Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa  
Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Kazuki Kitamura, Hikaru Yamazaki, Anne, Gin Maeda, Jun Fubuki, Hakuryu, Sansei Shiomi, Tetsushi Tanaka
RunTime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Encore Films 
Official Website: www.encorefilms.com/midsummer

Opening Day: 5 December 2013

Synopsis: Based on the novel by best-selling author Keigo Higashino and a long-anticipated sequel to Suspect X. Manabu Yukawa (Masaharu Fukuyama) is back to solve more crimes in Midsummer’s Equation. In summer 2013, a man is found dead on the rocks below a concrete embankment… but there is more than meets the eye. Joining him on his quest are police detective Misa Kishitani (Yuriko Yoshitaka), Lieutenant Shunpei Kusanagi (Kazuki Kitamura) and a young woman (Anne) who holds the key that unlocks the mystery- the secrets that are buried away from the people. A boy (Hikaru Yamazaki) comes into his life and Yukawa struggles to protect him as he battles to solve the crime. Yukawa’s perfect plan rips apart as he gets caught in the complexity of human relationships, and only to learn the heart-breaking truth at the end.

Movie Review:

One of Japan’s hottest pop star and actor, Masaharu Fukuyama returns as the mild mannered, bespectacled, Sherlock-like physicist Manabu Yukawa aka Detective Galileo following the ultra-successful Suspect X.

Adapted from bestselling author Keigo Higashino’s original work, Yukawa is invited to speak at a panel held at an idyllic sea costal town called Harigaura. Everything seems fine and normal till a former high-level policeman is mysteriously found dead near the Kawahata-owned family inn in which Yukawa is staying. Intrigued by Misa Kishitani (Yuriko Yoshitaka), Detective of the Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigations, Yukawa begins to unravel the haunting past of the Kawahatas including their daughter Narumi and the truth of a murder which happened 15 years ago.

While Suspect X was an ingenious battle of wits between a mathematician and a physicist, Midsummer Equation surprisingly pales in comparison. Like its predecessor, the plotting continues the theme of love conquers all; however not only is the case in question insipid but the subsequent proceedings function liked a predictable dramedy as well. Gone are the mind-blogging science jargon and intelligent metaphors, what we have in the end is a slow, sluggish pacing crime mystery anchored solely by the presence of the charismatic Masaharu Fukuyama.

That being said, without strong supporting characters liked Tsutsumi Shinichi as the tortured mathematician or Shibasaki Kou standing in for some comic relief opposite Fukuyama, there’s only so much to be desired. Anne Watanabe (daughter of Ken) portrayal of the suffering Narumi lacks a certain punch to make her character work, same goes to veteran actors, Gin Maeda and Jun Fubuki who played her parents despite their adequate performances. As she is relegated to a series of fleeting scenes on her cell phone, Yuriko Yoshitaka from Gantz is simply forgettable and doesn’t impresses in the role of a female detective.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Midsummer Equation is not the crime as it turned out. Instead it’s a showcase of Professor Manabu Yukawa’s humanity. Even with his self-proclamation for loathing of children (he claims to suffer from hives if he gets near them) and his truckload of eccentricities, Yukawa becomes the unlikely companion of Kyohei, the nephew of Narumi who has arrived from the city to stay with the Kawahatas for the summer. From applying his unique ways of science experiments to arouse the curiosity of the young boy who dislikes science and taking the initiative to teach the boy to face the truth when Kyohei learnt he is indirectly involved in the murder, Yukawa evolved from an aloof professor to a man who possessed much more love and care than on the surface.

Midsummer Equation boasts some excellent and breath-taking scenic shots courtesy of cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima (Battle Royale, Outrage) and a soothing score co-written by the talented Masaharu Fukuyama. While this is a poor follow up to the first instalment lacking in terms of tension and major revelation, it is still a serviceable act saved by none other than the brilliant Detective Galileo.  

Movie Rating:  

(A simple crime drama saved solely by the presence of Masaharu Fukuyama)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Musical
Director: Duane Adler
Cast: BoA, Derek Hough, Izabella Miko, Will Yun Lee, Michael Mando, Jefferson Brown
RunTime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: PG13 (Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: GV
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 14 November 2013 

Synopsis: A pair of star-crossed dancers in New York find themselves at the center of a bitter rivalry between their brothers' underground dance clubs.

Movie Review:

Dance movies are definitely not unfamiliar to many and it is highly likely that you have watched at least one dance movie by now. The boom of dance movies is arguably started by Step Up (2006). That movie was considerably well received by the general audience, but not so with the movie critiques. One of the criticisms comes from the heavy focus on dance, where the storyline becomes secondary. The audiences’ appetite for dance movies certainly grew even bigger when televised dance competitions such as ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ flourished. Subsequently, 3 sequels succeeded - Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), Step Up 3D (2010) and Step Up Revolution (2012). UK filmmakers were also quick to pick up on this market, and had their share of the pie with entries such as Street Dance 3D in 2010 and Street Dance 2 (2012).

Make Your Move is the latest entry to this variety of dance movies, loudly publicizing itself to be ‘from the writer of Step Up and Save the Last Dance’. As said, the narrative of most dance movies is rather simple and plain. You have the hero and heroine meet at one of the most unexpected places, and fall in love all so passionately in an instant. They establish the connection through dance, and… happily ever after. Is this kind of storyline still relevant and foolproof?

Well, while the plot is not as tantalizing, you’ll at least have the eye candies. Make Your Move has an interesting ensemble of actors/dancers. BoA, one of the more widely known South Korean actor-singer, takes on the leading role of a striving Japanese (of Korean heritage) dancer while ballroom dancer Derek Hough, challenges the role of a street dancer. Both of them were charming while dancing, since it is their profession after all. However, they were rather stiff in terms of acting. Whether or not they score in the looks department – it’s subjective.

Other than the format of an underground dance club and pop-up club, there is nothing new and original to the story. The settings have changed, but the plot is similar to every other dance movie. In fact, the fashion in which the romance between Aya (BoA) and Donny (Derek) blossomed was too juvenile and lacked depth. Choreography and dance wise, it is creative to mish-mash the different genres. However, the soundtracks were not as mainstream as one would wish. What is a dance movie without catchy and familiar pop tunes?

While we understand that it is not easy to balance drama and dance, the writing for Make Your Move was way too simplistic and disappointing. Given the high standards set by the past dance movies, it will take a much more sophisticated storyline and/or electrifying dance to convince audiences to watch. All the best parts from Make Your Move can be found in the trailer. Other than that, don’t even bother.

Movie Rating:  

(Mediocre dance choreography coupled with a dull and unoriginal story = a difficult 90 minutes to motion through)

Review by Tho Shu Ling
  

SYNOPSIS: If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? In a near-future America, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity including murder, becomes legal: The Purge. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family is tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home.

MOVIE REVIEW:

What if you can commit any crime without any consequences for one designated night every year? Would you kill someone? Your boss, your ex or that irritating neighbour next door?

In this home invasion thriller written and directed by James DeMonaco (he wrote the remake of Assault on Precinct 13), America in the near future has become a safer place all thanks to the government known as the Founding Father which has implemented an annual Purge Day whereby all kinds of criminal activities are legal for 12 hours. The movie opens with a wealthy James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) going back to his family on Purge Day. Within a short span of 10 minutes, we know he makes his fortunes selling security system, has a beautiful wife Mary (Lena Headey), two kids and lives in a big mansion located in a rich neighbourhood.

At 7pm when the sirens blare, the Purge begins. James Sandins has his house heavily fortified but he forgot his boy, Charlie is troubled by the whole idea of killing innocents that he disarmed the security system and allows a homeless man to seek refuge in their home. The whole intriguing premise is then quickly dissolved into a series of violent shootouts and fights turning the character of James into John McClane the second when a group of masked criminals demand the release of the stranger so that they can carry out the purge and cleanse their souls.

The Purge is actually a wild answer to all the disturbing shootout incidents in the States and to his credit; DeMonaco indeed has a promising tale to tell. In addition to the moral dilemmas faced by the people, the story also serves as thought-provoking social commentary however DeMonaco desire to throw in a prolonged dark, shaky-cam, slasher routine subsequently left viewers as troubled as Charlie. Is it because of the US$3 million budget that causes it? It’s a waste considering there are already many generic home invasion thrillers out there.

Ethan Hawke, the current to go actor for small horror thrillers (Sinister) more than suffices as the protector of the family together with Headey (last seen as the evil Ma-Ma in Dredd). The one actor that has us in goose bumps is Australian actor, Rys Wakerfield as the leader of the masked gang. We probably gonna see more of him in future.

Produced by Michael Bay, The Purge has so much potential to be a smart thriller instead it’s just another forgettable thrill ride ready to be purge anytime. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Black levels and detailing are impressive despite the movie taking place in the dark for the longest time. Action audio effects are bombastic especially sound of gunshots.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: While Gru, the ex-super villain is adjusting to family life and an attempted honest living in the jam business, a secret Arctic laboratory is stolen. The Anti-Villain League decides it needs an insider's help and recruits Gru in the investigation. Together with the eccentric AVL agent, Lucy Wilde, Gru concludes that his prime suspect is the presumed dead super villain, El Macho, whose his teenage son is also making the moves on his eldest daughter, Margo. Seemingly blinded by his over protectiveness of his children and his growing mutual attraction to Lucy, Gru seems on the wrong track even as his minions are being quietly kidnapped en masse for some malevolent purpose.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s official. The popularity of the minions have successfully taken over the Despicable Me franchise despite the fact that the sequel is about the continuing adventures of former villain turned father, Gru (Steve Carell) and the his three cute adopted daughters.

The clever marketing has relied heavily on the yellow, gibberish mouthing and banana-loving creatures that no one is paying attention to the plot which has Gru being approached by the head of Anti-Villain League to sniff out a super villain known as “El Macho” (Benjamin Bratt). Partnering with AVL agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), Gru and Lucy disguises as owners of a bakery in a shopping mall and their main suspect is a Mexican restaurant owner Eduardo Perez. Will the duo manage to stop the usage of a powerful mutagen which can turn any living organisms into aggressive monsters?   

Truth to be told, Despicable Me 2 retains the charm and adventures of the first but this time round, devoting more screentime to the lovable minions with their side-splitting gags. On the other hand, Gru’s over protective of the now teenage Margo (Miranda Gosgrove) and his outrageous disguise as a fairy princess on Agnes’s birthday bash shows the extent of his love and dottiness to his daughters. Gru is no longer concern with his villainous plans such as stealing the moon etc and the screenplay by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio portrays Gru and the girls with so much tender loving realism that it makes all of us fall in love with the human characters once again.  

The other two major voice actors, Kristen Wiig and Benjamin Bratt adds much laughter to their characters with Lucy being a comparable sidekick and also a potential love interest for Gru while Bratt (a last minute replacement for Al Pacino who left the project due to creative differences) did a marvelous job as the outrageous El Macho. Add to it the James Bond sort of premise with its galore of gadgetries and automobiles in eye-popping colors, the 98 minutes animation never loosen for a moment and entirely hilarious for the whole family.

But the crucial point as to why Despicable Me is so widely received lies in the minions as they again indulge in cross-dressing, silly ramblings and yes, produced their version of the 90’s hit, I Swear that will leaves you chuckles in delight.  Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, the voices behind the hundreds of minions as well have scored a home run for the second time. Be patient, the minions are getting their own feature-length movie next year. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

 Gru’s Girlsis 5 minutes segment that interviews the young actresses that voiced Margo, Edith and Agnes.

Another short 4 minutes feature, Gadget’s Galore delves into the various zany weapons liked lipstick taser used in the movie.

The two directors shared such wonderful chemistry that their lively commentary track here boasts plenty of informative nuggets, inside jokes, aborted ideas (where do the minions come from) etc in Commentary with Directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The sound mix is incredible for an animation, bursting at the seams with powerful bass. Pharrell Williams' music and dialogue is crisp and clear. The picture quality is dazzling with details and colors, hardly a concern at all.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: He’s back! From the filmmakers that brought you Chucky comes the terrifying return of the pint-sized doll possessed by the spirit of a notorious serial killer. When a mysterious package arrives at the house of Nica (Fiona Dourif, True Blood), she doesn’t give it much thought. However, after her mother’s mysterious death Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to the ensuing bloodshed and chaos. The return of America’s favourite toy, voiced again by Brad Dourif, is full of more blood-splattered thrills and chills.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Hi I’m Chucky, wanna play?

Proving horror franchises have nine lives, the doll which is possessed by a serial killer spirit is back in this sixth instalment of Child’s Play. Written and directed by original creator Don Mancini, Curse of Chucky surprisingly turns out to be a worthy entry despite being a direct-to-video title.

A package containing Chucky is delivered to a paraplegic girl, Nica (Fiona Dourif) who lives with her mom in a massive, tattered looking house. It’s not long that her mom is mysteriously found dead (no prizes as to who is behind the murder) and soon Nica’s only sister, Barbie and her family including a nanny arrives for the funeral. As to why Chucky chooses Nica and her family to be his target, you seriously need to watch it to find out.

Instead of relying on mere cheap scares, grotesque killings and silly humour, Mancini still have a few other tricks up his sleeve to keep us glued for the most part. No, I’m not talking about Barbie’s lesbian relationship with her live-in nanny. The best part got to be Nica’s connection to Chucky, a clever way to link the merciless doll back to the 1988 original. Mancini chooses to build up his various characters slowly especially Nina before the big revelation.     

To make up for the lack of budget, almost the entire movie took place within the house. At least, it gives Mancini and his crew plenty of opportunities to build up the suspense and several imaginative kills. While a lot of low-budget horrors suffer from poor editing and cinematography, Curse of Chucky fortunately never falters in these aspects.

With a good mix of digital and animatronics effects, Chucky comes across as believable as ever. You sure wouldn’t want to cross path with a doll that is always armed with either a knife, mallet, axe and rat poison. The only problem is we don’t really see a lot of Chucky in action though there are plenty of close-ups, presumably a cheaper way to get him in camera.

Every horror flick needs someone we can root for and kudos to Fiona Dourif for her excellent performance as the suffering Nica while her real-life dad, Brad returns as the voice of the foul-mouthed Chucky/Charles Lee Ray. Though the movie ended up having more than two endings (mostly just to link up with the earlier instalments), Curse of Chucky is almost too good to be true and likely won’t be the last time we encounter Chucky. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Black levels are strong, images clean and the Dolby Digital 5.1 is serviceable with its occasional ambient effects and clear dialogue.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Disney•Pixar proudly presents the hilarious story of how two mismatched monsters met and became lifelong friends in a movie screaming with laughter and oozing with heart. Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer–and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. With their dreams temporarily dashed, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The first prequel in the history of Pixar come Monsters University. A not so shabby effort overall given the frequent inconsistencies of sequels and prequels but the folks at Pixar seldom disappoint unless you are referring to the notorious Cars 2.

The title obviously says it all. Monsters University tells how our two monster friends, Mike (John Goodman) and Sulley (Billy Crystal) first met as enemies and slowly progresses to best friends during their time in university. It is essentially a college story about friendship, games, tests and rivalry; oddly romance is out since the animation flick is generally catered to children. The concept is small yet the execution is top notch. Pixar continues to spare no expense, effort in the animation aspect even if it means hairy or slimy looking characters that appear only a few seconds on the big screen. Everything is beautifully rendered and the monsters world is expanded further since the 2005 original.

Director Dan Scanlon with his co-screenwriters Daniel Gerson and Robert L. Baird fills the story with much bickering from the duo and by introducing a Scare Games where this is the only chance for Mike and Sulley to join back the scare program after the imitating Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) failed them, Monsters University wildly turned into a series of amusing and exhilarating gags with one outstanding segment that took place in a library. And of course the majority of them comes from the Oozma Kappa gang which consists of a bunch of lovable characters liked Don Carlton, a middle-age student, Squishy (Pixar’s very own animator Peter Sohn) and Art voiced by Charlie Day of Horrible Bosses. Randall (Steve Buscemi), the evil chameleon monster in the first also appears here except little girl Boo.

As per Pixar tradition, Monsters University has one too many inspiring messages for the audience. Don’t you feel ashamed to see Mike, our pint-sized monster who is determined to be a qualified scarer in Monstropolisdespite his limitations? Or are you behaving liked Mike who is born into a prestigious family of scarers that you opt to laze around in life? The messages are well-intended though it kind of becomes repetitive towards the end.

Monsters University might not qualify as another of the studio’s best works. In reality, we would have preferred an original work rather than a prequel. Still, it remains a Pixar product with quality assured. Have fun and laugh aloud, monsters are in the house. Don’t forget the closing credits as well. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The beautiful Blue Umbrella Short is included here

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Pixar stuff doesn’t disappoint in terms of audio and visual. Colors are vibrant and detailing is amazing. Sound effects and dialogue are wonderfully mix in the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Alexander Coates' (Seagal) criminal empire has been good to him - and devastating to his enemies - until his number one hit man, Roman Hurst, messes up what should have been a routine hit. Alexander spares his protege's life but cripples his hands, thus 'retiring' Hurst forever. Before long, though, Alexander realizes that he'll need Hurst's help one last time when Iceman, a ruthless killer, surfaces.

MOVIE REVIEW:

You can’t deny ponytailed, pudgy action star Steven Seagal can still throw a couple of hard punches but his heydays are very much over at this point of his career.   

The good thing is as capacity of a producer; he manages to assemble a pretty interesting cast for Force of Execution. There's Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible), Danny Trejo (Machete) and the inclusion of Bren Foster, a Tae Kwon Do World Champion that practically lift this generic action flick out of the doldrums.  

The Under Siege and Above the Law actor plays Mr. Alexander, an ex-government agent turned mobster who deals with anything illicit. When an ambitious gangster named Ice (Ving Rhames) planned to take over Mr. Alexander’s business, it’s up to the mobster’s ex-right hand man Roman (Bren Foster) to help him set things right.

Nobody wants to watch a movie liked Force of Execution for the story and performances despite the writers’ best attempts to complicate matters. There’s a solid prison breaking sequence in the beginning before breaking into some pointless exposition involving the Spaniard drug cartel and disagreements between some gangsta. The introduction of Danny Trejo’s Oso as a mysterious restaurant owner is pure laughable. Oso of course is no ordinary small-time cook; he is an ex-con/Mexican witch doctor!

Force of Execution features a generous amount of well-choreographed action sequences that will please fans of this genre. Seagal is well Seagal, showcasing his karate chops and throwing his opponents liked rag dolls on the floor here and there. On the other hand, Foster a Colin Farrell-look alike (I guess it’s their Irish heritage that causes it) offers plenty of hand-to-hand combat and splendid kicks in addition to some serviceable shootouts in the climax.

For a straight-to-DVD title, Force of Execution surprisingly exceeds the usual campy standard. It easily entertains in the action department and the production doesn’t look that shabby to begin with. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Force of Execution actually looks pretty decent on DVD though the sole 2.0 soundtrack is only perfunctory at best.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: High school heartthrob Scott has is all; good looks, popularity... and a secret admirer. But what starts out as a seemingly innocent crush soon turns deadly. Who's responsible? Scott's long time friend Jules, frustrated with their platonic relationship? Bess, a shy classmate, increasingly jealous of his friendship with Jules? Or Jeffrey, a bright outcast whose crush on Bess has lead him to become increasingly obsessive? One thing's certain, time's running out and Scott must uncover the psychotic stalker before it's too late.

MOVIE REVIEW:

After a shocking prologue, the rest is basically Fatal Attraction meets Misery in this teen-centric thriller, Crush.

X-Men: First Class star Lucas Till plays high school student, Scott. He is attractive, athletic and has no lack of suitors. When an introvert fellow classmate, Bess (Crystal Reed) starts to troll Scott’s facebook, strange things begin to happen around Scott as well. First beginning with his girlfriend’s house being vandalised then his former English teacher also met with a freak incident. Is Bess the culprit or is there somebody else lurking behind Scott?

This is a PG13 standard tale of secret admirer turns wrong. While other similar teen thrillers are peppered with body count, violence and nudity, Crush is satisfied in flashing out several close-up shots of Scott’s abs and exploring the theme of obsession to the extent of having another fellow classmate, Jeffrey being very much in love with Bess. Writer Sony Mallhi who also wrote the similar themed The Roommate attempts to play out the confusion and guessing game by introducing numerous suspicious characters into the mix. But ironically Mallhi’s script is riddled with plenty of coincidences and bland happenings especially repetitive scenes of Scott running down the street that once the true culprit is revealed after the first hour, you probably going to let out a meh.

Fortunately, Crush is blessed with a talented and good looking cast to hold your attention. Crystal Reed is a fine looking lass and she convincingly portrays an awkward, quiet girl whom no one will notice in school. Sarah Bolger who plays Scott’s girlfriend Jules is easy on the eyes so is Bess’ fellow co-worker, Andie (Caitriona Balfe).

Technically, the cinematography and editing is fairly well executed for a low-budget thriller though obviously because of budget constraints, the entire movie never consist of more than five locations. Done in the mould of more mature psychological thrillers, Crush is baby step for those who prefer to step away from the thriller genre, make no mistake, this one is tailor made for this demographics. No worries, there’s no rabbits stew here. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Visually, Crush looks fantastic and sharp on DVD while the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is serviceable for a movie that doesn’t relies on loud, bombastic effects.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Nicholas Tse, Shaw Yue and Simon Yam prepares AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT Posted on 04 Nov 2013 A star studded cast that includes Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Simon Yam and Hu Jun work their magic as firemen when a fiery inferno rages in a liquor warehouse in AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT. While the Pang Brothers' earlierOUT OF INFERNO was a mixed bag, we hope Derek Kwok does it better in this big budget spectacle coming your way in January 2014. ... more

We were pretty excited when Singapore’s composer Ricky Ho clinched the Best Original Film Score prize for his work on Wei Te Sheng’s “Warrior of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” at the 48^th Golden Horse Award in 2011. We were hoping to see the film in local theatres to hear how Ho’s score lent to the magnificence of the story, but alas, the Taiwanese historical drama epic film never reached our shores. This reviewer then diligently got his hands on the two disc soundtrack album and the DVD. While the procrastinator in him hasn’t gotten down to watch the 279 minute movie, he has been hooked to the orchestral score which was nothing short of enthralling.

Hence, when he heard that Ho’s on board to score Chi Po Lin’s aerial documentary, he was looking forward to what Ho had to bring to the picture. Aptly chaptered to chronicle the film’s course of storytelling, the 66 minute disc kicks off with the operatic “Genesis”, before pastor turned actor Lin Ching Tai flexes his vocals with female soloist Lai Lai in “The Valley of Light”. The exquisitely produced booklet with the album tells us that the lyrics reflect the close ties between our ancestors and us. Ho continues his penchant for grandeur and majesty in “Ocean’s Symphony”.

Things take on a lighter note in “Abundance of Life”, where Ho uses the piano to begin the cue, before building up the track with wonderment and awe. As the track title suggests, “Approaching Storm” is an ominous take on how we have hurt Mother Nature (you need to watch the film to understand how Ho’s music complements the visuals powerfully). After the overcast tones in “The Beauty and the Darkness”, Lin’s vocals returns in the percussion driven “Beyond the Horizon”, suggesting the enigmatic bond we have with the planet.

The peaceful “Our Land” soothes your senses with the flute, and offers hope that there is much we can do to protect our home, before the ethereal “Our Prayer” closes the score portion of this highly recommended album. The last track on the CD is “The Light” performed by Lisa Hsieh, which asks listeners to allow the wounded land to heal, and to let it regain life.

Ho composed the score in 10 days while the documentary was being edited, and with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra’s orchestral work, the result is this soaring and inspiring soundtrack album.

 ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (8) Our Land

Review by John Li