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59TH GOLDEN HORSE AWARDSPosted on 19 Nov 2022 |
SYNOPSIS: Imagine Charles Dickens’ heartwarming tale of a scrooge visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve—but funnier.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Twenty years later, ‘Elf’ remains one of the favourite Christmas movies of all time, so it isn’t surprising that Apple has decided to cast Will Ferrell in its big-budget holiday blockbuster built on the same mix of child-like awe and adult-friendly gags. But if that is not reason enough to make you want to watch ‘Spirited’, how about the fact that it pairs Ferrell with one of Hollywood’s most charming actors, Ryan Reynolds?
As imagined by director Sean Anders, who co-wrote the script with his ‘Daddy’s Home’ collaborator John Morris, ‘Spirited’ sees Reynolds play the glib, opportunistic marketing magnate Clint Briggs, whom the Ghost of Christmas Present played by Ferrell takes a personal interest to redeem. Whereas Charles Dickens had envisioned the haunting by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to be a one-off occasion, ‘Spirited’ reinvents it as an annual event overseen by the ringleader Jacob Marley (Patrick Page).
Despite Marley’s initial objections, Present is convinced that Clint is who they need to convert in order for their hauntings to truly make a difference in the world. Undeterred by the initial assessment that Clint is irredeemable, Present sets out with his colleagues Past (Sunita Mani) and Future (voiced by Tracy Morgan) to revisit the formative moments in Clint’s life, with the hope that hindsight will lend perspective to this ‘perfect combination of Mussolini and Seacrest’ and lead him to admit the error of his past and present ways.
Each of Clint’s life moments becomes a set-piece in and of itself, including his public breakup with ex-girlfriend Nora at a shopping mall and the death of his older sister Carrie whose daughter Wren he is now the legal guardian of; in particular, the latter matters because Wren’s decision to post an incriminating video of a schoolmate she is running against for class president will ultimately come not just to define the boy’s life but also Wren’s conscience.
Had ‘Spirited’ decided to be about Clint’s redemptive journey alone, it would probably be a lot more poignant; alas, it is too distracted for its own good, weaving in a subplot about Present’s own past as Ebenezer Scrooge, on the justification that Present was the other irredeemable to have successfully gone through the programme. Between Scrooge’s own dastardly ways and his unexpected romance with Clint’s right-hand woman Kimberly (Octavia Spencer), there is just too much going on for any of it to be emotionally compelling.
And so even though it clearly had that ambition, ‘Spirited’ falls short from a true Christmas classic, never quite finding enough heart to warm that of its audience. What it does well though is offer exuberant enough entertainment for two hours, thanks to several Broadway-worthy musical numbers penned by dynamic duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (from ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘La La Land’) and choreographed by Chloe Arnold that combine tap, hip-hop and jazz into some dazzling show-pieces.
To their credit, Ferrell and Reynolds are good company as unlikely bros, their repartee carrying the movie in between the numbers. Though neither are natural singers, both actors try their best at crooning and dancing, and demonstrate true showmanship from start to finish. Same goes for Spencer, who not only gets the chance to be a romantic lead in a movie but also the opportunity to show off her considerable pipes and makes good use of both.
True to its title therefore, ‘Spirited’ is mostly energetic through and through, even though it does lack that magical quality to be timeless. Indeed, it is no ‘Elf’ and hardly comes close, despite recruiting Ferrell for his first Christmas movie since then and roping in Reynolds for the ride. Like we said, its key flaw is that it really cannot decide whose story it wants to tell, resulting in a digressive narrative that has little resonance. At least though it is jolly and bouncy, and for the most part will leave you with plenty of seasonal good cheer..
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy/Action
Director: Jason Moore
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Coolidge, Josh Duhamel
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language & Violence)
Released By: Encore Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 December 2022
Synopsis: In Shotgun Wedding, Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding, just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn't enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone's lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. "'Til Death Do Us Part" takes on a whole new meaning in this hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones – if they don't kill each other first.
Movie Review:
Lest we forget that she was once the queen of rom-coms, Jennifer Lopez gave us a sweet Valentine’s Day trifle earlier this year that proved she had not lost her gift for the genre. As if we needed another reminder shortly after ‘Marry Me’, Lopez returns just 10 months later with yet another rom-com, which also sets the stage for her action drama on Netflix next summer. Oh yes, ‘Shotgun Wedding’ is both a rom-com and a thriller, a screwball action comedy if you would have it that pits Lopez and her on-screen fiancée played by Josh Duhamel against a band of pirates who hijack their destination wedding on a private island in the Philippines.
As convention would have it, perfect though they would eventually prove to be for each other, successful lawyer Darcy (Lopez) and former pro football player Tom (Duhamel) would have to endure a couple of last-minute obstacles over the course of the rehearsal dinner and on the wedding day itself. For one, there is the simmering animosity between Darcy’s divorced parents (Cheech Marin and Sonia Braga), especially since her dad Robert had brought along his girlfriend Harriet (D’Arcy Carden). There’s also how Robert had decided on his own accord to invite Darcy’s ex Sean (Lenny Kravitz), and makes no apologies letting everyone else know how he thinks Sean would be a better son-in-law than Tom.
Another parent making no apologies this weekend is Tom’s vivacious mother Carol (Jennifer Coolidge), who isn’t shy to impose her views on the couple of what a perfect wedding should be like, including forbidding that Tom and Darcy spend the night together on the eve of their wedding and insisting that Darcy wear the same wedding gown she did many years ago. And then of course, there is Sean, who likewise has no qualms making it known to Tom and Darcy’s wedding guests that he and Darcy almost got married many years ago in Bali, before Darcy decided to call off the engagement after getting cold feet.
It isn’t surprising that the confluence of these characters leaves Tom doubting himself, as well as the strength of his relationship with Darcy, and as Tom and Darcy try to sort out their issues before they say ‘I Do’ to each other, their wedding guests are suddenly attacked by a band of pirates looking to hold Robert ransom. Because Tom and Darcy are the only ones not held at gunpoint, they also become the ones responsible for the fates of their guests. Thus begins a series of misadventures for the couple, although it is hardly any surprise that they will come to realise just why they had wanted to spend their rest of their lives together in the first place.
There is nothing particularly inspired about first-time writer Mark Hammer’s script, which is content to be as pedestrian as it can be. Thankfully, Lopez and Duhamel are absolute pros, sending up not only their respective characters but also the chemistry between them. From ambushing an armed guard in the outdoor shower in their room, to escaping from a buggy driven by two guards, to ziplining halfway across the island, and finally to confronting the guards at the resort pool, Lopez and Duhamel go all out with their screwball antics, and the result is infectious to say the least.
To his credit too, director Jason Moore tries to make the best out of a thin script by keeping the proceedings tight and engaging. Moore knows that the film ultimately rests on the shoulders of his actors, and gives Lopez and Duhamel plenty of space to bicker, banter and ultimately kiss and make up. Moore also surrounds both actors with a strong supporting ensemble, including a delightfully unhinged Coolidge, a positively wacko Carden and our very own Selena Tan as one of the managers of the resort. Even if the film is after all a farce, it is nice to see that the actors determined to make it enjoyable.
As a rom-com, ‘Shotgun Wedding’ offers nothing new to the genre, even with its blend of action and thriller elements – blame that on the script, which frankly is as lazy as it gets. Still, there is still fun and hilarity to be had, thanks to the lively pair of Lopez and Duhamel and a game supporting cast. Even though there is hardly need for any reminder, Lopez’s latest reinforces her status once again as the queen of rom-coms; and for someone just two years shy of her mid-50s, that’s as fine an achievement as it gets.COMING SOON
Movie Rating:
(The story is as formulaic as it gets, but a delightful Jennifer Lopez and the screwball chemistry between Lopez and her co-star Josh Duhamel nonetheless make this rom-com a throwaway pleasure)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton, Sathya Sridharan
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Homosexual Content)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 December 2022
Synopsis: From Darren Aronofsky comes The Whale, the story of a reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
Movie Review:
Warning: this is a painful movie to sit through.
There were many occasions during the 117 minute film that we found ourselves feeling extremely uncomfortable, simply because we were witnessing the heartbreaking situations the protagonist was going through. These were scenarios that we may have heard about or imagined in our heads. Seeing the events unfold before our very eyes on the big screen creates an undeniable impact and a sense of uneasiness.
You may have read about actor Brendan Fraser’s comeback (Google for “Brennaissance”). During the late 1990s and the early 2000s, Fraser was a Hollywoodheartthrob with starring roles in George of the Jungle (1997) and The Mummy Trilogy (1999 – 2008). Then he started fading away from the limelight due to various health problems, personal losses and a high profile sexual assault allegation against the former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk.
Then this independent film by Darren Aronofsky came along, and Fraser again made headlines for playing a severely obese man. Search online for footage of him tearing up during the standing ovation at this year’s Venice Film Festival (where the movie had its world premiere), and you may be moved to tears too.
Age and health have evidently taken a toll on Fraser, and he is no longer looks like the swashbuckling hero we used to know. In this film based on Samuel D Hunter’s play of the same name, Fraser puts on a fat suit to play Charlie, a morbidly obese man who chooses isolate himself from the world. He delivers an incredibly moving performance that you need to see to believe, displaying a mix of sadness and wittiness in the character. When we first meet Charlie, his health is deteriorating badly (he refuses to go to the hospital despite a dangerously high blood pressure). As what seems like a countdown to his eventual demise, we see several characters interacting with him in his apartment.
There is Charlie’s best and probably only friend (Hong Chau) who has been taking care of him, a Christian missionary (Ty Simpkins) who may be doing more than saving Charlie’s tormented soul, an extremely unpleasant teenager (Sadie Sink channeling the same vibes as her Stranger Things character) who also happens to be Charlie’s estranged daughter, and Charlie’s ex wife (Samantha Morton) who has been single handedly raising their rebellious child.
It is easy to see how this story would have played out on stage with its single location premise. Aronofsky manages to give the screenplay written by Hunter a cinematic feel, thanks to his long time collaborator Matthew Libatique’s cinematography. Charlie’s apartment is gloomily lit, and the camera moves within the compounds in a way that makes you feel isolated. Composer Rob Simonsen’s melancholic score creates a dismal mood, which reflects Charlie’s helplessness. Behind his supposed positive personality (he genuinely believes that there is goodness in his mean daughter) and his neverending apologies, has he actually given up?
And there is Charlie’s binge eating problem. After his boyfriend died (he left his family to live a life with his partner), he got out of control with his diet. There are scenes of him chomping on fried chicken, chocolate bars and sandwiches, and one particular sequence takes place after an exceptionally distressing episode - you want to look away but yet you know this is a real life condition that is happening to people. Just how much can the heart take before it shatters, both literally and figuratively?
If you are familiar with Aronofsky’s works, this is not unexpected. The characters in his films are often desperate individuals who struggle with getting a grasp in the unforgiving world we live in. His films are not family friendly joy rides – just look at 2000’s Requiem for a Dream, 2010’s Black Swan and 2017’s Mother!. While some argue that his works are too clever for his own good (and in this case, there are already heated discussions about weight stigma and the portrayal of obese people), we are of the opinion that the filmmaker merely showed us the harsher side of life via a cinematic approach.
And with his latest film, we are reminded again that life is no bed of roses, and we just have to unearth the beauty amidst the self centredness and viciousness we live with every single day.
Movie Rating:
(Brendan Fraser delivers an extremely honest and moving performance in this film that may be uncomfortble for some to sit through. But like Darren Aronofsky's previous works, it is one that reminds you that life is harsh but there may yet be hope amidst the desperation.)
Review by John Li
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Don Hall
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Alan Tudyk, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website:
Opening Day: 24 November 2022
Synopsis: The feature film introduces a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures. “Inspired by classic adventure stories," said director Don Hall, “‘Strange World’ is an original animated adventure/comedy about three generations of the Clade family who overcome their differences while exploring a strange, wondrous and oftentimes hostile world.
Movie Review:
We cannot remember when we’ve been so thoroughly disappointed with a Disney animation, but ‘Strange World’ unfortunately is guilty of that ignominy.
First things first, those curious why such a family-oriented action adventure would garner a NC16 rating should know that ‘Strange World’ boasts the first ever gay character in a Disney animated movie. Having seen the movie though, we must say we’re not sure what the fuss or buzz is all about, given how mild the references are to the character’s sexuality.
The character in question is Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White), born to the inter-racial couple Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Meridian (Gabrielle Union). That Meridian is Black is obviously no coincidence, and yet another attempt at ensuring that ‘Strange World’ is some kind of milestone in terms of representation for Disney.
As the story goes, Searcher has spent the last 25 years farming the crop he names ‘pando’, a plant whose luminous fruit has become the source of power for the civilisation called Avalonia and enabled its rapid industrialisation from horse-drawn buggies to cars and spacecrafts. Alas, the pando crop has started failing due to a mysterious infection deep within its roots, and Searcher is enlisted by Avalonian president Callisto Mal (Lucy Liu) for an expedition into the earth to find the source of the problem and save their way of life.
Despite being ordered to stay behind, Ethan sneaks on board Callisto’s ship, seizing the opportunity to explore a world beyond Avalonia. It’s not hard to guess that Searcher and Ethan will have to confront their mismatched expectations – whereas Searcher wants Ethan to follow in his footsteps to become a farmer, Ethan is more inclined to be an adventurer like Searcher’s father Jaeger (Dennis Quaid) was before he vanished into the wilderness.
Equally, it should not come as any surprise that the group will soon run into Jaeger, who despite having gone off the grid for more than two decades, comes off none the worse for wear. Jaeger and Searcher will have to confront their own tensions, the latter still blaming the former for leaving him and his mother just so he could satisfy his personal curiosity of what was beyond the mountains. Both sets of father-son dynamics ultimately boil down to a simple lesson of embracing our children for who they want to be, instead of who we want them to be.
Though both director Don Hall (of ‘Moana’ and ‘Big Hero 6’) and co-director/ writer Qui Nguyen (of ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’) are veterans of such coming-of-age stories, ‘Strange World’ comes off emotionally hollow and trite. As earnest as Quaid, Gyllenhaal and Young-White are about their respective father-son angst, their lines are tired and their conflicts too easily resolved. Ironically, the female characters – namely, Meridian and Callisto – make a stronger impression, especially as role models in their own right.
Without a strong emotional backbone, ‘Strange World’ ends up being no more than a pulpy adventure set against fantastical creatures and landscapes. There is much to admire in this iridescent ‘Jurassic World’ of pink-hued floating and lumbering monsters including Day-Glo pterodactyls, slow giraffe-like animals and an amoeba-like blue blob that Ethan befriends and names ‘Splat’. The visuals are dazzling and even hypnotic all right, complemented by homages to old-school Disney adventure films like ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’, nods to different animation styles and some breathtaking stills reminiscent of ‘splash pages’ in comic books. Even so, it is difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of it all when the action unfolds at such a frenetic pace, as if afraid to lose the attention of its male demographic.
So even though the animation is top-notch, ‘Strange World’ ultimately leaves much to be desired both in terms of story and character. Coming from Disney, that is even more discouraging. Neither its obvious environmentalist message or its deliberate representation redeems this sorely underwhelming animation from its fundamental shortcomings, which we dare say marks one of the worst we have seen from Disney in a while. Perhaps therefore its NC16 rating is an ironic blessing in disguise, so kids won’t have to sit through such tedium and wonder where 100 years of magic (as the opening credits proudly tout) had gone to.
Movie Rating:
(In addition to featuring the first gay character in a Disney animated movie, 'Strange World' is queer also because of how underwhelming it is in terms of story and character development, marking one of the worst Disney efforts in recent memory)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Director: Pong Thitipong Kerdtongtawee
Cast: Wongravee Nateetorn (Sky), Plearnpichaya Komalarajun (June), Pachara Chirathivat (Peach)
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 min
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: GV
Official Website:
Opening Day: 24 November 2022
Synopsis: A chaotic love story of a man and a girl who keep falling for each other in the wrong place at the wrong time over and over as if God enjoys playing tricks on them and won’t easily give them a break to be together.
Movie Review:
At first glance, ‘OMG! Oh My Girl’ is yet another story about a boy and a girl who spend an entire movie struggling to get together. Said boy and girl is Guy (Wongravee Nateetorn, also known as ‘Sky’) and June (Plearnpichaya Komalarajun, also known as ‘June’) respectively, who start off as high-school acquaintances that share a serendipitous meet-cute over a $1,000 note one day. Despite only a brief conversation there and then over how to split the note, Guy and June gradually hit it off as good friends, although it doesn’t take a genius to tell you that their relationship isn’t quite just platonic.
Guy realises he has feelings for June when one of his best friends Phing successfully wins her attention using his lame trick of going right up to her and texting her ‘I like you’. Alas, even though Phing and June quarrel much and break up every now and then, Guy cannot quite find the right opportunity to profess his love for June. That is despite a couple of further meet-cutes, including an encounter with a cockroach in front of a stationery store and an evening walk through knee-deep waters that will see June retrieve a slipper in place of Guy’s missing shoe.
By the halfway mark when Guy and June both graduate from high school, June would in fact have hooked up with guitarist Pete (Pachara Chirathivat, also known as ‘Peach’), after making each other’s acquaintance that very night Guy and June had their aforementioned evening walk. Though he tries to move on by dating a work colleague followed by a talent acting in one of his production company’s videos, Guy cannot quite put June down, not least when he has an unexpected run-in with her one day and is drawn back into their high school social circles.
Director and co-writer Pong Thitipong Kerdtongtawee keeps the proceedings droll and breezy for most of the first two acts, with tongue-in-cheek voiceovers, fourth-wall breaks and even the best use of a fart joke we’ve heard in a while. Pong also lets the gentle, unaffected chemistry between ‘Sky’ and ‘June’ grow and blossom over the course of the film, especially in their quieter, one-on-one scenes together, so that you’ll slowly but surely root for Guy and June to get together by the end of it. The supporting acts also deserve due credit, including Guy’s three sisters and the unlikely couple of Guy’s goofy best friend Tah and June’s icy roommate Lex.
But ‘OMG! Oh My Girl’ truly comes into its own in the last act, where Guy has to decide whether to make a last-ditch attempt to win June’s heart following Pete’s marriage proposal. Than take the easy way out, the movie examines the sometimes painful consequences of following through on feelings, as true and genuine as they may be; in particular, it is noble that the film makes a deliberate decision not to cast Pete as a jerk, casting him instead as a perfectly nice guy who is sincerely in love with June.
Should Guy come clean on how he feels towards June, knowing fair well that he could break up a happy couple? Should June now be honest about her feelings about Pete, knowing fair well that doing so would break Pete’s heart? Indeed, it is in this last act that the film boldly examines the complications of how love could lead to hurt and heartbreak. It is also wise enough not to spell out what to take away from the chain of events, recognising that its viewers will likely form our own judgments of Guy and June’s choices based on our own experiences and even principles.
So even though it starts out like any other teenage/ young-adult rom-com, ‘OMG! Oh My Girl’ has surprising layers of depth and nuance, offering food for thought for anyone reminiscing about the one who got away. Pong has good instincts about tone and balance, such that even when things get real especially in the last act, the film never gets overly maudlin or melodramatic. There is ultimately a lesson here about the importance of serendipity, or the lack thereof, in how love with the right person at the wrong time could have its own unintended repercussions. Go in with an open mind and an open heart, and let yourself be won over by its honest study of love, life and longing..
Movie Rating:
(An amusing, affecting, and surprisingly insightful exploration of how love needs serendipity, without which the right person at the wrong time would end up with its own unintended repercussions)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: When a meteor carrying a destructive plant strikes the world, a suicide squad is given hours to save their post-apocalyptic city from total collapse.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Those of us who were wondering why no distributor had acquired the highest-grossing local movie in Hong Kong box office history for distribution in Singapore finally have our answer: none other than Netflix had bought the worldwide rights to the movie, in order to give it a global release that would allow it to be seen simultaneously by about 220 million subscribers across almost all the countries in the world.
As exciting as it must be to see its poster on billboards in New York, London, Tokyo and Taipei, such a high-signature move may not ultimately be in the best interests of the movie. Indeed, judged solely on its merit, ‘Warriors of Future’ is at best a competently made B-grade science fiction that provides decent dystopian entertainment for its brief 100-minute duration, and at worst a derivative entry that borrows too obviously from its genre predecessors such as ‘Alien’, ‘District 9’ and ‘Battle: Los Angeles’.
To appreciate ‘Warriors of Future’ for the achievement it is requires one to recognise how it represents a milestone for the Hong Kong film industry, which hitherto had not produced a film with such extensive visual effects. In order to build up that local capability, Louis Koo spent close to eight years developing the movie at his production house One Cool Film Production, patiently waiting to cultivate both the talent and technology to be able to pull off such a project entirely in Hong Kong (instead of outsourcing it to some visual effects studio in say South Korea).
It was in fact back in 2015 when we first heard about the hugely ambitious project with a reported HK$300 million price tag, and only in 2017 that we saw a teaser that was followed by yet another teaser each year thereafter for two years in a row, before a three-year silence when it went into lengthy post-production. That it wasn’t abandoned is itself worth celebrating, and the fact that it isn’t a flop is perhaps the greatest relief to those rooting for Koo’s passion project. Notwithstanding this, it is probably prudent to keep your expectations in check.
Despite enlisting veteran screenwriters Lau Ho-leung and Mak Tin-shu, the story is as threadbare as it gets. The prologue is fairly intriguing, painting a world ravaged by global warming and climate change that depends on large man-made domes known as Skynets to keep the air habitable. After a meteorite crashes into district B16, a giant alien plant emerges from it, destroying everything within its path as it advances with rainfall, but ironically purifying the polluted air. Alas the narrative comes down simply to an elite air combat team’s race-against-time to inject a gene solution into the plant’s pistil before an imminent rainstorm, while having to contend against being undermined in the field by one of their own.
The characters here are just as spare. The only notable ones are Tyler (Koo) and Johnson (Sean Lau), who team up with a disgraced former buddy Skunk (Philip Keung), to retrieve the solution from where the transport aircraft carrying it crashed after being sabotaged, and then injecting it into the pistil located in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central district before the rainstorm. Besides Tyler and Skunk’s fallout told through flashbacks, there is hardly any consequential character development. Though Carina Lau, Tse Kwan-ho and Nick Cheung are also billed, their supporting roles are even thinner, and end up being no better than glorified cameos.
What ‘Warriors of Future’ does have in its favour are a number of set-pieces that boast the inspiration of director Ng Yuen-fai’s detailed storyboarding with the ingenuity of Jack Wong Wai-leung’s action choreography. From the first doomed mission, to an intense battle against ferocious mantis-like aliens in a deserted hospital, to a highway chase against a pair of killer androids, and finally to a mano-a-mano against the same robots, the action is impressively slick; in particular, Ng’s mix of propulsive and slo-mo camerawork, combined with some cool tracking shots, keep the visuals engaging and even exhilarating in parts.
Credit must also go to the props team, especially in the design of the mecha suits worn by Tyler and Johnson, which hold their own against the heavily-armed androids. We should say too that the technical achievements all round deserve to be lauded – including the creature effects and an apocalyptic Hong Kong – especially considering how these capabilities were built up over the span of slightly less than a decade. Seen against similar sci-fi efforts like Wong Jing’s ‘Future X-Cops’, this is a big leap forward for Hong Kong cinema.
Like we said therefore, ‘Warriors of Future’ needs to be appreciated as a milestone achievement for the industry. Its isn’t the best Hong Kong film by any measure, but it opens up possibilities apart from the usual action, cop/triad and comedy genres. It is also fortunate that Koo has enlisted Lau for this venture; as one of the most dependable character actors and Koo’s regular screen partners, Lau elevates the material few other actors would be able to. So yes do make time to catch it at Netflix when you can, but keep your expectation in check, and remember that it is ultimately a bet for the future of Hong Kong cinema..
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: When an explosion in the Norwegian mountains awakens an ancient troll, officials appoint a fearless palaeontologist to stop it from wreaking deadly havoc.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Let’s warmly welcome the Troll to the monsterverse if there’s one. The USA has King Kong, Japan has Godzilla and now Norway is sending in their very own creature into the ring.
Based on a traditional Scandinavian folklore, the story is about a drilling team who has somehow awaken something gigantic in the mountains. And now it is angry and ready to destruct virtually anything in its way. Naturally, the government, military and scientists are called in. They are of course represented by paleontologist Nora (Ine Marie Wilmann), the Prime Minister’s assistant, Andreas (Kim Falck), military leader Kris (Mads Sjogard Pettersen) and lastly, Nora’s estranged father, Tobias (Gard B. Eidsvold), a big fan of folklore and fairy tales.
Clearly, all these people should come in handy to resolve this monster crisis. As always, this is as much story or narrative we are getting if you are new to the game.
Norwegian Roar Uthaug who directed The Wave and the reboot of Tomb Raider has no qualms turning his beautiful motherland into a massive, disastrous battlefield between humans and Troll. The CGI demonstrated here is as good, if not much better than most Hollywood blockbusters given the convincing real-life, breath-taking landscapes and backdrops. Our main star, the Troll went around wreaking havoc liked a less hairy version of King Kong and kudos to Uthaug for taking a leaf out of Hollywood’s cookbook and making it far more awesome as the finale shows.
Liked Godzilla (2014) and King Kong (2005), the flick suffers whenever the narrative switches its focus on the humans. Table top discussions and ideas are thrown around. Messages, themes about the environment and human greed are brought up with not much of a conclusion. Face it, no one remembers Ken Watanabe’s scientist character in Godzilla or Jack Black’s as a wannabe filmmaker in Peter Jackson’s King Kong end of the day. But Uthaug and his screenwriter manages to squeeze in some touching father-and-daughter moments between Nora and Tobias and some tongue-in-cheek humour from Andreas and his geeky fellow Star Trek fan who works in the military computer intelligence department.
There’s so much to like about Troll despite the familiar tropes and massive CGI action sequences. Mostly, it’s the handling of the narrative, the flawless CGI monster and the movie’s brisk editing and excellent use of Scandinavian folklore that makes this a must-watch. It’s been a while since we look forward to a sequel and Troll’s teasing of one in the mid-credits make us crave for more. Feel free to bring it to the monsterverse!
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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NEW TRAILERS FROM CCXP 2022Posted on 02 Dec 2022 |
SYNOPSIS: This holiday season is going to be out of this world.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s ironic consider that a short 40 minutes Marvel feature can generates so much warmth, laughter and satisfaction than the two hours long Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.
James Gunn who is recently named as one of the heads for DC Studios wrote and direct this holiday special that saw the return of the motley crew from Guardians of the Galaxy (GOTG). Set between the events of Thor: Love and Thunder and the upcoming GOTG3, the brief feature dwells on how Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautisa) kidnaps Kevin Bacon from Earth in order to cheer up Star Lord (Chris Pratt) who is still mourning the death of Gamora during the holiday season.
Gunn shows he is still the man to be put in charge of the franchise he started way back in 2014. He knows his characters development, he knows his jokes (Taika Waitit kind of loses his mojo in his second Thor outing) and he knows how to create a Christmas movie. Put all three factors together and you get a perfect The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Finally, Gunn gets to address the long-running Kevin Bacon gag by getting the real Kevin Bacon onboard. Never mind Bacon actually appeared as a mutant in a non-MCU related X-Men: First Class years ago. What better way than getting the mind-controlling Mantis and fumbling Drax to kidnap Bacon in a hilarious home invasion sequence.
Gunn manages to shine the spotlight on Mantis and Drax this time for a change which generates lots of laugh-out-loud moments between the two. Their chemistry is undeniable dynamic but look deeper, there’s a heart-warming message behind Mantis’ purpose in cheering up Star Lord. The revelation however comes as a genuine surprise rather than a lame twist.
Because Gunn is so creative, generous and consistent with his outputs, he even throws in an touching animated prologue and epilogue featuring Yondu (Michael Rooker) and a young Star Lord as they discover the true meaning of Christmas. The special also indirectly introduces a new character, Cosmo the Spacedog which is voiced by Maria Bakalova from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
With Gunn decamping to DC after his GOTG3 outing, his unique brand of writing and directing will be sorely missed by long-time Marvel fans. For now, let’s just rejoice and indulged in this heartening mad-cap special.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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