Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Chris Evans
Cast: Chris Evans, Alice Eve
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: PG13 (Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:

Opening Day: 17 December 2015

Synopsis: BEFORE WE GO, the directorial debut of Chris Evans, follows the journey of two strangers stuck in New York City for the night. Starting as convenient acquaintances, the two soon grow into each other’s most trusted confidants when a night of unexpected adventure forces them to confront their fears and take control of their lives.

Movie Review:

As easy as it may seem, countless filmmakers have discovered over the years just how difficult it is to replicate the magic of Richard Linklater’s ‘Before Sunrise’. Oh yes, the premise of two strangers who have a meet-cute encounter in a beautiful city and then proceed to bare their souls to each other while walking around the city may seem simple enough to imitate, but no other film has come close to matching Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s chemistry nor Linklater’s smart yet whimsical dialogue. And yet its deceptive simplicity means that more an aspiring filmmaker will continue to try to follow in its footsteps, which probably explains why ‘Captain America’s’ Chris Evans has chosen this two-hander between his trumpet player on the eve of a career-making audition and Alice Eve’s distraught art dealer as his directorial debut.

It’s probably no surprise that ‘Before We Go’ doesn’t come close to ‘Before Sunrise’, notwithstanding the preposition that their titles share, but that said, Evans’ talky actors’ movie is not without its own modest charms. No less than four writers (including Oscar winner Ron Bass) are credited for this conversational venture, which begins at 1.30 am in Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal when said musician Nick runs into a harried blond who has just missed the last train of the night back to Boston. In order to keep the two strangers together, you’ll have to look past the contrivances of failed cellphones, maxed out credit cards, a deficit of cash and a conveniently stolen purse – the last of which forms the raison d’etre for their foot trip at least at the start, with Nick offering to accompany Brooke to the bar where her purse was stolen.

Initially, both are guarded, secretive and even prone to telling lies; but as the wee hours progress, Nick and Brooke will bare themselves (not physically, but emotionally) and find in each other kindred spirits looking for healing in their respective love lives. Turns out that Nick is still reeling from being dumped by his university sweetheart Hannah on the very evening he was going to propose to her, and came to New York City less for the audition in itself than for the chance to prove to her that he has made it as a musician. Brooke, on the other hand, is reeling from her husband’s infidelity, and her urgent return to Boston has something to do with a letter that could either save or break her own marriage.

To be frank, neither offer the other particularly deep insights on their respective predicaments, but there is sweet solace in being able to confide in someone that you probably don’t have to worry about using what you say against you sometime after. And yet, there is no denying the attraction between the two characters, in part due to the lively banter pertly written by the team of four writers and in part due to the easygoing chemistry between Evans and Eve. Insofar as such encounters depend on the quality of the conversations as well as the likeability of its stars, Evans and Eve are naturally appealing, bringing depth and sensitivity to their roles while exuding a genuine rapport that makes their connection credible.

Still, no matter how much Evans and Eve make a fetching couple, their emotional lives and backstories are somewhat less compelling to fully hold your attention. Beyond their relationship crises, there is little else that defines them as personalities in their own right, which is perhaps why the script contrives to put them through various low-key hijinks, including Nick’s ill-advised attempt to recover Brooke’s purse from a fencing operation down in Chinatown and a detour to an office Christmas party where they pose as the night’s entertainment in order to try to earn a quick buck from its organisers. Amusing as these incidents may be, the characters remain as shallow as they are without them, which is ultimately all that a movie like this hinges on.

That is also why ‘Before We Go’ never quite rises to the same heights as ‘Before Sunrise’, which gave us two vibrant complex individuals whom we were intrigued and keen to get to know of every step of the way. The same cannot be said of Nick and Brooke, who come off as agreeable people that you wouldn’t mind making acquaintances with but just are a tad too bland to hold an entire movie on the weight of their combined shoulders. As a directorial debut for Evans however, it is a safe unassuming start that doesn’t speak of much ambition as much as it is a harmless diversion that wouldn’t hurt if you have some time to spare. Like we said, its charms are modest – and we would add, slight – so check your expectations before you… go. 

Movie Rating:

(It’s no ‘Before Sunrise’, but Chris Evans’ directorial debut in the same vein finds its modest charms in some pertly written banter and the easygoing chemistry between him and Alice Eve)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Comedy
Director: Ben Falcone
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Kristen Schaal, Kathy Bates, Ben Falcone
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual References and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.thebossfilm.com

Opening Day: 21 April 2016

Synopsis:  Academy Award-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines "The Boss" as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she's caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America's latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.

Movie Review:

Few comedy actors can claim to enjoy the same mainstream appeal as Melissa McCarthy does right now, which also makes her latest even more disappointing. Based upon a character that McCarthy had developed when she was a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles, ‘The Boss’ has McCarthy reprising the crude, coarse and socially inept persona of her breakout hit ‘Bridesmaids’ back in 2011 and almost every other role since. Here, that incarnation is the brash blowhard business magnate Michelle Darnell, introduced as ‘the 47^th wealthiest woman in America’ at one of her self-improvement rock shows who has overcome her orphanage childhood rejected by no less than three foster families by turning into an unapologetically aggressive, rude, ruthless and greedy finance titan.

No thanks to a vindictive ex-lover (Peter Dinklage) whom she screwed over, Michelle is arrested for insider trading and made to serve time at a Club Fed-like state prison. She emerges a few months later penniless and friendless, and with nowhere to go, imposes on her former assistant Claire (Kristin Bell) by moving into her apartment where the latter stays with her pre-teen daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). Reluctantly agreeing to take Rachel to a meeting of her after-school Girl Scout-style troupe called the Dandelions, Michelle gets a business idea to set up a rival troupe she eventually names ‘Darnell’s Darlings’ to sell brownies for profit – and oh, just so happens that Claire has a killer chocolate brownie recipe that makes for a perfect franchise opportunity.

Their joint venture however puts them head to head with one of the other mothers (Bridesmaids’ Annie Mumolo) from the Dandelions, with whom Michelle first engages with foul-mouthed glee in a room full of dumbstruck moms and daughters and then in a hair-pulling, tush-kicking, bloodletting street brawl that ends with a little red wagon full of cookies in flames gliding from one side of the frame to the other. Sidestepping the troubling image of McCarthy clotheslining an adolescent girl, McCarthy, who co-wrote the script with her director-husband Ben Falcone and actor-turned-writer Steve Mallory, uses the smackdown competition between rival baked goods factions to underscore the bond between Michelle and Claire that lets Michelle experience the love and warmth of family for the first time in her life.

To say that the sentiment is forced and therefore false is an understatement, and worse still, it will take a needlessly convoluted third act which brings back Dinklage’s randy business competitor to introduce a cringe-worthy misunderstanding between Michelle and Claire before we finally arrive at exactly where we knew the film would lead to in the first place. Had there been real pathos to the Donald Trump-type character Michelle, we’d probably be more willing to embrace the predictably schematic plot and its crude and lewd hijinks; yet, there is nothing more to Michelle than a selfish narcissistic individual prone to pratfalls and profanities, which only leads one to conclude that this is no more than a thinly constructed excuse to see McCarthy indulge in her signature lowbrow gags.

Not that McCarthy has lost her Midas touch though; whether in her middling comedies like ‘Identity Thief’ and ‘Tammy’ or her far superior ones like ‘Spy’, McCarthy’s flair for physical comedy, improvisational dexterity and gusto for delivering foul-mouthed insults has never diminished – and indeed, McCarthy’s comedic gifts are just as sharp here. Sadly, she is a better performer than writer, and some of the lines she gives herself are less amusing than she should be. Ditto for the physical gags, which sees her getting ejected off a sofa bed, tumbling down a flight of stairs and pick up a kantana to swordfight her longtime nemesis/ paramour, which are more painful than funny; in fact, the only one memorable gag is watching McCarthy and Bell grope each other’s breasts after a back-and-forth about the latter’s choice of bra for a date with her former co-worker (Tyler Labine).

As much as we hate to say this, McCarthy needs a much better director than her husband. There are certainly glimpses of the fierce and funny McCarthy that we fell in love with, but these are few and far in between in a film that is too content to wallow in tired vulgarities, silly juvenile gags, and obligatory lump-in-your-throat messages about family and belonging. It is indeed upsetting that ‘The Boss’ is no better, or perhaps even more sloppy, than her first husband-wife collaboration ‘Tammy’, and for McCarthy’s own sake, she’d be wise not to take the audience goodwill she has built on ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Spy’ for granted. At least her ‘Ghostbusters’ reboot is in the hands of the director of her latter two films, and our advice is to wait for that than to waste your while on this lazy, scattershot and lame excuse of a comedy. 

Movie Rating:

(As much of a dud as ‘Tammy’, Melissa McCarthy’s latest team-up with her writer-director husband is a sloppy, haphazardly assembled collection of tired profanities and silly physical gags)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Comedy/Action
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, Aaron Paul, Danielle Nicolet, Thomas Kretschmann
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.centralintelligencemovie.com

Opening Day: 16 June 2016

Synopsis: The story follows a one-time bullied geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent (Johnson), coming home for his high-school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of the former "big man on campus"(Hart), now an accountant who misses his glory days. But before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he's getting into, it's too late to get out, as his increasingly unpredictable new friend drags him through a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses and espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than he can count.

Movie Review:

As convenient as it may be to pigeonhole ‘Central Intelligence’ into the label of a buddy cop movie, the always-amusing, often-hilarious and surprisingly-affecting action comedy really is much more. For starters, Kevin Hart’s Calvin Joyner isn’t a cop at all; in fact, he’s a put-upon mild-mannered accountant who is disillusioned with his job and where he is at in life, despite being married to his high-school sweetheart (Danielle Nicolet). For another, Calvin and Dwayne Johnson’s Bob Stone can’t quite be called buddies, especially since they have been out of touch with each other for the past twenty years and are only reconnecting upon Bob’s initiation on the eve of their high school homecoming reunion party.

Oh yes, the catch here is that while Calvin used to be the high-school superstar who excelled at everything from athletics to academics to drama and was thus dubbed ‘The Golden Jet’, Bob – who used to go by the name Robbie Weirdicht – was the overweight kid who had to contend with being dragged out of the locker-room shower by a bunch of sneering bullies and thrown naked in the middle of a school assembly. And yet, in his moment of humiliation, Calvin’s act of kindness in offering his ‘Golden Jet’ jacket to cover Bob’s privates has made him Bob’s hero, so much so that Bob worships Calvin as no less than his idol. But it isn’t just for old times’ sake that Bob is now reaching out to Calvin – indeed, after watching ‘Fat Robbie’-turned-He-Man take out four bullies in front of his eyes, Calvin agrees to Bob’s seemingly innocuous favour of accounting help with his overseas payroll.

And so begins a series of CIA hijinks, as Bob reveals himself to be a CIA agent after someone known as the ‘Black Badger’ who has stolen the US satellite encryption keys and intends to sell them to the highest bidder. Though Calvin wants no part in the high-stakes operation, he finds that he is already unwittingly involved when Bob’s superior Pamela (Amy Ryan) turns up at his doorstep and informs him that Bob is a rogue agent who happens to be the very Badger himself. Oh, there’s also the question of whether Bob’s former partner (Aaron Paul in an extended cameo) was killed by the Badger as Bob claims or was in fact killed by Bob himself as Pamela claims. As earnest as Bob may appear, Calvin’s struggle as he grazes past one life-threatening setpiece after another is whether to trust Bob in the first place.

From an extended shootout at Calvin’s office that ends with Bob and Calvin crashing through the eleventh-storey window onto a giant gorilla inflatable below, to a CIA safe house where Calvin springs Bob from custody, to an underground parking garage where Bob comes face to face with his nemesis, director Rawson Marshall Thurber stages the action with surprising élan, emphasizing Johnson’s swift and lethal moves as well as Hart’s barely controlled hysteria at every turn. Yet because Johnson and Hart have performed similar shtick in previous roles, the real fun is in watching the two actors play against each other in quieter and more intimate scenes, such as a couples’ therapy session between Calvin and his wife which Bob crashes by pretending to be their therapist.

It is in scenes such as this that the sheer chemistry between Johnson and Hart shines through. Thurber, who co-wrote the script with Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen, plays against his audience’s expectation by letting the usually motor-mouthed Hart play the straight man and Johnson be the unhinged man-child responsible for the verbal and physical shenanigans. Thanks to Johnson and Hart’s elevated performances, the ‘role reversal’ works beautifully and makes for reason alone to watch this instead of say the next ‘Ride Along’ sequel. The stronger than usual character work is yet further proof that this film is a notch above many others of its ilk, demonstrated in the insecurities that Bob and Calvin each have to deal with individually along the way.

Even though the opening scene of Bob’s teenage appearance in the form of Johnson’s face fattened by CG trickery suggests that it may end up pandering to the lowest-denominator, ‘Central Intelligence’ ultimately proves unexpectedly sensitive to the plight of those bullied in high school in its concluding scene, where Bob finally overcomes his personal demons to take the stage in front of his schoolmates twenty years after being painfully humiliated. Besides a cameo by Melissa McCarthy as Bob’s high-school crush, it is as sweet a parting shot as any, underscoring yet again what an earnestly endearing and humorous joyride this odd-couple buddy movie has been. Most of all, Johnson and Hart are like ‘yin’ and ‘yang’, and together they prove that a little Hart and a big Johnson goes a long, long way. 

Movie Rating:

(You won't find a more dynamic pair than Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart this summer, and this always-amusing, often-hilarious and surprisingly-affecting buddy action comedy genuinely pops with their chemistry)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: Do you ever look at someone and wonder what's going on inside their head? Disney.Pixar's Inside Out takes a rollicking journey into the mind to find the answer. Based in Headquarters, the control centre of 11-year-old Riley's mind, five emotions are hard at work led by lighthearted optimist Joy. She strives to make sure Riley stays happy as she operates alongside fellow emotions Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Pete Docter somehow has the ability to toy with our emotions. Remember how he made us tear up within minutes of Up? Now he has gone one step further, exploring the emotions of an 11-year-old girl, Riley.

Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black) reside in the mind of Riley dubbed the Headquarters. Everyday, the five emotions influence Riley’s actions, personality and of course emotions until one day when Riley and his family relocate from their Midwestern home to San Francisco that her personality starts to take a drastic emotional change. Now it’s up to Joy and the unlikely Sadness to bring Riley back to the right track.

Inside Out is far more complicated than an exuberant Amy Poehler doing her voiceover. It is often bursting with complicated ideas, colorful characters and layers of complex storytelling. Finally, there’s an animation that doesn’t take viewers for granted. It’s an adult animation packaged as a kiddy flick and we are sure it’s going to be on the list of everyone’s favourite movies of 2015.

We love how the story present and conceptualized the idea of our core memory and long-term memories. We nearly hyperventilate when we saw the gorgeously created colorful world of Riley’s mind. An imaginary boyfriend machine and a dream studio, gosh it’s more than brilliant. We nearly tear ourselves when Riley’s childhood imaginary friend, Bing Bong (Richard Kind) got left behind once again and we simply can’t stop rooting for Joy to get back to Headquarters to reinstall Ridley’s core memories so she can resume her original self.

Beside the incredible story, the animation team painstakingly created characters, which we could relate to even though we have never come across emotions presented as characters. Sadness for one will win fans over the years despite the obvious fact that they are hard to sell as merchandises unlike the lovable Baymax. Certainly a bold decision on Disney/Pixar’s part.

Pixar’s 15^th movie after the so-so Cars 2 and Brave proved the studio is still a force to be reckoned with. It’s amazingly inventive and clever that it’s compulsory to make repeated viewings to fully appreciate some of the onscreen witty concepts. An absolute delight for the entire family. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only extra is the musical short film – Lava. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Character designs, textures, details and colors are flawless. This is a Pixar production after all. Sound effects are well placed and immersive while dialogue is rich and clean. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: From Academy Award® Winner Spike Lee comes a New Joint: the story of four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) — who return to Vietnam. Searching for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure, our heroes, joined by Paul's concerned son (Jonathan Majors), battle forces of Man and Nature — while confronted by the lasting ravages of The Immorality of The Vietnam War.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Stormin’ Norman might well be the heart and soul of Da 5 Bloods, a character so mystic, courageous and poetic that it’s the only unbelievable factor in this otherwise entertaining drama from acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee.

In present time Saigon, a group of Vietnam vets, Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr) who dubbed themselves the “bloods” decides to return to retrieve the remains of their platoon commander, Stormin’ Norman (Chadwick Boseman) and also to recover a cargo filled with gold bars in which was lost in an napalm strike. The plan is to sell the gold bars to a shady businessman, Desroche (played by French star Jean Reno) after the hunt and the group is joined shortly by Paul’s estranged son, David (Jonathan Majors).

The plan seems simple enough. A local guide, Vinh (Johnny Nguyen) will drop them off halfway into the location and the guys will meet up with Vinh days later. But things went awry when landmines, Desroche’s henchmen came into the picture and Paul’s PTSD got the better of him in this 155 minutes movie from Netflix.

Lee delivers yet another thought-provoking picture about racism, colours, injustice, politics and more. Intercut with vintage newsreel, Da 5 Bloods remains as relevant as ever with the USA suffering from occasional violent protests and the pandemic. Despite being shot in early 2019, Lee’s latest drama is an eerie reflection of the current national crisis. In fact, how does five Black Vietnam vets teach us about history and sufferings? Truth to be told, there’s lots of ground to cover and Lee takes his time to bring audiences to the world seen by the vets.

Although Boseman oozes enough charm in his limited screentime, he is constantly being upstaged by Delroy Lindo who gave a powerhouse performance as the long-suffering Paul. His trauma, guilt, greed, in addition to a son he fails to connect over the years adds to his character. As the logical, peacemaker in the group, Otis has his own demon to deal with, a long-lost daughter he had with a lover. Da 5 Bloods is a movie dealing with many issues. Resulting in a few flaws here and there, it could probably shave off at least 30 minutes to make the narrative tighter and cohesive. And in a complete surprise, there’s no expensive, de-aging effects (Netflix playing it smart after The Irishmen) to be found when the actors play themselves in their younger roles (not even heavy latex makeup are applied) as well.

Da 5 Bloods is a complex movie that requires a few seatings to fully appreciate Lee’s intentions and thoughts. The director has all along harbouring no qualms criticizing his country’s politics and the poor treatment of African-Americans through his movies and his latest is no exception. Obviously, this is not the typical buddy-adventure, treasure hunting flick that you loved. While BlackKklansman was easily a commercially welcoming piece from Lee, Da 5 Bloods on the other hand has him returning to his roots and coming up with his own version of Apocalypse Now.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: John Hillcoat
Cast: Kate Winslet, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmer, Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr.
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language, Nudity and Violence)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://triple9movie.com

Opening Day: 17 March 2016

Synopsis:  When a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist, they realise the only ay to pull it off is to manufacture a Triple Nine, police code for "officer down". Their plan is turned upside down when the unsuspecting rookie they set up to die foils the attack, triggering a breakneck, action-packed finale tangled with double-crosses, greed and revenge.

Movie Review:

The thing about featuring an ensemble cast in a movie is, high chance you’ll please one group of fans. For John Hillcoat’s latest work, he has lined up a highly attractive group of actors, each with his or her own loyal following.  

If Ben Affleck isn't your cup of tea, his younger brother Casey has delivered underrated but promising performances in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) and Gone Baby Gone (2007). Chiwetel Ejiofor is one name you can count on for acting chops - if you haven't seen his incredible portrayal of the protagonist Solomon Northup in 2013’s Twelve Years a Slave, you don’t know what you’re missing. Another familiar name is Woody Harrelson, who has impressed critics with Natural Born Killers (1994) and Zombieland (2009).

Those who spend hours binge watching TV serials would be pleased to see Aaron Paul and Norman Reed’s involvement in this American crime thriller. Fans of Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad) and Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead), rejoice! Anthony Mackie is getting increased attention lately, thanks to his likeable performance at Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

There are ladies in this movie as well - The reliable Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road, Little Children) must have enjoyed herself playing the villainous wife of a Russian Mafia boss, and Gal Gadot (who else can’t wait to see her on the big screen as Wonder Woman?) has a bit role as well.

Taken your pick? Now let’s move on to the story. The gritty streets come alive with a gang of robbers who are forced to take on one virtually impossible heist. The only way to make it happen is to pull of a “triple nine”, a police code for “officer down”. This diversion would allow them to swiftly execute their crime. The problem here? These baddies include a crew of dirty cops, which means there will be dramatic tension involving loyalty, ethics and morals. 

We were expecting a movie dripping with delicious drama, containing lots of action, double crosses and unexpected twists. For some strange reason, the 115 minutes seem to drag along with it a overdeveloped plot, which made us lose interest after a while (you know, the type of story where you can expect characters to be offed one by one). 

Kudos to the Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road) though, for managing to pull a cast this diverse together. Maybe he had too much to work with, thankfully, each member of the ensemble cast delivers. Whether it’s Affleck’s character whom you feel for, Harrelson’s veteran detective whom you fear will come to a dreadful end, or Paul’s effortless portrayal of a emotionally tortured criminal - you find yourself hooked to the performances. 

There’s also Ejiofor’s charismatic persona, Reed’s short lived on screen appearance. Mackie’s commendable effort as a corrupted cop for each of the star’s fans. Adding feminine touches are the two ladies: Winslet is campy, and Gadot is seductively attractive. 

The grittiness of the story is best illustrated with Nicolas Karakatsanis’s cinematography, and the brash electronic score by Atticus Ross, Bobby Krlic, Leopold Ross and Claudia Sarne. You get much style with this movie, it is just a little unfortunate that it feels underwhelming by the time the end credits roll.

Movie Rating:

(Watch this if you are a fan of any member of the talented ensemble cast)

Review by John Li

Genre: Western
Director: S. Craig Zahler
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Sean Young, David Marquette, Zahn McClarnon, Lili Simmons
Runtime: 2 hrs 13 mins
Rating: R21 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 10 December 2015

Synopsis: When a group of cannibal savages kidnaps settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), sets out to bring them home. But their enemy is more ruthless than anyone could have imagined, putting their mission – and survival itself – in serious jeopardy. Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, Tombstone) leads an all-star cast, including Patrick Wilson (Insidious), Matthew Fox (“Lost”) and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) in this gritty, brutal adventure chronicling a terrifying rescue mission in the Old West.

Movie Review:

Before Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight reaches our shores next January, take this Western flick as a teaser for things to come. Both movies star Kurt Russell, the badass we know from Escape from New York(1981) and Escape from LA (1996). The 64 year old veteran has done some impressive work lately, ranging from comedy (2005’s Sky High) to action (2007’s Death Proof). The last we saw Russell earlier this year, he was Mr Nobody in Furious 7 – you have to admit how he maximised his presence with the limited screen time he had in the James Wan directed movie from the Fast and the Furious franchise.

In this action adventure movie, Russell takes on the role of Sheriff Franklin Hunt who leads an unlikely team of gunslingers to bring home a group of unfortunate townsfolk who have been kidnapped by cannibal savages. Set in the Old West, you can expect plenty of scenes showcasing the rough sandy landscapes, with the protagonists donning their cowboy hats and riding their horses in a very suave, very manly fashion.

The crew includes Patrick Wilson (Insidious, The Conjuring) as the family man whose wife has been kidnapped, Matthew Fox (TV’s Lost, World War Z) as the obligatory unlikeable thug and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, White House Down) as the dependable but forgetful deputy. 

First time feature director S Craig Zahler is a novelist himself, having penned stories in several genres, including western, crime and science fiction. This explains why the film is particularly engaging – the old fashioned styled genre production brings viewers on a strange but terrifying journey where one can never guess what’s in store, especially when cannibals are involved. Without giving too much away, you can mentally prepare yourself for some stomach grueling scenes (hence the film’s R21 rating with a ‘”Violence” consumer advice).

The movie may stretch beyond two hours with its 133 minute runtime, but it never becomes lazy by adopting convenient tactics. Every scene seems to be included for a reason, and it sure helps that every cast member delivers strong performances. They allow Zahler (who is also a drummer, lyricist and singer for heavy metal band Realmbuilder) to fully showcase their acting abilities on screen, with the right amount of room for self indulgence to unleash the glorious terror the Old West has in store.

This is not just an action movie – there’re bits of romance, dashes on comedy and the undeniably in your face horror (we are dealing with cannibals, remember?). Yet, you’ll find yourself glued to your seat, eyes fixated on screen as the rescue mission unfolds on screen. The cinematography by Benji Bakshi is a treat for the eyes, and the music composed by Jeff Herriott and Zahler himself  is uniquely appropriate for the film.

It is a shame that this movie is on limited release (seems like the case as well in the States), but we have a feeling it is much, much better than the Tarantino headlined Western that will attract more attention, thanks to marketing and publicity budget. Do yourself a favour and catch this exhilaratingly fresh piece of work – leave your expectations at the door and you’d be able to enjoy every moment translated from screenplay into visuals on screen. 

Movie Rating:

(Good ol’ sheer grittiness awaits in this thriller set in the Old West, with a mish mash of genres that will make you sit up and watch)

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot. As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Skyfall was so fantastic on so many levels that it made the rest of the Bond outings embarrassingly mediocre. Then came Spectre which essentially is a pale shadow of its former instalment even though both are directed by the acclaimed Sam Mendes. 

Daniel Craig returns in his fourth outing (but who’s counting?) as the British spy and in this instalment, Bond is being lured to investigate a mysterious criminal organization dubbed Spectre. It turned out that the leader of Spectre, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) is somehow linked to Bond’s past. As Bond falls deeper into the rabbit hole, the newly appointed M (Ralph Fiennes) meanwhile is caught in a power struggle with the Joint Intelligence Service. Will the two men survive the tests and emerge unscathed?

While Skyfall has a solid villain and a clear-cut motive, Spectre often stumbles and tries desperately hard to connect the four Bond movies starring Craig. In any case, the end results are a convoluted mess and surprisingly hollow. Most importantly, returning writers John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade failed to deliver a convincing, menacing opponent to tie up the loose strings instead they prefer to take audiences around the globe (sometimes for no apparent reason except to showcase a snowy landscape for a change) like any other predictable James Bond flicks.

Of course, the movie still boasts an extravagant budget and a longer runtime allowing Mendes and his production team to choreograph a series of loud explosions and breathless chases. The opening scene which featured a fight in a spiraling out of control helicopter is an amazing achievement consider it’s done without or little CGI. Sadly the rest of the action bits that follow are no match for the opening sequence unless you include a massive Michael Bay-like explosion towards the end.

This time round, French actress Lea Seydoux (Blue Is The Warmest Colour) stars as the Bond girl, a Doctor Madeleine Swann whose father is a former member of Spectre. Ben Whishaw returns again as Q and his character gets to venture out of the lab for once. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) stars as the deadly assassin Mr Hinx who gets to briefly throw Bond around before he himself is thrown out of a train. The worst of all is having Oscar winner Christoph Waltz onboard but never allowing his character to have much screentime or a believable backstory. 

Spectre feels awfully bloated and formulaic as compared to Skyfall partly because expectations were sky high. Still for a superspy espionage flick, Spectre remains a thrilling majestic ride. Daniel Craig as the tough brooding spy at least deserves one final outing before he hands over the reins.  

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Video Blogs are just a compilation of all the featurettes that were released online before the movie's official release.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Spectre looks amazing even on the small screen. Detailing, coloring and imaging are top notch despite the presence of color grading. Sound design is rich and dynamic for example the opening action sequence and the pursuit on the snow mountain. Certainly a title to showcase your home theater system. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee
 

SYNOPSIS: During a mission to Mars, American astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind by his crew. But Watney is still alive and he must now find a way to contact Earth - and survive on a barren planet with merger supplies - in the hope that an international team of scientists can devise a near impossible rescue plan to bring him home!

MOVIE REVIEW:

Finally the man who brought us Alien and Blade Runner has made another sci-fi movie that will have people talk about it years down the road (throw in Prometheus if you want but I’m not including that). The Martian not only revives the flagging career of Sir Ridley Scott but also laughingly made Matt Damon the most rescued actor in the history of cinema. 

A botanist by training, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is accidentally left behind by his Ares III crew when a sudden dust storm causes the mission to be aborted. Watney suffered a slight injury during the chaos but he has bigger problems on hand. He needs food and water to survive until Ares IV crew can arrive in roughly four years time to fetch him back to earth. And yes Mark Watney needs to science the shit out of this to stay alive.

Based on a novel by Andy Weir and adapted to the screen by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods), The Martian is an amazing piece of space adventure that is both a crowd pleaser and also one that doesn’t dumb down the science. For a movie with such a pressurizing issue on hand, it’s never bleak, dull or claustrophobic. In fact, Watney is such a positive character that you can’t help rooting for the poor man to return to civilization.

Mark Watney has no qualms being self-deprecating despite the dire situation he is in. Amaze by the fact that his potato farm on Mars is a success. Chuckle when he nearly blown himself up while trying to produce water. Celebrate when he manages to establish communication with NASA and cry with him when an airlock explodes. The Martian is such an engaging terrific movie that you forgot Interstellar was a yawn fest and Gravity probably won’t stand a chance at the Oscars if not for the fact that Martian came two years later.     

By all means, The Martian is almost a one-man movie starring Matt Damon as Robinson Crusoe in space. But the stellar cast also has Jessica Chastain as the leader of Ares III, Michael Pena (Ant-Man), Kate Mara (Fantastic 4) and Winter Soldier/Sebastian Stan as part of the Ares crew, Jeff Daniels as the director of NASA, Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) as NASA mission director, Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) and everyone’s favourite character actor Sean Bean. In case you are wondering, he didn’t die.

With the exception of an exaggerated Hollywood style climax, The Martian is almost perfect in a lot of ways. Smart and often funny, it’s certainly one of Ridley’s best works in years. Not forgetting, establishing Damon as a solid performer before he reprises his role as Jason Bourne. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Ares III: Farewell, The Right Stuff, Ares: Our Greatest Adventure, Leave Your Mark, Bring Him Home are all faux commercial or documentaries detailing Mark Watney’s plight. A 7 minutes Gag Reel is included.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Color graded in orangey to make it have a Mars-feel, The Martian stills look pretty solid in terms of visual. Details and CGI are great thus nothing sticks like a sore thumb in the visual department. Dialogue and sound effects (mostly ambient) are clear and sharp while the surround only comes alive during the movie’s climatic sequences.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee
 

SYNOPSIS: Rupert Friend stars in this exhilarating action adventure based on the award-winning video game series. A genetically engineered assassin with superhuman abilities, 47 and an equally gifted young woman turn the tables on a sinister organization that's out to create an army of unstoppable killers. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

For a movie that was partially shot locally and visual effects handled by ILM Singapore, Hitman 47 is an embarrassingly bad movie.

The unwanted sequel to the 2007 Hitman stars Rupert Friend (Homeland) as a genetically modified assassin who is out to protect a seemingly innocent woman, Katia (Hannah Ware) from the evil clutches of the Syndicate International. Katia after all is the only daughter of a certain Doctor Pitor Litvenko (Ciaran Hinds) who has disappeared years back after creating a super soldier program. When Katia is approach by a mysterious man, John Smith (Zachary Quinto) at the subway, she finds herself in endless deadly situations and wondering whom she should trust.   

No one at Fox seems to realize why the original fail to take off because this reboot effort practically repeat those errors once again liked the same soulless banal plotting, the ridiculous CGI and not to mention, scenes after scenes of over-the-top choreographed action sequences.  

Rupert Friend is convincingly cool as the previous leading star, Timothy Olyphant. However simply put, Agent 47 is not an emoting character that will win any acting awards or even makes you care for his fate. Katia is the token leading lady with exceptional hidden skills. Well she is good but she is practically letdown by the pedestrian script. Zachary Quinto on the other hand plays a dubious character. But if you have watched enough movies during your lifetime, you know John Smith is more than meets the eyes. If you must know, Angelababy appears in a small forgettable role, Hollywood just can’t do without the Mainland market nowadays.

The on-location shooting in Berlin and Singapore adds nothing substantial to the overall story. To the delight of our tourism board, our Gardens By the Bay and Shenton Way receive some massive exposure along the way, too bad Agent 47 and Katia never stop for a meal of chicken rice and carrot cake.  

As much as he tries to revive the lifeless material with a neck breaking pacing and numbing violent fights, Poland-born music video director Aleksander Bach’s directorial debut is a complete bore. It’s best you spend the time playing the IO interactive game than watching this uninvolving flick. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Ultimate Action: Staging the Fights delve into the fight choreography, 4 minutes of Deleted Scenes, a gallery and trailers are also included. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The movie might be uninteresting but the Dolby Digital 5.1 is loud and full of activity to keep you awake. Shot digitally, colours are brimming and imaging detailed, it’s so good looking that you can tell the visual effects are extremely atrocious. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee