Genre: Fantasy
Director: Song Haolin, Yi Liqi
Cast: Li Xian, Chen Li-nung, Hani Kyzy, Pei Kuishan, Jiang Chao, Zhang Chenguang, Li Xiaochuan
Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 10 December 2020

Synopsis: A story of friendship follows a scholar and a fox demon who both have to undergo their own trials. Upon realizing that the key to immortality is right in front of his eyes, what kind of choice will the fox demon make? Poor scholar Wang Zijin (Chen Li-nung) is on the way to the capital for the civil examinations when he draws the attention of young fox demon Bai Shisan (Li Xian). As a rite of passage, Bai Shisan has travelled to the human world to obtain the soul bead of his target in order to achieve immortality. When he finds Wang Zijin, he is but a curious scholar who is fascinated by stories of ghosts and demons. The two become travel companions as they embark on a magical adventure.

Movie Review:

In the myth-rich troves of China folklore, there are likely a million entities written about to bless, curse, scare or just remind us what it means to be human. At this intersection of the godly, demonic and human natures, storytellers have been seeking to investigate ethics and morals, while offering up philosophical revelations. They are like the fables of the A Thousand and One Nights, Hans Christian Anderson, or the Brothers Grimm - stories show up our humanity, but are often coloured by fantastical elements.

For Soul Snatcher, the protagonist is a fox spirit named Bai Shisan (Li Xian) - a rascally if good-natured demon who is hoping to attain immortality. His mission? To obtain a soul bead from his assigned victim. And if that bead happens to be the rare white kind that appears only once every 800 years, then he catapults himself into the ranks of the most powerful of his kind - a nine-tailed white fox.

Gullible and naive, his subject is the goofy scholar Wang Zijin (Chen Li-nung), and given his pliable nature, seems to be easy bait. If it were any other fox spirit candidate, the poor Zijin would have been hoodwinked within a day (they are masterful tricksters, you see) and we would have a movie lasting only 30 minutes long. But because Shisan is just as kind-hearted, he struggles to find a way to extract the bead without destroying his growing friendship with his target.

Luckily for us, directors Song Haolin and Yi Liqi pepper the film with an unctuous amount of scenic visuals. Misty mountains, haunted study halls, even a whimsical brothel with a lotus spirit, the settings here are drenched with lavish CGI and gorgeous art direction. Even simple scenes of the two floating on a boat while on their way to the imperial examination town is painfully picturesque. But therein is part of the problem.

Soul Snatcher is soaked in its purpose to astound with its visuals, a common application in commercial titles coming out from China in the last few years. And while by itself, that is a plus, the heightened state actually turns on itself, hitting a plateau halfway through the film. Yes it’s pretty, but we saw that already.

And this preoccupation on the visuals has affected the story somewhat. Because the two don’t actually seem to be on a real journey, but moving through a script designed to make them step into the next big special effects showcase.

Even if the bright-eyed Li does manage to charm with his impish expressions, his co-stars fail to provide any chemistry with their flat characters. Especially for Chen, his Zijin is simple to the point of being unlikeable, alternating between wailing or being petulant for most parts. A pity, because when that rare scene comes and he actually speaks beyond a few lines and goes into a monologue, he finally begins to resemble what he was meant to represent - a human.

Soul Snatcher is beautiful no doubt, and even dips its toes a little into the BL (boys’ love) territory (“my second wish is for you to get better,” Zijin said to Shisan on their boat), currently trending in global entertainment, but this tale of sacrifice and friendship needs more emotional currency with better story development to make that happen.

Movie Rating:

(A mythic fantasy that pours on the visuals but loses out on plot)

Review by Morgan Awyong

SYNOPSIS: A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event.

Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.

From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility. Featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and "This Day" performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé.

MOVIE REVIEW:

‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’ is among one of Netflix’s big-budget seasonal offerings, and no matter what reservations you may have over its candy-coloured overstuffed revelry, it is a sprawling musical-fantasy that stands to join the ranks of holiday movie classics.

The invention belongs to writer-director David E. Talbert, a prolific playwright who reportedly envisioned the concept for the stage before translating it into film courtesy of a generous budget from the aforementioned streaming giant. Framed as a 19th-century bedtime story by narrator Phylicia Rashad, whom you can guess will be related to one of the characters in the story, it tells of the toymaker Jeronicus Jangle, who owns a whimsical toy store called ‘Jangles and Things’ in the quaint, imaginary town of Cobbleton.

Played briefly by Justin Cornwell and then by Forest Whitaker, Jeronicus was ‘the greatest inventor in all the land’ until his impatient young assistant Gustafson (Miles Barrow, followed by Keegan-Michael Key) steals his treasured book of inventions. To be fair, Gustafson wasn’t acting alone; instead, he was egged on by Jeronicus’ prize creation, a self-centred matador doll named Don Juan Diego (voiced with absolute flamboyance by Ricky Martin).

Their betrayal crushes Jeronicus; and 30 years later, we find that ‘Jangles and Things’ has become a dusty pawnshop and is at risk of being repossessed by the bank. As coincidence would have it, Jeronicus’ equally inventive tween granddaughter Journey (Maladen Mills) decides to pay him a visit, setting the stage for his eventual reunion with his daughter Jessica (Anika Noni Rose) and him to rediscover his belief; in particular, Journey will team up with her grandpa’s eager if klutzy apprentice Edison (Kieron Dyer) to revive a father-daughter forgotten creation in the form of a flying, talking robot called Buddy 3000 (think a mechanical version of E.T.).

Needless to say, Gustafson will return to threaten their journey (pun intended) to happily-ever-after: not only has Gustafson finished pilfering from the book he had stolen from Jeronicus, he desperately needs a new idea in order to preserve his reputation and his business. So Gustafson aims to steal the Buddy 3000 and claim it as his own, which gives reason for a number of exhilarating action set-pieces, including a death-defying race through a twisty, fiery tunnel.

Though running at a little over two hours, ‘Jingle Jangle’ moves swiftly through thrilling sequences and rousing song-and-dance numbers; the latter, written by Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan and Michael Diskint (plus one by John Legend, also a producer here) and exuberantly choreographed by Ashley Wallen, includes toe-tapping showstoppers like ‘Magic Man G’ performed by Key, quieter duets like ‘Make It Work’ by Whitaker and Rose, and memorable standouts like ‘Square Root of Possible’ (equivalent to the film’s ‘Let It Go’.

Parts of the film no doubt veer on cliché, but there is delightful fun to be had in this Yuletide celebration bursting with boundless energy and joie de verve. From the costumes designed by Michael Wilkinson, to the production design by ‘Star Wars’ alumni Gavin Bocquet, to the enlivening visuals from Talbert’s imagination, there is sheer holiday escapism to be had with ‘Jingle Jangle’, alongside a surprisingly poignant story that champions hope, belief and inclusion.

Packed with both joy and sentiment, it is a beautiful embodiment of the Christmas spirit, and just the panacea for a year that could do with a lot more cheer.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: When an all-powerful AI (James Corden) chooses to study the most average person on Earth, Carol Peters (Melissa McCarthy), it’s the perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving movie.

MOVIE REVIEW:

You don't need to possess Superintelligence to hate a movie liked Superintelligence. Maybe it's time someone starts a petition to stop Melissa McCarthy from working with her husband, actor and director Ben Falcone. 

A former tech executive, Carol (McCarthy) finds her life being taken over by a powerful AI (voiced by Brit talkshow host and actor James Corden) one day. Apparently, the fate of humanity lies in the hands of Carol as the AI intends to use her as a case study to determine if humanity is worth saving or risk facing a pending apocalypse.

Thus, Carol is being tasked by the AI to make up with her ex, George (Bobby Cannavale), a charismatic literature professor who is about to go for a one-year stint in Ireland. But when Carol’s BFF, Dennis (Brian Tyree Henry) informs the government about the presence of the potentially dangerous AI, the President and NSA agents are activated to take action on Carol. Will humanity be saved in the end? Or indirectly destroyed by the all too average Carol?

Unfortunately, Superintelligence is equipped with none of the wits, jokes or rom-com mushy magic to make it work. Just when you thought it’s going to be funny sci-fi comedy filled with jabs on the subject of artificial intelligence, the story does a 360-degree turn into rom-com territory. Even though Cannavale and McCarthy emits some likeable chemistry, charm alone simply can’t salvage this monotonous flick.

There’s not much development that goes into our main characters either. Carol is just the average girl who probably left George because she feels inferior. George being such a nice dude probably feels it’s best for Carol to pursue something or someone she deserves. None of the plotting feel exactly refreshing or interesting.

Why did the AI picked Carol to be the person for his litmus test? We are equally puzzled as well. Probably James Corden charged a lower fee for voicing and the occasional showcasing of his face here. Or likely the director is the husband of the lead actress.

Superintelligence marks the fourth collaboration between McCarthy and Falcone. They don’t really have an amazing record of working together so I wonder who is the executive who greenlit this absolutely yawn fest. As it goes along, it just gets more and more pointless and McCarthy simply lacks the opportunities to showcase her comedic powers and talents. Even the Tesla is more memorable than anything in the entire movie.  

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Lee Yong Zoo
Cast: Gong Yoo, Park Bo Gum, Jo Woo Jin, Jang Young Nam, Park Byung Eun
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence And Coarse Language)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 15 April 2021

Synopsis: Former intelligence agent Ki-hun, who lives a secluded life as a result of a traumatic memory, is entrusted by his former boss with a secret mission to transfer humanity’s first cloned human, called Seobok, to a safe location. However, the mission goes awry when the convoy is ambushed by unknown attackers. Ki-hun and Seobok manage to escape together, but struggle awaits them around every corner as Seobok has spent his entire life in a lab and is fascinated by the outside world while Ki-hun only wants to complete his mission as soon as possible. As the two repeatedly butt heads, various groups with conflicting agendas chase after Seobok, who is humanity’s greatest salvation but also its greatest threat. When the enemy finally closes in, Ki- hun and Seobok are forced to make the inevitable choice.

Movie Review:

Mention of this film locally has quickly drawn reference to crispy pork belly (even from my editor), given how similar the two are when spelled out. But this is a film review and not a food review so all jokes aside…

On the name, director Lee Yong Zoo explained, “Emperor Qin of China was a man obsessed with the idea of immortality. He dispatched his trusted servant, Seobok, to search for the elixir of eternal life. I named this film after the servant because he represents humanity’s desire to overcome death, and the destined failure.”

Widely-anticipated for the epic sci-fi premise and A-list appearances by Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum, Seobok has all the ingredients for a blockbuster. And judging by the design, the producers at CJ ENM and Studio101 are reaching for international attention too.

Following the story of former intelligence agent Ki-hun (Gong Yoo) who is tasked to become personal bodyguard for a top-secret specimen, the film explores the juxtaposition of two creatures in wildly different circumstances together.

One is a terminally-ill man who is afraid of dying. The other, Seobok (Park Bo Gum) is a cloned human who is immortal. Imagine the conversations those two might have!

So it is with some disappointment that Seobok for me doesn’t get its hands dirty in the theme. More often than not, the film skims the surface of the conundrum life and death brings, approaching it more wistfully than earnestly, and going all philosophical without much meat.

There’s some great moments here no doubt. During a scene by the beach as they wait out their pursuers, Ki-hun admits that he “is not sure whether I really want to live or am I just afraid to die.” It’s a great reflection, but the conversation kind of ends there, with the two looking at the ocean.

But what the script lacks in terms of depth, the actors make up for them in their acting, especially for Gong. Having lost significant weight for his role, the flawless actor delivers the troubled anti-hero with a fantastic performance rich with complexity. Even before his secret is uncovered, his defensive glances and weak posturing suggests a cowardly man unlikely to save the day.

Park delivers a weaker (though still decent) performance compared to his co-star, but this might have more to do with his script than his skill. As a clone who has unexpected superhuman side effects from his genetic modification, the young actor exhibits a talent in displaying heart-breaking vulnerability and animalistic manicism in his first screen protagonist role. A pity most of his screen time was milked for sympathy than actually letting us in on more of his person.

But Seobok still is a very impressive project. The action here is plentiful. The villains, deliciously easy to hate. The main themes of sacrifice, still very moving. The audience will no doubt be thrilled by the delivery of the epic fight scenes.

With a polished production and a standout score by Jo Young Wook, Seobok proves that good entertainment will always be timeless.

Movie Rating:

(A satisfying-enough entertainment piece with a theme that would have been more soul-stirring with deeper probing)

Review by Morgan Awyong

SYNOPSIS: In 1973, teenaged Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) leaves her rural Southern hometown to study at New York University where her beloved Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) is a revered literature professor. She soon discovers that Frank is gay, and living with his longtime partner Walid "Wally" Nadeem (Peter Macdissi) -- an arrangement that he has kept secret for years. After the sudden death of Frank's father -- Beth's grandfather -- Frank is forced to reluctantly return home for the funeral with Beth in tow, and to finally face a long-buried trauma that he has spent his entire adult life running away from.

MOVIE REVIEW:

No, this is not the long-awaited sequel to Uncle Buck, the 1989 comedy that stars the late John Candy just in case you are wondering. Uncle Frank in fact comes from the inquisitive mind of Alan Ball, the acclaimed writer and creator of American Beauty and Six Feet Under. As always, Ball is obsessed with themes dealing with gay and death and Uncle Frank is well, a frank example.

Frank Bledsoe (Paul Bettany) is a gay professor at a prestige New York university who has a live-in partner of over ten years, Wally (Peter Macdissi). He has a close relationship with her niece, Beth (Sophia Lillis) who kind of look up to him and in turn encourages her to pursue the things she likes. Moving to New York to further her studies, Beth and Frank has to travel back to rural Creekville, South Carolina to attend Daddy Mac’s (Stephen Root) funeral.

It’s a painful journey for Frank as he has to battle his own inner demons including his past confrontations with the ultra-conservative Daddy Mac and his own family who has yet discover his true sexuality. Making things worse for Frank is Wally’s insistence on following him back on the road trip which increases Frank’s worriedness of being “out” by the conservative folks.

Uncle Frank is part road trip, part family reunion and covers a lot more ground than the average dramedy considering its slim runtime of 95 minutes. Ball’s writing as usual is sharp, witty and occasional funny courtesy of Wally. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable journey as Ball brings the audiences along on the ride with Frank, Beth and Wally. We are introduced to how humane Frank and Wally really are. We are devastated about Frank’s tragic past with his young lover. We are still puzzled as to why the topic of being gay is still as controversial as ever.

Clearly, this is a movie that tugs at your heartstrings. There are many well-crafted, well-acted scenes though the ending kind of wind up too perfectly and easily. But that’s just a small gripe. The characters and story are top-notch examples of great storytelling. Paul Bettany perfectly embody a tortured character, seemingly carefree on the outside but torn, hurt on the inside. Wally is a religious and family man but deep down, his love and care for Frank is undeniable.

Sophia Lillis who broke into the Hollywood scene with the horror thriller, IT continues to amaze with her emotive performance as Beth, a coming-of-age lady who sees the real world through two lovers who are waiting to be accepted by their families. Other familiar faces include comedian Steve Zahn as Frank’s younger brother, Judy Greer as his wife and veteran actress Lois Smith as Frank’s mild-senile aunt.

First and foremost, Uncle Frank is not a simplistic, stereotyping movie that tackles about old closeted gays, it’s a relatable drama about well, human beings. Strong performances is the main draw and Ball’s steady direction and writing deserved a commendation as well. Easily one of the best dramas on streaming right now.  

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Thriller/Crime
Director: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, Rami Malek, Natalie Morales, Terry Kinney, Chris Bauer, Joris Jarsky, Isabel Arraiza, Michael Hyatt
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Nudity and Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 28 January 2021

Synopsis: Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence-gathering assignment. Instead, he becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city. Leading the hunt, L.A. Sheriff Department Sergeant Jim Baxter (Malek), impressed with Deke’s cop instincts, unofficially engages his help. But as they track the killer, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke’s past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case. 

Movie Review:

If not for the crackling star power of three Academy Award winners – Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto – ‘The Little Things’ would probably be a complete washup. As it turns out, this neo-noir serial killer thriller, written by its director John Lee Hancock 30 years ago, is neither satisfying as a procedural or as a character study, even as it disguises itself as the former before shifting gears midway to the latter.

Ironically, it is much more intriguing as a procedural, beginning with a tense scene of a young woman driving alone in the middle of the night who is taunted by  mysterious driver on a highway near Bakersfield. The setting as we are told is October 1990, when we are introduced to Joe ‘Deke’ Deacon (Washington), a lowly sheriff’s deputy in Kern County who is dreading his latest assignment of driving back to his old haunt of Los Angeles to collect a piece of evidence for an impending trial.

Deke’s visit coincides with a string of murders that bear resemblance to that which occurred while he was a homicide detective some years ago. His former colleagues are none too happy to see him around, and as expected, Deke’s past will be a major revelation later on plotting-wise. On the other hand, his hotshot successor Jim Baxter (Malek) is bemused at the reception for Deke, and sees no harm asking Deke to tag along when a new case is called in.

There is an exciting tension between them at the start – one a weary and wounded veteran who for his own reasons is both eager and yet afraid to get back into the game; and the other an up-and-rising star in the department whose reputation and public image hangs on whether he is able to crack the case. Deke’s own investigation unfolds like a procedural with simmering atmosphere, and becomes something else altogether when he zeroes in on Albert Sparma (Leto), a repairman who works at an appliance store in close proximity to the latest murder.

Despite their initial scepticism of each other, Deke and Baxter team up to conduct their own surveillance of Sparma; and as it turns out, Sparma relishes the attention as well as the opportunity to run rings around both detectives. While their cat-and-mouse is initially to determine if Sparma is indeed responsible for the murders, the third act turns it into something entirely, focusing instead on the intense obsession which both Deke and Baxter develop to simply nail their prime suspect.

Oh yes, it should be said for those expecting to get some resolution at the end whether Sparma is the culprit that the movie ultimately offers no clear answer. Instead, as we stated at the start, it becomes a movie about the psychological toll of police work on both our protagonists in equal measure – that which had caused Deke to suffer a divorce and triple bypass on the job within six months before he left, and that which threatens to afflict and consume Baxter now, sucking him away from his wife and two daughters into a murky abyss.

That shift in gears is sadly not compelling or convincing enough. Despite Washington’s signature brooding, there is only so much the actor can do to portray his character’s tormented nature, especially amidst hokey techniques such as having him imagine the dead whose murders he had failed to avenge stare back at him. Malek’s character is also underwritten, and it isn’t clear why he becomes so absorbed in the case as Deke is. And for that matter, it is also just as ambiguous why Sparma enjoys provoking his foils, aside from the fact that he is probably already a psychopath to begin with.

The interplay among these characters is hardly sufficient to justify the grim climax, which tries to be as shocking as the twist in ‘Se7en’ but falls way short. Fundamentally, we are never quite sold on Baxter’s transformation, the sense of camaraderie that supposedly binds Deke and Baxter due to their circumstances, and therefore how their fates are eventually mirrored. As much as the title tries to make it about ‘the little things’, there is ultimately not ehough detail for us to be won over by the sudden turn at the end.

Perhaps it is telling why even such auteurs as Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood that had attempted to crack the screenplay did not manage to do so, and those shortcomings are compounded by Hancock’s deliberate pacing that runs slightly over two hours. Frankly, we would have very much liked to look forward to a good old serial killer thriller, but ‘The Little Things’ hardly offers any genre thrills or character-driven drama it promises. And therefore, like its title suggests, it ends up being a slight, trivial and inconsequential addition to a genre that has no lack of classics or more worthwhile predecessors.

Movie Rating:

(Neither thrilling enough as a procedural or compelling enough as a character study, ‘The Little Things’ ends up being a slight entry into a genre that has no lack of better and more worthwhile predecessors)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Kim Jong-Kwan
Cast: Han Ji-Min, Nam Joo-Hyuk, Jung Yi-seo
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 10 December 2020

Synopsis: A remake of the Japanese movie "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish". From the day he first met her, she kept on asking him to call her "Josée". Josée remains an unforgettable name for Yeong Seok. Josée lives alone with her grandmother, reading and imagining her own world there. Yeong Seok begins to feel special feelings for her by chance and begins to approach her slowly and sincerely. But while the first love that he experiences is exciting, heartbreaking Joseé pushes away the strange feeling that came to him...

Movie Review:

Romance dramas appeal to a certain group of viewers. These are audiences who enjoy a good love story, and appreciate the somewhat formulaic plots that speak universally to die hard romantics. Then there are Korean romance dramas – this genre of movies may not appeal to the impatient viewer (usually males), but they are a huge hit with those who want to indulge in a dreamy (and almost fantastical) world where the female lead is impossibly pretty, and the male protagonist is impossibly perfect.

Need an extra dose of drama? Throw in a life threatening illness or a physical disability for tear inducing effect.  This Korean remake of the Japanese movie “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” (which is based on a short story by Seiko Tanabe) is a perfect example of how the right ingredients in a romance drama will make the right viewers shed buckets of tears. 

The guy in the story is Young Seok, a university student who helps Josee, a girl who falls from her wheelchair. He visits her house and it is not surprising that this is the start of a budding romance. The problem is, he is supposedly someone who is of a higher class status (a graduating student majoring in engineering and has a promising career in front of him), while she is someone deemed by the society as lower class (a jobless individual due to her physical disability and living in a run down house with a grandmother who picks up cardboard in the streets). Will true love prevail?

The 117 minute movie sees the two leads finding out more about each other. He makes repeats to her untidy abode, while she tells him whimsical stories and shares her knowledge of whiskey. If you had a relationship this sweet, you’d be smiling everyday. Things take a turn when she begins rejecting him, and he wonders why his sincerity isn’t acknowledged. Can you see how this bittersweet romance will end?

Han Ji Min and Nam Joo Hyuk are good lookers which are easy on the eye, and fans of this genre of movies will have no issues sitting through the movie. After working on 2019’s hit TV drama “The Light in Your Eyes”, the two stars have a natural chemistry. When the girl is this beautiful and the guy is this handsome, it is easy to enjoy what’s on screen. The cinematography captures the relationship in an almost magical light, and Josee’s big but messy house is a location that the filmmakers aptly made use of to create some fairy tale like sequences.  

The story moves along at an unhurried pace, and asks its audience to appreciate the developing relationship between Young Seok and Josee. While nothing new, themes of class differentiation and societal acceptance are explored. As the film progresses, you wonder where it will lead to, and when the ending presents itself, you may be shedding a few tears.  

Movie Rating:

(The formulaic Korean romance drama will please fans of the genre with its good-looking stars and tearjerking plot)

Review by John Li

Genre: Crime/Action
Director: Mak Ho Pong
Cast: Patrick Tam, Louis Cheung, Adam Pak, Justin Cheung
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 3 December 2020

Synopsis: Three prisoners who did not know each other at first, plan a prison break together. One uses his architectural knowledge to plan an escape using the building structural plans; another uses his pick-pocketing skills to obtain whatever tools they need; and the third uses his influence within the prison in order to cover up their escape route. In the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is their planned date of escape, they must not let the warden discover their tracks, but they also have to go against Scar, another powerful prisoner who is set to jeopardize their plan.

Movie Review:

As tempting as it may be to compare this latest prison-set Hong Kong film with classics such as ‘Prison On Fire’ and its sequel, you’d be better off dialling down your expectations if you intend to catch ‘Breakout Brothers’. It is hardly a classic, and without the sheer star power of Louis Koo, Kevin Cheng and Raymond Lam, probably at best a poorer cousin to last year’s cheesy but still watchable ‘P Storm’.

Not that the trio of Patrick Tam, Louis Cheung and Adam Pak do not try their best, but this sophomore film from director Mak Ho-pong is ultimately let down by its weak production and flimsy plotting. Arguably, the former is a consequence of the budget which Mak had to work with, which the opening shots would establish, is probably as lean as it gets; that said, the latter, by co-writers Edmond Wong (son of Mandarin Films’ owner Raymond Wong) and Hayley Fu, hardly justifies any bigger investment in the first place.

Like its title suggests, the basic storyline is about three prison buddies who hatch a plan to break out of prison during the annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Each has his own motivation – Cheung wants to donate his kidney to his ailing mother; Tam wants to be able to see his daughter, whom he has not heard from for the past 20 years, get married; and Pak was framed by his business partner for the crime he was charged with, who has bribed a sadistic fellow prisoner to give him hell behind bars.

Their plan is simplistic to the point of being laughable – crawl through the overhead ventilation shaft; disable the power to cut off the CCTVs; and use the manhole in one of the storage rooms to get outside the prison, where Cheung’s girlfriend would be waiting to pick them up. The possible complications? Few in fact – getting the mould of a single prison key so they can get into the woodwork workshop to climb up the ventilation shaft; and avoiding the suspicion of the stern prison warden (Kenny Wong) who wants nothing to go wrong in the three months before his long-awaited transfer.

If that doesn’t sound like very exciting stuff, that’s because it isn’t – and unfortunately, Mak stages the proceedings without much inspiration or persuasion. What tension there could be between the trio and Pak’s enemy hardly builds up to anything, not least because a one-on-one fight between Tam and the latter is wasted in close-ups, quick cuts and fade-outs. Even the warden’s foiling of their plan unfolds in such an unexciting way you’d wonder if Mak should have watched at least a couple more prison films before embarking on one of his own.

The saving grace is Tam, Cheung and to a lesser extent, Pak. Tam exudes roguish charm effortlessly, and though often relegated to supporting roles, proves he is more than capable as a leading man in his own right. Cheung shares the screen more or less equally with Tam, and lends humour and heart to an otherwise underwritten character. On the other hand, Pak seems at times uncertain how best to pitch his own performance, whether to come off aggrieved or despairing, but thankfully is often redeemed by his fellow actors.

Unless you’re just looking for some time to kill, there is probably little gratifying about ‘Breakout Brothers’; indeed, you’re better off revisiting Chow Yun Fat’s classic or even the trashy but certainly more enjoyable ‘P Storm’. Like we said, the only thing the movie has going for it is its cast as well as the bro-mantic chemistry between Tam and Cheung; otherwise, this is neither a thrilling heist film or a gritty prison drama, and is ultimately trapped in its own mediocrity.

Movie Rating:

(Patrick Tam and Louis Cheung make a enjoyable prison duo, but is unfortunately let down by a weak production and flimsy plotting in this all-too mediocre prison drama)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: Set at Christmas time, “Godmothered” is a comedy about Eleanor, a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training (Jillian Bell) who upon hearing that her chosen profession is facing extinction, decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers. Finding a mislaid letter from a 10-year-old girl in distress, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that the girl, Mackenzie, is now a 40-year-old single mom (Isla Fisher) working at a news station in Boston. Having lost her husband several years earlier, Mackenzie has all but given up on the idea of “Happily Ever After,” but Eleanor is bound and determined to give Mackenzie a happiness makeover, whether she likes it or not. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Do you have a penchant for sweet, fairy tale offerings liked Enchanted or Cinderella? Well, Disney has you covered this Christmas with Godmothered!

In order to save her beloved magical craft, a trainee fairy godmother, Eleanor (Julian Bell) decides to come to earth in search of a certain MacKenzie Walsh who has written a letter seeking for help decades ago. The present MacKenzie Walsh (Isla Fisher) is no longer a ten year old but is now a 40 year old disillusioned TV executive and single mother to two young girls, Jane and Mia.

Hoping to use her magic to find MacKenzie her true love or “happily ever after”, Eleanor gets herself into all sorts of embarrassing predicaments instead. Will MacKenzie finally find her true love in the form of Hugh Prince (Santiago Cabrera), her colleague who has a crush on her? And will Eleanor make it in time to return to Motherland before the portal closes?

Godmothered is yet another unpretentious cutesy flick from the world of Disney. In keeping up with the times, the screenplay by Kari Granlund and Melissa Stack provided some inspiring, female empowerment messages into the story. Who needs a man to save the day so long we have some woodland creatures around for some household chores. Having a pig to roam around the house would be nice too. How about a racoon named Gary? Even better.

Sharon Maguire who is behind Bridget Jones’s Diary and Baby sure knows how to concoct some “magic” behind-the-scenes to make things work perfectly despite the less than generous budget. It’s all very sweet-natured and there’s nothing like a song from the evergreen classic, The Song of Music to liven things up when things are getting a little moody! I’m sure you wouldn’t be even bother about the campy CGI and cheesy Christmas lights.

While her hubby once again shake Hollywood with his not so conventional Borat sequel, his wife Isla Fisher plays it safe generating much loveable chemistry opposite the bubbly Julian Bell. Bell deserved much praise as the childlike, fish-out-of-water fairy although instead of the leads doing the bulk of the singing, the task went to MacKenzie’s daughter, Jane played by Jillian Shea Spaeder.

Although Godmothered feels awfully similar to many other Disney productions, there are actually more than sufficient supply of laughs, charm and joy to share among the entire family. For ladies who grew up on stories of fairy godmothers, this will be a delight as well. Come on, it’s just a holiday flick. Just enjoy the product before Disney comes out with a movie on tooth fairy. Wait, isn’t there a movie of the same name starring Dwayne Johnson already?  

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: Viggo Mortensen
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Lance Henriksen, Terry Chen, Sverrir Gudnason, Hannah Gross, Laura Linney
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: R21 (Mature Theme and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 26 November 2020 

Synopsis: John (Viggo Mortensen) lives with his partner, Eric (Terry Chen), and their daughter, Mónica (Gabby Velis), in California, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago. John’s father, Willis (Lance Henriksen), a headstrong man from a bygone era, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up. Willis is in the early stages of dementia, making running the farm on his own increasingly difficult, so John brings him to stay at his California home so that he and his sister Sarah (Linney) might help him find a place near them to relocate to. Unfortunately, their best intentions ultimately run up against Willis’s adamant refusal to change his way of life in the slightest. During his stay at John’s California home, tension builds between Willis and the rest of the family. Willis’s abrasive nature, by turns caustic and occasionally funny, is aggravated by his memory loss, bringing past and present into conflict and causing old wounds and years of mutual mistrust between father and son to rise to the surface. As Willis and John confront the events that have torn them, including their differing recollections of John’s mother Gwen (Gross), the challenge they face is to find a way to forgive each other, to accept what has happened in the past and, most importantly, what is happening to them in the present. We embark on a journey from darkness to light, from rage and resentment to acceptance and hard-won grace.

Movie Review:

The talented Viggo Mortensen finally makes his directorial debut with Falling. In addition to directing, he also produced, wrote and composed the score. Talk about multi-tasking and talent all rolled into one.

Although Mortensen puts in a remarkable nuanced performance as the long torture son of Willis, its Lance Henriksen who stole the limelight as the obstinate, bad-tempered father. Falling in short is a family drama about the relationship between an ailing father and his estranged son.

Willis is an old man from a forgotten era. Out of care and concern, John (Mortensen) decides to bring his father to California from the rural farm where he stayed alone to stay with his family while he tries to scout a house for him. Besides suffering from dementia and prostrate issues, Willis is also a sexist, racist homophobic old man whose vocab normally starts with “whore… fags” and ends with more “whore.. fags”. Nothing liked a colourful character liked Willis to kickstart a story.

John is an ex-air force pilot, happily married to his husband, Eric (Terry Chen) and has an adopted daughter, Monica. As expected, Willis always has some colourful words for both John and Eric and amusingly, mistaking the latter as Japanese rather than the fact that he is Hawaiian-Chinese.

For a runtime of nearly two hours, there’s not much of a story going on which perhaps is the greatest gripe of all. Mortensen makes good use of frequent flashbacks to the past where we see Willis as a young man (played by Swedish actor Sverrir Gudnason), John’s mother (Hannah Gross) and himself as a young child. Willis is still the A-hole as before in case you are wondering. He doesn’t seem particularly happy with his beautiful wife and kids. The sad part is there’s isn’t much of an explanation why his wife left him shortly. But we see him hooking up with another beautiful young lady named Jill shortly after. We heard from conversations they are both wonderful wives to Willis but we never get to learn more.

The present Willis continues to swear and slur in the meantime on every single occasion including a visit to the doctor (director David Cronenberg in a cameo) and his daughter, Sarah (Laura Linney also in a cameo) who drops by for a visit with her two kids. Alternating between past and present, Willis has no patience for his son and basically everyone around him, not even his two late wives except showering his love on Monica, the only family member that got the pardon from his non-stop rattling.

Because the constant flashbacks doesn’t give much hindsight to the strained father-and-son relationship, Falling somehow develops into a tiring melodrama despite Mortensen’s best intention to showcase the fracture relationship. Is John simply fulfilling his duty as a son to take care of his terminally ill father? Or is there a nicer side of Willis which we never see?

Accordingly, part of the story is inspired by Mortensen’s experience in taking care of both his late parents who suffered from dementia. The gay part is creative writing though. Henriksen delivers one of his career best performances, a character you tend to hate and sympathise at the same time. Mortensen in general did a wondrous job turning out a picturesque drama with outstanding performances. What doesn’t work here is compensated by the mentioned facts.  

Movie Rating:

(An artsy family drama from the very talented Viggo Mortensen)

Review by Linus Tee