Genre: Thriller/Crime
Director: Wong Ching-Po
Cast: Ethan Juan, Gingle Wang, Ben Yuen, Chen Yi-wen, Lee Lee-zen, Cherry Hsieh
Runtime: 2 hr 14 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Sexual Scene)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 2 November 2023
Synopsis: Fugitive Gui-lin found out that he had only 6 months left to live and he was only ranked third among the most-wanted criminals. He tracked down the top two criminals and eliminated both of them, thinking that he has become a modern-day hero. However, he never thought that greed, anger and ignorance were the sins and punishments he had to face at the end of his life.
Movie Review:
Taiwanese actor Ethan Juan has come a long way. The good looker first found fame during a time when idol drama series were popular, and charmed his way into fans’ hearts with 2008’s Fated to Love You. Then he shed his pretty boy image and played a tough gangster in the 2010 drama movie Monga directed by Doze Niu. Juan was named Best Actor at the 47th Golden Horse Awards, which was a testament to the rising star’s acting skills. More than a decade later, he is again playing a gangster in his latest work. Incidentally, he has also garnered a Best Actor nomination at the 60th Golden Horse Awards.
And if you ask us, Juan’s performance is even more impressive than the one he delivered for his breakout role 13 years ago, so we are rooting for him to take home the prize again.
Juan plays a mean gangster named Chen Gui-lin in this crime thriller inspired by a Chinese fable where a thug named Zhou Chu battled three adversaries – a tiger, a dragon and himself. The third antagonist Zhou Chu had to fight was himself because he realised that he has to change his lawbreaking ways.
In this modern version, Gui-lin finally decided to surrender himself to the police after being informed that his grandmother has died, and he himself has stage four lung cancer. The poor guy is also beginning to feel exhausted after being on the run for four years, after a showdown at funeral which ended with a cop losing his eye. But when Gui-lin sees that there are two other criminals who are ranked above him in the most wanted list, he goes on a journey to hunt them down.
You may start wondering the motive of the protagonist when he says “I’m not afraid of death. I’m afraid of being forgotten after death.” Looks like he isn’t as noble as Zhou Chu after all.
But you won’t have much time to ponder over the deeper symbolisms that the movie is trying to convey, because from the get go of the 134 minute film, you will be trying to catch up with the pace. The opening sequence is an exhilarating cat and mouse chase which is wonderfully choreographed. It ends with the cop played by Lee Lee-zen in a bloody (but alive) state.
Fast forward four years later, we see Gui-lin as a weary man with no friends and family, except an underground doctor (a fine performance by Cherry Hsieh) who updates him about his grandmother. Just as things get emotional, Gui-lin tracks down his first target (award winning Hong Kong actor Ben Yuen), who is a real menace and a creep who is in a relationship with his stepdaughter (Gingle Wang). There is a lot of tension between the three characters, and the violent action will keep you at the edge of your seat.
And when you think this movie directed by Hong Kong filimmaker Wong Ching-Po is going to serve up more stylised violence, the tone is drastically changed when Gui-lin arrives in a serene location to look for his next target. There, he meets a spiritual leader (played eerily by another award winning actor Chen Yi-wen). We won’t give too much of the story away, but this part of the film is one wild ride that you wouldn’t have imagined. There are scenes where you snigger uncomfortably, and you wonder whether this is a black comedy.
The film is nominated in seven categories at the upcoming Golden Horse Awards, and it should take home a couple during the ceremony held later this month. The attention is definitely on Juan, whose arresting performance anchors the entire movie. Amidst the action and drama that culminates in a thoughtful finale, you will be rooting for Gui-lin although you know he has done some very bad stuff. The actor gets to showcase his versatility in certain emotionally charged scenes, and these showstopping performances are what we hope will win the jury’s heart for him to nab a second Golden Horse Best Actor trophy.
Movie Rating:
(An arresting performance by Ethan Juan anchors this movie that promises a roller coaster ride that is beyond your wildest imagination)
Review by John Li
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MATTHEW PERRY (1969 - 2023)Posted on 29 Oct 2023 |
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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