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TRAILER WATCH - WIDOWSPosted on 05 Jun 2018 |
SYNOPSIS: Amid a coup, a North Korean agent escapes south with the country's injured leader in an attempt to keep him alive and prevent a Korean war.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The world awaits to witness a historic moment as June 12, the date set for the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea supreme leader, Kim Jong Un draws nearer and nearer.
Before the moment for World Peace arrives (if it happens), we recommend first to give Steel Rain, a North Korea theme espionage thriller a watch. What if the threats of nuclear nukes are real? What’s the effects on the diplomatic relation between South Korea and the States?
In Steel Rain, a coup is rising in the North and an ex-agent, Um Cheol-woo (played by Jung Woo-sung) is deployed by his ex-boss to eliminate the people behind the coup. But instead of assassinating the targets, Cheol-woo finds himself rescuing their critically injured supreme leader (whose face is never shown throughout the entire movie) and transporting him to the South to seek treatment and also shelter him from North Korea agents who wants him dead.
With no one to turn to, Cheol-woo decides to join hands with a South Korean foreign affairs senior officer, Kwak Cheol-woo (Kwak Do-won from The Wailing) to not only save the life of the North’s No.1 but the lives of millions living in the Korea peninsula as everyone prepares to out-nuke each other out of this planet.
For those who are intrigued with all the almost daily political ongoing between the North and the South and their allies, Steel Rain is very much a godsend. Even with frequent scenes cutting to various political leaders, diplomats and their shouting matches, the entire movie never feels heavy-handed, pretentious or sloppiness for that matter. Director and writer Yang Woo-seok takes his ideas seriously at the same time, he also possessed the craft to churn out a bombastic action blockbuster so it’s not totally a boring affair.
For those expecting something more thrilling, Steel Rain surprisingly has tonnes of it. From CGI-assisted missile explosions, car chases, messy gunfires to hard-hitting fistfights, Yang has everything in place. Despite the ominous tone, there are some tender funny moments between the two Cheol-woos as they talk about G-Dragon, capitalism and skinny noodles, a perfect showcase of chemistry from Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won.
Steel Rain is a smart espionage action thriller that never disappoints from the get go. The acting is superb. The action is executed with much flair and the story very relatable to the current state of political affairs in the region. The ending while predictable ends the movie on a sweet, somber note. Of course, in reality we want the summit to happen and ends on a very sweet note instead.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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
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