SYNOPSIS: Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The age difference between Anna Hathaway and Ella Rubin is nineteen years old though you can hardly tell in The Idea of You.

In this latest rom com based on Robinne Lee's 2017 book of the same name, Hathaway and Rubin plays a pair of mother and daughter. Hathaway’s character, Solène, a divorced woman in her early 40’s finds herself falling in love with the much younger lead singer of a British boyband, Hayes Campbell (played by Nicholas Galitzine), once an idol of her now teenage daughter, Izzy.

Sparks fly but the pair of lovebirds is expectedly torn between their age difference, individual career paths and personal demons to battle. You know this is not a story about a mother and her daughter.

Fans have drawn parallels between Harry Styles and Hayes Campbell. You know the once steamy tabloid romance involving Styles and the older Olivia Wilde. For context purpose, Lee has vehemently denied the similarities. Ultimately, it’s a romcom that speaks of fantasy and escapism, nothing more nothing less.

The idea of a commoner falling in love with an unbelievably famous person has been done countless times before. Notably, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill and J.Lo and Owen Wilson in the recent Marry Me. The Idea of You is a movie that relies heavily on the lady’s perspective. And it greatly benefits from the casting of Hathaway who exudes charm and star power as a woman who finds love in unexpected places after her ex-husband falls in love with a younger partner after years of marriage.

No doubt the entire affair of the two meeting for the first time in the star’s mega trailer and some embarrassing flirting in front of Izzy at a meet-and-greet event is to the point of absurd, the inclusion of the dreamy real-life Brit Nicholas Galitzin definitely makes things a lot believable than it is in reality.

Speaking of reality, the romcom also explored the inconveniences of dating a celebrity such as the cruelty of keyboard warriors insinuating Solène as a cougar and the constant pestering of the media in public that puts pressure on their already fragile relationship. While it makes for some grounded discussion, it’s a familiar trope that forecast their inevitable spilt given their age gap and interests.

The Idea of You doesn’t really defer from the usual formulaic romcoms. There’s no right or wrong. No sad or happy ending either. It’s nice to see Hathaway back in a genre she is known for years ago and her chemistry with Galitzine is undeniable. It’s a nice modern romcom, not one you remember down the road but one that reminds you to live in the moment.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Director: Lim Suat Yen
Cast: Zong Zijie, Yao Kuo, Angel Lim, Gurmit Singh, Eric Lim, Gadrick Chin, Grace Teo, Alfred Ong
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 30 May 2024

Synopsis: Ah Jie (Zong Zijie) has a special power – he can see ghosts and exorcise them. But unlike most superheroes, Ah Jie has tried all ways and means to avoid using his superpowers to help those in need. He cheats, cons, and fights – nothing about Ah Jie spells “Master”. Famous paranormal vlogger, Sora Ma (Angel Lim), stirs a storm when she begins recording a series of strange events in the neighbourhood… and it seems there’s no one better than Ah Jie to resolve these issues. What will Ah Jie do when a curious history from decades ago forces him to choose between accepting his fate as a Ghost Master who can save lives, versus a carefree life of hanging out as a gangster to protect his love?

Movie Review:

The Chosen One is the second big screen production from Dasmond Koh’s Noontalk Media after Thai-horror, The Antique Shop which featured the late Aloysius Pang. And this time, it’s yet again another horror feature except it’s a Singapore and Malaysia collaboration and stars one of Noontalk artists and sometimes television actor, Zong Zijie in the leading role.

Zong plays Ah Jie, an ex-exorcist who gave up his destiny and powers to help others and instead relied on scams, fights and fake viagra to make a living on the streets. His “best friend” happens to be a hooker, Ah Jiao (Taiwanese starlet Yao Kuo) who unsuccessfully prowled the dark alleys every night for customers.

At the recommendation of Jie’s master, Bai Yun (Gurmit Singh), a famous paranormal vlogger, Sora Ma (Angel Lim) starts to pester Jie for his life story and why he has given up on his exorcism powers. Meanwhile, a demonic power is rising and it is slowly consuming the energies of a ten year old boy and a young man respectively.

Firstly, the marketing materials tried its very best to sell it as an exciting ghostly thriller comedy that probably combines elements from the classic Mr Vampire series, perhaps 2002, a supernatural actioner that stars Nicholas Tse and Stephen Fung or Nick Cheung’s Keeper of Darkness. Then again, when you hire a recognisable, famous face from overseas, you can’t possibly relegate the actress to a minor role right?

And this is precisely why The Chosen One got things all wrong. It’s entirely forgivable if the horror comedy never breaks any new ground. However, if the movie spends more than eighty percent of the running time on the tragic romance and backstory of Jie and Jiao, it defeats the purpose of having a “ghost master” or “exorcism” theme as the selling point. We get it if the movie attempts to sell it as a typical Taiwanese weepie romance but the narrative is too generic to pass off as one.

Kai Ko’s Till We Meet Again is one great example of how to combine romance and the supernatural into one fantastic outing, unfortunately this is not the case here since the story and setup is too weak and straightforward to justify a prolonged romance segment. We are not going to disclose what actually transpired between Jie and Jiao so you have to find out yourself.

To get back to the supernatural theme, the prologue actually promises a devilish demonic power lurking in an abandoned underground World War II bunker while some evil Japanese ghosts are seen later on. I mean what else is more demonic than some old undead Japanese soldiers. But instead of some genuine creepy suspense or exhilarating action pieces, the true horror comes in the form of dated, unconvincing CGI and unintentional laughs.

The pairing of Zong Zijie and Yao Kuo is nonetheless easy on the eyes with Zijie flexing his moves and CGI talismans when the occasion arises since there are no physical gadgets to speak of. As for the leading lady, her role as Jiao doesn’t require much effort from veteran Yao Kuo to be honest. Noontalk artists Xu Bin and Kimberly Chia also make special appearances with the latter somewhat being a Halloween night reject. We can’t decide if Gurmit Singh is miscast in the role of Master Bai Yun. At least, he is the most entertaining aspect of the movie given his occasional comedic smattering of English, Singlish and Mandarin. It’s a pity influencer Eric Lim fails to bring his wacky online persona here as he plays a pretty serious temple attendant if not he will be a hoot alongside Singh. And Gadrick Chin from Ah Boys to Men appears in an irritating disposable gangster role, Brother Leopard.

Without any memorable slapstick humour, action and horror sequences, The Chosen One is also greatly hindered by a romance subplot that seem to go on forever. Thus, the whole idea of a young kung-fu fighting exorcist as promised in the promotional materials is more of an afterthought.

Movie Rating:

(A thoroughly wasted opportunity to showcase some hor-medy and Song Zijie’s big screen debut)

Review by Linus Tee

100 YEARS OF MEISTERSTÃœCK Posted on 04 May 2024 In collaboration with German luxury house, Mont Blanc, here's another fantastic short film from Oscar-winning filmmaker Wes Anderson. The campaign film was lensed by Linus Sandgren and stars Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman and Wes himself. To mark a century since Meisterstück was first introduced in 1924, Montblanc has partnered with American director and screenwriter Wes Anderso ... more

Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Ding Sheng
Cast: Yang Mi, Yu Qian, Tian Yu, YuAilei, Li Jiuxiao
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 16 May 2024

Synopsis: Four people who don't know each other share the loot in the backstage warehouse of the theater, and are accidentally involved in a murder case.

Movie Review:

 The title of this Chinese movie hits the spot with viewers who understand Mandarin. A Chinese hotpot meal is always welcome – the idea of enjoying a communal dining experience where friends and family gather around a simmering pot of broth warms the heart, and cooking various ingredients together while chatting about anything under the sun fills the stomach. And the local marketing team came up with a brilliant idea. Invitees of the preview screening could actually use their ticket as a discount voucher at a popular hotpot restaurant. How clever is that?

Directed by Ding Sheng (known for 2010’s Little Big Soldier, 2013’s Police Story 2013 and 2016’s Railroad Tigers – all starring Jackie Chan), this comedy is also a heist movie and a whodunit thriller. The movie wants to pack a lot of things into its 128 minute runtime, and everyone seems to be talking at the same time, so there isn’t really a quiet moment for you to catch your breath before the next plot twist is revealed.

The movie starts with four people who have never met each other in real life gathering in an opera theatre that also allows customers to play mahjong. The parlour’s owner had sent a cryptic message in a WeChat group, and it has brought three other members of the forum to meet in the theatre. Through a series of hurried conversations, it turns out that he would like to enlist their help to rob a local official whom he had bribed to prevent his business from getting demolished, but had pocketed the huge sum of money instead.

The motley crew carries out the heist and all goes relatively well, until they find themselves with two suitcases instead of one. The extra suitcase contains the unconscious body of the official, and the burly dude appears to be dead. Things become manic from this point, as conversations, arguments, dealings and decisions are made over – you’ve guessed it – a pot of boiling hotpot meal that is taking place at the backstage and kitchen area of the opera theatre.

The movie is as hilariously absorbing as it gets, so it is rather unfortunate that the title was pulled from cinemas in China a week after its opening (and rereleased on a streaming site shortly after), no thanks to low ticket sales. There are lots to digest throughout the movie as the four protagonists played by Yang Mi, Yu Qian, YuAilei and Li Jiuxiao take turns to be in the spotlight of the movie. We learn more about their past, why they actually showed up at the opera house and how they are connected to the official portrayed in a gleefully loathsome manner by Tian Yu. Amidst the unfolding drama, an opera actor would occasionally barge in to disrupt the flow of things with philosophical musings.

The lines are delivered in a fast and furious manner by the ensemble cast, and everyone is speaking at the top of their voices almost the whole time. Complementing the frenzy are the vibrant colours of the hotpot setup and the bubbling broth – you can almost smell the tantalising spiciness in the air.

As the movie charges towards its finale, more revelations are made and you get a sensing that the story feels overstuffed - but you have to admit that it has been a very entertaining experience.

Movie Rating:

(A frenzy of comedy and mystery, this entertaining movie delivers a manic good time)

Review by John Li

Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Alyla Browne, Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, Lachy Hulme, Alyla Browne
Runtime: 2 hrs 29 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: https://www.furiosa.com.sg

Opening Day: 22 May 2024

Synopsis: As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Movie Review:

At the 88th Academy Awards, George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) took home six Oscars, the most for the evening. Out of the 10 categories the action movie was nominated in, it was recognised for Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. It is not difficult to see why – the film was a relentless and adrenaline-pumping experience that brought viewers on a gripping two hour journey through the post apocalyptic wasteland.

We were also introduced to Imperator Furiosa (played by an incomparable Charlize Theron), a no nonsense female protagonist who courageously fights the oppressive patriarchy in a quest for liberation and redemption. It makes absolute sense for the filmmakers to work on a prequel so viewers get to know Furiosa’s back story. After almost a decade, Miller delivers this spin off and prequel. And boy, it is a high octane ride that will grip your senses from start to finish.

The fifth movie in the Mad Max franchise does not need a complicated plot. It wastes no time in introducing viewers to the ordeal that Furiosa had to go through a child. The young girl (Alyla Browne) is abducted from her luscious homeland by followers of a cruel warlord named Dementus (Chris Hemsworth in a role that allows him to have fun and be a bad guy at the same time). As the movie is set in a post apocalyptic world, Furiosa is a much sought after asset because she has valuable information on where she is from, simply because it is a utopia where food and water are in abundance.

The story co written by Miller and Nico Lathouris then thrusts Furiosa into a series of events that will toughen her up as she tries to escape from the clutches of several antagonists. Besides Dementus, Furiosa will find herself crossing paths with Immortan Joe (the villain from Fury Road), as well as other characters like Octoboss, History Man, Organic Mechanic, Rictus Erectus, Scabrous Scrotus and People Eater. Kudos to the filmmakers for coming up with these freakishly fun names and matching looks for the actors who play the characters.

Soon, Furiosa grows up and is portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy, who gives her best death stares and menacing scowls to look like a warrior in the wasteland. Our heroine then spends time with Jack (Tom Burke), a military commander who has got what it takes to survive an explosive and heart racing vehicle chase.

As the 149 minute progresses, we see Furiosa go through one tribulation after another, before she avenges her mother’s death. Told in chapters, Miller’s action masterpiece is always visually stunning and you will applaud the visionary director’s competent use of both practical and computer effects. Complemented by Dutch composer and DJ Junkie XL’s heart thumping soundtrack, the action sequences are grandiosely filmed and will leave you amazed by the spectacle you’ve witnessed on the big screen – more so if you catch the movie in an IMAX theatre.

Amidst the relentless action that is packed with adrenaline filled exhilaration, there is something about the movie that will have you thinking about how the characters, regardless of whether they are on the good or bad side, are trying to retain some humanity in a world that has fallen apart.

Movie Rating:

(The question is, does George Miller have it in him to make this prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road epic? You bet he does, and it is a relentlessly exhilarating ride from start to end.)

Review by John Li

Genre: Thriller
Director:  Hayley Easton Street
Cast: Hiftu Quasem, Lauren Lyle, Natalie Mitson, Nicole Rieko Setsuko, Ellouise Shakespeare-hart
Runtime: 1 hr 26 mins
Rating: M18 (Mature Content and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 30 May 2024

Synopsis: A dream destination wedding turns deadly as five friends are forced to confront their fears and brave the open waters.

Movie Review:

If there’s one thing to take away after watching the latest shark thriller, Something In The Water. It’s life, one trauma after another.

A year ago, Meg (Hiftu Quasem) suffered a violent homophobic attack while on a night out with her love interest Kayla (Natalie Mitson). Still suffering from PTSD, Meg unwillingly reunites with her former partner at their best friend, Lizzie’s (Lauren Lyle) wedding at a Caribbean seaside resort.

At the behest of the free-spirited Cam (Nicole Rieko Setsuko) and together with the more intellectual Ruth (Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart), the five friends board a dinghy boat to a remote island presumably as an excuse for Meg and Kayla to amend their broken relationship. Sh** happens shortly or 30 minutes into the movie and Ruth finds that a shark has bitten off a chuck of her leg.

The other four struggles to bring her back to the boat but in a panicked rush to mainland, Lizzy crashes the boat onto a reef and the five girls find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean with a shark circling around them.

It has been a long long while since we encounter a shark thriller that is worth our time. Largely because every one out there is formulaic, familiar and frankly boring. Maybe it’s easier to work out a low-budget thriller simply by throwing a couple of unknown young stars into the ocean and see if the CGI sharks and fins can work out some cinematic magic.

While credit has to go to art director turned director Hayley Easton Street and and writer Cat Clarke for introducing some feminine perspectives and narrative into the whole ordeal, it’s very much the wrong genre to do so. Something in the Water examines a huge load of serious topics liked same sex love, homophobic, PTSD, friendship, jealousy and more. There’s plenty of drama and bickering between the five friends and you can tell the filmmakers are trying to make the characters far more interesting and dimensional that it should be.

Then again, the audiences are here for the shark.

We suspect it’s again the ultra-low budget that prevent Street from showcasing the thirsty, hungry sea monster in revealing it’s jaws and face throughout. So what you get are the heads of the various actresses bobbing in and out of the water, generous underwater shots of their kicking legs and wide drone shots of the clear, blue ocean waters. The deaths and attacks often occurred off camera or too swiftly for anyone to catch what’s going on. Even the logic of Ruth being attacked in shallow water seem ludicrous but I guess no one cares.

Just when you think there’s something “big” happening like a character pulling out a knife to confront the shark, the end result falls short. The same applies to the finale with Meg being stuck on a reef. Even with a slim runtime of 80 minutes, Something In The Water struggles to finish or end the movie on a high note. The biggest applause has to go to Meg however for suffering not one but two traumas in a span of a year. Her bravery should be commended though not this weak, shark-centric thriller.

Movie Rating:

(Yet again a poorly conceived shark thriller that boasts no tension and bite)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: Pat Boonnitipat
Cast: Putthipong Assaratanakul, Usha Seamkhum, Sanya Kunakorn, Sarinrat Thomas, Pongsatorn Jongwilas, Tontawan Tantivejakul
Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 30 May 2024

Synopsis: After investing a significant portion of one’s life and fortune in education spanning over two decades, the natural expectation would be to enjoy financial prosperity for the remaining years, wouldn't it? ‘M’, driven by the desire for a multimillion-dollar inheritance, puts aside his dreams as a hopeful game caster to care for his terminally ill grandmother. However, winning Grandma's favor is no easy feat. She proves to be a tough nut to crack - demanding, exacting, and exceedingly difficult to please. To add to the drama, he's not the only one gunning for the inheritance. M finds himself embroiled in a gripping competition, where he must go to great lengths to become the apple of Grandma's eye before time runs out, all in pursuit of a life-changing, multimillion-dollar inheritance.

Movie Review:

The title refers to teenage university dropout M’s (Putthipong ‘Billkin’ Assaratanakul) motives moving into his maternal grandmother’s tenement home in Bangkok’s Chinatown one day, after learning that she has Stage 4 intestinal cancer. While he starts off being Amah’s (Usha Seamkhum) caregiver, M gradually becomes her companion, and over mornings selling congee at the market, visits to the doctor for her chemotherapy sessions and Sundays with the rest of the extended family, the two develop a bond that M hopes will make her decide to will her inheritance to him (over her two sons and daughter).

As predictable as it may be, there is absolutely good reason why television director Pat Boonnitipat’s feature film debut is Thailand’s biggest film of the year to date. Without ever needing to tip into melodrama or histrionics, ‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ holds a mirror to the disintegration of Asian family values in today’s modern society, where the older generation are left with an empty nest after their children move out, leaving them to cope with the ensuing isolation, futility and even despair within their four walls that used to be filled with company and laughter.

Like how M’s cousin Mui (Tontawan Tantivejakul) shrewdly points out, what they yearn is for their children to spend time with them, and it is after M observes how Mui inherits her paternal grandfather’s house that M decides to do likewise with his Amah in the hopes of being first in line to inherit her shophouse. Unfortunately for him, M finds himself competing with his uncles – Kiang (Sanya Kunakorn), an upstart stock broker who is married with a young daughter Rainbow (Himawari Tajiri); and Soei (Pongsatorn Jongwilas), a ne’er-do-well who only returns to see his mother when he needs her money to pay off his debts.

Each of them is fully aware of what the other is after, even for that matter Amah, who tells M matter-of-factly that he is sowing seeds in the hope of reaping them. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that the hand that Amah will deal each of her sons and her grandson is absolutely fair and objective, notwithstanding the emotions involved. The same however cannot be said of M’s mother (Sarinat Thomas), or Amah’s daughter, who like Amah becomes a victim of that generation’s favouritism towards the male gender.

This is as much Amah’s story as it is M’s, as well as Kiang’s and Soei’s, and each of these males will be compelled over the course of M’s last days to think hard about how they want to make good with Amah. Is how they treat Amah dependent on how much inheritance she wills to them, or is it borne out of true filial piety? Their respective reconciliations are deeply poignant, and we dare say, will leave you with hardly a dry eye. It helps that Boonnitipat, who penned the script with Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn, handles the character transformations with nuance and care, so they come off genuine and moving.

That also speaks to the character-driven approach which Boonnitipat employs, allowing each of the character’s motivations to show itself over the course of the two-hour movie, as well as the relationship between M and his Amah to grow artlessly. In turn, both his lead stars reward the material with deeply affecting performances; special mention goes to Usha, who is like Boonnitipat, making her feature acting debut here after a lifetime of commercials. Both Usha and Billkin share a delightful, easy-going chemistry with each other, and it is heartwarming just watching them go over the minutiae of their daily lives together.

Amidst the bombast of a Hollywood summer slate, ‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ is a refreshingly down-to-earth drama that will resonate with you long after the lights come on. Like we said, it holds a mirror to the intergenerational dynamics in Asian families today, and will certainly make you wonder how we ought to better treasure the time we have with our parents and grandparents, and examine any artifice we may bring to the relationship we want to build with them. It is one of the most sincerely touching films we’ve seen in a while, and for that reason, a surefire contender for one of our favourite movies of the year.

Movie Rating:

(A deeply affecting portrait of inter-generational family dynamics, this unassuming slice-of-life drama is one of the most poignant movies we've seen in a while)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: CG Animation
Director: Mark Dindal
Cast: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Snoop Dogg
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: https://www.TheGarfield-Movie.com

Opening Day: 22 May 2024

Synopsis: Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist. 

Movie Review:

As if the two live-action/CGI Garfield movies weren’t awful enough, the lasagna loving orange kitty is back in a totally new animated full-length feature voiced by Chris Pratt.

Not to be confused with another comic strip orange cat, Heathcliff, The Garfield Movie gives you a brief history on how Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult) chanced upon the once cute kitten outside an Italian restaurant and went on to adopt him as his pet. Of course to no one surprise, the obese sarcastic Garfield insists it’s the other way round.

Knowing that it’s near impossible to adapt the daily comic strips by Jim Davis to the big screen, The Garfield Movie admittedly has to ripoff other better Pixar and DreamWorks Animation storylines to turn it into a perfunctory full-length animation. Thus, Garfield and his canine friend, Odie are dragged shortly into a high-stakes heist involving the former long-lost father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) and a bunch of villains headed by Jinx (Hannah Waddingham), a Persian cat, Roland (Brett Goldstein), a Shar Pei and Nolan (Bowen Yang), a small whippet.

To be brutally honest, The Garfield Movie has nothing much to do with the original Davis’ comic strip except the prologue where we see a very cute young Garfield. Arbuckle is mostly forgotten throughout. We don’t really see Dr Liz (except a brief cameo) or Garfield’s antagonist, Nermal. The screenplay focused heavily on Vic and the rest of the motley crew of misfits. So it comes as a blessing of sorts if you are not a vivid reader of the original comics.

In order to take revenge against Vic for abandoning her during a milk heist, Jinx resorts to kidnapping Garfield and forcing the estranged pair of father and son to penetrate into Lactose Farm to steal gallons of milk for her. Enlisting the help of the farm’s ex-mascot, Otto (Ving Rhames), Garfield, Vic and Odie must go through a series of Mission Impossible style obstacles making the third act a prolonged, frenetic chase. Indeed, The Garfield Movie takes a leaf out of Tom Cruise action movies that he is even given a shoutout in the process.

Director Mark Dindal’s last directorial movie was Disney’s Chicken Little and it seems he is still a master in terms of visual gimmicks with all the constant manic energy and sight gags to disguise the perpetually weak narrative. While the movie exudes some some old-fashioned fatherly love between Garfield and Vic, there isn’t much creativeness in the rest of the storytelling. The obvious nods to the comic strips are serviceable at best and frankly doesn’t do much to the younger audiences who probably has no idea Garfield actually exists originally on the newspaper rather than on a water bottle for example.

Adding to his ongoing voice acting resume as Mario and Emmet, Chris Pratt does resembles or at least sound like the orange obese cat if you are a sceptic. It’s true that the visual of The Garfield Movie lacks the vibrancy and details of Illumination, Pixar and Disney but it does contain enough crowd-pleasing action and jokes to qualify as a family movie. For better or worse, it’s much better and mildly enjoyable than the live-action ones.

Movie Rating:

(Though Garfield hates Mondays, it’s probably the best day to catch it where admissions are less pricey)

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: In a new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic thriller from the producers of The Invisible Man, a girl with extraordinary pyrokinetic powers fights to protect her family and herself from sinister forces that seek to capture and control her. For more than a decade, parents Andy (Zac Efron; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile; The Greatest Showman) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon; Fear the Walking Dead, Succession) have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong; American Horror Story: Double Feature, The Tomorrow War) from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction. Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family’s location, a mysterious operative (Michael Greyeyes; Wild Indian, Rutherford Falls) is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

If you have no idea Firestarter 2022 is based on a Stephen King novel of the same name or it’s a remake of the 1984 version starring a very young Drew Barrymore then you might enjoy this one a lot because it’s sort of a more “grounded” version of X-Men if that is a consolation.

Due to some trial experimental drugs administered to them when they were in college, Andy (Zac Efron) and his wife, Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) developed telepathic and telekinetic powers respectively. As a result, their young daughter, Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) developed supernatural power as well, pyrokinesis to be exact. As the story goes, she is turning 11 and she is finding it hard to control her powers.

Captain Jane Hollister (Gloria Reuben), leader of the Department of Scientific Intelligence (DSI) decides to rein in Charlie and enlisted another superhuman being, Rainbird (Michael Greyeyes) to hunt the pair of father and daughter down.

Despite having Oscar winning writer and producer Akiva Goldsman onboard, there’s hardly any due care being put on the script. Stripped away from all the complexities and nuances of the source material, this updated version is not much different from all the Marvel movies we have seen from the last decade. The main characters are modelled after Charles Xavier, Jean Grey and Pyro and they are on the run from the law.

The plot line is so simplistic, inconsequential that you probably won’t bother about the fate of Andy and Charlie or why there’s this weird experiment in the first place. There’s nothing to shout about, acting wise. This being a recent Blumhouse production, the visual and special effects are bizarrely unconvincing and cheap. The production values are seriously worse than a TV pilot. Pretty surprised this actually makes to the big screen in the States.

As to why you might actually like it or appeal to the general audiences, Firestarter is so darn silly, absurd and visually shocking if you are the sort who love watching every of Charlie’s victims turns into a fireball in an instant and that includes a poor kitty cat. Ultimately, it’s a forgettable title that probably even Zac Efron himself wants to burn all the copies.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action
Director: Lee Tat Chiu
Cast: Huang Jingyu, Wang Yibo, Zhong Chuxi, Ou Hao, Jason Gu, Zhu Yawen, Zhao Huawei, Alazi Soumaila Rawdoth, Bai Na Ri Su, Yu Peishan, Liu Xue, Nan Fulong, Wei Chong
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence & Some Drug Use)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 6 June 2024

Synopsis: Formed Police Unit focuses on the story of the Chinese peacekeeping police who are committed to safeguarding the international peace and security. This time, unexpected severe challenges and threats are awaiting them in their new overseas mission…

Movie Review:

To outsiders, Chinese action movies are often classified as propagandistic and unabashedly patriotic. Since Hollywood and Michael Bay has been touting and portraying the US military in the positive light for decades, why not give the Chinese a chance? Come on it’s an issue of fair trade, fair play.

Formed Police Unit tells the story of a Chinese UN peacekeeping police unit which are deployed to a fictional state in Africa to help in peacekeeping efforts and mainly to transport a family of three to court to testify against a certain General Amir who carried out acts of genocide. In short, the peacekeeping team led by leader, You (Johnny Huang) must unite together and bravely fight against a mercenary army engaged by Amir while the rest of the non-Chinese UN officials for unexplained reason prefer to stay behind enemies line.

As expected, the movie mainly focused its attention on the characters of Johnny Huang Jingyu and Wang Yibo. Huang as the tough as nails, no-nonsense team leader while Wang’s Yang Zhen is an impulsive rookie who much prefer to disobey orders and take things in his own hands. And there’s a pretty translator, Ding Hui (Zhong Chuxi), the only rose among the thorns. With only 15 minutes of introduction before the first major action set piece, it’s pretty hard for audiences to root for the police unit since there isn’t much screen time allocated to the various characters.

However to all action fans out there, Formed Police Unit went all-out with lots of fighting, shootouts and explosions. The first action sequence established Yang and one of his buddies as some sort of parkour experts as they cat leap and parkour roll their way in pursuit of an enemy sniper. Thanks to action choreographer turned director Lee Tat Chiu, a solid mid-sequence involving armoured vehicle chases and explosions through the African slums and shantytown are well-choreographed and likely employed plenty of practical effects instead of CGI in the process. The finale battle which has a typhoon thrown in for probably aesthetic reason impresses with more fire power and explosions.

Perhaps as a filler, there’s a brief backstory detailing the relationship between You and Yang’s dad and the reason behind Yang’s dislike for his team leader. It adds nothing crucial or relevant to the entire narrative and this also leads us to an undercover scene where everyone has to put on dreadlocks and black face which for obvious reason seems insensitive and embarrassing given today’s context. Aside from these mishaps, there’s also an ultra-melodramatic death and generous doses of heroism on display that even John Woo will be blushed.

Still, Formed Police Unit works the same way as Wolf Warrior 2 and Red Operation Sea despite the occasional in-your-face political messages. In the end, the impressive production values and series of action scenes provides solid entertainment even though you might not care too much about the characters.

Movie Rating:

(Essentially a 90 minutes session of gunplay and explosions on the pretext of an UN peacekeeping mission)

Review by Linus Tee