Genre: Drama
Director: Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Wo Ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark
Cast: Timmy Hung, Francis Ng, Sire Ma, Jennifer Yu, Gouw Ian Iskandar, Yuen Wah, Ashley Lam, Ng Wing Sze, Wu Tsz Tung, Eric Tsui, Simon Yam, Mimi Kung, Royce Lam, Chung King Fai, Cheung Tat Ming, Emotion Cheung, Lam Suet, Lawrence Lau
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 July 2022
Synopsis: Seven of Hong Kong’s most revered directors with distinctly unique styles come together for the first time to compose a symphony of stories for their city from the 50s to the future.
Movie Review:
It’s not everyday you get seven of Hong Kong’s most prolific directors coming together to work on an anthology film. We’re not talking about any average filmmaker here. The legends of Hong Kongcinema have gathered to present a magnificent lineup of seven standalone stories that are self contained and spans from the 1950s to the present and even the future. This should be good enough a reason for cinephiles to watch the 113 minute feature, and enticing enough to catch the attention of international film distributors.
Each segment presents a perspective of Hong Kong, regardless of whether it’s a fond memory of the past, a biting statement of the present, or a hilarious but possible prediction of the future. The stories explore several themes, ranging from inter generation bonds and nostalgia, to painful breakups and happy reunions.
First up is Sammo Hung's "Exercise", where we see how things were run in a martial arts school in the 1950s. It is a Hung’s memory of how obedience and discipline were of utmost importance during his training days. It is a delight to see the students go through a beautiful routine of handstands, back flips and aerial kicks, and how mischief gets in the way.
Next up is Ann Hui’s sentimental “Headmaster”, where a group of friends (headed by Francis Ng) reminisce their childhood memories at an elementary school in the 1960s. It is a tale of how educators play a large part in our lives, and how their teachings and silent guidance only come to light when we are grown up.
In Patrick Tam’s “Tender is the Night”, things get romantic as a teenage couple faces an obstacle in their relationship when the girl’s family has to move overseas. Told in a somewhat unconventional manner, this segment is seemingly straightforward but deals with the differing attitudes towards breakups.
Yuen Wo Ping directs the very accessible “Homecoming”, where a teenage girl has to temporarily live with her grandfather (Yuen Wah). As expected, comedy ensues as the two try to adapt to each other’s lifestyles. No prizes for guessing who eats healthily and who is a fan of fast food. And to no one’s surprise, an affectionate bond is built between the granddaughter and grandfather.
Johnnie To, the brainchild behind this project, presents a talky segment where three friends meet in a cha chaan ting (Hong Kong café) to share views about how to make a fortune during the dot com boom and surviving the economic downturn during the SARS crisis. There is much to read into as the three individuals chat over tea.
Ringo Lam, who is known for his action films, directed “Astray” before passing on in 2018. Surprisingly bittersweet, it stars Simon Yam as a father who is returning to a city he has very fond memories of. He is not used to how it is now filled with a bustling crowd, honking cars and cold buildings. The melancholy is in full force as the character meets an unexpected tragedy.
Tsui Hark closes the film with “Conversation in Depth”, a hilarious segment set in a mental hospital where things are not what they seem. The patient and the doctor square off in a battle of words and things get outrageously whimsical in this story set in the near future. It is an apt conclusion to the tribute to Hong Kongwith its thoughtful takeaways and utterly entertaining approach.
Movie Rating:
(The impressive lineup of directors is enough of a reason for you to catch this heartfelt tribute to Hong Kong)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Two inmates (Miles Teller & Jurnee Smollett) form a connection while grappling with their pasts in a state-of-the-art penitentiary run by a brilliant visionary (Chris Hemsworth) who experiments on his subjects with mind-altering drugs. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy). Based on The New Yorker short story, “Escape From Spiderhead,” by George Saunders.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Netflix has the tendency to assemble the best talents in Hollywood for their original productions but most came up short in the end anyway. The talents here are once again impeccable. The story is based on a dystopian short story by award-winning writer George Saunders. It’s adapted to the screen by Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. And it also stars mighty Thor, Chris Hemsworth and helmed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron Legacy, Oblivion) who is currently riding high on the success of Top Gun Maverick.
Still, Spiderhead is a complete disengaging effort from start to finish. As a sci-fi thriller, it operates entirely on a singular idea about the usage of a form of futuristic drug. And as a dystopian drama, there is hardly any relevant plot development in the entire movie to even call it that. Put all these elements together, all you get is nearly two hours of obvious boredom.
Anyway, Hemsworth stars as Steve Abnesti, the charming, smartly-dressed funny dude who runs a facility which deals with experimenting of new drugs. His volunteers are actually prisoners of the state but staying in Spiderhead allows them limited freedom and luxury so long as they are willing to subject to Abnesti’s daily test runs of various drugs including one sinister named Darkenfloxx. The drugs sometimes induce physical and psychological pain in their subjects and also drives them into having vigorous sex with each other. What could go wrong with that?
Of course, the dark premise reminds one of Alex Garland’s excellent Ex Machina and Michael Bay’s much maligned yet entertaining The Island. Both movies deal with the downfall of technology and science which makes it kind of similar to what Spiderhead is trying to achieve. Yet none of the fanciful ideas came to fruition in the scripting nor Kosinski’s directing. Everyone involved seems lost and confused as to what to do with the material that it comes off more as a brilliantly shot Queensland travelogue starring Chris Hemsworth.
And talking about Hemsworth, the Australian beefcake seems to be having a wild time playing a weird, evil genius though he is somewhat restrained in his performance. Hemsworth has been busy producing and starring in a series of flicks outside the comfort of his MCU outings so we have to give him some credit for at least trying. Starring opposite him is Miles Teller who plays the perfect tormented character to a T.
Ultimately, Spiderhead is a sci-fi flick without a soul. None of the characters except perhaps Jeff have a compelling significant backstory. The experiments using chemicals to alter a person’s behavior is as sketchy as Steve’s doodles on his notebook. The worst part is the insertion of some awkward humor which includes a repetitive gag about faeces and over-the-top sexual bits. Sadly, though we couldn’t find anything here that actually works, we are pretty sure there are better projects coming their way for everyone involved. Spiderhead in short is a dud. Move on people, there’s little to see here.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Thriller
Director: Park Hoon-jung
Cast: Shin Si-ah, Park Eun-bin, Seo Eun-soo, Jin Gu, Sung Yoo-bin, Cho Min-su, Lee Jong-seok, Kim Da-mi
Runtime: 2 hrs 17 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: https://witch2.kr
Opening Day: 30 June 2022
Synopsis: From the ashes of ground zero where it all started, another Witch is awakened! A mysterious girl survives a bloody raid at the top secret lab known as Ark. The outside world is foreign to her, but luckily she befriends Kyung-hee and Dae-gil by accident, who become her only friends. As they begin to enjoy the ebb and flow of their ordinary lives, a group of deadly assassins track her down to serve their own goal...
Movie Review:
Prior knowledge of ‘The Witch Part 1: The Subversion’ is not necessary to comprehend the events of this next chapter, though those who recall the 2018 film will have the context of just what the Witch programme was all about as well as appreciate the significance of certain supporting characters, such as its now-retired director Baek (Cho Min-su); otherwise, writer-director Park Hoon-jung has shrewdly opted to structure this as a standalone narrative, leaving till the end to introduce the necessary connective tissue to link this with the earlier film and tease a finale for his fantasy-horror-action genre hybrid.
‘The Witch Part 2: The Other One’ in fact begins with a prologue to establish how the programme started, with the kidnapping of a young pregnant woman from a tour bus whose unborn progeny probably formed the basis of the genetic experiment to create super-powered individuals with both telekinetic and psionic abilities. The titular subject in this regard is Cynthia (Shin Si-ah), the sole survivor of a brutal attack on another of the top-secret underground Ark research facilities. After wandering through the snowy Jeju woods, Cynthia crosses the path of a carload of local gangsters, who have kidnapped a woman named Kyung-hee (Park Eun-bin) in the back to intimidate her to sell the family land her late father refused to.
These thugs will be the unfortunate first outside victims of Cynthia’s mysterious powers, and in response to rescuing her, Kyung-hee will not only bring Cynthia to a local doctor to seek medical assistance but also back to her farm to stay with her and her brother Dae-gil (Sung Yoo-bin). It is at the countryside cottage with Kyung-hee and Dae-gil that Cynthia will get her first taste of what it is like to have family, although it should come as no surprise that it is precisely these newfound feelings of kinship which will fuel her vengeance against those who descend on the farm in the last act.
On Cynthia’s heels are two groups of mercenaries with different agendas. The first led by chief Jo-hyun (Seo Eun-soo) and her Caucasian sidekick (Justin John Harvey) have been sent by director Baek to retrieve Cynthia, and are transhumans gifted with superhuman strength. The second led by a bunch of superpowered youth called Unions are bent on destroying the various Arks around the world, and are responsible for the attack on the one from which Cynthia had escaped from. Both factions will undoubtedly fight it out amongst themselves as well, though Park largely saves that for the busy climax.
To make matters more complicated, Cynthia also has to deal with crime boss Yong-du (Jin Gu), who was behind Kyung-hee’s kidnapping in the first place and whom we learn only towards the end was an associate of Kyung-hee’s dad before he turned on him. Though at first terrified by Cynthia’s display of powers after intimidating Kyung-hee and Dae-gil on their ranch, Yong-du will return to confront both siblings alongside Cynthia’s enemies, setting the stage for an epic showdown that will see these various disparate factions face off against each other, often with gory results.
Not surprisingly, the finale is the film’s piece de resistance, and despite an unnecessarily long set-up, is well worth the wait. From a one-on-one knife fight atop a billboard, to a two-on-two battle between the Transhumans and Unions, and finally to the ultimate unleashing of Cynthia’s powers, Park isn’t afraid to push the envelope for swift, brutal action. There are some obvious similarities with the ‘X-Men’ movies, given how the individuals here wield similar powers, but Park mixes strong action choreography with solid visual effects for a rousing finish.
As much as the spectacular finish is worth the price of admission alone, it should be said that the journey there can sometimes be a slog and a bore. The intentionally comic banter between Jo-hyun and her partner is forced at times and downright cringe-worthy at others, the latter in particular when he calls her out for cussing at him in Korean. There is also too little context to inform where and what drives these rival factions, or for that matter what is behind their rivalry. And like we said, the pacing loses its momentum in the middle, especially when trying to tie together Yong-du and the Union assassins.
For those who do remember ‘The Witch Part 1: The Subversion’, ‘The Witch Part 2: The Other One’ is undoubtedly less superior. The plotting is not as tight, the characters less compelling, and only the action, especially the final showdown, matches up. Those who have seen Park’s ‘I Saw The Devil’ and ‘The Unjust’ will probably feel even more that he can do much better, and certainly with the first movie’s protagonist Ya-joon (Kim Da-mi) making a last-minute appearance at the end of this one, we hope Park can muster his creative genius to deliver a resounding conclusion to an ambitious but flawed trilogy.
Movie Rating:
(A spectacular, gory finish saves what is otherwise an overplotted but underdeveloped set-up of a sequel that is far less superior than its predecessor)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Taika Waititi
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Christian Bale, Taika Waititi
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Rating: PG13
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 July 2022
Synopsis: Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” finds the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But Thor’s retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
Movie Review:
So much has been said about Taika Waititi as a creative genius that you wonder just why ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is such a dull mess. To be fair, expectations for Waititi’s second swing of the franchise hammer are inevitably high, given how he had breathed a windstorm of fresh air into the last solo outing of the blond-tressed, mythical Avenger; and yet, that hardly explains why this go-around is a collision of silliness and seriousness, stunted subplots and small stakes.
The contradiction is apparent right from the start. A pre-credits prologue shows how a grieving father (Christian Bale) turns into the rampaging being known as Gorr the God Butcher, after discovering the indifference of his god to the fate of his race, especially that of his daughter whom he eventually loses to the elements. Then right after the opening Marvel credits, we get a tongue-in-cheek recap, courtesy of Thor’s rock buddy Korg (voiced by Waititi), of Thor’s exploits so far, his losses and loves, and his physical makeovers to date (going from God-bod to Dad-bod to God-bod all over again). It is amusing all right, but these zippy once-upon-a-time montages sit jarringly next to Gorr’s seething menace, and Waititi never manages to resolve the clash in tones.
That imbalance isn’t just between Thor and Gorr, but also between Thor and his lost love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Jane’s return in the form of the Mighty Thor is indeed one of the highlights here, not only because she gets to wear the same outfit as Thor, but also because she gets to wield his old hammer Mjolnir and display her own superpowers in battle next to Thor. Yet that rousing transformation is diminished by the melodramatic treatment of Jane’s condition with Stage IV cancer. Whilst that circumstance is being true to the Jason Aaron-penned comic book from which this subplot draws its inspiration from, Waititi struggles to manage the swerve from silly to sentimental with the same practised ease as he did in the previous Thor outing.
Because the movie never quite leans fully into Gorr’s annihilation, there is no real sense of danger, adventure or fulfilment. At no point do we feel the danger felt by the children of New Asgard, whom Gorr kidnaps to advance his god-elimination project. Neither is that much of an adventure, what with the only memorable stop of Thor and his companions being that at the Golden Temple of the Gods where they encounter a vainglorious Zeus (Russell Crowe) and humiliate him in order to score his golden lightning bolt. Nor therefore is there any final sense of fulfilment, when they confront Zeus at the realm of shadows and thereafter at the gates of Eternity.
What ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ ends up being is a series of loosely stitched together set-pieces, only some of which work. Easily the most amusing is Thor’s encounter with Zeus, thanks to Crowe chewing the scenery in an exaggerated Greek accent and with complete self-absorbed egocentricity. Despite the change in scenery to Sin City-esque black and white at the realm of shadows, the battle itself is too scattershot to truly thrill. Ditto the showdown at Eternity; though granting the kidnapped children the power of Thor to face off against Gorr’s shadow monsters is inspired, that potential is never fully realised as the action shifts restlessly to and from that and the fight between Thor/ Mighty Thor and Gorr himself.
These failures are ultimately Waititi’s, whose shortcomings as a filmmaker were evident even in his earlier films such as ‘Jojo Rabbit’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’. As refreshing as his cracked-auteur sensibility is, Waititi often strains to combine what is essentially a string of irreverent episodes into a compelling whole. ‘Ragnarok’ had the benefit of three other Marvel writers pulling their weight, but this one credited to Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is not saved from his flaws; in fact, we would even say it lays bare his sloppiness, especially when so many scenes come across like they were thrown together just before the cameras started rolling.
The saving grace, as with most of Waititi’s films, is his knack for getting the best out of his cast. Hemsworth is once again great musclebound himbo, at once deadpan and winking. Portman is a blast as the Mighty Thor, though even she and Hemsworth are unable to find true pathos amidst the extravagant CGI action and ridiculous humour. Bale plays Gorr with emaciated intensity, and demonstrates one of the final scenes when he finally gives up his vengeance for love why he is quite simply one of the best actors of our generation. Tessa Thompson is still cool as ever as Thor’s ally Valkyrie, but is unfortunately sidelined here. There are also amusing cameos by the Guardians of the Galaxy, and even Matt Damon, Sam Neill and Melissa McCarthy as stage actors re-enacting the story of ‘Ragnarok’ for tourists to New Asgard.
But these bits cannot save what is otherwise an unengaging episode that is one of the dullest Marvel movies we’ve seen in a while. Like we said at the start, it is a pointless mess of tones, subplots and stakes, with Waititi’s loose, jokey style coming off aimless and slapdash. For the sake of Thor and the MCU, let’s hope the next time Waititi is let loose, he does so with the framework of a better storyline and script; whoever had thought Hemsworth wisecracking, a pair of screaming goats and occasional Guns N’ Roses needledrops could make a fun superhero movie need only see this latest instalment to realise that such arbitrariness can spark neither love nor thunder.
Movie Rating:
(Almost a complete joke of a superhero movie, this collision of silliness and seriousness, stunted subplots and small stakes makes this latest Taika Waititi misfire an utterly pointless exercise)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, Lee Jung-Hyun, Park Yong-woo, Go Kyung-Pyo, Kim Shin-Young
Runtime: 2 hrs 18 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 14 July 2022
Synopsis: A man falls from a mountain peak to his death. The detective in charge, Hae-joon (PARK Hae-il), comes to meet the dead man's wife Seo-rae (TANG Wei). "I worry when he does not come back from a mountain, thinking he might die at last." Seo-rae does not show any signs of agitation at her husband's death. With her behavior so unlike that of a grieving relative, the police consider her a suspect. Hae-joon interrogates Seo-rae, and while observing her on stakeout, feels himself slowly developing an interest in her. Meanwhile the difficult-to-read Seo-rae, despite being suspected of a crime, acts boldly towards Hae-joon. A suspect who is hiding her true feelings. A detective who suspects and desires his suspect. Their Decision to Leave.
Movie Review:
This writer caught the 4K restoration of Park Chan-wook's 2003 film Oldboy on the big screen recently, and was as shaken by the movie’s impact when he first watched it 17 years ago. And cinephiles would know that Park would go on to direct other classics like Lady Vengeance (2005), Thirst (2009) and The Handmaiden (2016), and each of these titles showcases the filmmaker’s masterful and sensual storytelling skills.
Just as we thought Park wouldn’t be able to outdo himself, along comes this thriller that seems like a crime drama initially, but beautifully unfolds into one of the greatest love stories we’ve ever seen on screen.
The film starts by introducing us to Hae-joon (Park Hae-il), a detective based in Busan who is known for his painstakingly meticulous attitude when it comes to investigations. He is suffering from insomnia, and that makes him the perfect candidate for stakeouts in the middle of the night. When a man falls to his death from a mountain, Hae-joon and his young deputy Soo-wan (Go Jyung-pyo) spring into action to see whether there’s foul play involved.
Next, we are introduced to the victim’s Chinese wife Seo-rae (the ever elegant and illuminating Tang Wei), who may be more than just the demure lady she appears to be. She takes care of elderly patients, and it appears that she may have been beaten by her husband. She naturally becomes a prime suspect, and we can’t blame Hae-joon for being increasingly attracted to her, especially when his wife (Lee Jung-hyun) is working in a coastal area and he only sees her on weekends.
Without saying too much, the plot evolves and the hiker’s death is ruled as a suicide. Hae-joon and Seo-rae part ways, and you’d be simple minded if you thought this is all Park has to offer. The story switches locations, more deaths show up, and Hae-joon is in charge of the investigations. Seo-rae shows up, and the two protagonists continue a tale where secrets begin unveiling themselves.
On paper, what you’ve read does seem like a standard crime drama that would any other filmmaker would have been able to direct. But we watch a Park Chan-wook film expecting to be blown away by an exquisitely told story. We are not disappointed – every frame in this 138 minute movie is elegantly crafted, the cinematography is lovely, the dark humour is spot on, and you’ll be paying close attention to every detail you can catch, gleefully desiring what is going to happen next in the screenplay written by Park and Jeong Seo-kyeong.
Park knows how to captivate his viewers with the most gorgeous details. A scene where Hae-joon and Seo-rae wipe the table in the interrogation room after having an expensive sushi bento box is choreographed like a dance, a flashback sequence where Hae-joon recalls another crime is a poignant reflection of his personality, a romantic scene where Hae-joon and Seo-rae visit a temple and talk about the 12 pockets in his jacket and the six pockets in his pants is strangely calming, and the reunion between Hae-joon and Seo-rae (with their respective spouses) at a wet market is more tense than what most Hollywood dramas have to offer.
Kudos to Park and Tang as well, for playing their roles with pitch perfect sophistication. Park portrays a man who is hanging on to any lingering bit of adrenaline amidst his utmost fatigue, and becomes infatuated when a mysteriously alluring woman enters his life. Tang, who rose to fame with her role as a ravishing spy in Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2007), is affectionately relatable in her latest performance as a woman who is yearning for love and connection, but has been looking in the wrong places.
Together with Broker’s Song Kang Ho (who won the Best Actor prize), Park made Korea proud at this year’s Cannes Film Festival by clinching the Best Director award, marking the first time two Korean films have won an award at the festival in the same year. And this is undoubtedly well deserved.
Movie Rating:
(Expect nothing less from Park Choon-wook, whose latest work is a meticulously-made, gorgeous and alluring film about desire and love)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: The origin story of the Predator in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. Naru, a skilled female warrior, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Aside from the original 1987 Predator, none of its subsequent sequel and reboots received much love from both critics and fans including the two horrible Alien Vs Predator crossover instalments.
Fortunately for the prequel, Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) who obviously knows how to juggle storytelling and suspense on a tight budget was hired to oversee the project. For that, we are pleased to announce that Fox finally has a winner in its hands after more than three long decades since the release of the original.
Set in 1719, Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a young Comanche woman who dreams of following in the footsteps of her late father and brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers) to become a great hunter. Despite her mother’s wish of her to be a healer instead, Naru continues to hone her skills as a hunter together with her dog, Sarii.
Not long after, Naru witnesses the appearance of a ship and the subsequent killings from a mysterious, advanced creature. When members of her tribe are brutally killed by this lone ugly creature, Naru realizes it’s time to prove her worth opposite her challenger from outer space.
In ought to be a lazy yet clever twist, much of the action took place in secluded forested locations and one that focused solely on the protagonist. Prey in other words is almost similar to Predator in terms of story treatment even though the former is set 300 years prior. Thus, rather than Arnold Schwarzenegger crafting some makeshift booby traps, we have Amber Midthunder battling it out with the creature.
The flick also has a deep National Geographic feel to it given the lush cinematography of the vast landscapes and plenty of believable CG rendered animals liked wolf, bear and a mountain lion. Even the nature of the Comanche tribe is richly portrayed onscreen.
Still, if you are here for the bloodshed, Trachtenber and his team doesn’t disappoint with the action setups and violence especially midway into the movie in which the bodies start to pile up with the introduction of a group of shady French explorers. With the original effects company, ADI being hired to work on the creature, expect some gruesome practical makeup and brilliant use of props as well. There’s in addition a decent mix of Comanche and French language which is not subtitled although it’s less of a distraction and more of a slice of authenticity to the movie.
Forget about Predators (2010) and The Predator (2018), Prey is definitely the kind of prequel a studio needs to energize a flagging franchise. Even with a straightforward narrative, the essence of Predator is fully captured in the chaotic battle between the hunter and the hunted.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Thriller
Director: Scott Mann
Cast: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 August 2022
Synopsis: For best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey, Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Movie Review:
We first meet Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner) at a climbing trip which ends with Becky’s husband falling to his death. Fast forward 12 months later and we see a depressed Becky trying to cope with her loss, and there’s nothing her father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) can do. Hunter appears and convinces Becky to join her in a dangerous climb up a 2000 feet TV tower in the middle of a desert. The angle? The grieving Becky would be able to get closure, and the social media influencer Hunter would be able to get exciting content for her YouTube channel.
And the movie brings viewers on a suspense filled thrill ride that features characters who obviously aren’t smart enough to make sound decisions, but provide enough tense moments to make this movie a very entertaining trip to the cinema.
When the two ladies make their way up the scarily high tower (complete with creaky metal rods and loose screws), you know that things aren’t going to end well. When they get trapped at the top of the tower and can’t contact anyone because there is no mobile network, you are unsure whether they deserved to be in this plight, or want them to survive this ordeal. Then one ill fated turn of event takes place after another, slowly but surely eliminating the chance to get down the tower alive.
What happens to the unlucky girls? They lose their backpack containing a water bottle, the only available flare stick they find and light up does not bring them the attention they want, their drone runs out of battery, and there are vultures flying in the sky. Not everything is believable (you may even laugh at some of these plot devices), but one thing for sure – your eyes will be glued to the big screen as the protagonists try to survive another day on the tower.
Given the plot, the filmmakers did not waste the opportunity to create some vertigo inducing sequences, and experiencing them in the theatres is like taking a plunge on a roller coaster – faint hearted audiences may feel your stomach sink. There is also an obligatory plot twist which pushes a character to the limits, and while some may find it ridiculous, it is a situation you do not want to be in.
Movie Rating:
(The minimalist thriller may not be entirely believable, but it does a great job delivering the thrills and spills)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: A case of mistaken identity arises after a screw-up sales consultant and the world’s deadliest assassin—known only as The Man from Toronto— run into each other at a holiday rental.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Australian-born director Patrick Hughes made his name in Hollywood with The Expendables 3 and The Hitman’s Bodyguard series. Given the success of the Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson outings, Hughes once again recycles his buddy action comedy formula in The Man from Toronto only this time without the R-rated language and violence.
Kevin Hart plays Teddy Jackson, a perpetual screw-up who dreams of introducing a form of non-contact boxing in the gym he works at. Despite his proposal being rejected by his boss, Teddy proceeds to surprise his wife, Lori (Jasmine Matthews) with a spa and cabin retreat. But when he arrived alone at the desolated cabin, he is mistaken as a vicious “assassin” dubbed ‘The Man from Toronto’ by a pair of thugs. Left with no other choice, Teddy plays along until the abrupt arrival of the FBI.
Since his photo has been sent to a certain Colonel who plans to bomb the Venezuela embassy and overthrown the government, Teddy has no choice but to cooperate with the FBI to meet with the Colonel. However, when the real ‘The Man from Toronto’ aka Randy (Woody Harrelson) learns of it, he suggests that they should team up and Randy can coach Teddy via his earpiece to complete the transaction so that he can retire to be a chef and specialises in Durian sorbet (the only highlight of this otherwise tepid comedy).
The Man from Toronto for a start looks and appears like a discarded screenplay for Rush Hour 4. You can practically imagine Jackie Chan playing Randy, the straight man whose only task is to protect Teddy and kick-ass in a couple of high-octane action sequences while Hart is obviously substituting Chris Tucker given his predictable routine of rapid-fire jokes and gags which actually falls flat for most of the screentime. Jason Statham was supposedly set to star as Randy only to exit at the last minute over the tone of the flick. A wise choice indeed on Statham’s part because the improv-style jokes simply don’t work here even though there’s nothing wrong casting Harrelson.
The tiresome action comedy also suffers from an unnecessarily prolonged plot which involves too many false endings. There’s a decent gag towards the end that has ‘The Man from Miami’, ‘The Men from Tacoma’ and ‘The Man from Russia’ gunning for both Teddy and Randy’s lives. Again, the gag dragged on far too long and overstayed its welcome by the time the dust settled. The wasted cast also includes Ellen Barkin as Randy’s rocket-toting handler and Kaley Cuocco as Randy’s love interest.
The writing is basically on the wall when Sony decides to dump this to Netflix. The globe-trotting actioner has too many forgettable CGI-heavy action sequences and Hart’s fumbling, fart and vomit gags can’t really save the entire movie either. And Hughes certainly needs to work with a better editor to keep things tighter and lastly, he sure needs to fine tune his formula for his next outing.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Rob Minkoff, Mark Koetsier and Chris Bailey
Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka, Cathy Shim, Samuel L. Jackson
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 July 2022
Synopsis: A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day.
Movie Review:
We’re not sure who came up with the idea of turning Mel Brooks’ 1974 Western parody ‘Blazing Saddles’ into an animated comedy, but we can tell you that the result is less than inspired, even as it credits all (five!) writers of that landmark film.
Whereas the Brooks’ satire confronted racial prejudice head-on by putting a Black sheriff in a White frontier town, ‘Paws of Fury’ decidedly avoids that controversy by substituting the characters with… cats and dogs. So it is in our version that the hero is a naïve pup named Hank (Michael Cera), who is unwittingly sent by the nefarious Somali cat official Ika Chu (Ricky Gervais) to the fictional feline village of Kakamucho to be its samurai defender.
Not surprisingly, as skeptical as both he and the town are as of his own abilities, Hank eventually transforms into the town’s underdog (pun intended), in no small part to the retired master Jimbo (Samuel L. Jackson) that Hank signs a contract with to be his teacher. Besides Jimbo, Hank finds an unexpected ally in foe-turned-friend Sumo (Djimon Hounsou), a giant, dim-witted tabby cat that Ika had sent to drive the people of Kakamucho out sooner.
In case it isn’t obvious, Ika wants the town gone, seeing it as not only an eyesore but also an obstacle to his plan to expand his palace. Besides Sumo, Ika will terrorise the townspeople with two rounds of invasion led by Ohga (George Takei), a muscular Manx cat. It is on the latter offensive that Ika and his thugs will be confronted by the visiting Shogun (Brooks), a British shorthair who proves to be a lot more empathetic than Ika’s rule over the town would suggest.
Even with breaking the fourth wall with meta-gags about Hank’s obligatory training montage or the length of the movie (only 85 mins!), the script is only intermittently funny. Some jokes deliberately reference that from Brooks’ film, albeit retooled to cut down the outdated references or obscenity; others seem improvised on the fly, like Jackson’s thinly veiled reference to the Force. Thankfully, there are those which are still good for a few hearty laughs, like how the Shogun communicates to Ika through a long line of cats playing telephone and its frequent use of ‘toilet humour’ (mind you, it gets as literal as Ika obsessing over a giant jade toilet bowl known as the Super Bowl).
To veteran co-director Rob Minkoff’s credit though, there are sequences of ingenuity amidst the largely assembly-line animation. The flashbacks explaining Hank’s wanna-be samurai origins or Jimbo’s fall from grace are vividly rendered; ditto the traditional Japanese illustrations that mark the opening credits. The voice cast also elevates the material, especially a spry Brooks as the aloof Shogun, a perfectly sarcastic Gervais as the villainous Ika Chu and a signature Jackson as the cynical sensei Jimbo; though other star talent like Michelle Yeoh, Takei, Assif Mandvi and Gabriel Iglesias are somewhat under-used given the limited time their characters have.
Admittedly, you could do a lot worse than ‘Paws of Fury’ if you were looking for something to kill time with the kids; and yet, seeing as how it draws from a 1974 Brooks classic, as well as boasting an impressive voice ensemble, it is hardly surprising that one would be expecting more. It doesn’t help too that Hank is nowhere near as adorable or endearing as Po from ‘Kung Fu Panda’, which this martial arts animation will inevitably draw comparisons with, so before you saddle up, we urge you to set your expectations right, just so you won’t feel after that you’ve been taken for a ride.
Movie Rating:
(Good for an afternoon to kill time with the kids and little more, this animated comedy inspired by Mel Brooks' 1974 landmark Western parody is too tame for its own good)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody – the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival – is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves even tighter.
MOVIE REVIEW:
When you think of onscreen kickass heroines, Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Q immediately comes to mind. While Yeoh has enjoy a flourishing career juggling between action and dramatic roles, Q’s career on the other hand has been pretty unremarkable since the end of her hit TV series, Nikita.
With The Protégé, she is back at what she does best- being a kickass heroine. Q stars as Anna, a girl adopted and raised by legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) after her family was mercilessly massacred in her home country, Vietnam. Fast forward years later, we see Anna running a bookstore selling rare books in London at the same time taking on high-profile contracts with her mentor, Moody. When Moody for no reason decides to investigate an old case in which he is associated with, Moody and Anna’s becomes the assassination targets instead.
Written by Richard Wenk who gave you The Equalizer, Jack Reacher 2 and The Expendables 2, The Protégé is filled with too many unnecessarily convoluted subplots and characters that it is better to concentrate solely on the action scenes. Talking about complicated and intrigue, we are introduced to Rembrandt (Michael Keaton) shortly after. However, Rembrandt is not the movie’s main antagonist, in short, he mainly worked for the bad guy. He is just another hired horny assassin who simply wants to get in bed with Anna but also wants to kill her.
Michael Keaton of course is vanilla smooth as Rembrandt. The Oscar nominated actor was Batman and still is. His character actually is far more compelling, and Keaton instantly nails it with a wicked grin opposite Q despite their decades old age gap. However, Wenk’s screenplay gets too busy tying up too much loose ends that the characters become too murky to be memorable.
As if Q, Jackson and Keaton is not enough to justify your admission ticket, Wenk throws in Robert Patrick as a Harvey riding tough guy in Vietnam who provides Anna with the relevant information she needs. Of course, how can we forget Martin Campbell, the helmer of this flick. The man behind Goldeneye, Casino Royale and the disastrous Green Lantern. To be fair, Campbell is far more consistent with his action than his storytelling. The Protégé pulls off a couple of well-choreographed fist fights between Anna and her attackers. Even Keaton and his stand-in deserves a round of applause. That leaves us with Jackson. Without spoiling the movie for you, let’s just say he only appears for a fraction of the screentime.
For the most part, Campbell and Wenk nails it thanks to the handful of accomplished action sequences and the charismatic presence of Maggie Q. Everything else especially the choppy parts on childhood trauma, mystery and revenge is a drag to follow.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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