Genre: Drama
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, Jon Favreau, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Margot Robbie, Jake Hoffman, Shea Whigham, Jon Bernthal, Ethan Suplee, Kenneth Choi, P.J. Byrne, Christine Ebersole
RunTime: 3 hrs
Rating: R21 (Coarse Language, Sexual Scenes And Drug Use)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.thewolfofwallstreet.com/
Opening Day: 9 January 2014
Synopsis: Revered filmmaker Martin Scorsese directs the true story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title -- "The Wolf of Wall Street." Money. Power. Women. Drugs. Temptations were for the taking and the threat of authority was irrelevant. For Jordan and his wolf pack, modesty was quickly deemed overrated and more was never enough.
Movie Review:
Sex. Check. Alcohol. Check. Drugs. Check.
Whatever form of debauchery you can imagine, The Wolf of Wall Street has it.
The stockbrokers led by Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCarpio) are an obscenely hedonistic lot who indulge in doing both drugs and women in the office in broad daylight. Jordan, the ringleader, is an immoral man who pops pills and beds women more regularly than he eats proper meals. No surprise that he divorced his first wife who stood by him in times of woe for the foxy Naomi (Margot Robbie) who he falls in lust with at first sight.
If you think Jordan sounds bad, wait till you see his right-hand man, Donnie (Jonah Hill). This guy takes the cake by indulging in the same things that Jordan does (save for the divorce) and marrying his own cousin because he couldn’t let anyone else sleep with her and if someone had to sleep with her, he would rather it be him.
It isn’t just the boys (yes, boys, it is rather difficult to think of them as men) who have objectionable traits and hobbies. Jordan’s second wife, Naomi doesn’t seem to indulge in drugs and sex but she does use her main asset, her body, to manoeuvre herself into a desired position.
As much as you would think that one would hate these flawed characters, it’s strangely difficult to do so, particularly for Jordan. Faults aside, they share a strong bond of brotherhood where they refuse to rat on Jordan. Similarly, Jordan consumes cocaine to gain “super powers” needed to save Donnie in a darkly comic life-or-death situation despite having just learnt that Donnie basically screwed both of them over.
Leonardo DiCarpio slips into the role of the amoral and charming Jordan easily and he wins you over. You can’t help but root for Jordan’s redemption. And Scorsese teases you with moments that suggest that Jordan may just turn over a new leaf and lead a nice quiet life.
Stylistically Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street is executed with sharp wit and perfectly timed comedic moments. The cast generally delivers although it is a shame that we do not see more of the other characters as most of the screen time is devoted to Leonardo DiCaprio (well, it is called The Wolf of Wall Street and heis playing the titular Wolf). At 3 hours long, there are moments where the movie feels a bit stretched, particularly when there are points that lead the viewer to think that the movie is ending, only to have it continue in another direction.
Movie Rating:
(The tried and tested Scorsese-DiCarpio partnership works its wonder again - definitely worth sitting through the 3 hours of excessive swearing, drugs and sex)
Review by Katrina Tee
Genre: Drama/Music
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake, Ethan Phillips, Robin Bartlett, Max Casella
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.insidellewyndavis.com/splash
Opening Day: 16 January 2014
Synopsis: Inside Llewyn Davis, the new film from Academy Award-winners Joel and Ethan Coen, follows a week in the life of a young folk singer at a crossroads, struggling to make it in the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac)―guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter―is beset by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, some of them of his own making. Living at the mercy of both friends and strangers, scaring up what work he can find, Llewyn journeys from the baskethouses of the Village to an empty Chicago club―on a misbegotten odyssey to audition for a music mogul―and back again.
Movie Review:
“What are you doing?” These were the four words our protagonist Llewyn Davis saw scribbled on a toilet wall somewhere past the mid point of this 105 minute film. And this scene gave an initial rude shock to this 33 year old writer. It suddenly dawned upon him how he, like Llweyn, is lost in this journey of life, meandering from one point to another – only to be reminded by four simple words on a dirty toilet wall.
The shock gradually turned into a somewhat melancholic realisation how Joel and Ethan Coen are spot on with their cinematic take on life – and how life will have no answers to the universe’s most seemingly simple questions.
You see, the protagonist of this film is a certain down and out folk singer whose musical partner has committed suicide. We follow the struggling artist as he navigates the Greenwich Villagefolk scene of 1961. This one week in his life may seem inconsequentially uneventful to some, but is there a larger life lesson embedded somewhere?
Written, directed and edited by the same folks who brought you classics like Fargo(1996) and The Big Lebowski (1998), their latest work may be their most mature and affecting yet. This writer isn’t that big a fan of No Country for Old Men (2007) and True Grit (2010), but Burn After Reading (2008) and A Serious Man (2009) are two films which he can’t shake off his mind. You have to watch these two brilliant works to understand how ingenious the duo is.
Here, their story is partly inspired by the autobiography of folk singer Dave Van Ronk. You may be unfamiliar with this music genre, but there is no need to put this film off as a bore fest. If you’re in the mood to reflect upon your journey in life thus far, put down whatever you have on hand and immerse yourself in Llewyn’s week long journey as he finds apartments to spend the nights, travels in the subway with an orange tabby cat, and takes a ride across the country to seek what seems like a better future.
The narrative is well paced, and although the conclusion may leave you in a “oh, that’s it?” state, take a moment to realise – isn’t that what life is about? The Coens do not provide clear answers, but that’s exactly what works here.
Oscar Isaac delivers with his portrayal of Llewyn Davis. The character may be a victim of his own choices, but you’d have to admit there is a Llweyn Davis in all of us. Joining the cast are the wonderful John Goodman, Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake, all of them giving pitch perfect performances without taking the focus away from the leading man.
And this reviewer guarantees that you’d fall in love with the movie soundtrack. Most of the folk songs performed in the film are all sung in full and were recorded ‘live’. From the reflective “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” and the heartbreaking “Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)”, to the pleasant “Five Hundred Miles” to the wacky “Please Mr Kennedy”, this is one list of tunes that will linger in your head long after the credits roll.
It seems that this film will not get much love at the upcoming Oscars, but let it be known that this is a story about one’s journey to search for his identity. Whether or not there is an answer may not be the most crucial, as this writer found out as he continues his seemingly never ending exploration.
Movie Rating:
(Join Llewyn Davis on his journey as you reflect on how your life has turned out, and ponder what it has in store for you ahead)
Review by John Li
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Spider-Man and Stars to Join Earth Hour Event in SingaporePosted on 27 Feb 2014 |
Genre: Comics/Action/Fantasy
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Martin Sheen, Chris Cooper, B.J. Novak, Sarah Gadon, Denis Leary
RunTime: 2 hrs 22 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website: http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/site/
Opening Day: 1 May 2014
Synopsis: It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.
Movie Review:
If you thought that it was too soon to reboot the Spiderman franchise and the results of Marc Webb’s entertaining but none too outstanding ‘The Amazing Spider-man’ did not convince you otherwise, this sequel will similarly leave you unimpressed. And yet despite the inevitable comparison with Sam Raimi’s marvellous ‘Spider-man 2’, Webb’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ is an excellent follow-up to its 2012 predecessor in almost every regard, combining a heartfelt teen romance with thrilling superhero action for a truly vertiginous spin in and around familiar landmarks of New York City.
Last we left Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, our favourite couple’s relationship was strained by Peter’s promise to her late father (Denis Leary) to leave her alone for safety’s sake – and despite the obvious giddy chemistry between them, Peter finds himself haunted by visions of her father. Yet there is no shortage of tender intimate moments in their on/off relationship, and let’s just say while some of their exchanges will leave you grinning and others will leave you tearing, there is just no denying that their romance is very much the emotional backbone of the whole movie, culminating in a shocking twist at the end which we suspect will leave few viewers dry-eyed.
The other part of the movie’s emotional core lies with the mysterious disappearance of Peter’s parents (Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz seen in expanded flashback roles), tied to the shady corporation Oscorp run by Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) which was also responsible for Curt Connors’ mutating Lizard seen in the last film. While his Aunt May (Sally Field) has tried to keep the truth from him, Peter can’t quite find closure without knowing why - and the return of his childhood pal Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) to take over the Oscorp business reignites his curiosity how his parents’ fates were related to some top-secret experiment that his father Robert was working on with Norman before the former’s death.
Oh and did we mention that Gwen also happens to be an employee of Oscorp while awaiting her entry into Oxford? That reeks smack of narrative convenience, but it does engender one of the most delightful meet-cute moments between Peter and Gwen that takes place in a broom cabinet in the Oscorp building no less. The necessity of weaving together the multiple storylines has Gwen digging into a former Oscorp engineer named Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), who is transformed after a lab accident involving a loose fuse and a tank of eels into the electrically charged villain Electro.
Of the numerous characters which inhabit the movie, Electro probably stands as the most redundant. There is something fascinating about the lowly and unappreciated Max at first, an individual so resigned to his own insignificance that he becomes obsessed with Spider-Man after a chance encounter on the street. Nonetheless, his psychosis – as well as his defining characteristic – fades into convention upon his transformation, while a surfeit of CGI take over to emphasise the extent of his destructive powers amidst an electrically-powered urban backdrop.
The more fascinating villain here turns out also to be the more familiar one, as Harry’s frustration with his inborn frailties lead him on a path of rising animus with Spider-man and by extension Peter. While Harry’s character arc is not much different from that in Raimi’s version, DeHaan’s chilling turn as the increasingly deranged Oscorp heir is far superior than what James Franco ever brought to the role. If you don’t yet know him from ‘Chronicle’ or the Beat-era drama ‘Kill Your Darlings’, this is as notable an introduction as any, an initially sympathetic figure whose tragic circumstance leads him to become cynical and sinister within the same breath.
Notwithstanding their respective motivations, Webb exploits both his villains for some hugely entertaining action showdowns. Electro’s descent upon Times Square midway through the film marks one of the definite highlights, an eye-popping spectacle of light, sound and visual artistry that combines some brilliant stunt work with Mark Friedberg’s inventive set design and Richard Johnson and Kim Jennings’ art direction for a stunning edge-of-your-seat adrenaline ride. No less impressive is Electro’s climactic battle set amidst New York’s key power grid, that makes thorough use of the numerous electric stacks for some mesmerising luminous shots from cinematographer Dan Mindel and a pulsing sub-dubstep score by Hans Zimmer and the bespoke collective known as The Magnificent Six for an electrifyingly gripping finish.
But Webb saves his most distinctive sequence for the last, with Spider-man confronted with the rise of the Green Goblin who knows his identity as Peter and therefore also his soft spot for Gwen. Symbolically set within a clock tower whose gears and ticking hands take on a whole new meaning by the time the dust settles, it reps one of the most tough-minded but simultaneously poignant endings in a superhero movie that we have seen, thrusting our titular character in an entirely new – and ultimately very exciting – direction. Webb’s forte as a director was always in his ability to forge affecting relationships between his characters, and the emotional payoff he delivers here is truly something to be reckoned with.
Certainly he has his actors to thank for that. Just as Tobey did in the second movie, British actor Andrew Garfield continues to grow ever more comfortable in the role of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man. He starts off goofy, cocky even, but ever more conscious of how he might be power-ful in saving the citizens of New York but power-less in protecting the ones close to him. There is little more we need to say about the spark that Garfield shares with his real-life girlfriend Emma Stone, except that they make an irresistibly winning couple. Foxx is better portraying his character’s tortured psyche as Electro than as Max, but Giamatti absolutely chews up the scenery in the few scenes he has playing the Rhino.
Arguably, neither prove as compelling as they should be, with DeHaan’s Green Goblin the only interesting villain that the movie has going for it. But what it lacks in malevolence, this crowd-pleasing sequel makes up for in teenage sass, unexpected poignancy and oh yes good old-fashioned Hollywood spectacle. It may not top Raimi’s benchmark, but it is mammoth summer popcorn entertainment of the highest calibre, finally living up to the addition of the adjective ‘amazing’ to this trilogy’s title.
Movie Rating:
(The romance is winning, the action thrilling, and the emotional beats moving – in other words, it’s a sequel you can safely say is amazing)
SYNOPSIS: Inspector Santos Trinidad, a veteran policeman, drinks too much and works too little. Maybe to forget he was once a model officer at the Intelligence Unit now downgraded to the Missing Person Unit. Events turn sour one night and Santos finds himself implicated in a triple homicide in an after-hours club. Santos cleans up the crime scene and starts the hunt for the only witness who managed to escape. Following the trail of the fugitive witness, Santos discovers a complicated and sordid network of prostitution and drug trafficking that serves to finance a far more sophisticated criminal plan. He is back doing what he does best although this time he is on his own. The official police investigation begins to tighten the net around him but Santos has begun his own personal crusade: he finally has the chance to settle his own score.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s hard to know where No Rest for the Wicked is heading when the prologue involve a grizzled cop drunkenly killed three people in a stripper bar. A witness is seen running away from the scene and the cop named Santos Trinidad (Jose Coronado) subsequently seek to silent the witness only to uncover a conspiracy more frightening than his murder spree.
Obviously Santos is not a model cop. He smokes heavily, has a temper and can’t do without his constant intakes of rum and coke. But certain mentions in the movie told us he was in fact an elite member of Special Ops until his downgrade to the Missing Persons Unit. What account for his drastic change, it’s not evidenced in this Enrique Urbizu’s helmed award-winning crime drama.
No Rest for the Wicked is a slow-boiler to say the least. Instead of a straight-out shoot fest, Urbizu sets out to make an investigative, crime drama anchored solely by the cool presence of Jose Coronado. He is much convincing as the tough as nails character, somewhat unpredictable yet you can’t help rooting for him when he is brutally stabbed in the stomach. The other two main supporting roles go to Helena Miquel and Juanjo Artero who played Judge Chacon and Detective Levia respectively as the trio shuttles between numerous characters, locations and bits, pieces of evidence that lead to the conclusion that they are not just dealing with mere Colombia drug lords rather the Islamic terrorists cell who are planning something diabolical.
With the exception of the opening and the ending which feature some gripping, slickly edited action scenes, Urbizu’s old fashioned way of telling his story might be lost to the larger impatient audiences. His treatment of the investigations while remain taut and fascinating is mostly just talk and interrogation unlike Hollywood and Hong Kong’s cinematic ways of dealing with crooks which easily diverse into frantic car chases and shootouts.
Cinematography is excellent and so does the location shooting in Madrid and Valencia. Supposedly based on the tragic Madrid train bombings in 2004, No Rest for the Wicked ends with a less than satisfying rushed conclusion. In the end, you probably feel more satisfied admiring the performance of Jose Coronado than the entire movie.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visual is passable and the Dolby Digital 2.0 has its moments though a 5.1 soundtrack would have benefitted the few action-oriented sequences.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Jason Statham stars as an ex-Special Forces officer who comes home from the Afghan war a shattered man. Broke, homeless and lost in a haze of drugs and booze, Joseph Smith attempts to piece his life back together. But while employed as a collector for a local mob boss, he quickly learns the identity of a friend's murderer and, bent on revenge, finds himself sinking deeper into a dark world of violence in this high-octane action-thriller.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Will having Joe Wright (Atonement) on board as producer and the writer of Eastern Promises, Steven Knight as director makes a difference to a Jason Statham movie?
The answer if you must know right now is a mixed bag. Opting to be more of a character study than the usual over-the-top action stuff Statham is known for; Redemption still plays out as an intriguing title for the general masses with a couple of ass-kicking scenes thrown in for good measure.
Like the title suggests, Statham’s character, Joseph Smith is a man looking for redemption whether it’s from God, from society or the people he loved. After escaping court martial from the army, Smith becomes a homeless alcoholic man huddling in a piece of cupboard with a runaway teenage, Isabel. When he finally found solace in the home of a photographer who has left New York for the summer, Smith decides to get his act together. Finding a job as the driver and debt collector of the local Chinese mob, Smith begins a relationship with a nun, Sister Cristina (Agatha Buzek) and attempts to make up financially for his ex-wife and daughter.
The road to redemption is never that easy and no one can live happily after without any consequences. Writer-director Knight could have easily filled his tale of Smith carrying out his bone-crunching exercises to his enemies and opponents instead he prefers his leading man to languish in brooding and deadly circumstances. His friendship with the Polish nun bizarrely soon turns into a love affair and we realised Sister Cristina has a dark secret of her own. Smith’s Chinese boss is in fact into human trafficking and drugs and his anger, PTSD condition sure had a hard time improving once he learnt that his roommate Isabel is killed by a psychotic client who has a penchant for beating up prostitutes.
This is one thoughtful title that sets it apart from the usual generic movies that the bald headed Statham frequently stars in. Given his limited acting range, he still manages to give a convincing edge to the character of Joseph Smith. Knight might be a little too ambitious with the various narrative threads especially the recurring flashbacks of Smith’s Afghanistan stint which is clumsily handled and haphazardly closing the movie with a revenge angle. In spite of the flaws and lack of fights, for a crime drama set and shot beautifully in contemporary London, Redemption is a delight.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
While the movie is often shot in dark alleys and at night, Redemption rarely gives any visual problems. More of a dialogue based feature, the audio is clear and perfect.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Meet the Borgens. William Borgens is an acclaimed author who hasn't written a word since his ex-wife Erica left him 3 years ago for another man. In between spying on Erica and casual romps with his married neighbour Tricia, Bill is dealing with the complexities of raising his teenage children Samantha and Rusty. Samantha is publishing her first novel and is determined to avoid love at all costs - after all she's seen what it has done to her parents. In between hook ups, she meets "nice guy" Lou who will stop at nothing to win her over. Rusty, is an aspiring fantasy writer and Stephen King aficionado who is on a quest to gain 'life experiences'. He falls for the beautiful but troubled Kate and gets his first taste of love and a broken heart. A tale of family, love (lost and found) and how endings can make new beginnings. There are no rewrites in life, only second chances.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Stuck In Love belongs to those little gems that deserve more attention than it gets. Who will expect a story about broken family and love can be so touching and funny at the same time.
William Borgens (Greg Kinnear) is an acclaimed writer who is still pining for the return of his ex-wife, Erica (Jennifer Connelly) after she left him for a younger and much handsome man three years ago. Their daughter, Samantha (Lily Collins) an up-and-coming novelist has given up the idea of love and just looking for hook ups. Her younger brother Rusty (Nat Wolff) on the other hand has yet experience the taste of love till he falls for the girl he has always admired in school, Kate (Liana Liberato).
Without being too heavy-handed, writer and director Josh Boone took a saccharin approach to the various complex issues on hand. Boone’s setting of this dysfunctional family gives him plenty of chances to tell his tale of first loves and second chances if not a little too convenient. In spite of that, the indie drama is filled with plenty of lovable quirky characters notably portrayed by an ensemble of familiar names.
First of all, Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) and Clary Fray (Collins’ character from The Mortal Instruments) makes such a cute couple onscreen. It does help that Logan is back playing the nerdy nice guy from The Perks of Being A Wallflower and opposite Collins’ Samantha who no longer believe in marriage and love, it’s a genuinely worthwhile journey of self-discovery for these two young lovebirds. Unfortunately, Nat Wolff and Liana Liberato’s adolescent love angle comes a bit forceful. It doesn’t help that Liberato’s sweet-looking Kate is a crackhead adding unnecessary drama to Rusty’s already complicated family life.
Kinnear, one of those underrated actors working in Hollywood is simply remarkable as a writer who just can’t let go of his wife. He is insecure when faced with his own problems but confident at every moment dispensing advice to his kids. Connelly is fantastic as the wife who tries hard to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Her emotional scene at Samantha’s book launch is a must watch though pathetically there isn’t much backstory as to why her seemingly decent character has to ditch her family. Kristen Bell cameos as a good hearted, neighbour who amusingly pops in William’s place from time to time for some quickie.
Life indeed takes us to different places at times steer us into a different course and throws in unexpected people in front of us. But one thing never changes, that is with the existence of love, you find that there’s a lot to be enjoyed despite the difficulties. The formulaic likeable Stuck In Love demonstrates the truth of it.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Dialog and ambient effects is consistently clear and the lifelike images make it a joy to watch on DVD.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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BOOK REVIEW #9: "MARVEL COMICS: THE UNTOLD STORY"Posted on 11 Dec 2013 |
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Clover Films celebrates their 4th year!Posted on 12 Dec 2013 |
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smith-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo
RunTime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence & Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website:
Opening Day: 17 July 2014
Synopsis: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.
Movie Review:
One just has to remember Tim Burton’s ‘Planet of the Apes’ to realise how tricky it is to bring to life the humans-versus-simians premise which the French novelist Pierre Boulle had first envisioned and which spawned the five original movies that were released between the years of 1968 and 1973. And yet after Burton’s ill-conceived reboot, Rupert Wyatt’s 2011’s ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ confidently overcame skepticism with a smart, gripping and exciting origin film that grounded the film in today’s reality by using the search for the cure for Alzheimer’s as a jumping-off point and making the apes the more sympathetic characters.
Wyatt doesn’t return for this sequel; ‘Cloverfield’s’ Matt Reeves is at the helm, but if there were any doubts whether Reeves could fill in the sizeable shoes left behind by his predecessor, let us reassure you by the end of this brilliantly-directed, poetically-written and superbly-acted film that it is unequivocally just as good, if not better. Returning to script are writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, and together with Mark Bomback, the trio has fashioned this follow-up as intelligent socio-political allegory of the sectarian violence that continues to rear its ugly head ever so often, in the process taking the franchise to new, ambitious and thrilling heights.
Set ten years after the Golden Gate bridge shutdown, it sees the apes having escaped with their leader Caesar (Andy Serkis) into the redwood forest outside San Francisco settling into a peaceful community which has learnt to communicate with each other through sign language that is translated for our benefit with the generous use of subtitles. It isn’t just apes of course; among those which return from the first movie are the orangutan Maurice (Karin Konoval), the loyal chimp Rocket (Terry Notary), and Cornelia (Judy Greer), who is now Caesar's wife.
Deliberately taking it slow for the first 20 minutes in order to allow its audience to settle into the routines of its simian characters, the pace picks up very quickly once they meet a ragtag group of human survivors led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke). On a mission to revive the city’s electricity by restoring the O’Shaughnessy Dam, Malcolm and his group inevitably have to encroach upon ape territory, and the discovery of man amidst their home ground sets Caesar and his trusted deputy Koba (Toby Kebbell) on a divisive path that ultimately establishes the stage for their climactic battle. While Caesar is willing to explore the possibility of peace with the humans, Koba is deadly insistent on waging war in order to claim superiority - and it probably comes as no surprise that Koba gets his wish.
It isn’t just the apes that have to confront their trust issues with the other species; even as Malcolm tries to convince his kind that the apes aren’t just savages, the memory that the species was responsible for the virus which killed many of their loved ones remains etched deeply in the minds of the human survivors holed up in a guarded compound in the middle of a decimated, foliage-covered San Francisco. Especially after Caesar’s show of force following an initial altercation, their unofficial leader Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) starts to build up their own arsenal of weapons, the former military man still grieving the loss of his family understandably wary of the primates.
There is as much character here as there is plot, so kudos to the writers for taking a character-driven approach to the narrative. Building on Caesar’s personality in the first movie, this one gives him an opportunity to demonstrate the leadership he so professes as he forges an uneasy truce with the humans, proving himself to be both firm and compassionate at the same time. Koba is a persuasive contrast, a former abused lab monkey scarred by savage hate and therefore from an ideological standpoint clearly opposed to the idea of peace and goodwill. Malcolm and Dreyfus are their human equivalents respectively, both characters surprisingly textured as they develop and discover their response to the threat at large from their own experience with the apes.
Indeed, there is mistrust between, as well as, within each species - and as we slowly realise, the human and ape stories come together perfectly to mirror each other, culminating in Caesar’s sad but honest proclamation: “I always think ape better than human. I see now how like them we are.” Reeves works that internecine conflict whether ape or human to tense and frightening effect, ratcheting up the tension to build towards some truly spectacular action setpieces. Yes, this being a summer blockbuster, you can rest assured that the filmmakers have not forgotten to satisfy audiences looking for some visceral entertainment.
Those who are familiar with the city may be able to pick out the resemblance to California and Market Streets in downtown San Francisco, which production designer James Chinlund transforms into an epic battleground where the standoff between apes and humans explodes in jaw-dropping terror. When all hell does break loose, it is truly a sight to behold, but what’s even more admirable is Reeves’ ability to balance these big scenes with some genuinely intimate moments, ending on a heartbreaking and surprisingly sombre note that packs a powerful emotional punch. Reeves finds new definition in ‘emotional spectacle’ - that’s how good the mix of emotion and action comes together.
But of course, that would not be possible without the technical wizardry of Weta Digital. Outdoing themselves in every single regard, they convey through motion capture the apes’ feelings beautifully through facial animation - we’re not just talking about one or two, but an entire colony here, and it is certainly an feat that not only does each one register as fully as he or she does, but does so at a remarkably expressive level. Add to that as well how they have seamlessly integrated the apes’ new abilities (e.g. riding horses, brandishing firearms) into outdoor location exteriors and you get a sense of just how amazing their accomplishment is.
Even more so than in the first movie, British actor Andy Serkis continues to challenge the conventional understanding of acting, putting in a nuanced performance full of dignity and bravado through motion capture. On almost every level, whether storytelling, emotion, acting, or action, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ exceeds its predecessor. It isn’t just a great summer action-adventure; it is classic science-fiction, restoring the franchise to the heights of its glory with quite simply one of the very best films you’ll see this year.
Movie Rating:
(It's no small feat to top an already impressive 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', but this sequel does so in almost every regard, combining heart-stopping action with intense emotional drama to create a truly exhilarating experience)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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