And so it all ends here. After seven CDs of Harry Potter music, it all culminates in this album containing 68 generous minutes of music conjured by composer Alexandre Desplat. The Oscar nominated French (The King’s Speech, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) is back to create a world of magic and wizardry after scoring the first part of the final installment of this successful franchise.

Here, Desplat brings things to a whole new level as the atmosphere grows darker than ever. The main themes created for this episode are not easily identifiable, but they grow on you upon repeated listens. Fans of John Williams’ signature “Hedwig’s Theme” will be glad to know that there are hints of the beloved tune in Desplat’s compositions.

Obligatory action cues are first heard in “The Tunnel” and “Dragon Flight”, where you are brought on a high octane journey where fast riding music sweeps you off your feet. “A New Headmaster” and “Panic Inside Hogswarts” provide warning signs that things are not going to be wholesome and happy this time round. The use of foreboding strings and brasses are Desplat’s way of telling the ominous tale.

The standout track “Statues” features a steadfast theme which invokes a sense of awe. This theme is given a darker treatment in “Courtyard Apocalypse”, where you can imagine the demise and disaster brought about by the battle between good and evil. The six minute “Severus and Lily” is a hauntingly beautiful cue which showcases the composer’s talent to infuse several elements into one coherent track. There are also cues like “Lily’s Theme”, “Snape’s Demise” and “The Resurrection Stone” which feature solo vocalist Mai Fujisawa’s evocative voice.

With Desplat ending the game with this album, it is nice to look back at the works of other composers who have worked on this worldwide phenomenon. Be it Williams’ well loved themes, Patrick Doyle’s buoyant compositions or Nicholas Hooper’s energetic contributions, it is only apt to see this entire collection of music as a whole, and recognise the brilliant touches each of these composers have added to the films.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (9) Statues

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: From Disney and Academy Award-winner Robert Zemeckis (best director, Forrest Gump, 1994) comes the craziest adventure this side of the galaxy Mars Needs Moms. Take out the trash, eat your broccoli who needs moms anyway? Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out how much he needs his (Joan Cusack) when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. In a race against time and oxygen, his quest to save her knows no bounds. And with some unexpected help, Milo just might find his way back to her in more ways than one. Complete with intergalactic bonus features, it's a thrilling journey that's pure, out-of-this-world crazy fun.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Award winning director and producer Robert Zemeckis spent the last decade perfecting his motion-capture technology at his ImageMovers outfit. “The Polar Express”, “Monster House”, “Beowulf” and “A Christmas Carol” are the titles churned out by the company over the years. While Zemeckis should be applaud for trying to bring a new way of watching animation to the audience, pathetically it’s yet to be proven widely accepted take for the case of “Mars Needs Moms”.

Seth Green (Austin Powers, The Italian Job) plays Milo, a typical rebellious young boy who is tired of his mom’s (Joan Cusack) constant nagging over taking out the trash, eating broccoli, watching TV and stuff like this and wishes he never had a mom. On the night after their argument, mom is kidnapped by an alien spaceship and Milo managed to sneak into the ship in an attempt to save her. It turns out that leader of the aliens dubbed the Supervisor intends to capture Mom’s memories to rear their own hatchlings. Milo on the other hand stumbled upon a tech-savvy human Gribble (Dan Fogler from Balls of Fury) while on the run from the aliens and Milo with the help from Gribble found out he has less than seven hours to save his mom before it’s too late.

The biggest flaw of “Mars Need Moms” lies not in the story but the character designs, compelled with the limitations of motion-capture, remember the usual ‘dead-fish-eye-expressions’ comments, yup it’s still a nagging problem right here and seriously it doesn’t really entice viewers after the first act. A stark difference in overall appearances from the original cartoonist Berkeley Breathed’s children book, production designer Doug Chiang who famously did the design works for the first two Star Wars prequels gave a dreaded, eerie outlook to the aliens, nothing particularly interesting to the kiddos if this title is meant for this targeted group.

The adaptation written by director Simon Wells (great grandson of author H.G. Wells and helmer of The Time Machine, Prince of Egypt) is neither captivating nor project a sense of wonder to the world of the aliens. It has a positive message in the way that moms play a very important role in our lives but I’m not very sure that the younger ones are going to appreciate the depressing not so true fact that males are only capable of dancing and jumping around that they need to be sent to live in the junkyard. There are a couple of intense and chase sequences as well though it was flatly handled by Wells. I guess he is more adept at crafting tender moments especially the one scene shared by Gribble to Milo about his tragic past.

Green and Fogler will be an absolute blast if they come together in a live-action feature. Unfortunately, Green looks weird in a nine-year-old form and Fogler looks more like a spooky hyperactive, oversized uncle than anything. Seriously, “Mars Needs Moms” is a subject matter that will fare better in ordinary CG animated forms. With Pixar and DreamWorks upping the stakes, Zemeckis and his team should go back to the drawing board if he intends to continue his motion-capture productions.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Fun With Seth is a silly feature that showcases Seth Green and Dan Fogler having fun on set.

Listen to how Simon Wells and his dialogue coach creates the alien language in Martian 101.

Trailers for The Lion King Blu-ray, Winnie the Pooh and Cars 2 made up the Disney Sneak Peeks.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The colours, imaging and various details presented are stunning, vibrant and engaging. The audio mix is impressive and ambient effects are lively enough to in this space adventure.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Just how fabulous do you have to be to make it big in the Big Apple? One aspiring diva is about to find out...the hard way! Ashley Tisdale shines in this totally captivating comedy.

After a talent scout spots her performing with her dog Boi at a charity gala, Sharpay Evans (Tisdale) sets off for the bright lights of NYC, convinced instant fame and fortune are in the bag (designer bag, that is). But theatre's a dog-eat-dog world, as she and Boi discover when they encounter the devious owner of a pampered pooch named "Countess" and a scheming Broadway starlet who will do anything to crush the competition. Fortunately, Sharpay also meets Peyton (Austin Butler), a handsome student filmmaker who finds Sharpay nearly as fascinating as she finds herself.

MOVIE REVIEW:

You know your fans love you when a spin off movie featuring your character gets lapped up. Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez may be Mr. and Ms. Popular from the High School Musical franchise, but there is no doubt Sharpay Evans is one diva you can’t help noticing (it’s not just the outrageously pink outfits she dons). If you are a fan of the extremely popular series by The House of Mouse (until a certain TV series named Glee came along), you’d be no stranger to Sharpay and her, well, fabulous ways.

In this TV movie, Sharpay learns about an audition to a musical on Broadway. Determined to get the role, she travels all the way to New York with her dog Boi (a rather interesting name for a canine, we’d say) to become a star. Alas, things go awry and totally not according to plan. She has to stay in a shoddy (by her standards, at least) apartment, and in an even more alarming plot twist, the role up for grabs is meant for her puppy. She meets a competitive counterpart fighting for the role for his dog, and the two begin a war which leads to embarrassing situations. The only comforting thing about the trip? A handsome film student who may just be the one to save the day when things go wrong.

This is standard Disney fare – wholesome plot and wholesome characters that get what they deserve at the end of the day. The music is catchy and infectious, and will have audiences humming along to the very commercially composed tunes of “Gonna Shine”, “My Boi And Me” and “New York’s Best Secret”. Everything is predictable in this 89 minute movie, but it manages to make you continue watching till the very end (the DVD doesn’t include a special appearance by Sharpay’s brother, Ryan, during the end credits, which was originally featured on TV).

Zac Efron has moved on to star in 17 Again and Charlie St Cloud, while Vanessa Hudgens has gone on to star in movies like Beastly and Sucker Punch, but Ashley Tisdale still holds on strong to her alter ego Sharpay Evans on the celluloid. The actress who also took on the role of executive producer is charming in her own ways, and despite a less than perfect on screen personality, there is a unique charisma that, ahem, younger boys may find appealing.

It is a shame though, that other characters from the High School Musical franchise do not make cameos in this spin off TV movie. It would have been nostalgic to see them gathering to celebrate Sharpay’s success in New York.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There is over a minute of Bloopers, a seven minute feature Austin Cam where the producers cleverly use actor Austin Butler’s filmmaking student character to produce a behind the scenes segment. A marketing clip of Discover Blu ray 3D with Timon & Pumbaa, as well as Sneak Peeks at other Disney productions round up the platter.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The movie’s visual transfer is fine, and you can choose to watch it in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English, Spanish or Portuguese.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: Sang-man is an extremely lonely man whose only wish in life is to die. But after waking up from a near death experience one day, he starts seeing ghosts. The four ghosts, Mr Smokey, Mr Perverted, Little Greedy and Ms Weepy stick to him like leeches. Sang-man realizes he cannot die even if he wants to until he helps the ghosts get what they want. Eventually, Sang-man's shares his body with the ghosts to help make their odd wishes come true, then get them out of his hair for good. But Sang-man had no idea he'd be signing up for so much trouble in helping out the ghosts. Fed up and angry with everything, Sang-man eventually comes face to face with the shocking truth that changes his life forever.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It is difficult to take this Korean movie seriously when the cover has a goofy Cha Tae hyun (best known for his performance in My Sassy Girl) surrounded by ghosts with the names of Mr. Perverted, Ms. Weepy, Mr. Smokey and Little Greedy. So pardon us if we were expecting a sub standard comedy where the protagonist (yes, that would be Cha) gets harassed by these spirits who look like they are really delighted to terrorise the poor guy. Without giving away too much, let’s just say we were pleasantly surprised with the affecting finale of this 111 minute production.

The story isn’t exactly what you’d call original: A depressed and lonely man begins seeing ghosts after attempting suicide. The orphan and loner’s life is turned upside down when these four ghosts begin occupying his life in the most bewildering ways possible. He learns that they won’t leave him until their wishes are fulfilled. He then allows each of them to possess his body so that their last desires would be accomplished.

With four spirits to spread out the work, it is easy for writer director Kim Young tak to stretch the movie so that each one of them gets an opportunity to showcase some comedic situations on the overworked male lead. The gags may not be innovatively played out, but it does manage to milk some chuckles for those with lower thresholds for humour. Besides, these good natured jokes aren’t mean and it is easy to enjoy them.

Cha has a naturally likeable charisma which works well for the movie, while his co stars Lee Moon su, Ko Chang seok, Jang Young nam and Cheon Bo geun are amiable in their own ways. This ensemble cast may not be your usual Korean hunks and babes, but it is nice to see some pleasant and smiling Koreans in a movie occasionally. The chemistry between the stars is comfortable too, which is why you’d have no problem sitting through the movie despite its predictable plot development.

Although you can see what the obligatory twist some one odd hour into the show, you still sit around to see how the filmmakers translate that on screen. The result is a heartwarming sequence which will have you reflecting on what it means to leave loneliness and depression behind to lead a whole new life. And this commercial movie does it in a heartwarming and uplifting way, which makes it a recommended watch.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The original Korean Trailers for the movie are included in the bonus features section, together with a five minute Music Video and a 16 minute Making of feature. The question is: Where are the subtitles?

AUDIO/VISUAL:

There is nothing to complain about the movie’s visual transfer. It is presented in its original Korean soundtrack.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by John Li

Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Phil Traill
Cast: Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick, Bill Nighy, Brooke Shields, Tasmin Egerton, Bill Bailey, Sophia Bush, Nicholas Braun, Georgia King, Ken Duken
RunTime: 1 hr 36 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Official Website: http://chaletgirlfilm.wordpress.com/

Opening Day: 15 September 2011

Synopsis: Pretty tomboy Kim (Felicity Jones) used to be a champion skateboarder, but now she flips burgers to support herself and her dad. Opportunity comes knocking when she flukes a winter-long catering job in one of the plushest ski chalets in the Alps. At first, Kim is baffled by this bizarre new world of posh people, vintage champagne, epic mountains and waist deep powder. Then Kim discovers snowboarding, and her natural talent soon sees her training for the end-of-season competition, with a chance to win major prize money. But before she can become a champion again, Kim needs to overcome her deepest fears.

Movie Review:

Chalet Girl is a typical boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy falls in love with girl, girl falls in love with boy kind of story, with some twists and turns in between. Hence, the plot really can’t be the strongest selling point. So then, what is?

Felicity Jones plays tomboy Kim, who used to be an accomplished skateboarder, but disappeared from the scene following an accident that killed her mother. Jones’ performance and the depth of emotions she displayed in the representation of the struggles she went through as an accomplished skateboarder, to a girl who flip burgers to barely make the living, and then to the stage where she picks up the courage to pursue her dreams once again, was truly a pleasure to watch. Her emotional display is truly a visual manifestation of Kim’s deepest thoughts and emotions, and was captivating to watch.

On the other hand, Ed Westwick is no longer the bad boy Chuck Bass (Gossip Girls) that he is best known with. This time, he went for a change and plays Mr. Nice (and rich) Guy who seeks to please his parents. Nothing too spectacular about his presence, but definitely a visual pleasure and had an eye-candy appeal to those who have always been following Gossip Girls. The huge contrast of his role in the Chalet Girl as compared to Chuck Bass does get some people interested on his rendition of a nice guy role. Well, watch it and judge for yourself! Other than the abovementioned, kudos to these two who trained themselves so vigorously for snowboarding and skiing respectively!

The remaining cast of the movie made a good set up for the British humour. Unlike the typical American humour, you either get it or you don’t. The jokes are slightly more subtle, though there are still instances which are blatantly funny. What else other than a great laugh?

Surprisingly, this movie turns out to have an alluring appeal on the local audiences like us because of the scenic filming locations. For us who have never been to the Alps, the scenes will probably blow you away. The ski resort filming location was in Sankt Anton am Arlberg, in Tyrol, western Austria. The skiing and snowboarding scenes were well captured, complemented by the magnificent art of nature. It not only brings your attention to the sport, it also takes you on a tour of the Alps. Though it’s not a first-hand experience, but it’s truly captivating!

Overall, the movie is quite an enjoyable one. Though the ‘twist’ and ‘turn’ may seem too intentional and awkward, it was still acceptable. The unsatisfying ending is also made to stand out less by showing the bloopers during the film making.

Movie Rating:

(Not too sappy or over-the-top for a rom-com. It may not be the best in its league, but it’s surely a feel good one)

Review by Tho Shu Ling

KEEPING IT REAL Posted on 03 Aug 2011 Julien Leclercq was only 14 when a group of four heavily armed Muslim terrorists hijacked an Air France plane in Algiers bound for France. He says the images he saw on television of the GIGN team (the elite counter-terrorism paramilitary unit of the French National Gendarmerie) storming the plane to rescue the hostages are firmly etched in his memory. Of course, he is not alone- an estimated 21 ... more

Cinema goers are so used to 3D CG talking pandas (it helps that there are lots of kung fu action too!) that traditional 2D created bears like Winnie the Pooh have been given the cold shoulder. Here in Singapore, the Walt Disney animated film has been removed from the schedule, probably due to box office concerns. Thankfully, we still have music labels that are kind enough to bring in this soundtrack album which transports us to Hundred Acre Wood through 18 adorably pleasant tracks.

As if the album cover isn’t charming enough to cheer up the gloomiest day (the pastel coloured visuals of a smiling Winnie and a confused Piglet just make us smile), the soundtrack kicks off with a lovely rendition of the classic “Winnie the Pooh” theme song. Performed by Zooey Deschanel (the talented actress is also one half of the American indie country duo She & Him), the song brings back many sweet memories of the beloved cartoon series based on A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard’s works. Deschanel also performs the cutesy “A Very Important Thing To Do” and the standout track “So Long” on the 46 minute album. Her collaborator M. Ward also contributes to the music.

Elsewhere, the delightful Winnie, Tigger, Piglet (and even the pessimistic Eeyore) perform songs like “The Tummy Song”, “”The Backson Song” and “Everything is Honey” from the movie. These agreeably pleasurable tracks will brighten up the lousiest day and have you beaming widely.

The score composed by Henry Jackman (Monsters vs. Aliens, X Men: First Class), though in no way spectacular, is as enjoyable as reading your favourite storybook on a lazy afternoon. “Pooh Greets the Day” is a bouncingly merry cue which introduces us to the carefree world of Hundred Acre Wood. The score section infuses the Sherman Brothers’ (the American songwriting duo responsible for the signature music from many of Winnie the Pooh’s adventures) old school appeal with woodwinds and strings. We are also pleasantly surprised to find half of the album dedicated to Jackman’s pleasing score.

If you are a fan of the Hundred Acre Wood gang, then this soundtrack is undoubtedly a must own. If not, you may also want to get a copy and have it on standby on a dim and overcast day – this, in our humblest opinion, can do wonder to perk up your spirits.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (8) So Long - performed by Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward

Review by John Li

And with Captain America (who was also the First Avenger) in the mix, we are all prepped up for The Avengers gracing our screens next summer. While we have no idea who will be responsible for scoring one of the most anticipated blockbusters next year, we are hoping it will be Alan Silvestri (Beowulf, A Christmas Carol), because he has done a mighty good job of composing the music for this Joe Johnston directed production.

If you miss the good old days where film music was about grand orchestrations and rousing thematic motifs, then this soundtrack album is a must own. Everyone knows that Captain America is a patriotic Marvel superhero and there is something charmingly retro about this spirit. Silvestri has managed to infuse an old school appeal into his work here.

Containing 72 very generous minutes of music, the disc sets the mood right from the beginning, kicking off with “Captain America Main Theme”. The main theme is heroic, with a strong sense of stoicism which resonates with passion and enthusiasm. This theme will be later heard again in “Captain America ‘We Did It’”, “Triumphant Return” and “Captain America”. As the titles would indicate, these cues would rouse you to feel a sense of pride and honour, even if you are not a fan of the superhero genre.

Elsewhere, Silvestri has us reminded of his action score in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and The A Team (2010) in tracks like “Kryger Chase” and “Hydra Train”. These shamelessly action cues are so full of bravado, they will effortlessly pump up your adrenaline level. Silvestri also tries his hand at something more emotional, most evidently in “Farewell to Bucky”, where things get a little sad and heartrending.

The album ends with a very entertaining song composed by Alan Menken and written by David Zippel. Entitled Star Spangled Man and performed by The Star Spangled Sisters, this is one tune you’d either love or hate. If you have seen the movie, you’d understand what music like that does for soldiers at war.

The album is a respectable representation of what music for superhero movies should be like. And with its energized and bold themes, it is difficult not to fall in love with this one.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (9) Captain America "We Did It"

Review by John Li

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Joe Cornish
Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Nick Frost, Luke Treadaway, John Boyega, Terry Notary, Joey Ansah
RunTime: 1 hr 28 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language and Some Gore)
Official Website: http://www.attacktheblock-movie.com/

Opening Day: 29 September 2011

Synopsis: ATTACK THE BLOCK is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing estate into a sci-fi playground. A tower block into a fortress under siege. And teenage street kids into heroes. It's inner city versus outer space.

Trainee nurse Sam is walking home to her flat in a scary South London tower block when she's robbed by a gang of masked, hooded youths. She's saved when the gang are distracted by a bright meteorite, which falls from the sky and hits a nearby parked car. Sam flees, just before the gang are attacked by a small alien creature that leaps from the wreckage. The gang chase the creature and kill it, dragging its ghoulish carcass to the top of the block, which they treat as their territory.

While Sam and the police hunt for the gang, a second wave of meteors fall. Confident of victory against such feeble invaders, the gang grab weapons, mount bikes and mopeds, and set out to defend their turf. But this time, the creatures are bigger. Much bigger. Savage, shadowy and bestial, they are hunting their fallen comrade and nothing will stand in their way. The estate is about to become a battleground. And the bunch of no-hope kids who just attacked Sam are about to become her, and the block's, only hope.

Movie Review:

Who says we have run out of ways by which the Earth could be invaded by extraterrestrials? Whereas Hollywood studio bigwigs and their go-to directors may be guilty of recycling the same ideas for standard big-budget spectacle (think this summer’s expensive flop ‘Cowboys and Aliens’), first-time feature directors seem to have less of a creative limit in pitting humans against aliens. Last summer’s ‘District 13’ was South African director Neill Blomkamp’s impressive attempt at infusing social commentary into the genre, and ‘Attack the Block’ sees Brit comedian-TV presenter do the same- albeit with a generous dose of dry British humour- to deliver a smart, funny and extremely entertaining alien invasion picture.

Unfolding over the course of a single night on a council housing estate in South London, Cornish pits five teenage delinquents against a band of part-dog part-ape alien monsters with inky black (think the ‘blackest’ black you can ever imagine) fur and sharp glow-in-the-dark teeth. The crew of young gangsters aren’t your typical heroes- led by the tough-talking Moses (John Boyega), the quintet are first seen robbing Sam (Jodie Whittaker), a trainee nurse on her way home after work. An apparent meteor crash that brings the first of the beasts down midway through the robbery distracts them, and Sam seizes the opportunity to flee.

The group give chase when they realise they might have spotted an alien, and in a display of false bravado, slay the creature and stash it at the penthouse (if you can call it) unit of a certain weed dealer called Ron (Nick Frost) - while contemplating how to make a quick stash out of it on eBay. But before they have time to think, dozens of other extraterrestrial beings begin to descend across the night sky, and the hoodlums are forced to turn into heroes to protect their block and its residents from the impending attack. In a stroke of brilliant scripting, the gangbangers discover that Sam stays in the same block, leading both victim and assailants to eventually team up and fight the same threat.

Indeed, the film pulls off a remarkable sleight of hand by turning its audience’s initial contempt towards the quintet into sympathy and even admiration, as they rise to the occasion to save the day. The fact that they do so with just everyday items like bikes, brooms, baseball bats and firework sticks also reinforces their heroism, and makes them even more endearing. Despite juggling a plethora of characters, Cornish brings each of our five delinquent heroes into sharp focus, and gives them each- Moses, Dennis, Jerome, Pest and Biggz- distinct personalities to allow his audience to relate to every single one.

As deft as his writing skills are, Cornish proves to have just as much panache in his directing. From start to finish, there is an undeniable energy to every frame in the story, and the briskly paced film possesses not one single dull moment. Cornish also makes obvious reference to classic ‘80s monster movies like ‘The Thing’ and ‘Gremlins’, and genre fans will certainly be delighted at the visual style of the movie. The action is continuous, but great use of the inner-city block location means that none of the scenes are repetitive and each is as thrilling as the next.

Speaking of location, Cornish’s choice to go with unknown actors in the lead roles works beautifully, giving his film a raw authentic feel. Admittedly, the heavy accents and slang-filled dialogue does take some getting used to, but they add, rather than diminish, the fun to be had- especially in their street-lingo delivery of Cornish’s deadpan humour. The rest of the mostly fresh actors also lend flourish to their supporting roles- whether the two young street urchins who go around with their super soakers looking for a piece of the action, or the white educated stoner Brewis (nicely played by Luke Treadway) seemingly out of his place, or the dirty-talking violent criminal and wannabe-rapper Hi-Hatz (Jumayn Hunter).

Credit also has to go to Steven Price’s energetic score (aided by Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe of dance-music duo Basement Jaxx) as well as Johnathan Amos’s editing that gives the movie its lively, pulsating rhythm. With the singular contributions of each and every one involved in the movie, ‘Attack the Block’ is an alien invasion picture that has enough appeal, wit, and thrills to rival the best in the genre. And indeed, it already has become a career-defining start for writer/director Cornish, who has gone on to co-write the screenplay for Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s upcoming “The Adventures of Tintin”- but really, once you see the amount of talent on display in this debut feature, you’ll have no doubts why. 

Movie Rating:

(Witty, lively and enormously entertaining humans-vs-aliens adventure that is sure to be a genre-defining classic in the years to come)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Live Animation/Comedy/Family
Director: Mike Mitchell
Cast: Jason Lee, David Cross, Jenny Slate, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Christina Applegate, Anna Faris, Amy Poehler
RunTime: 1 hr 28 mins
Released By:  20th Century Fox
Rating: G
Official Website: http://www.munkyourself.com/main.html

Opening Day: 15 December 2011

Synopsis: On vacation aboard a luxury cruise ship, Alvin, Simon, Theodore and the Chipettes are up to their usual antics, turning the ship into their personal playground, until they become ‘chipwrecked’ on a desert island. As Dave Seville frantically searches for his AWOL charges, the ‘Munks and Chipettes do what they do best.

Movie Review:

You don’t change the formula, not when it is one that has worked to amass a cool US$400mil worldwide per picture. So despite boasting a new director in the form of ‘Sky High’ and ‘Shrek Forever After’s’ Mike Mitchell, this third live-action adaptation of the classic animated TV series is surprisingly alike to the earlier two instalments. That’s going to be good news for those who loved both the first ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ as well as the ‘Squeakquel’- but for those hoping that this third outing will finally have the charm that eluded the first two, we’d like to warn you to be disappointed.

Penned once again by the duo of Johnathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, the ‘Chipwrecked’ adventure uses yet another paper-thin plot to string together the hi-jinks of the singing and dancing Chipmunk trio as well as their female Chipette equivalents. Here, Alvin’s mischief while vacationing on a cruise with their kind beleaguered owner Dave (Jason Lee) leaves the Chipmunks and the Chipettes stranded on a desert island with a volcano that’s about to blow its top. Oh and did we mention Alvin’s hand-gliding stunt also lands both Dave and their arch-nemesis from before, Ivan (David Cross), overboard and washed up on the same, albeit different corner of the, island?

It’s no secret how- let alone if- the Chipmunks and Chipettes manage to make it off the island alive, and not even the addition of a new character, Zoe (Jenny Slate), whom Aibel and Berger unabashedly models after Tom Hanks’ FedEx employee in Castaway, adds much life to what is really an awfully predictable plot. Admittedly, none of the Chipmunk movies have had much story, and to expect better from ‘Chipwrecked’ would therefore be a tall order. Like the previous instalments therefore, this one is simply content to coast on the ‘aw-shucks’ cute charms of the chipmunks. 

Indeed, each Chipmunk seems to be calculated to appeal to a certain demographic- whether the playful leader Alvin, the responsible brainiac Simon, or the adorably naïve Theodore, as well as the corresponding Chipettes Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor. Their incessant high-pitched bantering and bickering that unfolds at a lightning pace is still clearly the highlight of the show, not forgetting of course their regular song and dance numbers set to some of the contemporary chart-topping pop tunes like Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, Willow Smith’s ‘Whip My Hair’ and Destiny Child’s ‘Survivor’. 

Like we said, it’s worked before- like a charm, if we may add- with family audiences, so expect more of the same this time round. A midway twist where Simon starts assuming an alter-ego in the form of Frenchman Simone after getting bitten by a poisonous spider tries to inject some novelty into the Chipmunks’ routine, but the initial appeal of watching the usually rational Simon turn debonair and somewhat impetuous quickly wears out its welcome. Faring slightly better is the budding attraction between Simon and Jeanette, manufactured nonetheless to elicit maximum geek appeal.

Speaking of geek, those who loved ‘My Name is Earl’ may be dismayed to find that Jason Lee plays again the lead human character in the movie- and while the talented Jason looks like he could easily sleepwalk through the role, he does succeed in drawing out more than a few laughs in between his repartee with David Cross. Mitchell however displays little of the flair he exhibited in the superhero surprise ‘Sky High’ and his work here is as nondescript as his earlier in ‘Shrek Forever After’. 

Of course, the fault isn’t entirely Mitchell’s- after all, the template for the ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ live-action films have been pretty much fixed in stone after the resounding success of the first two movies. This three-quel is made only for those who have enjoyed both its predecessors, since ultimately it rehashes the same singing and dancing Chipmunk formula. Nevertheless, it’s fast becoming a foolish consistency, and the likely fourth entry better not just be simply another Chip off the old block. 

Movie Rating:

(If you’ve never liked the singing and dancing Chipmunk and Chipette trio, you’re certainly not going to after this rehash of a sequel)

Review by Gabriel Chong