Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Gary Fleder
Cast: Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Rachelle Lefevre, Frank Grillo, Clancy Brown, Omar Miller, Izabela Vidovic
RunTime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language, Violence and Sexual Scene)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & InnoForm Media
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/HomeFrontMovie
Opening Day: 5 December 2013
Synopsis: "Homefront" stars Jason Statham as former drug enforcement agent, Phil Broker, a family man who moves off the grid with his daughter, to a seemingly quiet bayou backwater to escape his troubled past. However, Broker's world soon becomes anything but quiet once he discovers that an underbelly of drugs and violence riddles the small town. Soon, a sociopathic methamphetamine kingpin, Gator Bodine (James Franco) puts Broker and his daughter in harm's way forcing Broker back into action in order to save his family and the town.
Movie Review:
No one messes with Jason Statham. Come on, have you seen the dude in film series like Crank and The Expendables? This guy is bad ass, and when we say that, no one had better piss Mr Statham off. Sure, he isn’t as beefed up as The Rock or Vin Diesel, but the British actor is a perfect example of how mean things come in small packages. So, it makes perfect sense for the filmmakers of this action thriller to cast Statham as its protagonist, an undercover agent who gets pissed off when his quiet family life gets turned upside down by a band of drug traffickers.
Good luck then, to James Franco (127 Hours, Spring Breakers), who plays the kingpin leading the bad guys to upset Statham’s life.
Statham, in his lean and mean frame, moves to a quiet town after completing an undercover operation which lands a biker gang leader in jail. In his new home, he crosses paths with the mother of a local bully, and things change when she tells her brother to scare our protagonist. After a series of events, our good man’s daughter is kidnapped and as you would expect, violence gets loose and at the end of the day, there are punches, gun shots and the bad guys will get a piece of what Statham is worth.
We have always rooted for Statham, hoping that he will be known as the action star of our generation (like how Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger took that title in the 80s), but the 46 year old (who would have guessed) former diver never shot to the top of the charts with a big hit. However, he has gotten some very good commendations for his screen presence (try harder, Channing Tatum). With his latest big screen outing in this Gary Fleder directed movie, Statham has once again proven his worth as an action star.
Unfortunately, there is only so much this 100 minute production can do for one of our favourite actors. The screenplay by Mr Stallone himself, based on a novel of the same name by Chuck Logan, isn’t the most exciting to unravel on screen. The story of an antihero fighting his way to have justice prevail at the end of the day? You’ve probably seen movies like that countless times. Next, we have Franco, who comes off as trying a little too hard to play the bad guy. The 35 year old spouts quite a bit of vulgarities in the movie, but if that’s what he thinks will make him a bad ass, there is more than that to be a antagonist opposite Statham.
Elsewhere, we are pleasantly surprised by Kate Bosworth’s (Blue Crush, Superman Returns) performance as a druggie who overprotects her son. Whenever the 30 year old actress appears on screen, you can feel how messed up her character’s life is, as she tries every desperate measure to piece her life together again. There’s also Winona Ryder (the golden girl from the 80s has turned in some very surprising career choices recently, like Star Trek and Black Swan), who plays Franco’s partner in crime. The actress delivers a decent performance as well, especially with her tiny frame and dark eye circles.
When the movie ends, you’d be satisfied with yet another Statham performance, but unfortunately, be wondering what impactful punch the movie lacks.
Movie Rating:
(Jason Statham proves himself again to be a bona fide action star, but is let down by an inconsequential thriller movie)
Review by John Li
Genre: Thriller/Sci-Fi
Director: Matty Beckerman
Cast: Katherine Sigismund, Corey Eid, Riley Polanski, Jillian Clare, Jeff Bowser, Peter Holden
RunTime: 1 hr 25 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Intense and Frightening Sequences)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.alienabductionfilm.com
Opening Day: 1 May 2014
Synopsis: A terrifying sci-fi story inspired by dramatic found footage, ALIEN ABDUCTION preys on our fear of the unknown as we follow an average American family who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. While driving to a campsite in the Brown Mountains of North Carolina, the Morris family’s GPS malfunctions and they are lead to a remote tunnel surrounded by abandoned vehicles. The father, Peter Morris, is abducted leaving his traumatized wife and children to flee and seek refuge in a nearby cabin. There they are horrified to learn that strange lights in the nearby mountains have been linked to alien abduction and human sacrifice for centuries. When their attempts to alert the authorities are intercepted by the deadly extraterrestrial threat, the surviving members of the family find themselves under siege. A brutal and bloody attack unfolds as we witness the horrors through the lens of the youngest child’s video camera.
Movie Review:
The latest in a seemingly never-ending stream of found-footage horror films arrives in the form of Matty Beckerman’s debut feature ‘Alien Abduction’, inspired by the actual phenomenon of mysterious lights appearing in the skies above North Carolina’s Brown Mountain for hundreds of years. Beginning with a prologue whose preceding message “The following is actual footage leaked from the U.S. Air Force” inevitably gives the impression that it is trying too hard to be taken seriously, Beckerman rewinds the clock to tell the story of a family that decides to go camping up in the mountains and finds themselves caught up in some extra-terrestrial activity.
The Morris family in question include parents Peter and Katie (Peter Holden, Katie Sigismund), teenagers Jillian and Corey (Jillian Clare, Corey Eid), and the youngest Riley (Riley Polanski), the last of whom is also tasked with being the one holding the camera as a purported means of coping with his autism. It isn’t the most convincing explanation for the found footage, but at least Beckerman and his screenwriter Robert Alvin Lewis attempt a plausible one that doesn’t strain the limits of credibility. And oh, because it’s set in the 1990s, the footage you see is in fact shot on a camcorder, so pardon the grainy resolution of the picture.
Once you get used to the perspective from which you’ll be seeing the rest of the events, you’ll find that everything else unfolds in a pretty perfunctory manner. First, there are the strange fast-moving lights in the sky. Then the GPS screws up and they find themselves driving into a tunnel filled with abandoned cars and emergency vehicles. Then Daddy is taken by the aliens. Then hundreds of dead crows start falling from the sky. In between all that are countless filler scenes of running and hiding, which in all honesty is probably what you’ll see most in any found footage movie.
At the very least, we can guarantee that you’ll won’t be seeing as much of them aliens as you hope to. In line with the low-budget nature of such productions, a lot of what happens relies on the power of suggestion, aided by cinematographer Luke Geissbuhler’s use of the familiar shaky and distorted video style commonplace to the subgenre. You’ll also have to contend with the sight of bodies being sucked upwards into a column of light, which is employed ad nauseam to imply the titular occurrence.
Perhaps the most interesting element in the movie is the gun-toting Sean (Jeff Bowser) who becomes an unexpected ally to the remaining members of the family. Sean’s brother has also gone missing, which is one reason why the grumpy redneck who lives in his own cabin in the woods reluctantly agrees to protect the Morrises when they turn up unannounced calling for help. In contrast, Jillian and Corey are bland to a fault, offering little rationale why we should be sympathetic to their predicament.
The same could be said of the movie as a whole, whose unimaginative screenplay, stock characters and uninspired direction make for a dully mediocre outing. It may not cost a lot to make a found footage movie, but as the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise should have taught, the onus is ultimately on the filmmaker to make the best out of the format. Otherwise, what you get is something so run-of-mill as ‘Alien Abduction’, which will be forgotten as quickly as the next found footage movie comes along.
Movie Rating:
(Bland and unimaginative, this rote exercise in the found footage genre won’t win any fans to the oft-exploited format)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Derek Kwok
Cast: Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Simon Yam, Hu Jun, Andy On, Bai Bing, William Chan, Patrick Tam, Liu Kai Chi, Deep Ng, Kenny Kwan, Siu Yam Yam
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Clover and Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 2 January 2014
Synopsis: The bond of brotherhood is always stronger when you can be pitched into a life and death situation at any time and the only thing that gets you through the inferno is the trust that your brother will have your back. The firefighters of Hong Kong’s Pillar Point division who are expecting a quiet night to see off their retiring chief find their faith in each other stretched to the limits when a small fire at a liquor warehouse threatens to plunge the whole of Hong Kong into darkness if it spreads to a nearby power plant supplying natural gas. Politics, rivalry, and suspicion all come into play when dubious decisions are made, warnings are ignored and colleagues start to fall. Can the Pillar Point brotherhood survive the night, if not the fire, with their trust in each other intact?
Movie Review:
To firemen, smoke is at all times scarier than fire - as mentioned in this action thriller about fire fighters, As The Light Goes Out. In fact, the element of billowing smoke plays a big part here and it’s quite fortunate that the usually tanned Louis Koo is not cast here (though he was last seen in the Pang Brothers’ similar themed movie, Out Of Inferno); else we might have a tough time guessing who is darker.
It’s Christmas Eve and while the rest of the people in Hong Kong is about to celebrate the night, a team of fire fighters are dispatched to fight a fire in a liquor warehouse. A seemingly small fire at first quickly plunges the whole island into darkness as it spreads to a power plant supplying natural gas. Lives are at risk, the survival of the island in question and the bond of brotherhood between the fire fighters is tested. Will the men in uniform unite and overcome the disaster?
A year earlier, Sam (Nicholas Tse), Chao (Shawn Yue) and Hui (Andy On), fellow firemen in the same brigade is questioned over a case of insubordination. While Chao solely takes the blame, Sam the likely candidate for promotion is passed over and Hui subsequently took the job as the fire chief. While remaining on good terms, the three men have their own reservations at heart - until that fateful night.
Though As The Light Goes Out marks the fifth movie of Derek Kwok, it’s his first major self-penned, directorial feature without a notable collaborating partner. Surprisingly, Kwok pulled off a remarkable feat by establishing enough traits and back stories to almost all his main characters. Tse’s Sam is a brave workaholic leader, willing to go way out to save a person’s life but has his weaknesses. Shawn Yue’s Chao is a divorcee with a son, one who has no qualms backing a fellow buddy and Andy On’s Hui is one ambitious lad who is more concerned to dine and wine with the top brass than anything else. Add to it Hu Jun’s Ocean, a newly joined fireman from the Mainland who has a tragic tale of his own and tough old timer, Pei (Simon Yam) and the presence of these men alone oozes enough masculinity to fill a tank.
Kwok’s screenplay does a great job balancing the action and drama. There’s never a second where everything feels rushed to make way for the pyrotechnics. The exposition makes you care about the characters and not mere fillers, while the relationship and various conflicts between the three men serves up a burning question: Will they still have each other’s back or will they let their emotions rule their head when they are trapped in a burning building? The theme of brotherhood is indeed critical and Kwok never lets his fire effects and fancy CG distract him to tell a compelling story. Likewise the disaster movie boasts enough spiffy CG partly handled by Tse’s production house, PPO with the mixture of old-fashioned physical effects to guarantee some really intense moments. Case in point, you don’t really need 3D to enhance the realism of danger.
It seems like everyone is putting on their A game, especially Tse - who usually overacts at certain junctures - puts in a matured performance as the tortured Sam. Simon Yam probably deserves a supporting nomination for his refreshing outing as the bad tempered officer who occasionally supplies the needed comic relief. The one that really caught us by surprise is the cameo of a certain superstar. I’m not going to spoil it here (just don’t be late for the movie) but his appearance is a witty reference to one of his iconic screen characters - such a coincidence considering that at one point, he was planning a movie about firemen.
It has been 16 years since the release of Johnnie To’s Lifeline and finally there’s Derek Kwok’s As The Light Goes Out that is worthy along the line of the maestro classic, if not a better one. When you walk out feeling like giving a salute to all the real-life fire fighters out there, then Kwok has already succeeded.
Movie Rating:
(Heroism and spectacular effects go in hand in hand in this gripping thriller of firemen)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Michelle Chong
Cast: Alexander Lee Eusebio, Calvin Chen, Jae Liew, Lee Teng, Michelle Chong
RunTime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: GV
Official Website:
Opening Day: 14 November 2013
Synopsis: 3 PEAS IN A POD is a story of friendship, love and freedom. Three university students studying in Australia decided to go on a road trip before they graduate and go back to their respective countries to embark on their working lives. Little do they know, this farewell holiday is a trip that would change their lives forever.
Movie Review:
3 Peas in a Pod marks Michelle Chong’s second foray into the director’s chair after her successful directorial debut, Already Famous. While her first feature takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the local showbiz circuit and resemblance more of her wacky onscreen persona, 3 Peas in a Pod sadly is a predictable, romance drama especially when it comes from such a versatile artiste liked Chong.
More of an attempt to penetrate to the lucrative overseas market, Chong assembled Alexander Lee Eusebio, former member of K-pop boyband, U-KISS and Taiwanese Calvin Chen of Fahrenheit as the leading male leads. To ensure she has the best visuals captured onscreen in addition to the pretty boys, Chong shifted her entire production to Melbourne’s picturesque landmarks and attractions courtesy of Tourism Australia.
But the storyline which involves three best friends entangled in a triangular love affair is nothing to shout about. Lee, Cheng and newcomer Jae Liew is Peter, Perry and Penny respectively which is why they are called the 3 Peas in the first place. Before they graduate and bid farewell to the country they have been studying in for the past four years, the trio decides to embark on a road trip together for a bonding time as Peter says. I can assure you the trio are not going to encounter some psychotic hobo or hitchhiker along the way. Instead Chong’s writings quickly detours into familiar territory as Penny realises she is slowly falling in love with Perry whom might be secretly in love with her, on the other hand Peter who has been treating Penny as sort of a female buddy becomes jealous of their blossoming relationship.
We wanted so much to like Chong’s effort in crafting a genuinely touching tale of friendship and romance. As the only heir of a rich hotelier, Peter’s struggles with his arranged life becomes a recurring plotline. Perry is a poor Taiwanese student on a scholarship and Penny only concern it seems is her infatuation with Peter. Unfortunately, none of the happenings are truly engaging or charming and the movie seems to buying it’s time to showcase Chen’s abs, singing and Lee’s constant (emo)ness to fill in the voidness especially during the excruciating first hour. The last 30 minutes is sort of a whirlwind as Chong turned in a twist of sorts. Pathetically, for those who have watched enough Taiwanese romance dramas (a certain GF.BF for example) and idol dramas have already predicted the outcome.
Beating more than 800 hopefuls to win the coveted role of Penny, Jae Liew is a natural for her screen debut and guess what, she has her moment to wow as well, appearing in a skimpy two piece swimsuit to satisfy the hormones-raging male crowd. Michelle Chong herself appears in a cameo (twice to be exact), first being an ang-moh motel staff equipped with an Aussie accent and the other you got to pay close attention to. Lee and Cheng certainly deserved all the hype given their good looks. The latter who has gained enough acting exposure through numerous dramas fares stronger in the acting department. Lee’s pales in comparison but that’s because his role requires more depth and emotional to carry out, a little too demanding for the ex-boyband member.
Aside from looking incredibly polished in terms of production technicalities, Chong certainly pull the rug from under the audience this time with her sophomore writing and directing effort. The talented artiste might be better known for her spot-on comedic impersonations on the small screen although she probably wants the audience to know she has other talents this time.
Movie Rating:
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![](\"http://www.moviexclusive.com/image/half%20mx%20star.gif\")
(Strictly for fans of Alexander Lee and Calvin Chen)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Thriller
Director: Wang Guangli
Cast: Simon Yam, Vivian Hsu, Yin Er, Yuan Hong. Chen Sicheng, O Ti, Wu Yue, Li Ai, Winnie Leung, Macy Wu
RunTime: 1 hr 33 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw & Scorpio East Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 November 2013
Synopsis: A young and rich lady was found mysteriously murdered in an abandoned hospital building. Inspector Wayne (Simon Yam) started to investigate and at the same time another lady was found dead and was murdered the same way as the previous. During the investigation, Wayne got to know Jeana (Vivian Hsu), a common friend of the two victims. In a cold storage, an ice piton was fiercely plunged on the picture of Jeana…
Movie Review:
Nice try, whoever came up with the Chinese title for this Wang Guangli directed mystery thriller. Literally translated as “Frozen Naked Murder”, one would think there is something, ahem, exciting to look out for in this 93 minute movie. After all, it stars Simon Yam and Vivian Hsu, who have appeared in notable titles during
Sorry to disappoint, fans of this particular genre. First, we are in
The story isn’t too duh: Two socialites are found dead with their insides frozen and their bodies are dressed in cosplay outfits (where’s the naked part as promised in the title man?). Enter Hsu’s character, an unhappy socialite who becomes the serial killer’s next target. Enter also Yam’s unhappy police inspector who is tasked to track down the murderer. The two meet, have some bits of chemistry between them, and manages to keep audiences relatively engaged with some twists and turns of events.
Director Wang could have delivered in many areas. Hsu, as pretty as she looks, just doesn’t cut it as an actress. The 38 year old, who looks younger than she really is, does nothing much except whispering her lines in an increasingly irritating “sexy” manner. What she does well, you have to admit, is how the filmmakers made her don a schoolgirl outfit and a black lingerie in two scenes. It’s exploitation, but hey, it works.
Next, the plot development does get a little messy at times. With the suspense and mystery building up, the movie eventually becomes a half heartedly shot action flick with chase sequences which is more laughable than anything. Kudos to Yam though, for looking really devoted to his job as an actor, focused intensely on catching the baddie.
The supporting actors do not leave much impression. The Mainland Chinese production features unfamiliar names like Yin Er, Yuan Hong, Chen Sicheng who aren’t too bad in delivering their performances, but get outshined by the more popular Yam and Hsu.
The movie does try hard to give the plot a final twist when you think everything’s resolved, and we’re giving points for that because there’s really no such thing as a happy ending in real life. The unhappy will remain unhappy, the lonely may just get lonelier, and already tainted as the world is, there is no way to cleanse it entirely. Just try to keep things at bay, that’s the least we can do.
Movie Rating:
(This isn’t an erotic thriller as the title suggests, and shame on you if you thought Vivian Hsu was going to show some skin)
Review by John Li
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Ruairi Robinson
Cast: Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai, Elias Koteas, Olivia Williams, Johnny Harris, Goran Kostic, Tom Cullen
RunTime: -
Rating: TBA
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 December 2013
Synopsis: On the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member of Tantalus Base believes he has made an astounding discovery - fossilized evidence of bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to collect further samples. But a routine excavation turns to disaster when the porous ground collapses, and he falls into a deep crevice and near certain death. His devastated colleagues attempt to recover his body. However, when another vanishes they start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered is not yet dead. As the group begins to fall apart, it seems their only hope is the imminent arrival of the relief ship Aurora.
Movie Review:
Its selection for the Quinzaine des Realisateurs (or Directors Fortnight) at the Cannes Film Festival this year might confer a certain pedigree, but Los Angeles-based Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson’s debut feature is really no more than a ho-hum B-grade sci-fi actioner. Based on genre author Sydney J. Bounds’ 175 short story ‘The Animators’, it pits a research crew during the final 19 hours of their mission on Mars against a virulent strain of bacteria from the planet that turns humans into… zombies - and just to be clear, we’re not talking slow-moving ones like ‘The Walking Dead’ but something more akin to the zombies on steroids in ‘World War Z’.
There is no doubt an inherent cheesiness to the premise in this day and age, so in order to be taken seriously, it would need a compelling enough script to hook its viewers in. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Clive Dawson’s screenplay lacks. The characters are no more than stock types - Live Schreiber’s Vincent Campbell is a reluctant hero struggling with a traumatic past; there’s the textbook coward Richard Harrington (Tom Cullen) who cares only for preserving his own life; there’s the bitchy female character Kim Aldrich (Olivia Williams) who can’t quite fit in with any of the rest; and then there’s of course the one hiding a secret, Marko Petrovic (Goran Kostic), whose own selfish ambition inadvertently unleashes the disaster on everyone else.
Not only are the characters too familiar, the scenarios are also all too predictable. After a relatively promising setup in the first half hour, the rest of the movie quickly descends into a run-of-the-mill survival picture where you’ll be able to guess just who dies first, dies later or gets to last till the end. It doesn’t help that Robinson doesn’t quite have the grasp of a good choreographer of tense white-knuckle action, so despite the claustrophobic settings, what we end up thinking is not how nail-biting things must be but rather how repetitive the sequences of characters running for some decompression chamber and/or airlock while shouting “c’mon! c’mon! c’mon” are. Even as a straightforward action movie, it hardly impresses, worse still when it takes itself so utterly seriously.
Not that there aren’t small merits to be acknowledged here - like we said, the first half hour is a pretty engaging affair, in no small part due to the humbling Martian backdrops that we see plenty of. Designed and shot on location in the Jordan desert, the settings convey both the desolation and the expanse of how life on the Red Planet would have been. Another small blessing is the acting, anchored by a empathetic performance by character actor Schreiber. Probably one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood today, he projects gravitas and draws empathy to his lead role as a person struggling with his own personal demons. Other supporting acts like Williams, Romola Garai and Elias Koteas also lend solid support, but are otherwise hemmed in by a script that doesn’t seem bothered to develop their respective characters over the course of the movie.
On balance therefore, ‘The Last Days of Mars’ is neither appalling nor outstanding; indeed, it is mediocre in almost every aspect, and is unlikely to do for Robinson what ‘Moon’ did for Duncan Jones or say ‘Monsters’ for Gareth Edwards. This is no great sci-fi, perhaps even more disappointing arriving in the wake of Alfonso Cuaron’s breathtaking ‘Gravity’, and very likely to underwhelm audiences looking for anything smart or intelligent. Yes, proof of life on the Red Planet remains very much a myth, and as long as the track record of movies set on Mars remains as spotty as this, there isn’t much doubt why.
Movie Rating:
(A disappointingly run-of-the-mill B-grade action movie set on Mars that pits a crew of humans against zombie-inducing bacteria)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Bob Gannaway
Cast: Dane Cook, Julie Bowen, Ed Harris, Regina King, Stacy Keach, Corri English, Wes Studi, Patrick Warburton, Jerry Stiller, John Michael Higgins, Kari Wahlgren, Fred Willard, Anne Meara, Erik Estrada, Dale Dye
Runtime: 1 hr 24 mins
Rating: G
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 September 2014
Synopsis: "Planes: Fire & Rescue" is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous team, including spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.
Movie Review:
The first thing that comes to mind when we first heard that there was going to be a sequel to the 2013 Planes (which is a spin off of Pixar’s Cars franchise, mind you) was: toys. If you have been a frequent visitor to toy stores, you’d know the countless number of merchandise produced for Cars and Planes. So, is this sequel to a spin off necessary? In this day and age where money making is key, the question may not be a relevant one. What matters is, whether the movie can bring in big bucks, and that’s not just from the box office takings.
The film carries on where the original left off. Plucky racer Dusty Crophopper (again voiced by Dane Cook) is flying high after winning the aeronautical Grand Prix. But his ancient gearbox is knackered and as the factory that made them is long gone there can only be one outcome: Dusty must retire from racing. His refusal to bow to the inevitable leads to a fire at his local airfield weeks before a big air show. When an officious safety truck closes down the place, Dusty is inspired to save the day by getting certified as an aerial firefighter. His training takes him to the PistonPeakNational Parkwhere an elite squad of daredevil helicopters, tractors and planes are hard at work during wildfire season. There he must put his ego aside, accept his limitations and learn the values of teamwork and self-sacrifice.
Now, don’t you start yawning and scoff this old-fashioned kiddie flick with a straightforward story, simple characters and a heartfelt message. It is what Disney is known for. And if it means spending 84 minutes of your time inside a theatre, so be it. Of course, a wholesome flick like this would go down better with the kiddies, so things may be better if you were out on a wholesome family outing with your young siblings or relatives.
For the older crowd, you may grumble how this production isn’t what you remember about Disney. There was a time when Disney animators pulled out something special for school holidays. Here, we have a sequel to a movie which was supposed to be a straight to home entertainment spin off? Produced by DisneyToon Studios, which is better known for their direct to video productions, this is their occasional theatrical release. Others include 1995’s A Goofy Movie, 2000’s The Tigger Movie, 2002’s Return to NeverLandand 2003’s The Jungle Book 2 – just so you get the drift.
The voice cast does a capable job: listen out for Ed Harris, Julie Bowen, John Michael Haggis, Hal Holbrook and Cedric the Entertainer as they bring the mechanised and motorised planes to life. After a frantic first act, the movie relaxes into its sunny, pleasingly detailed universe, as Dusty starts his new career patrolling the national park. The dropping of powder on to forest fires provides a fresh angle, the action is colourful, and once it gets past the quickfire editing of the early stages, the application of 3D heightens the sense of space and glide.
Movie Rating:
(Not much magic here, but it’s enough to entertain 84 minutes of your time)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: A group of friends calling themselves the Flying Bird Mountaineering Team are on a climbing expedition: team leader Shanghai, Li Jian, Wei and Luo Yi with Shanghai's girlfriend Xinyue along for the ride. The next day, Xinyue stays in the camp while the other four go climbing. That evening, Li Jian, Wei and Luo Yi return, saying Shanghai died in an accident on the mountain. However, during the night Xinyue hears Shanghai's voice on the radio telling her to run before it's too late. He then appears and says it was the other three who died, not him. Li Jian, Wei and Luo Yi are all ghosts and are coming to kill them. After hiding in an abandoned building and then trying to escape in the jeep, Shanghai and Xinyue are attacked by the other three and Xinyue faints. She wakes up to find the other three telling her that Shanghai is really a ghost and is coming to kill them all. By now, Xinyue doesn't know whom to believe.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Imagine yourself trapped in a nightmare in which you won’t be able to wake up from.
Well like it or not, this is the basic premise of Bleeding Mountain, the latest Made-in-China horror thriller that will have you convulsing from extreme boredom than cower in fear.
Five friends, Shanghai, Li Jian, Luo Yi, Wei and Xinyue are on a climbing expedition. Xinyue who has been suffering from altitude sickness mans the communication devices while the rest embark on their expedition the next day. Losing communication with the foursome, Li Jian, Luo Yi and Wei finally returned at night informing Xinyue that her beau, Shanghai has died when the climbing rope snapped. However, Xinyue starts to hear Shanghai’s voice over the comms urging her to run. All of a sudden, Shanghai appears telling her that his three companions have in fact died and has returned as ghosts to haunt them.
With the China censors being incredibly sensitive to supernatural movies, director and writer Zhou Yaowu decides to take the psychology thriller route instead. Regrettably, Zhou is not Alfred Hitchcock for that matter as he is unable to generate any true chilling fears or any heart pounding moments. Preferring to send his young casts on a tedious running spree around some densely forest and abandoned buildings, the movie offers audience nothing but a frustrating watching experience. The only question that keeps spinning in your head is whether Xinyue is indeed hallucinating all the killings or is there really vengeful spirits lurking in the area (even though you know it’s already been exorcised by the authority).
In order to sell the flick to a broader audience, handsome TVB actor Ron Ng and one of HK’s most prolific actresses, Stephy Tang plays the creatively-named Shanghai and Xinyue respectively. At the TV station, Ng obviously has better luck with scripts that don’t require him to run around acting liked a bloodied mad man. Tang on the other hand has a painfully confused look throughout the 87 minutes running time perhaps wondering how much she will be paid for the job. And you thought he has vanished from the entertainment scene, Thai-Chinese singer/actor TAE appears as Li Jian. A point to note, all non-Mainland cast members come with the assistance of cringing Mandarin dubbing making things even more torrid.
Based on an online short story, Bleeding Mountain is a failed mystery thriller with very little to offer. From the hands of a better accomplished director, it might just work in a Tales from the Dark sort of segment format. As an individual horror title, we are just as confused and bewildered as Stephy Tang.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Another DVD title with serviceable audio and visual aspects.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Cédric Klapisch
Cast: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France, Sandrine Holt, Kelly Reilly
RunTime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: R21 (Some Homosexual Content)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 December 2013
Synopsis: Casse-tête chinois ("Chinese Puzzle") is a French film directed by Cédric Klapisch released in 2013. It's the third chapter of the Spanish Apartment trilogy after L'Auberge espagnole (2002) and Les Poupées russes (2005). We find Xavier, now 40 years-old, with Wendy, Isabelle and Martine - 15 years after the l'Auberge Espagnole and 10 years after Poupées Russes. Everything appears so simple but Xavier's life doesn't stop taking unexpected detours between Paris and New York. He looks for his way in this crazy mess to find his place as a man as much as his place as a father. And who knows, it may be this very madness of New York that will allow Xavier to resolve, finally, the Chinese puzzle that is his life.
Movie Review:
Not many of us would know about the Spanish Apartment trilogy directed by French filmmaker Cedric Klapisch. We have watched the series’ first two films The Spanish Apartment (2002) and Russian Dolls (2005), but truth be told, have not much recollection about what happened. What we remember though, is that the two films were easy to sit through and breezily told stories of people who we may already know in our everyday lives. There’re also two stars who made an impression – Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou.
Tautou probably doesn’t need much introduction. She’s everyone’s favourite big eyed French actress who brought Amelie to life in 2001 and became internationally recognised ever since. Duris caught our attention in 2005’s The Heart My Heart Skipped, where the 39 year old played a shady realtor torn between a criminal life and his desire to become a concert pianist. His charmingly gritty performance earned him a Lumiere Award for Best Actor, and nominations at other European film festivals. The actor then went on to star in popular titles like Heartbreaker (2010) and Populaire (2012).
The two come together for the third time in this 118 minute production, and needless to say, bring about that lovely European charm cinephiles love. We’ve gone on quite a bit about the movie and its two leading stars. But what about the plot? This third installment, like the two before it, may not leave much of an impression by the time the end credits roll, but that is a reflection of how life actually is. The details may be a blur at the end of the day, but it is a breeze that all of us have to sit through.
The story written by Klapisch basically follows Duris’ character as he ages gracefully to become a 40 year old man. With that come issues faced by 40 year olds, of course. He is already a father of two, and still finds life complicated. When the mother of his children (yup, there was no typical happy ending for the couple) moves to New York, he decides to go along, and an adventure on urban living ensues.
Besides Duris and Tautou (who plays his old flame appearing almost halfway into the movie) who deliver competent performances, other stars of this recommended movie make up a wonderful ensemble cast include Kelly Reilly (the English woman who is mother to Duris’ adorable children), Cecile de France (Duris’ old Belgian friend) and Sandrine Holt (de France’s hot Chinese American girlfriend). Each actress holds ground and has a comfortable screen presence, making the movie a relaxed viewing experience.
This is aided by the genuinely funny incidents that happen along the way, including a few gags involving Duris attempting to get a green card by marrying a local Chinese girl. The first two movies of this trilogy may have brought out how young people look at love, but this third movie closes the chapter nicely by showcasing how what modern living means for a more mature crowd, while retaining the zest of living life.
Movie Rating:
(A breezy and zesty look at modern urban life, coupled with charming performances by a competent European cast)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Tsubaki Hibino is a plain and studious teen whose life to this point has had little to do with love.. until she meets Kyota Tsubaki, a cute and smart yet exceedingly cocky, long-haired boy who happens to be the most popular guy in school and shares a common name. Teasing Tsubaki for outdated fashion and demeanor, Kyota proceeds to steal away her first kiss, leaving her incensed! But as she begins to catch glimpses of a softer nature behind his persona, she gradually finds herself drawn toward him. From her first date to her first kiss, Tsubaki starts to discover and struggle with a whole new world of feelings that only come with one's first love.
MOVIE REVIEW:
In a typical Japanese rom-com, there will always be a popular, handsome boy who will fall in love with an ordinary looking girl despite the numerous choices lying ahead of him.
Based on a well-received manga, Love for Beginners is another fairy tale like romance, which tells of a nerdy schoolgirl falling in love with the most popular boy in school. Emi Takei plays Tsubaki Hibino, a 15-year-old student who prefers polar bear and braided hair than dressing herself in Beams clothing and the latest hairstyle. But all that changes when she met KyotaTsubaki (Tori Matsuzaka). Suddenly, she is in fall love with a famous playboy and despite her conservativeness, falls head over heels in a mere 20 minutes runtime.
Director Takeshi Furusaw whose more famous work is the horror thriller Ghost Train brought a new level of horror to this unbelievable tale of teenage romance. In place of a convincing, touching tale, Furusaw is content in bringing out all sorts of cuteness to the story liked Tsubaki dressing as a polar bear in a Halloween party surprise for Kyota. And Furusaw only makes matters worse when the plotting dragged on with Kyota’s ex-girlfriend coming back from the States prompting Kyota to question his love for Tsubaki.
Still, there are serious messages to convey if you can get past all the bubblegum pop songs playing in the background. Kyota Tsubaki’s refusal to commit to a long-term relationship is apparently caused by his mom who left his dad for another man when he was young. From then on, he assumed woman would just dump you any time. At the very minimum, he is not just a playboy for the sake of being a playboy but one who is serious in his studies and in his spare time loves to look at the stars as well. Wow! Kind of an almost perfect man that it sort of insult our plain Jane, Tsubaki Hibino whose sole talent is being a hair stylist.
Like all other Japanese rom-coms, Love for Beginners is another well-crafted product targeted at the female fanbase despite all the shallowness and running at least 30 minutes too long. This is not a flick for everyone although I must admit Emi Takei in fact is quite a looker and cutie.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
A very telemovie feel, audio and video is for sure serviceable.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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