JOHANN JOHANNSSON (1970 - 2018) Posted on 11 Feb 2018 Johann Johannsson, the Icelandic composer died in Berlin on Friday. He was 48 years old. Known for blending electronic with classical orchestrations, Johannsson is best for working with director Denis Villeneuve on Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival although Johannsson left Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 during production. The Icelandic musician and producer also won a Golden Globe for ... more

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: Rupert Sanders
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, "Beat" Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt, Michael Wincott, Juliette Binoche, Kaori Momoi, Rila Fukushima, Chin Han, Chris Obi, Joseph Naufahu, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara, Tuwanda Manyimo
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP 
Official Website: http://ghostintheshell.tumblr.com

Opening Day: 30 March 2017

Synopsis: Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

Movie Review:

For Beauty and the Beast and Power Rangers, it was the inclusion of a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) character. For the American adaptation of the popular Japanese mange Ghost in the Shell, it was whitewashing. We are pretty sure such controversies help boost the box office figures of the movies, so why not?

If you do not already know, netizens flew into a rage when Scarlett Johansson was cast in the lead role. It did not help that there were reports saying that CGIand other visual effects were used to alter Johansson's appearance in order to make her appear Asian. While the original was a Japanese cult manga and ground breaking anime which featured Hong Konginspired locations and an Eastern philosophy based story, people could not understand why there was a need to have a Hollywoodbig screen adaptation.

Well, it’s for business of course – you can bet audiences are still going to lap this up and flock to the theatres to check out Johansson’s performance and ahem, assets. It was PR done right when the studios released a video of the director of the original films, Mamoru Oshii talking about how Johansson has exceeded his expectations for the role.

For those who aren’t aware of what the franchise is about, the story is set in a world where computer technology has advanced to the point that many members of the public possess cyberbrains (it sounds complicated, but it simply just means that while lives can be retained, people are also capable of doing terrible, terrible things with the advent of technology). The protagonist is Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg who had an accident, resulting in the use of a full body prosthesis to house her cyberbrain. She works for a task force to combat criminals, hackers and terrorists.

The filmmakers probably weren’t expecting to please all the fans of the original (the franchise included manga publications, animated films and television series), but it does a decent job of capturing the visually arresting environment of the classic source material. One can only imagine how immersive the viewing experience would be in IMAX 3D. There are creepy and robotic geishas that serve the elite but seem like they could lash out at any given moment. The cityscape is futuristic, grubby, and a bustling dystopia at the same time (an obvious nod to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner). You feel the vastness of the city, hear the noise on the crowded streets, shudder at the coldness of the machine controlled labs and sympathise with Major when she wakes up in her sparse, lonely and dimly lit apartment.

The cast does a commendable job portraying the characters as well. Johansson, who sent shivers down our spine with her performance as an alien woman who preys on man in 2013’s Under the Skin, does look the part in her latest movie. Her seemingly blank gaze incorporates a sense of fear, wanting and hope – which is a spot on characteristic for Major. Takeshi Kitano effortlessly plays her boss Chief Daisuke Aramaki (you won’t argue why he is the only character who speaks in Japanese, and the rest of the characters understand him – simply because he is Takeshi Kitano). Danish actor Pilou Asbæk and Singapore’s Chin Han play Major’s compatriots, Michael Pitt is an angst ridden cyborg and the respected Juliette Binoche takes on the role of a compassionate and motherly cyborg creator.

Does this movie directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) capture the wonder and magic of the source material? Probably not, but it is still a visual spectacle worth your time.  

Movie Rating:

(This Hollywood remake probably isn’t going to get much love - especially from fans who are purists - but it is still visually compelling enough to warrant a big screen viewing)

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Cast: Bob the Cat, Luke Treadaway, Joanne Froggatt, Ruta Gedminta, Anthony Head
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Drug References and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 December 2016

Synopsis: When James Bowen found an injured, ginger street cat curled up in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London and the last thing he needed was a pet. Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent tom cat, whom he quickly christened Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas. Soon the two were inseparable and their diverse, comic and occasionally dangerous adventures would transform both their lives, slowly healing the scars of each other's troubled past.

Movie Review:

Pardon this reviewer for being a Scrooge, but just how many heartwarming movies about animals can one watch before swearing them off all of them for eternity? Old timers will fondly remember 1943’s Lassie Come Home and 1957’s Old Yeller, while middle aged movie goers (if they haven’t become cynical) will recall the warm and fuzzy feeling when they watched Babe (1995) and The Horse Whisperer (1998). The younger folks would know 2003’s Seabiscuit, 2008’s Marley and Me, as well as 2009’s Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (based on a 1987 Japanese film).

The abovementioned titles aren’t exhaustive, and you can probably name a few other movies which made moved you deeply. Furthermore, most of them are based on real life events, which make the tales even more family friendly and emotionally engaging. So how is this British production different from the rest, and how will it impact your senses?

The movie’s human protagonist is a homeless and a recovering drug addict who isn’t having the best of luck. Although he is given his own flat by his social support worker, he has to struggle to make ends meet by busking to unappreciative passers by. Things change when a ginger cat comes into his kitchen – thinking that it may be a stray animal, he attempts to bring it back to the streets. Of course, as any heartwarming animal movie would have it, the two(the cat is named Bob at this point in time) form a tight bond and things begin to look better for the out of luck bloke.

Yes, the story written by Tim John and Maria Nation is, as you’d guess it – based on a true story. British Canadian film director Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies, The Children of Huang Shi) helms this wholesome movie based on James Bowen’s novel of the same name.

British actor Luke Treadway (who looks a lot like standup comedian Russell Brand) portrays Bowen, and it is a good thing that the 32 year old is a singer in real life as well because the role requires him to sing quite a bit. Maybe it’s the scruffy looking dude’s English charm, but there is an unpretentious sweetness about the character that will grow on viewers. You will feel for the street musician and hope that things will turn out good for him.

Of course, when Bob comes into the picture, everything becomes upliftingly encouraging. Why would anyone not go “aww” seeing a guy giving his pet cat a high five, or letting it sit on his shoulders? The element of grittiness is introduced when you see Bowen go through cold turkey to fight his addiction, and how he eventually recovers, probably with the positive energy from Bob.

While the supporting characters played by Joanne Froggatt, Ruta Gedminta and Anthony Head are not particularly memorable, the reliable English cast delivers a fine job without taking the limelight away from Treadway and of course, Bob.

This is a movie about a man and his cat, and how the two individuals are there for each other. We’d like to think that it will be especially affecting when you watch it during one of those down and out days.

Movie Rating:

(A feel good family friendly movie you'll enjoy, especially if you're a cat lover!)

Review by John LI

Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Raihan Halim, Gilbert Chan, Sam Loh, Daniel Yam
Cast: Maxi Lim, Cheryl Wee, Terence Then, Jonathan Cheok, Silver Ang, Louis Wu, Shane Pow, Oon Shu An, Joshua Tan, Hayley Woo, Tuan Weiming
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: TBA
Released By: mm2 Entertainment and Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 December 2016

Synopsis: 4 upcoming Singapore directors, 4 love stories, all in 1 movie; each with their own merits telling the journey of love starting from the teenage years to young adults, married life and finally old couples.

Movie Review:

It bears some comparison to 7 Letters, the other anthology debuting last year for SG50, helmed by the venerable Royston Tan. 4Love is mm2 Entertainment's own gathering of four local directors, expressing their styles on that elusive subject of love. Unfortunately, all other resemblance to the former ends there.

Scheduled to debut at our upcoming Singapore International Film Festival and later to the public, 4Love fails to deliver both its objectives: Of capturing love’s magic, and to tell an authentic Singaporean story.

The four stories seen chronologically, bears out a tale of the four stages of love from its beginning to its end. Granted, telling a good love story in a quarter of 99 minutes is a challenge, but the scripts here are bordering on puerile; a surprise given the previous accolades the directors have gotten. The contrived plots empties any chemistry opportunities the local ensemble has, with a Singaporean injection that is quite simply - hackneyed. Sadly, this production looks more at home on the small screen.

Love. Destiny

Director Raihan Halim starts us off easy, with a kismet tale of two young lovers who leave messages in a mutually borrowed book, developing an unlikely relationship. There’s plenty of quirkiness here, though not entirely original. The playful tone is overacted by the lovebirds, Max (Maxi LIm) and Nissa (Cheryl Wee), though Wee fares somewhat better. Worst is Max’s sidekick, who in one scene expounds his unbelievable double-date with Ukrainian sisters by thrashing his arms and screaming out, “UKRAINE!” several times in a book store. You need to chill bro.

There’s plenty of potential for the characters’ environment, what with one being a tourist attraction usher and the other being a durian seller, but it eventually turns out to be just that - an occupation and setting. And the written exchange? Unrealistic. The sharing turns into an SMS-like dialogue that is just impractical, thus unbelievable. Serendipity has never been so dull.

Love. Extreme

It’s too good to pass up - this segment is like shit. Literally. Weng (Terence Then) has a proposal up his sleeves for his longtime girlfriend Lynn (Silver Ang). No thanks to his bumbling best friend Bao (Jonathan Cheok), Weng loses the ring to a conman and goes through several misadventures in an attempt to recover it. The “extreme” part is a running gag that has the conman passing out the ring after eating it, and Weng racing with poop in hand to his proposal venue.

Director Gilbert Chan gets his dynamic duo of Weng and Bao right, but his apparent love for lame literal humour stinks up the movie in ways that can only be described as crass. His tired shitty scenario begins midway and becomes a joke diarrhea that culminates in a wedding acapella group (Juz-B) singing repeatedly about how Weng will go through shit for Lynn. A note to Chan, even a good joke can only be repeated once. Every gag that came up is equally inane so don’t hold your breath - or maybe you should.

Love. Temptation

It was a tough call but I would have to say this is the worst segment of the four. Poor lighting, stiff acting and a dramatic plot straight out from the 80s that should be left for dead pretty much sums up the purported psycho thriller by Director Sam Loh.

Seven years into their marriage, Ye Lin (Oon Shu An) feels neglected by her husband Jin Hao (Louis Wu) as the latter is a flight attendant (already a cliche). Her interest in a fellow photographer colleague (Shane Pow) ends up in the sheets (and another cliche). I seldom do spoilers but this is really not worth withholding - new interest photographer turns out to be a psychotic possessive individual who attempts to kill Jin Hao when he begins to spend more time with Ye Lin (please stop).   

The film is like one of those newer hipster cafes - all style, little substance. The acting is stilted and uncomfortable, and though Pow gives a good enough performance, the trio have as much chemistry as one of those Ï Love Children” campaigns. So there’s nothing to save this droopy plot. That’s all.

Love. Remember

You’ve probably seen the story in your social media feed - elderly couple dies moments from each other. It’s a moving tale that seems like a fairytale these days, and Director Daniel Yam manages to extract at least that much for his closing chapter of the anthology.

On the verge of a divorce with his wife Ellie (Hayley Woo), a distracted Carl (Joshua Tan) injures an elderly man (Tuan Wei Ming) with his car. To compensate, he accompanies him home and meets his wife (Chan Fong Lain) who has dementia. The foggy lady mistakes Carl for her husband and Carl plays along the next few days to help out. As he owns a photo studio, he also grants the elderly Ah Quan his wish of getting a wedding picture taken. As Carl and Ellie witness the commitment the couple has, they begin to question their own decision.

Indisputedly the only film to resemble an actual professional offering, the cast knows what not to do - overact. Tan and Woo both put in a comfortable performance and as a estranged couple, is natural and heartfelt. Dialogue here is life-like and motivations are genuine so kudos to Yam for his reigns. But quite frankly, it was the tour de force Tuan Wei Ming that gave this chapter life. His acting is pure class - the perfect balm for a scarred viewer after the first three vignettes. Just try to hold your tear back when he makes his impassioned plea to his dying wife.

Movie Rating:

(The one star really belongs to Yam and the others have to share the half)

Review by Morgan Awyong 

Genre: Comedy
Director: Mark Waters
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Christina Hendricks, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Ryan Hansen, Jenny Zigrino, Jeff Skowron
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: R21 (Nudity and Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures 
Official Website: http://www.badsanta2.com

Opening Day: 24 November 2016

Synopsis: BAD SANTA 2 returns BILLY BOB THORNTON to the screen as America's favorite anti-hero, Willie Soke. Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed, and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (TONY COX), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is 'the kid' - chubby and cheery Thurman Merman (BRETT KELLY), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie's sliver of humanity. Mommy issues arise when the pair are joined by KATHY BATES, as Willie's horror story of a mother, Sunny Soke. A super butch super bitch, Sunny raises the bar for the gang's ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior. Willie is further burdened by lusting after the curvaceous and prim Diane, played by CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, the charity director with a heart of gold and libido of steel. You better watch out: BAD SANTA 2 is coming to town. 



Movie Review:

Thirteen years after turning the traditional Christmas feel-good comedy on its head with the foul-mouthed black comedy ‘Bad Santa’, Billy Bob Thornton is back to reprise his role as the no-good low-life criminal Willie T. Stokes, who tells us in his opening narration that his life hasn’t gotten better at all since we left him. Not only has his previous love interest Sue left him after one too many bouts of drunkenness, his lascivious tendencies have not done him any favours as well – as an opening prologue which sees him crashing the car he is meant to valet park after getting distracted by a busty young mother breastfeeding her baby by the side of the road shows. In fact, it has gotten so hopeless for him that he has resorted to leaving a suicide note on the counter of his squalid apartment, before attempting to kill himself by sticking his head into an oven, and when that doesn’t work, stringing himself from the ceiling using the wire of a toaster.

Thankfully for Willie, he still has the occasional company of the sweet and still very much naïve Thurman (Brett Kelly), no longer the eight-year-old kid who believed so wholeheartedly in Santa but nonetheless a twenty-one year old who has yet to ‘pop his cherry’ (which Willie hires a prostitute to change out of ‘goodwill’). Thurman brings a package from Marcus (Tony Cox), who rounds out the triptych of cast/ characters from the previous movie who return for this belated sequel. Let out of jail early due to overcrowding, Marcus extends a gesture of reconciliation by offering Willie a job that will give two million dollars in cash – an offer which Willie finds difficult to refuse, even after discovering that it was in fact initiated by his ‘lousy’ mother Sunny (Kathy Bates) and involves ripping off the money collected from donations by a charity organization known as ‘Giving City’ (though to be fair, he does experience some revulsion from the former and a short crisis of conscience from the latter).

Neither its creators Glenn Ficarra and John Requa nor its director Terry Zwigoff return for this reunion of sorts, which probably explains why this follow-up lacks the comic edge of its predecessor, despite being just as coarse, vulgar and politically incorrect. Sticking pretty much to the template left behind by Ficarra and Requa, the scripting duo of Johnny Rosenthal and Shauna Cross continue the testy relationship between Willie and Marcus (whose conversations consist primarily of trading insults at each other), the father-son bonding between Willie and Thurman (the latter of whom journeys from Arizona to Chicago on his own in order to be with Willie), and another unlikely love interest/ ‘f**k buddy’ relationship between Willie and ‘Giving City’s’ co-founder Diane Hastings (Christina Hendricks) using the excuse that the latter is trapped in a loveless cum sex-less marriage with her greedy adulterous husband Regent (Ryan Hansen). The only new dimension here is the love-hate relationship between Willie and his mother Sunny, an equally potty-mouthed crook who gave birth to him in penitentiary and whom he blames for his subsequent life of misery.

Yet that is not enough to compensate for a dearth of genuine emotion in a movie that once knew how to be sweet even as it wanted to be rude. Whereas that with Sue and Thurman previously revealed Willie to be the kind-hearted but rough-at-the-edges person we always suspected he was, there is little in each one of Willie’s overlapping relationships that achieve similar pathos: though it does hint that Diane sees a better person in Willie by arranging for him to attend an AA meeting together, their relationship is reduced to no more than a sexual one once she decides to end her decade-long sexual moratorium; aside from the obligatory happy ending that sees Willie turn up at his caroling solo and embrace him as family, Thurman is pretty much sidelined throughout the entire movie; and last but not least, Sunny’s attempt to make amends for the mother she should have been to Willie starts out rather moving but ends up being disingenuous following a late twist that exposes her true intentions.

How much you enjoy ‘Bad Santa 2’ therefore depends on your appetite for crude and even profane humour (which the current political climate may or may not have a bearing on). Oh yes, Marcus’ ‘colour’ and height are running jokes here – like how Willie tells Marcus that “they used to sterilize people like [you] to prevent the world from turning into a Negro land of Oz’ or how the well-rounded female security guard Gina (Jenny Zigrino) declines having sex with Marcus on account that it will be like “doing it with a Chihuahua”. Any and every opportunity to make it about sex is also exploited to the max, be it sexual repression a la Diane or just pure lust a la Willie, Marcus, Gina, Regent and even Sunny. Though it may have been a delightfully obscene alternative to the usual Christmas tosh then, the deluge of lewd explicit R-rated comedies which have followed in the wake of ‘The Hangover’ means that there is no longer the same novelty as its predecessor had before.

Without offering much reason why we should care about Willie and his miserable f**ked-up life, ‘Bad Santa 2’ ultimately comes off as a sequel that is several years too late. Back then, it was fun and refreshing to watch chain-smoking, alcohol-guzzling, foul-mouthed Santas and their thieving elfs; but fast-forward to more than a decade later and that same irreverence just doesn’t have the same ‘kick’ anymore. Despite being responsible for the teen comedy classic ‘Mean Girls’, Mark Waters does not have the same anarchic sensibilities as Zwigoff, failing to give the string of episodic sketches enough narrative momentum to match the sheer ‘kamikaze-ness’ of the original. As much as this isn’t the cinematic equivalent of receiving lumps of coal, this sequel is no candy too, so don’t expect to find much joy, mirth or heart if you’re calling on this Santa to fill up your Christmas stocking. 

Movie Rating:

(Still as coarse, vulgar and potentially offensive, this belated sequel that is too content to follow in its predecessor's footsteps nonetheless lacks the original's anarchic comic edge and ingenuity)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Carice van Houten, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Mazouz
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 December 2016

Synopsis: A scientist with the ability to enter the subconscious minds of the possessed must save a young boy from the grips of a demon with powers never seen before, while facing the horrors of his past.

Movie Review:

I’ll say it - Incarnate is what happens when you merge Inception with The Exorcist. It makes for an intriguing premise, reviving the tired genre, but presented a lot of missed opportunities in this film.

Dr. Seth Ember (Aaron Eckhart) is gifted with the ability of going into the minds of the possessed. That is, when he places his body in a condition near-death himself. And what happens when he does?

The theory is that a demon possesses a victim by holding them in an alternate reality in their minds, by tapping into their deepest desires. As long as the victim continues to live out the “dream”, they continue to be possessed in real life.

Ember evicts the demons by trying to pull the victims out of their fantasy, using hard facts and pointing out discrepancies about the demon’s behaviour, who masquerades as loved ones, in order to loosen the hold. This strangely always ends up with a coloured door and having to jump through a window for some reason.

At the bequest of a Vatican representative (Catalina Sandino Moreno), he pushes his weary body to investigate the latest possession - an 11-year-old boy (David Mazouz). His reason? The entity within him might be an archdemon that has been taunting Ember, and killed his wife and son in an accident many years ago.

Brad Peyton directs this with restraint, but not in the good way. Incarnate feels empty, with more questions than spirits lingering in the shadows. There are quite a few key elements that are underdeveloped - the serum that brings Ember back to lucidity, the reason why the boy was unrestrained, and ultimately, who is that archdemon? All these story points are brought in, yet we are left with no literature to explain what they meant - and so do not gain a sense of gravity for each. Not every person might know that an archdemon is of a higher hierarchy just by mention. The lack of background details thin out the proceedings, and unfortunately, affects the total emotional investment in this film.

Eckhart’s acting is formidable. He plays a good anchor character to pivot the story around, but truth be told, the anguished father with a vengeance is a little old. I couldn’t get past Carice (Melissandre) van Houten, who plays the hapless mother of the boy. Her Game of Thrones character is just too strong to shed, and eventually, lends no real warmth to her character. She would have benefited from being a little less composed. And maybe they could have at least bleached her hair blonde?

The other supporting characters didn’t fare much better. The doctor’s assistants are your typical geek freaks with a heart, with expected reactions and one-liner, and given the unfortunate task of a little comic relief. Felix (Tomas Arana) is the mentor with a den full of curiosities and possessed captive, who also winds up with only a few foreboding advice - that we know of course will unfold.

All things aside, you might at least have a good victim in the form of the innocent possessed boy. But all you get is your standard demon voice, taunting the usual spiel, and doing two acts of levitation - that’s it, show’s over folks. Although there are genuine moments of tension as Ember tries to free the boy from the demon’s clutches, it seems like a waste when the execution turns out so detached and uncommitted with the universe that they have come up with. Guess it’ll still be a while before a good exorcism movie comes about.

Movie Rating:

(Eckhart pulls off a convincing exorcist renegade but the writing weakens the universe and leaves us uninvested in the story. A shame.)

Review by Morgan Awyong

Disney’s 56^th animated feature film may feature a strong willed daughter of a Polynesian tribe chief, but it is, in many ways, similar to Frozen (2013), the animation studio’s other commercial hit. And this became clear the moment we heard “How Far I’ll Go”, the soundtrack’s most radio friendly tune – “Let It Go”, anyone?

Performed by Auli’I Cravalho, the song is a signature Disney anthem where the protagonist sings about her struggles before realising how important it is to stay true to herself (other classic tunes of the same ‘genre’ include Pocahontas’ “Colours of the Wind” and Mulan’s “Reflections”). With the newfound strength, she will overcome all obstacles and achieve the unachievable. Boasting soaring melodies and grand orchestrations, this song (which is revisited in “How Far I’ll Go (Reprise) and “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)”) will have young girls everywhere braving the storm and going out there to pursue their dreams.

The highly recommended soundtrack combines traditional South Pacific culture with pop and Broadway elements, and the producers hired Broadway playwright, songwriter and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer Mark Mancina and Samoan singer-songwriter Opetaia Foa'I for the job.

From the first track “Tulou Tagaloa”, it sets the tone with the cue’s rhythmic tribal beats. “We Know The Way” and its finale version are uplifting and optimistic tracks that will have you feeling that you are sailing on the high seas.

Two interesting cues are Jermaine Clement’s villain song “Shiny”, a psychedelically unique song and Dwayne Johnson’s “You’re Welcome”, a very fun and catchy song which we hope can get more attention. Plus, who doesn’t want to hear The Rock rap?

The 76 minute soundtrack also contains a generous amount of score material chronicling Moana’s adventure – from the mystic “He Was You” and “The Ocean Chose You” to the majestic “Sails to Te Fiti” and “The Return to Voyaging”. The deluxe edition adds an additional disc with 44 minutes of demos, outtakes and instrumental karaoke tracks. This album is definitely a soundtrack fans should own.  

ALBUM RATING:

 

Recommended Track: Disc One (7) You’re Welcome – Dwayne Johnson

Review by John Li

If life was a movie musical, this reviewer wishes his would turn out like La La Land. In case you don’t know, the critics’ darling written and directed by Damien Chazelle tells the story of a musician (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) who meet and fall in love in the city of Los Angeles.

What’s a musical without a soundtrack album to put on loop? There is a reason why this one has peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the UK Albums Chart. It is a must own for every self respecting soundtrack fan. Heck, it is a must own for anyone who loves a good time out at the movies.

The 46 minute CD kicks off with “Another Day of Sun”, an energetic cue that makes you want to jump up and dance. The upbeat tune has the La La Land Cast singing about what Hollywood has in store for those dare to dream big: “Climb these hills/ I'm reaching for the heights/ And chasing all the lights that shine/ And when they let you down/ You'll get up off the ground/ 'Cause morning rolls around/ And it's another day of sun”

Stone, who is nominated for Best Actress at the 89^th Academy Awards, is up next with “Someone in the Crowd”. The actress’ pleasing vocals does a great job here. Elsewhere, she impresses with her solo showcase “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)”, another hopeful cue that inspires you to dream big.

Stone’s co star Gosling, who has also been garnering Best Actor nominations at countless film awards, may not be a professional singer, but we imagine female fans gushing over his raspy voice. In the movie, he sings (and dances!) with Stone on “A Lovely Night”, then serenades to the much talked about “City of Stars”.

John Legend, who plays a mainstream jazz performer in the movie, performs radio friendly pop song “Start A Fire” on the soundtrack. Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle’s Havard University classmate, composes and orchestrates the score portion of the soundtrack. There is also a separate album featuring Hurwitz's score. If you have watched the film, you will want to relive the magical moments with cues like the hopeful “Mia & Sebastian’s Theme”, the romantic “Planetarium” and the bittersweet wrap up “Epilogue”. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (13) Epilogue

Review by John Li

If you only had four and a half weeks to compose the music for a movie, and had to live up to fan expectations, would you say yes? Well, if the film is part of the Star Wars franchise, it’s likely that you’ll say yes and deal with the consequences later.

And that was probably what Michael Giacchino did. If you don’t already know, the film went through a series of reshoots. As a result, the post production schedule was altered and Alexandre Desplat, the original composer tied to the project, was no longer available. Giacchino, who had just finished production on Doctor Strange, started work on this movie almost immediately.

The result? A satisfying piece of work that respects the legacy from a certain maestro named John Williams, while adding on rewarding elements that make the music from the standalone film as epic as its counterparts.

The 69 minute soundtrack album kicks off with the intense “He’s Here For Us”, an evident villainous theme that forces its weight upon you with its brassy orchestrations. The theme for heroine of the movie, Jyn Erso, is introduced in “A Long Ride Ahead”, and subsequently heard in “Wobani Imperial Labour Camp” and “Trust Goes Both Ways”.

Adventure is abound in “Jedha City Ambush” and “Confrontation on Eadu”, while an uncomfortable sinister feeling lurks around in “Krennic’s Aspirations”. Patriotism is abound in “Rebellions are Built on Hope” and “Rogue One”, while tears may well up in your eyes in “Your Father Would Be Proud” and “Jyn Erdo and Hope Suite”.

Giacchino has done an impressive job milking different emotions from listeners – whether they have watched the movie or not. Fans of Star Wars movies will also be pleased that the Academy Award winner (Up) has incorporated Williams’ theme from previous installations into this soundtrack. You will hear the “Death Star Motif” in “When Has Become Now”, “The Force Theme” in “Scrambling the Rebel Fleet” and “Imperial Walkers” in “AT-ACT Assault”.

Fans of Giacchino will be smiling when they see the alternate ‘pun filled’ track listing in the CD’s liner notes. For example, “Cargo Shuttle SW-0608” is “World’s Worse Vacation Destination”, “The Master Switch” is “Switch Hunt”, and “Hope” is “Life and Let Jedi”.

This soundtrack is highly recommended, and there is nothing not to like for every minute of music played out on the album. 

ALBUM RATING: 

Recommended Track: (17) Your Father Would Be Proud

Review by John Li

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Anna Foerster
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Lara Pulver, Tobias Menzies, Bradley James, James Faulkner, Charles Dance
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence)
Released By: Sony Pictures Singapore 
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/UnderworldMovie

Opening Day: 1 December 2016

Synopsis: The next installment in the blockbuster franchise, UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS follows Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as she fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (Theo James) and his father Thomas (Charles Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Movie Review:

While Sony’s blockbuster slate has been pretty sluggish in the box office, their horror label Screen Gems has enjoyed better success from low-budgeted thrillers like Don’t Breathe and two popular franchises, Resident Evil and Underworld -the former releasing its sixth and final chapter next January and Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as death dealer Selene for the fifth time in the latter.

Picking up after the events of Underworld: Awakening which sees the birth of Selene’s hybrid daughter, Eve. Underworld: Blood Wars opens with Selene being haunted by her own kind and Lycans as both sides are out to seek the blood of Eve. The Vampires are losing the war as the Lycans clan led by Marius (Tobias Menzies from Game of Thrones) is getting stronger by the day. On the pretext of seeking assistance from Selene, the scheming Semira (Lara Pulver) approaches her help to train a new batch of death dealers. Unbeknownst to her, an internal rife is brewing and Selene’s only ally happens to be David (Theo James from Divergent), the son of Vampire Elder, Thomas (Charles Dance from Games of Thrones yet again).

German-born cinematographer (White House Down) and TV director (Outlander, Criminal Minds) Anna Foerster takes over the directing duties for this instalment. It is frankly a thankless task to take over a franchise that hardly wins over the critics over the years but Foerster does a commendable job balancing the story and insane action sets. For the relatively brief running time, Foerster and her screenwriters Cory Goodman (The Last Witch Hunter) and Kyle Ward (Machete Kills) provides the various lead characters enough exposition and screentime for audiences to connect the dots at least for the first 45 minutes.

Besides being a family member to Selene, David is also on a journey to find out his true birth heritage that concerns his mysterious mother who left him after childbirth. The ambitious Semira and her aide cum lover Varga (Bradley James) plots to conquer the Vampire faction and Selene is constantly battling her own inner demons. On the Lycan side, the powerful Lycan leader Marius has a dark secret of his own. We are even introduced to the mysterious vampires residing in the cold Nordic coven. Honestly, you can’t really blame the franchise for not trying to expand the Vampire mythos which in actual fact it actually does.

For Underworld fans who are hungry for more blood and gore, Underworld: Blood Wars has no lack of it. The last 45 minutes is an action-packed bloodletting orgy of sorts. Heads are sliced, countless shots are fired and it even boasts a WTF moment when two leads start firing at each other at close range. It’s great to see some slick action choreography being displayed particularly the scene where Selene battles the transformed Marius on top of a frozen seabed.

Obviously because of time constraint and budget, CGI is favored over animatronic effects for the Lycans, which accounts for the weakest aspect of all. There is decent cinematography, excellent location shoot in Prague and rather impressive set designs. Best of all, Kate Beckinsale remains the draw in her ass-tight spandex. She seems not have aged a day since she first played Selene in the original 2004’s Underworld, such that one wonders if she is really a death dealer in reality. For a dumb action fantasy, Underworld: Blood Wars certainly entertains, and obviously the franchise is very much opened to further developments.

Movie Rating:

(Belongs to the so bad it’s good camp. I’m loving it)

Review by Linus Tee