Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Kim Sun-Ung
Cast: Geu-rin Bae, Oon Kyun-Sang, Lee Tae-Hwan
Runtime: 1 hr 25 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Cathay Cineplexes
Official Website:
Opening Day: 26 October 2023
Synopsis: Five members of the mountain bike club, Sangaja. To ride a mountain bike, they head to Chiaksan Mountain, where Min-joon's Uncle villa is located. After arriving at Chiaksan Mountain and enjoying the ride, strange things began to happen to the party.... And something unidentified chasing them. A desperate survival game for Sangaja's party to survive on Chiaksan Mountain begins.
Movie Review:
Human beings just don’t learn. You should be very suspicious and be very wary if your friends invite you to a mountain trip where you will be staying in a cabin that belonged to their relatives who mysteriously disappeared in the mountainous regions many years ago. It doesn’t matter if you are a biking enthusiast and the rocky landscape of the mountain promises an exciting experience, because there are just some obvious red flags that serve as signs that the trip will turn into a disaster.
Maybe everyone thinks that it is ok as long as the group stays together, but when strange incidents begin happening before things become deadly, surely that’s a very strong hint for you to scoot off and make attempts to return back to civilisation as soon as possible? But hey, without this illogical human behaviour that happens more often in horror movies, we wouldn’t be treated to this scare fest directed by Kim Sun-Ung.
While the urban legend that is mentioned in the movie doesn’t have any basis, the titular mountain is an actual location in South Korea. The story sees a group of five young people from a mountain bike club making their way to Mount Chiak to check out the terrain, with the objective of having an enjoyable time riding in the area. The first warning sign comes in the form of a creepy old woman who shows up while they are en route to the cabin, telling them that they will die if they continue their journey. Call this writer a coward, but he would have immediately headed back down the mountain.
Without saying too much, other bizarre things begin to take place. We see artefacts with historic text imprinted, someone starts sleepwalking, and someone is bewildered with stones strangely stacked up on top of each other. Oh, since the gang is in the wild, a bloody encounter with an animal happens too.
With a runtime of less than one and a half hours, the movie does a great job at delivering the chills and scares in a surprisingly efficient manner. One moment we are wondering why the characters are experiencing these odd occurrences, the next moment we see them split up in different locations having to manage different ordeals. One guy rides out into the woods (not a very smart move, if you ask us) to search for a female character who seemingly gets sucked into another space, while two other guys find themselves at the cabin’s basement where there is a control centre of sorts, where they chance upon old documents and video tapes that suggest that something supernatural might have happened years before. Then there is also the other female character who develops a rash on her neck that becomes worse – you can expect something very terrible to happen.
The main cast which includes Geu-rin Bae, Oon Kyun-Sang, Lee Tae-Hwan, Kim Ye-Won and Je-wook Yoon does a fine job playing characters in peril. Some of the characters they portray would have a bloodier experience than others, but none will escape the cursed finale that is bound to happen the moment you see them ascending the mountain.
Movie Rating:
(An efficient and competent scare fest that delivers the chills in 85 minutes)
Review by John Li
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Walt Dohrn, Tim Heitz
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Kunal Nayyar, Kenan Thompson, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Camila Cabello, Eric André, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, Troye Sivan, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Zosia Mamet, RuPaul Charles
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 2 November 2023
Synopsis: This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as ANNA KENDRICK and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together. After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Golden Globe nominated electropop sensation TROYE SIVAN), John Dory (ERIC ANDRÉ), Bruce (Grammy winner DAVEED DIGGS) and Clay (Grammy winner KID CUDI). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby (aka, “Bitty B”), as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since. But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains—Velvet (Emmy winner AMY SCHUMER) and Veneer (Grammy winner and Tony nominee ANDREW RANNELLS)—Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity.
Movie Review:
Naysayers be damned – ‘Trolls’ and ‘Trolls World Tour’ were unapologetically infectious, feel-good fun, even if they weren’t much else. As the film to round off a trilogy, ‘Trolls Band Together’ sticks exactly to its predecessors’ winning formula, and if that is disappointing to some, then so be it, because the rest of us are loving it just the way we like it.
Obviously riffing on lead voice actor Justin Timberlake’s boyband beginnings, ‘Trolls Band Together’ opens with a prologue establishing a young Branch as the diaper-clad Baby B in a band called BroZone with older brothers Floyd (Troye Sivan), Spruce (Daveed Diggs), Clay (Kid Cudi) and John Dory (Eric André). After a disastrous live performance, the quintet broke up acrimoniously, and did not speak to one another for the next 10 years.
Though clearly missing his BroZone days, Branch is otherwise happily living out his life with his girlfriend Queen Poppy (Anna Kendrick), as well as preparing to celebrate the wedding of King Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and former scullery maid Bridget (Zooey Deschanel). That harmony is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of John on the day of the wedding, who tells Branch that he is rounding up the band to save Floyd from a pair of wannabe popstar siblings, Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells).
Notwithstanding the initial hand-wringing, it is no surprise that Branch and Poppy will hop on John’s bandwagon to go on a mission to rescue Floyd. It is also no surprise that Branch will take the opportunity to make up with the rest of his brothers, their road trip taking them from an island resort to a creepy amusement park to the city of Mount Rageous where Velvet and Veneer are holding Floyd in a diamond prison. And oh, it should also come as no surprise that the secret to freeing Floyd is for the brothers to find the “perfect family harmony”, which they will do with the new ‘NSync title track ‘Better Place’.
As predictable as it gets, like the saying goes, it ain’t the destination but the journey that matters; and in that regard, the journey is still plenty of fun. On her second outing with the franchise after ‘Trolls World Tour’, screenwriter Elizabeth Tippet stuffs the dialogue with one-liners and aphorisms – case in point, after BroZone flops their live performance, Floyd tells Branch “We’re out of sync. We’ve gone from boys to men, and now there’s only one direction for us to go: the backstreets.” Likewise, director Walt Dohrn, who’s been with the franchise from the start, is all too happy for the movie to go all trippy, what with ‘70s-style hand-drawn animated sequences thrown in for good measure.
And on their third time round, Timberlake and Kendrick have more than found the perfect harmony with each other, not just riffing and bantering with each other, but also with the all-star cast of supporting characters, including and especially Kenan Thompson as the quick-quipping Tiny Diamond. Timberlake also appears more than ever vested in the series, ready to go all tongue-in-cheek with it as a boyband parody, even on his early-2000s musical and hair stylings (remember the permed hairdo?). It is all good fun, and all the more irresistible given how committed Timberlake is to it.
Though fans will probably notice how it has relatively less storytelling depth compared to the earlier two movies, ‘Trolls Band Together’ still possesses enough smarts to offer self-deprecating laughs. As always, the animation by the Dreamworks team is gorgeously textured, so it is never for a moment less than visually dazzling. Coupled with endless pop medleys and regularly timed glitter explosions, this is still the unapologetic infectious, feel-good fun ride the Trolls musical franchise is known for. That’s good enough for us like we said, naysayers be damned.
Movie Rating:
(Just as unapologetically infectious, feel-good fun as its predecessors, 'Trolls Band Together' isn't afraid to troll its lead actor Justin Timberlake's boyband past, and is all the more hilarious because of it)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
Cast: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Harvey Guillén, Ramy Youssef, Niko Vargas, Jon Rudnitsky, Della Saba
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG (Some Frightening Scenes)
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website:
Opening Day: 23 November 2023
Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish” is an all - new musical - comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp - witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force — a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe — the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico — to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.
Movie Review:
“This is the thanks I get?!” Chris Pine’s King Magnifico bellows as he belts his villain number in this movie that celebrates Disney’s 100th anniversary.
This may just be the same sentiment felt by the studio executives as they realise that critics are likely to find the studio’s latest offering inoffensively pleasant to a fault. After all, the animation giant has brought magic and hope to countless individuals over the century through their wholesome content, and why can’t this supposedly landmark title hit the sweet spot?
In true Disney fashion, fans were hyped up when news were released that there is going to be a new movie to commemorate the House of Mouse’s 100th birthday. And you can expect all the Disney elements to be in place so that you will be reminded of all things Disney throughout the 92 minute runtime.
A brave young woman who disregards protocols for the greater good? Say hi to Asha who sings really well (thanks to Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose), and as a bonus - doesn’t have a romantic interest to spend time falling heads over heels in love with. A cute sidekick? Meet Valentino, a baby goat who can talk after magic dust falls on him, giving Disney’s long time voice actor Alan Tudyk another entry to his already impressive resume. How about a bombastic baddie? A show stealing Pine gets to have some fun as the kingdom’s ruler, a self absorbed sorcerer (“I can’t help it if mirrors love my face,” he sings) who unleashes scary green lightning.
The familiarity doesn’t end there. There are more adorable talking animals, a suite of awe inspiring songs (courtesy of Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice), and above all – a story about what can happen when one wishes, in this case, upon a star. Yes, that’s the beloved theme and tune from Disney’s beloved classic Pinocchio (1940). And so, for one and a half hours, you will spot countless other Disney references. Asha’s seven friends have personalities that are inspired by Snow White’s companions, while there is a bear named John and a deer named Bambi. Elsewhere, a job interview for a sorcerer’s apprentice is held and a character talks about popping the dream of a nanny.
Wait, have we not talked about the story? Given Disney’s standards, it is nothing out of the blue. Our heroine Asha lives in the Mediterranean kingdom of Rosas, where Magnifico has captured everyone’s wishes and granting selected ones every once in a while. Asha becomes upset when he doesn’t grant her grandfather’s wish to inspire others, saying that it is too vague and may cause unrest in the kingdom. She then runs off into the wilderness (while singing a song, of course) and a cute yellow star literally falls from the sky. With this newfound magic, Asha realises she can make a difference. Magnifico learns about this and becomes very angry, and you can expect an ultimate battle between the two that will eventually conclude with a Disney approved happy ending.
Helmed by veteran Chris Buck (Frozen) and first time director Fawn Veerasunthorn (a long time artist known for her work on Moana and Raya and the Last Dragon) from a screenplay co written by Buck, Jennifer Lee (Disney Animation’s chief creative officer) and Allison Moore, this very safe animated movie is often a visual treat. The artists combined the 2D and 3D look, and the result feels like hand drawn paintings featuring colourful palettes. While there is some awkwardness in the crowd scenes, it doesn’t distract you from the wholesome positivity that the movie continuously exudes. Neither will the other aspects that cynics will pick on, because there is so much Disney at work here, you wish that the animation studio will continue bringing its brand of magic to the world for the next 100 years.
Movie Rating:
(Don't be a hater - celebrate all things Disney and enjoy this feel-good animated musical that commemorates the studio's 100th anniversary)
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror
Director: Bishal Dutta
Cast: Megan Suri, Betty Gabriel, Neeru Bajwa, Mohana Krishnan, Vik Sahhay, Gage Marsh, Jenaya Ross, Beatrice Kitsos
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: NC16 (Horror)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 26 October 2023
Synopsis: Sam is desperate to fit in at school, rejecting her Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. When a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage in order to defeat it.
Movie Review:
Trying to fit in can be bedevilling. Such is the struggle that Samidha (Megan Suri), a first-generation Indian American teenager, faces. Over the course of the first two acts, we learn how Samidha had in recent years chosen to distance herself from her cultural identity. In school, she goes by “Sam” and would rather not be seen in the company of her childhood best friend Tamira (Mohana Krishnan), a fellow first-generation Indian-American who is much less of a social creature; and at home, she resists participating in what she thinks are antiquated ceremonies.
Writer-director Bishal Dutta’s debut feature aims to mix conventional horror with social commentary, so in addition to the struggles fitting in, Samidha has to contend with an entity that she inadvertently unleashed after shattering a jar that Tamira had been clutching tightly to her chest during an argument. Not only does the said entity kidnap Tamira shortly after, it begins to torment Samidha and attack those close to her, including the classmate Russ (Gage Marsh) she has a crush on and her teacher Joyce (Betty Gabriel) who tries to help her.
To be sure, it is only later in the second act that it becomes clear that the entity is indeed a physical demon, instead of say just a psychological monster. While the latter does allow Dutta to stage some fairly intense sequences in the last act, it also relegates the film to a far more conventional thriller than what we had hoped. In particular, there is no longer any mystery if it is all in Samidha’s head or if the entity is a physical manifestation of what Samidha is feeling, and consequent to that, any sense of intrigue whether it is a movie supporting a metaphor or the other way around.
As a creature horror, Dutta does pack sufficient frights and thrills to make it work, including with a litany of dream sequences of the Pishacha – in Hindu and Buddhist folklore, a flesh-eating demon – and an adrenaline-pumping climax that gives new meaning to the title. But it is also precisely with such definition that the movie loses sight of the culture-conscious social commentary it wants to be, and in fact, we dare say the end result doesn’t make good on the promise of the premise which it had set out at the start. Not only is it too convenient how Samidha resolves these tensions with her mother, it also loses focus on Samidha’s identity crisis.
That said, it still does deliver as an effective horror movie, thanks to an unsettling atmosphere and good performances from its Indian American cast. As Samidha, Suri (whom some may recognise from ‘Never Have I Ever’) carries the dilemmas and dreads of her character with conviction. The rest of the supporting players are capable in their own right – especially Gabriel from ‘Get Out’ – but Suri pretty much carries the movie from start to finish, and it is a good thing that Dutta’s screenplay stays through to telling the story from her perspective.
Amidst other socially conscious horror movies like ‘Get Out’ and ‘Midsommar’, ‘It Lives Inside’ falls somewhat short of blending social commentary with actual horror. It starts off strong on the former, then decides to pivot to the latter, and ultimately lacks clarity to deliver a compelling message on the former. Those looking for a good scare will probably still find enough jolts to be satisfied, but because it was sold and set up as a social horror, the real killer you’d quickly realise is how it falls short of the expectation it is guilty of setting in the first place.
Movie Rating:
(Not quite delivering the social commentary it wanted to, this socially conscious horror nonetheless packs sufficient frights and thrills for a good scare)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama/Crime
Director: Jason Kwan
Cast: Andy Lau, Gordon Lam, Eddie Peng, Simon Yam, Cya Liu, Hedwig Tam, Philip Keung, Lam Suet, Kevin Chu, Terrance Lau, Kent Cheng
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Some Drug References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 January 2024
Synopsis: The secretive and complex dark web has become the breeding ground for drug trafficking, and has targeted Hong Kong, the centre of Asia. Four tons of new-type drugs have entered into Hong Kong under the cover of a strong typhoon, pending to be sold across the dark web. The police have no choice but to expose its undercover agents to arrest the "Big Boss". In the centre of the storm, drug lords, undercover agents, police officers and the "Big Boss" ended up in a fateful showdown.
Movie Review:
Andy Lau is such a busy man that you are going to see him on the big screen for consecutive three months. He is still currently chasing Tony Leung’s character in Goldfinger and this month, you will see him playing a different kind of role in I Did It My Way and the next, playing an “actor” in The Movie Emperor. Just merely reading it exhausts the hell out of us. It’s a shame, the man is already 64 and he is more energetic than most of us out there.
Well, back to I Did It My Way. Lau plays a barrister named George Lam (a dig at the once popular Canto pop singer), a smart cunning aide to a drug trafficker, “Big Boss” (Philip Keung). Also in the picture is Sau (Gordon Lam), a hitman for the duo and also an undercover cop. In the meantime, the head of police cybercrimes unit, Eddie (Eddie Peng) and his superior (Simon Yam) are hot on the heels of “Big Boss” and his drug trafficking operations. But before they could lay their hands on “Big Boss”, he kills himself at the police station.
Lam decides to take over the drug operations and assumed the role of “Big Boss” and moved the operation to the dark web, selling tonnes of drugs online. Sau struggles to carry on his role as an undercover. It’s either migrating to the UK with his family or risk the lives of his love ones and himself and bring Lam to justice.
Surprisingly, I Did It My Way is more character-driven than offering over-the-top action set pieces. Lau once again plays a drug lord after Protégé (2007), an evil, menacing man that doesn’t display much emotions to others except to his pregnant girlfriend (Cya Liu). Lam is portrayed as a man who doesn’t think twice about piling the drugs onto the younger generation on the streets. His character did mentioned casually he became a changed man after his girlfriend got raped. That’s about it. Without a fully developed backstory, it’s hard to get into the mind and motives of this villain. He is essentially being bad for the sake of being bad.
For better or worse, Gordon Lam did paired up with Andy in Firestorm (2013) playing an undercover cop as well. Unlike the previous attempt, the role of Sau is far more developed and established giving Gordon a chance to flex his acting skills as the second leading man. By contrast, Eddie Peng’s appearance as a righteous cop gets overshadowed by the two veterans Lau and Lam who easily command the screen with their charismatic performances.
Those audiences yearning for some bombastic action sequences (The White Storm 3 for example) might be a slight disappointed by what the movie offers despite the involvement of action choreographer Chin Kar Lok. With the exception of some forgettable gun battles and a sequence which had Eddie battling it out with one of Lam’s hired killers, the narrative spent most of its time with the police and Lam looking at gigantic computer screens. We are pretty sure a movie on keyboard warriors isn’t going to crack the box-office after all.
While Protégé (2007) packs a punch with it’s storytelling and intense drug raids, I Did It My Way is lost in its many unfulfilling messages about cybercrime, drugs and brotherhood. Director Jason Kwan (Chasing the Dragon) seems ready to break the mould of HK action cinema but the generally weak storytelling and direction fails to deliver a satisfying action thriller let alone an effective one.
Movie Rating:
(Watch this solely for Andy Lau and Gordon Lam, the rest is familiar stuff)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action
Director: David Leitch
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence and Some Drug References)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 25 April 2024
Synopsis: He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right? From real life stunt man and director David Leitch, the blockbuster director of Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the producer of John Wick, Nobody and Violent Night, comes his most personal film yet. A new hilarious, hard-driving, all-star apex-action thriller and love letter to action movies and the hard-working and under-appreciated crew of people who make them: The Fall Guy. Oscar(r) nominee Ryan Gosling (Barbie, La La Land, Drive) stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie-being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno, played by Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place films, Sicario)-goes missing. While the film's ruthless producer (Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham; Ted Lasso), maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Bullet Train) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film's most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody's good graces. But as the mystery around the missing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.
Movie Review:
It was one year ago when the world was hit by the cultural phenomenon that was Barbeheimer. The buzz that preceded and surrounded the simultaneous theatrical release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer resulted in countless memes, as well as unofficial merchandise and memorabilia. One movie that hitched on the ride was David Leitch’s action comedy movie starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, who were also in the two biggest films of 2023.
After making viewers laugh (some even shed a few heartfelt tears) as Ken, Gosling continues to make full use of his charm to play stunt performer Colt Seavers, who is the guy who has been taking the fall for a celebrity named Tom Ryder (a deliciously menacing Aaron Taylor-Johnson) on the big screen for all his Hollywood movies. Then we have Blunt, whose Oscar nominated performance in Oppenheimer made people realise her penchant for handling dramatic roles, playing the other lead character named Jody Moreno. She is a camera operator who has big dreams of being a movie director.
When we first meet Colt and Jody, they are a cute couple flirting on text. When an accident happens on set which made Colt severely injured, he decides to disappear and become a valet in a small town restaurant. After 18 months, Jody becomes a director and it working on her first film. She is backed by executive producer Gail Meyer, and you can tell that she has something up her sleeve just because she is played Hannah Waddingham, who is known for her performance in TV series Ted Lasso.
Colt is approached by Gail, who claims that Jody asked for him to to be part of her sci fi action blockbuster. He sees this as an opportunity to get back with Jody but when he arrives on set in Australia, he learns that Jody never requested for him as a stunt performer. Then he finds himself involved in rowdy fights and somewhere in the mess there is a dead body in a bathtub.
This is when the 126 movie picks up pace and we love every minute seeing the action sequences on the IMAX screen where the movie preview was held. There are fist fights, car crashes and epic explosions which clearly show that the movie is a tribute to the stunt performers who have been a key element of showbiz. Watch out for a sequence where Jody directs a scene from her movie, and you’ll experience a Guinness World Record breaking moment for the most cannon rolls performed in a car. We also enjoy the film references made throughout the movie, and fans would smile at how Drew Pearce’s writing incorporated memorable moments from titles like Thelma & Louise (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and The Fugitive (1993).
The movie also works thanks to the undeniable chemistry between Gosling and Blunt. Leveraging the Barbeheimer phenomenon, the two celebrities appeared at the Academy Awards and Saturday Night Live, and seeing them now as a couple in the movie is like finally seeing the reunion of two people who have been kept apart. The movie has many entertaining scenes which feature Gosling and Blunt just talking to each other. One involves repeated takes of a fire stunt, while the other makes use of split screens. While they may not be entirely crucial to the movie, you go along for the ride because of the very enjoyable time spent with the stars.
Movie Rating:
(A love letter to stunt performers, this entertaining and action-packed popcorn movie also shines because we get to see Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt falling in love amidst epic car chases and loud explosions)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: A hilarious and heartfelt comedy starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as estranged sisters forced to cover their mother’s gambling debts, set out to get the cash the only way they know how - by turning Anne (Awkwafina) into a bona-fide gameshow champion.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Awkwafina is pretty prolific in recent times especially in Disney titles. You probably recognised her trademark husky voice in The Little Mermaid and Raya And The Last Dragon or playing opposite Shang-Chi in the Marvel outing. While she is known more for her comedic roles, she can be a pretty competent actress in stuff liked The Farewell.
In the Quiz Lady, she plays an introvert office lady, Annie. Her childhood is a mess given her father died young and her mother is a compulsive gambler. Her only companion is the long running quiz show, Can’t Stop the Quiz and the show’s beloved host, Terry McTeer (Will Ferrell) and her pug named Linguini.
But when her mother went missing at the nursing home after racking up a $80000 loan with a bookie, Annie and her sister, Jenny (Sandra Oh) has to think of ways to foot the bill. Realising Annie has a talent in answering every correct questions on Can’t Stop the Quiz, Jenny decides to persuade Annie to enter as a contestant in order to win the top prize and save the day.
For a start, Awkwafina and Sandra Oh plays off perfectly onscreen as the pair of estranged sisters. Jenny is loud, street smart and to some degree, obnoxious. On the other hand, Annie is reserved, “invisible” to her colleagues maybe even OCD. This is the sort of bizarre relationship that works especially well in a comedy and the duo nails every minute of it.
Despite that, there isn’t a lot of big laughs in the movie if you expect a whole lot of raunchy, nudity gags in it. The most funny, ridiculous gag of all is when Jenny intentionally fed Annie some drugs during the audition which caused the latter to hallucinate and nearly making a big hurrah.
Don’t get us wrong though, Quiz Lady in fact is an enjoyable comedy that has lots of heart. Meaningful because it tells a grounded Asian sibling relationship that has it fair share of hurts and sacrifice. Warming because a very nuanced Will Ferrell plays a sort of absence father figure to Annie. Funny because the chemistry between Awkwafina and Sandra Oh works so well and Jason Schwartzman plays a very competitive contestant that harbours an evil intention.
Quiz Lady might be a predictable odd-couple comedy but it easily surpassed the average expectation. And also, the late Paul Reubens aka Pee-wee Herman made his last screen appearance in the finale.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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THE 36TH CHINA GOLDEN ROOSTER AWARDS (第36届ä¸å›½ç”µå½±é‡‘鸡奖)Posted on 05 Nov 2023 |
SYNOPSIS: After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn't personal.
MOVIE REVIEW:
From the get go, we see the nameless killer (played by Michael Fassbender) seemingly preparing to kill his target across from the WeWork vacant office space he is hiding in. He spent days staking out his target and in the meantime, he eats McDonalds, practises yoga and listen to the Smiths. When the target finally arrives, the killer misses his mark!
And in the first 30 minutes of this latest David Fincher’s movie, we learn that the director of Seven, Fight Club and Gone Girl has turned in yet another Fincher class movie set piece based on a French graphic novel series.
Unfortunately, the mistake nearly causes the death of his girlfriend as the killer’s handler by the name of Hodges (Charles Parnell) aka The Lawyer decides to teach him a lesson for the failed job in Paris. This of course doesn’t sit well with the killer and he embarks on a journey of killing the people that did him and his girlfriend wrong.
Fincher reunites with his Seven’s screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker to create a mundane journey into the mind of a killer. There’s hardly any dialogue in fact the movie is mostly filled with the killer’s voiceover as he deadpanned about his choice of music and his own set of rules which include “Anticipate don’t improvise” and “Fight only the battle you’re paid to fight”. It’s a revenge tale no doubt but it’s presented in such a straight-forward, simple manner that it differs so much from Fincher’s complex past works.
As a truly professional globe-trotting assassin, the killer is mostly seen in the night, in the shadows trailing his targets and careful not to make any more mistakes. We see him killing Hodges with a nail gun, applies a quick sudden death to his secretary, a brutal battle with a fellow assassin dubbed The Brute in Florida, The Expert (Tilda Swinton) in New York and lastly, the billionaire aka the client who engaged his service via The Lawyer.
In-between every killings and the killer’s intense exchanges with his soon-to-be deceased opponents, we learn zilch about the mysterious killer nor his cold twisted look at the world surrounding him. Perhaps this is intended by both Fincher and Walker. Perhaps there is a sequel planned after the killer decides to resume his business after his vacation in Dominican Republic.
After a long hiatus, Michael Fassbender shines as the cold-blooded killer who is not a fan of empathy. His nonchalant, captivating approach remains a draw throughout while Swinton amuses with a bear and hunter joke in her limited screentime.
Moody, atmospheric and filled with sudden moments of swift violence, The Killer is not going to be one of Fincher’s memorable works. Yet for what it is, it’s still a fine cinematic experience on the small screen.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Thriller/Crime
Director: Zhang Mo
Cast: Zhang Xiaofei, Lee Hong-chi, Kara Wai, Boogie Wang, Hong Junjia
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Some Drug Use)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 November 2023
Synopsis: Chen Zhiqi (Zhang Xiaofei) is a prominent lawyer, who has yet to lose a case. But when her daughter is kidnapped, she receives a phone call asking her to defend a murder suspect within five days, and only by winning the case can she save her daughter. The case takes a turn for the better with the help of police officer Jin Zhixiong (Lee Hong-chi). As the investigation unfolds and evidence emerges, Chen gradually discovers the truth, revealing the man behind the curtain. Will she be able to save her daughter in time?
Movie Review:
There was no way the Mainland China authorities would allow a movie that casted aspersions on its legal system to be screened, so in her remake of the 2007 Korean movie ‘Seven Days’, Zhang Mo (otherwise known as Zhang Yimou’s daughter) has chosen to set the movie in a fictional city called Kuapuar City. We have our suspicions how Zhang had in fact modelled Kuapuar City after Kuala Lumpur, especially given the names of some of the supporting characters, but it is also ultimately ambiguous enough not to incur a diplomatic reaction.
Like its predecessor, ‘Last Suspect’ unfolds over the course of seven days through the eyes of a top defense lawyer, who is caught up in a web of corruption, cover-ups and other forms of chicanery when she is forced to defend an ostensibly innocent man wrongfully accused of murder. When we first meet her, Vicky Chen (Zhang Xiaofei) has just accomplished an unbroken streak of 30 consecutive lawsuits, winning her the nickname in the press as the ‘Queen of Reversing Verdicts’. That dedication to her work has come at the expense of time with her daughter Eng, which she promises to make up for by participating in a parent-child relay race at her daughter’s school.
Alas, Eng is kidnapped during the event, but the ransom the kidnapper demands is for Vicky to defend Daniel (Hong Junjia), who has been convicted for raping and murdering a female university student when visiting her apartment to tend to her pet dog. Daniel claims that he had stumbled upon the crime scene that evening, and the murderer was someone else who had fled the apartment when he arrived. To get to the bottom of the case, Vicky turns to her pal Kim (Lee Hong-chi), a brash police officer who has conveniently been suspended from his post for assaulting a suspect.
Mo, who co-wrote the movie, keeps the narrative gears spinning fast and furious in order not to have her audience scrutinise the logic gaps. Oh yes, this is probably best appreciated as a TV-equivalent version of a potboiler, with plenty of twists and turns that do not always make sense if you think harder. In particular, the final twist will require almost a complete suspension of disbelief, what with the murdered girl’s mother Mrs Lin (Kara Wai) suddenly playing a pivotal role in the entire proceedings that is as incredulous as it gets.
Despite its shortcomings, Mo does find an effective emotional anchor in the story around the extent to which a parent would go for his or her child. That is reflected in how Vicky puts her life on the line to rescue Eng; it is also shown in how Mrs Lin would go out to get revenge for her daughter; and last but not least, it is also demonstrated in how a high official would risk it all just to protect his illegitimate son. You’ll empathise with each one of these characters, whose motivations as a parent are affecting, even as their methods are clearly flawed.
Though the younger Zhang still has a long way to match the directorial craft of her eminent filmmaker father, ‘Last Suspect’ shows her proclivity for social dramas, highlighting the impossible plight that a parent is sometimes confronted with. It doesn’t have the same finesse as its source material, but it is nonetheless a credible legal thriller that hits enough of the genre beats to keep you entertained, engaged and even enthused. It is also one of the rare Chinese movies to have a strong female central character, and in turn, inspires a compelling leading turn from the other Zhang.
Movie Rating:
(The TV-equivalent of a potboiler, this efficient legal thriller finds unexpected emotional heft in the extent a parent would go for his or her child)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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