SYNOPSIS: In an era when terrifying beasts roamed the seas, monster hunters were celebrated heroes - and none were more beloved than the great Jacob Holland. But when young Maisie Brumble stows away on his fabled ship, he’s saddled with an unexpected ally. Together they embark on an epic journey into uncharted waters and make history. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

The Sea Beast has all the typical traits of a Disney animation, adventure, fantasy, friendship and not forgetting potential merchandising opportunities. It’s basically a movie Disney should made but never.

Written and directed by ex-Disney veteran Chris Williams who gave you Big Hero 6 and Moana, The Sea Beast is an original story about the adventure of an orphan Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) and seaman Jacob Holland (Karl Urban). Set in a time where men wreak havoc on sea monsters and vice versa, Holland works with his adopted father, the legendary Captain Crow (Jared Harris) to hunt sea beasts across the ocean. After a near fatal incident, Crow decides that Jacob should eventually take his place but not before killing the humongous beast known as the Red Bluster who took his eye.

Meanwhile, inspired by her parents who were killed during a hunt and hailed as heroes, an overzealous orphan named Maisie stowed away on the ship to join Captain Crow’s motley crew to the objection of Jacob. As expected, they soon encounter the Red Bluster where after a round of ferocious fighting, Jacob and Maisie find themselves stranded on a deserted island together with the Red Bluster and several other sea beasts. It’s here that Maisie realised that it’s not the monsters that are hunting mankind after all.

The Sea Beast is a solid swashbuckling adventure tailored for audiences of all ages. It succeeds on many levels consider the predictable plotting and heavy dosages of Disneyfied tropes. There’s a clear indication that the story is inspired by Moby Dick, How to Train Your Dragon, Pirates of the Caribbean, Godzilla and many more. In the hands of other less capable filmmakers, this surely will be a disaster. However, Chris Williams whom we feel works on the same level as James Cameron knows how to tell an engaging story filled with life lessons and epic action despite the familiarity. Avatar didn’t exactly has an innovating story and it sells like hot cakes.

Sony ImageWorks, the effects house who was also behind last year’s The Mitchells Vs the Machines continues to give Disney and Pixar a run for their money. The visual for a lack of a better word is stunning. The numerous sea battles entertain with its massive offerings of sword fights, cannons, harpoons and elaborate action choreography. Ideally, The Sea Beast should be watch on the biggest screen available although the look of the sea monsters lacks in terms of details as compared to a typical Pokemon monster. But that’s just me nitpicking.

The main voice actors, Karl Urban, Jared Harris and Zaris-Angel Hator delivers outstanding performances while composer Mark Mancina produced a catchy original song called “Captain Crow”. The Sea Beast has the right balance of action to appeal to adults and a cutesy sidekick named Blue to appeal to younger kids. Most importantly, it consists of a really strong message about mankind destroying nature. It’s simply an animation not to be missed.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: David Leitch
Cast: Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrew Koji, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Hiroyuki Sanada, Bad Bunny, Masi Oka, Zazie Beetz, Logan Lerman, Karen Fukuhara, Sandra Bullock
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 4 August 2022

Synopsis: An original movie event, Bullet Train is a fun, delirious action-thriller from the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch. Brad Pitt headlines an ensemble cast of eclectic, diverse assassins – all with connected yet conflicting objectives – set against the backdrop of a non-stop ride through modern-day Japan.

Movie Review:

The success of actioner John Wick not only propels Keanu Reeves back to superstardom but also its two directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Both former prominent stuntman and choreographer, Stahelski continues to helm the Wick franchise while Leitch has went on to direct an original spy movie, Atomic Blonde, a sequel to Deadpool and a spinoff called Hobbs and Shaw.

With Bullet Train, Leitch has somehow managed to mash up everything from all his past works into it and that’s definitely not a good thing. Let’s see, there’s a bit of complexity which is left over from Blonde, the ridiculous tone of Deadpool 2 and the abundance cheesy CGI from Shaw. The only thing that makes it at least bearable is the charismatic presence of the one and only Brad Pitt.

Nicknamed Ladybug by his handler, Pitt’s character is a self-proclaimed assassin with a streak of bad luck. Still, the man is back in business after some good old therapy by his master, Barry and his latest “snatch-and-grab” assignment involves stealing a suitcase and getting off the train at the next stop. Sounds simple enough. However, the script which is adapted from a Japanese novel by Kotaro Isaka gets more and more convoluted and absurd as more and more deadly assassins appear in the picture.

First there is twin brothers, Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who has managed to rescue the son (Logan Lerman) of a powerful mobster dubbed White Death and supposedly due to return him to the triad at the last station. Then there is a teenage killer, Prince (Joey King) who has a motive of her own. On top of this, there is a father played by Andrew Koji who is out to avenge his son who is hurt by Prince earlier on. Not forgetting the father of the father, played by Hollywood’s favourite go to Japanese star, Hiroyuki Sanada who harbours a dark secret. Then there are some miscellaneous killers dubbed the Hornet and Wolf looking for Ladybug because apparently no one has a proper first or last name in the entire movie. Perhaps it’s due to some translation issue but that’s not the point.

The biggest problem of Bullet Train lies in the tone. The script by Zak Olkewicz comes across like a second-rate Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie’s screenplay. It tries hard to be stylish, cool and hip. It even tries hard to be ticklish funny. Unfortunately, none of the jokes or gags actually stick well especially Lemon’s repetitive theory of comparing human behaviour to Thomas the train. Even the constant bantering between Lemon and Tangerine turns irritable after a while.

Luckily, Pitt proves he has what it takes to be both an action star and a self-deprecating comedian. He hasn’t done a lot of comedies in his career but his quiet, little scene with a Japanese hi-tech toilet should at least qualify him for a SNL membership. Speaking of quiet, little scenes, Bullet Train fares much better in smaller situations for examples, Ladybug and Lemon’s squabble in a quiet cabin and later on, a sharply coordinated showdown between Ladybug and Tangerine in a snack-replenishing cabin. There’s a slight twist in the end with a brief cameo by General Zod that contributes to the satisfying climax which to be frank comes 20 minutes too late.

Rather than making good use of the confined setting of a fast-moving bullet train, Leitch has to frequently resort to excessive violence and bludgeons. Thus for those looking for some “wick” action setups, you will be generally disappointed by the over reliance of CGI and quick cuts. Despite all the mishaps, some if not a handful will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humour while the glorified cameos from famous faces might spring some surprises. For action fans, this is truly a missed opportunity for yet another high-octane franchise.

Movie Rating:

(Bullet Train might not be a trainwreck but neither is it a smooth ride to Kyoto)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Crime
Director: Wai Ka Fai
Cast: Sean Lau, Charlene Choi, Raymond Lam, Tan Kai, Carlos Chan, Kathy Yuen, Deep Ng, Carmen Lee 
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By:  mm2 Entertainment
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 21 July 2022

Synopsis: When HongKong is rocked by multiple gruesome murders, the police forms a task force to investigate. Jun (Sean Lau), once a brilliant detective who suffered a mental breakdown, begins his own investigation. Eventually, the police learn that the murder victims are all suspects of cold cases being rubbed out by a figure known as ‘The Sleuth’. Now, Jun and a detective from the task force are in a race against time to beat the brutal killer at its own game. 

Movie Review:

Reuniting with Wai Ka-fai 15 years after their critically praised ‘Mad Detective’, Lau Ching Wan plays a similarly unhinged inspector in the frenetic ‘Detective Vs Sleuths’. Though they share the same nickname (loosely translated as ‘God Detective’), the characters Lau plays in both movies are not the same person or related, so think of this latest as a spiritual sequel, not least because that which Lau played in ‘Mad Detective’ died at the end of the movie.

A busy prologue establishes Lau’s Jun Lee as a brilliant crime-solver, who is so exasperated at his former peers in the police force for botching the investigations of two high-profile murder cases known as ‘The Butcher’ and ‘The Devil’s Cop’ that he storms into a press conference to hold an officer hostage in order to prove to all how the latter crime was committed. Fast forward 17 years later, Jun is now a vagrant estranged from his daughter whom he still dearly misses.

Jun’s investigative instincts are piqued once again when a mysterious group of hooded vigilantes who call themselves ‘The Chosen Sleuths’ start executing the culprits of these past unsolved cases in the name of justice. Besides revenge, these vigilantes also intend to call out the incompetence of the police force, pointing to their subsequent victims by leaving specific case numbers at the crime scene. As Jun chases down the criminals on his own, he finds an unexpected ally in female inspector Yee (Charlene Choi), who is both intrigued by his legendary powers of detection but frightened at the delusions which Jun experiences of the victims.

Yee is in turn married to fellow police officer Fong (Raymond Lam), both of whom we learn later on are intimately connected to ‘The Butcher’ and ‘The Devil’s Cop’ cases. Whilst Yee embraces Jun’s brilliance, Fong and the rest of the police force, including Jun’s former partner turned Commissioner (Carman Lee), are much less convinced, so much so that Yee will break with her colleagues halfway through the movie to chase down the Sleuths with Jun on their own.

To say more would be spoiling the surprises which Wai has up his sleeve, which are inspired to say the least. Though not as prolific as in the last two decades, Wai proves he has lost none of his screenwriting brilliance, especially in the last third where he turns his intense crime thriller into a moral fable about crime and punishment, quoting from no less than Friedrich Nietzsche’s ‘Beyond Good and Evil’. Indeed, it is to his credit that Jun becomes such a compelling tragic protagonist in the finale, struggling within himself to break the cycle of hatred and revenge.

Yet it is also true that Wai is without his co-director Johnnie To here, and as those familiar with his previous solo outings will know, the absence is palpable. Without To’s steady hand, Wai’s own pacing and choreography is haphazard and often messy. Like we said at the start, the film moves at a frenzied clip, leaving little room for the characters’ motivations to be fully explored; that ironically undermines the nuances in Wai’s own screenplay, and often threatening to diminish it to a standard-issue action movie. Wai also lacks To’s knack for staging gunfights with cool efficiency, so much so that the shootouts come off hectic but uninvolving, and ultimately exhausting.

Through the chaos, Wai at least keeps the story anchored on Jun; and thanks to Lau’s magnificently layered performance, the film never does fully go off the rails. Despite’s Wai’s tendencies, Lau avoids taking his character’s idiosyncrasies to exaggerated proportions, so that Jun remains relatable and even unexpectedly poignant. Choi and Lam deliver solid turns that rank among their best, and the other supporting cast (including Jeano Ho as Jun’s daughter) and Kathy Yuen and Carlos Chan as fellow officers turned sleuths) are just as fine, but the film belongs to Lau through and through.

Given how it reunites Wai and Lau after more than a decade, it is inevitable that expectation is high for ‘Detective Vs Sleuths’. Those expecting the same polish as ‘Mad Detective’ will inevitably be disappointed, as Wai proves yet again he is not yet at the same level of directorial mastery as To; yet, given the dearth of Hong Kong police dramas in recent years, Wai’s latest still marks a welcome return to the genre, a flawed but entertaining addition whose flashes of brilliance is unfortunately dimmed by an unyielding rush from start to finish. 

Movie Rating:

(Less mad brilliance than mad rush, this gritty crime thriller is nonetheless anchored by a magnificently layered performance by Lau Ching Wan)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: THE GRAY MAN is CIA operative Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), aka, Sierra Six. Plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), Gentry was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out. Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) has his back. He’ll need it.

MOVIE REVIEW:

While Tom Cruise is risking his life by hanging onto a moving plane in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Ryan Gosling on the other hand has to escape from a preposterous CG enhanced plane crashing scene in The Gray Man. Honestly, we have nothing but disdain for such computerised mayhem. It’s perhaps more fitting for a Marvel superhero movie than a supposedly grounded spy action thriller.

Ryan stars as Sierra Six, a convicted murderer who now works as an assassin for CIA under handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton). Years later, Six is assigned to Bangkok to assassinate a target suspected of selling national secrets. Before the target dies, he revealed himself to be Sierra Four and handed over an encrypted drive containing the corruption antics of an CIA officer and his buddy.

Refusing to handover the drive to rising CIA officer Denny Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page), Six finds himself targeted by a ruthless mercenary Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) and his cohort of assassins. Partnering with a CIA field agent, Dani (Ana de Armas), Six must rescue his former retired handler and his niece and fight his way out of the corrupt system.

A long gestating project which sees stars liked Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron being attached and dropped, The Gray Man is helmed by the Russo brothers who of course best known for directing two Captain American outings and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Their post MCU projects have been pretty mediocre and forgettable and this one co-written by Joe Russo and their frequent collaborators, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely fails yet again to make the mark.

For a spy movie based on a 464 pages novel by Mark Greaney, the entire storyline has been reduced to an embarrassing rescue mission that takes them from Prague to Vienna to France. Globetrotting as they called it. Sierra Six could potentially be the American version of James Bond but the Russos took a much simplified route turning the entire affair into a loud, aimless exercise sacrificing complex plotting for CGI explosions and brainless exposition.

Not that the action sequences are well-executed in any way. In fact, the Russos’ produced Extraction fares much better in this aspect. The Gray Man relies a lot on quick cuts, dark background and swirling camera moves to emphasise the intensity of the action although it seems like the filmmakers have not much faith in their leading man, Ryan Gosling. Still, Gosling as usual entertains with his charisma and looks. And with Evans hamming it up as the sociopath fixer Lloyd, these two gentlemen certainly makes this expensive Netflix produced title at least watchable.

There’s no lack of female pretty faces here as well. Ana de Armas returns to kick ass after her standout appearance in No Time To Die, while Jessica Henwick last seen in The Matrix Resurrections plays an ambitious CIA agent. With a few jokes, one targeted at 007 and the other at Gosling’s coming take as Ken in the live-action Barbie movie, The Gray Man is sufficient enough as an generic action movie on the small screen. However if Netflix hopes this is going to be the first instalment of a successful franchise, then the Russos or whoever is taking over next needs to work way harder.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Suspicious that her colleague (Academy Award® Winner Eddie Redmayne) is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths, a nurse (Academy Award® Winner Jessica Chastain) risks her own life to uncover the truth in this gripping thriller based on true events.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain are phenomenal in The Good Nurse, a sombre quiet drama based on the real-life serial killer, Charles Cullen. While the story is presented in an understated manner, it’s the two main leads that stood out the entire duration.

Chastain plays Amy, a single parent and a nurse with a life-threatening heart condition. She works the demanding ICU night shifts until a newly-joined nurse, Charles (Redmayne) is assigned to her unit and they developed a friendship gradually.

But when a series of mysterious deaths start to occur in the ICU and two detectives Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha) and Braun (Noah Emmerich) are assigned to the case, Amy begins to suspect Charles might be the one behind the crime. Determined to find out the truth, Amy and the detectives have to race against time to stop Charles before he carries out more killings.

For a start, The Good Nurse focuses the story solely on Amy’s perspective instead of the serial killer. You can even say the plot is actually from the point of the good nurse or the good friend. Amy struggles to put her best friend to jail because he has been a devoted, helpful buddy inside and outside of work. Their relationship is purely platonic but Charles has committed a series of extremely wicked deeds which results in Amy’s “betrayal”.  

Some audiences might find that the movie does nothing to showcase the motives behind Charles or any significant backstories that reveal the man behind his usual thoughtful, friendly façade. Rather it’s the opposite that what makes the drama so intriguing.

While generally lacking any nail-biting tension and riveting proceedings, the movie strikes a good balance between an investigative drama and compelling representation of the notorious crime. Fans of Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm (The Hunt, Another Round) shouldn’t be disappointed as he continues to make movies that gears towards humanity in his first English-language debut.

As mentioned prior, Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain puts in stellar nuanced performances with Redmayne having none of his British accent and basically disappearing into the role of the American serial killer. In the role of Amy, Chastain probably have a chance again comes award season.

With movies about serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy on the rise in recent times, The Good Nurse turned out to be an impressive, strong competitor despite late into the game.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Thriller
Director: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language and Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 18 August 2022

Synopsis: “What’s a bad miracle?” Oscar ® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope. The film reunites Peele with Oscar ® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah) , who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar ® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja ) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Movie Review:

“They don’t make them like they used to” is something often said about things manufactured in the new millenia. Appliances, furniture, or even food would sometimes be candidates for this critique. With a calendar full of formulaic or franchise fodder, one might say the same about cinema today.

Jordan Peele though, is different. He approaches his movie projects in an encompassing and deeply-involved way, with an intensity that makes him one of the rare talents stepping forward from this generation. The guy still crafts films, and his efforts always pay off.

His first feature 'Get Out' arguably changed casting culture and redefined the urban horror genre. The sophomore 'Us' disturbed with an inventive plot playing with deep-seated psychological tropes. The audience that goes in watching a Peele film is never the same coming out. With his sharp yet relevant twists, some might call him the new Shyamalan. But his sound approval from critics and audience, combined with his box office success, puts him comfortably ahead.

The third project for Peele, Nope has yet again introduced mind-boggling imagery to tease its audience. Soon enough, the early teasers gave way to fuller details, revealing the third theme to be about UFOs.

But true to Peele’s stylistic executions, the imagery conjured through clever cinematography is beautiful, puzzling and horrifying. His framing, lighting and placements shows a filmmaker that truly is one step ahead of the audience, as he draws out our natural deductions and wonderfully subverts them. And in one particular reveal during the film, the slow dawn of realisation is excruciatingly enjoyable.

Of course, a stellar narrative can’t be done without a charismatic cast, and protagonist Daniel Kaluuya and his sister (Keke Palmer) knock it out of the park. As squabbling siblings who find common cause in capturing footage of alien sightings at their ranch to save it, the duo often play well bouncing off each other. Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), the electronic store staff slash alien conspiracy theorist who hijacks their project, adds an enjoyable levity to become a trio.

And while the incredible Steven Yuen leads a separate arc to the story - as important as it is - his performance feels the weakest of the lot. His back story felt a touch manipulative, and the connection didn’t fully land for me when it comes to his reactions and motivations. But it could just be me being obtuse.

Nope falters too a little in the last act. Peele seemed eager to deliver too many commentaries all at once within the last 20 minutes. And for some of them, they are wrapped up as quickly as they came. While this does not distract from the greater story, it does end with quite a few questions left hanging. Is it satisfying still? Yes. Will I ever work out all the nuances he’s trying to inject (from exploitation to movie-making) into the film? Probably not. But nonetheless, the title will always remain a-Peele-ing (sorry) for its audacious imagination, precise crafting and a wicked, wicked soundtrack.

Movie Rating:

(So much splendour and filmic finesse, that weaker portions are washed over for the entire’s entertainment value)

Review by Morgan Awyong

SYNOPSIS: From writer/director Jon Stewart comes the comedy of a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s hard to appreciate a movie liked Irresistible especially if you are not a follower or fan of America politics. One of America’s famous comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart wrote and directs this comedy that struggles to be both educating and entertaining at the same time.

Steve Carell plays Gary Zimmer, a campaign consultant who decides to travel to rural Deerlaken, Wisconsin after a video about a certain retired Colonel Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) giving a rousing speech on undocumented immigration population went viral. Gary’s intention is to get Hastings elected as a Democrat in Deerlaken’s upcoming Mayor election hoping that Americans will vote for Democrat in the next Presidential election.

Gary soon finds himself facing the arrival of his arch nemesis, strategist Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne) who represents the Republican. With plenty of setbacks along the way including the lack of Wi-Fi, conservatism and shortage of funds, will Gary Zimmer win this round in the little right-wing town or succumb to his equally enthusiastic opponent?

For a satire, Irresistible lacks the cleverness and tongue-in-cheek to make things work. There’s the occasional amusing banter between Gary and Faith ironically mostly just forgettable low-brow humour. Then there’s the frustration faced by the campaign team liked stealing wi-fi from a nearby school to a data analytic report that went south. It’s all old-school humour and little to savour given the subject matter.

Comparing this to other political satires liked Vice and W, Stewart who always entertains with The Daily Show surprisingly lacks the bites and basically plays it so safe and sterile here that the little twist in the third act makes you wonder out loud “Is that it?”. We wish Stewart could poke fun at modern politics, the media circus and jab at how bad America is turning into. However, none of the stuff portrayed here is as remotely good or revelatory as his TV shows.

Even though Steve Carell’s character is more or less a selfish opportunistic jerk who hopes to make use of Hastings for a career comeback, he is still as likeable as always especially for fans who missed his presence in The Office. Rose Byrne is a hoot opposite Carell. The flick lights up every moment Faith Brewster turns bitchy in front of Gary.

For Irresistible to qualify as a political satire, we think it fails by a wide margin. It’s definitely not as smart or substance as we initially thought and the battle of the sexes trope mainly play for some cheap laughs.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Biography
Director: Daniel Graham
Cast: Matt Hookings, Ray Winstone, Marton Csokas, Jodhi May, Russell Crowe
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Nudity and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 11 August 2022

Synopsis: Based on the true story about the birth of boxing and starring Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, Matt Hookings and Ray Winstone, Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher explores the life of Jem Belcher who became the youngest ever world champion at the age of nineteen, and transformed boxing from primitive pugilism into the modern sport.

Movie Review:

“When your grave’s filled and your flesh rots away, all you have is your name.” – Jack Slack (Russell Crowe)

Just when you thought that the era of sports stories cleverly fashioned into big-screen adaptations is over, bam! Prizefighter presents the remarkable real-life tale of Jem Belcher with a sanguinary launch of the 107-minute film with the ‘Forgotten Fight of the Century’ as its opening scene.

Embodied by Welsh actor, Matt Hookings in the titular role, Prizefighter: The Story of Jem Belcher tells us a story of the youngest-ever world champion (a record that stands to this day), drowning in the abyss of his newfound glory. Given that society in London was an absolute different world than the one young Belcher was raised in, success soon takes a dark turn and shepherds the hardy boxing star to his downfall.

Set in early 19th century, England, the story of Jem Belcher retells the events of bare-knuckle fighting that paved way for modern glove-boxing that is hailed as a popular sport till to date. With a plot that unhurriedly breezes through the stark contrast of cosy Bristol and charming London, the untold story of the natural fighter has brilliant cast members that elevate the film to a whole new level.

Although 22 years have buzzed by since Gladiator, it may take some time for one to warm up to Russell Crowe’s unkempt persona in the film. Crowe easily fits into the role of Belcher’s grandpa, a famed bare-knuckled fighter and a slovenly father-figure whom Mary (Jodhi May) detests due to his wayward lifestyle. Crowe’s screentime seems a little up for debate, since he is ‘gone too soon’ into the film. Award-winning actress, May, plays Belcher’s devout mother who does all that she can to keep her son out of the rings as most mothers would. The Game of Thrones cast member could have been allowed a more pivotal scope in the plot. Ray Winstone who is a three-time London Schoolboy Champion and fought twice for England in real life, does an amazing job grizzling as Belcher’s trainer. The two veteran actors who have played numerous tough-guy roles have lent a touch of classiness to Prizefighter: The Story of Jem Belcher, with their regal screen presence.

You will also spot Lord Celeborn (Marton Csokas) of The Lord of the Rings, playing Lord Rushworth, the ally-turned-foe antagonist in the film. Hookings, who is also the writer and producer of the biological sports drama, aced in bringing emotional nuances to Belcher and did justice to the apathetic character that was struggling to accept life’s curveballs in the prime of his career. A mixed bag of ratings? Maybe. Different strokes for different folks. It may not offer a much anticipated happy ending, but rather a culmination that rides on undying grit and stellar sportsmanship that promises a place in both pugilistic history and our minds.

Movie Rating:

(A rags-to-riches-and-fame comeback story that is most authentic, unpretentious, and definitely well-deserving of a spot in the history of boxing movies)

Review by Gizelle Mariadas

Genre: Drama
Director: Kearen Pang
Cast: Teresa Mo Shun Kwan, Keung To, Jer Lau Ying Ting
Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 11 August 2022

Synopsis: As MEI-FUNG, housewife and former top artiste manager, unearths a new star in CHING, she also draws jealousy from her teenage son HIN. Can a single mother find a balance between her family and her career? Is her dedication driven by love or responsibility?

Movie Review:

Do not be misled by the title of this Hong Kong movie. Although it suggests that the mother of the house is having an affair, do not walk into the cinema expecting raunchy scenes between an older woman and a younger man. What you’d get instead, is a thoughtful drama about a woman who was once very successful in her career, retired after becoming a mother, and is returning to the workforce to make an impact.

Veteran actress Teresa Mo plays Mei Fung, a top artiste manager in her younger days (the type whom celebrities would thank at award speeches) who decided to slow down after becoming pregnant with a child. Years later after her son Hin grows up (Jer Lau from the popular Hong Kong boyband MIRROR), Mei Fung returns to work at a kids music school. She chances upon a talented waiter Fong Ching (Keung To, another member of MIRROR) who dances and sings really well, and begins to groom him as a singer with the help of her friends in the industry.

And that is the basis of the ‘affair’, where Mei Fung begins spending too much time managing the up and coming celebrity, while her own son becomes upset. Adding to the drama is the separation between Mei Fung and her husband, who is having an extramarital affair with her friend. Oh, while we are at it, Fong Ching’s estranged father has been released from prison after being involved in a car accident which killed his mother.

Phew, that’s quite a number of melodramatic plot lines – a perfect formula for a movie to feature shouting, quarrels, crying and breakdowns.

But director Kearen Pang knows better than to make a movie with this somewhat exploitative approach. With the experience of her award winning debut film 29+1 (2017), Pang returns with a 127 minute piece of work that offers enough insights into the various societal issues explored in the story. With only a few moments of outbursts, much of the movie is subdued, and even features some humour.

For viewers who have been keeping up to date with Hong Kong’s showbiz, you’d have heard of MIRROR’s rising popularity. This movie is obviously a star vehicle for Keung and Lau, who deliver impressive performances as newcomers. Keung’s boyish features makes him the perfect candidate to play a pop idol who is figuring his way in the road to stardom, while Lau has the more challenging task of portraying a studious teenager who becomes jealous when his mother spends time with a new housemate.

Mo, who has appeared in countless Hong Kong movies, effortlessly plays a woman who has to straddle with all aspects of her life. It is also nice to see other veterans taking on supporting roles - Vincent Wan Yeung Ming as Mei Fung’s cheating husband and Law Wing Cheong as a father who wants nothing more than to reconnect with his son Fong Ching.

This is a commercial and accessible movie that does not try to be an arthouse flick. It has a straightforward story with some thought provoking questions. Can a woman successfully return to a glorious career that she left behind to care for her newborn? What is the cost of balancing work, life and family, and is it really impossible to have the best of all worlds? What goes into the making of a popular celebrity? 

Movie Rating:

(The drama offers enough insights into relevant societal issues, and features impressive performances from veteran actress Teresa Mo and in a pleasant surprise, newcomers Keung To and Jer Lau from popular boyband MIRROR)

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama
Director: Zhou Nan, Zhang Chi, Tian Yusheng, Dong Yue, Rao Xiaozhi
Cast: Zhou Dongyu, Huang Xiaoming, Song Jia
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Rating: PG (Some Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 28 July 2022

Synopsis: Five independent but interconnected stories offering a sincere tribute to the “ordinary heroes” in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan – doctors, patients, volunteers, primary workers and ordinary people. From the perspective of these inspirational stories, the film conveys the ever-growing energy and warmth that spring brings.

Movie Review:

Truth be told, it does feel a little late for this Mainland Chinese movie to be screened. Most countries have learnt to live with COVID-19, and here in Singapore, this writer is of the opinion that we are past the phase of feeling unsure of what the pandemic will bring about. And for us to watch a movie about the everyday people in Wuhan during the early stages of the outbreak, it does just feels that the filmmakers did not plan a timely release of the film.

And besides the many patriotic Chinese shows and drama series that people have seen, we have at least seen three big screen releases in the form of Wu Hao’s harrowing documentary 76 Days, Andrew Lau’s star studded Chinese Doctors and Xue Xiaolu’s heartwarming Embrace Again.

It sure doesn’t help that this latecomer feels very similar to Xue’s romance drama. Both titles feature interconnected stories about people affected by COVID-19, and both star Zhou Dongyu in adorable roles. Did the award winning actress get confused while filming on the sets of these two productions?

The five tales are in this feature movie are directed by Dong Yue, Rao Xiaozhi, Tian Yusheng, Zhang Chi, Zhou Nan. The first story sees a young man who moves to Shanghaito earn more money for he and his girlfriend’s (Zhou) future, much to her disapproval. When he returns to Wuhan, the virus has made its presence felt in the city and things are not looking good. Then we meet two migrant workers who have to sell face masks in Wuhan, and realising the gravity of the situation only when they are on site. You can expect this a melodrama overflowing with moral goodness and compassion as the protagonists are holding on to a commodity that was considered rare in the early days of the outbreak.

Next, we have a husband and wife, both healthcare workers, who only get to meet in their car each night where they try to get a few hours of sleep between shifts. The couple experience turmoil as they go through the guilt of not being able to save a fellow doctor and the anxiety of wondering what will happen to their son if they succumb to the virus. Elsewhere, the head of a neighbourhood committee has to manage the complaints from the residents who are getting increasingly irritated by a girl’s piano playing. When he contracts a fever, you can bet the community is going to come together and make things feel warm and fuzzy, making everyone forget about the prior arguments. In the most creative story, a boy’s vivid imagination allows him to battle the virus with his obsession with Nezha. Like the other tales, this one also deals with parent separation, as the kid is taken care of his busy father while his mother is on medical duty in Wuhan.

The 121 minute movie also stars Huang Xiaoming, Song Jia, Yin Fang and Wang Jingchun. The actors do a find job, but one can’t help feel that this is another propaganda vehicle to stir the emotions of China’s people. If it was released earlier when the world was still struggling to live with COVID-19, the effect would have been better.

Movie Rating:

(We have seen similar tales inspired by the everyday people affected by the pandemic, and this movie might have worked better if it was released when the world was still struggling to live with COVID-19)

Review by John Li