SYNOPSIS: Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") and Ashton Kutcher ("What Happens in Vegas...") star in the hilarious hit comedy that takes a modern look at what happens when friends-in-need do the deed. Emma is a busy doctor who sets up a seemingly perfect arrangement when she offers her best friend Adam a relationship with one rule: No strings attached. But when a fling becomes a thing, can sex friends stay best friends?
MOVIE REVIEW:
Romantic comedies have been pretty much done to death especially in Hollywood. Think “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “Valentine’s Day” in recent memory. Thankfully, Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) offers a different perspective of BGR in the surprisingly likeable “No Strings Attached”.
Newly-crowned Best Actress Natalie Portman teams up with Ashton Kutcher in this romantic comedy about casual sex meaning a sexual relationship without obligation and attachment. A hospital doctor, Emma (Portman) hooks up with a production assistant, Adam (Kutcher) and both make a pact about making their sexual liaisons a frequent affair. The catch is depending on how you look at it is that it’s nothing but a sex-only relationship. Over a period of time, Adam starts to develop feelings for Emma while the latter prefers to keep things as it is. Will the two of them have a happily-ever-after ending?
Director Reitman perhaps meant this as a tribute to the younger generation who are prone to being promiscuous than folks in the past and Portman’s character has no qualms in initiating sex in-between her 80 hours a week-shift work. Sex at the hospital, sex at Adam’s place, sex at her place…you name it, they do it. Everywhere is possible. “No Strings Attached” is populated by raunchy sex and skin but nothing close to the real thing if you know what I mean. Anyway, it’s always a pleasure to watch Portman in sexy baby-blue lingerie than cumbersome heinous looking costumes (note: the Star Wars prequels).
Besides that, there are a handful of colorful characters to hang out with, Adam’s dad, Alvin once a big television star (played wonderfully by Kevin Kline) who falls for his ex-girlfriend. Lake Bell’s foul-mouthed production executive who has a brief awkward fling with Adam. Two of Adam’s funny buddies played by Ludacris and Jake Johnson and rest of Emma’s colleagues that indirectly played a part in both Emma and Adam’s relationship.
The first hour is packed with enough laughs and sharp lines from debut screenwriter Elizabeth Meriwether and Reitman seems to be back in form after a few disastrous directing gigs but the cookie-cutter feel starts to steep in subsequently. The character of Emma suffers the ‘love-you-don’t-love-you’ syndrome and the chick flick appears to drag its feet to the finishing line. Well, there isn’t much exposition why Emma is so against emotional attachment? Is it because of her promiscuous mother that left a bad impression on her? Her unusually long working hours and responsibility as a doctor? We never know. Meriwether and Reitman chose to play it safe by sticking to conventional territory and leave the cast to weave their magic.
Kutcher and Portman for the record makes a rather cutesy couple, the latter pairing up Kutcher for the first time shows her unseen naughty screen self. Kutcher no doubt is an old hand in dealing with romantic comedies thus no additional points for the man. “No Strings Attached” marks the second movie of the year to deal with sex without obligations after the earlier “Love & Other Drugs”. The Timberlake starring vehicle, “Friends With Benefits” comes somewhere in September. Which pairup is the most popular? We shall wait and see. In the meantime, enjoy this mildly entertaining rom-com.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Commentary With Director Ivan Reitman is slow but delivers all the necessary anecdotes of making this rom-com.
Sex Friends: Getting Together is a 20 minutes making of segment that focus primarily on Elizabeth Meriwether's screenplay and interviews with Ivan Reitman.
So much effort is spent on the High School Musical parody; Inside The Sassy Hills of Secret High takes a behind-the-scenes look at it.
6 Deleted Scenes which lasts 11 minutesvand 2 Alternate Storyline Scenes round up the disc extras.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
No Strings Attached looks gorgeous on DVD with excellent sharp-looking images. And owing to the genre, you can’t really expect anything extraordinary out of the audio though dialogue quality is never an issue.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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FOREVER WEE LI LINPosted on 16 Jul 2011 |
SYNOPSIS: Stephanie (Amber Heard) and Ellie's (Odette Yustman) vacation to an exotic village in Argentina is a perfect 'girl's getaway' to bask in the sun, shop and flirt with the handsome locals. After a long night of bar-hopping, the girls get into an argument, and Stephanie heads out alone in the morning to cool off. But when she returns, Ellie has disappeared. Finding signs of a struggle, Stephanie fears the worst, and turns to the police for help. But the local authorities have their hands full already - with a string of unsolved kidnappings targeting young female tourists. Skeptical of the sheriff's competency, she enlists help from Michael (Karl Urban), an American ex-pat staying at their hotel. Together they go on a frantic search for Ellie, but Stephanie soon realizes that trusting his seemingly good intentions may drag her farther from the truth. With danger mounting, and time running out, Stephanie must find her friend before darkness falls.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There are two reasons to watch this remake of the 1970s British thriller- Amber Heard and Odette Yustman. How often do you get to see two gorgeous Hollywood actresses in shorts, sexy dresses and yes even bikinis in the same film? Well, you get all that right here, so for some, that should be reason enough to go grab this direct-to-video title for keepsakes.
Otherwise, if you need more reason to watch this, then there really is little else that will convince you. First-time director Marcus Efron’s modern-day remake doesn’t offer much we haven’t already seen in other horror thrillers such as ‘Hostel’ and ‘Turistas- and indeed, its reluctance to push the envelope into torture porn may ultimately prove to be its undoing as well.
After all, the opening scene of a teenage girl chained in a grimy room and then electrocuted until she passes out promises to deliver the kind of shocks that the ‘Saw’ and ‘Hostel’ audiences crave. But strangely, Efron backs away from this tantalising promise all too soon. Instead, we get picturesque images from d.p. Gabriel Beristan of the Argentinean mountains where the movie was shot, some interesting shots of a local village and oh yes of course the droolworthy shots of Amber and Odette.
The screenplay by Efron and Jennifer Derwington is all too familiar- Amber and Odette play two carefree American teenagers who stumble into a foreign land and get caught up in a nasty kidnapping scheme. Odette is the one who goes missing, which leaves Amber searching frantically for her- together with a mysterious ex-pat Michael (Karl Urban) who is also somehow connected to the incident.
It takes half the movie for Odette to be kidnapped, by which time Efron shifts the focus to Amber and Karl and their desperate attempts at trying to locate Odette before the darkness falls- including appealing to the unhelpful local police to organise a search party. Yes, because of that, there are little visceral thrills that torture porn enthusiasts will enjoy- and when it does get there, the bad guy’s attempt at trying to rape her are constantly interrupted by something or another.
Don’t get us wrong- we’re not sadists here, but because of how perfunctory the entire movie is, we thought the filmmakers should simply have gone down that route in order to inject some much-needed excitement into the movie. As it is, much of the looking and looking around is rather inconsequential. Worse still, Efron doesn’t bother with much characterisation, so the American duo of Stephanie (Amber) and Ellie (Odette) come off as little more than gorgeous and the locals nothing more than unfriendly or criminals.
So in the end, there are only two reasons to watch this film- Amber and Odette. If you haven’t heard of them, trust us on this- the girls are gorgeous. No, you say that it isn’t enough to get you to watch this film- well, we tried our best, but we really couldn’t find anything else worth the time.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
This Region 3 disc comes with an Audio Commentary by director Marcus Efron, editor Todd Miller, and director of photography Gabriel Beristan and may be interesting for those who wish to hear about their experience shooting a low-budget film in a foreign location.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 provides a good surround companion to heighten the tension during certain moments. Visuals are clear and sharp.
MOVIE RATING:
(one for each leading actress, we may add)
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage ("National Treasure," "Ghost Rider") and Ron Perlman ("Hellboy") star in this supernatural action adventure about a heroic crusader and his fellow soldier who must transport a woman accused of being a witch to a remote monastery. The arduous journey across perilous terrain tests their strength and courage as they discover the girl's secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.
MOVIE REVIEW:
He is an Oscar winner. He has the family name of Coppola. He made over 100 movies a year and most of them are trashy. Name this actor.
With the exception of the ‘100 movies’ part, the correct answer of course is Nicolas Cage.
The prolific actor continues to receive another fat paycheck by starring in yet another subpar movie, this time set in the medieval times. Director Dominic Sena (Gone in Sixty Seconds) wanted to explore the paranormal and supernatural and to his credit and the writer, the movie begins promisingly enough with the hanging of three women believed to be witches. But one of them came back to life taking on a demonic appearance. This little prologue sufficiently explains “Season of the Witch” has elements of the paranormal and supernatural. But what did Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman (from the Hellboy series) got to do with all the mayhem?
Well if you must know Cage and Perlman plays Behmen and Felson, ex-knights who have lost faith after years fighting in the Holy wars. After deserting the army, the duo find themselves being forced to escort a young woman accused of being a witch to a monastery where monks are able to perform a ritual to determine if the woman is indeed a witch and stopped a deadly cursed plague that is sweeping across the country. Is the young woman indeed a witch or not?
Sena obviously has no idea how to film a proper horror thriller that most of the screentime, you can predict where the jump-scares are coming from. Hey, the dead guy is going to wake up! Hey, the woman is going to charge at you! Probably the reason why everything is shot in complete darkness, there is zilch sense of suspense and thrills and even the twist in the end you can see it coming. Whenever there’s a competent shot of gruesome makeup effects is subsequently letdown by cheap shoddy CG effects. At least, there are a handful of lush shots of onlocation shooting in Hungary and Austria by cinematographer Amir Mokri (Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the upcoming Man of Steel).
The poor scripting puts people liked Cage and Perlman to waste. Perlman is definitely an underappreciated actor and given the right material and right director (liked Hellboy), he will be a hoot to watch. In “Season of the Witch”, he looks pretty much uninterested and together with Cage who donned another messy toupee, the duo are overshadowed by Stephen Campbell Moore who plays priest Debelzaq and the sweet-looking Claire Foy doing her best witchy impersonation.
With a short running time of 80 minutes, there’s simply no room for plot and character developments. Ultimately, this Nicolas Cage vehicle is a laughable supernatural flick. There’s only one objective - the Knights to get to the monastery. And ours? To burn the movie at the stake.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The video quality is good enough to showcase the less-than-perfect CGI but can’t really save the murky dark sequences. The soundtrack is aggressive when it comes to battle sequences, loud scream and other stuff meant to startle you.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Once a happily married and loving couple, Doug and Lois Riley (James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo) have grown apart since losing their teenage daughter eight years prior. Leaving his agoraphobic wife behind to go on a business trip to New Orleans, Doug meets a 17-year-old runaway (Kristen Stewart) and the two form a platonic bond. For Lois and Doug, what initially appears to be the final straw that will derail their relationship, turns out to be the inspiration they need to renew their marriage.
MOVIE REVIEW:
For better or for worse, Kristen Stewart will forever be associated with the ‘Twilight’ series, and with that every adulation or brickbat which audiences have displayed towards the movies. But let’s not forget that before her christening as Bella Swan, she was in fact a mighty fine teenage actress, in fact probably one of the finest of her generation- and ‘Welcome to the Rileys’, a fine drama written by Ken Hixon and directed by Jake Scott, is testament to that.
Hixon’s story avoids the histrionics in favour of a story grounded by very real characters, and so those expecting dramatic moments charged with emotion would do well to know that there are none in this film. Instead, he focuses instead on three characters- Doug Riley (James Gandolfini) who runs his own plumbing supplies business out of Indianapolis; Lois (Melissa Leo), Doug’s agoraphobic wife of 30 years; and Mallory (Stewart), the stripper Doug meets in a club while at a business convention in New Orleans.
The first half of the movie establishes the connection between Doug and Mallory, the former taking a genuine and fatherly interest in the latter’s life and well-being. Doug doesn’t want sex- rather, he cares for her by fixing up her house, and offers her $100 a day to stay at her place so he can keep an eye out for her. There is something akin to a paternal relationship between the two, and the reason Doug reaches out to Mallory becomes clearer towards the later half of the film.
But the clarity isn’t crucial, not when the audience is treated to some powerfully earnest performances by Gandolfini and Stewart. Gandolfini is no stranger to playing tough guys in charge (he was after all the head of ‘The Sopranos’), but there is a certain gracefulness and gentleness to his performance here that truly endears. Stewart on the other hand oozes vulnerability amid her tough-girl exterior, and her acting possesses a raw edge that keeps you riveted. Together, their scenes brim with unexpected warmth.
Lois’ sudden appearance in New Orleans threatens to disrupt their balance for a while, but kudos to director Jake Scott for handling the confrontation with maturity. Indeed, Lois isn’t some petty wife who suddenly gets all flustered that her husband is going to abandon her for some prostitute; rather, she meets Mallory and understands without much explanation why he is so drawn to her. The spectre of family tragedy looms large especially towards the end, but Scott uses this to reaffirm the connection that these two disparate individuals have established between each other.
Like all of life’s episodes, Scott keeps the movie real to the finish with a bittersweet ending. True, this is yet another story of loss and redemption, but there is no contrivance or schmaltz here. Instead, what you get is a poignant story of damaged individuals reaching out to each other, and realising that sometimes just that human connection alone may be enough to heal the wounds.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound uses the surround for the lively background sounds of New Orleans. Otherwise, this is a movie whose sound is concentrated front and centre. Visuals are clean and sharp.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 21 July 2011
SYNOPSIS: "Biutiful" is a love story between a father and his children. This is the journey of Uxbal, a conflicted man who struggles to reconcile fatherhood, love, spirituality, crime, guilt and mortality amidst the dangerous underworld of modern Barcelona. His livelihood is earned out of bounds, his sacrifices for his children know no bounds. Like life itself, this is a circular tale that ends where it begins. As fate encircles him and thresholds are crossed, a dim, redemptive road brightens, illuminating the inheritances bestowed from father to child, and the paternal guiding hand that navigates life's corridors, whether bright, bad - or biutiful.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The misspelling in the title is deliberate, so don’t bother trying to look in a dictionary what the word means. If you have to know, it is how Uxbal (Javier Bardem) teaches his son to spell the word ‘beautiful’, the father as clueless as the son in the language. The word in question can also be used to describe this film written and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the first feature for the Mexican since his debut ‘Amores Perros’ some ten years ago.
Here, Iñárritu meditates on the life of a man suddenly touched by death. Uxbal is at the centre of this film, which revolves around his broken marriage with a self-destructive wife Marambra (Maricel Álvarez) and his illicit dealings with some illegal Chinese and African immigrants. The turning point for Uxbal comes early on in the film, when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a few months to live.
As with such dramas, you can expect the rest of the movie to be about how Uxbal goes about trying to put his life in order before he passes on from this world- though despite the best of his abilities, Uxbal realises that he isn’t in control of as much of it as he would have liked. While the material would probably have become overly maudlin in the hands of a different director, Iñárritu directs the proceedings with a confident grip on reality, so that at no point do we feel that we are watching something contrived.
That said, the movie clocking in at close to two and a half hours is a sprawling affair that could do with some tightening. Certain subplots concerning Uxbal’s older brother and the gay Chinese boss with whom he works with add flavour to the movie, but are largely ancillary to the main story of Uxbal’s redemption. They also pad out the runtime, and as a result, the movie isn’t as emotionally compelling as one would have expected.
The fact that the movie remains riveting is thanks to Javier Bardem’s Oscar-nominated performance, a tour-de-force that triumphs anything the Spanish actor has done in his career. With equal bits vulnerability and tenacity, Bardem delivers a gripping portrait of a person grappling with the imminence of death. Bardem’s powerhouse acting is complemented by Álvarez’s own heartbreaking portrayal of a bipolar mother trying to do right by her family and her children.
Technical values are also outstanding, especially Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography which captures the grimy backdrop against which the movie is set to rich and vivid detail, and Gustavo Santaolalla’s evocative score bringing out the confusion, angst and sorrow within Uxbal. Yes, ‘Biutiful’ is in itself beautiful, a heartbreaking story of reconciliation and redemption that leaves an indelible impression. It isn’t perfect, and there is a certain messiness to the storytelling, but Iñárritu has pulled off a film infused with raw energy and real emotions.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 uses the back speakers mainly for ambient sounds, as well as Santaolalla’s soundtrack. Visuals are clear, with good balance between light and dark tones.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 9 August 2011
SYNOPSIS: From the director of "Shrek 2" comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes - "Gnomeo & Juliet." Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world's most timeless story features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and sir Michael Caine. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, "Gnomeo and Juliet" must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingos and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Gnomeo & Juliet is an out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy your entire family will love We just gnome it!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Garden gnomes? Are you serious on making them as characters for your latest animation production?
This imagined piece of dialogue might be the one that cost this project to be dropped by Disney Animation Studio and subsequently picked up by Starz Animation who did the animation for “9” and “Space Chimps”. End of the day, ironically it’s the one that turned in the profits for the House of Mouse.
“Gnomeo & Juliet” is a spin on the classic William Shakespeare’s tragic romance, “Romeo & Juliet”. Two families of Gnomes, the Red and the Blue are caught in centuries of feud and even though they are only divided by a fence, they quarrel and tussle over slight issues and organize lawnmower races to settle their differences. One night, the only son of Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith), Gnomeo (James McAvory from “X-Men: First Class”) stumbles upon the only daughter of Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine), Juliet (Emily Blunt from “The Adjustment Bureau”). Well do I need to say more regarding this pair of star-crossed lovers?
For those interested parties, this feud between the families is never truly explained. This is purely a kid-friendly animated offering and let me get this out of my mouth, there isn’t going to be a tragic ending per se. All director Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2) and his bunch of writers care is populate the flick with cute moments that will melt the hearts of kiddos and ladies perhaps. And the only saddest subplot you will ever find here is the character of a talky flamingo as he reminisces about his past. This tale of forbidden love is filled with many other loveable characters such as Juliet’s soulmate, a water-squirting frog, Nanette, Gnomeo’s pet, a hyperactive Shroom and a herd of jumping bunnies.
The British filled voice cast is a delight, Caine and Smith is wonderful as usual and it’s refreshing to listen to actors liked McAvory and Blunt for a change in an animation flick instead of the usual people such as Jonah Hill or Seth Rogen. Jason ‘Transporter’ Statham and Ozzy Osburne in a rare voice casting appear as the menacing Tybalt and garden deer respectively. Oh not forgetting the older Professor X, Patrick Stewart voices the ‘oh-so-clever’ William Shakespeare.
While it’s definitely unfair to compare “Gnomeo & Juliet” with the usual fare offered by Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks, this animation is recommended for its high-spirited jokes and surprise, surprise spectacular designs and visual richness. Lawnmover races? Who can imagine it to be so highly dangerous? And despite the Gnomes being alive, they are restricted by their ceramic structures that inturn generated most of the gags.
Who cares about the Bard in the end? This non-Disney toon really entertains and the generous doses of Elton John’s digestible tunes make this a genuinely sweet treat. Distributed by Touchstone Pictures in the States (the movie label under Disney), this modest production outperforms Disney’s in-house “Mars Needs Moms” by US$70 million! Now this is a true tragedy.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual is stunning for the most part with brimming colours while the audio quality is excellent with lots of ambient sound effects, striking dialogue and a wonderful Elton John-filled soundtrack.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Catherine Hardwicke ("Twilight") directs a fantasy thriller that puts a haunting twist on the classic fairy tale. For years the villagers of Daggerhorn have maintained an uneasy truce with a werewolf--but the beast changes the stakes by killing the older sister of brave young Valerie (Amanda Seyfried). Promised in marriage to one man but in love with another, Valerie is affected yet again by the creature's bloody actions. When a werewolf hunter warns that the beast takes human form by day and walks among them, panic sets in as the death toll rises. And Valerie learns she has a unique connection to the wolf that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect... and bait.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Here’s an irony for you- when author Stephenie Meyer first auctioned the movie rights to her ‘Twilight’ franchise, no major studio realised the potential of the series. Of course, by the time the first movie opened, and then the second and third broke box-office records Stateside, the studios were wondering just how they could have led such a lucrative franchise slip right through their hands to a young upstart (i.e. Summit Entertainment).
‘Red Riding Hood’ is Warner Bros. attempt at attempting to appeal to the same teenage girl crowds that have consistently flocked to the theatres for every ‘Twilight’ movie. After all, they even went out to get Catherine Hardwicke, the first and only female director of the ‘Twilight’ films, to get behind the camera on this reimagining of the classic fairy tale. And to be frank, Hardwicke does an admirable job trying to capture the romance and sexual tension of the ‘Twilight’ films.
Here the innocent girl at the middle of a love triangle is Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) and the two men caught in between are the brooding mysterious woodcutter she likes called Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) and the wealthy blacksmith’s son Henry (Max Irons) she has been arranged to marry. In order to amp up the tension, Hardwicke has several scenes where Peter and Henry circle each other like wolves (pardon the pun) with Valerie at the centre- and you’re either likely to love the teasing or loathe at the cheesiness.
To appeal to an older demographic as well, writer David Johnson (of the excellent horror thriller ‘Orphan’) also introduces the story of a werewolf stalking and killing the villagers and a famed hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) who walks into town to slay the beast. The former is of course from the fairy tale but the latter seems a blatant attempt at turning this into something akin to ‘Van Helsing’ or ‘The Wolfman’. Oh there’s also Valerie’s grandma (Julie Christie) who lives in the woods by herself and whom Valerie visits alone dressed in a red cloak.
Ok, so the sight of Valerie’s red cloak (to justify the title of the film) against the silky white snow is a striking contrast to see on the big screen, but it’s not hard to see why there is just no logic Valerie would deliberately try to stand out especially when her fellow townsfolk are so stricken with fear by the werewolf. And indeed, ‘Red Riding Hood’s’ attempt at being both a ‘Twilight’ teenage fantasy romance as well as an adult mystery thriller take on the traditional fairy tale unfortunately ends up being a mishmash that doesn’t quite work either way.
The fault doesn’t lie with Hardwicke, who tries her best at trying to please both demographics, nor the cast, who do their darnest best with their roles. In particular, the wide-eyed Seyfried is amazingly captivating as Valerie, portraying both her character’s fear and affections palpably. Between Irons and Fernandez, the latter comes off leaving a deeper impression (think of him as like a dark and sexy Jacob)- though both their characters don’t go beyond looks and preening.
Even a twist at the end- or as close to a twist as the identity of the werewolf can be- is not enough to rescue this atmospheric but tepid adaptation. Sure, it could have turned out much worse, but this ‘Twilight’ wannabe doesn’t offer enough beyond what the Jacob-Bella-Edwards love triangle provides for teenage girls. No one likes a copycat, and ‘Red Riding Hood’ is too blatantly one for ‘Twilight’ fans and for that matter non-‘Twilight’ fans to care as well.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Just 5 mins worth of additional scenes- insubstantial if you ask us.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visuals are crystal clear, and sharp, with good balance between the light and dark tones throughout. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is a surround sound treat, and uses the back speakers to excellent effect.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 5 August 2011
SYNOPSIS: In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth legion in the mountains of Scotland, a young centurion Marcus Aquila arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca, Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Sandals-and-swords epics are harder and harder to come by- Ridley Scott’s ‘Robin Hood’ last year was the only such high-profile movie to be released of late- though that may change with the critical and growing commercial success of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. In the meantime though, director Kevin MacDonald has fashioned an old-school movie that trades in the themes of honour and friendship, and it is a solid return for a genre which has seen better days.
MacDonald and his writer Jeremy Brock (who had also worked on his Academy-Award winning ‘The Last King of Scotland’) base their story on the 1954 bestselling novel by the late Rosemary Sutcliff, about the disappearance of 5,000 men of the mighty Roman Ninth Legion into Northern Britain. Their vanishing was a humiliation to the Roman empire, and the name of their commander sullied and ridiculed by politicians and other military leaders.
So in a bid to restore his father’s good name, young fearless commander Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) decides that his first posting would be a minor Roman outpost in rural England. He wants to find out what happened to the Legion, as well as to search for the lost Eagle of the Ninth, a symbol of honour and power too important to forsake. All too soon, a chivalrous battle with the local rebels leaves him seriously wounded and discharged from his duty, but the determined Marcus decides to set off on a quest of his own to retrieve the Eagle.
He is joined in this journey by a young Caledonian whose life he saved in a gladiator match, Esca (Jamie Bell), the latter able to speak Gaelic and therefore converse with the locals living in the northern wilds. Their enemy comes in the form of a tribe of ashen-faced savages living on the edge of the Northern plains, the very people whom Marcus’ father had fought and lost some twenty years ago. Some complications ensue in the form of Esca’s loyalties, but largely Brock’s screenplay is relatively straightforward in terms of the good guys and the bad guys.
With the absence of any strong supporting characters (save for perhaps Marcus’ uncle played by Donald Sutherland), the film rests squarely on the shoulders of Tatum and Bell. Tatum plays down his usual posturing in favour of a simple brawny performance that is otherwise rather unremarkable- though the fault may also lie with Brock’s one-note characterisation. Bell turns out to be more interesting, but again his character’s dynamics with Marcus comes off too predictable.
The film is however saved by a gripping pace, thanks to sturdy direction by MacDonald. Indeed, even while Marcus and Esca are on the road towards the Northern wilds, MacDonald keeps up the momentum of the film and the result is one that doesn’t feel dull. It also benefits from beautiful on-location shooting in Hungary and Scotland, the picturesque vistas quite something in themselves.
But these merits don’t disguise a film that is otherwise too straightforward for its own good- both in terms of its story and characterisation. Granted that it possesses the thematic prerequisites of a scandals-and-swords epic, but this entry lacks any truly compelling characters to be more than a solid, if unremarkable, entry into the genre. Think of it as an appetiser to the much richer ‘Game of Thrones’ heading our way soon.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Director Kevin MacDonald does a commentary which sheds light on the legend of the Ninth Legion, filming on location in the highlands of Hungary and Scotland, and working with the cast and crew on the outdoor shooting. MacDonald however often sounds too perfunctory to hold your interest for long.
An ‘Alternate Ending’ is also included, which was thankfully scrapped in favour of a more satisfying conclusion to the very quest around which the film revolves around. There are 6 mins worth of ‘Deleted Scenes’, including a chariot race sequence which probably took some effort to film. Finally, ‘The Making of a Roman Epic’ is your standard making-of featurette which has cast talking about their characters, as well as crew about the various design aspects- costume, production, location etc- of the film.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is superb, balancing the noisy battle scenes in robust surround effect and the quieter scenes with the ambient sounds of the location. Visuals are often clear and sharp, though some night time scenes could benefit with more lighting.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 23 July 2011
SYNOPSIS: With stories by acclaimed writers including Geoff Johns, Alan Burnett and Dave Gibbons, this DC Universe Animated Original Movie explores the rich mythology of the Green Lantern universe through six interlocking chapters. While awaiting a battle with Krona, an ancient enemy of the Guardians of the Universe, Earth’s Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Kilowog, Sinestro and other members of the Green Lantern Corps recount their greatest adventures to new recruit Arisia – everything from tales of the first Lantern to the ominous events that led to the Corps’ Blackest Night!
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Green Lantern: Emerald Knights” serves as a window to the world of Green Lantern corps. If you are not a follower to the comics or intend to know more after watching Martin Campbell’s movie feature, “Green Lantern”, then you are in luck. This DC animated feature liked The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight presents itself as a series of shorts to tell a story but unlike those earlier titles, Emerald Knights is more coherent to follow, with the same visual style and interpretation maintained throughout the 84 minutes, a decision which I greatly applaud.
Through Hal Jordan’s (Nathan Filiion) stories to a new recruit, Arisia (Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men), viewers get to know about the history of the First Green Lantern which kicks things off pretty swiftly. Next is a backstory of how the gruff Kilowog gets his huff and puff attitude, apparently from his boot camp sergeant it seems. Hal’s third story is about the gung-ho female lantern, Laira (Kelly Hu) who is torn between her destiny to protect the universe and her father’s struggle to protect the kingdom and planet.
Beneath all that showcasing of what power the ring is capable of, energy blast and countless explosions, “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights” first five segments is dedicated to the backstory of the various noteable green lanterns. Since Hal Jordon already has “Green Lantern: First Flight”, he is relegated to be the narrator for now. The fourth segment focus on the reclusive Lantern, Mogo not surprisingly the most interesting one is the fifth which talks about Abin Sur (Arnold Vosloo from the Mummy franchise), the man credited for giving Hal Jordon the ring and fighting alongside Sinestro (Jason Issacs) before he turned to the dark side.
Well, every movie needs to have a wham-bang ending thus the last segment has every Green Lantern in the universe joining forces to deal with the ancient evil, Kora. As with the usual offerings of DC animated features, “Emerald Knights” is another excellent piece of hand-drawn animation that will be welcomed by any comic fanboys.
The only setback with the Green Lantern property is the inability to achieve success in the league of says Batman or Superman with its cosmic setting and the bunch of weird-looking aliens/creatures heroes in green suits. Maybe that is the reason why the feature movie suffers at the box-office but we shall leave it to another review in future.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Sneak Peek: Batman: Year One
is a 10 minutes behind-the-scenes feature that takes a look at the upcoming Frank Miller adaptation. Explore the Recent DC Universe Animated Original Movie: All-Star Superman
takes a peek at the already released title. The DVD extras are rounded with Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters Trailer
and Matty Collector Trailer aka commercial.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Colours are bright and crisp for the visual presentation. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track while not exactly outstanding is aggressive and dynamic when the action calls for it onscreen.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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