Genre: Drama/Sport
Director: Ben Younger
Cast: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Ciarán Hinds, Ted Levine, Katey Sagal
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Nudity)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.bleedforthisfilm.com

Opening Day: 8 December 2016

Synopsis: Based on the incredible true story of one of boxing’s most charismatic and colorful champions, Bleed for This centers on Rhode Island native Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller), AKA “The Pazmanian Devil.” When a near-fatal car accident leaves him with a broken neck and the prognosis that he may never walk again, Vinny teams with trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) and stages a triumphant return to the ring.

Movie Review:

Miles Teller could have been basking in glory now. After playing an ambitious jazz student in Damien Chazelle’s critically acclaimed Whiplash in 2014, he and Emma Watson were both initially supposed to star as the leads in Chazelle’s La La Land. Eventually, both dropped out (Watson was committed to 2017’s Beauty and the Beast), and Teller proceeded with starring in, ahem, Fantastic Four (2015), War Dogs (2016) and this biographical boxing film.

While we won’t go into why Teller wasn’t chosen to star in the critical darling that is La La Land, let’s just say people are going gaga over Ryan Gosling and Teller, well, won’t be getting much love from the juries when the awards season arrives.

What we would like to point out though, is that the 29 year old actor does a fine job in this movie based on the life of former world champion boxer Vinny Pazienza. It is just unfortunate that other movies are getting the love this year – it’s a game of luck in showbiz after all.

Ben Young (Boiler Room, Prime) directs Teller and an ensemble cast to tell the story of Pazienza, a world champion boxer who refuses to retire from boxing after a car accident which leaves him severely injured and almost paralysed.

When it comes to sports movies, tried and tested formulas are aplenty. This one doesn’t try anything different and that’s not a bad thing. Movie clichés come in the form of a down and out boxer rising to the occasion with sheer determination, as well as extreme close ups showing how he recovers from mishaps and eventually greets his supporters as a champion. This is an engaging and entertaining movie, and the 117 minutes are easy to pass as there are no self important speeches that come off as self indulgent.

It helps that Teller has enough charisma to pull this role off – his screen presence works to show how the protagonist starts off as a haughty sportsman, gets into the dumps and finally makes it with will power. The New YorkUniversity’s Tisch School of Arts alumnus is magnetic as the lead character, and is a nice contrast from his role in Whiplash.

Teller’s performance is supported two solid actors: Aaron Eckhart (sporting a paunch to play a renowned trainer who helps Vinny return to the ring) and Ciaran Hinds (looking very esteemed as Vinny’s father). Together, they create a movie charged with testosterone. While female characters are not in the limelight, actresses Katey Segal, Christine Evangelista and Amanda Clayton do their part to put on a good show.

This may not be a classic like Rocky, but it has enough entertainment value to make it an enjoyable flick. It is an old fashioned way of telling a story, but it works in this day and age where films are trying hard to be clever. Besides the slightly amusing opening sequence, you will be able sit through this movie and be emotionally committed to the character and how he regains confidence to box again.  

Movie Rating:

(Solid performances from Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Ciaran Hinds make this boxing drama an engaging movie to sit through) 

Review by John Li

Genre: CG Animation
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Jenny Slate, Mariah Carey, Billy Dee Williams
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Warner Bros Pictures
Official Website: http://www.legobatman.net

Opening Day: 9 February 2017

Synopsis: In the irreverent spirit of fun that made “The LEGO Movie” a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.

Movie Review:

Is there actually a need for a proper review for The Lego Batman Movie, this reviewer found himself asking this question. Were there any doubts that this movie wouldn’t be worth your time in the cinema? Well - since editorial space has been put aside for this writer to pen his thoughts on the studio's second film in the Lego franchise, he will try his best to conceal his fanboy glee and talk about what was done right for the film, and what wasn’t.

Let’s start with the not so nice things about the movie. One mistake this columnist made was to watch all the teaser clips, trailers and promotional videos before catching the movie. He could more or less predict when those already released scenes were going to appear in the 105 minute movie. Sure, the jokes would still funny when you hear them a second time (or 14^th time, in this writer’s case), but the impact would definitely be bigger if you were experiencing the witty (and occasionally outrageously juvenile but hilarious) gags for the first time. So, if you are still searching for new clips to watch online before watching the movie, stop immediately.

Now, on to the good stuff. There are many groups of fans who will lap up this movie. Fans (read: nerds) of Lego, DC Comics and animated movies – rejoice! This is an all in one package which will please fans who get a kick out of spotting Easter eggs and movie references. Plus, the Australia based animation studio Animal Logic has done a beautiful job with the animation: Lego bricks never looked better on the big screen (while there are 3D and IMAX 3D choices, the 2D format of the movie is enough to leave you impressed).

The rest of the review will not tell you tell you anything new. Pardon this columnist’s tardiness, because the joy of watching this superhero animated movie is really about finding out what the brilliant writers (Seth Grahame Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern and John Whittington) have put together. The story hits the spot with its take on the conventional hero villain relationship, and leaves you wondering why Batman has a never ending pool of villains to fight.

Director Chris McKay (he was an animation co-director on The Lego Movie (2014) with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) has done an awesome job pleasing fans and non fans alike. The result is a family friendly flick that is big on laughs and full of heart. The takeaway message is as wholesome as it gets – family is everything one can ask for.

Will Arnett returns to voice Batman, and is accompanied by Zach Galifianakis as Joker. Michael Cera is Robin, Rosario Dawson is Batgirl, and Ralph Fiennes is Alfred Pennyworth. Things get more fun with cameos by celebrities like Mariah Carey as Mayor McCaskill, Billy Dee Williams as Two Face, Conan O Brien as Riddler, Channing Tatum as Superman and Jonah Hill as Green Lantern.

While there isn’t a irritatingly catchy song like “Everything is Awesome”, listen out for the lyrics of the uproarious and sidesplitting tunes from the soundtrack. And here’s a sample of the lyrics to give you an idea why we are giving this movie the perfect five star rating: Who’s the manliest man? (Batman!)/ With buns of steel? (Batman!)/ Who could choke hold a bear? (Batman!)

Movie Rating:

(Be Lego Batman's fan and chant with us now: Who has the coolest gadgets? Batman! Who has the tricked out ride? Batman! Who does the sickest backflips? Batman!!!)

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama
Director: Midi Z
Cast: Kai Ko, Wu Ke-Xi
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Drug Use)
Official Website: http://sgiff.com/browse-all-films/road-to-mandalay/

Opening Day: 1 December 2016 (Singapore International Film Festival 2016)

Synopsis: Beginning with the procedural of illegal border crossing into Thailand and jumping straight into the precarious living conditions of a garment factory, director Midi Z’s new feature film takes on a frantic tone of constant anxiety that plagues the working community of illegal Burmese migrants striving to carve a space for themselves in a foreign land.  Headstrong and hardworking Lianqing (played by Wu Ke-Xi, a regular in Midi Z’s films) strongly believes that life abroad promises a bright future. She relentlessly works to save up her earnings for a working permit, a process that takes her and others through a Kafkaesque labyrinth of provincial bureaucracy existing within the shadows. Guo (in a breakthrough role by Kai Ko, known for his roles in You Are the Apple of My Eye and Tiny Times) on the other hand plans to work in Thailand temporarily to bring his earnings back for a better life back in Myanmar.  An unrequited love blossoms between Lianqing and Guo when they meet sharing the same transport into Thailand. While both share similar circumstances abroad, the difference between their aspirations thwarts the development of their relationship. Guo’s attempts to get closer to Liangqing is met with her total conviction to channel all her energy and entire being to get the papers she needs so desperately. In a world where there is no time for love, repressed desires find its monstrous outlet.

Movie Review:

Who better to tell a story of Burmese citizens seeking to escape the poverty and conflict in their home country than Myanmar-born Taiwanese film director Midi Z? Born in Lashio, Shan State, Myanmar, the 33-year-old filmmaker received a scholarship and moved to Taiwanwhen he was 16. He went on to receive bachelor's master's degrees, and became a naturalised citizen of Taiwanafter renoucning his Burmese citizenship, in 2011.

At the 53^rd Golden Horse Awards, he was recognised with the Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year, where his latest work is receiving buzz for being a realistic and affecting drama about illegal immigrants staying in Thailand’s Bangkok.

The film starts of with a simple Burmese girl Lianqing (Wu Ke-Xi) who decides to leave poverty behind and cross illegally into Thailand. She meets a kind fellow migrant Guo (Kai Ko) who wants nothing more than work and bring money back to Myanmar. While in Thailand, their two fates intertwine and both discover the journey to obtain legal identity papers and work permits is an immense challenge.

The 108 minute film starts off as a tale of the hardships of immigrants living in a foreign land, but turns into a story of obsession, control and jealousy. Viewers see how Lianqing moves from the central area of Bangkokinto the suburbs – from working as a dish cleaner (she was initially hoping to get an sales job) to working in a factory with Guo. The relationship between the two protagonists is, unfortunately, bound to end in tragedy.

Regrettably, life ain’t no fairytale for most people.

After Return to Burma(2011), Poor Folk (2012) and Ice Poison (2014), Midi Z makes a successful transition to mainstream cinema while retaining his talent of expressing the raw, gritty and often heartbreaking sides of human emotions. Here, he works with Wu (who appeared in his previous works) and draws an empathetic performance from the actress. Ko, who sheds his idol persona from 2011’s You Are the Apple of My Eye and the Tiny Times franchise to play a somewhat dislikeable character.

The film is especially notable as it was screened in Midi Z’s home country for the first time in November 2016. Audiences can expect a human drama that isn’t as conventionally paced as commercial movies (there are long takes and minimal dialogues), but your efforts will pay off by observing the intimate portrayals of two very real characters.

Movie Rating:

Reviewed by John Li at the 27th Singapore International Film Festival

Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Stanley Tong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Disha Patani, Lay Zhang, Sonu Sood, Amyra Dastur, Eric Tsang, Zhang Guoli, Mu Qimiya
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Clover Films, mm2 Entertainment and Golden Village Pictures 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 26 January 2017

Synopsis: Chinese archeology professor Jack (Jackie Chan) teams up with beautiful Indian professor Ashmita and assistant Kyra to locate lost Magadha treasure. In a Tibetan ice cave, they find the remains of the royal army that had vanished together with the treasure, only to be ambushed by Randall (Sonu Sood), the descendent of a rebel army leader. When they free themselves, their next stop is Dubai where a diamond from the ice cave is to be auctioned. After a series of double-crosses and revelations about their past, Jack and his team travel to a mountain temple in India, using the diamond as a key to unlock the real treasure.

Movie Review:

‘Kung Fu Yoga’ reunites Jackie Chan with his longtime collaborator Stanley Tong – and going by their previous works (including ‘Police Story 3: Super Cop’, ‘Rumble in the Bronx’, ‘Police Story 4: First Strike’ and ‘The Myth’), you can pretty much guess what kind of movie this is. Indeed, this isn’t the type of Jackie Chan film intended to herald his desire for more serious dramatic fare (a la ‘Shinjuku Incident’, ‘Police Story 2013’ or ‘Dragon Blade’); rather, this is the sort of Jackie Chan blockbuster which was once a staple of the Chinese New Year season in the 1990s, sold on the premise of his comic energy and perhaps more significantly his daredevil instincts. The latter is however also reason why the now 62-year-old actor has not made a ‘Police Story’ or equivalent year after year, or why the set-pieces in his more recent action comedies like ‘Skiptrace’ and even ‘CZ12’ have been relatively tamer affairs compared to those earlier household classics – and indeed, the same may also be said of ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ too. But even though the stunts are less reckless, Jackie Chan’s enthusiasm is just as infectious as ever, such that his latest remains a thoroughly crowd-pleasing throwback and a perfect Chinese New Year entertainer.

Reprising the adventurer archetype from the ‘Armour of God’ series, Jackie Chan plays an archaeological professor here bearing his own name, who is sought out by a younger Indian counterpart Dr Ashmita (Disha Patani) to recover the fabled treasure of the Magadha kingdom. A completely CGI-ed prelude tells of the treasure’s history, tracing back to the alliance struck between Chinese envoy Wang Xuance (a much younger-looking Jackie) and the kingdom’s General Bhimaa to stop the rogue Indian general Arunasva. In present day, Jack is joined by his two teaching assistants Xiaoguang (Lay Zhang) and Nuomin (Miya Muqi) as well as an old friend’s treasure-hunter son Jones (Aarif Rahman), while Ashmita is accompanied by her teaching assistant Kyra (Amyra Dastur). Together, the ensemble reflects the fusion intended by this significant China-India co-production, which also explains the supposed ‘yin-yang’ mishmash of kung fu and yoga meant to represent their respective cultures.

Following the universal template of such action-driven spectacles, Tong (who directs from his own screenplay based off Jackie Chan’s idea) structures the film around a series of show-pieces in different locales, that see Jack and his companions go from the snowy mountains of Tibet to the gleaming desert metropolis of Dubai to the holy temples of Rajasthan. Like ‘CZ12’, Jack finds his mission to recover the ancient treasure thwarted by selfish individuals who want it all to themselves, and that ignominy this time goes to Sonu Sood’s nefarious billionaire Randall, who claims to be its rightful heir by virtue of his lineage with Arunasva. It is Randall’s army of mercenaries who stage an icy ambush on Jack’s team in the Kunlun mountains, chase Jack down the streets of Dubai with a lion in the back of his SUV, lock Jones and Kyra in a pit with hyenas, and last but not least engage in a final showdown within a massive underground golden shrine.

Each one of these encounters gives plenty of room for Tong and his fellow stunt choreographer Wu Gang to engender a display of Jackie Chan’s kung fu moves and/or that of his younger co-stars. At least two stand out – the first the aforementioned Dubai car chase where Jack flails to find a language the beast in the back seat understands in order to placate it; and the second a foot chase through a busy Indian market packed with snake charmers, levitating yogis and the classic Indian rope trick. In between, there are also several less elaborate but no less entertaining moments, including a scene where Jack and Jones scare off wolves with their friendly exchange of kung fu, Xiaoguang’s rescue of Jones and Kyra from the hyena pit, and the recurrent double team of Kyra and Nuomin against Randall’s henchmen. Truth be told, Jackie cannot quite hold an entire sequence from start to finish by himself as he used to, but the consequence of each therefore becoming an ensemble effort is not a bad thing in and of itself, especially as it gives his younger co-stars space to demonstrate their respective acrobatisms. On his part, Jackie remains his usual goofy charming self, his childlike verve not only setting up the film’s jaunty tone but also establishing a lively tempo for his fellow actors to follow suit and simply have fun.

Oh yes, if anything, that is Jackie Chan’s simple straight-forward intention with ‘Kung Fu Yoga’. The narrative is only filler, the characters at best functional, and the execution earnest but clumsy; and yet the same could be said of many of Jackie’s beloved classics of the 80s and 90s, so any criticism on the above three counts is really moot. Instead, ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ is fashioned in the same silly, wacky and sometimes over-the-top mould, with much in common in spirit and tone – in part, that explains why it concludes with Jackie Chan doing a Bollywood dance and why we are willing to forgive the cheesy CGI-ed animals (including, we suspect, the lion which the production has claimed to be genuine). It should be said that it is unreasonable to expect Jackie Chan to be as agile as he used to be, but what he does manage to pull off here is mighty impressive for someone of his age. Insofar as being a Jackie Chan Chinese New Year blockbuster therefore, ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ is as delightful as it gets – and as pleasing a roost as any to get into that jovial mood with friends and family.

Movie Rating:

(A quintessential Jackie Chan blockbuster for the Lunar New Year, this crowd-pleasing globe-trotting action comedy may lack his signature daredevil moves, but certainly not his goofy infectious sense of fun and humour)

Review by Gabriel Chong

CHINESE NEW YEAR MOVIE TAKE 2 UNVEILS ITS OFFICIAL TRAILER AND POSTER! Posted on 05 Dec 2016 Executive produced by local million-dollar director Jack Neo with the creative team of AH BOYS TO MEN series, and helmed by Ivan Ho, co-writer of AH BOYS TO MEN 3: FROGMEN and LONG LONG TIME AGO series in his directorial debut. Jack Neo says "Ivan has collaborated and written Ah Boys to Men 3, Long Long Time Ago and My Girl (7 Letters) with me. His creativity has helped to make these m ... more

Genre: Drama
Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Chris Cooper, Anthony Michael Hall, Scott Eastwood, Brendan Gleeson
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes and Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: http://www.livebynight.movie

Opening Day: 26 January 2017

Synopsis: “Live by Night” is set in the roaring '20s, when Prohibition hasn’t stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve, and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police Superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules, and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll. The fiery affair ends in tragedy, setting Joe on a path of revenge, ambition, romance and betrayal that propels him out of Boston and up the ladder of Tampa’s steamy rum-running underworld.

Movie Review:

2012 was a good year for Ben Affleck. It was the year he directed Argo, a movie based on real life events. Affleck played the protagonist of the film – a CIAagent who acted under the cover of a Hollywoodproducer scouting a location for a science fiction film. His true mission is to launch a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans who were held hostage in Tehranin 1980. The film received widespread acclaim, won several awards and garnered seven nominations at the 85^th Academy Awards (it took home the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing prizes). Affleck got his first Best Director nomination at the Oscars, and things looked great for him.

Four years later, Affleck releases his next directorial work, a supposed passion project which reportedly cost $65 million to produce and tens of millions more to distribute and market. But alas, judging from how reviews, things aren’t looking good.

Adapted from a 2012 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, it chronicles the trials and tribulations of a World War I veteran in the 1920s. Played by Affleck himself (read: passion project), the character Joe Coughlin is of Irish descent and the son of a Bostonpolice captain. Fate has it that he falls in love with the mistress of a notorious gangster, messes things up and goes on to settle himself in the underworld scene and finds a new lover. Things chug along and a criminal empire is formed, with Joe in the centre and giving a all too serious narration to make sure you are following the storyline.

Affleck hasn’t been missing from showbiz too long, considering his performances in Gone Girl (2014), The Accountant (2016) and of course, as the caped crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). If you have spent enough time on the Internet, you wouldn’t be unfamiliar to the term “sadfleck”. Somehow, that unbearable sadness translates to this movie. The moment the 44 year old appears on screen, one can’t help but feel this actor, who was once considered a heartthrob, looks tired, withdrawn and lifeless.

It doesn’t help that the great premise of the movie (Gangsters! Corrupt cops! Loyalties and betrayals!) is bogged down by a sense of weariness and dullness. You can be sure this is mobster flick is nowhere close to classics like Goodfellas, Scarface and The Godfather series. With a runtime of 129 minutes, the movie struggles to engage its viewers, no thanks to uneven pacing and plot development.

There are a few standout performances though. Elle Fanning (Trumbo, The Neon Demon) is disturbingly convincing as a young girl who heads to Hollywood, unfortunately becomes a heroin addict prostitute, and eventually returning home to be a devout Christian preacher. Chris Cooper (The Muppets, August: OsageCounty) doesn’t have much screen time as a righteous sheriff, but the reliable actor commands the scene every time he appears. Elsewhere, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana and Chris Messina fill supporting roles.

Despite looking good (thanks to Robert Richardson’s cinematography), the movie feels nothing more than a dreary attempt to make an epic gangster drama.

Movie Rating:

(We hope Sadfleck can cheer up a little and inject some life into his next movie)   

Review by John Li

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Laura Haddock, Isabela Moner, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, John Goodman, Ken Watanabe, John DiMaggio
Runtime: 2 hrs 29 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 22 June 2017

Synopsis: The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock). There comes a moment in everyone's life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours.

Movie Review:

Michael Bay had said that ‘The Last Knight’ would be his last ‘Transformers’ movie. We’d thought at first that he would go out on a hurrah, a grand ‘f**k you’ to the critics who have branded his previous four outings utter junk; after all, despite their barrage of criticism, the last two entries ‘Age of Extinction’ and ‘Dark of the Moon’ had each managed to clear US$1billion at the global box office. We’d thought too that the writers room, comprising such notable Hollywood screenwriters as ‘Iron Man’ scribes Art Marcum and Matt Halloway, ‘Black Hawk Down’ scribe Ken Nolan and even ‘A Beautiful Mind’ scribe Akiva Goldsman, would have ensured a more compelling story, a hope that was further boosted by the intriguing twist of Autobots leader Optimus Prime going rogue. Alas, this fifth instalment is even worse than all its predecessors: the plot is even more incoherent, the dialogue is even more grating, and the action is almost thrill-less.

It starts off as a King Arthur/ Lancelot ripoff, going back to the Dark Ages when the fate of Britain was hanging in the balance. A hopelessly sloshed Merlin (Stanley Tucci, whose role here bears no relation to his previous in ‘Age of Extinction’) approaches an alien spacecraft to beg for help to save his country, and receives in return a magical staff as well as a fire-breathing metal dragon. There is no secret King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table end up winning the war, but even better, they are joined around the Table by twelve guardians who swear to protect the staff. Fast-forward to 1,600 years later and things have apparently only gotten worse on Earth despite the Autobots’ victory at the end of ‘Extinction’: humans have gotten even more jaded of the robots, establishing a new paramilitary force dubbed the TRF to keep them in check; Prime remains MIA in deep space, leaving his fellow Autobots Bumblebee, Hound (John Goodman) and Drift (Ken Watanabe) in limbo; Mark Wahlberg’s scruffy reluctant hero Cade Yeager is on the run from the authorities for harbouring the Autobots, forced to spend his days at a junk yard apart from his daughter; and there is no seeming end in sight to the robots who keep raining down from the sky to threaten Earth’s peace.

It will end as an Independence Day ripoff, fuelled by maniacal villainess Quintessa (voiced by Gemma Chan) who brainwashes Prime into helping her retrieve Merlin’s staff to revive their once-majestic planet Cybertron. Cade, along with a skeptical British historian Vivian Wembley (Laura Haddock) and a loose alliance comprising of TRF and US Army forces led by returning character Colonel William Lennox (Josh Duhamel), will eventually have to fly up 21,000 feet into the sky, evade Decepticons disguised as fighter jets, and destroy the chamber where Quintessa is using the power of the staff to drain Earth’s core. Everything else in between is just filler – including a somewhat supercilious English lord Sir Edmond Burton (Anthony Hopkins) who dutifully helps Cade and Vivian unpack the Arthurian/ Transformers legend, a precocious 14-year-old orphan Izabella (Isabella Moner) who insists on tagging along with Cade, and the new Transformers additions of a smart-talking C3PO-ripoff butler Cogman (Downtown Abbey’s Jim Carter), a French-accented bot Hot Rod (Omar Sy) capable of freezing time as well as a cute but ugly BB8-ripoff Sqweeks that Izabella puts into service.

Whatever promise that Prime turning against his Autobots might have suggested turns out to be little more than a gimmick – not only is Prime missing for about three-quarters of the movie, his confrontation with Cade, Lennox and eventually Bumblebee lasts for ten minutes at most. That leaves the rest of the story a largely crude recycled assembly: some parts adapted from ‘The Da Vinci Code’, some parts from ‘Terminator’ and even one part from straight out of a World War II movie. The banter, frenetic as ever, is shockingly devoid of humour. Besides a scene where Edmond chides Cogman for adding unnecessary dramatic emphasis to his narration of the revisionist Merlin legend, the back-and-forth between the characters is leaden and even exasperating, with often no other purpose than to fill out whatever silence is left between the clanging of metal and the overbearing Steve Jablonsky score. If there is any consolation, it is that Wahlberg proves a more engaging leading man than Shia LaBeouf ever was and that Hopkins adds dignity that none of the other chapters ever had.

But perhaps the most disappointing element of ‘The Last Knight’ is its action, which is terrible by Bay’s standards. You could argue that the sequences in ‘Age of Extinction’ were somewhat protracted, but they had at least proper rhythm and pacing. Here, except for the finale, Bay never seems to finish what he starts. The prologue with Arthur’s army besieged by enemy forces never gets a rousing end; the confrontation between Cade and the TRF at a no-go zone in Chicago ends prematurely when Lennox shows up; a surprise attack by the Decepticons on Cade’s hideout stops abruptly with the former’s retreat; the TRF’s pursuit of Cade, Vivian and Sir Edmond unfolds in stops and starts and never builds into anything engaging; and last but not least, a showdown between an Autobot submarine and one of the US navy’s ships concludes with two warning shots. Even the climax lacks scale, scope and impact that should be expected of no less than global annihilation, reduced to aerial shootouts and a lot of weightless spinning.

If the last four critically derided ‘Transformers’ stood for anything, it was for Bay-hem – in other words, Bay’s signature bombastic, overblown action complete with slo-mo shots and plenty of explosions – and the fact that ‘The Last Knight’ cannot pass muster on that account makes it an unmitigated failure. Like we said at the start, we’d thought Bay would go out on a bang. This isn’t just a whimper unfortunately; it’s an unmitigated disaster that leaves us hoping that it will indeed be the final, the end, the last ever ‘Transformers’ movie we’d have to endure.
 

(The absolute worst of the 'Transformers' franchise, this fifth - and hopefully last - entry by Michael Bay lacks even the director's signature thrilling action bombast, and is just thuddingly dull)

Review by Gabriel Chong

CLOVER FILMS CELEBRATES 7TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 7 MOVIES THIS FESTIVE SEASON! Posted on 08 Dec 2016 Clover Films celebrates its 7th anniversary this month and will be releasing 7 highly-anticipated Asian movies from now to Chinese New Year (CNY) 2017. Headlining the 7 high-profile Asian titles will be action blockbusters RAILROAD TIGERS and KUNG FU YOGA, both starring international superstar Jackie Chan. RAILROAD TIGERS, set during pre-World War II China, has Jackie leading a ragtag of fr ... more

Genre: Comedy
Director: Raymond Yip
Cast: Nicholas Tse, Jung Yong-hwa, Ge You, Tiffany Tang, Michelle Bai, Anthony Wong
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures & Clover Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 10 February 2017

Synopsis: A Cantonese street cook and his chief rival, a French-trained Michelin-starred chef, discover they have a lot in common as they prepare for a world-famous culinary competition. An international culinary competition becomes a battleground between rival cooks, one famous for his Cantonese street food and the other a Michelin-starred chef trained in France. But their rivalry takes an unexpected turn when they discover a common foe and combine their skills in a fusion of East and West.

Movie Review:

‘Cook Up A Storm’ may be arriving later than its peers, but it is easily the most satisfying CNY movie we’ve seen this year. As much as it may be about the rivalry between the Cantonese street cook Sky Ko (Nicholas Tse) and the French-trained Michelin-starred chef Paul Ahn (Jung Yong-hwa), this gastronomic-themed drama is more compellingly about Sky and his father Mountain Ko (Anthony Wong), the latter an internationally recognized Chinese chef who had left his son in the care of his buddy Uncle Seven (Ge You) two decades ago in order to pursue his culinary ambitions worldwide. It isn’t hard to guess that the father-son estrangement is where the narrative ultimately leads to (meaning therefore that the supposed enmity between Sky and Paul is no more than a red herring), but that doesn’t diminish the poignance of their eventual reconciliation, which is also what makes the movie surprisingly pleasing.

As formula would have it, the conflicts here between the respective pair of rivals are resolved through cooking competitions. Underlining that between Sky and Paul is the threat an obnoxious land developer Chairman Li (Wang Tai Li) brandishes about taking back the humble diner Seven if the former loses the International Chef Challenge Competition – although the fact that Chairman Li owns the fine dining restaurant where Paul is head chef at makes the bargain an unfair one to begin with. Incidentally, their clash is also cast as one between tradition and modernity – not only because Seven and the Spring Avenue neighbourhood where it is located are but the only historical vestiges left in the middle of gleaming skyscrapers, but also because of Paul’s frequent refrain that Chinese cuisine had stagnated through the centuries. Likewise, the enmity between Sky and Mountain also culminates in a culinary showdown, albeit in a more prestigious World Supreme Chef Competition at Macau’s glittering Studio City Event Centre.

Yet even though the presentation is familiar, the flavours remain just as delightful. It’s no secret that the premise is inspired by Nicholas Tse’s cooking show ‘Chef Nic’, and just as that successful food travelogue, the sight of watching professional chefs at work on their craft is truly one to behold. Just as delectable is the showcase of East and West cuisine – the former presented here with a beauty and elegance rarely seen, and the latter exotic and fascinating in and of itself. The filmmakers have here taken to heart an axiom which the sagely Seven imparts – that the mark of a truly successful chef is his or her ability to create a dish that can carry its flavours from the tongue to the heart. Oh yes, more than the tantalizing sight of food is the unexpectedly moving reunion between the father-son pair here, which is guaranteed to leave you misty-eyed.

That these characters are played by Nicholas Tse and Anthony Wong also makes their onscreen relationship even more compelling, the latter in particular injecting gravitas into a supporting role that could have ended up as mere caricature in the hands of a lesser actor. Not forgetting of course the wonderful Ge You, whose presence alone brings class and dignity to an underwritten part that could have been better developed to illustrate the surrogate relationship between Sky and Seven. Indeed, some of the most memorable scenes are constructed between and around these veterans as they trade barbs and jibes at one another, leaving the rest of the performers either shrill (such as Jim Chim’s sycophantic right-hand man to Chairman Li) or just bland (such as Seven’s restaurant manager Uni (Tiffany Tang) and Paul’s girlfriend cum culinary associate Mayo (Bai Bing)).

Truth be told, ‘Cook Up A Storm’ serves up a recipe that local viewers will no doubt recognize from past CNY offerings such as ‘Let’s Eat!’ and Stephen Chow’s classic ‘God of Cookery’. But there is every intention on director Raymond Yip and his writer Manfred Wong’s part for their latest to be comfort food over the CNY holiday, just like the familiar but nevertheless joyous dishes we often partake over reunion dinners and with the crucial ingredient of family togetherness. In that regard, there is much reason to embrace the joy, warmth and exuberance of this familiar yet heartwarming movie – and like we said at the start, it may have arrived later than its peers, but this is also easily the most enjoyable Spring Festival movie this year. 

Movie Rating:

(Familiar yet unexpectedly poignant and heartwarming, this culinary-themed drama is the year’s best Lunar New Year offering)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Crime/Action
Director: Cho Ui-seok
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Kang Dong-won, Kim Woo-bin, Eom Ji-won, Oh Dal-soo, Jin Kyeong
Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: Clover Films, Golden Village, Shining Entertainment 
Official Website:

Opening Day: 12 January 2017

Synopsis: An action crime thriller revolving around a large-scale nationwide financial fraud. The notorious scandal shook the country to its core when the investigations revealed even the high-ranking bureaucrats were involved. Jin Hyun-pil is the silver-tongued head of an extensive scheme organization. Kim Jae-myung leads the Intellectual Criminal Investigation Unit with charisma and detail oriented personality. And Park Jang-gun is the genius brain behind Jin's scheme, whose dream of hitting the jackpot ends in being caught between Jin and the Investigation Unit. 

Movie Review:

The latest cat-and-mouse Master by director Cho Ui-seok is a formulaic crowd-pleaser. We enter the chess game between dogged detective and colourful villain in the middle of the set, but still get rewarded with the diet of car chases, double-crossing maneuvers, some gunfight, and an exotic locale - in this case, Manila, Philippines.

The standard recipe has worked well though, garnering over 6 million viewers thus far, surpassing even the mighty Rogue One. It would seem that Cho’s skill in action movies is still an active commodity, especially on home ground South Korea. This is also in part due to his knack in casting, and in Master, he has Lee Byung-hun and Kim Woo-bin to thank for keeping this film from being overly mechanical.

The illustrious Lee has often been on right side of the law, but in Master, he plays President Jin of ONE Network: a multi-level marketing company that taps into the hopes and dreams of the working class. He comes off like a visionary, the Steve Jobs of timeshare, peppering his spiel with “family”and “dreams” like the consummate leader selling a pipe dream should. Of course this is all a ruse, with him bribing influences in his network to gain more credibility from the common folk, before closing it all and absconding with billions.

Aiding him is the flaky Park Jang-gun (Kim), who facilitates the shadowy transactions and business as a software genius hacker. He pretends to be the IT architect of ONE, while trying to squirrel away some of the transactions himself as a petty thief.

All this is not unnoticed, as the Financial Crime Unit’s chief investigating officer Captain Kim Jae-myung (Gang Dong-won) has been tracking their activities for a while now, and we enter Master when he has nabbed Park for questioning, cornering him to be his mole, in a bid to get a piece of evidence that will damn the wily Jin for good.

Of course, Jin escapes, and the reason for us starting mid-way through the first story is now clear, as Captain Kim restarts his entire operation underground to recapture Jin again, now presumably dead. This is where it can get a little dull, as we watch the detective rebuild his network to chase down JIn again. Gang makes for a very pretty lead, but even then, his robotic character is unyielding and hardly moving, even to the point of making us feel a little for Lee’s villain Jin a little more in some cases.

Lee’s Jin is fun to watch, as all good villains should be, and in his manipulation and meaningful looks, keeps us guessing as to his level of stratagem. But at parts, his material keeps him a little confused - sometimes the ruthless master villain, sometimes, well, just a philosophical con-artist. Maybe the level of legerdemain has confused even Cho and Lee themselves, but fortunately the lapses do not overly detract.

As the software expert, Park is what keeps Master from going rote. Kim injects his character with an unlikely goofiness. With split-second clownish faces, flappy hands and a wise-cracking sentimentality, Park going renegade is amusing and refreshing, as he gets pulled at from more than one side (yes, there is another introduced at the latter half). Kim is known for being an idol, but he totally inhabits this role and shows his talent in acting and characterisation.

Also interesting is the locale for the second segment. Manila hasn’t been picked often as a film location, no doubt due to its notorious lack of infrastructure and limited landmark recognition, but Cho has cleverly picked the slum area of Tondo and the Manila Cathedral as his backdrop, giving the final sequences a novel spin.

Master will no doubt delight K-fans with its familiar treatment and polish, but will also be a recommended entry movie for those wanting something a little different from the Hollywood fodder.

Movie Rating:

(A slick production with choice actors give this crime thriller a needed boost to its conventional story line. Kim earns two thumbs up for his portrayal)

Review by Morgan Awyong