Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Choi Won-sub
Cast: Kwon Sang-woo, Jeoung Jun-ho, Hwang Woo-seul-hye, Lee Yi-kyung, Lee Ji-won
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence & Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 20 February 2020
Synopsis: Jun is a top agent of the National Intelligence Service who can strike down dozens of terrorists in one fell swoop. Disenchanted with his life, Jun disguises his death and succeeds in leaving the NIS to lead a normal life as a family man and fulfill his dream of becoming a webtoon artist. However, his unexciting webtoons are ignored by readers and even his wife. Depressed and angry at himself, Jun suddenly draws a webtoon of his past as a secret agent. To his shock, the webtoon gets accidently revealed to the public, goes viral, and becomes a huge hit! Consequently, some members of the NIS and organized gangs, with grudges against Jun, come across the webtoon and start to hunt him down.
Movie Review:
Whether it’s a coincidence or otherwise, Hitman: Agent Jun is the third movie to feature “people in disguise” after Extreme Job and Secret Zoo.
Kwon Sang-woo seems to be enjoying some sort of a career resurgence since he was only last seen playing the lead in the romantic comedy, Love Again back in November. This time round, he is a skilled secret agent turned webtoon artist. Sick and tired of being the number one agent for the counterterrorism unit (NIS), orphan Jun (Kwon) decides to fake his own death while on a mission. His mentor, Deok-kyu (Jung Jun-hoo) dubbed the trainer from hell assumed he is dead so is his fellow young trainee, Cheol (Lee Yi-kyung) who idolises him.
In actual fact, Jun has changed his name and is now living a normal life as a webtoon artist with his teenage daughter and wife. However, his career as a cartoonist is far from ideal as his comics are terrible in terms of popularity and he has to frequently resort to taking money from his wife. Until one day, his webtoon became an instant hit when he started a webtoon series about his secret missions in the NIS while drunken. Trouble arises when a number of NIS agents are killed and the Director of NIS assumed Jun to be the culprit not knowing a villain from the past is back to exact vengeance on Jun and Chief Deok-kyu.
This is one movie that is made for those of you looking for a fun time in the theatres. It has a good mixture of action and belly laughs but lacks the momentum to keep things going especially the last act. Something which we will go in detail later on. To his credit, director and co-writer Choi Won-sub manages to churn out a couple of silly gags, wring out some truly laugh-out moments out of Kwon Sang-woo and Jung Jun-hoo and lastly, created a few memorable silly supporting characters along the way.
Although the plotting is highly predictable, the premise is still decently setup. The part where Jun kidnapped Chief Deok-kyu and went on a car ride to save his wife offers lots of cheap laughs. It’s both maniacal and energised throughout. Hwang Woo Seul-hye who plays Jun’s long-suffering wife has a surprise comedic moment towards the end too. And then there’s Jun’s publisher and a supervisor at the construction site who constantly has an axe to grind with Jun’s performance. Both characters offering some laughable comic situations.
While the pacing is generally tight on the whole, Choi turned the finale into a prolonged melodramatic soap opera with lots of shouting thrown in. In what could have been a simple bombastic showdown between the good and evil becomes quite a drag to follow. Yet the solid proceedings before it slip into staleness sort of redeem the entire action comedy.
Kudos also to artist Kim Ye-shin who worked on the dynamic webtoons seen in the movie. The webtoons which tells the adventures of Agent Jun boasts the comedy further with its highly stylised drawings. Jumping on the bandwagon of recent Korean action comedies, Hitman: Agent Jun delivers laughs over action all thanks to a very committed performance from Kwon Sang-woo. Even the smaller supporting characters deliver on-point humour. It does have its flaws nevertheless features a steady stream of laughs.
Movie Rating:
(A crowd-pleasing brainless comedy from Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Won-sub)
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: At the end of the Chino-Japanese War, a top military officer, Zhang Zhidong, is kidnapped in the middle of the night by a militant organization called the White Lotus Society. When he overhears a sinister plot to overthrow the central government by China s own military officials, Wong Fei Hung knows he must rescue Zhang to protect China and prevent another war from happening. With Vincent Zhao reprising his legendary role, follow the next chapter in Wong Fei Hung s story with spectacular classic martial arts action.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Watching Warriors of the Nation is like a throwback to the early 90’s where HK cinema is still thriving and very much alive. A time where martial-arts extravaganza are at its peak. And it’s also a period where Tsui Hark and Jet Li brought us the impeccable Once Upon A Time in China series.
For those who are too young to remember, Jet Li starred in the first three instalments only to have Wong Fei-hung being replaced by Vincent Zhao after a reported rift between Li and Tsui. Because of the iconic role he played, Zhao will forever be remembered as Wong Fei-hung after Jet Li.
While Zhao’s star power has faded over the years, he seems to be making a small comeback in the Mainland playing once again Wong Fei-hung in the terrible Jeff Lau’s comedy, Kung Fu League and The Unity of Heroes.
In Warriors of the Nation, Wong Fei Hong has taken upon himself to rescue a high-ranking official who is being kidnapped by the evil Japanese headed by Kenya Sawada (Shinjuku Incident) and his assistant, Miya Muqi (Kung Fu Yoga). The script likely clobbered overnight by Zhao and a few others is shamelessly a mouthpiece for promoting patriotism and national pride and nothing more than a TV movie to throw in some decent action sequences involving some old-school wire work martial arts.
Warriors of the Nation in fact is the second Wong Fei-hung movie produced and starring Zhao. Let’s face it, it has nothing to do with Hark’s originals and in terms of plotting, action and production scale, fared much worse than Hark’s series which was done in the early 90’s. In fact, part of the plotting is clumsily taken out of Once Upon A Time in China 2 where Wong has to deal with the menacing cult, White Lotus Sect. Even the performance from some of the supporting characters are cringy and amateurish.
Directed by HK seasoned editor turned director Marco Mak, Warriors of the Nation is best watched with very low expectations. Trust us. You get more kick watching Tsui Hark’s Once Upon A Time in China entire franchise than this frail attempt.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The HD sound and display only magnify the poor production values on your HD TV.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action
Director: David S. F. Wilson
Cast: Vin Diesel, Eiza Gonzalez, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell, Guy Pearce
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 March 2020
Synopsis: Based on the bestselling comic book, Vin Diesel stars as Ray Garrison, a soldier recently killed in action and brought back to life as the superhero Bloodshot by the RST corporation. With an army of nanotechnology in his veins, he’s an unstoppable force –stronger than ever and able to heal instantly. But in controlling his body, the company has sway over his mind and memories, too. Now, Ray doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not – but he’s on a mission to find out.
Movie Review:
Lest you think he is content to play Dominic Toretto for the rest of his filmmaking career, Vin Diesel has chosen to headline this adaptation of the Valiant Comics character before the release of the next instalment of the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise. Here, Diesel plays special ops soldier Ray Garrison, who is ambushed along with his wife after a violent hostage extraction in Kenya, shot dead, and brought back to life as a technologically enhanced superhuman.
In his feature film debut, video game auteur David S.F. Wilson keeps the pace lively and brisk, compressing all that backstory into a montage of scenes before the opening credits. We begin in earnest with Ray waking up on a hospital gurney inside a gleaming skyscraper, his body having being donated by the military to the dubiously named Rising Spirit Technologies founded by ethically questionable scientist Dr Emil Harting (Guy Pearce). Sporting a bionic arm, Dr Harting informs Ray that he has been injected with microscopic ‘nanites’ into his bloodstream, giving him the power to heal almost instantaneously from grievous injury.
Ray is haunted by the memory of one Martin Axe (Toby Kebbell), who had tied him to a chair in a meat locker, done a Tarantino shuffle, and then made him watch a cattle-bolt being shot through the head of his wife (Talulah Riley). It isn’t long before Ray breaks out of the facility, tracks Martin down to Budapest, and traps him in a vehicular tunnel riddled with flour before exacting holy vengeance upon him. Predictably, Ray is shut down after he returns from his personal mission or is it…
There is but one plot twist in an otherwise straightforward narrative, which finds Ray struggling to reclaim his existence in more ways than one. That quest is complicated by the other RST bio-engineered soldiers, including the surly Dalton (Sam Heugan) with limbs of metal, the nasty Tibbs (Alex Hernandez) with ocular lenses for eyes, and the coolly ambiguous KT (Eliza Gonzelez) whom Dr Harting controls through an air-vent in her clavicle. No prizes for guessing who Ray has a soft spot for.
Contrary to what you may be expecting, ‘Bloodshot’ doesn’t serve up one action sequence after another; in fact, those looking for Diesel to go ballistic will probably be shifting in their seats during the second act, as his character Ray tries to figure out how much of a pawn he already is and how much control he has left over his own body. That discovery sees Diesel develop some suitably amiable chemistry with Lamorne Morris, who plays the tech genius/ coder Wilfred Wigans that understands the technology which Ray has no clue over.
It does culminate satisfyingly with a fast and furious (pun intended) duel within the glassed-in elevator shaft on the exterior of a skyscraper, with Ray’s mano-a-mano against his fellow RST upgraded soldiers giving us the opportunity to see Diesel fully unleash his ferocity. Other than that climactic sequence, there is nothing to shout about a foot-and-bike chase in London, or an ambush gone awry in a sprawling mansion in East Sussex. Aside from the fact that they are utterly by-the-numbers, Wilson is also guilty of shooting the action too closely and cutting too quickly.
As sceptical as some may be, Diesel is the one clear and consistent element which holds the movie together from start to finish. You may scoff at his meat-headedness, but Diesel’s earnestness and good-naturedness ultimately earns sympathy for Ray’s circumstances. Oh yes, just like the ‘Fast and Furious’ movies, Diesel brings his signature blend of morality and machismo to the role, and we would say perfectly cast in a movie that would be a whole lot worse off without him.
In truth, there is nothing that is particularly memorable about ‘Bloodshot’, except maybe a cool slo-mo shot of Diesel’s visage reassembling itself after being shot in the face. But as a self-declared Diesel fan, we’re glad the action star (who is now in his early 50s) is not yet keen to settle for just playing Toretto – or for that matter, voice Groot – over and over again. It’s a decent Diesel-powered action vehicle for what it’s worth, and those looking for a popcorn-friendly blend of action and science-fiction will find you can do a lot worse than this derivative but fun diversion.
Movie Rating:
(It's a Diesel-powered superhero movie, and if you don't mind its derivativeness, you'll find a perfectly decent action vehicle)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy
Director: Kim Taeyun
Cast: Lee Seungmin, Kim Seohyung, Bae Jungnam, Shin Hakyun, (voice) Shin Hakyun, You Inna, Kim Soomi, Lee Sunkyun, Lee Jungeun, Lee Soonjae, Kim Boseong, Joon Park
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 March 2020
Synopsis: Top National Intelligence Service agent Tae-ju (Lee Sungmin) injures his head while on a mission protecting a VIP – a Chinese panda named Ming Ming, from a group of terrorists. As a result of the accident, he suddenly possesses a strange ability to communicate with animals. Tae-ju then realizes that the only witness to the kidnapping may be a retired military dog named Ali (Shin Hakyun). Although he hates animals, he and Ali soon become unlikely partners to rescue Ming Ming.
Movie Review:
Before you dismiss this as a ripoff of ‘Dr Dolittle’, you should know that writer-director Kim Tae-yun’s comedy is a lot more entertaining than you’re probably expecting it to be. Oh yes, while it may seem like yet another fantasy of a man who suddenly gains the ability to communicate with animals, ‘Mr Zoo’ is much wackier than your run-of-the-mill Hollywood family movie, even if it does eventually settle for the same happily-ever-after ending. Where else can you claim to have seen a female gorilla ogling at other pictures of other fellow gorillas in a National Geographic magazine, in exchange for information on a missing panda?
In a witty bit of double entendre, the subtitle ‘The Missing VIP’ refers not just to its status as an envoy from China but also to its very nature as a Very Important Panda. Though he is not much of an animal lover, the titular National Intelligence Service agent volunteers for the mission of looking after Ming Ming, who has been dispatched by the Chinese as part of its ‘panda diplomacy’ with the ROK. Alas, Ming Ming is kidnapped on his first public appearance at a zoo, and in the ensuing melee to stop his kidnappers, Mr Zoo (Lee Sung-min) hits his head on the ground and regains consciousness to find that he can hear and speak to animals.
What follows is a series of fish-out-of-water episodes, with Mr Zoo struggling to come to terms with his newfound abilities as well as convincing those around him of them. From his neighbour’s pug who pleads with him to save it from neutering, to a grouchy hamster asking Mr Zoo to choose it as a pet over two hedgehogs next to it, to the fish in his office’s tank who ask him to tell his colleagues not to throw their nose shit into the water, and to the aforementioned gorilla, there is plenty of wacky fun to be had with Mr Zoo’s initial confusion and angst, not least when he tries to demonstrate to his superior Min (Kim Seo-hyung) that he isn’t crazy.
Things settle into a more predictable rhythm as Mr Zoo teams up with a retired military dog Ali (Shin Ha-kyun) to track down the missing panda. Seized by fear, Ali had run away from his NIS handler during the incident, but with help from the gorilla, Mr Zoo finds his hideout and attempts to persuade him to locate the kidnappers. Again, it isn’t hard to guess that Mr Zoo and Ali will take some time to get used to being around each other, or even that Mr Zoo’s teenage daughter Seo-yeon (Kal So-won) would be one of the key reasons why he comes around to embracing Ali as his companion. Oh yes, though one half is a canine, theirs is pretty much a buddy cops team-up.
There is a surprising amount of story in the film’s second hour, in which Kim packs more than a few twists and turns before Ming Ming is out of danger. Among them is an unscrupulous biotech company named Genomics, whose founder aims to turn pandas into man’s next best friend; and a disgruntled Middle East soldier Dmitry (David Lee McInnis), who is linked to a tragic event in Ali’s past and whose mission to wreck anarchy upon the rich and powerful sets up a (literally) explosive finale at a high-profile event graced by the foreign ministers of China and ROK. Admittedly, it does get a little overblown and overlong, but Kim manages to wring genuine emotion out of the unexpected pairing between Mr Zoo and Ali.
Familiar though it may be, there is no denying the chemistry between man and dog is winning. Much of that is Lee’s credit, the underrated actor displaying an amazing amount of range in a rare comedic turn that is utterly captivating. Without ever resorting to pandering, Lee wins you over as his character grows to accept a dog as his partner, and eventually proves his loyalty towards Ali just as the latter does likewise towards Mr Zoo. In addition to Shin, Lee also has plenty of lively banter with a whole host of voice cameos, including Yoo In-na as the panda Ming Ming, Lee Soon-jae as the hamster, Kim Soo-mi as a parrot, Lee Sun-kyun as a black goat and Lee Jung-eun as the black gorilla.
So while you can guess how it will eventually turn out, ‘Mr Zoo’ is really a lot more delightful than we had expected it to be. The gags, even some of the childish ones, are well-executed and often hit the mark. The visual effects, though not quite up to Hollywood standard, are impressive for Asian cinema. And last but not least, the central relationship between Mr Zoo and Ali is thoroughly endearing. Though it ain’t quite the sort of movie you’d expect out of Korea, that it works as well as it does is testament yet again to the creativity, ingenuity and versatility of the industry, and let’s just say we hope in between the next ‘Parasite’ and ‘Train to Busan’ that there’ll be a sequel to ‘Mr Zoo’.
Movie Rating:
(Not just a ripoff of 'Dr Dolittle', this wacky buddy comedy between an ace NIS agent and a retired military dog is surprisingly witty and delightful)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action
Director: Jason Lei Howden
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Samara Weaving, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Ned Dennehy, Grant Bowler, Edwin Wright, Rhys Darby
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence & Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 19 March 2020
Synopsis: At a time when millions of people around the world are streaming e-sports content every day, it's not hard to imagine a possible future with the blood-sport insanity of Jason Lei Howden's Guns Akimbo. Videogame developer Miles (Daniel Radcliffe) is a little too fond of stirring things up on the internet with his caustic, prodding, and antagonistic comments. One night, he makes the mistake of drunkenly dropping an inflammatory barb on a broadcast of Skizm, an illegal death- match fight club streamed live to the public. In response, Riktor (Ned Dennehy), the maniacal mastermind behind the channel, decides to force Miles' hand (or hands, as it were) and have him join the "fun." Miles wakes to find heavy pistols bolted into his bones, and learns Nix (Samara Weaving), the trigger-happy star of Skizm, is his first opponent. She's at his front door. Gleefully echoing elements of Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the Purge franchise, and videogames like Smash TV and Mortal Kombat, Guns Akimbo is hilariously dark, viciously violent, and chillingly prescient. Howden foretells of a future that may soon await us: drone- captured live feeds, UFC-like competitions pushed to an extreme and online streaming platforms used for gladiatorial entertainment all around the world. As Miles navigates the underworld of Skizm, the stakes — and the ratings — have never been higher.
Movie Review:
Now that Daniel Radcliffe is all grown up, fans of the former Harry Potter star would no doubt have noticed that his acting choices have become a lot less mainstream. While his role here as a down-and-out programmer who is forced to participate in a kill-or-be-killed real-life death match isn’t as esoteric as say that of a sentient corpse in ‘Swiss Army Man’, Radcliffe’s character in ‘Guns Akimbo’ is likely to put off anyone who cannot stomach the guts and gore of writer-director Jason Lei Howden’s gonzo-action-comedy-fantasy.
To Howden’s credit, the premise of his sophomore feature film is an intriguing one: after spending his time trolling the online viewers of an underground fight club called Skizm, the beleaguered coder Miles (Radcliffe) is ambushed in his apartment one evening by the site’s operators, who bolt a set of weighty pistols into his hands and force him to do battle with the number one reigning champion Nix (Samara Weaving). Worse, so that he cannot just run and hide away, the maniacal Riktor (Ned Dennehy) has also kidnapped Miles’ ex-girlfriend Nova (Natasha Liu Bordizzo).
It’s not difficult to guess where the storytelling goes. After trying to flee from Nix, Miles decides that his best bet at surviving is to team up with the Harley Quinn type to take down those behind the competition who have been manipulating both their fates. And true to its concept, Howden approaches the film as if it were a video game itself, stuffing it with plenty of first-person point-of-view shots as well as unabashedly over-the-top violence for much of its running (we mean this literally) duration, complete with frequent gaming and text-messaging graphics to keep up the hyperactivity.
At first, it seems as if Howden had intended for his film to be a commentary on the issue of dehumanisation in the Internet world, what with Skizm viewers putting aside their sense of decency and even basic humanity in order to indulge in their thirst for blood and ultra-violence. Yet it isn’t long before you realise that Howden is having too much fun with his own satire for it to be anything near critique; instead, his film ends up asking us to indulge in the same sort of dehumanising viewing which we had thought the movie was supposed to frown on in the first place.
That it ends up embracing the sort of hedonisms which it looked like it was parodying is why ‘Guns Akimbo’ will likely prove problematic for many viewers, especially since the only way to enjoy the anarchy is to be able to indulge in its casual, even cavalier, attitude towards bloodshed. Howden keeps the anarchy moving at breakneck speed with plenty of gunplay scenes, topped up with headshots and blood splatter. It’s intentionally and obsessively excessive, almost like turning a video game into movie form, and the only way to enjoy it is if you are willing to go along for the ride.
While it does play by the rules of physics (for the most part, at least), there is often little logic to the proceedings. Except for a detective who has a vested interest in Skizm, law and order seems to be utterly non-existent throughout the course of the movie, even with protracted shootouts in the open streets – and of course, Miles running around town with two guns in his pyjamas. Like we said, not much is supposed to make sense, and Howden simply asks that you strap along for a ride as outrageous as its premise promises.
At least Radcliffe seems utterly committed, throwing himself completely into the physicality and ludicrousness required for the role. He is well matched with Weaving, who emits riotous energy with every move. Their performances are critical to selling the movie’s conceit, and the chemistry between them is sizzling. Thanks to Radcliffe and Weaving, you’d find yourself caring more for Miles and Nix than you would probably have expected to, and that emotional involvement makes the frenetic ride a lot more affecting.
Much of course depends on what sort of mental image you’re willing to keep of Radcliffe. Unlike any of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, this is Radcliffe in one of, if not his most, provocative roles, and those looking for any sort of subtlety best be looking elsewhere. By that same measure, you’d have to love the sheer amount of style and gimmickry which Howden has applied to his insane premise; but those who do not mind that it offers the same sort of diverting pleasures as the games it mimics (and may seem to satirise at the start) will find ‘Guns Akimbo’ a gleeful cocktail of mayhem and carnage.
Movie Rating:
(As bloody and ultra-violent as the games it aims to mimic, this gonzo-action-comedy-fantasy is Daniel Radcliffe like you've never seen him before)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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BOOK REVIEW #32: I AM C-3PO: THE INSIDE STORYPosted on 02 Mar 2020 |
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Dan Scanlon
Cast: Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website: https://movies.disney.com/onward
Opening Day: 5 March 2020
Synopsis: Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” introduces two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there. Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new original feature film is directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae—the team behind “Monsters University”.
Movie Review:
That you’d be holding high expectations of any animation bearing the Pixar brand is inevitable, but it is also why you’d likely find their latest underwhelming.
The opening moments promise much whimsical magic: a land inhabited by creatures as fascinating as galloping centaurs, spell-casting wizards and fire-breathing dragons; until technology took over, and rendered such enchantment irrelevant.
It is in this alternate version of suburbia that the story unfolds in earnest with the tender, shy Ian Lightfoot (voiced by ‘Spider-Man’ Tom Holland) and his brash older brother Barley (voiced by ‘Star-Lord’ Chris Pratt). Ever since their dad passed away a few years back, they have been raised by their mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss).
Not surprisingly, both boys have daddy issues – whereas Barley chooses to block out all but three memories of their father, Ian wishes he had the chance to meet Dad, and spends his time in his room imagining how a conversation with Dad would have been like.
Turns out that Dad had planned for such a reunion all along, gifting Ian a wizard’s staff on his 16th birthday which could bring his father back to life for 24 hours. Unfortunately, amidst conjuring the spell, the mystic jewel enabling it falls apart, such that Dad returns with only the lower half of his body.
So begins a quest in Barley’s beat-up van he names Guinevere to find another Phoenix gem to complete the spell, and bring the rest of Dad back before time runs out. That road trip leads to a series of wacky encounters, including with a manticore named Corey (Octavia Spencer) who runs a medieval-themed family restaurant of the same name, an angry mob of leather-jacketed pixies on motorcycles, and even a lesbian cyclops patrol cop (Lena Waithe).
Each of these encounters is excuse for a sequence of wild hijinks, whether is it unleashing the dormant nature of the part-lion, part-scorpion manticore, or triggering a highway chase with the said pixie bikers, or just some tomfoolery with the police during a routine roadside stop. The misadventures allow Ian and Barley to bond as brothers, even and especially as they struggle together through how much they each miss Dad in their own ways.
If it feels unexpectedly personal, that’s because director Dan Scanlon (from ‘Monsters University’) had based this upon his own experience with his brother coping with the loss of their own father at an early age. Scanlon (who co-wrote the script with Jason Headley and Keith Bunin) keeps the sibling dynamic affecting, right down to the finale when Ian makes a touching sacrifice for Barley.
Themes of love and loss are commonplace in Pixar films – think ‘Up’ or ‘Inside Out’ – and ‘Onwards’ treads familiar ground without really being deeply moving. To their credit, Holland and Pratt share a winning rapport that make the tale relatable, but Ian and Barley just aren’t distinctive enough to get us to invest as intimately into their emotional struggles as we ought to.
Ditto for the other supporting characters – while Mom and Corey get some amusing moments of their own trying to track down Ian and Barley, especially with a reptilian pawn broker, neither is fleshed out enough to come to some sort of meaningful payoff at the end. And as delightful as the other wacky creatures may be, they are but distractions in a narrative that feels more scattershot than stirring.
In place of the rich character-building we’re used to is plenty of slapstick gags that you would more likely associate with Dreamworks, and we say that knowing fully well that it isn’t meant to be flattering. It doesn’t help that the magical world which the characters inhabit feel a lot less exciting than it probably should, largely because you’d think that you’ve seen it somewhere someplace else.
As unfortunate as it sounds, ‘Onward’ is a victim of Pixar’s own successes, even as we try to appreciate the movie on its own merits. It is perfectly amiable entertainment all right, but it lacks both originality and characterisation to make it truly outstanding. Don’t get us wrong – there is still much diverting fun to be had in its mythical world of elves, centaurs and pixies, and as long as you don’t mind something not quite at Pixar’s regular high standards, there is still animated magic to be had.
Movie Rating:
(It's no Pixar classic, but this story of love and loss conjures enough magic to keep you on board its 'Onward' journey)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Cast: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Min-je, Koo Gyo-hwan, Kim Do-yoon, Lee Re, Lee Ye-won
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 15 July 2020
Synopsis: When the zombie outbreak swept the entire nation, Jung-seok (GANG Dong-won) barely escaped South Korea alive. While living a life of despair in Hong Kong, he receives an enticing offer to return to the quarantined peninsula. His mission is to retrieve an abandoned truck in the middle of Seoul within a time limit and escape the peninsula silently. But his operation goes haywire when a mysterious militia known as Unit 631 ambushes Jung-seok’s small team, as well as even more vicious hordes of zombies. In his most desperate moment, Min-jung’s (LEE Jung-hyun) family saves him and he plans one last chance to escape the peninsula once and for all.
Movie Review:
If it isn’t yet obvious, there isn’t a train to Busan in this sequel; instead, ‘Train to Busan: Peninsula’ takes place four years after the events of the first movie, and is set not in the eponymous city but rather in the capital of the titular Korean peninsula.
Than trying to graft a sequel onto an unambiguous ending, writer-director Yeon Sang-ho imagines a brand new story around a guilt-ridden ex-soldier named Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won), who journeys back to Seoul together with his brother-in-law Cheol-min (Kim Do-yoon) to retrieve a truck carrying $20 million worth of US dollars.
In truth, Jung-seok isn’t on the mission for the money; rather, after failing to protect his sister and niece from being bitten while on board a fleeing cruise ship meant to bring them to refuge in Hong Kong, Jung-seok is determined not to let another member of his family die. Both men are joined by two others keen for some share of the loot, but neither of the latter duo will survive an ambush by the rogue militia Unit 631.
Oh yes, the danger this time round isn’t only from the flesh-eating monsters, but rather a group of sadistic human survivors who live in a walled-up compound and capture other humans for spectator sport. Cheol-min becomes one of the unfortunate captives of Unit 631, who are spray-painted with a number across their naked torsos and forced into a caged arena to fight for their lives against zombies in two-minute long survival games while their captors watch and bet on who would live.
Meanwhile, Jung-seok is rescued by two plucky children – Jooni (Lee Re) and Yu-jin (Lee Ye-won) – who display maturity and ingenuity well beyond their age. That is in part due to their circumstances, and in part due to the instruction of their tough mother Min-jung (Lee Jung-hyun). Rounding out the family of three generations is their grandfather Mr Kim (Kwon Hae-hyo), a former military officer whose main preoccupation is communicating with a United States marine named Major Jane using CB radio.
When Min-jung learns that there is transport waiting to extract Jung-seok from the Korean peninsula if he manages to deliver the truck to Incheon Port, she hatches a plan to steal it from within the compound of Unit 631, in the hope of securing a better future for her two kids. It is there that Jung-seok realises Cheol-min is still alive, and decides to risk his life to try to save the latter.
There is also a subplot involving the sadistic commander Sgt Hwang (Kim Min-jae) of the third platoon of Unit 631, the officer Capt Seo (Koo Gyo-hwan) in charge of managing the compound’s food rations, and Capt Seo’s errand boy Pvt Kim. After discovering the bags of cash in the back of the truck, Capt Seo hatches a plan with Pvt Kim to secure passage out of the peninsula, but has to ensure that Sgt Hwang remains none the wiser.
Like the first movie, this is built on an ensemble, so despite being the ostensible lead, Jung-seok gets similar attention as some of the other colourful supporting characters. Probably the most memorable here is Jooni, whose extraordinary driving skills is easily the coolest thing in the film. Second only to Jooni is Min-jung, who gets to go all Furiosa with a machine gun when infiltrating the Unit 631 compound. And vis-à-vis Jooni and Min-jung, both Sgt Hwang and Capt Seo have their own suitably unhinged moments of sadistic glory, with the latter proving especially nasty in the last act.
The actors here are well-chosen for their respective roles. Gang plays the guilt-ridden protagonist without any heroic pretension, bringing his trademark understatement to a role which is richer thanks to his low-key gravitas. The three female Lees inject emotion, humour and grit, and their combined demonstration of girl power will have you cheering. On the other hand, Kim is authentically detestable as Sgt Hwang, and Koo complements the former’s showiness with a more subtle but no less depraved act.
As distinctive as these characters are, the highlight of the movie remains its tensely drawn action set-pieces. Unshackled from the confines of a locomotive, Yeon conceives three elaborate sequences – the first with Jooni rescuing Jung-seok from hordes of rampaging zombies after being ambushed by Unit 631, culminating in a nail-biting scene where Yu-jin employs her remote-controlled car to distract a group of the undead blocking the way out of an underpass; another where Jung-seok and Min-jung unleash pandemonium within the Unit 631 compound while trying to rescue Cheol-min and steal the truck; and last but not least, a jaw-dropping 20 min high-speed chase along a major Seoul thoroughfare with both zombies and rogue soldiers on both Min-jung and Jooni’s tail, reminiscent of the high-octane thrills in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’.
It should come as no surprise that ‘Peninsula’ is Yeon’s most ambitious film to date, and the filmmaker, who began his ‘K-zombie’ trilogy with ‘Seoul Station’, deserves credit for expanding his post-apocalyptic vision to the entire Korean peninsula. Relative to its predecessor, the setting is significantly expanded here, but while it is inevitable that the story is a lot more expansive, Yeon keeps the pace tight throughout the two-plus hours with a combination of plot-, action- and character-driven elements.
So even though it has nothing to do with a train, you’ll walk away satisfied that ‘Train to Busan: Peninsula’ doesn’t simply aim to rehash the formula of the earlier movie; rather, Yeon ups the scale tremendously in imagining how the Korean peninsula would turn out four years after a zombie outbreak, devising a three-pronged narrative that holds its own amidst the adrenaline-pumping action. Though not by design, its thematic resemblance to real life makes this blockbuster even more momentous, but it is as apt a reminder as any of the cinematic thrills that we used to enjoy on the big screen before the unprecedented months-long closure brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Movie Rating:
(Significantly expanding the post-apocalyptic world of 'Train to Busan', 'Peninsula' is as gripping a survival thriller as its predecessor with tensely drawn action amidst strong character moments)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: When two Boston Police officers are murdered, ex-cop Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) teams up with his no-nonsense roommate, Hawk (Winston Duke), to take down criminals in this action-comedy.
MOVIE REVIEW:
After Adam Sandler, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg is the latest A-list Hollywood actor to star in a Netflix production.
Wahlberg joined his frequent collaborator, director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon and Patriots Day) in this revival of a 1980’s television character, private detective Spenser created by the late novelist, Robert B. Parker. In simpler terms, it’s not something as exciting as their previous collaborations.
Former Boston police officer Spenser (Wahlberg) has just got out of jail for assaulting his officer, John Boylan five years ago. Now all Spenser wants is a new life as a truck driver in Arizona. For the time being, he is living with his ex-boxing coach, Henry (Alan Arkin) and reluctantly, Henry’s new student, Hawk (Winston Duke from Black Panther) as his roommate. But before long, Boylan is found brutally killed and Spenser finds himself unofficially back in the game- to find out who murdered Boylan and why another innocent cop is killed as well.
Spenser Confidential fares liked a cheap TV pilot something Wahlberg and Berg probably took on to kill time before their next big-screen venture. Although co-written by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River), Spenser Confidential lacks originality or any form of witty twist. It’s strictly a predictable investigative drama peppered occasionally by some over-the-top bloody brawling by Wahlberg’s character.
Running close to two hours, Spenser Confidential never feels liked a buddy-cop comedy though it is no fault of Winston. Mark Wahlberg is clearly the star of this. However, the character of Spenser is no Jack Reacher. He seems destined to be beaten to a pulp for every piece of new lead retrieved and the most entertaining of all ironically happened to be Spenser’s no-nonsense ex-wife, Cissy (Illiza Shlesinger). Alan Arkin is fine, can’t really expect an 85-year-old to do much in an actioner do you? Bokeem Woodbine stars as Spenser’s ex-colleague, Driscoll, the kind of sleazeball you smell before you even finished half the flick.
There is in fact a sequel teased in the end. Do we honestly need more adventures of Spenser? More chances for him to right the wrongs? Perhaps Wahlberg and Berg deserve a second chance to churn out something better. But for now, there’s nothing spectacular or confidential to rave about Spenser Confidential.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Adventure/Drama
Director: Brenda Chapman
Cast: Angelina Jolie, David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Anna Chancellor, Michael Caine, Keira Chansa, Jordan A. Nash, Reece Yates
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 January 2021
Synopsis: Before Peter became Pan and Alice visited Wonderland, they were siblings (Jordan Nash and Keira Chansa) living in an idyllic country home with their parents (Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo) and their older brother, David (Reece Yates). In this magical place, they are free to play and let their imaginations run wild as they romp around the nearby forest. However, change is in the air as their priggish aunt, Eleanor (Anna Chancellor), who is extremely critical of how the children are being raised, has arranged for David to attend a prestigious boarding school. As the family strives to accept David’s imminent departure, a deadly accident shatters their wondrous lives. With their family falling apart both emotionally and financially, Alice and Peter decide to find a solution. They travel to London to sell a family heirloom and soon find themselves in a dark, mysterious, and dangerous underworld that propels them on an adventure that will change the course of their lives. Featuring terrific performances and storytelling, Come Away is a delightful origin story for two of the most beloved characters in literature.
Movie Review:
‘Come Away’ may promise an intriguing fantasy built upon the worlds of J.M. Barrie and Lewis Carroll, but this Christmas fantasy adventure is anything but transporting. Instead of a engrossing ‘what-if’ should Peter Pan and Alice (of Wonderland) be siblings, what we are presented with is a dreary melodrama that feels more like an indigestible lump of coal.
On paper, screenwriter Melissa Kate Goldhill’s premise must have sounded promising: an alternative origin story for both well-established fictional characters by way of Charles Dickens’ formula of family tragedy, grief and abandonment. Yet the plotting, as well as the execution by director Brenda Chapman (of Pixar’s ‘Brave’), proves disappointingly muddled, comprising random events cobbled together without much sense of coherence or purpose.
That first turning point comes when the oldest child of the once carefree Littleton household David (Recce Yates) dies in a freak accident, leaving both Jack (David Oyelowo) and Rose Littleton (Angelina Jolie) devastated. While Rose withdraws inwards, Jack externalises his grief by falling back into his old habit of gambling. On the other hand, the younger kids Peter (Jordan A. Nash) and Alice (Keira Chansa) land up meeting a hodgepodge of eccentric characters, while going on fanciful trips to Neverland and Wonderland.
Those familiar with the stories of ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will have a field day playing ‘spot the references’ – the obvious ones include the tea parties which Alice holds for her beloved stuffed rabbit, the make-believe swordfights that Peter and David have on board a pirate ship, a goofy mad hatter (Clarke Peters) spouting the Hatter’s riddles and famous lines, and a soon-to-be-handless Captain James (David Gyasi) whose fate would be handed down by a crocodile (get the Hook?).
There is no doubt the details were engineered specifically to provide clear origin points for the iconic elements of the stories, but the circumstances by which they are woven into the story are deliberate and ultimately contrived. It doesn’t help at all that they are too utterly blatant, as if the filmmakers were afraid that the discerning ones would be devoid of any ability to appreciate nuance.
That also results in a narrative begging for better continuity, than one which flits from vignette to vignette without developing each to any meaningful depth, even if these episodes are stuffed with such indelible talents as Peters, Michael Caine (as a shadowy underworld character from Jack’s past) and Derek Jacobi. Oyelowo and Jolie are seasoned enough performers to try to make the best of their thinly written parts, but both Nash and Chansa seem at a loss of what to do with their respective characters.
Despite a somewhat impressive Victorian-esque setting, including of London, ‘Come Away’ is an adventure sadly devoid of the sort of magic it promises. The proposed mash-up of ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ may sound fascinating, but what follows is dull, leaden and grim, offering little of the escapist pleasures that its inspirations did. You’re better off revisiting those classics, than waiting for anything wondrous to come from this awkward mix of fantasy and reality.
Movie Rating:
(There is little joy, wonderment or fulfilment to be found in this dreary mash-up of 'Peter Pan' and 'Alice in Wonderland' by way of a Dickens-style tale of tragedy, grief and abandonment)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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