Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Helen Mirren, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Scott Eastwood, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP 
Official Website: http://www.fastandfurious.com

Opening Day: 13 April 2017

Synopsis: Now that Dom and Letty are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Oscar winner Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before. From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.

Movie Review:

Coming off ‘Fast and Furious 7’, this eighth instalment was always going to pale in comparison – not because this latest would not be able to top its predecessor with even bigger stunts (oh no, for the record, the three major stunt pieces here are, in our opinion, accomplished even better in terms of planning, pacing and plain exhilaration) but because it would simply be impossible to echo the latter’s emotional poignancy brought on by the sudden and tragic death of lead star Paul Walker. To newcomer director F. Gary Gray and recurring writer Chris Morgan’s credit, ‘Fast and Furious 8’ has the dignity to leave the honorable departure of Walker’s character intact. Indeed, there are only two mentions throughout the whole film of Brian: one, when the newly wedded Mrs Toretto (Michelle Rodriguez) reminds their peacockish supporting player Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) to leave Brian and Mia to their idyllic family life; and two, Dom (Vin Diesel) makes a personal dedication to Brian.

If you’ve seen any of the ubiquitous promotional materials, you’ll know that this first chapter of a brand new trilogy intended as the grand finale of the series is premised on Dom turning his back against his ‘family’, joining hands with a mysterious cyberterrorist named Cipher (Charlize Theron) to steal an EMP device, a suitcase of Russian nuclear launch codes and last but not least a nuclear submarine. Oh yes, we’re a long way from the street racing-centred action/ crime thrillers of before; in the words of former federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), no less than World War III is at stake here. How such a save-the-world mission would fall in the hands of a couple of street racers and some career criminals defies logic or explanation, but neither need be present in order to enjoy the testosterone-driven pleasures which this movie offers; in fact, this joyride is all about indulging in utterly over-the-top action amidst some infectious cast chemistry, both of which it delivers in spades.

Demonstrating from the get-go that it is worth every bang for your buck (and we mean ‘bang’ very literally), the movie opens with a terrific street duel in Havana, Cuba, where Dom is honeymooning with Letty. As you may imagine, the race is uneven – whereas his opponent is driving the ‘fastest car in Havana’, Dom is stuck in a stripped-down jalopy with a tank of nitrous oxide hooked up to the engine. By the end of the chase, Dom will be driving the car in reverse, its engine fully engulfed in flames. It is ridiculous no doubt, but inventively conceived and impeccably executed, and you’ll not only find yourself on the edge of your seat by the time Dom crosses the finish line but also pumping your fist in the air. Most race and chase adventures would probably be content to end on such a high note, but it speaks to the spirit and ambition of ‘Fast and Furious 8’ that this is only warm-up compared to the later two even more outrageous set-pieces.

The one in the middle act set in New York City has Cipher’s minions commandeering an army of hacked auto-driving ‘zombie’ cars to stop the Russian defense minister’s security convoy, before finally pinning down the target among a jumble of vehicles that have rained down from a multistory parking garage. And the piece de resistance is set in the Arctic’s Barents Sea, where after failing to stop Cipher from gaining control of a Russian submarine, Dom and his crew have to outrun it before it reaches open waters. It gets as absolutely nonsensical as Luke stepping out of his vehicle to gently nudge the course of a speeding torpedo with just his bare hands, but boy oh boy if it isn’t gorgeously choreographed from start to finish. As he showed in the surprisingly fun remake of ‘The Italian Job’ back in 2003, Gray knows precisely how to orchestrate the rhythm of an elaborate action sequence, slowing things down every now and then and letting the charismatic players exchange a witty quip or two to let us catch our breath before the next exchange of gunfire or explosion.

Certainly, the later ‘Fast and Furious’ movies would not be what they are without the crackling chemistry between its leads. Gibson’s banter with Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges’ Tej Parker is still entertaining as ever, especially as each tries to undermine the other in order to win the affection of whip-smart computer whiz Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). Kurt Russell’s enigmatic special agent Mr Nobody shows up from time to time to join the fun, together with his new sidekick/ underling played by Scott Eastwood. But the most laughs belong to Johnson and Statham, whose incessant macho bickering is among the film’s main pleasures – the latter in particular steals the show by parkour-ing out of a maximum-security prison and in a cheeky sequence atop an airplane taking out a whole handful of baddies while juggling a baby bassinet. Between them, Diesel’s brooding, tortured act here is somewhat overshadowed, lacking Walker’s Brian as his perfectly matched rational complement.

Like we said at the start, ‘Fast 7’ was always going to be a tough act to follow, but this follow-up ratchets up the action in wholly insane but unexpectedly delightful ways. As a popcorn movie built and fueled by sheer adrenaline, it is not in the least disappointing and at times in fact immensely satisfying. As an ensemble piece, it boasts great chemistry and plenty of wisecracks. As the latest addition into the ‘Fast and Furious’ canon, it is not just fast and furious despite its two-hour plus runtime but also an absolutely worthy entry that gives fans exactly what they want. And as to the proverbial question whether this franchise has run out of gas or running on fumes, let’s just say that there is plenty left in the tank for two more rounds, and it’s safe to say that where this fast-car enterprise goes next is no longer bound by the laws of gravity.

Movie Rating:

(Loud, over-the-top and utterly nonsensical, but also inventively conceived and impeccably executed, this latest 'Fast and Furious' chapter is everything fans want to see - and have come to love - about the franchise)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SHAW THEATRES IMAX AND TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX PRESENT LOGAN PHOTO EXHIBITION Posted on 24 Feb 2017 In conjunction with the release of the highly anticipated movie, LOGAN, Shaw Theatres IMAX® and Twentieth Century Fox will be presenting a series of activities to celebrate the legacy of Wolverine, portrayed by actor Hugh Jackman. Hugh Jackman first brought this character to life back in 2000 in the film X-Men that launched the modern-day comic-book blockbuster. Since then, the acclaime ... more

BILL PAXTON (1955 - 2017) Posted on 27 Feb 2017 As Hollywood celebrates the Oscar, they are also mourning the loss of a man who was famously killed by a Terminator, a Predator and an Alien. The man happened to be actor Bill Paxton. The Emmy-nominated actor whose four-decade career included roles in such films as Aliens, Twister and Titanic as well as TV shows Big Love and Hatsfields & McCoys, died Saturday due to complications from s ... more

Genre: Horror/Comedy
Director: Chiu Sin Hang, Anthony Yan
Cast: Babyjohn Choi, Lin Min-Chen, Chin Siu Ho, Richard Ng, Susan Shaw, Lo Mang, Bondy Chiu, Yuen Cheung-Yan
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment and Shaw 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 16 March 2017

Synopsis: Vampire has been haunting in Hong Kong for centuries. Hiding in thiscity, there is an official special action unit coping with the vampire -Vampire Cleanup Department (VCD). The street cleaners in midnight are the vampire hunters. Giant garbage bins contain the captured vampire. The ordinary garbage station is their secret headquarter! A nerdy geek Tim Cheung (BabyJohn Choi) is accidentally rescued by VCD. The department advisor Uncle Chung (Ng Yiu-Hon) discovers his immunity against the vampire toxin. Owing to his unlimited potential, Team Captain Chau (Chin Siu-Ho), Magic Maoshan-taoist Ginger (Yuen Cheung-Yan), technical support specialist M (Bondy Chiu), weapon expert Kui (Law Mon) teach him all their knowledge and skills, in order to turn him into the next Vampire Hunter! However, in an action, Tim feels sympathy for a pretty lady vampire called Summer, he violates the command and lives with her, which trigger the attack from the Vampire King…

Movie Review:

Any discussion of Chinese vampire movies would be incomplete without at least a mention of 1985’s seminal Mr. Vampire, whose roaring success single-handedly defined the genre and would go on to spawn a series of successful spin-offs through the 80s and 90s, such as New Mr. Vampire, Ultimate Mr. Vampire and Mr. Vampire 2. Those who were weaned on Hong Kong cinema during that period of its heyday will be well-acquainted with the misadventures of Maoshan-taoist exorcist, played by Lam Ching Ying, as well as his bumbling but loveable protégés, played by Ricky Hui and Chin Siu-Ho.

Sadly of course, Lam and Hui have passed on, just as the fortunes of the genre and Hong Kong cinema in general have since declined. Worth noting also is the fact that the mainland Chinese government bans all movies depicting superstitions and the occult, further hammering what seems to be the proverbial final nail in the vampire genre’s coffin as filmmakers succumb to commercial pressures of catering to the huge mainland market and placating its motherland’s authorities, especially in post-handover Hong Kong.

So how sanitised is this latest reboot and does it offer enough to satiate older fans nostalgic for the vampirical conventions that made this category of movies so memorable? After all, don’t we all miss the curious exorcism rituals involving cinnabar-scrawled talismans, glutinous rice and peach wood swords, not to mention seeing how the amusingly simple way of throwing a hopping, Qing Dynasty-garbed vampire off one’s scent is by holding one’s breath? Well, the quick answer to the questions is both yes and no.

First of all, long-time fans will be pleased to see the return of several stalwarts in this film, not least Chin, as he continues his run as one of the last surviving actor-torchbearers of the geung-si (vampire) category. Last seen in a similar vein of movies (but totally unrelated to this standalone film) in Juno Mak’s audaciously refreshing Rigor Mortis (2013), here he plays the gruff captain Chau, who is hugely sceptical of latest squad inductee Tim Cheung (a baby-faced BabyJohn Choi, best known for 2013’s The Way We Dance). Richard Ng Yiu-Hon (Mr. Vampire Part 3; Rigor Mortis) is also a welcome sight, as the veteran thespian plays the benevolent Uncle Chung, senior counterpart to the seemingly abrasive, straight-talking, yet righteous Chau.

Other faces that audiences may recognise include Susan Yam-yam Shaw, who plays Cheung’s senile grandmother, suitably decked out in hip-hop gear to comedic effect and supplying a fair number of laughs in the film. Bondy Chiu (best known for her role in TVB drama Virtues of Harmony and Yuen Cheung-Yan (famous for directing, choreographing fight scenes and his work as calefare in a number of kungfu comedies) take on roles as the other members in the vampire-slaying team, but they also take a backseat to the other aforementioned characters and are, unfortunately, relatively unmemorable here.

Vampire Cleanup Department marks the biggest directorial effort yet by young filmmakers Yan Pak-Wing and Chiu Sin-Hang, who obviously take great pains in paying tribute to what made the genre so great in the first place (the former director is also credited as screenwriter). Unlike its geung-si predecessor Rigor Mortis, there are nods to both the quintessential elements of kungfu and comedy that used to be the hallmark of many classic Hong Kong vampire-action movies.

For example, under the watchful eye of Chau, Cheung earns his stripes in the VCD by being forced to sweep with a broom, which later turns out to be a weapon of choice and part of his kungfu training. Also, with a title like Vampire Cleanup Department, one expects this to be light-hearted fare from the outset – and it is. There is even the self-referential joke about VCDs, or DVDs, Blu-rays that Cheung makes when he meets the secretive department for the first time in their base – even if we’ve seen the joke coming from a mile away. In an homage to the superstitious folklore of the genre, Magic Maoshan-taoist Ginger (Yuen Cheung-Yan) contributes some trivia about different types of vampires and what makes talismans effective.

At the same time, the filmmakers spare no effort to remind audiences that this is a vampire flick set in the modern day. In a particularly comical scene, when tasked to copy and draw talismans from a manual, Cheung opts to take photos with his smartphone instead. Cheung’s love interest, Summer (played by Taiwan-based Malaysian starlet Lin Min-Chen), who as a vampire is incapable of verbalizing herself, finds herself vicariously voiced by Siri after swallowing Cheung’s iPhone.

Gone as well are the old-school Manchu-robed vampires of yore (except being fleetingly represented by the Vampire King); with the help of the latest make-up techniques, here they mostly resemble Resident Evil-esque zombies. Taoist inscriptions on ritual swords also light up in spectacular CGI fashion, as do vampires when they are impaled with an exorcism sword.

It’s a pity therefore that overall the film feels like a slightly half-baked exercise in trying to tell a coherent story while melding action, comedy and romance. Tried-and-tested formulas and genre clichés need not necessarily be tiresome if they are well executed, but the film crosses that gossamer-fine line into uninspired territory on one too many occasions. There is an underdeveloped sub-plot about another credit-stealing police department constantly in conflict with the VCD, which feels rather unnecessary to the main story. One also wishes the film had dialled up more on classic mou lei tau humour; scenes that are truly laugh-out-loud funny are few and far between. Even a cameo appearance by Eric Tsang as a confused police officer feels unamusing and forgettable.   

The film also spends quite a lot of time developing the unlikely relationship arc between Cheung and Summer, who here is less mojo-draining succubus than guileless phantom. It is hard enough to feel for the unlikely puppy love story when one half of the couple is a cutesy vampire constrained by speech and range of physical motions, and Lin’s best efforts at wide-eyed, pouty-lipped posturing aid little in preventing the romance from feeling flat. Consequently, between juggling Cheung’s character development from bookworm to heroic vampire slayer and furthering the human-vampire love story, the plot is spread too thinly and fails to build up sufficient dread for the final scene involving the Vampire King. The result – a climax that feels slightly unsatisfying and overall, a film that feels a lot less engaging than it should have been.

To compare this film to Mak’s Rigor Mortis would be unfair of course, since they are wholly different treatments of the genre, with the former being a much more sombre, darker affair. But Mak’s film is a prime example of how new life can be breathed into an undead genre built on age-old superstitious beliefs. This genre’s longevity will be predicated on the ability of filmmakers to attract new, younger audiences beyond superficial effects based on cinematic technology updates. For all its shortcomings, though, it is difficult to hate on Vampire Cleanup Department for the heart it brings to the table. Older fans may find themselves missing the authentic earthiness of the pantheon’s classics, but they should still find something in the film that speaks to why they loved those classics in the first place. 

Movie Rating:

(A hark back to the Chinese vampire films of the 80’s and 90’s, the film feels uneven and banal at times, but should still win some hearts with its earnestness in paying tribute to the genre)

Review by Tan Yong Chia Gabriel

Genre: Thriller
Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz, Anders Danielsen Lie, Ty Olwin, Nora von Waldstätten, Benjamin Biolay
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: NC-16
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 23 March 2017

Synopsis: Maureen is a young American woman in Paris making her living as a personal shopper for a celebrity. Also, Maureen may have the psychic ability to communicate with spirits, just like her twin brother, Lewis, who recently passed away. She soon starts receiving ambiguous messages coming from an unknown source.

Movie Review:

If you didn’t know any better, you could be forgiven for assuming from the movie poster that this is a light-hearted offering, with its sprightly title about fashion purchasing and its choice of leading actress, a young thespian best known for one of the most successful teen fantasy romance adaptations in recent memory. While this couldn’t be further from the truth, Olivier Assayas’ Personal Shopper defies any easy categorisation. On the surface, it appears to be part ghost story, part psychological thriller, maybe even part horror flick. But at its heart, this is an engrossing character study about a woman grappling with a host of personal issues, not least those of grief, alienation and a spiritual search for identity and meaning.

The film starts off with a continental automobile pulling into the front yard of a mysterious old French house, which seems to have all the makings of a horror movie set. Out of the car steps Maureen (played by Kristen Stewart), who we soon learn is purportedly a medium. Her incantations of “Lewis?” while spending the night alone in the house are in fact a bid to summon the spirit of her recently-deceased twin brother, who used to live there with his girlfriend. Maureen has a pact with him: whoever dies first has to try making contact with the other from beyond the grave. After an eerily long night, we witness what seems like a wisp of a spirit but nothing more.

Dissatisfied (just as we are) and wanting more tangible signs, Maureen looks up occult practices of the past, seemingly in a bid to reach out to her brother: these include a certain Swedish mystic-artist, Hilma af Klint, whose art draws its inspiration from supernatural forces, and séances involving Victor Hugo where humans ask questions and spirits respond in a “one thump means yes, two thumps mean no” fashion (the latter mode of communication is referenced and recalled in a final pivotal scene).

Strangely enough, as the film progresses, it defies expectations and moves tangentially away from an exclusively paranormal focus. Maureen continues busying about during her day job as a personal shopper, selecting and fetching high fashion pieces on behalf of Kyra (Nora von Waldstatten), a celebrity who cannot afford the time and public scrutiny to do so in person. It’s a job Maureen appears to detest with every fibre of her being but nonetheless carries out with cold, stoic efficiency as she commutes from one fashion house to another.

Over the course of a shopping trip to London and back to Paris, she receives text messages on her phone from an unidentified source, who seems to know where she is and what she’s doing and interacts with her cryptically. Desperate to latch onto any sign of Lewis, she texts back to ask if it is him and gradually lets her guard down, even though it’s evidently someone else – but who is this cyberstalker? Things happen fast. A murder takes place but who was behind it? How did the items Maureen leave at the crime scene reappear in her apartment? The other supernatural encounters depicted suggest more than one identity behind them, but who else is it or who else are they? What is real and what is imagined (this sense of wonder is most powerfully reinforced in the ending)? New questions are introduced faster than previous ones are resolved, while the confluence of seemingly real ghosts and Maureen’s personal demons deepens the mystery.

If your notions of Stewart’s career have yet to move on from her Twilight days or the cruel internet memes indicting her for stony, expressionless acting, this might just be the film to make you sit up and reconsider your opinions. As the first American actress to have won the César (the French equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Actress in a Supporting Actress in her previous collaboration with Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, 2014), as lead character here she amply demonstrates how she has really come to into her own with her performance. In the part of Maureen, she exudes a vulnerability and neuroticism so believable, it’s hard not to imagine that the nervous tics exhibited by her character are a manifestation of her own real-life insecurities (Assayas himself has said in an interview that the screenplay was at least indirectly inspired by her).

Both director and writer, Assayas’ choice to present a “ghost story” through the lens of an unusual profession – that of a personal shopper in the fashion world – is interesting to say the least. At least on some level the decision to juxtapose the anxieties and superficiality of modern day materialism against the non-corporeality of the spiritual meanings and connections Maureen seeks must be deliberate. Through scenes of YouTube videos, Skype sessions and mobile phone texts, Assayas also offers an opportunity to meditate about meaningful communication in this alienating age of technology.

We witness how, as Maureen ponders her own identity and wants and is egged on by the mysterious texts, she surreptitiously sheds her androgynously casual clothes and privately slips into the skin of Kyra via the latter’s glamorous outfits (an act her employer has declared as off-limits). While the taste of forbidden fruit thrills, her sense of self also distorts. We also know that throughout history, twins have been recorded to share intertwined physical and emotional experiences even when apart, and Assayas’ deliberate toying of what is real and what isn’t suggests that Lewis is, at least at times, a metaphor for the other half of being, that undefinable something that Maureen so desperately seeks to complete herself.   

Throughout the film, we never quite see Maureen forge any authentic human connections. Firstly, as an alien American aptly transplanted in Paris, her personal interactions with her boyfriend back home are limited to Skype sessions (we wonder how deep is their love anyway – it is clear she doesn’t seek him out as often as she should, not to mention the fact that not once in the film do we see him portrayed in person). Her relationship with her brother’s ex-girlfriend, who, by logic, ought to have been her closest family away from home, seems more functional than warm. In fact, the latter seems to have moved on to a new boyfriend at alarming speed.

Even at work, her interactions with fashion retailers are fleeting and transactional; in the rare scenes she shares with Kyra, the latter hardly bats an eyelid to her presence. Perhaps the greatest irony of all is the fact that Maureen willingly chooses to be at her most vulnerable with arguably the most unnerving “character” – the persona behind the anonymous phone texts, whose role to her vacillates between creepy stalker and unlikely confidante. And they don’t even meet in person (or do they?).

We’ve come to expect at least an artistic scene or two of nudity and/or sex in French arthouse, but here, these scenes are almost devoid of any sensuality. When Maureen appears naked, it often feels more clinical than sexual: either in scenes where she disrobes to try on Kyra’s couture pieces, or in one scene where she is taking a medical examination, where even the doctor advises her against “extreme emotions”, owing to the same heart condition that afflicted her brother. The one sex scene involving Maureen (if you can even call it one – we won’t spoil it for you here) is brief and seems more sadly desperate than erotic.

There is no denying Assayas’ genius and his vision for the film, although whether he is always successful in his execution is up for debate. Several scenes strangely transition into black before the next scene abruptly commences. Perhaps they represent lapses in consciousness or spaces of time for us as audiences to fill in ourselves; maybe they allude to the blurring of lines between what Maureen or even us as audiences imagine to be real. It’s anybody’s guess. One too many plot questions are left unanswered, but to his credit he does it in a way that is sufficiently beguiling, and bizarrely – it all somehow works.

In terms of paranormal scares, the apparitions that are portrayed in the film are seldom outright scary (although this could be deliberate as this reviewer believes that a literal ghost story arc was never the focus anyway), but to Assayas’ enormous credit, the visceral sense of suspense and dread is so expertly created in some of the set pieces here that it manages to escalate to hair-raising levels. No wonder, then, that he clinched the Best Director award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for this film.

Nevertheless, make no mistake about it – Personal Shopper is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. If your preference is for tidy resolutions where everything has to make literal sense, watching the film will turn out to be a frustrating exercise and you might be better off skipping this. However, those with an appetite for the esoteric will be glad to know that for all that it leaves oblique, the movie manages not to veer into the kind of wildly inaccessible, self-aggrandizing territory the way some arthouse filmmakers are wont to with their creations.

Let’s sum it up this way – the pay-off appears to be in investing in Maureen’s journey rather than her destination, in ruminating over the questions posed rather than digesting plate-handed answers. This is a deliciously intriguing film that begs for repeated viewings and the spectres raised by this piece of work should continue to haunt thinking cinemagoers for some time – just like good art ought to.

Movie Rating:

(Personal Shopper is definitely not for everyone, but Stewart’s compelling performance and Assaya’s cerebral material should be reason enough to warrant a go – as much as it confounds, this unconventional film enthrals)

Review by Tan Yong Chia Gabriel

Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Sarik Andreasyan
Cast: Sebastien Sisak, Anton Pampushnyy, Sanzhar Madiev, Alina Lanina, Stanislav Shirin
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment and Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 March 2017

Synopsis: Set during the Cold War, a secret organization named "Patriot" gathered a team of Soviet superheroes, altering and augmenting the DNA of four individuals, in order to defend the Homeland from supernatural threats. The team includes representatives of the different nationalities of the Soviet Union, while each one of them have long been hiding their true identity. In hard times, they settled down to business and gather to defend their homeland.

Movie Review:

If you watch Guardians in mute mode, I bet you can’t tell the difference between this Russia-made superhero movie and a Hollywood one. Guardians adhere heavily to Hollywood’s tried and tested formula right from the start that you probably wonder why the filmmakers even bother to make one since Marvel’s Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four are exported round the world.

In ought to be the barest and unoriginal of all superhero plots, a team of Soviet superheroes dubbed “Guardians” are assembled by army Major Elena (Valeriya Shkirando) to fight against a mad scientist named August Kuratov. Kuratov who also created the guardians during the cold war are out to control the world with his army of clones. The guardians were once normal human beings but their DNA and body are altered to possess superhuman abilities. Ler (Sebastien Sisak) has the power to control stone and soil. Ursus (Anton Pampushnyy) has the ability to transform to a bear. Khan (Sanzhar Madiev) armed with deadly blades has superhuman mobility and lastly Xenia (Alina Lanina) who can seamlessly make herself invisible.  

It’s not just the story that is predictable and uninteresting but the characters are poorly developed as well. We sort of knew Ler has outlived her only daughter, Khan accidentally killed his beloved brother and Xenia for God knows why has lost her memory. Besides that, Ursus seems to develop a soft spot for Xenia. Other than this small chunk of mandatory information to fill up the screentime, audiences are left hanging without a decent origin story or backstory of these onscreen heroes.

Furthermore, there’s hardly any interaction between the four let alone charm and witty humour to make audiences root for them. They are there simply to band together to deal with the bad guy. This could be the Russia version of Guardians of the Galaxy, a team of ragtag heroes coming together with their power and charm to save the world but it never materialized. Other than mad scientist conquering the world, there’s nothing else we know about our main antagonist though we are pretty keen on how he got his terrible makeup effects.

While the editing is occasionally choppy and scripting is weak, the feature actually boasts serviceable visual effects for a non-Hollywood movie. The couple of fight sequences between the clone army is moderately engaging but the climatic battle inside a towering transmitter feels rushed and devoid of any creativity. The various main cast members who are apparently unknown to our local audiences are generally well cast and I must say they did a marvelous job despite the missteps.

Directed by Armenian director Sarik Andreasyan (who also did the awful American Heist), Guardians is a newly conceived superhero movie that lacks a good origin story and creative soul. Two factors which made the first Iron Man and Doctor Strange so alluring. It’s still an amazing feat consider the scale and budgetary however what Sarik and his team need is to desperately up the stakes on the character and story development for the sequel. Of course, for better or worse, there’s a hint for a second outing, the army major has located more Guardians. 

Movie Rating:

(More of a bootleg version of a Marvel movie. Watch this only if you develop superhero withdrawal symptom)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Sports/Comedy
Director: Hayato Kawai
Cast: Suzu Hirose, Yuki Amami, Ayami Nakajo, Hirona Yamazaki, Mackenyu, Miu Tomita, Haruka Fukuhara, Yurina Yanagi, Kentaro, Hana Hizuki
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Rating: PG 
Released By: Encore Films and Golden Village Pictures 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 16 March 2017

Synopsis: High school freshman Hikari Tomonaga (Suzu Hirose) enters Fukui Chuo High School, and joins the cheer dance club in hopes of cheering on her crush Kosuke (Mackenyu) at his soccer competition. The team’s Sparta-like teacher Kaoruko Saotome (Yuki Amami); however, has a few rules of her own, which includes a ban on boyfriends and fringes, and declares that they will be aiming for victory at a prestigious cheer dance competition in America! The senior members quit the club in defiance, and it is now all up to the newbies and the newly appointed club leader Ayano Tamaki (Ayami Nakajo) to hold the team together. As these girls stumble through their training, amidst quarrels, laughter and tears, the challenge to realise this impossible dream is just beginning.

Movie Review: 

Let’s go, Jets! is a movie based on a real story that happened at an ordinary high school at small town in Fukui, Japan. The cheer dance club was established in 2006, and since its 2009's win at the international competition, they have bagged the trophy 6 times up to date. It is definitely not an easy feat to be able to excel in an international competition as such, and it's even more humbling that it all started from such an ordinary place. Having the narrative based on such a backdrop, the movie further fleshes out the people on the team, including the lead, Hikari (by Suzu Hirose).

Hikari's journey on cheer dancing had a superficial start, as her motivation was to cheer and impress her boy interest. However, the movie did live up to its tagline as it boasts of one that depicts "the bond between the high school girls and the teacher, a youthful and moving success story that has never been seen before". The journey that the team went through was entertaining and exhibited the growth. Although the team members came in all shapes and with different motivations, they broke through the barriers and achieved a common goal what they could not have achieved individually.

Beyond that, the casting for the main character, Hikari, is done with perfection. Hirose Suzu, who recently rose to fames, was just right for the character. Her charisma and smile charmed the audiences as much as it did for the judges in the movie. Her naturally amiable character in the movie was criticised said to be unfit for the team, yet she was able to glue the team together in her own way. Director Kawai Hayato, who has been working on high school themed movies and dramas quite a fair bit recently, showed growth in his works as well. Those ordinary but defining moments in building up to their victory were well captured. The movie rightly depicted those overwhelming feelings between the teacher/coach and the students, the miracle and beauty created only through teamwork.

The only complaint about the movie is probably its forceful attempt to weave in the romance element. For the most, the movie was about the relationship between the girls, the teacher and the coach. Yet it went back to the triviality of Hikari's relationship with the boy interest. While arguably that was the motivation she held from the beginning, but it was something which diluted in meaning and was inconsequential.

Overall, this movie stood out from other Japanese movies as it has cleverly selected a lesser known sport and also a backdrop out of the typical Tokyo. It's an easy and entertaining watch which helps you break out of the mid-week blues. It may not be a film that is competing at international film festivals for awards, but it's definitely made with lots of heart, sweat and good cheer.

Movie Rating:

(A movie celebrating the ordinary moments that lead to that defining moment in history. The strength of dreams, teamwork and sportswomen all built into one!)

Review by Tho Shu Ling

Genre: Animation
Director: Naoko Yamada
Cast: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yūki, Kenshō Ono, Yūki Kaneko, Yui Ishikawa, Megumi Han, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Mayu Matsuoka
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 March 2017

Synopsis: A deaf elementary school girl, Shoko Nishimiya, upon transferring, meets a boy named Shoya Ishida in her new class. Shoya, who is not deaf, leads the class in bullying Shoko, because she is deaf. As the bullying continues, the class starts to bully Shoya for bullying Shoko. After graduating from elementary school, Shoko and Shoya do not speak to each other… until later, when Shoya, tormented over his past, decides he must see Shoko once more. Shoya wants to make amends for what he did in elementary school and be Shoko's friend.

Movie Review:

Even with the immerse popularity of 3D animations, traditional 2D animations remain a hit with Japanese audience. Last year Your Name, a non-Studio Ghibli production topped the Japanese weekend box office for seven consecutive weeks while A Silent Voice was also the 11^th highest grossing Japanese release of the year. It’s consider quite a feat given the Japanese market is flooded with plenty of animation releases a year.

Don’t get put off by the poster of A Silent Voice, which seems to sell the animation like a girl-meets-boy kind of sweet manga love story. Dealing heavily with serious issues such as bullying, regret, friendship and death, it’s in fact an amazing animation feature coming out from the lesser-known Kyoto Animation outfit.

Based on the award-winning manga by Yoshitoki Oima, the feature opens with a teenager, Shoya Ishida who is contemplating suicideafter leaving behind a stack of cash for his hairdresser mom. Ishida feels disconnected with the rest of the world after a horrifying incident in 6^th grade. Years ago when a newly transfer deaf classmate, Shoko Nishimiya joined the class, she became the target of Ishida’s constant taunting and bullying with the aid of his fellow classmates liked Ueno and Kawaii. When Shoko’s mum lodged a complaint with the school due to the constant loss of Shoko’s hearing aids, Ishida’s friends decide to turn on him and blamed him for the bullying. From that point onwards, Ishida becomes sort of a lost soul and his only desire is to meet up and make up to Shoko in this endearing teary journey of redemption and forgiveness.

This might seem like an easy setup, which will lead to Ishida and Shoko, somehow fall in love with each other along the way and closes thing with a happy ending. As a big relieve to all of us, A Silent Voice has more surprises and stories in store. Besides connecting back with Shoko, Ishida is also learning to reconnect with his old classmates such as Ueno who sits right beside him in the past and Sahara who abruptly left for a new school. He also befriends a bubbly boy in his class and becomes his buddy. Slowly, Ishida attempts to get back to society and as the story proceeds, it’s never an easy journey for him as his past keeps coming back to haunt him.  

The introduction of other characters liked Shoro’s younger sister, Yuzuru and her other family members especially their doting grandmother adds realism and context. Even Ishida’s sort of free wheeling mum and little niece gets a few memorable scenes or two. The languishing pacing might deter some viewers but a sudden tragic turn of events in the third act might just catch you unaware. 

Despite lacking the rich imagery and details seen in Your Name and Studio Ghibli’s titles, the animation work here still looks pretty stunning and extensive notable the theme park sequence, the koi fish swimming in the canal including mundane settings liked train station and road signs. All beautifully rendered on screen. I’m not an expert in sign language but I personally feel the filmmakers did a remarkable job animating the hand gestures and body languages both aspects looking wonderfully natural.

There is simply too much to explore and talk about in A Silent Voice that repeated viewings is a must. Kudos especially to director Naoko Yamada whose excellent treatment of the material is guaranteed to make you cry a tear or two. Through the eyes of Ishida and Shoko, the movie brought new light to issues on bullying and people with disabilities. It’s so engaging and emotional that I declare this is the must-watch movie on 9 March.

Movie Rating:

(Life is like a roller coaster and A Silent Voice invites you on a ride)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: Heiward Mak
Starring: Sammi Cheng, Megan Lai, Li Xiaofeng, Liu Juei Chi, Wu Yanshu, Richie Jen, Kenny Bee, Andy Lau
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Filmgarde
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 12 September 2019

Synopsis:  After her father died, a Hong Kong girl discovers she has two hitherto unknown sisters, one in Taiwan and one in China. To settle her father’s debt, she must reunite with them to run the family’s hot pot restaurant. While the androgynous Taiwan sister is plagued by her toxic relationship with her mother, the fashionista sister from China is trying to fend off her grandmother’s pressure to get married. Meanwhile, she is striving to unshackle herself from her ex-boyfriend in order to start a new relationship.

Movie Review:

We go to the cinema to be entertained, and every once in a while, a film that touches our souls comes along. This movie directed by Heiward Mak is one of those movies – a title that reminds you about what it means to be a human dealing with relationships and this little thing called life.

Mak, who penned the critically acclaimed Love in a Puff (2010) tries her hand at writing and directing a drama based on a novel by popular romance author Amy Cheung. We are introduced to a Hong Kongwoman (Sammi Cheng, trying her best to tone down her glam factor with a pair of glasses) who hasn’t been the most blessed person when it comes to love. When her estranged father (Kenny Bee) dies, two other women come into her life. One is from China (Li Xiaofeng), while the other is from Taiwan (Megan Lai). Both claim to be her half sisters and a heartfelt story about family ties unfolds.

The story has what it takes to be boringly predictable, melodramatic and uninspiring. However, thanks to Mak’s sure handed direction, it is a poignant take on the complexities of human relationships.

Cheng plays a travel agent who sees men bringing their mistresses on holidays. As the film progresses, we learn more about her views on the father figure who isn’t loyal to the family. Li portrays a trendy teenager who gets her ego boost on social media. Behind the flashy personality is a filial girl who has her grandmother’s interest at heart. Lai’s character is an androgynous snooker player who is vexed about how life is turning out for her. The love hate relationship with a mother who remarried to get stability in the family is a bittersweet one.

The three leading ladies are perfect in their roles, and we are sure there will be acting nominations during the award season (heck, this film is probably going to be a front runner with multiple recognitions). While the chemistry between the three of them is superb (it’s a joy whenever three of them share the screen), each of them also brings something relatable to the character they play. It’s as if you know someone like that in real life. You might even be the very person in the movie, facing similar dilemmas and challenges in life. Watching with how they deal with things on a big screen gives you assurance that there is much to embrace about life.

The supporting characters deliver fine performances as well. Bee, a familiar face in showbiz, lends weight to a character who may or may not have been the best father around. Wu Yanshu is lovely as an old lady who wants to marry her granddaughter off, and Liu Juei Chi’s screen presence makes her the perfect actress to play a mum who has problems relaying her love for her daughter. It is also nice to see Andy Lau and Richie Jen, who have co starred with Cheng in several romantic comedies, take on cameo roles in her past and current love interest.

It has been some time since we were this touched by a movie. This one produced by Ann Hui not only does that, but also boasts high production values (the cinematography is exceptionally exquisite). It is a fine Hong Kongproduction that is one of the best we’ve ever seen.

Movie Rating:

(The highly recommended film is a showcase of fine acting and superb production values. More importantly, it will make you embrace life and cherish relationships.)

Review by John Li

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Disturbing Scenes and Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International 
Official Website: http://www.lifemovie.com

Opening Day: 23 March 2017

Synopsis: Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.

Movie Review:

A plethora of movies revolving around doomed space travel, such as Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, and many others, invariably share at least some, if not all, of these themes: dwindling resources for survival, sacrifice of the self for the greater good, the shining through of the human spirit in the face of astronomical adversity. This movie rehashes most of these space sci-fi tropes and here’s the verdict: it still manages to deliver a good time.

You’d think that with a title like Life, the movie would be more, well, life-affirming – at least of the human variety. In this flick, however, it is alien-kind that impresses more with its tenacity to survive against all odds. Not unlike a formidable cockroach that simply won’t die despite your best efforts at swatting it – only that the extra-terrestrial varmint featured here resembles more the mutated love child of a squid and a Venus flytrap.

Swedish director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) kicks off the action on an International Space Station carrying a multinational crew of six, who are tasked with examining some research substrates and samples that have been retrieved from Mars. Jake Gyllenhaal plays David, medical officer who holds the dubious record of being the longest space-based member on board. His teammates include Miranda (Rebecca Ferguson), who hails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is a stickler for enforcing protocols and firewalls. Then there is Roy (Ryan Reynolds), the dashing and instantly likeable engineer, whose wisecracking persona here recalls Reynolds’ own titular superhero character in Deadpool (surely no coincidence that the writers behind Life, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, were also responsible for the latter film’s script.)

To round off the rest of the ensemble team, there’s also Japanese spacecraft pilot, Sho (Hiroyuki Sanada), British scientist Hugh (Ariyon Bakare) and Russian commander Katerina (Olga Dihovichnaya). In the spacecraft’s lab, Hugh isolates a single-cell organism from the samples and provides just enough environmental stimuli to awaken the dormant creature (christened Calvin). All hell breaks loose as it evolves and grows rapidly, breaches containment and turns into a rabid killing machine in the process. Calvin needs air, food and water just like us, and this becomes key to the astronauts’ strategy of alternately baiting and cutting off its supplies in a claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game of survival.

Comparisons of Life with Ridley Scott’s Alien will no doubt come fast and furious, given the similar setups of both films – how a bunch of people in a spacecraft are saddled with the chore of fending off an intelligent, treacherous critter on board. And then there are the parallels with Gravity, both in terms of visual flair and in that they both involve sending one person hurtling back home through Earth’s punishing atmosphere at the expense of another disappearing into the infinities of space.

Certainly, inventiveness isn’t the strongest suit of the film here. There are also a number of tired devices thrown in to accentuate the longing for earthly warmth, such as Sho’s yearning to be reunited with his new-born daughter as well as the tender readings of a classic children’s book. But these feel underdeveloped and never quite achieve the feels they attempt to evoke. Additionally, beyond the professional level at which the crew members work together, their relationships with each other lack personal depth. Gyllenhaal’s character in particular spends a lot of time brooding when he’s not in the thick of action; based on what we know of the actor’s abilities, he seems to be let down here in terms of opportunities to display more range. But then again, maybe none of this is what the movie needs anyway.

Lifeis remorseless in the way it soldiers on, choosing to beef up the tried-and-tested material with stylish panache and solid scares, even if there is little that feels truly original. It’s actually more reminiscent of a horror-slasher flick under the guise of a sci-fi setting. The horror part as we squirm while Calvin mangles body parts, enters orifices and devours people from inside out; the slasher bit as we watch Calvin efficiently kill its victims one by one like a relentless murderer with a hitlist. The CGI special effects, while not ground-breaking, occasionally has an aesthetic that still manages to impress – globules of blood suspend wondrously in zero-gravity like a beautiful nightmare after the alien has done its latest crew member in.

Within the confines of its predictable storyline, the movie also attempts to keep things fresh by sneaking in a few subtle surprises. For one, and thankfully, the crew isn’t quite bumped off in the sequence you’d expect (least popular to most bankable actor), although you can normally smell in advance when things are about to go horribly wrong for a certain crew member. After building up to a frenzied climax, the movie also ends with a twist of sorts, which we shall not spoil for you here, but suffice to say, the feel-good factor isn’t what Life is gunning for.

This film is a damning statement on the potential for magnificently dire consequences when humans play God and temper with life – even if the source of life isn’t from the world we’re used to. For all its flaws though, Life does what it has to and delivers enough punch where needed to remind us that sometimes, that’s all we need for a nail-bitingly good time in the theatres.

Movie Rating:

(A horror flick with a sci-fi setting, Life lacks originality but still is a lot of solid B-grade fun, with its dependable special effects and gruesome scares)

Review by Tan Yong Chia Gabriel