Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon, Campbell Scott, Justice Smith, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, Daniella Pineda
Runtime: 2 hrs 27 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 June 2022
Synopsis: This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe. From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live-and hunt-alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures. Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.
Movie Review:
Two generations of ‘Jurassic Park’ unite in the concluding chapter of the latter trilogy, but ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ squanders both potential and goodwill accumulated over the course of the past three decades. In almost every respect, be it plotting, character work or just plain spectacle, this latest entry from director and co-writer Clin Trevorrow is an utter letdown; in fact, it is all the more disappointing considering how its immediate predecessor had handed a rich set-up – that having been released from captivity, all of these recreated prehistoric creatures are now free to roam our world, for better and for worse.
Picking up four years after the events of ‘Fallen Kingdom’, ‘Dominion’ starts off intriguingly enough with a Monosaurus upending a fishing boat in the Baltic sea, followed by an internet news documentary about how dinosaurs have upended our world, including with nesting Pteranodons on the roof of the tallest skyscraper. Yet Trevorrow and his co-writer Emily Carmichael seem oddly fearful of expanding on this dystopian reality; instead, they quickly reduce their movie down to two parallel tracks that conveniently wind their way to another park-like sanctuary for the obligatory dino-versus-dino showdown.
One of these has former ‘Jurassic World’ trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) embark on a globe-trotting chase to rescue 14-year-old Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), who at the end of ‘Fallen Kingdom’ was revealed to be a clone whose genetic code we are now told may hold the key to human survival. The other has former ‘Jurassic Park’ paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) teaming up with paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to investigate the rise of oversized, genetically altered locusts, and joining forces yet again with a former ally Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) along the way.
Both these tracks lead to the new tech conglomerate Biosyn, whose lead geneticist Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) had created these locusts in a bid to control the world’s food supply and who now needs Maisie to stop them from causing an impending food shortage. The company is also run by the eccentric megalomaniac Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), whom ‘Jurassic Park’ fans may recall was the guy who paid Dennis Nedry to smuggle embryos in the very first Steven Spielberg movie; here, as played by Scott, he is a sociopathic Steve Jobs-type clearly more concerned with breakthroughs and profits than about the consequences on humanity and civilization.
That Biosyn should also own a vast compound somewhere in the Dolomites where international governments have agreed to relocate the prehistoric behemoths is little more than narrative simplicity, allowing Trevorrow to simply rehash the ‘Jurassic’ playbook without the need for deeper imagination or any measure of inventiveness. As realistic as the blend of practical, animatronic critters with state-of-the-art CGI is, Trevorrow fails to recapture the sense of awe, thrill and wonder of the earlier movies: not only do too many scenes follow the same narrow-escape template, there is no build-up or wit to the sequences, most of them unfolding with little tension or menace. Even the callbacks – including a duel between the apex predator Giganotosarus and the legendary T. rex – inspire little joy, serving only as reminder of how it was done much better before.
To be fair, the best scenes occur midway in the movie and not within the dinosaur sanctuary itself. The highlight here is undoubtedly a foot chase and motorcycle pursuit through the ancient streets of the Maltese capital Valetta, preceded by a delightfully curious scene in and around an underground black market filled with raptor fights, seedy poachers and stalls selling dino kebabs. There is also a short but nail-biting scene of a winged serpent taking down a cargo plane in midflight, and another equally brief one of Owen and his pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) playing cat-and-mouse with a feathered dinosaur slithering under ice.
Yet at almost two-and-a-half-hours long, these occasional pleasures are not sufficient to sustain a movie with too many unwieldy story parts and too little character work. Besides surviving the peril from scene to scene, there is little that Pratt or Howard is given to do. Their vacuity is even more apparent next to the original trio, with at least the dynamic of Neill, Dern and Goldblum adding levity and swagger to their otherwise equally underwritten roles. Oh yes, sadly for Pratt and Howard, it is the reunion of the old crew that give this movie its victory lap, and in the process exposing just how colourless the ‘Jurassic World’ additions have been.
But seeing where ‘Fallen Kingdom’ had left off, ‘Dominion’ hardly lives up to its potential as ‘the epic conclusion of the Jurassic era’. Not only does it squander the mouth-watering promise handed down from its predecessor, it fails to recapture the excitement, humour and wonderment of what made the series so memorable in the first place, so much so that once you get past the nostalgia of seeing Neill, Dern and Goldblum back together, you’ll find yourself drawn into a weary slog of rampaging mayhem with little flair or distinction. We’re not ready to call extinction on this franchise yet, but this exercise in overstuffed mediocrity just confirms that the magic of the Jurassic era has all but run dry.
Movie Rating:
(Squandering a rich set-up left by its predecessor, this conclusion to two generations of 'Jurassic Park' fails to recapture the sense of awe, thrill and wonder of the earlier movies)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: M18 (Nudity and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Walt Disney Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 December 2021
Synopsis: THE FRENCH DISPATCH brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional 20th - century French city.
Movie Review:
You can regard Wes Anderson as an artist. If you are familiar with the American filmmaker’s works, you’d know how he tells stories with a distinctive visual and narrative style. His films are eccentric (this reviewer remembers how he convinced his army mates to watch The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001, and they left the theatre bewildered), and each character has a peculiar personality. Coupled with a quirky soundtrack, Anderson’s films are best enjoyed if you’re in the mood for something exquisite yet playful.
His latest work follows three different storylines as “The French Dispatch”, which is the French foreign bureau of a fictional newspaper “Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun” creates its final issue. The film starts off with the editor of The French Dispatch dying suddenly of a heart attack. He had expressed in his will that the publication is to be suspended following one final farewell issue. From here, three articles from past editions are brought to life on screen, along with an obituary. Anderson begins his film with a title card stating what to expect, and you are brought on this whimsical journey.
After a short segment who what seems like a travelogue featuring Owen Wilson as a cycling reporter, we are given the first story “The Concrete Masterpiece”, where we see a mentally disturbed artist developing a relationship with a prison officer. In the mix is an art dealer who evades taxes, and the business of art exhibitions and profit making. This is the most engaging segment of the film, thanks to heartfelt performances by the brawly Benicio del Toro and the sultry Léa Seydoux. Adrien Brody completes the picture as the businessman with a plan.
The second story “Revisions to a Manifesto” features the ever so perfect Timothée Chalamet as a student revolutionary working on a manifesto. Along comes a reporter (Frances McDormand) who believes in journalistic neutrality, and before she knows it, she has a fling with the young boy. Lyna Khoudri delivers a performance filled with bravado in this otherwise stylistic but emotionless piece.
The third segment “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner” is the most interesting of the lot, as the spotlight is shone on a chef who specialises in preparing cuisine to eaten by police officers. A series of events sees the writer (Jeffrey Wright) embroiled in a kidnapping saga. Without giving too much away, this segment showcases a refreshing approach to visualising a story on screen.
Like Anderson’s other films, this one features an impressive ensemble cast. Favourites like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Anjelica Huston, Edward Norton and Willem Dafoe are all there, with other big names like Christoph Waltz, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan and Elisabeth Moss joining the list. Who would say no to being cast in a Wes Anderson production?
If you’re a fan of the auteur’s works (remember that this is the same guy who made Fantastic Mr Fox different and cool), you’d be impressed with every frame of this 108 minute film. Every shot is meticulously framed, and every camera movement is executed with precision. You may say this film is overflowing with self indulgence, but we’d take it just for that breath of fresh air.
Movie Rating:
(Thank you, Wes Anderson, for gracing us with another stylistically eccentric film)
Review by John Li
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58TH GOLDEN HORSE AWARDSPosted on 28 Nov 2021 |
SYNOPSIS: An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical, comic and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Instead of watching a rerun of A Christmas Carol or Elf this festive season, Netflix and Studio Canal has released a heartfelt, imaginative Christmas movie worthy to be part your festive watching binge. That movie will be A Boy Called Christmas.
The fantasy adventure stars newcomer Henry Lawfull as Nikolas, a boy living in a wooden hut with his woodcutter father, Joel (Michiel Huisman). In order to fulfil the King’s wish to bring hope to the kingdom, Joel decides to head to a magical land called Elfhelm with a group of hunters. Nikolas on the other hand is left in the care of his wicked Aunt Carlotta (Kristen Wiig).
Unable to tolerate the antics of his aunt, Nikolas decides to embark on a trip to Elfhelm together with his talking mouse, Miika (voice by Stephen Merchant) to search for his father. Predictably, the trip to Elfhelm is not going to be easy for Nikolas as he will soon encounter magical elves, reindeer and a Truth Pixie.
Directed and co-written by Gil Kenan (Monster House and serving as writer on the recent Ghostbusters: Afterlife), A Boy Called Christmas is generally fun and highly entertaining without being too corny or serious. Obviously, it doesn’t break any new ground either so you can expect the usual “ingredients” from a Christmas flick liked elves, magical spells, flying reindeer and a nice comfy message about hope.
If Daniel Radcliffe surprises you in the original Harry Potter, prepare to be enchanted by the performance of a wide-eyed Henry Lawfull who graces the movie with his likeable solid presence. Of course, when you are also surrounded by the best of Brit thespians- Toby Jones, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent and Maggie Smith, the end product should hold up for many years to come.
Since the source material is based on a book by Matt Haig, this reimagined tale of the origin of Father Christmas or known to many as Santa Claus contains obvious influences from The Chronicles of Narnia and many other Christmas classics minus of course the more scholarly based text book version of St Nick.
To nitpick A Boy Called Christmas will be the biggest sin of all as it contains all the winning formula of a holiday movie. Beneath all the magical Christmas spirit and in lieu of the current worldwide situation, the movie also comes well-prepared with an appropriate message about embracing hope plus a subtle message about accepting death. Nothing liked some joy and life lessons to share to all.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Drama
Director: Fiona Roan Feng-I
Cast: Karena Lam, Kaiser Chuang, Caitlin Fang, Audrey Lin, Bowie Tsang, Kimi Hsia, Teng Hui Huang, Winnie Chang, Jia Yin Tsai, Ming-Hsiu Tsai
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Clover Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 December 2021
Synopsis: Uprooted from Los Angeles when her mother had breast cancer, 13-year-old Fen struggles to adjust to life in Taipei. As Fen navigates her way through school and reconnects with her long-separated father, her turbulent bond with her mother worsens. Fen drifts further away from her mother before her younger sister is misdiagnosed with SARS, pushing Fen and her mother towards a heated, long-gestating confrontation.
Movie Review:
There are films that do not rely on fancy gimmicks like stories that carry more style than substance, heavy CGI and big stars who do not do much except to pose in glamourous shots. Then there are films like this earnest production helmed by Fiona Roan Feng-i, which tells a heartfelt and relatable story.
Roan’s debut feature is a semi autobiographical story of a young mother (Karena Lam) who moves back to Taiwan from the United States with her two daughters after she is diagnosed with breast cancer. The protagonist is the elder daughter (Caitlin Fang), who is upset with being uprooted from her American life. Besides trying to adapt to her new school, she also tries to reconnect with her long separated father (Kaiser Chuang). Amidst this, the relationship with her cancer stricken mother worsens.
The film works because it speaks to the audience with its relevant themes of family tensions and the burden of death of our parents. It would have been convenient for the filmmakers to adopt a melodramatic approach with lots of shouting and screaming. But the 101 minute movie moves along at a confident and unhurried pace. It takes its time to let viewers know the individual family members, and through little episodes, you see the dynamics within the family, and may even realise your family’s story is being told on screen.
While watching the film, you may remember the times hurtful things were said to your parents which you wish you can take back. You may also pick up the somewhat hilarious sequences where the father and mother obviously believes in different religions. Then there are moments which remind you how rebellious or idealistic your childhood was.
Another interesting aspect of the film is how it takes place during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003. References to pop culture during that time are aplenty (school girls talk about the once popular Taiwanese boyband 5566, and friends communicated via ICQ). It nicely captures the Roan’s memory of Taipei from 18 years ago. Yet, the feeling is not one that evokes nostalgia. It is one that reminds us of how the society has moved on. In one of the many memorable scenes, the mother is waiting with her ill younger daughter at a hospital’s emergency area. When the healthcare team informs her that the child has pneumonia symptoms and has to be quarantined, the impact of the panic is deeply felt.
At the 58th Golden Horse Awards, the film garnered seven nominations and took home the prizes for Best New Director (Roan), Best New Performer (Fang) and Best Cinematography. On top of that, the movie was also recognised with the Audience Choice Award and FIPRESCI Prize.
There are no unrealistically characterised humans in this movie. The characters are people around us, or even personifications of ourselves. The grounded approach is a nice departure from films which are burdened with huge budgets and an obligation to overwhelm our senses. This is a simple and sincere film that deserves your attention.
Movie Rating:
(A sincere and relatable film that features heartfelt performances and portrays realistic family dynamics)
Review by John Li
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Director: Derek Kwok
Cast: Li Xian, Xin Zhi Lei, Lei Jia Yin, Ge You, Guo Tao
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language & Violence)
Released By: Clover Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 December 2021
Synopsis: Despite being the descendent of a family known for its expertise on ancient relics, Xu Yuan chooses to make a simple living as the owner of an electronics shop. But when a Japanese woman named Kido announces her plan to return a Tang Dynasty Buddha head to China, Xu Yuan is pulled into an all-out war over this priceless artefact.
Movie Review:
Like ‘National Treasure’ or ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Schemes in Antiques’ is constructed as a fast-paced action-adventure that has its protagonist racing against time to solve a series of puzzles in order to uncover a long-lost secret.
Here, the protagonist is Xu Yuan (Lei Jiayin), an unassuming owner of a small electronics shop who hails from a family of relic experts. Xu’s ordinary life is upended when the legendary Tang Dynasty Buddha head from Empress Consort Wu’s Imperial Treasure Hall is returned to China by a Japanese family who had been in possession of it since the Sino-Japanese war; the woman Kido returning the artefact makes a curious request for it to be presented to the descendant of the man who had earlier been branded a traitor for sending it to Japan.
The re-emergence of the artefact also attracts another expert Yao Buran (Li Xian), who unlike the perpetually disheveled-looking Xu, cuts a dapper figure with neat suits, and metal-rimmed glasses. Their maiden encounter with each other sets the stage for the tone of their ensuing relationship: to prove their respective worth, Xu and Yao are pitted against each other to see which one of them can more accurately sift out fakes from amongst a collection of 20 antiques.
What follows between them is a race to track down the real Buddha head, after it is quickly established that the item in Kido’s possession is a fake. Whereas Xu sees it as an opportunity to redeem his family’s tarnished legacy, Yao has a much more personal (and selfish) ambition in mind, sparking a deepening rivalry with both hilarious and deadly serious consequences.
Spanning a little over two hours, director Derek Kwok keeps the pace fast and frenetic, packing the film with riddle after riddle without barely pausing for his audience to make sense of them. In fact, those who try to do so will probably find themselves frustrated at how cavalier the movie throws out clue after clue, exposition after exposition, twist after turn in rapid, quick-fire succession; indeed, the plotting (based on the novel by Ma Boyong and credited to six writers, no less) goes by so frenziedly that you wonder if the filmmakers were simply trying to distract you from the fact that there is not a lot of logic or coherence behind the shenanigans.
Yet to Kwok’s credit, those simply looking for an entertaining diversion will find themselves suitably engaged from start to finish. Among the memorable set-pieces are a tense foot chase around a busy railway station, where Xu has to evade Yao and a gang of ruffians he is connected with, a New Year dinner feast in a village up in the mountains where Xu and Yao reluctantly join forces to hoodwink the young chief, and a shootout amidst a fast-crumbling underground temple. In terms of scale, this is probably his biggest film to date, and Kwok manages it with flair and confidence.
That the trickeries prove so enjoyable is credit to the superb ensemble Kwok has assembled for the movie, including a roguishly charming Lei who also delivers unexpected pathos in the last act, a devilishly sly Li who reveals a surprisingly Machiavellian side, and a beguilingly enigmatic Ge You in a key supporting role as Xu’s mentor Fu Gui. Whether is it the rivalry between Xu and Yao or the fatherly bond between Xu and Fu, the chemistry among the various key players breathe life and colour into the movie.
It bears reiterating that ‘Schemes in Antiques’ is ultimately intended as a fun, light-hearted action adventure despite its subject matter, so don’t go in expecting a serious-minded history lesson, even as it does borrow from history for its plotting. Just like ‘National Treasure’ and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ therefore, it requires that you properly suspend your disbelief to embrace its escapist pleasures. We must admit that we were wary that it would yet become another thinly veiled propaganda exercise; thankfully, any nationalism is kept to a minimum here, which is all the more reason you ought to simply hop on, strap in, and enjoy the ride.
Movie Rating:
(The rare Mainland Chinese film that isn't stuffed with propaganda, 'Schemes in Antiques' is a fun, light-hearted and thoroughly entertaining action adventure)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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BOOK REVIEW #42: TRUE BELIEVER THE RISE AND FALL OF STAN LEEPosted on 22 Dec 2021 |
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Jeff Fowler
Cast: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 31 March 2022
Synopsis: The world's favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Movie Review:
We aren’t film snobs, but let’s be honest about movies based on video games. They are never meant to be cinematic masterpieces, and rarely would they be submitted for film festivals and go on to win awards for best screenplay. Most of the time, movies of this genre are meant to please long time fans, spark the interest of the uninitiated or simply, cash grab machines to sell merchandise.
Remember how the Internet reacted when the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog was first released in 2019? There was uproar among fans and it was for good reason. Sonic’s initial design was so creepy, it gave some people nightmares. We got chills just by looking at the hyper real fur, eyes and teeth. The huge fan backlash forced the filmmakers to do a redesign the film was postponed to February 2020. It was a box office success, and presto – here’s the sequel with the addition of two other fan favourites: Tails and Knuckles.
The story isn’t the greatest thing about the popcorn movie. Sonic (voiced by an ever energetic Ben Schwartz) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) must find the location of a magic emerald to save the world (but of course), and before doing that, there is a map, a magic compass, an underground temple full of traps and antagonists who are chasing them every step of the way. The returning bad guys are Dr Robotnik (a deliciously manic Jim Carrey), Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub), and the addition of Knuckles (Idris Elba effortlessly chanelling gruff and toughness). Elsewhere, in an unnecessary side plot, Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) are in Hawaiiattending a wedding.
If you (and your family comprising young kids) enjoyed the first movie, then this would be a fun outing to the cinema for everyone as well. Tails is an adorable addition to the cast, and the notion of him trying to find a family is wholesomely sweet. While the 122 minute runtime feels somewhat indulgent compared to the first movie’s agreeable 99 minute duration (did we really need to see Sonic and Tails having a dance off challenge with Siberian thugs?), it is still entertaining enough to milk some chuckles. The writers took the effort to insert some pop culture references for the older viewers to spot, and delivered fan service with numerous Easter eggs. The climatic sequence where the villainous Dr Robotnik fights the good guys in a gigantic mech brings to mind how we had to defeat the bad guy in the video game’s boss battles.
What we think makes the movie work is the decision to cast Carrey as the baddie. The actor made audiences sit up and pay attention in the first movie, and in this sequel, he brings the wackiness up a notch. Fans who enjoy Carrey’s antics in screwball comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and The Mask (1994) are in for a treat as he continues to display the same zaniness. Remember how the Riddler was brought to life in Batman Forever (1995)? Relive those moments as Carrey delivers an over the top performance.
As for the question to whether there’ll be a third movie for this franchise? Judging from the post credits scene, it is most probably happening. Get ready for the Sonic cinematic universe!
Movie Rating:
(If you aren't asking for too much, this family-friendly popcorn movie based on one of the most beloved video game characters of all time is a great way to spend two hours in the cinema)
Review by John Li
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Danis Goulet
Cast: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brooklyn Letexier- Hart, Alex Tarrant, Amanda Plummer, Violet Nelson
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 December 2021
Synopsis: The year is 2043. A military occupation controls disenfranchised cities in post-war North America. Children are property of the State. A desperate Cree woman joins an underground band of vigilantes to infiltrate a State children’s academy and get her daughter back. Night Raiders is a female-driven dystopian drama about resilience, courage and love.
Movie Review:
Not unless you care about the plight of indigenous North Americans will you be moved by ‘Night Raiders’, a dystopian sci-fi drama from first-time writer-director Danis Goulet.
Intended as parable of how such communities have indeed been displaced from their land and ghettoized in reserves, it imagines how North America in the year 2043 has been overtaken by a military government, which has not only put up an imposing wall to keep these people either living in forests or in squalid parts of town, but also forcibly conscripted their children into academic institutions to brainwash them from their language and culture.
To Goulet’s credit, ‘Night Raiders’ boasts impressive world-building. From the decrepit cityscapes and residential communities outside the wall, to the hopelessness and helplessness of those left to live their lives in filthy conditions, and to the quiet determination of the Cree community to resist the oppression of their government, Goulet paints a sobering picture that will resonate deeply with those able to understand and relate to his real-world analogy.
Unfortunately, for the rest who do not, ‘Night Raiders’ is simply an occasionally engaging survival story that will have you wondering just what the hype is all about; in fact, you’ll probably be left wondering how it was better off as an intimate mother-and-daughter tale than one about the titular band of underground vigilantes as well as the indigenous community they represent.
At least in the first half-hour, the set-up focused on Niska and Waseese (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, respectively) is tense and intriguing, pitting the pair against the dangers of the wilderness (when Waseese stumbles into a wildlife trap that seriously wounds her ankle) and the technology of the government (when they have to evade detection by drones sent to detect any sign of lifeform, especially juvenile). It is Wasesse’s injury that forces them to go into town, where Niska makes contact with a longtime friend Roberta (Amanda Plummer) while desperately trying to get Wasesse the medical attention she needs.
It is after Niska makes the devastating decision to leave Wassese in the hands of the armed forces and the film flashes ten months forward that the pace slackens. While Niska is reluctantly rehabilitated with members of her racial community, Wassese is being indoctrinated by the educators at the government academy she is held in, where she is also being trained to eventually oppress her very own people. There is plenty of exposition in this middle act, but neither the characters or their predicament is fleshed out sufficiently to be compelling.
It doesn’t help too that the plotting takes some curious turns, like why the Cree regard Niska as some kind of saviour (such that they would entrust her to lead the children they had rescued from the academy to some safe haven in the mountains) or how some mysterious virus suddenly forces the evacuation of those living in the city (as well as a forced encounter between Roberta and the son she had lost to the government). By expanding the world around Niska and Wassese, the film also inevitably loses its emphasis on the bond between mother and daughter, thus diluting the emotional impact of the film.
Like we said therefore, it requires understanding of the political commentary Goulet is making in order to fully appreciate the nuances at play here. Only with the knowledge of the real-life cultural erasure it is meant to depict do the proceedings take on added significance, or for that matter does the ending (that sees Wassese save the day) not come across as a deus-ex-machina. Without that context, ‘Night Raiders’ is as unexceptional as its title, and not even the fact that it has a good sense of atmosphere can disguise its ultimate mediocrity.
Movie Rating:
(Otherwise as unexceptional as its title, this dystopian sci-fi drama is only significant as allegory for the plight of the Indigenous communities in North America)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Lana Wachowski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith
Runtime: 2 hrs 28 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 December 2021
Synopsis: From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes "The Matrix Resurrections," the long-awaited next chapter in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity. In "The Matrix Resurrections," return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. And if Thomas...Neo...has learned anything, it's that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of-or into-the Matrix. Of course, Neo already knows what he has to do. But what he doesn't yet know is the Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before. Déjà vu..
Movie Review:
If you have six hours to spare before watching this fourth instalment in The Matrix film series, we strongly recommend that you set aside time to catch the first three movies to fully appreciate this sequel which movie nerds have been anticipating.
Here’s a quick recap. The world was blown away when we were introduced to The Matrix (1999), where Thomas Anderson (a very earnest Keanu Reeves) becomes Neo and gets embroiled in a simulation known as The Matrix, a virtual world where mere mortals on Earth live seemingly ‘normal’ lives while their real bodies are trapped in pods and suck energy out of them to drive the machines that are actually controlling the world. Yup, it is a man versus machine war and some human beings are fighting back, thanks to the leadership of Morpheus (a very cool Laurence Fishburne) and the determination of people like Trinity (a very cool leather clad Carrie Anne Moss).
Things get a little more confusing in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003), where conspiracies are borne and characters like the Architect and Merovingian are introduced. Agent Smith (Hugo Smith in his snarling best), a computer programme which acts as the antagonist since the first movie, becomes more powerful. The trilogy ends with the reboot of The Matrix, and both Neo and Trinity appear to be dead.
It appears that the movie industry is churning out productions which fondly draw references from past episodes of their franchises (with the prime example being this year’s most popular money maker Spider-man: No Way Home) – this movie directed by Lana Wachowski is definitely a love letter to fans of the series which have inspired countless academic perspectives on philosophy, existentialism, free will and perhaps most importantly, how technology will get the better of human beings.
Set 60 years after the events of the last movie, we now see Thomas Anderson as a weary computer game designer (Reeves putting his shaggy hair and goatee to good use) living an uninspired life. He meets a woman named Tiffany (Moss, who has aged finely almost 20 years after the last film) and an alternate version of Morpheus (Yahya Abdul Mateen II), and he is forced to question the existence of reality. Yup, a red pill is involved in the process.
The 148 minute movie does not shy away from drawing on concepts that made the series so successful. It brings back characters from the franchise (Agent Smith is now played by a terrific Jonathan Groff, Jada Pinkett Smith reprises her role as Niobe, Lambert Wilson is gleefully European as The Merovingian, and Priyana Chopra Jones makes an appearance as the adult version of Sati, a minor character who appeared in the series), and introduces new ones (Jessica Henwick is a fearless fighter, and Neil Patrick Harris steals the show with his deliciously wicked portrayal as The Analyst).
The movie is also self aware and occasionally fun (someone says: “Our beloved parent company Warner Bros. has decided to make a sequel to the trilogy.”), and these are the entertaining bits of the film. Then there are the sequences dripping with coolness that fans will lap up. Our favourite is a montage featuring Thomas Anderson trying to maintain his sanity as he stops taking his blue pills. There are shots of his colleagues discussing what The Matrix is and what it should be, all perfectly edited to Jefferson Airplane’s iconic “White Rabbit” tune. Of course, the filmmakers wouldn’t miss out signature shots of awesome fight scenes showcasing numerous “bullet time” shots.
Is there something new to discover in this movie? Not really. But fans of the franchise will be happy to see how this fourth instalment fits nicely into the series.
Movie Rating:
(This fourth instalment of the groundbreaking series is for the fans, with enough entertaining and awesome moments to please casual viewers)
Review by John Li
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