Genre: Action/Drama
Director: Kam Ka Wai
Cast: Donnie Yen, Joe Chen, Jack Lok, Bruce Tong, Chris Tong, Gladys Li, Gordon Lau, Dominic Lam, Billy Lau, Felix Lok, Bowie Woo, Alfred Cheung, Yu Kang
RunTime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Drug References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 August 2018
Synopsis: Henry Chen (Donnie Yen), who just started to work as a high school teacher, is faced with the crisis that his school might be scuttled by the government. And his students, the combative Jack (Jack Lok), ADHD Bruce (Bruce Tong), video-game fanatic Chris (Chris Tong), tomboy Gladys (Gladys Li) and Indian-Pakistani Gordon (Gordon Lau) are all poorly-qualified in both conduct and academic performance. Henry uses unconventional teaching methods to smooth every problem his students are facing, and finally manages to tame all of his students one by one. Just when everything seems to be working out for Henry, a disastrous incident happened in the class. Battle-hardened veteran Henry has to set out on an ultimate battle with all the teachers and students to defend the school from being disqualified.
Movie Review:
Though he has been in the industry for decades, Donnie Yen only reached a career peak with the 2008’s martial-arts biography Ip Man. Since then, the 55-year-old has dabbled anything from contemporary action flicks, to period action flicks, to a stint in the Star Wars universe, and to starring opposite Vin Diesel in XXX: Return of Xander Cage. With his fellow action luminaries such as Jackie Chan advancing in age and Jet Li in declining health, one can see why Yen is in such demand.
Big Brother marks the first of a slew of movies produced and starring Yen via his production outfit, Bullet Films, and it also marks a departure from Yen’s usual ferocious, fast-hitting movies, preferring to focus more on the drama than action - in case you plan to buy a ticket to see Yen in his full-on macho mode.
The script by assistant director turned director Kam Kai-Wai has Donnie Yen as Henry Chen, a war-torn ex-soldier who becomes a teacher in a government school on the verge of being closed by the education bureau because of declining enrollment. Assigned to a class filled with problematic students, Henry must employ unorthodox methods to change them for the better as they prepare to sit for the school’s leaving examinations.
Kam’s story has a few similarities to the decades old Japanese manga GTO, with both protagonists using their own unique brand of teaching methods to change the ways of their students. However, unlike Eikichi Onizuka, Henry Chen is not sexist or cheeky; he is simply an amazing fighter. With his rolled-up sleeves, army boots and tattoos, Henry is ready to solve the problems of his students - the music-loving Indian-Pakistani Gordon; the girl who loves racing Gladys; the twins whose father is a drunkard; and the financially strapped Jack who lives with his only kin, his grandma.
Big Brother spends the first hour delving into the social problems faced by Hong Kongers, and establishes a pretty strong statement on the current state of the pressurizing education system which sounds eerily similar to ours. But knowing this being a Donnie Yen movie, there’s no way Kam is going to conceal his leading star’s aggressive moves. The first major action set has Henry (whose excuse is to rescue his student Jack) battling a gigantic size MMA fighter in a locker room, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint as Yen and his action choreographer, Kenji Tanigaki, pulled off more than a couple of headlocks and high kicks to make the viewing experience worthy.
The main antagonist however belongs to one of Yen’s stuntmen, Yu Kang, who plays a thug dealing in seedy businesses such as fixing MMA matches and, in this case, planning to clear the school land for private development. In addition to messing with Henry’s student and a climax that has Henry and him in a lockdown, Kang’s role is very much a caricature and underdeveloped, so much so that the very reason for him to be here is Donnie Yen needs a worthy opponent to end the show. Another notable face here belongs to Taiwanese actress Joe Chen (The Prince Who Turns into a Frog), who appears awkwardly in a forgettable role as Henry’s fellow colleague.
More of an appetizer than a main course or rather a change of pacing for Yen, Kam’s Big Brother mainly features a handful of stringed-together soap-opera, sobbing subplots that attempts to disguise itself as an inspiring, motivational tale. If not for the sole presence of Donnie Yen and his MMA fighting moves, this probably might just go straight to TVB or Netflix.
Movie Rating:
(Donnie Yen only expends 20% of his MMA moves in this feel-good drama)
Review by Linus Tee
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TRAILER WATCH - L STORMPosted on 25 May 2018 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Rami Malek, Aidan Gillen, Lucy Boynto, Joseph Mazzello, Ben Hardy, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, Gwilym Lee, Aaron McCusker, Mike Myers
RunTime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/BohemianRhapsodyMovie
Opening Day: 1 November 2018
Synopsis: Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Movie Review:
Imagine the amount of pressure placed upon you when you have to (or decide to) produce a film about a legendary band like Queen?
The expectations are definitely high, especially among die-hard Queen fans. Truth be told, films like these can go both ways; either extremely magnificent or atrociously ghastly.
To be honest, I am not a Queen fan, although I do know some of their songs (of course). But this film instantly converted me into a much bigger Queen fan. And now I wished that I was born in such an era and be able to see Queen in their full wonderment.
The film starts off with Freddie Mercury preparing for Queen’s well-known performance at the Live Aid 1985 at London’s Wembley Stadium, followed by a quick transition to how Queen all began and then a chronological timeline of the lives of the band members of Queen (mainly Freddie Mercury), leading back up to Live Aid 1985.
The film did somewhat live up to the hype that it was given. Flashy clothes, electrifying music, dramatic episodes; it definitely has what it takes to be a musical blockbuster with all its intensity overflowing throughout the film.
Rami Malek steals the show with his interpretation of the legend himself, Freddie Mercury. With so much enthusiasm and eccentricity, it is no wonder that viewers might think that Freddie himself have had something to do with Rami’s acting! Every of his movement seem to be executed with so much passion and with ease and every line is filled with so much gusto. The enthusiasm in his character portrayal will definitely grow on you.
Despite the spotlight being mostly on Rami, just enough attention was given to the rest of the characters (especially the band members) and character development was gradual and steady, beefing up the plot with dramatic fights, strong tensions and enduring moments.
Strangely, eccentric scenes that are not in sync, alongside varying colour resolutions and saturations, made transitions between scenes choppy. Whether the intention was to portray Freddie’s eventful life through the scene transitions or to showcase Dexter Fletcher’s challenges, having to pick up the pieces upon Bryan’s sudden departure as the director of the film, the lack of coordination at certain points and the ‘uniqueness’ of certain scenes seem to derail the film and made it hard for one to watch it without feeling uneasy or unsettled. The extra long Live Aid 1985 scene may either be a treat or a drag to some.
Rami’s singing voice is also questionable, as it is reportedly a mixture of Freddie and his voice to create a mixture that does not look too much like a lip-sync battle on Rami’s part. While the lack of authenticity is discrediting, one has to admit that it would be a challenge for any individual to replicate or do justice to Freddie’s powerful vocals, so it might have been better to ‘play safe’.
Although this may or may not be the best interpretation of the Queen, one must admit that this film still entertains and delivers its core purpose of being true to their legacy and lives. And like their hit song of the same title, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a mixture of intensified emotions, diverse landscapes and subtle nuances that might be too much for some, but will definitely go down in history at the first biopic film of the legend. And in years to come, a great piece of art to refer to.
One thing’s for sure: You *will * be entertained.
Movie Rating:
(Come and enjoy this fun interpretation of Queen and the lives of Freddie Mercury and the other band members. There will be no regrets and you got to watch it to believe the magic)
Review by Ron Tan
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Bill Holderman
Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Dreyfuss
RunTime: 1 hr 44 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 June 2018
Synopsis: Diane (Diane Keaton) is recently widowed after 40 years of marriage, Vivian (Jane Fonda) enjoys her men with no strings attached, Sharon (Candice Bergen) is still working through her decades-old divorce, and Carol's (Mary Steenburgen) marriage is in a slump after 35 years. The lives of these four lifelong friends are turned upside down after reading the infamous "50 Shades of Grey," catapulting them into a series of outrageous life choices.
Movie Review:
Book Club is like a movie much like a typical hot afternoon in balmy Singapore. Rather than energise you, it makes you feel a little like nodding off every now and then. You also won’t really miss out anything much if you do fall asleep. The movie is cheesy and the plot rather predictable with the idea of a sisterhood where women facing some sort of common issues come together and rediscovering that making a few minor tweaks in their lives can rejuvenate them (sort of like how swapping white sugar for brown sugar can improve your health tremendously).
The main difference this movie has from other “rediscovering how to rev up your lives together sisterhood” Hollywood movies is that its leading ladies are in rather late stages of their lives (with their ages ranging from 65 to 80). There’s also the fact the aspect of their lives that they are looking at revving up is sex. And the trigger for them to relook their sex lives is none other than the infamous “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy (the books, not the movies).
A rather brave premise given Hollywood’s emphasis on physical appearances and ageist attitude. When it comes to the sex lives of those above 60, it is usually used as comedy material or frowned upon with disdain by younger cast members in various movies.
While the premise is interesting, the movie relies too heavily on stereotypes – there is the successful swinger, Vivian who is a commitment-phobe living the high life; Diane, the timid widow who is starting to date again; Sharon, the cynical divorcee who needs to adjust her perspective on dating and Carol who is in a stable, happy but boring marriage. No points for being able to guess who settles down, who finds love again, who becomes more positive about relationship and who is able to renew her existing relationship with her partner with much vigour.
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen play their roles of women with dormant libidos (except for Fonda’s Vivian) with much ease. The four leading ladies slip into such comfortable chemistry with each other that you will find it hard not to believe that they don’t actually meet for regular book club sessions where they consume more alcohol than exchange views on the books that they have been reading.
Despite the stereotypes that they have been cast into, it is a joy to watch them onscreen and to cheer on the fact that women past Singapore’s official retirement age are still given the chance to drive a movie and shine in the said movie. The leading ladies also easily soothe out all the awkwardness surrounding the topic of sex amongst who are at least sixty and their naturalness makes it easy for an audience, used to being taught to think of this topic as an awkward topic that should only be made fun of, to accept that sex is a natural aspect of life even for those who are at least sixty.
In contrast, director Bill Holderman’s inexperience in helming a movie (this is his directorial debut) shows clearly. His choice of shots are static and boringly safe. He pretty much points the camera at the cast and records them speaking to each other.
Thankfully, his cast of veterans overcome these technical drags with their lively presence. The Easter Eggs such as Steenburgen doing the same tap routine which she did in her award-winning role in “Melvin and Howard” (I won’t name more to avoid spoiling your experience) help prevent the audience from completely drifting off into an afternoon nap.
Movie Rating:
(This tamer version of a movie-length episode of “Desperate Housewives” with a much older cast is best described as cute and entertaining, best suited for a lazy afternoon with nothing good showing on TV)
Review by Katrina Tee
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TRAILER WATCH - MILE 22Posted on 17 May 2018 |
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TRAILER WATCH - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (TRAILER 2)Posted on 17 May 2018 |
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TRAILER WATCH - PROJECT GUTENBERGPosted on 25 May 2018 |
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, Ronda Rousey, John Malkovich
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 August 2018
Synopsis: In a visceral modern thriller from the director of Lone Survivor, Mark Wahlberg stars as James Silva, an operative of the CIA’s most highly-prized and least understood unit. Aided by a top-secret tactical command team, Silva must retrieve and transport an asset who holds life-threatening information to Mile 22 for extraction before the enemy closes in.
Movie Review:
Marky Mark has been taking on some pretty intense roles lately. In 2017, the 47 year old actor got to work up his termper and do quite a bit of shouting in All the Money in the World and Transformers: The Last Knight. Even in the comedy Daddy’s Home 2, he was the uptight father who had his fair share of sulking and yelling.
Here, Wahlberg is working with his frequent collaborator Peter Berg in yet another adrenaline charged action movie. After Lone Survivor (2013), Deepwater Horizon and Patriots Day (both in 2016), he is again the tough guy who overcomes all odds. Something is different this time though – the character is a high functioning autistic protagonist who isn’t very likeable. How can you cheer for someone who pushes a colleague’s slice of birthday cake off the table, just because the day isn’t going too well?
Graham Roland and Lea Carpenter’s story puts this
Details and logic are irrelevant for a movie of this genre because viewers just want to see the guys drenched in manly sweat. The ladies are supporting characters here as they let Wahlberg and Uwais dominate the big screen with their enigmatic presence. While the movie headlines Whalberg, it is Uwais we are rooting for.
The 35 year old Indonesian stuntman, fight choreographer and martial artist is a joy to watch. One standout sequence involves the rogue agent trying to escape captivity. Showing off his sculpted bod, the shirtless actor punches and kicks his way through a gang of baddies. The result is messy, bloody and very satisfying for action junkies. Having seen his powerful fight scenes in movies like The Raid: Redemption (2011) and Headshot (2016), we wish the story could make Uwais the protagonist instead of the somewhat weary Wahlberg.
The 95 minute movie doesn’t believe in subtlety, as decibel levels shoot rocket high with car screeches, gun shots, bomb explosions and people shouting at the top of their voices. Veteran actor Malkovich (Zoolander 2) doesn’t do much with his role, but it might have been entertaining to see him deploy some villainous theatrics. This is a pure action movie which doesn’t do more than what it’s supposed to do. The attempt at introducing a plot twist (ahem, please note that there are Russians involved in the storyline) may not go down with the serious movie goer, but we are all for its silliness. Just give us more of Uwais’ awesome fight scenes – we want to see the man kick some ass!
Movie Rating:
(Mark Wahlberg is fine in this no brainer action flick, but Iko Uwais is aweome and we want to see more of him!)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: When a workaholic young executive (Kristen Bell), is left at the altar, she ends up on her Caribbean honeymoon cruise with the last person she ever expected: her estranged and equally workaholic father (Kelsey Grammer). The two depart as strangers, but over the course of a few adventures, a couple of umbrella-clad cocktails and a whole lot of soul-searching, they return with a renewed appreciation for family and life.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There are plenty of dramedies out there that delves into estranged father and son relationship. Like Father simply switches the gender and puts a pair of daughter and father out on a Royal Caribbean cruise so that they can work out their differences together with a bunch of holiday makers.
The comedy opens with New Yorker Rachel Hamilton (Kristen Bell), a workaholic advertising executive who is getting married to her sweetheart, Owen. But seeing that his future wife is more engaged to her phone than anything else, Owen decides to leave her at the altar. When her long estranged father, Harry (Kelsey Grammer) suddenly appear, he is dragged along by a drunken Rachel onboard a two weeks cruise where the most likely reason might be Royal Caribbean is footing the bill.
Written and directed by Lauren Miller Rogen (the wife of comedian Seth Rogen), Like Father is a formulaic, at times touching family drama that aims at entertaining the masses and nothing else. Miller spins a tale of reconciliation with Rachel and Harry recounting their past grouses with lots of crying and hugging thrown into the story although Harry’s own reason of why she left Rachel in the first place sounds too preposterous to be true.
There are lots of colourful supporting characters to generally keep things afloat for 95 minutes liked the cute gay couple, an old couple and the obligatory African-American couple just to make things a little bit more politically correct. Even Seth Rogen appeared in a thankless role as a divorcee from Alberta, Canada who had a one-night stand with Rachel. And I’m sure you are not keen to know about the details about a day trip to the waterfall, a rowdy game night and karaoke sessions, don’t you?
Like Father works mainly because of the presence and chemistry of Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer. They are so good in front of the camera that you forgot about the seemingly insignificant script and the kaleidoscopic feel of an extended promo reel for Royal Caribbean cruises.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Scott Mosier, Yarrow Cheney
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury, Pharrell Williams, Tristan O’Hare, Scarlett Estevez
Runtime: 1 hr 26 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website: https://www.grinchmovie.com
Opening Day: 29 November 2018
Synopsis: For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism. Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company.
Movie Review:
Dr Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ is one of them ageless holiday children’s stories, so it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would decide to follow up Ron Howard’s live-action version back in the year 2000 that starred Jim Carrey as the seasonal meanie with yet another big-screen adaptation.
The folks responsible for this latest is none other than Illumination Entertainment, best known for the ‘Despicable Me’ movies and ‘The Secret Life of Pets’, and as befitting their French-inspired style, this one is brightly lit, visually appealing and vividly animated. Those qualities alone pretty much guarantees that ‘The Grinch’ will delight kids, although we cannot quite say if their parents in tow, or anyone above the age of 12 for that matter, would find themselves similarly entertained.
At the risk of being called, well yes a grinch, we found this new animated version pretty dull. It is pretty as it is to look at all right – right down to the fleece on a jacket, to the fur on the Grinch, and even to the snow in the village of Whoville – and its message about the true spirit of Christmas is no doubt well-intentioned, but ‘The Grinch’ seems all-too comfortable sticking to the basics within the book, and comes off all the poorer for it.
Like the old tale, this one revolves primarily around the Grinch’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) plot to disguise himself as Santa Claus in order to steal all the Christmas gifts in Whoville, with the help of his loyal dog named Max. Just as in the Seussian saga, the Grinch lives as a hermit on the snowy Mount Crumpit that overlooks the town, and begins the story suffering from a heart “two sizes too small”. It ends the same way, i.e. with the Grinch realising that there is much more to Christmas than just presents, deciding to return everything that he stole, and joining the Whos’ Christmas feast where he is given the honour of carving the Roast Beast.
But, as the cherished 1966 television special showed, that is probably enough material to fill about half an hour, meaning that there is still plenty the writers had to do to stretch the story to feature-movie length. Unfortunately, what isn’t directly from Seuss’ book feels underwritten and largely inconsequential. Whereas Howard’s version spent a good deal of time diving into the Grinch’s backstory, this one gives it just enough treatment to the Grinch’s sad past as an orphan to register, but not quite enough for his loneliness and desolation from his rejection by the Whos to truly resonate.
It devotes more time instead setting up Cindy Lou Who’s plan to ambush Santa Claus, so that she can convey her Christmas wish directly to him – i.e., she’s hoping that he will let her frazzled single mom Donna (Rashida Jones) catch a break, seeing as how she works all night as a nurse and has barely time to rest in the day taking care of her twin baby brothers. While that may sound like potentially poignant stuff, directors Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier turn Cindy’s mission into some kind of grand action adventure with her friends, and forgo therefore the opportunity for something more emotionally compelling.
The best bits of the movie’s additions lie at the front, including a sequence where ol’ Grinchy is forced to go into Whoville to interact with its cheery inhabitants during Christmas season after binge-eating his whole month of supplies. His daily routine is also a hoot, made up of scenes such as that with him wearing tighty whities in bed, blowing and combing his body of fur, choosing between identical sets of clothing with miserable to wretched labels, and playing Eric Carmen’s ‘All By Myself’ on a giant baroque organ. Just as amusing too is his hunt for reindeer to pull the sleigh intended to hold all the presents he means to steal, settling for a plus-sized scene-stealing beast named Fred after a series of run-ins with a screaming goat.
If it isn’t yet obvious, this Grinch isn’t quite so fearful after all. Sure, knocking over a kid’s snowman or placing a can of ingredients on a supermarket shelf too high for an elderly shopper to reach might be nasty, but at no point does the Grinch come off as anything more than a curmudgeon. That also makes Cumberbatch’s rendition a bit of an oddity; after all, one wonders why he was even chosen in the first place if not to lend his dulcet English tones to the character. Notwithstanding that, it is still both an enthusiastic and empathetic voice performance, and one that makes the film more interesting than it is actually is.
Even though it clocks in at a concise 87 minutes, ‘The Grinch’ clearly feels like it is a movie in need of more material. Like we said, what’s in the book works well, but what’s been added in is diverting yet underwhelming. Kids will be enthralled by the flawless animation, but anyone outside that age demographic will probably be left wanting. That said, the movie doesn’t lose the essence of its source material, especially in portraying the Christmas spirit as one of love and kindness; so as far as spreading the holiday cheer and the meaning of Christmas, this adaptation will satisfy even those whose hearts are two sizes too small, even if it may not make it grow three times as big.
Movie Rating:
(The animation is beautiful, and it's got its heart in the right place to put you in that Christmas mood, but this adaptation of Dr Seuss' holiday classic needs more compelling material to stretch its story out to feature length)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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