minds to become future scientists or engineers. Penny eggs Sherman on, encouraging him to push his boundaries, ignore his dad’s orders and mostly find his footing on his own; and is criticised for being a negative influence. Screenwriter Craig Wright’s script, delivered with impressively quick comic timing by the main voice actors, expels scientific theory at rapidfire speed. It’s laced with so many puns that it would probably keep the kids entertained enough, but the not-so-young-at-heart may be less impressed by how painfully predictable some jokes are.
While Mr. Peabody is clearly exaggerated – overachieving in every sense, made more unbelievable by the fact that he’s a beagle – Sherman is angled to play off that by being the nonplussed everyman. Or is he? He’s also the smartest kid in the classroom. Perhaps it’s to show that even when you’re smarter than a typical grade-school student, you can’t touch Mr Peabody’s epic genius? Either way, it’s hard to identify with the boy, a character development flaw that hinders the film’s ability to touch the audience emotionally.
On the whole, it isn’t easy following on the heels of “The Lego Movie”, a much lauded advertisement for a company selling brick toys that succeeded in delivering a message while entertaining the kids (and adults). While equally vivid in colour, this pales in comparison somewhat by not having a clear message to deliver. Still, the film is entertaining and clever enough to amuse the kids for a couple of hours – and therefore a good choice for parents or caretakers looking to spend some time indoors.
Movie Rating:
(While lacking somewhat in emotional quotient, “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” kills two birds with one stone by thrilling the young ones while hopefully impressing on them the usefulness of science and maths in everyday life)
Review by Ann-Marie Tan
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Stuart Beattie
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Bill Nighy, Socratis Otto, Miranda Otto, Caitlin Stasey, Jai Courtney, Aden Young, Deniz Akdeniz
RunTime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.lionsgate.com/movies/ifrankenstein/
Opening Day: 23 January 2014
Synopsis: I FRANKENSTEIN is a modern-day epic: Frankenstein’s creature, ADAM, has survived to present day due to a genetic quirk in his creation. Making his way to a dark, gothic metropolis, he finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans.
Movie Review:
Where before it was vampires versus werewolves, it is the battle of the gargoyles and demons that takes centrestage in the fantasy action thriller ‘I, Frankenstein’. Based on the Darkstorm Studios graphic novel by one of the creators of ‘Underworld’, it tells of its titular character’s struggle between good and evil in the midst of an all-out, centuries old war among two immortal clans of superhuman creatures. But as exciting as that may sound, you’ll quickly find that the burden of ‘Underworld’ hangs too heavily like an anchor around its neck.
Indeed, you had better take the tagline at the top of the poster which reads ‘from the producers of ‘Underworld’’ seriously. Too faint-hearted to mess with a formula that has worked for four films now, the same team of producers and ‘Underworld’ co-creator Kevin Grevioux have simply applied the same to their unabashed attempt at replicating its success. And that is precisely what co-writer and director Stuart Beattie has done in his sophomore feature film, which plays like an equally dark but less sexy clone of the decade-old franchise.
Like ‘Underworld’, the lead protagonist finds himself an outsider caught between two warring factions. Whereas Selene was a human turned vampire who found herself falling in love with a Lycan (or werewolf in short), Adam (Aaron Eckhart) is here a monstrosity borne from Frankenstein’s laboratory who finds himself wanted by both the gargoyles and the demons. A freak of nature not of Nature’s making, Adam is also thought to be soulless, and therefore a perfect living example of the ‘walking dead’ whom the demons hope to create by summoning the souls of the damned to inhabit the walking warm bodies on Earth.
By virtue of being an outsider, either protagonist soon realises that he or she can trust neither side. While Selene discovers the ones who killed her family were in fact her own coven of vampires she now calls family, Adam is during the course of the movie betrayed by Gideon (Jai Courtney), the leader of the gargoyle army, and no less than Leonore (Miranda Otto) herself, the angel whom Gideon and his army protect and whom serves as their spiritual link with God. Indeed, both narratives unfold such that their lead protagonist finds himself or herself isolated on either side and is therefore forced to be his or her own best guardian.
That personal battle also has to take place against a much larger canvas in which one side is plotting an ambitiously nefarious plan to once and for all wipe out the other side. In ‘Underworld’, it is the Lycans who plan to use a human to wipe out the Vampire Elders; while in ‘I, Frankenstein’, it is Prince Naberius (Bill Nighy) who intends to use Adam himself as a specimen to bring to life an army of corpses to overrun the gargoyles and thereafter exterminate the human race. Is it any surprise that our protagonist will eventually choose to be on the side of good, rather than a blind follower of either faction?
Even if these similarities don’t quite register by virtue of the fact that either movie did not have a compelling story to begin with, there’s no escaping that the art design of ‘Underworld’ and ‘I, Frankenstein’ are strikingly similar. For one, both unfold largely against dim and grim surroundings of moonlight and shadows. For another, there is a distinctive choice to ensure that the entire movie is cast in shades of black, grey and otherwise very dull colours. Yes, there’s no escaping the self-seriousness of ‘Underworld’ or ‘I, Frankenstein’, which approach their apocalyptic doomsday scenarios with the utmost solemnity.
And yet, their mode of storytelling is first and foremost to ensure an endless stream of VFX-heavy action sequences clearly intended at an attention-deficit audience. More so than Beattie’s repertoire of summer blockbusters (think ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’), this clearly eschews plot and character moments over gargoyle-versus-demon action, so don’t go in expecting anything more. That being said, it also sees Beattie going bigger than he’s ever been with the setpieces, and some of them - such as a daring raid on gargoyle soil by an army of demons - are quite a visual spectacle to behold, particularly in the contrasting use of light and fire whenever a gargoyle or demon is killed.
As is to be expected then, none of the roles call for much from their respective actors - except maybe for Eckhart to look the most buff we’ve ever recall seeing him been on the screen. Bill Nighy should certainly know - he who plays the chief villain here was also the key baddie in ‘Underworld: Evolution’. Certainly, he should be distinctly aware of the intention to recreate the success of the ‘Underworld’ movies by essentially rehashing the same formula with a different set of monsters. You’ll be advised too to toss aside what preconceptions you may have based on Mary Shelley’s novel or even Boris Karloff’s monosyllabic screen icon; this ‘I, Frankenstein’ is more ‘I, Underworld’ than anything else.
Movie Rating:
(For better or for worse, this action-heavy, plot-light fantasy is an unabashed attempt at replicating the success of the 'Underworld' franchise)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Anne Fontaine
Cast: Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Sophie Lowe, Gary Sweet, Jessica Tovey
RunTime: 1 hr 51 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Sexual Scenes and Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: www.adoremovie.com
Opening Day: 14 November 2013
Synopsis: Nobel Prize for Literature winner Doris Lessing’s beautiful and heart-wrenching story of two lifelong friends who fall in love with each other’s teenaged sons. Two Mothers is an erotic tale of misguided love and a celebration of the enduring nature of female friendship. Roz and Lil are the best of friends, and have been since childhood growing up as neighbours in an idyllic beach town. As adults, their teenaged sons have developed a friendship as strong as that which binds their mothers. One perfect summer the boys, along with their mothers, are confronted by the simmering emotions that have been mounting between them. Deeply emotional, Two Mothers is a story of family, sensuality, compassion, morality and above all love.
Movie Review:
The Doris Lessing novella ‘The Grandmothers’ on which this movie is based told the story of forbidden love between two women who enter into relationships with each other’s sons, but however intriguing that might sound to you, Anne Fontaine’s adaptation of it is otherwise dull and uninvolving. Taking the high-concept premise too literally, it forgets to answer perhaps the most fundamental question - just why would two attractive middle-aged women who seem perfectly well-adjusted defy the very basics of social norms and indulge in such illicit pleasures?
The fault is as much Fontaine (the French filmmaker making her English language debut here) as it is its screenwriter Christopher Hampton. Indeed, in adapting Lessing’s tale for the big screen, Hamption demonstrates none of that signature flair so evident in films like ‘Atonement’ and ‘A Dangerous Method’; instead, the writing here feels leaden and clunky, stuck in the kind of dialogue that you would expect lifted from the pages of a book. Not only that, the pace is ultimately too stultifying to engage, trapped in its own self-seriousness without any awareness of its own ludicrousness.
Pardon our disbelief, but little that happens rings true. So what if it opens with Lil’s (Naomi Watts) husband’s funeral? It’s not as if how Lil or her son Ian (Xavier Samuel) seem to care at any other point in the story. So what if Lil and her best friend Roz (Robin Wright) harbour some sort of lesbian yen specifically alluded to at the beginning? It doesn’t seem as if they share any sort of spark - except with their respective sons - as the movie progresses. But most importantly, so what if Ian and Tom (James Frecheville) are their flesh and blood? Neither Lil now Roz behave like mothers towards either of them at all, their idea of bonding simply lounging around in their gym-toned bodies along a sun-kissed bay along the coast of Western Australia.
It is Ian who first gets in the sack with Roz, the latter’s husband (Ben Mendelsohn) out of town for a new posting he has just gotten at a university teaching drama in Sydney. Then Tom, stumbling upon their late night tryst, decides to do likewise with Lil. And just like that, the mothers start their sexual relationship with their respective sons, without any hint of compunction of their actions. Those looking for some meaningful exploration of Oedipal sexual attraction should simply look elsewhere; for more than half the time, Fontaine is simply content to let these four characters indulge in their inter-generational coupling without any hint of interruption.
Only in the last third does the narrative bring in an added layer of complication in the form of Tom and then Ian’s more appropriately aged other half, which prompts Roz to re-examine their relationships. Even then, it’s too little too late - though the film tries to make the point that their passion for each other ends up snuffing out their capacity for other romantic interactions, you’ll find yourself hardly invested in the lives of four shallow individuals who after all seem to be content with sunbathing and surfing all the time.
Not even the sincere performances from Watts and Wright do much in redeeming the movie from its own implausibility. Most of the time, either actress is called only to look good against their much younger counterparts Samuel and Frecheville - and that’s a particular pity for Watts, who must have believed in the material to also serve as producer here. Compared to Samuel, Frecheville gives his character more depth, but the Australian actor is also hemmed in by a script that goes nowhere.
There is but one standout scene that comes right at the end, when Lil reflects on the weight of their own actions and how it has changed each one of them in perpetuity. Unfortunately, it is but one poignant moment in a movie that otherwise rings hollow, whether in the characters that inhabit it or the relationships that they share. Well-intentioned as it may be, Fontaine’s Hollywood debut is ultimately caught amidst cross-cultural barriers - after all, we can imagine how the French might have added a lot more skin to at least engage or distract you from its far-fetched premise.
Movie Rating:
(Despite good performances from Naomi Watts and Robin Wright, this is a well-intentioned but far from perfect drama built on a high-concept premise that ultimately fails to convince)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes, a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Back in 2009, the young Neil Blomkamp showed Hollywood how to do an action filled, original sci-fi flick with District 9. The South African born filmmaker returns three years later armed with a bigger budget, bigger stars though with the same brainy formula.
Set in the year 2154, the world has become overpopulated and Los Angeles for that matter has turned into a massive dystopia. The rich people on the other hand have migrated to a luxurious space station called Elysium. Max (Matt Damon), a former car thief works at Armadyne Corp that supplies weaponry and robotic policemen but an accident causes Max to lethally expose to radiation one day. Knowing his only chance of survival is to get into a Med-bay at Elysium, Max plotted to hitch an illegal ride to Elysium. In exchange he has to steal valuable information from Armadyne CEO John Carlyle (William Fichtner) for a smuggler. With a ruthless rogue agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley) hot on his heels and a sick girl in need of his help, will Max manage to survive and complete his mission?
For the first half of the story, Blomkamp who also wrote the script continues to tell a compelling tale of two distorted world and classes. The super wealthy has all the privileges including an unbelievable machine stored at home to rid the body of any alarming diseases and sicknesses. The poor has to contend with bad air, terrible living conditions and outrageous police robots. It’s an eerie mirror image of what’s today world is evolving into, hopefully it won’t be a reality. Blomkamp’s social commentary is engaging and his messages indeed captivating.
But whatever socio-political subtext is thrown out of the window by the time Max landed on Elysium as Blomkamp decides to channel some Michael Bay and delivers non-stop, squeamish action sets as Max battles the riled Kruger. The acclaimed and always welcome Jodie Foster portrays the Elysian Secretary of Defense, an icy, no-nonsense lady that is a cohort of Kruger. Sadly, Foster deserved a much longer screentime because she chews every minute she appears on screen.
Inspired by classic sci-fi movies and concept artist Syd Mead, the futuristic, clinical look of the movie will definitely win you over. Just like District 9, the visual effects are rich, detailed and alarmingly realistic. Damon no stranger to drama and action fare is a strong presence right here opposite Copley who puts on a surprisingly maniac performance as the movie’s main villain. Despite a somewhat child’s play attempt to conclude the story on a high note, Blomkamp once again proved he is no flash in the pan. Elysium on the whole is a fascinating watch from the start till the end even though it has a few flaws and blemishes. We can’t have the best of both worlds right?
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Sharlto Copley and Jodie Foster reveal a major spoiler in Collaboration: Crafting the Performances in Elysium thus you might wish to avoid this feature that mainly discuss the performances of the main cast members and story.
A look at renowned concept artist Syd Mead’s works in Engineering Utopia: A Society in the Sky.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Boasting strong bass, ambient effects and dialogue clarity, Elysium sounds fantastic on DVD. Detailing and imaging is equally spectacular in this heavy effects sci-fi flick.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: The all-star comedy cast from "Grown Ups" returns with some exciting new additions! After moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids, Lenny (Adam Sandler) finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, wild bus drivers, cops on skis and 400 costumed party crashers, sometimes crazy follows you.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Well deserving of a Razzie nomination, Grown Ups 2 is this century least wanted sequel spearheaded by the once funny Adam Sandler and gang.
Hotshot Hollywood executive Lenny (Sandler) and his entire family have relocated back to his hometown to be with his childhood friends, Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock) and Marcus (David Spade). Their mission should you choose to accept is to entertain the generally clueless audiences who have nothing much to do except gazing on the screen watching this bunch of aged misfits getting into a series of juvenile antics.
It’s shocking to know that three guys are responsible for coming up with this plotless outing. There’s Sandler himself and his two usual writing buddies, Fred Wolf and Tim Herlihy. The script is filled with random gags, sexual innuendo, scattershot parenting advice and throwing Happy Madison’s regular, Nick Swardson into some painfully awkward situations. Even a deer is not spared.
It’s such a bad movie that you probably won’t bother to question why Lenny’s wife (Salma Hayek) insists on having a fourth kid. And why did Marcus’ kid born out of wedlock come to stay with him all of a sudden? Eric for no reason likes to exhibit his exceptional skill at burping, sneezing and farting at the same time while Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner appears as a rather amusing fratboy. The only other fun thing here is spotting a few notable cameos. Andy Samberg and Will Forte as some male cheerleaders, Steve Buscemi returns but mercifully saved from being tortured by the gang and ex-basketball superstar Shaquile O’Neal stars as a goofy cop.
Wasting the theme of family and friendship, Grown Ups 2 continues its voyage of bathroom humour (burp-sneeze-fart jokes) at the expense of the paying audience. It’s so bad that Rob Schneider actually give this a skip. That alone tells you a lot.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are 8 short Deleted scenes and Shaq and Dante: Police Force which shows Shaq and Peter Dante messing around on set.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Imaging and details are beautiful though there isn’t much in the audio department that will impresses you.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Comics/Action/Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Emily VanCamp, Cobie Smulders, Hayley Atwell, Frank Grillo, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan, Robert Redford, Toby Jones, Anthony Mackie
RunTime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Rating: PG (Violence)
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainAmericaMovie
Opening Day: 27 March 2014
Synopsis: After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel's 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy-the Winter Soldier.
Movie Review:
Compared to his Marvel stablemates Tony Stark/ Iron Man and Thor, Captain America was always on the surface a duller superhero, devoid of the personality that drives our iron-clad man in a suit or the sibling rivalry that afflicts our hammer-wielding Norse god. Put it simply, Captain Steve Rogers was as straightforward a hero as you could get - there was little that was complicated about his retro red-white-and-blue patriotism, nor for that matter his stout-hearted courage and sweet sincere decency.
Joe Johnston’s origin story ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ played smartly to these traits, emphasising the uncomplicated heroism of our square-jawed strapping spandexed protagonist as he fought against a band of power-mad Nazis known as Hydra at the height of World War II. Contrast that to the modern-day setting of this sequel from returning writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and you’ll see why it’s an entirely different kind of film altogether. Yes, this is a film built on Captain America’s anachronism, one that emphasises just how out of place his old fashioned virtues seem to be against the realities of this modern age.
It isn’t quite the fact that Steve doesn’t have much a social life yet, which is the reason why his fellow SHIELD operative Natasha Romanoff or Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is constantly suggesting cute girls they know whom he could ask out; it isn’t even the pop-culture of Steve Jobs, Marvin Gaye and Star Wars/Trek that he needs to catch up on. Rather, Steve’s real displacement lies in his beliefs and values about authority and control. Indeed, when he learns from SHIELD director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) about the organisation’s plans to develop a new fleet of massive helicarriers whose long-range weaponry can neutralize threats from way up in the atmosphere, he chillingly opines “This isn’t freedom. This is fear”.
If that fusion of mass surveillance and drone warfare seems to bear some form of real-world relevance, know that it is entirely deliberate. The past few Marvel movies have built SHIELD into an almighty organisation at the reins of a security council with no democratic oversight, tasked with the mission of protecting the peoples of the world against threats of a superhuman nature at all costs. And so, it is only befitting that the entire enterprise is now called into question, as Nick begins to suspect that there are much more sinister forces at work within SHIELD that may or may not have to do with his boss Alexander Pierce (played by none other than Hollywood legend Robert Redford).
Now Redford isn’t the kind of actor who would readily take up such a role in a blockbuster franchise, so there must have been something which he saw in this that went beyond just another superhero action movie. As it turns out, he was right. Taking over the directorial reins from Johnston, co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo (best known for their work on TV’s ‘Community’ and ‘Arrested Development’) pack their film with elements straight out of a 1970s conspiracy thriller, complete with Redford playing a familiar liberal crusader type that is slowly and surely turned entirely on its head.
To reveal anything more about the similarities between SHIELD and Hydra would be spoiling the satisfaction you’ll get discovering their parallels, but suffice to say that it all points back to the Nazi organisation which Steve had thought was quashed by the end of the last movie. The relation between the two also explains the identity of his titular nemesis The Winter Soldier, whom Marvel fans will know is in fact the reincarnation of Steve’s closest wartime buddy Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and whose inevitable confrontations with Steve acquire some unexpected poignancy in the busy action-packed finale.
Lest it may seem that the geopolitical commentary has overshadowed the meat and potatoes of a Marvel product, we can reassure you that Joe and Anthony Russo can handle big-scale action sequences just as deftly. The opening mission in which Captain America leads an elite strike team to liberate a supposed SHIELD boat seized by pirates is stunning to say the least, as our hero turns out to be a lean mean fighting machine in addition to his superhuman strength, going at his opponents in never seen before bone-crunching goodness. A thrilling vehicular chase sequence involving Colonel Fury further confirms that the Russos’ penchant for shooting action in handheld for maximum gritty realism - and even though there is plenty of intrigue within the yarn, the action is pretty much relentless as well, with more than enough spectacle for good popcorn entertainment.
His third time in the role, Chris Evans proves to be more and more an absolute fit for the character. More so than before, Evans’ disillusionment adds shades of complexity to what used to be simply a straight-up hero, notwithstanding the fact that his good looks and winning appeal are still more than enough to win over the female members of his audience. Johansson is an excellent foil to Evans, her sass and cynicism in nice complement to Evans’ (perhaps naive) positivity. They make a great pair, and you’ll quickly find yourself rooting for them to be a couple. In supporting parts, Anthony Mackie turns up now and then as a paratrooper veteran Steve turns to for assistance; but there is no doubt the scene-stealer here is Redford, who brings understated menace to a whole new level.
And so, instead of being content as a straightforward sequel, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ takes the franchise and even the entire Marvel universe in a wholly different direction. There is still good and bad, heroes and villains, but what is clearer here is that the best of intentions could manifest itself as quite something else altogether. This is a film that isn’t afraid to trade in ambiguities, to call into question modern-day geopolitical realities, and to challenge why old-world virtues might still have their place today. Action, intrigue, humour and even as political commentary, this sequel packs it all and is quite simply one of the best Marvel films to date.
Movie Rating:
(Rich in conspiracy and brimming with gripping action, this sequel takes the franchise - and the entire Marvel universe - in an exciting new direction)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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Brace Yourself...THE WHITE STORM is coming! (UPDATED WITH MAKING OF)Posted on 06 Nov 2013 |
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Bre Blair, Jerry Ferrara, Mary Steenburgen, Romany Malco, Roger Bart
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language and Sexual References)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.lastvegasmovie.com/
Opening Day: 12 December 2013
Synopsis: Directed by Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure, While You Were Sleeping) and written by Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love), the comedy stars four Academy Award® winning legends for the first time on the big screen - Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline. They star as lifelong friends who opt to stop acting their age and relive their glory days when the pack’s sworn bachelor decides to get married to his girlfriend (who is half his age). The destination? Las Vegas! But the four quickly realize that passing decades changed the game: Sin City has had its own coming-of-age and a rivalry has strained the bonds of their friendship. The Rat Pack may have once played the Sands and Cirque du Soleil may now rule the Strip, but it’s these guys who are taking over Vegas.
Movie Review:
You’re never too old to party in Las Vegas. And with that spirit, the likes of Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline have decided to show the ‘Wolf Pack’ from ‘The Hangover’ just how four guys at their age can still paint the town red. Indeed, those marquee actors aren’t your most obvious cast in a ‘men-misbehaving’ lark; you’re probably more likely to look out for them on an Oscar-calibre movie, but hey part of the fun is how unexpectedly delightful they can be when they are just allowed to let loose and have their own party.
The impetus for their wild vacation is Douglas’ impending marriage to a 30-year-old woman - and we might add that Douglas absolutely looks the part of the playboy lawyer Billy who, after accumulating wealth for many years (including a beachfront home in Malibu), has finally decided that it is time to end his bachelorhood. To celebrate his nuptials, three childhood friends of his - who dub themselves ‘The Flatbush’ Four - decide that it is time to reunite in Vegas for a bachelor party.
The gang consists of Archie (Freeman), who having recently suffered a stroke now resides under the careful supervision of his patronising son (Michael Ealy); Paddy (De Niro), a surly widower still recovering from the death of his wife and is rooted in depression to his chair wearing just a bathrobe; and Sam (Kline), resident in a Florida retirement community who is struggling to come to terms with his fading life and libido. It isn’t all chummy between the pals though - De Niro gets to do his signature grouchy and intense routine by getting upset with Douglas for not making time to attend his wife’s funeral.
But as Dan Fogelman’s script goes, you know that by the time it’s over, Paddy and Billy will have made up with each other. Not just that, but each of the individual characters would also have come to terms with their unhappy parts of their selves and had a ‘living life to its fullest’ experience - whether is it channelling his rage against a young punk in the case of Paddy or rediscovering true romance as in Billy’s case. Yet predictable though it may be, Fogelman doesn’t gloss over the real issues that surround the shift into old age, and we surmise that it is precisely the dignity he accords his characters that explains why the material has managed to snag such an ensemble cast.
On his part, director Jon Turteltaub is content to simply let his actors be their familiar onscreen personas. We’ve already mentioned De Niro and Douglas; and besides them, Freeman is his usual regal self (even when hitting the dance floor to show off his moves to Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘September’) while Kline reprises his get-up as a father figure in one of his most well-known movies ‘The Big Chill’. Such movies only work when the characters have chemistry with one another, and in case there was ever any doubt, the acting legends here have plenty. The most memorable performance here however belongs to Mary Steenburgen, who at 60, still looks stunning enough as a tax attorney-turned-lounge singer who sets the hearts of these Rat Pack retirees aflame.
Together, Steenburgen and her male companions make a total of five Oscar winners headlining the cast of ‘Last Vegas’. This isn’t award-winning material by any measure, but hey it’s not like it was ever aspiring to be; instead, this is simply a rare team-up among four esteemed actors willing to kick loose and have fun. Sure the babes, booze and misbehaviour does get a little self-indulgent at times, but seeing how game these actors are, you’ll be a stinge not to let them enjoy a good time, or even go along for the ride.
Movie Rating:
(It isn’t award-winning material, but this gently amusing ‘men misbeheaving’ lark benefits from the game performances of four esteemed Oscar winners)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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