Genre: Comedy
Director: Chris Morris
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Adeel Akhtar, Preeya Kalidas, Mohammad Aqil, Craig Parkinson
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Fims
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language & Mature Content)
Official Website: http://drafthousefilms.com/
Opening Day: 1 September 2011
Synopsis: Chris Morris’ Four Lions is a funny, thrilling comedy that illuminates modern jihadism through the prism of farce. It understands jihadists as human beings. And it understands human beings as innately ridiculous. What This Is Spinal Tap did for heavy metal and Dr Strangelove the Cold War, Four Lions does for the modern face of terrorism.
Movie Review:
Trust British satirist Chris Morris (best known for the news-spoof radio show ‘On the Hour’ and TV shows ‘The Day Today’ and ‘Brass Hour’) to take the deadly serious subject of jihad and turn it into satire- the result of which is a sharply written and often provocative study on religious fanaticism. Indeed, Morris’ reputation as a provocateur should also be fair warning that his politically incorrect film will not please every demographic, but his extensive research on the subject as well as his trademark wit ensures that this is much more than just farce.
Right from the start, it is clear that there is something off about the group of four Islamic fundamentalists gathered in front of a home video camera trying to get their jihadist video right. The dim-witted Waj (Nigel Lindsay) is the one holding a toddler-sized AK-47 too small to be convincing in front of the camera, while the belligerent and no more intelligent Barry (Nigel Lindsay) bellows instructions from behind the lens. Equally dense is Faizal (Adeel Akhtar), quiet and naïve in his grand plan of training crows to be suicide bombers. The only one with a measure of wit is their leader Omar (Riz Ahmed), whose profile as a loving family man with a wife and a son is probably furthest from that of a terrorist.
Omar is also the most relatable among the quartet to the audience, expressing our disbelief at their plain stupidity. How else would you react to Barry’s insistence that Waj, Faizal and his new recruit Hassan (Arsher Ali) eat their SIM cards to avoid detection by the authorities? Or his plan for them to shake their heads really fast from side to side to avoid being photographed? But as much as we appreciate the commonsensical logic Omar brings to the group, his coolheadedness only makes his conviction as a jihadist even more disturbing.
So too is his wife’s (Preeya Kalidas) endorsement not just of his ideas, but also of his intended actions. Even more alarming is Omar’s bedtime stories to his son, plagiarising the Disney cartoon ‘The Lion King’ to compare his actions to that of the titular character battling the evil Westernised Scar. Morris’ portrayal of Omar and his family dynamics serve to highlight that how the cycle of Islamic extremism is perpetuated within families of radicalists, especially where the seeds of terrorism are sown from a tender young age.
Bumbling and some internal squabbles aside, Omar and his group eventually settle on infiltrating the London Marathon as mascots to inflict maximum collateral damage (suffice to say that Omar wasn’t all too keen on Barry’s plan to blow up a local mosque in order to enrage the moderate Muslims to join the jihad en masse). From the decidedly farcical tone of the first hour, the movie takes a sombre turn as the potential ramifications of their actions become more prominent. Yes, despite the sheer absurdity of the proceedings, there is always the disastrous possibility that they may just succeed in their suicide mission- and Morris isn’t afraid to paint this in stark terms especially towards the end of the film.
But even with a change in tone, Morris’ film remains a surprising coherent and engaging watch throughout. Sure, its mocking tone may be seemingly insensitive to a subject as raw and controversial as Islamic fundamentalism, but Morris’ aim is particularly at homegrown terrorism and the often hypocritical nature of its believers who embrace and yet scorn the very Western culture part and parcel of their own lives. Certainly the portrayal of the terrorists within the film is grossly exaggerated, but that doesn’t mean those in real-life are very much smarter. Whether or not you disagree with his approach, you’ll still be chuckling away at the gags, and thinking of the very possibility that people like Omar, Barry, Faizal, Hassan and Waj may very well exist and succeed in their self-proclaimed religious missions in real life.
Movie Rating:
(It may not please everyone, but this politically incorrect farce is in fact sharp hilarious satire that takes an incisive bite at religious fundamentalism)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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Unveiling The Great MagicianPosted on 18 Aug 2011 |
Genre: Martial Arts/Romance
Director: Gao Xiaosong
Cast: Wu Chun, Barbie Hsu, Han Geng, Yu Rongguang, Louis Liu, Yuen Biao
RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: PG (Some Violence And Scene Of Intimacy)
Official Website: www.facebook.com/dawusheng
Opening Day: 8 September 2011
Synopsis: In the closing days of the 19th century, the Prince Regent of the crumbling Qing Dynasty orders the mass execution of the entire Meng clan. Before his beheading in a crowded Beijing marketplace, the Meng clan leader vows that his family will avenge this travesty of justice. Awaiting his death, a five-year-old Meng boy named Erkui bravely sings an aria. The power and purity of his voice touches the onlookers including opera star Master Yu Shengying and his seven-year-old pupil Guan Yilong. Deeply moved, Master Yu rescues the boy and the two orphans, Yilong and Erkui, become brothers. Years later, Master Yu wins the coveted golden "Wu Sheng Tai Dou" (“The Mightiest Warrior”) plaque from the Prince Regent, but subsequently loses it in a duel with his archrival Master Yue Jiangtian. Banished from the stage upon his loss, Master Yu spends his time training Yilong and Erkui in Peking Opera and martial arts, perfecting their skills. When the boys grow into men, they set off for Shanghai to pursue revenge and reclaim the plaque from Master Yue. Once they reach Shanghai, they quickly defeat Master Yue, reclaiming not only the plaque but also becoming the new masters of Yue’s opera troupe. Almost overnight, they become sensations of the Shanghai opera scene along with Master Yue’s protégé and former lover, the beautiful actress Xi Mulan. But soon, their collective pasts catch up with them and all three ends up in a complex web of love, lust, deceit and betrayal, ultimately ending in tragedy.
Movie Review:
Director and co-writer Gao Xiaosong’s ‘My Kingdom’ is meant to be a lavish period action drama set around the Peking opera, and for the first half of the movie, it accomplishes just what it promises. Unfortunately, there’s another half to the film, and it is this that you’re likely to remember once you step out of the cinema. No thanks to Gao and co-writer Zou Jingshi’s overplotting and Gao’s clumsy direction, this other half is a complete utter mess and a testament to how something so beautiful can fall apart so dramatically.
Beginning with an extended prologue which introduces the audience to two rival operatic masters- Yu (Yuen Biao) and Yue (Yu Rongguang), the movie charts the ups and downs of two students of Master Yu- Yi-Long and Er-Kui, as played by Wu Chun and Han Geng respectively. After Yue’s unannounced contest for the title of ‘The Mightiest Warrior’ leads to Yu’s humiliating defeat and his subsequent retirement, Yi-long and Er-kui make it their mission to avenge their master following the completion of their training.
So they travel to Shanghai to challenge Master Yue at his very theatre, and proceed to engage with Yue and the rest of his troupe in a thrilling duel that is the undisputed highlight of the entire movie. Indeed, this exhilarating sequence combines the dexterity of Sammo Hung’s action choreography with Gino Xie’s lush costumes and Yang Yaoyu’s beautiful production design to deliver a truly awesome acrobatic display, complemented by Kwong Ting Wo and Lam Wah Chuen’s deft cinematography and some nifty editing by Christopher Blunden. Each of the crew here deserves mention for this sequence alone, and it is pure magic to see their individual touches unite to form a magnificent tapestry.
Nonetheless, this sequence also proves to be one of the reasons for the film’s undoing later on, for it sets its audience up for something lofty which the rest of the movie fails to deliver. Yes, after allowing Yi-long and Er-kui to fulfil their quest of regaining their master’s honour halfway into the film, it isn’t sure what else to let these characters do. So Gao and Zou turn Yi-long into an arrogant philanderer and Er-kui into an assassin going after the Prince Regent’s sons (the Prince was responsible for the death of his family and their village when he was young) while falling in love with Xi Mulan (Barbie Hsu), Yue’s protégé cum lover.
As if that wasn’t enough, they also bring in a powerful Mayor figure (played by popular magician Liu Qian) whose allegiances are never quite clear. It takes skill to juggle all these disparate characters and plot threads together and yet be able to make sense of it all at the end, but neither Gao nor Zou have that ability. Instead, we kid you not when we say it all becomes a shocking mess, as Gao jumps from one scene to another without proper continuity, and the characters (especially Mulan) are defined so poorly at the end it simply becomes laughable.
Even worse is Gao’s propensity for melodrama, straining for some grand irony in what he hopes is a complex ‘web of love, lust, deceit and betrayal’. Unfortunately, there is little gravity in the proceedings, and one is left baffled at his ignorance at how spectacularly his film crumbles apart. His actors aren’t as daft, but their compensation in the form of over-acting only makes it more pathetic. Granted that Wu Chun and Han Geng were probably chosen more for their looks than for their acting, but the good work that both put in is sadly wasted by the time the film gets past the halfway mark.
Those looking to see more of Sammo Hung’s action work will also be disappointed- after the breathtaking showcase described early on, there is only one more action sequence to come, and that set in a wine cellar between Er-Kui and Mulan is nothing to shout about. Those looking to learn more about the fading cultural art form that is Peking opera will also likely be let down- Gao and Zou get so caught up in trying to spin their web of intrigue that they forget to spend any more time on the very reason people are drawn to their movie, and the second half is surprisingly devoid of operatic scenes.
By the time the curtains draw to a close, what began so promisingly will probably have faded into oblivion, and in its place a feeling of incredulity at the dreadful plotting and incompetent direction on such prominent display. If you’re a fan of Peking opera, or curious to see what the best of it looks like, we recommend you leave right after Yi-long and Er-kui defeat Master Yue- there’s nothing after that worth your time.
Movie Rating:
(A film of two disparate halves- one very excellent first, and one terribly dreadful second)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Melodrama/Thriller
Director: Chong Yun-su
Cast: Shin Eun-kyung, Jeoung Jun-ho, Shim Yi-young
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Released By: Shaw & InnoForm Media
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scenes & Nudity)
Official Website: www.twowomen2010.co.kr
Opening Day: 29 September 2011
Synopsis: What appeared to be a perfect marriage starts to crumble with husband’s affair
Architect and college professor, Jisok, and his wife, Soyoung, a doctor, had what seemed like true love and perfect marriage. That is, until Soyoung starts to become suspicious of her husband’s affair. A coincidental visit to her husband’s college brings the simmering suspicion to the surface and Soyoung approaches her husband’s mistress and student, Suzzie, by taking her yoga classes.
A devious engagement develops into friendship!
Suzzie openly and unsuspectingly accepts Soyoung’s friendship. Their friendship develops and Suzzie and starts depending on Soyoung. This presents an opportunity for Soyoung to monitor the details of her husband’s affair with Suzzie. But what started as jealousy and motivation for revenge turns into understanding and compassion confusing and putting Soyoung into despair. Soyoung is forced to make a decision between her trusting friend Suzzie who innocently opened up to her and Jisok who wanted to keep both his perfect wife and attractive lover. They face having to make a final choice, all in the name of love.
Movie Review:
Stylishly directed but emotionally void, "Love, In Between" does something that only the South Koreans seem to do best -- the erotic melodrama. Classy and beautifully shot, this film oozes a certain sensual sensibility and tantalising tease but remains withholding at its core. The fascination by first-time feature director Chong Yun-su is clear given the abundance of striking nudity featuring beautiful Asian bodies twirling around each other in its immaculately designed set and alluringly photographed in quaint angles.
The story is familiar, especially to anyone that has seen last year's "Chloe" -- a wife discovers her husband has been carrying on an affair with a younger woman and investigates, becoming closer to the mistress as time goes on. Upper middle anxieties invade gynaecologist So-young's (Shin Eun-kyung) affluent household with her husband architect-teacher Jisok. (Jeoung Jun-ho) when she finds a stray condom and illicit messages between him and Suzzie (Shim Yi-young), his yoga-instructing pixie-haired student. She tracks her down and joins the gym where she works, slowly trying to decipher why in the world would her husband risk their perfect life for this particular girl by becoming her friend but not telling her who she really is. The film hints at the idea that the lack of a child (though apparently not for the lack of trying) in their marriage creating a certain malaise in their matrimony but like many other aspects in the film, it never truly chases down what makes these characters tick but instead looks towards its aesthetics to pull the tepid story through.
The film plays with many psychological tropes but never truly commits to any of them, though at times does make a go of actually giving its actors something to work with other than constant disrobing. So-young and Suzzie's relationship has a constant sexual tension, we wait for the almost obligatory sapphic pay-off between them given their increasingly close physical proximity. You come to realise then why its original title in South Korea is "Two Women," given that most of the film revolves around their relationship and waiting for the ball to drop on when Suzzie or Jisok finds out about So-young's masquerade.
Then there's the evolution between the characters as we begin to sympathise with Suzzie when we come to realise that out of the three, she is the only one who feels something akin to true love. The sexual minefield between the husband and the wife comes to a breaking point yet the only casualty remains the mistress. Up until its intensely melodramatic and improbably inane climax, the film creates a sexy tone tempered by its push-pull characterisation of its protagonist Shin Eun-kyung gives a good go at giving her character a certain verve in So-young's eventual emergence from a repressed background but "Love, In Between" never truly has anything at stake within itself, or at least never bothers cluing us in on it. We see its characters moving between emotions but we never feel it and that's something that severely cripples a film such as this.
Movie Rating:
(Gorgeously filmed but emotionally vacant)
Review by Justin Deimen
Genre: Romance/Drama/Comedy
Director: Nicole Kassell
Cast: Kate Hudson, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kathy Bates, Whoopi Goldberg, Lucy Punch, Romany Malco, Steven Weber, Peter Dinklage, Treat Williams
RunTime: 1 hr 47 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Rating: PG13 (Sexual References)
Official Website:
Opening Day: 15 September 2011
Synopsis: It’s not easy being a woman in New York’s cut throat advertising industry. But Marley (Kate Hudson) has worked her way up to become the youngest Account Director on Madison Avenue – all with a cheeky smile and her irreverent sense of humour. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks but most of all she doesn’t believe in getting attached – especially to members of the opposite sex. That is until she is thrown a massive curve ball. Don’t forget your tissues for this heartfelt romantic drama that will have you battling alongside Marley for love, family and ….life.
Movie Review:
Once rom-com queen Kate Hudson returns to the big screen with not a comedy, but rather a weepie, playing a free-spirited young woman who discovers one day that she has not many more months to live. It’s the kind of material that you would expect from a Nicholas Sparks novel, or perhaps a Korean or Japanese movie- and true enough, without the right pedigree, this tearjerker which tries to put an upbeat spin on death ends up being just middling.
To be fair, Hudson exhibits her usual sunny brand of charisma as Marley, the sassy account director in the advertising industry who has just won her New Orleans agency a coveted contract for a condom company. She parties hard, has an active no-strings sex life, and remains gleefully single living alone in an apartment with her dog Walter. A few years back, the Marley as played by Hudson would probably meet a guy, fall in love, and discover the beauty of commitment- but no, here she meets a handsome doctor Julian (Gael Garcia Bernal) while finding out that she has colon cancer. How the times have not been kind to Hudson (the same of which could be said of her stalling Hollywood career).
Anyways, Marley also discovers that she has probably very little hope of recovery from a dreamlike sequence where she meets God in the form of a cheerfully beaming Whoopi Goldberg. We kid you not- somehow the filmmakers decided that they needed a touch of the Divine and Morgan Freeman was probably not available. There are two such Godly encounters in the entire movie, each equally hokey as the other, but thankfully the rest of first-time feature writer Gren Wells’ script is moderately better (and we do mean only moderately).
Eschewing the easy melodrama, Marley takes death in her stride, going about her remaining days determined to make the best out of them instead of lamenting about her circumstance. Besides her separated parents (Kathy Bates and Treat Williams), she also gets loving support from her band of happy-go-lucky friends (among them Lucy Punch and Romany Malco)- not to mention a love interest in the form of Dr. Julian. As far as Hollywood schmaltz goes, this is pure formula, so expect none of the people around Marley to take advantage of her, or decide that they have none of her condition. Inspiration isn’t the movie’s strong suite, so there are really little surprises along the way even as Marley grows progressively weaker.
And the film too suffers the same fate, its determination to be bittersweet especially trying when it gets to the inevitable melodrama by the third act. Director Nicole Kassell is far from her critically acclaimed big screen debut ‘The Woodsman’, and can’t quite find the right tone for the film to settle in. Instead, too much comedy at the start alienates us from the gravity of Marley’s situation, and too much melodrama at the end just rings hollow. The romance between Marley and Julian also never convinces- Hudson and Bernal sharing little winning chemistry with each other.
Yet despite these flaws, Kassell’s sophomore feature still has the glossy sheen of a typical Hollywood product, and undemanding audiences will likely find this pleasing enough. Still, a film with a subject matter like this needs to resonate emotionally in order to be worth its weight, and its decidedly carefree attitude works against the film by making it too lightweight for its audience to care. That’s a shame really, for Hudson is luminous as ever, her radiant presence- while sorely missed in recent years- wasted in mediocrity like this.
Movie Rating:
(Hudson is great to watch as ever, but even her radiant presence can’t save this movie that wavers between comedy and tragedy and can’t quite find the balance either way)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Soul Surfer is the incredible true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. The film features an all-star cast including Anna Sophia Robb and Helen Hunt with Carrie Underwood in her film debut and Dennis Quaid. In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany's feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Faith-based dramas are a tough lot to like if you’re not in the faith- after all, most, if not all, tend to get preachy and excessively righteous. But ‘Soul Surfer’, based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a 13-year-old amateur competition surfer in Hawaii who lost her arm in a freak shark attack and through sheer grit preserved in her ambitions, is one of the very rare few that should appeal to both believers and non-believers equally- chiefly because it doesn’t preach, but uses religion matter-of-factly to tell of its role in Bethany’s recovery.
Indeed, look past the open-air church worship scenes and the religious talk by youth cell group leader Sarah (played by country singer Carrie Underwood) and you will find that no less than four writers (Sean McNamara, Deborah Schwartz, Douglas Schwartz and Michael Berk) have found the right emphasis on religion in the movie by highlighting its importance in providing Bethany with the strength and the resolve to get into the water and stand up on that surfing board even with just one arm. Yes, it is no easy feat, and instead of glorifying their subject, the writers have accurately attributed Bethany’s determination to her firm belief in God.
But first and foremost, this is a story about overcoming life’s adversities- even if we can’t always make sense of them all- and director Sean McNamara, together with a pitch-perfect cast, ensures that the story is poignant and heartfelt. The first half hour introduces us to the passionate surfer Bethany was right from the day she was born in the Hawaiian island of Kauai, her perfect family of dad Tom (Dennis Quaid), mom Cheri (Helen Hunt) and brother Noah (Ross Thomas), her best friend Alana Blanchard (Lorraine Nicholson) and of course her Christian faith. Her supposed perfect life comes apart when she loses her arm to a 14-foot tiger shark during a morning surf.
McNamara makes the attack swift, but brings across the anxiety and distress of the situation through an extended sequence which sees Alana’s dad Holt pulling Bethany out of the water and rushing her to meet the ambulance halfway to the hospital with Cheri right behind him. The entire sequence is electrifying, and conveys acutely how nerve-wracking it must have been for both Bethany and her family- which only makes Bethany’s subsequent healing even more profound.
Like most of us probably would, Bethany asks this ‘How could this be God’s plan for me?’, as she tries to continue living the life she always had in the same way and finding even the simplest of tasks (e.g. wearing her swimsuit, slicing fruits, preparing dinner) demanding. Wisely, the movie doesn’t offer any answers to that question- instead, it shows her change of perspective, recognising that she is fortunate enough to survive, and then realising through a mission trip to tsunami-struck Thailand in 2004 that there are many others much worse off than her.
And as played by AnnaSophia Robb, every moment of Bethany’s agony, pessimism, courage and perseverance is portrayed beautifully. Robb gives a most spirited performance that will win you over effortlessly, and she possesses a magnetic charisma on screen. McNamara chooses as the film’s climax Bethany’s fifth place win in the NSSA Regional Event in 2004, and while it may not seem much of a triumph at first sight, Robb translates the significance of that win into the personal achievement of her character magnificently.
The rest of the cast are equally stellar, in particular Quaid and Hunt as Bethany’s parents and a surprising moving turn by former Hercules TV star Kevin Sorbo as Bethany’s saviour, Holt. McNamara also makes the film look gorgeous at every turn whether in or out of the water, aided in no small measure by John F. Leonetti’s cinematography. And McNamara also deserves credit for a slick polished film that never misses any of its emotional beats, while remaining genuine and authentic in its retelling of Bethany’s life.
Whether or not you are a believer of the Christian faith, we urge you to watch this inspirational tale of a truly courageous and spirited young individual. You may not share her religious faith, but you can be sure that her zest and faith in life will definitely be something that you can relate to. Faith aside, this is one of the most rousing triumph-over-adversity movies you’ll see this year
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are about four mins worth of eight Deleted Scenes, but these are largely brief and add little to what is already in the film. There is also a standard ‘Making Of’ featurette, which has cast and crew interviews about taking on Bethany’s life story, especially in terms of how director Sean McNamara took pains to get the story right.
‘Surfing for the Screen’ specifically tackles how the cast went through surfing lessons before the shoot, because the Hamilton family were insistent that the film get the surfing scenes right. ‘Becoming Bethany’ looks at how Robb settled into her character, and the interactions between Robb and Hamilton on the set. The last of the featurettes is ‘Bethany Hamilton on Professional Surfing’ which offers real-life surfing footage of Bethany.
Once you have gone through the clips above, you should settle down for ‘Heart of a Soul Surfer’, a 30-min long documentary made in 2007 that takes an in-depth look at the shark encounter together with interviews with family and friends which give a realistic perspective to the repercussions following the attack.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is perfect, providing great atmospherics through the sound of the waves and the cheers of the crowds. Sound is also well-balanced front and back to give a surround sound experience. The visual transfer on this disc is just as excellent, the blue waters and tropical greenery of the lush Hawaiian backdrop making each image picturesque and gorgeous to look at.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 31 August 2011
SYNOPSIS: In a post-apocalyptic world, a savage war between man and vampire has raged for centuries. A warrior priest receives word of fresh attacks but now it's personal; his niece has been kidnapped by a new hive of merciless vampires. To save her, he must break his vow of peace and hunt down the hive before it's too late. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel and packed with bloodthirsty action, this full throttle crusade takes you on a hunt for a deadly new breed of killer.
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Vampire” is an undying and common genre in Hollywood. The filmmakers of “Priest” definitely knew it that’s why they created a band of ugly, faceless creatures and tagged the name of ‘vampire’ onto it in order to lure unsuspecting audience.
There’s a quick backstory told in stylist animation form of how the world of “Priest” came about. If you must know Man has battled vampires for centuries. Man loses fight. Man retreated to behind the walls of church. A few good men and women known simply as priests are train to wipe out the vampires. Just when the Clergy thought it’s safe to disband the priests and dismiss them into the civil world, a new breed of vampires has quietly surfaced.
Loosely based on a Korean comic by Hyung Min-woo, “Priest” is a paint-by-number Hollywood vampire movie that fails to inspire or even bother to setup characters and plot to truly engage you. Director Scott Charles Stewart whose earlier movie, “Legion” also touches on the theme of religion probably has some interest on this topic however Mr Stewart seems to be in a damn rush to deliver some nifty gadgets and cool action sequences to impress instead of focusing at least a partial of his attention on the industrialist-feel complex world that is controlled by the Church. Laughingly, Christopher Plummer who plays Monsignor Orelas, the Church's leader only appears in the beginning and the end of the movie. An easy paycheck for the veteran actor.
Even the fight sequences while nicely done (cue lots of slow-mo and high kicks) are just a tool to hurriedly move the movie from Point A to Point B. Ultimately; Priest’s aim is to rescue his supposedly kidnapped niece from Black Hat, (Karl Urban), a human-turned-vampire together with the help from Sheriff Hicks (Cam Gigandet) and Priestess (Maggie Q). The predictable plotting and cliché dialogues have little appeal even in the short 80 minutes running time.
Paul Bettany’s sophomore effort with Stewart is another disappointing one. Given the calibre of Bettany, we probably deserved more than a mere paper-thin character that mouths the bible and swiftly kills vampires with his cross. Maggie Q is typecast yet again as another kick-ass warrior while Urban and Gigandet are simply two of most hardworking dudes in the film industry (read: irregardless of roles and movies).
Director Stewart horns his craft during his stint at The Orphanage as a visual effects artist and “Priest” is a wonderful showcase of his talent at the production and visual department. The crazy orgy of Western, post-apocalyptic science fiction and horror elements blends nicely on the screen and perhaps a substantial portion of the US$60 million goes to creating the huge sets and outstandingly vicious weaponry.
“Priest” stood out as a wasted opportunity for Screen Gems to launch another successful franchise after “Underworld” given that the ending even attempt to hint at a sequel. The stage is set with a lush story setting but mostly it’s squandered away from lazy storytelling. Give this a rent if you seriously in need of some guilty pleasure. As for those who paid premium prices for the 3D version in the theatres, I can hear your heartbreak right from my computer screen.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are 7 Deleted And Extended Scenes, none enhancing the finished picture any further.
The Bloody Frontier: Creating the World of Priest is a 12 minutes feature that mostly touches on the production design and a brief look at the action choreography.
Tools of the Trade: The Weapons and Vehicles is an 11 minutes segment that looks at how the cool weaponry and vehicles in the movie are created.
Director Scott Stewart, Writer Cory Goodman, cast members Paul Bettany and Maggie Q are the participants in the Filmmakers and Cast Commentary which discusses on a lot of filmmaking anecdotes but never on why the movie ended up so badly.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The audio aspect on the whole fairs much better than the visual presentation. The latter featuring plenty of night scenes proves to be quite a hindrance and without the sonic ambient effects, you can’t really make up the action happening on the screen.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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A SIMPLE LIFE gets more daily sessions after big win at the recent HK Film AwardsPosted on 17 Apr 2012 |
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Olivier Megaton
Cast: Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Graham McTavish, Jordi Molla, Lennie James, Sam Douglas, Callum Blue
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Released By: GV & MVP
Rating: NC-16
Official Website: http://www.colombiana-movie.com/
Opening Day: 29 September 2011
Synopsis: In the action film "Colombiana", Zoe Saldana plays Cataleya, a young woman who has grown up to be an assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents as a child. Turning herself into a professional killer and working for her uncle, she remains focused on her ultimate goal: to hunt down and get revenge on the mobster responsible for her parents' deaths.
Movie Review:
There’s really no point putting a movie like ‘Colombiana’ under a microscope, for you should know right from the start that it won’t stand up to scrutiny. But if you’re a hardcore action junkie, then you would know how to look past the straightforward plotting, the leaps of logic, and the sheer improbability of the premise to enjoy this sexy exciting shot of guilty pleasure.
Yes, we say sexy, for Zoe Saldana is quite simply the very definition of it in this movie. From the very first time she appears onscreen disguised as a drunken prostitute in a short revealing dress, we couldn’t take our eyes off the lady who seduced one of our own species on the planet ‘Avatar’ and brought warmth in the cold depths of outer space in ‘Star Trek’. Saldana will go even further in her first all-out leading action role to get into a black cat suit (without bra we may add) and scanty white undies, so we challenge you to avert your attention when she’s deciding what barely to put on.
And for that pleasure, we owe our gratitude to Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, who have written a script tailor-made for Saldana to exude her sexiness. Besson has made a name for his female-empowering pics (see ‘La Femme Nikita’), and ‘Colombiana’ is no different. Saldana is here a lethal assassin-for-hire, her beguiling feminine figure a perfect cover-up for her deadly skills. Like last summer’s ‘Salt’, her character goes against gender archetype- which is also one of the reasons why Cataleya (named after the Colombian orchid that is also the film’s motif) is simply mesmerising to watch.
Besson and Kamen however are less adventurous when it comes to storytelling, sticking with genre conventions to weave a story about how our protagonist seeks revenge on the people who had assassinated her family. That backstory is covered in a surprisingly long prologue set in 1992 Bogota, where the 10-year-old Cataleya witnesses her parents gunned down in front of her by crime boss Don Luis (Beto Benites) and his right-hand man, Marco (Jordi Molla). Amandia Stenberg plays the young Cataleya, and the young wide-eyed child wows in an exhilarating chase sequence over roofs and along narrow alleyways to evade her enemies.
Cataleya makes it across to Chicago, where her uncle Emilio (Cliff Curtis) takes her in and teaches her the tricks of the trade. Saldana takes over from Stenberg fifteen years later, and director Olivier Megaton introduces Saldana with an elaborately staged hit inside the cells of a police station. The 10-min long setpiece is one of the highlights of the film, as Saldana slinks her way through the air ducts stealthily and skilfully to assassinate a prisoner in transit. If Megaton had set out to make an impression of Saldana on his audience, let us tell you unequivocally that he has definitely succeeded.
Like her previous hits, Cataleya leaves a drawing of her symbol over her victim in a bid to draw out Don and Marco- both of whom are now under CIA protection in New Orleans. In between the grand finale, Megaton has Saldana swimming through shark tanks, evading capture by FBI agents (among them Lennie James) and keeping her true identity secret from her artists boyfriend (Michael Vartan). But of course, Megaton reserves the bulk of her firepower for Saldana to decimate Don’s sprawling villa, though the most thrilling of the climactic showdown is a mano-a-mano fight in a bathroom filmed in the same raw gritty style as the ‘Bourne’ movies and utilising everyday bathroom appliances as weapons.
That sequence is also a demonstration of Saldana’s extraordinary physicality, which is a large part of the personality she brings to her character. Handling both the physical and emotional scenes with panache, Saldana is the very reason the movie works. Of course, Besson and Megaton are well aware of this, which is why the other actors seem to get short shrift. But like we said, this is not a movie you fault for these flaws- rather, all it seeks to do is to quell that adrenaline fix in action fans, and in that regard, it does so beautifully. Yes, we mean that literally.
Movie Rating:
(Sexy and exciting, this is one hot action thriller that boasts a fantastic action star in Zoe Saldana)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Troy Nixey
Cast: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Jack Thompson, Garry McDonald, Edwina Ritchard, Julia Blake, Nicholas Bell
RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins
Released By: GV
Rating: NC16 (Horror and Some Violence)
Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/DontBeAfraidoftheDark
Opening Day: 15 September 2011
Synopsis: Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison), a lonely, withdrawn child, has just arrived in Rhode Island to live with her father Alex(Guy Pearce)and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) at the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the sprawling estate, the young girl discovers a hidden basement, undisturbed since the strange disappearance of the mansion’s builder a century ago. When Sally unwittingly lets loose a race of ancient, dark-dwelling creatures who conspire to drag her down into the mysterious house’s bottomless depths, she must convince Alex and Kim that it’s not a fantasy – before the evil lurking in the dark consumes them all.
Movie Review:
Although Guillermo del Toro’s name is splashed prominently on the promo materials, it is first-time director Troy Nixey who is at the helm of this remake of a 1973 television movie of the same name. Nonetheless, it was del Toro who conceptualised the remake after recalling the frightening experience the original gave him as a child, and who co-writes and produces this movie. Yes, his prints are all over the movie- though this time, they are much less indelible than his previous works.
Retaining the premise of the original, del Toro’s version is once again set in a spooky house, the kind with decades of history behind it, secrets behind its walls and whispering voices along its corridors. The latter is literal, as a tense prologue set in the late 1800s where we witness the disappearance of the mansion’s original owners, Emerson Blackwood and his son, establishes the other non-human inhabitants in the basement- nasty tiny critters who are after kids’ teeth. Left abandoned and in ruins for more than a century, the mansion in present day becomes the centrepiece of architect Alex’s (Guy Pearce) restoration works- which also becomes the movie’s excuse later on for his reluctance at moving out.
Alex is joined by his girlfriend cum interior designer Kim (Katie Holmes) and his daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) from a previous marriage. In particular, Sally’s arrival rouses these basement dwellers, who hear her unhappiness of being sent to live with Daddy and his girlfriend and whisper teasingly that they are her friends. Needless to say, their agenda is far more sinister, but Sally suspects little- as curious children are wont to do- and follow their voices to unearth the hidden basement, inadvertently releasing them to roam freely around the house.
From then on, del Toro and co-writer Matthew Robbins deliver a straightforward narrative where Sally gets terrorised by the creatures every night when the lights go out, try to convince Alex and Kim in vain of the horror lurking behind the walls, and then gets proven right when both adults are confronted by the very monsters. Del Toro weaves some mythology that links the goblins to the tooth fairy and their origin through the centuries, but largely the background, while interesting, adds little to the main storyline.
If the movie turns out surprisingly engaging, credit must go to Nixey for skilfully translating del Toro and Robbins’ screenplay into some truly intense sequences. One of them is partly shown in the trailer, where one of the creatures finds its way under Sally’s bedcovers; another has the creatures attempting to kidnap Sally while she is alone in the bathroom. Nixey also stages the climax thrillingly, the culmination of some excellent work in pacing and building atmosphere that keeps the creatures hidden from full view until late into the film.
He also has a terrific child actor in Madison, probably best known for her role in this spring’s ‘Just Go with It’. Madison doesn’t overplay her role even when her character is supposed to be freaking out, and the restraint she shows goes a long way in earning her audience’s sympathy at her predicament. The same however can’t be said of her adult stars. Holmes looks spent most of the time (probably from her marriage to Mr Tom Cruise) and Pearce, usually excellent, reciprocates by not bothering to invest much effort into his role.
Perhaps it is also because they are astute to know that even with del Toro’s participation, this is really del Toro-lite material. Sure, you can recognise his trademarks in the film’s play on childhood fears, and the mythological world of sinister creatures that could probably fit into ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, but this is nowhere near the brilliance of his usual works. Nixey does a fine job as a first-time feature helmer- unfortunately, his best efforts barely transcend the all-too simplistic plotting. As an old-fashioned creature horror however, his film works well with an efficient combination of suspense and thrills- though it is likely that most modern-day audiences will find it coming up short.
Movie Rating:
(Straightforward plotting ruins an otherwise solid old-fashioned horror that boasts great atmosphere and some well-executed thrilling sequences)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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