Genre: Comedy
Director: JY Teng
Cast: Joyce Cheng, A-Niu, Alex Lam, Jerry Lamb, Min Chen, Lo Hoi Pang, Susan Shaw, Mimi Chu
RunTime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 31 January 2019
Synopsis: A dysfunctional family decides to go on vacation for Chinese New Year, but constantly bicker among themselves! Enter Xiao Xin, the chirpy and outspoken daughter who will stop at nothing to keep this family together and organise a happy trip. On their journey, they will encounter endless catastrophes and fun surprises. How will the Xiao family journey end?
Movie Review:
How much you like A Journey To Happiness depends very much on your tolerance for Chinese New Year themed movies since it’s that time of the year again.
This Malaysia-Hong Kong joint production tells the story of the dysfunctional Siew family embarking on a road trip, which is organised by middle child and ex-tour agent Siew Sum (Joyce Cheng, daughter of the late Lydia Shum). Her intention is to bring Papa Siew (Lo Hoi Pang) to see the “sea of clouds” once again at Cameron Highlands, and also making use of the chance to bond with the rest of the family members - including elder brother and property agent, Siew Beng (Young & Dangerous’ Jerry Lamb), and baby brother/influencer Siew Lup (Alex Lam, son of singer, George) after the death of their mum.
But as with all other road trip comedies, things simply do not go as planned as the van assigned by the tour agency breaks down along the way. To the dismay of her family members, Sum decides to drive a minivan the next day and take them on the trip by herself. But a mahjong session with a Datuk en route to Cameron Highlands, a brush with an attractive influencer, Pumpkin (Min Chen), and a broke Siew Beng causes more problems than happiness for the entire Siew family during the festive period. Will Siew Sum saves the day and fulfil her papa’s wish and reunite the family together?
Scripted by Malaysians Ryon Lee and directed by JY Teng, the movie offers more heart in the last 20 minutes than actual laugh and fun throughout, despite their very feeble attempt to milk laughs out of a mah-jong session and the constant bickering between the siblings for example. A scene that has Siew Lup stripping naked and posing with durians on top of a lorry hardly tickles. Ditto for the scene where a motel staff mistaking Papa Siew’s intention for ordering a plate of Ipoh chicken. A Journey To Happiness struggles very, very hard to come up with a funny gag or joke but there’s simply nothing here that works in the end.
Malaysia pop singer Ah-Niu reunites with Joyce Cheng after Huah Ah! Huat Ah! Huat! Unfortunately Ah-Niu, who plays a smooth talking tour guide, turns out to be more of an extended cameo and kind of a shoo-in love interest for Siew Sum than proper character development. Veteran actress Susan Shaw plays Ah-Niu’s mum and inn operator and surprisingly, she has a heartfelt scene opposite Joyce Cheng which makes her appearance in the movie worthwhile.
As with other Chinese New Year comedies that bet on laughs, heart and feature plenty of product placements, A Journey To Happiness ends with an important message about treasuring your family, as you probably already thought of the answer to whether the Siew Family did manage to catch the “sea of clouds” or not. Ultimately, there’s little to recommend about for this TV-like flick except Joyce Cheng’s increasing screen appeal and IG worthy shots of KL and Ipoh.
Movie Rating:
(To be fair, it contains a nice message but mostly, it’s deprived of laughs and fun and the horrid dubbing doesn’t help)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Hedges
Cast: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton
RunTime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Drug References and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 February 2019
Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns (Academy Award nominee Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben’s mother, Holly (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe.
Movie Review:
Which parent wouldn’t be happy to see his or her child back for Christmas? But in Holly Burns’ case, the situation is a lot more complicated.
As eloquently portrayed by Julia Roberts, there is both happiness and worry on her face when her 19-year-old son Ben (Lucas Hedges) shows up unannounced on Christmas Eve at the steps of her family’s house near Yonkers, N.Y. There is good reason for her, as well as Ben’s teenage sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton), to be ambivalent, although writer-director Peter Hedges (who happens to be Lucas’ real-life father) chooses to reveal this slowly over the course of the movie.
This much is clear at the start – Ben is a recovering addict, and has been away from the family at a rehab facility for the most part of the last year. To assuage his mother’s scepticism, Ben explains without prompting that he had left the facility with the blessing of his sponsor, and had even hitched a ride with the family of a fellow patient before hiking the rest of the way home.
Holly wants very much to believe him, even as she remains wary, going to the extent of hiding the pills and jewellery in the house. Her husband Neal (Courtney B. Vance) – or Ben’s stepfather – is less sure, and struggles within himself to give Ben the benefit of the doubt, knowing full well that Holly’s sympathies will inevitably be with Ben. On the other hand, Ben’s two younger step-siblings are blissfully unaware of the complications, and are simply happy to have him back for the season.
At least for the first third, the elder Hedges deftly paints these complex dynamics triggered by Ben’s return. To his credit, he opts for some admirable creative choices along the way, like how Neal remains ultimately supportive (than combative) of Holly’s decision to let Ben stay, or how Holly balances her love for Ben with a tough and probing attitude of his words and behaviour. It would have been too convenient to play out the family drama in histrionics, and therefore laudable that it unfolds instead with restraint and nuance.
But the heart of Hedges’ story lies with the mother-son relationship between Holly and Ben, which is given fuller shape through three key sequences in the subsequent narrative. One of them sees Holly bring Ben to a neighbourhood mall for some last-minute Christmas shopping, whereupon the former gets panicky and flustered outside the dressing room after the latter jokes that she had not checked his shoes for any narcotics. Another has Holly insisting that she sit in with Ben in an unplanned Narcotics Anonymous meeting after he says he is turning ‘shaky’, where he delivers an honest and unflinching sharing with the rest of the recovering addicts gathered there, one of whom is a girl he used to deal drugs to.
There is lastly that, lasting almost the entire final third of the movie, which revolves around a late-night quest around town to find the family dog Ponce. After coming home at night from Christmas Eve service, the family is shocked to find that their house had been broken into, which Ben suspects to be the work of his former acquaintances looking to settle some old debts. That mission becomes a descent into the small town’s criminal underbelly, exposing the presence of ruthless dealers, hollowed-out users and brazen sexual predators. The shift in tone is jarring all right, but besides demonstrating the depths (and lengths) of maternal love, there is a clear intent to expose the horrors of the opioid crisis which America finds itself in the throes of.
That the bond between Holly and Ben is so affecting is testament to the award-calibre performances of Roberts and the younger Hedges. Roberts’ tough, elegant self-confidence is a welcome change from the usual helpless parent stereotype, and she wears both her love for Ben and her terror that he will relapse on her sleeve. On his part, Hedges navigates the push-pull of their dynamics with finesse, balancing understatement with assertiveness in response to Roberts. The rest of the performers make the best of their lesser roles, but the movie pretty much rests on Roberts and Hedges, who turn it into a showcase of their considerable talents.
Given the recency, it’s inevitable that ‘Ben Is Back’ will be compared against ‘Beautiful Boy’, which was also about a parent’s struggle to save his drug-addicted teenage child. Between the two, this addiction is a lot more urgent and a lot less melancholy, though we would argue that both are tonally distinct enough to co-exist next to each other. More than its predecessor, there is a palpable air of suspense here that rests on the simple question of if, and when, Ben will use again. And combined with the elder Hedges’ signature filmmaking tendencies of intimacy and empathy, this is a gripping yet moving portrait of the enduring bond between mother and son amidst secrets, lies and disappointments, which is perhaps the only true antidote against the poison of narcotics.
Movie Rating:
(Played with restraint, nuance and depth, Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges inject vivid life into their mother-and-son characters at the heart of this gripping and moving addiction drama)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Rami Malek has been lauded for his dazzling portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, but in case you don’t already know, that wasn’t the actor singing in the movie. So what is the point of this soundtrack? Fans of British rock Queen may already have owned countless of their albums – is there a need to add this to the collection?
The movie soundtrack is essentially a compilation of original versions of Queen’s greatest hits. There are 11 previously unreleased recordings, including five tracks from their 21 minute Live Aid performance in July 1985 (as amazingly portrayed in the film). Never released on audio format before, the group’s live performance is the main reason why you should get this soundtrack.
Kicking off with a very apt take on the "20th Century Fox Fanfare" arranged by Queen’s lead guitarist Brian May, the album follows with familiar tunes like “Somebody to Love” (from the 1976 album “A Day at the Races”), “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (from the 1980 album “The Game”) and “Who Wants to Live Forever” (from the 1986 album “A Kind of Magic”). There are also live recordings of favourites like “Fat Bottomed Girls”, “Now I’m Here” and “Love of My Life”.
The highlight of the album is undoubtedly tracks 16 to 20. You will wish you were at the Live Aid performance to hear Mercury belt out “Bohemian Rhapsody” with May on the guitar, Roger Taylor on the drums and John Deacon on the bass guitar. You will wish you were at London’s Wembley Stadium echoing “Ay Oh”, and feeling the triumphs of the human spirit as the set closes with “We Are The Champions”. If you were part of this historic moment, you would agree that with a 2005 industry poll that voted it as the greatest live performance in the history of rock.
If you weren’t part of the 72,000 strong crowd during the momentous performance, the alternative is to blast this segment of the soundtrack through your home entertainment system. For the record, it worked damn well for us.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Tracks: Queen's Live Aid performance in (16) to (20)
Review by John Li
There was a time when we loved Disney animated films for their musical sequences. When Aurora, Rapunzel and Tiana sang about their dreams and aspirations, we wished that like the princesses, life had happy endings in store for us too.
We are guessing that Vanellope von Schweetz (aka Wreck It Ralph’s best friend) had long dreamed about being a Disney princess. That explains why she gets to croon this album’s best track “A Place Called Slaughter Race”. Performed by the character’s voice actress Sarah Silverman and a certain Gal Gadot, the tune pokes fun at the ridiculously positive princess songs we are familiar with. Things get meta when you realise that the lyrics are penned by Alan Menken, who is known for his works on classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
There is also a pop version of the song performed by Julia Michaels titled “In This Place”. Like how Owl City contributed the single “When Can I See You Again?” for the first movie, Imagine Dragon performs “Zero” here to exemplify the themes explored in this sequel.
The majority of the soundtrack contains score material composed by Henry Jackman, who has done an excellent job with the first movie. A familiar melody kicks off “Best Friends” as we are introduced to the familiar world of the sequel movie. Then we are brought into the digital world with compositions like “The Internet” and “Buzzztube”.
If you have seen the film, you may remember two particularly fantastic moments. When Vanellope meets the Storm Troopers, Star Wars fans will notice the musical themes from the space saga’s “The Imperial March” - you will hear that in “Vanellope’s March”. Another fun moment happens when the Disney princesses come together to save Ralph, and in “A Big Strong Man in Need of Rescuing,” you will hear bits of music from the movies they starred in.
The album clocks a generous 75 minutes runtime, and it is a fun soundtrack to listen to.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (2) A Place Called Slaughter Race - Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot & Cast
Review by John Li
Genre: Drama
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, Alexandra Shipp
RunTime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 February 2019
Synopsis: A Dog’s Way Home chronicles the heartwarming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human.
Movie Review:
A Dog’s Way Homeis yet another doggy picture written by W. Bruce Cameron. Cameron is most known for A Dog’s Purpose (2017), which was based on his best selling novel of the same name. Some people have described his works to be similar to Nicholas Sparks, but for pet stories. And indeed, A Dog’s Way Home is about the powerful relationship between the dog and its incredible journey to reunite with her owner.
The movie is set in Denver, Colorado, US, where the beginnings of the pup, Bella begins. She was first raised by a mother cat when she got separated with her birth mum, and continued living under the mother cat’s care and became foster ‘siblings’ with the other kittens. When she was first discovered by Lucas (Bella’s eventual owner), she was brought home to be under his care. Subsequently, Bella’s cat family was forced to evacuate the old house they sought shelter at as it was due for construction. However, Lucas interrupted the plan by alerting the authorities. In seeking revenge, the neighbour caused Lucas to be separated from Bella because she was declared as a pitbull. Denver has outlawed pitbulls as a dangerous breed and Bella’s life would be threatened if she were to be found on public properties at Denver. Bella then begins her journey back home, when she escaped from her temporary home at New Mexico.
With the coveted success of its predecessor, A Dog’s Purpose, one would think that A Dog’s Way Home, being written in a similar fashion, would receive equal or more achievements. Contrary to that logic, A Dog’s Way Home lacked character and fresh perspectives. While the two narratives are entirely unrelated, they both relied heavily on the first-person perspective from a dog. Much of the story is conveyed through the eyes of the dog, and the adventure is seemingly an unknown territory to most. However, because of the excruciatingly long 400-mile journey and the mundane voiceover of Bella the ‘pitbull’, the movie was not that exciting an adventure.
While it was interesting to watch how the dog Bella interacts with other animals, (such as the coyotes, cougar and the cats) the halo effect wears off as the journey kept repeating its pattern - Bella meets an obstacle, receives help, overcomes the obstacle and continues the way back home. It could have made a bigger talking point if the CGI of the cougar was not as rough. Or perhaps inject more elements of surprise in Bella’s journey. Another point that bores is that Bella’s perspective came across as having too many ‘human-like traits’ - that killed some of the magic in this doggy centric film.
The movie attempted to confront a modern day issue, by putting the attention on the uncontested (and incomprehensible to some) outlaw of pitbulls at Denver. While the motivation and intention was great, the execution in the film appeared to be unnatural and cheesy. While the star of the story is undeniably Bella (and it makes an even better story knowing that the actual dog was indeed a rescued dog) the lack of relating back to the humans in the narrative makes this epic boring and dull.
Movie Rating:
(A tad blander that its predecessor, the pooch’s epic journey turned out to be a lengthy dog monologue)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
Genre: Crime/Action
Director: Hans Petter Moland
Cast: Liam Neeson, Laura Dern, Emmy Rossum, Tom Jackson, Tom Bateman, David O'Hara, William Forsythe
RunTime: 1 hr 59 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Some Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 February 2019
Synopsis: Welcome to Kehoe, it’s -10 degrees and counting at this glitzy ski resort in the Rocky Mountains. The local police aren’t used to much action until the son of unassuming town snowplough driver, Nels Coxman (Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson), is murdered at the order of Viking (Tom Bateman), a flamboyant drug lord. Fueled by rage and armed with heavy machinery, Nels sets out to dismantle the cartel one man at a time, but his understanding of murder comes mainly from what he read in a crime novel. As the bodies pile up, his actions ignite a turf war between Viking and his long-standing rival White Bull (Tom Jackson), a soulful Native-American mafia boss, that will quickly escalate and turn the small town’s bright white slopes blood-red.
Movie Review:
How many times have you seen Liam Neeson play a man with ‘a very particular set of skills’? Besides the ‘Taken’ trilogy, there are probably another four films to add to that count, including ‘Unknown’, ‘Non-Stop’, ‘Run All Night’ and ‘The Commuter’. But before you dismiss this latest action thriller as yet another hoping to cash in on his prolific genre hero, you should know that Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland’s remake of his 2014 original (which starred Stellan Skarsgard in the role) is a lot more sophisticated than that. Heck, besides throwing a mean punch and knowing how to shoot, Neeson’s character doesn’t even have that particular set of skills to speak of.
And we would say that is for the better, considering how his character named Nels Coxman (let the jokes commence) is supposedly a taciturn snowplow driver who, before his son turns up dead from a heroin overdose, was an exemplary public servant of the ski resort town of Kehoe, Colorado. As the early scenes establish, he would have been perfectly content going about his daily task of maintaining the roadways diligently and dutifully, and coming home at the end of it to his wife (Laura Dern) and son (Micheál Richardson, Neeson’s real-life son with Natasha Richardson). Yet that life is shattered by his son’s sudden death, which not only causes his grief-stricken wife to leave him but also plunges him into a near-suicidal state.
It so happens that Nels would catch his son’s work colleague hiding out in his shop just as he is about to shoot himself in the mouth with a rifle, the latter battered and bloodied but lucid enough to tell Nels that his son’s death was in fact staged by a Denver-based drug syndicate eager to send a message. Nels also forces him to give up the name of who was responsible, and from that very first lowlife (whom he punches relentlessly in a cargo elevator and subsequently strangles to death at the back of his van), finds himself on an irreversible course up the chain of command to terminate everyone in the organisation who perpetrated his son’s cruel murder.
Like we said at the start, the film doesn’t over-stretch the bounds of Nels’ physical abilities in these kills; or for that matter his ingenuity in disposing of the bodies using chicken wire (so that the fish would feed on their flesh and they would not bloat to the surface), which Nels explains he had read in a crime novel. Just as significantly, while the chain of events is triggered by Nels’ desire for revenge, it isn’t propelled entirely by him. Oh no, at least half, if not more, of the final body count is due to the turf war he unwittingly sets off between the aforementioned Denver-based gang led by the ruthless drug kingpin Viking (Tom Bateman) and an American Indian gang led by the antiquities dealer White Bull (Tom Jackson).
To Moland and his screenwriter Frank Baldwin’s credit, that subplot is surprisingly well-developed, both in terms of the tit-for-tat which ensues when Viking’s men kill White Bull’s only son and the personalities on either side of the turf. The egoistical and pompous Viking, which Bateman plays to the hilt, is a fascinating character in himself, and his interactions with his tough ex-wife Aya (Julia Jones) as well as a particularly loquacious henchmen of his are fun to watch. So too the interactions among White Bull’s men, who are clearly enjoying their excuse to get out of reservation territory. The story deftly balances the rivalry between Viking and White Bull with Nels’ path of vengeance, culminating in a satisfying gunfight where these characters settle their scores with one another at the same time.
Had these events been played with a straight face, ‘Cold Pursuit’ would have been no more than a well-made B-revenge flick; but as it turns out, both Moland and his cast gamely approach the material with tongue firmly in cheek. That dark humour is everywhere in the film, from how Viking tells his young son that all of the answers he needs in life is in the ‘Lord of the Flies’ book, to the byplay between Emmy Rossum’s rookie police officer and her seen-it-all partner (played by John Doman), and to an elaborately set up dick joke with a gunpowder-singed punchline (that we don’t want to ruin for you). What other movie can you think of that marks each death with a pop-up card that bears a crucifix on top of the name of the person who just died?
Amidst the violence and comedy though, there is an unmistakable underlying theme in the consequences of father-son relationships inflected by the course of violence. We see that in how Nels seeks revenge for his son, which White Bull does likewise later on. Then there is Viking, who inherited the criminal business from his father and tries to impart the same philosophies to his son, resulting in a tenuous relationship that is laid out in stark contrast later on to the unexpected bond which develops between Nels and the kid. Thankfully, Moland knows better than to try to turn this into some sort of morality tale, and instead leaves his audience to draw their own conclusions about the self-perpetuating cycle wrought by violence.
It is indeed unfortunate that the movie was somewhat overshadowed by Neeson’s ill-advised remarks on his own revenge fantasy 40 years ago, but that should in no way diminishes how fiendishly entertaining it actually is, thanks to the excellent concoction of vengeance, violence and offbeat humour which Moland expertly mixes together. So as much as ‘Cold Pursuit’ bears the trappings of another standard-issue Neeson actioner, it is really much cleverer and more elegant. Let’s just say that it is for good reason that it has been compared to ‘Fargo’, and if Neeson wants to continue doing this aging vigilante thing, doing it with a wink and a smile certainly makes it a lot more refreshing.
Movie Rating:
(Not your typical Liam Neeson actioner, 'Cold Pursuit' expertly mixes violence with offbeat, tongue-in-cheek humour to make a darkly funny revenge thriller)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Alan Arkin, Deobia Oparei
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: The Walt Disney Company
Official Website: https://movies.disney.com/dumbo-2019
Opening Day: 28 March 2019
Synopsis: From Disney and visionary director Tim Burton, the all-new grand live-action adventure Dumbo expands on the beloved classic story where differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets.
Movie Review:
This is definitely Disney’s year. Not counting the Marvel Studios and Star Wars movies, there are four live-action adaptations of beloved Disney animated films. Before we fly on a magic carpet with Aladdin, reclaim the throne with The Lion King and discover the dark secrets of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, we are soaring the skies with a certain elephant with oversized ears.
If you don’t already know, the movie’s titular character is an elephant with huge ears. It becomes a laughing stock of a circus that is struggling to make ends meet. When two kind kids realise that the elephant can fly, the circus sees a glimmer of hope. Alas, things change when enterprising businessmen step into the picture and the troupe has to move to a disturbingly commercialised theme park.
Despite a runtime of 64 minutes (it is one of Disney’s shortest animated features), the original film won audiences over with its pleasant charm. It won Best Scoring of a Musical Picture at the 1941 Academy Awards and Best Animation Design at the 1947 Cannes Festival. The filmmakers of this updated live-action version probably felt that today’s viewers won’t buy the same simplicity, which explains the various storylines going on in the movie.
Colin Farrell (Widows) is a former trick rider who returns home with a lost arm. He has to come to terms that his two children (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins) are still trying to deal with the loss of their mother. Michael Keaton (Birdman) is an entrepreneur who convinces a larger than life circus owner (Danny DeVito from Smallfoot) to move his small business onto a larger canvas finances by a loaded banker played effortlessly by Alan Arkin (Going in Style). Eva Green (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) puts her femme fatale persona to good use by playing a trapeze artist who strikes up a romance with Farrell. There is also a handful of supporting circus acts which remind you of the misfits in The Greatest Showman. Not all the storylines work well and you wish that they kept things simple.
Fortunately, the gorgeous cinematography makes up for this flaw. The best bits of the movie belong to Dumbo. The scenes of the adorable elephant soaring in air will make you feel like a child again.
Burton, who is known for his stylised visual flair, delivers another impressive piece of work. The circus never looked more impressive. One moment we gaping in awe at the myriad of colours, and fearing for the protagonists the next as they try to escape from lurking shadows. The scenes remind us of Big Fish (2003), another one of Burton’s heartfelt films that take place against a backdrop of mystical circus setting. The visuals complement what Burtondoes best – telling a tale about being an outsider.
And geeks would point out that Keaton and DeVito are sharing the screen for the first time since Batman Returns (1992). The caped crusader and the villainous but sad Penguin are outcasts in their own rights. Who would have thought the duo would reunite in a Disney family movie 27 years later, and that the rivalry is reversed?
Thanks to Tim Burton who also directed the two men in Batman Returns, ‘90s kids would have a fun time watching this live-action adaptation of the 1941 Disney animation classic. How apt, because most of them are probably parents by now and nothing beats bonding with your children over a tale which emphasises the importance of understanding others’ differences and believing in yourself.
Movie Rating:
(Soar with Dumbo and feel like a child again!)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. In the early 1970s, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) becomes the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a difference, he bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. He recruits a seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation. Together, they team up to take down the extremist organisation aiming to garner mainstream appeal. Produced by the team behind the Academy Award*-winning˚ Get Out, BlacKkKlansman offers am unflinching, true-life examination of race relations in 1970s America that is just as relevant in today’s tumultuous world.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Because we live in a peaceful nation in a peaceful time with generally no conflicts among the different races, we tend to take things for granted. BlacKkKlansman explores a dangerous time in 70’s America where race and colour is very much a big deal in this surprisingly light, funny affair helmed by the legendary Spike Lee (Malcolm X, Inside Man).
John David Washington (son of Denzel) plays a rookie cop, Ron Stallworth who posed as a white man to prank-call the local division of the notorious Ku Klux Klan while his Jewish colleague, Philip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) has to act as him to meet the Ku Klux Klan members in person.
Thus begin a series of challenging investigative outings involving Stallworth and Zimmerman. The former backing the latter via a hidden microphone with Zimmerman trying his best to put on a false front to fend off a suspicious KKK member, Felix and also winning the trust of their leader Walter and their mysterious Grand Wizard and mastermind, David Duke (Topher Grace).
Despite the heaviness of the topic onhand and the mostly dialogue driven narrative, Lee manages to deliver one of the most entertaining yet thought-revoking movies of his career. The sharp humour and almost campy tone is a brilliant way to bring his messages across without sounding too preachy or boring. Ironically the issue of colour is still relevant after so many decades if you remember the 2017 Charlottesville riots.
Using the real-life Ron Stallworth’s memoir as a base for the screenplay, Lee made good use of the material to poke fun at white supremacy and racism although there’s a fabricated last act that solely exists to drum up the tension. A subplot between Stallworth and Patrice Dumas, a president of the black student union is less fluid compare to the much more intriguing, exciting infiltrative works of Zimmerman and Stallworth.
Sounding exactly liked his dad, John David Washington making his first leading man appearance is full of charisma and magnetic. Both Adam Driver and Topher Grace puts in effective performances to draw you into Lee’s world. Same goes to the rest of the supporting cast who plays chilling members of the KKK.
BlacKkKlansman is a perfectly engineered piece of compelling work that attempts to educate and entertain the masses at the same time. It’s a story that is set in the 70’s but the gist of it remains frustratingly relevant in today’s era.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A Spike Lee Joint is a five minutes feature that has the real Ron Stallworth and talents liked Jordan Peele, Topher Grace and John David Washington talking about the casting, story and performance. BlacKkKlansman Extended Trailer Featuring Prince's "Mary Don't You Weep” is just a longer trailer that is set to Prince’s song.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is clear and solid for the dialogue-driven movie. Even the occasional environmental sound effects are detailed same goes to the music tracks. Images are rich and sharp although some selective low-lit scenes looks murky. Overall, it looks serviceable on DVD if you are not particular about hi-res sound and vision.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR 2019Posted on 07 Feb 2019 |
Genre: Action
Director: David Leitch
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 1 August 2019
Synopsis: Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Johnson), a loyal agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Statham), aformerBritish military elite operative, first faced off in 2015’s Fast & Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever—and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister —these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves. Hobbs & Shaw blasts open a new door in the Fast universe as it hurtles action across the globe, from Los Angeles to London and from the toxic wasteland of Chernobyl to the lush beauty of Samoa.
Movie Review:
Vin Diesel may be the undisputed icon of the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, but the friendantagonist pairing of Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham is undeniably the highlight of the last two ‘Fast and Furious’ movies. More than the contrary nature of their titular characters – one’s a quintessential lawman and the other’s a career criminal – it was the way Johnson and Statham traded barbs at each other that truly lit up the screen.
That same combative dynamic is very much alive and present in this spinoff, which is pretty much built on their sheer chemistry. Indeed, almost every scene with Hobbs (Johnson) and Shaw (Statham) plays on the tension between them, be it arguing over how to save the world or chasing the villain down 40 or so floors of a London skyscraper. Most of it is wittily scripted by ‘Fast and Furious’ veteran Chris Morgan, together with co-writer Drew Pearce, but there are also moments where you can clearly tell that Johnson and Statham are having a ball of a time improvising with the material.
If two hours of that sounds like overkill, we’re here to reassure you that it isn’t; on the contrary, their banter lends the proceedings some much-needed levity, especially when everything else is so clearly and often mind-numbingly over-the-top. Like ‘The Fate of the Furious’, ‘Hobbs and Shaw’ forces both of them to work together, this time to stop the cyber-genetically enhanced mercenary Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) from getting his hands on some super-virus nicknamed ‘Snowflake’, which could spell the very end of the world.
Never mind that the CIA has apparently left such an earth-shattering mission to just two men; ultimately, the plot is no more than a device to have Hobbs and Shaw engage in some ‘Fast and Furious’-style jaw-dropping vehicular mayhem while badgering and bickering with each other. That the rogue MI6 agent, whom Hobbs and Shaw are first recruited by the CIA to hunt down, so happens to be Shaw’s sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby) is yet another half-baked detail you need overlook, by keeping the larger objective of high-octane action comedy in mind.
And in that respect, Leitch surely doesn’t disappoint. There are plenty of fights throughout the movie, with those featuring Johnson specifically tailored to emphasise his hulking mass, and those with Statham to take advantage of his lithe physique. Even as Kirby gets to do a fair share of fighting (and does so pretty impressively), the focus is undoubtedly on Johnson and Statham, and some of the more memorable fisticuffs sees both of them ribbing each other while beating up the bad guys (if you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll know what we mean). It is not hard to guess that the climactic scene has them fighting together against Brixton, a three-way fight filmed in slo-mo in the rain, and as contrived as that may be, the sight of Johnson and Statham complementing each other’s kicks and punches is undeniably rousing.
Between these intimate one-against-few fights, Leitch lives up his movie to its parent franchise’s template with three elaborate sequences that defy the very laws of physics. There is a thrilling chase down the streets of London with Statham driving a MacLaren and Brixton on a self-driving motorcycle that bends and folds around tight turns; there is a daring raid on Brixton’s lab at an industrial facility in Ukraine, which sees our titular duo outrace crumbling smokestacks on a military-grade truck; and last but not least, there is the final showdown at Hobbs’ Samoan homeland, that has four custom hefty hot rods forming a chain to hold down a jumbo helicopter while racing down the coasts of Samoa, with the inclusion of a ‘Tokyo Drift’ off one of its cliffs for good measure.
Criticise them for being outrageous for all you want, but that is the very appeal of the ‘Fast and Furious’ movies, and Leitch knows better than to deviate from formula; in fact, he milks each of these set-pieces for maximum outrageous thrills and fun, and has two absolutely game players in Johnson and Statham. Oh yes, ‘Hobbs and Shaw’ is intended as no less than outsized summer popcorn entertainment, with Johnson even calling in Ryan Reynolds (as a former colleague who may have been a little too close to Hobbs when they were partners) and Kevin Hart (as an air marshal who wants in on the action) to dip in the fun in a couple of glorified (but uncredited) cameos.
As long as you know what you’re getting into, ‘Hobbs and Shaw’ is one heck of a rollercoaster ride. The action is wild, even spinning off the rails every now and then, and the atmosphere is never less than exuberant, thanks to the magnetism of Johnson and Statham. There is the usual pathos about family thrown in, as both Hobbs and Shaw find themselves making amends with the people whom they care about deeply. Even though it runs a little too indulgent at two-and-a-quarter hours, you probably won’t mind the company of Johnson and Statham for longer – after all, few buddy pairings are as enjoyable, infectious and endearing.
Movie Rating:
(Every bit as silly, outrageous and fun as the 'Fast and Furious' movies, this spinoff coasts on the chemistry of Johnson and Statham, and its director David Leitch's flair for sheer adrenalised thrills)
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