SYNOPSIS: Korea, the last divided nation on earth, is constantly under political and military tension with the surrounding countries, especially concerning the North Korean nuclear issue. To avoid the second Korean war, NSS (National Security Service) that exists for the national security of the Korean peninsula, operates beyond the limits of law or regulations. And its biggest threat is a global terrorist organization known only as IRIS. And after discovering the IRIS had planted doubled agents within NSS which reaches even the former NSS chief, the organization is at a constant alert for the moles. The North and South Korean summit peace talk is held in Hungary, and top secret agents from both sides are assigned for the security of this conference against possible threats of terrorism. And on the second day of the summit, the North Korean representative is assassinated, throwing all the agents on a desperate pursuit for the killer.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Stories on the conflicts between the North and South never get old and tired for the Korean filmmakers. IRIS: New Generation replicates the formula of its hugely successful predecessor proving there isn’t such a thing as too much espionage tales.
With the exception of it’s original leading man Lee Byung-hun who is too busy battling G.I. Joes, IRIS: New Generation promises the same elements such as exotic locations, massive gunplay, fistfights and a run-of-the-mill plotting.
The gist of the story is that the North has planted nuclear bombs in the heart of Seoul and some extremists are plotting to detonate them to unify the people. The National Security Service (NSS) led by the brave Cpt Jung (Jang Hyuk from Dance of the Dragon) will risk their lives to stop the massacre. There’s an obligatory romance angle, which involves Jung and his fellow colleague Soo Yeon (Lee Da-hey), which is instantly forgettable the moment they left their bed.
Since this is a movie version in other words, a condensed feature of the 20 episodes series, expect shallow characterizations, jumpy cuts and absolutely sloppy continuation. But hey you can’t complain much because at the end of the day, you still get to enjoy the sights of Angkor Wat and Hungary; numerous gun fights along deserted roads and Jang Hyuk miraculously escaping death (several times I must add) to continue his mission. The most laughable part however comes right in the end as the screenwriters decide to opt for The Dark Knight Returns ending. Seriously?
The whole point of making IRIS: New Generation or IRIS 2 is strictly to bank-on the sellable name, every single plot element come as so predictable and monotonous that there’s no point explaining further. Unless you are a fan of the original and keen on more of the same old, I suggest you can skip this.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visual and Audio is respectable for the made-for-TV movie.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Reiko Hosho (Keiko Kitagawa), the Hosho conglomerate heiress, and her butler Kageyama (Sho Sakurai), board the Singapore-bound The Princess Reiko, a luxury cruise ship owned by the Hoshos. It is Reiko’s first time in 18 years to embark this ship that is like a small town in itself, complete with restaurants, casino, spa, and movie theatre. Reiko looks forward to her long-deserved vacation, but an odd dead body is discovered onboard. Seven days until their arrival in Singapore. The murderer, hiding among 3,000 passengers and crewmembers, must be apprehended. Soon, Kageyama realizes that the victims have something in common, but among the turmoil, Reiko is kidnapped…
MOVIE REVIEW:
For those who are not familiar with the adventures of beautiful heiress Reiko and her trusty butler, Kageyama, fret not, the Japanese filmmakers behind the movie version have taken great care not to alienate this group of audiences. Cue in cute cartoons and dialogue bubbles.
The After Dinner Mysteries partially shot in Singapore and onboard the luxurious Superstar Virgo is the typical Japanese detective drama mixed with comedic elements to spice things a little. This is not to say the flick is a letdown, it’s just pretty predictable when it comes to solving the mystery. The most obvious suspect is not the one and the culprit always has a far bigger sad story to tell in the end.
Reiko who also works as a cop is on vacation on her family cruise ship with her butler in tow of course. A rich businessman named Raymond Yeow is found murdered and thrown overboard. Reiko and her self-assuming superior Kazamatsuriare tasked to solve the case. Threatening to kill another passenger if the ship stops at a port, Reiko must find the killer among the 3000 passengers before tragedy strikes again.
The first half of the movie is peppered with sometimes-cheesy comedic antics and a slew of characters, which is not surprising since this is a mystery drama after all. You need all the people in the world to mess up your attention. But again it’s the chemistry between Keiko Kitagawa and Sho Sakurai (from the popular boyband Arashi) that keeps the story going with their believable bantering and often-sarcastic exchanges.
Takenaka Naoto (Shinjuku Incident) and Okura Koji contributes to all the silly fun by portraying a pair of fumbling crooks who are after a treasure piece called K Lion. Then there is the side plot, which involves the ship manager and his lounge singer daughter. In addition, there’s supposedly the involvement of the world’s renowned super thief dubbed the Phantom Soros presented in zesty animated form.
First time feature director Masato Hijikata knows how to keep the pacing lively and to differentiate between this and the drama series throws in generous shots of the cruise ship milking all it’s worth with some obvious elaborate set designs and visual effects in-between. While the material is not in the league of the great Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, The After Dinner Mysteries is still an entertaining title that will please fans of the series and of course supporters of Sho Sakurai.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The DVD comes with burned-in English subs with Chinese as an optional choice. It also comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that feature some fanciful surround ambient effects.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Academy Award® winner* Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen in this thrilling second adventure from The Hunger Games saga. Against all odds, Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta have returned home after surviving the Hunger Games. Winning means they must leave loved ones behind and embark on a Victory Tour through the districts. Along the way, Katniss senses a rebellion simmering – one that she and Peeta may have sparked. At the end of the tour, President Snow announces a deadly 75th Hunger Games that could change Panem forever.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Chances are sequels won’t be as good as the original even the ultra-successful Harry Potter series has its fair share of criticisms. Without Gary Ross, writer and director of the first Hunger Games at the helm, Catching Fire has a high risk of veering off course, as it turned out, the second instalment is just as strong as its predecessor.
Returning home after emerging as winners, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) continues to struggle with life. President Snow (Donald Sutherland) largely aware of the duo’s successful attempt in manipulating the audience into believing their love affair announces a special anniversary version of Hunger Games in which past victors from each district has to participate. With new allies and deadlier traps in store, Katniss and Peeta realize there’s in addition more political conspiracy ahead of them.
Catching Fire continues to delve deep into mature themes and topics despite the heavy marketing of adrenalin action as a dangling carrot. In actual fact, the sequel spends far less duration in the games room and instead focuses most of the attention on Katniss’ current troubled mind state, her relationships with her sister and boyfriend, Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and the sometimes, shocking and PG13 violent disparity between the social classes.
It’s a franchise anchored not just by Lawrence’s performance that is undeniably the soul of the movie. Having the late Philip Seymour Hoffman onboard as Plutarch Heavensbee, the new gamemaker adds icing onto the cake. Together with series’ regulars, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks and the always-delightful Woody Harrelson and newcomer Jeffrey Wright as a fellow tribute, the assembled cast itself is a godsend.
While Francis Lawrence’s resume tends to be a bit spotty especially when his earlier Constantine and I Am Legend originally derived from book form but ended up as a less than stellar product. Lawrence handling of Catching Fire probably marks his first ever-measured ability in balancing storytelling and large-scale action sequences. Does the Hunger Games franchise actually deserve a two-part conclusion then? Given the strong production values behind Catching Fire, it certainly leaves you wanting for more Katniss Everdeen for sure.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio Commentary with Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson is a relaxed and occasionally silent audio track offered by the two filmmakers. Expect the usual anecdotes nothing too spoilerish or interesting to make it a must-listen experience. 4 minutes of unsubstantial Deleted Scenes are also included in the extras.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Offering a saturated and dark look, the DVD looks incredibly well transferred on TV though the sole inclusion of a 2.0 soundtrack is a misstep.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Set in the most depressing corner of a post-apocalyptic future, our hero Kantmiss Evershot volunteers to take her manipulative sister's place in the annual 75th "Starving Games". In doing so, she must leave behind her smoldering just-a-friend Dale and team up with the geeky baker's son Peter Malarkey in a fight for her life. But wait, there's more! She could also win an old ham, a coupon for a foot long sub at six-inch price and a partially eaten pickle.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s nothing short of a miracle that Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer are still in the Hollywood circuit peddling their parody skills while many talented screenwriters’ career are in limbo.
The duo famous for their Date Movie, Meet The Spartans and Vampires Suck is back for another round of spoofing the latest pop cultures and hit movies. And who else but The Hunger Games who receive the honor.
The Starving Games is very much another clueless attempt by Friedberg and Seltzer to pass it off as a parody comedy. David Zucker nailed the genre with classics such as Airplane! And Naked Gun, damn I don’t even have the slightest dislike for the Wayans Brothers’ Scary Movie franchise.
However, The Starving Games truly marks a new low to the duo’s resume. It’s dumb, unfunny and constantly stupid. It’s so bad that it doesn’t even feature any recognizable faces and the visual effects look as if it’s done overnight on an intern’s computer. Getting to the plotting is just a waste of time and you probably need a huge dosage of Panadol to get pass the silly acting from the young cast.
There are passable references to the Avengers and Expendables though the constant showing up of corporate logos is plain annoying. You mean you find it funny to see a Starbucks and Nike logo printed on a guy’s face? How about an incredible lame sex scene or watching people’s limbs being saw off?
Fortunately for us, the excruciating viewing experience only lasts a mere 70 minutes (you have a generous 9 minutes of bloopers). Seriously, I rather put The Hunger Games on a loop than even watch this again on TV. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer should be banned from getting anywhere near a film set.
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Both visual and audio are serviceable.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nick Stoller
Cast: Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Jake Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Roberts, Lisa Kudrow, Carla Gallo, Ike Barinholtz, Chasty Ballesteros
RunTime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Content, Nudity And Drug Use)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.neighbors-movie.com/#
Opening Day: 8 May 2014
Synopsis: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast of "Neighbors", a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby.
Movie Review:
The year was 2006 – street cred wasn’t the first thing you’d associate us with if we told you we were fans of High School Musical. The Disney Channel TV movie was a fine example of a guilty pleasure. We couldn’t stop listening to the soundtrack, singing along to stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens’ duet “Breaking Free”. The successful hit made stars out of the former real life couple. Two sequels followed, the two broke up and life happened. While Hudgens wasn’t at fortunate, Efron went on to, well, win a Best Shirtless Performance at the recent MTV Movie Awards.
Yay? The 26 year old actor embodies the term “guilty pleasure” (for female viewers at least). And that was why we thought this Nicholas Stoller directed comedy might turn out to be a bland concoction of a few chuckle worthy jokes. How wickedly hilarious can a movie starring Efron be, considering the fact that there may be market considerations of pleasing his fans?
Boy, how wrong we were. The dude who crooned radio friendly hits eight years ago isn’t just shirtless (in countless scenes) to show off his bod, he also (warning: parental guidance is advised for the following content) beats people up, takes drugs, speaks dirty and makes plastic dildos moulded from his own manhood. Yup, you read things right – that’s the reason why this movie is rated R21 for sexual content, nudity and drug use.
We should have known seeing how Stoller’s past works include the equally raunchy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010) and The Five Year Engagement (2012). The English American filmmaker is also known for his writing credits in comedies like Yes Man (2008), The Muppets (2011) and its recent sequel Muppets Most Wanted. No pretty boy is going to stop him from making a fun comedy which has been absent from the cineplexes for a while.
Efron plays the leader of Delta Psi, a fraternity known for their outrageous parties. When a young couple moves in next door, little do they know they are in for a life changing experience. With Seth Rogen on board to come head on with Efron in a battle of, well, many things, you can expect an outrageous barrel of laughs that will keep you adequately entertained throughout the movie’s 100 minute duration.
The comedian who has made us LOL-ed with his performances in movies like Superbad (2007), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) and Pineapple Express (2008) takes on the role of a man who suddenly realises what “growing up” has done to his life, and besides making us laugh, has us thinking about what “moving on in life” means. His on screen wife is played by Australian actress Rose Byrne (Insidious, X Men: First Class), who flexes her comedy chops. A gag involving breastfeeding is one unforgettable sequence you won’t get out of your head for some time.
The cast also includes Dave Franco (21 Jump Street, Now You See Me), Christopher Mintz Plasse (Kick Ass, Pitch Perfect) and MADtv funnyman Ike Barinholtz, all of them leaving us chortling with different gags. As for Efron, let’s just say he has left an impression with us with his portrayal of a teenager who’s hanging on to his “best years” behind (ditch those sappy chick flicks like Charlie St Cloud and The Lucky One, dude). We were actually moved by the themes explored in the movie. When the movie ends with the shirtless Efron and Rogen outside an Abercrombie & Fitch store, we were left pondering where life has taken us. Do we really have to choose between a drool worthy six pack bod and a flabby beer belly?
Movie Rating:
(To our surprise, there is quite a bit of heart in this f***in’ hilarious comedy)
Review by John Li
Genre: Fantasy
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Cast: Fuka Koshiba, Rie Miyazawa, Mitchitaka Tsutsui
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: TBA
Released By: GV
Official Website:
Opening Day: 17 April 2014
Synopsis: Kiki (Fuka Koshiba) is the daughter of Koriki (Rie Miyazawa), a witch, and Okino (Michitaka Tsutsui), a 'normal' human being. Following an ancient law of witchery, once Kiki turns 13 she must leave her home and travel to another place, where she must live on her own for one year. With Jiji, her black cat (Minako Kotobuki), she climbs on her broom and flies off until she finds the town of Koriko, set in a group of islands far over the sea.
Flying over the town, she spies a windwill. Landing, she smells bread and comes into the Buy Bye Bakery, where she meets Osono (Machiko Ono), the kind-hearted owner. Bearing in mind her mother's admonition to always keep smiling, she decides to start a broom-based delivery service.
Her first job, however, is a disaster. The youth Tombo (Ryohei Hirota) asks her to deliver a book for him, but his interest is in how she manages to fly. Kiki is not impressed, and their relationship gets off to a bad start.
She is disappointed at how her first job has turned out, but manages to demonstrate her flying ability to many in the town, and soon has lots of work. Jiji doesn't share her enthusiasm, but Kiki ignores this and is thoroughly enjoying herself. However Maruko, the baby hippo at the Koriko Zoo, is ill, and her keeper Nazuru (Hirofumi Arai) announces over the radio that this is because Kiki has put a curse on the animal. Kiki is hurt by this heartless outburst, and she begins to have doubts.
Word of the 'curse' spreads, and soon Kiki has no more work. Everything she has delivered is returned to her. In shock, she loses her ability to fly, and resolves to abandon her hopes of becoming a full-fledged witch. Osono and her husband are worried, but then a request comes from the zoo. There is a storm approaching, no boats can sail from the island, and Maruko needs to be taken to Dr Ishi (Tadanobu Asano), a veterinarian on another island.
But Kiki cannot fly, and a powerful storm is coming. What will she do? Will she recover both her magic and her smile?
Movie Review:
Kiki’s Delivery Service is an original story from a children novel series that is made famous by Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film released in 1989. It was a much acclaimed animated film back then, bagging 4 film award wins and having widespread popularity. Many would not have known that Kiki’s Delivery Service original story consists of 6 volumes, which depicts the journey of Kiki, the half witch half human, from when she was 13 to 34 years old. Both the animated and real-life adaptation of the story focused on the beginning of her journey of a witch, when Kiki set off to a new place where she lived away from her family for a year.
Without a doubt, Kiki is the anchoring character of the movie. Embarking on her year-long learning journey, she had to overcome fears, diversities and challenges, to eventually gain independence. Contrary to what most people think witches do – casting spells and performing all sorts of magic at will – Kiki’s only magic ability is to fly. Eventually she settled down in the town of Koriko, which consists of many small islands. She was taken in by a kind baker, and also began to offering her unique delivery service on flying broomstick in that little town.
Although the actors and actresses in the cast are not the typical A-listers, they have supported this movie together well. Special mention has to be made to actress Fuka Koshiba, who played the role of Kiki. She handled it very well, and carried Kiki’s honest and frank character. Her characterization of Kiki through her learning of overcoming difficulties and regaining trust in people gave the character good depth and dimension. This young actress certainly studied her character well.
However, one great pity of the film is its use of (or lack thereof) CGI. It was too raw and even jarring to the eyes at times. Whilst it might be unreasonable to expect the CGI standards in The Story of Pi or the elaborate broomstick flying sequences in Harry Potter’s quidditch races, Kiki’s Delivery Service failed to even convince. The flaw was even accentuated because of Kiki’s important companion – Jiji the talking black cat. The cat wasn’t as slick and suave as you would expect. On a separate note, there was also a scene in the movie which looked like it was cut out of a music video that gone wrong - slightly clichéd and unnecessary.
Nonetheless, this uplifting and light-hearted story Kiki's journey to maturity was enjoyable. Putting aside the success of the anime adaptation, the intricacy in terms of its wardrobe, props and artwork are still commendable. Fuka Koshiba also gave Kiki a new breath of life, a performance that even the original novel writer will appreciate. Even though the movie is not as visually captivating as one would wish, it's still satisfactory and serves as a simple reminder to all: keep the smile on even when facing adversities; learn to dance in the rain, for the good will always prevail somehow.
Movie Rating:
(Satisfactory movie, though nothing remarkable or groundbreaking; decent storytelling at least made it an enjoyable watch)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
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Sex trafficking film "3.50" starring Eunice Olsen (UPDATED WITH REVIEW)Posted on 01 May 2014 |
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Cast: Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Johnny Knoxville, Tony Shalhoub, Pete Ploszek, Jeremy Howard, Noel Fisher, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Mos Def, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Woodburn
RunTime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com
Opening Day: 7 August 2014
Synopsis: The city needs heroes. Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles must work with fearless reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) and her wise-cracking cameraman Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett) to save the city and unravel Shredder’s diabolical plan.
Movie Review:
As a child, this reviewer often wondered why April O’ Neil existed in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. Other than the fact that his sister could own the rather curvaceous action figure (which needed a lot of help standing on its own), he couldn’t figure out the reason behind including a female human character in the series. Maybe it’s meant to lead up to this – a live action reboot of the immensely popular franchise (check out the cheesy guilty pleasure versions which were released in 1990, 1991 and 1993, during the height of the franchise’s popularity) starring the super hot Megan Fox as the inquisitive and righteous (read: nosy) reporter.
Since co createor Peter Laird sold the franchise to Nickelodeon in 2009, the turtles took on a different look to suit the taste of the modern audience – something cooler, funkier and edgier. Gone are the smiley reptiles in a half shell. This has made many fans (those who grew up collecting every version of the action figures in the 1990s) of the original series upset. But as Fox’s rather straightforward message to haters of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie would have it, this group of people can “f*ck off”.
The movie still puts the four turtles in the spotlight: Leonardo (Pete Ploszek, though voiced by Johnny Knoxville), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Raphael (Alan Ritchson) and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) are being genetic mutations raised in the New York sewers under the tutelage of anthropomorphic rat Splinter (Danny Woodburn, but voiced by Tony Shalhoub), their sensei in the martial arts and adoptive father. While the four turtles do not have the surfer dude sensibility of the original series, they do have individual standout characters which are easily identifiable.
There is a slight difference here – the turtles’ transformation is explained as the result of experimentation done by the scientist father of TV reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox), who was working alongside Eric Sacks (William Fichtner) at the time of his death.Sacks is now a big-time corporate leader spearheading the fight against a ninja-themed crime syndicate called the Foot Clan. In investigating the heists, April spies the turtles, who are coming above ground as vigilantes despite warnings from Splinter to stay hidden. Before long, she and her smitten driver Vernon(Will Arnett) get caught up in the heroes’ fight against the gang and their vicious leader Shredder (Tohoru Masamune), whose metallic samurai suit reminds us of Megatron and his mean getup.
It is no wonder because the Jonathan Liebesman directed movie is produced by MichaelBay, the man who is known for his signature flare and slow mo shots, which are generously on showcase in this 101 minute movie. Granted this production will never win praises from the masses, you weren’t exactly expecting an intelligent movie, were you?
The action comedy does what it’s supposed to do – deliver (what some would call a half hearted attempt) dosages of action, comedy while throwing in a
Movie Rating:
(Haters will be haters – our advice to you is to go enjoy this mindless action flick for what it is)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Tom Sizemore stars in the most explosive and action-packed Behind Enemy Lines yet! On an unsanctioned mission in Africa, a covert team of U.S. Navy SEALs is sent to locate a secret mining operation and prevent the sale of weapons-grade uranium to international terrorists. The stakes are higher than ever-and so is the body count-as Seal Team Eight must fight their way through the treacherous Congo in order to secure the uranium, expose the unknown buyer, and defuse one of the greatest threats the world has ever known!.
MOVIE REVIEW:
In a span of less than 5 minutes, the story is fully setup in the most efficient way in Seal Team 8: Behind Enemy Lines. There’s not enough time to know the five core Seal members who are being tasked to rescue a CIA asset Zoe Jelani in Congo who possessed important intel to locate a secret uranium mining operation. But who cares if you are a fan of wall-to-wall explosions and gunplay.
From Roel Reiné who sometimes double as a cinematographer has an extraordinary resume that includes Death Race 3, The Scorpion King 3 and 12 Rounds 2. Well, being the industry’s go-to-man for direct to video sequels, the rotund director shoots fast, often offers minimal storytelling and substituting it with bombastic action set pieces and a few bonus nudity bits.
There isn’t much sense in the story by the credited Brendan Cowles andShane Kuhn. From a non-US military man’s point of view, the way the mission is being executed already sounds phony enough and throwing in a sex scene between the CIA asset and the leader of the seal team only makes it worse. Yet you got to salute Roel Reiné in setting up numerous entertaining major action sequences mostly one after another given the limited budget.
The number of explosions in the movie is crazy while a climatic chase scene through the busy streets of Johannesburg looks entirely out-of-place. The only recognizable actor here is Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down) credited on the cover carrying a rifle or something dangerous. Not to spoil your enthusiasm but Mr Sizemore’s part in the whole ordeal is being a commanding officer shouting orders in an air-conditioned control room. Playing the gung-ho seal leader, Case, the biggest credit goes to the little known Brit actor Lex Shrapnel for being a totally believable action hero.
If watching people getting shot, blown up and endless balls of fire spurting on the screen is your kind of thing, then Seal Team 8: Behind Enemy Lines comes highly recommended.
Director Reiné offers an enthusiastic commentary track offering viewers his take on the material in Commentary by Roel Reiné.
The Ultimate Mission consists of interviews by the main cast and the director.
Surviving the Shoot has stunt coordinator Leroy Gregg discussing the chaotic climatic scene which took place in the streets of Johannesburg.
Master of Chaos delves into the fast pace shooting rate of the director as confirmed by the actors themselves.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The DVD comes with an intended gritty presentation and the English Dolby Digital 5.1 offers a dynamic listening experience with frequent explosions and gunshots.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty happens to be the last movie I watched in theaters last year and I simply adored it! Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I feel so satisfied, inspired and amazed by a movie and for a start; you wouldn’t have expected that it came from comedian Ben Stiller.
Still took over the long in limbo project from the hands of people liked Jim Carrey, Steven Spielberg, Mike Meyers and Owen Wilson to direct and star in the adaptation of James Thurber’s 1939 short story. Stiller plays Walter Mitty, a somewhat reserved negative assets manager working in the basement of LIFE magazine. He spends his days daydreaming, has a crush on fellow worker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and a sarcastic boss Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott) breathing down his neck over a missing negative submitted by reclusive acclaimed photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn).
Walter Mitty is one of those feel-good dramas that happen to tiptoe around the arthouse genre. It’s hard to tell if Stiller and scriber Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) intended to present the story this way but the daydreaming sequences, which happened pretty often in the beginning of the movie tend to be much of a distraction. The story begins to pickup when Walter decides to abandon his monotonous lifestyle to go on a global adventure to look for Sean O’Connell. It started with a silly CGI enhanced shark attack to an exhilarating skateboard ride in Iceland and end in the Himalaya. The story probably benefitted more if the character of O’Connell remains a mystery still it’s always nice to see Penn on the screen.
Stiller is also blessed with a talented cast that includes SNL regular Wiig, Patton Oswalt as the customer service officer of a dating website, Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine as Walter’s mum and Kathryn Hahn as his obnoxious sister. Theodore Shapiro provides the year’s best score (solely my opinion) with songs contributed by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men and Swedish folk-pop singer Jose Gonzalez and of course amazing cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh.
Though Stiller has a much successful career as an actor, his directing efforts, which previously include Zoolander and Topic Thunder, seem to reach a whole new level with the release of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Hardly a pretentious movie and not one to read any deeper, this is a journey that I would love to accompany Walter anytime.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The designers painstakingly replicate the look of the movie based on the now defunct LIFE magazine in The look of life.
Composer Theodore Shapiro shares with viewers the process of creating the music in The music of Walter Mitty
Sights and sounds of production: Skateboarding through Iceland takes us behind-the-scenes of the skateboarding sequence shot in Iceland.
Lastly there’s a Gallery: Reference Photography.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
This is a bluish-tinted but beautiful looking movie presented on DVD. If you expect a rather muted movie then the provided Dolby Digital 5.1 will surprise you during selected scenes especially Walter’s daydreaming ones.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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