Genre: Action/Fantasy
Director: Stanley Tong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Lay Zhang, Gulnazar, Aarif Rahman Lee, Li Chen, Peng Xiaoran, Shawn Dou, Zheng Yecheng
Runtime: 2 hr 9 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 1 August 2024
Synopsis: Professor Fang (Jackie Chan), an archaeology expert, notices that the texture of the artifacts discovered by his students during a glacier expedition is strikingly similar to a jade pendant he had seen in his dreams. It seems as if the pendant is connecting dreams to reality. Filled with curiosity, Professor Fang leads the research team on a journey deep into the Glacier Temple, searching for the truth behind his dreams, and embarking on a fantastical adventure together.
Movie Review:
Hong Kong director Stanley Tong’s The Myth was released almost 20 years ago in 2005. Our review of the movie praised the majestic battle sequences involving hundreds of extras and horses, as well as the breathtaking shots showcasing some of China’s most exotic locations. But we weren’t too impressed with the movie’s attempt to tackle romance while having leading man Jackie Chan execute some action sequences, and it didn’t help that there weren’t enough to please fans of the genre.
Tong and Chan are back in this supposed sequel, and the movie isn’t going to be just any fantasy romance action flick. Thanks to the use of AI, the movie made 70 year old Chan appear like a 27 year old version of himself. While the concept sounds perturbing, this is something Harrison Ford said yes to in Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023), and also what Robert De Niro and Al Pacino went through in The Irishman (2019).
Truth be told, this writer didn’t realise he was looking at a de-aged Chan when the younger character first appeared on screen. In fact, he was wondering whether it was Taiwanese star Nicky Wu making a cameo appearance.
We won’t discuss how filmmakers are turning to AI, because it will be a never ending argument. But seeing how Tong has leveraged the technology for the story, you’d think it is a legitimate reason. Chan takes on the role of an archaeology professor who finds the artefacts discovered by his students (played Lay Zhang from No More Bets and Peng Xiaoran) mysteriously similar to what he sees in recurring dreams.
In these dream sequences, we see a de-aged Chan (look ma, no wrinkles!) and Zhang as generals crossing paths with a beautiful female lead (expect nothing less from a Jackie Chan movie) played by Gulnazar (Dynasty Warriors). Hot on their heels is a baddie played by Aarif Lee (Kung Fu Yoga). These moments provide the perfect opportunity for the cast members to don bulky outfits to engage in exhilarating horseback battles against scenic backdrops. These scenes are the best parts of the 129 minute movie, and you watch in awe as the animals gallop across the vast lands. It must have been quite a logistical challenge to film the parts involving hundreds of extras and horses.
A Jackie Chan movie is only complete when you have action sequences that see the Hong Kong star fumbling in a comic routine, but ultimately managing to defeat the bad guy. We get this in the finale of the movie that takes place in a glacier palace. We know that this location is probably a combination of a movie set and CGI magic, and while nothing beats the thrill of seeing Chan jump from high buildings, we need to be understanding and realistic here.
This won’t be the best action flick you’ll see, but if you enjoyed The Myth co starring Chan and Korean star Kim Hee Seon (we smiled when the tune of the beloved theme song was played), this lavish production with a reported budget of US50 million will remind you of a simpler time when you stepped into the cinema to enjoy the sheer spectacle of a Jackie Chan movie.
Movie Rating:
(Don't get distracted by a de-aged Jackie Chan and enjoy the sheer spectacle of horseback battles set against breathtaking backdrops)
Review by John Li
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Kelsey Mann
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke , Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Paul Walter Hauser, Yvette Nicole Brown
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/Pixar
Opening Day: 13 June 2024
Synopsis: Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as Headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment show up.
Movie Review:
We knew it. Life isn’t as straightforward as having five basic emotions, but you have to admit that Pete Doctor’s Inside Out (2015) is one of the greatest animated film ever made, and a brilliant way of explaining how and why we feel, behave and react – especially to the younger crowd.
Nine years after the 88th Academy Awards’ Best Animated Feature winner introduced us to Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust, we are treated to a sequel which acknowledges the other emotions in our heads. A quick recap: the original five emotions are the inner workings of the mind of the human protagonist, a young girl named Riley. In this movie, they are joined by Envy, Ennui (that’s boredom in French!), Embarrassment, and their leader, Anxiety. And how timely it is, because Riley is experiencing puberty.
Riley has turned 13 and is looking forward to spending time with her two best friends at hockey camp. On the way to the campsite, Riley learns that her friends are going to a different high school, and that throws her balance for a bit. At the camp, she meets a group of cool and popular senior hockey players, and she tries blend in, with some disastrous results.
This is where the fun begins, because we see what’s happening in Riley’s head with the original and new emotions going through a ton of things. Joy and her team become literally suppressed (kudos to the filmmakers for coming up with the idea of flinging the five characters into a glass jar, and then into a vault), while Anxiety takes over the control panel with her mates. Without revealing too much, every minute of what goes on in Riley’s mind is superbly executed. With the eye catching visuals and the voice cast’s committed performance, kids will enjoy the zaniness while adults will appreciate the clever approach of presenting adolescence.
We are also impressed with how the 96 minute movie directed by Kelsey Mann (in his feature directorial debut) introduces new concepts. There is the “Sense of Self”, which is a section in the mind that holds memories and feelings that make up a person’s core personality. There is also a tube that conveniently launches bad memories to the back of the mind – imagine all the negativities that are piled up there, which is essentially a catastrophe waiting to explode. It is really refreshing to watch a show under two hours that is intelligent and entertaining.
Speaking of humour, one of the greatest moments is when the original emotions meet Bloofy, a 2D character from a preschool show (from Riley’s toddler days), and Lance Slashblade an overly dramatic and supposedly dashing Playstation style character from a video game (which Riley used to play). These scenes are easily the most hilarious bits in the movie. Amidst the many Easter eggs scattered through the film, it’s cool to know that Lance Slashblade is voiced by Yong Yea, a professional video game voice actor who has contributed his voice in the popular Final Fantasy video game series.
While this sequel may not make you cry buckets like the first movie (we miss you, Bing Bong), it is a worthy follow up with beautiful animation that packs an emotional punch.
Movie Rating:
(A worthy sequel to one of the greatest animated films of all time, this trip to Riley's mind tells an intelligent and entertaining story of the many emotions we have)
Review by John Li
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MORGAN SPURLOCK (1970 - 2024)Posted on 25 May 2024 |
SYNOPSIS: The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Zac Efron has come a long way since his teeny idol days in the hugely popular High School Musical series. In recent years, he has been trying to transit to more dramatic roles such as the little seen Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Indeed, it takes time and some luck for an acclaimed script, just ask Leonardo DiCaprio.
Then comes The Iron Claw, a biographical sports drama film written and directed by Sean Durkin about the professional wrestling America family, the Von Erichs.
Efron plays Kevin, the second oldest of the Von Erich brothers. Together with David (Harris Dickinson), Kevin wrestles for the World Class Championship Wrestling company (WCCW) owned by their domineering father, Fritz (Holt McCallany), a retired professional wrestler. The other two brothers, Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) is a discus thrower and Mike (Stanley Simons), a talented musician.
The Von Erichs especially Kevin believes their family is “cursed”. But the family’s patriarch toxic masculinity believes otherwise. As the movie slowly progresses, we get to learn about the siblings premature deaths- tragic, severely dark and emotional. Strong traits The Iron Claw surprisingly show.
Despite that, Durkin did made some changes to the details on the deaths of the Von Erich siblings, still it doesn’t take away the fact that suicide is not something even a close family member can comprehend or forget. The character of Kevin faces the impossible reality that all his siblings have suffered the same fate of dying young. Tragedy or misfortune? It’s a tough pill to swallow for Kevin and the audiences.
Though set in the world of wrestling, the irony of The Iron Claw is that it’s more of a human drama than a sports movie. It really doesn’t matter if the movie portrays wrestling as a sports or a calculated affair between the wrestlers. Deep down it’s a heartbreaking movie about the Von Erichs and also an authentic display of in-ring fight choreography.
Efron is clearly the star here, putting in a solid, believable performance as the tortured Von Erich brother. Kevin Von Erich is the role Efron is born to play and not just merely a showing of his well-toned biceps. The rest of the supporting cast liked Jeremy Allen White, Lily James playing Mrs Kevin Von Erich and Holt McCallany delivered dramatic gravitas as well.
For fans and non-fans of wrestling alike, The Iron Claw is a mesmerising tale from start to finish. It’s not perfect but definitely contains more heart than muscles.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: In postwar Japan, a new terror rises; Godzilla. Will the devastated people be able to survive... let alone fight back?
MOVIE REVIEW:
Godzilla Minus One finally comes to the small screen though it’s a huge pity consider it won the best visual effects awards at the 96th Academy Awards. And to start it off, the effects certainly matches or surpassed their Hollywood counterparts. Ironically, the effects were done by a small group of 35 artists given the epic scale, effects heavy of it.
To top it off, it’s one hell of a movie whereby the human characters finally deserve to be in the same league as Godzilla as compare to Godzilla Vs King Kong or even Transformers whereby the humans are almost negligible. Simply put for the first time, we care as much for Godzilla and the humans.
The story begins with a kamikaze pilot, Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who first encountered the monster on Odo Island. After the end of World War II, Shikishima returns to the mainland and lives with a woman, Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and a child she adopted. Times were tough and everything seems normal on the surface for Shikishima but in fact he still suffered from PTSD presuming from survivor’s guilt.
Naturally, Godzilla appears again and this time it’s headed to the mainland for more destruction duties. Shikishima then teams up with a technical officer/scientist, Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki), a Captain and a young crewman, Mizushima (Yuki Yamada) to take on Godzilla through science, wits and bravery.
Credit must go to director and writer Takashi Yamazaki for breathing (pardon the pun) new life to a flagging property. Honestly, who cares about Shin Godzilla and the talky bureaucrats? Godzilla Minus One is by far a worthy tale on post-war Japan, the atrocities of it and many other subtle chastise of the then government. By doing so, Yamazaki injects flesh and blood into the main characters making them believable and emotionally rich for audiences to relate to especially Shikishima and other colourful characters liked Noda and a talented air force mechanic, Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki).
Despite the character building, Yamazaki never forgets about the stomping giant lizard which is always lurking somewhere in the ocean waiting to leave cities in ruin and thousands dead. The scale of it is massive and even if you know the destructions, thrilling set pieces are mostly CG rendered, for some strange reason, it’s genuinely meaner and exhilarating in an era in which visual effects are almost taken for granted.
There is a reason why Godzilla Minus One is so popular and sought after. Now we know. Believe us, the hype is real. If there is only one Godzilla movie to watch, this is the one. So much heart, so much kaiju action.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Sorawit Muangkaew, Aussada Likitboonma, Nontawat Numbenchapol, Aroonakorn Pick
Cast: Chatchai Chinsri, Isaya Horsuwan, Awat Ratanapintha, Pisitphol Ekapongpisit, Jutawut ‘March’ Pattarakampol, Nichapat ‘Pearwah’ Chatchaipholrat, Siwat ‘Mark’ Jamlongkul
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Horror)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 20 June 2024
Synopsis: Dive into the chilling depths of fear with ‘Haunted Universities 3’, a spine-tingling cinematic experience that draws inspiration from the untold secrets of the top three urban legends - The Procession, The Caretaker and The Invisible Shrine. Unveiling a haunting omnibus of tales, this film is meticulously crafted to send shivers down your spine, evoke tears and ignite a symphony of screams blending both terror and excitement.
Movie Review:
It’s a known fact that Thailand serves up really good horror movies. And when we say good, it does not mean that these flicks are so scary that keep you awake for countless nights. Besides the horror elements, the movies often explore emotional themes, such as loss, guilt, and revenge. Some are surprisingly funny (like Banjong Pisanthanakun’s Pee Mak), while others are extremely sweet (like “Est” Komgrit Triwimol’s My Boo). The success and positive reviews of notable titles like Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom’s Shutter and Sophon Sakdaphisit’s Laddaland have built a reputation for Thai horror cinema over the years.
The concept of the Haunted Universities franchise is simple yet spot on – the last two movies, including the one released in 2022, are horror anthology films featuring stories of students dealing with paranormal entities. In this third instalment, we get three stories of varying scare levels. The three segments also offer different viewing experiences, depending of what kind of horror movies you ‘enjoy’ most.
“The Procession” gets things going and it wastes no time by telling you a folklore where a princess who was wrongly killed. She does not rest in peace and as a result, people who are up to no good may be brutally beheaded by her (or her servants). Enter two good friends played by Chatchai Chinsri and Isaya Horsuwan, who are preparing for a religious procession as part of their school activity. There is also a scholarship that only one of them can get.
It's not hard to imagine what happens along the way as the duo incurs the wrath of the undead princess, and the tragic consequences that follow. This is a straightforward story that reminds you not to make deals with the supernatural elements, because you may not be prepared for the price you have to pay.
“The Caretaker” is the second segment and it is a memorably atmospheric piece. Awat Ratanapintha plays an art student who is starting the new school year by participating in a series of freshman orientation activities, where each new student has a dedicated ‘caregiver’. Things become unpleasant when his ‘caregiver’ (played by Pisitphol Ekapongpisit) becomes difficult because he is thinks that the activities are silly and refuses to take part. Things become creepy when mysterious art history books tied with red strings start showing up.
This is an interesting story which looks at the dynamics between a senior and junior in school, where the more experienced one is supposed to provide guidance and make the new kid on the block feel at home. It’s made even more interesting considering both the characters are guys. The scene where the ‘caregivers’ are revealed at a ceremony is particularly striking, with an almost cult like feel and a pulsating soundtrack.
The 119 minute movie saved the best for last. “The Invisible Shrine” takes place during a school’s Halloween party, and students take part in a singing contest (while dressed in their best costume) where popularity votes are cast in the form of garlands. When Nichapat ‘Pearwah’ Chatchaipholrat’s character realises she isn’t going to get any garlands, she asks her friend (Jutawut ‘March’ Pattarakampol) to go get one outside campus. Driven by circumstances, he takes one from a shrine spirits start showing up in the school compound.
There are many laugh out loud moments in this segment, as we find out that the duo will forever be haunted unless the curse is broken by someone who hasn’t heard of the shrine’s backstory. This is almost impossible because a public announcement about the shrine was made at the party. Along comes a loner student (Siwat ‘Mark’ Jamlongkul) who may be the key to saving the day. Credit goes to the writers of this segment, as it is a truly fun ride (with the occasional jump scares) through the dark corridors and dilapidated toilets while the trio try to get rid of the spirits. This is also where we are reminded why Thai horror movies are so good.
Movie Rating:
(Amidst the bittersweet, forboding and funny moments, we're oreminded why we love Thai horror movies)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Behind the spectacle and danger of 1950’s Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Apparently Ferrari is filmmaker Michael Mann’s passion project but it took him more than two decades to bring it to the big screen. While it’s touted as a biography of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the one of the most recognisable super car brands in the world, it’s not exactly the typical biography you expect if that makes any sort of sense.
The drama is stripped down heavily although we can’t be sure if it’s the case with the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates in which the movie is based on.
So instead of giving audiences a straightforward biography of Enzo Ferrari, Mann opted to do it in the style of Ali, focusing only on a specific time frame of his life which in this case 1957 where Enzo is busy battling both his domestic and business crisis. His relationship with wife and also business associate Laura Domenica Garello (Penelope Cruz) is at best rocky after the death of their beloved son, Dino. However, he has found solace in his mistress Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley) and their illegitimate son Piero.
The financial side of his business is troubling consider he spent more money on racing than selling his cars. He is more concerned about his car mechanisms, his selection of racers and the upcoming cross-country Mille Miglia race than anything. Enzo Ferrari is portrayed as a super busy man, the screenplay is busy and every scene besides the ones in the bedroom with Laura or Lina’s kitchen is hectic and overall, an automobile circus.
Yet the biography fails to portray the “real” Enzo Ferrari and his business acumen. A lot of screen time is spent on Enzo circling around the grieving Laura who controlled a majority of the business shares and his torment of not giving proper acknowledgement of Piero. In short, it’s more of a domestic family melodrama than opening a door to the complexities and drive of the famous car mogul.
For auto racing enthusiasts, there are a handful of them although besides the horrifying crash in the end, Mann struggles to pull off a stunning race sequence. The performances on the other hand are outstanding especially Cruz who shines as the long-suffering wife. Adam Driver is back portraying another famous Italian man after The House of Gucci. Driver is serviceable but not particularly impressive.
Mann’s latest big screen effort after a hiatus of eight years sadly sputters like a worn-out Ford consider the potential of the material. The narrative is too old-school, the production values fared even worse. Consider it’s from a prestige name liked Michael Mann, Ferrari is just another forgettable entry in his filmography.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Sophia, a brilliant scientist comes to know that a large shark is swimming deep in the river.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Another month, another shark-related thriller and this time it comes from French filmmaker Xavier Gens who helmed the horrible 2007 Hitman. Just to be clear, Under Paris is not a bad shark movie consider the bar is pretty low at this point since the B-movie enterprise is filled to the brim with lousy inconsequential shark thrillers.
So here’s the story, a shark scientist or perhaps oceanographer, Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) is still trying to get over the death of her husband and her team members who lost their lives to a deadly shark attack three years ago in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a real place where marine debris ends up. Got to admit it’s the best trivia you learnt in this entire movie.
In the meantime, the shark dubbed Lilith which presumably killed Sophia’s loved ones is back on the radar and she is busy swimming up and down the famous Seine river looking for her next target. With the Olympics triathlon coming, the smug Mayor of Paris, Angèle (Aurélia Petit) refuses to cancel the event thus Sophia has to team up with Adil (Nassim Lyes), a river policeman to hunt down the creature.
With the Eiffel Tower and other prominent tourist spots often in the background, Under Paris truly wants to remind audiences that all these shark mayhem are indeed taking place here and not behind some green screen or the volume. There are a couple of well-staged, gruesome attacks from Lilith with Gens making good use of the location settings. Worth to mention is the exhilarating climatic attack scene happening in the Catacombs might well be the bloodiest in shark movies history.
On top of the more than decent CGI and practical effects, Gens and his writers threw in a couple of environmental, ecological messages in a frail attempt to acknowledge our dying planet and ocean. He also introduces a naive S.O.S. Sharks activist Mika (Léa Léviant) that complicates matters more than achieving her goal of luring Lilith back into the open sea. The humans with the exception of Sophia and Adil are mainly baits for that matter.
Even if Gens dials back on the ridiculous bombastic ending which hints of a sequel we still wouldn’t say Under Paris is a solid aquatic shark thriller in the league of Jaws. Nevertheless it’s entertaining enough for a single watch, not as campy as Sharknado but not on the escapism level of The Meg and Deep Blue Sea.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Crime
Director: Herman Yau
Cast: Sean Lau, Francis Ng, Michael Miu, Philip Keung, Michael Chow, Cherry Ngan, Yeung Wai Lun, Kent Cheng, Timmy Hung, Kenny Wong, Kenneth Low, Kearen Pang, Andy Lau
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 27 June 2024
Synopsis: Negotiator expert Zhuo Wenwei (played by Sean Lau) unexpectedly becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. Forced into a corner, he occupies the police station, taking officers hostage, and demands negotiations with the former negotiator Xie Jiajun (played by Francis NG). With Xie's expertise in psychological manipulation and Zhuo's exceptional skills, they engage in a battle of wits. As the verbal sparring deepens, their positions and mindsets gradually change... This film is adapted from the American movie "The Negotiator".
Movie Review:
While Hollywood has the habit of copying other superior foreign movies and make them their own, the HK movie industry prefers not to. Which of course explains why you don’t see dinosaurs chasing after Andy Lau in busy Mongkok for example. Yet, Crisis Negotiators has joined the exclusive club of Connected (2008), in remaking a Hollywood title for the Chinese audiences.
Although we must admit prolific writer and director Herman Yau did retained the gist of the original crime thriller, it’s not a must to catch the F. Gary Gray version (The Negotiator) starring Samuel L. Jackson and the once lauded Kevin Spacey.
The biggest difference is the addition of a prologue which introduces fellow hostage negotiators, Cheuk (Sean Lau) and Tse (Francis Ng) in a tricky situation where a mental patient and his wife decides to hold several hostages using a LPG tank. The entire scene is moving and intense because the mental patient is played engagingly by producer and megastar Andy Lau and both he and Yau is making sure that the appetiser is up to your taste.
Three years after the opening act, Tse has left the force to become a social worker while Cheuk is being framed for killing his colleague (Kenny Wong) and also being involved in a major embezzlement which concerned the police force welfare fund. Of course, we knew Cheuk is innocent as Yau threw in a scene where we can clearly see the culprit planting evidence in his house. Being the prime suspect, Cheuk has no choice but to hold several people hostage at a police station including his boss (Michael Miu) and the head of internal affairs (Michael Chow).
Everyone from the head of police (Kent Cheng), SDU and Cheuk’s colleagues (Ken Low and Timmy Hung) are activated to the crime scene. In order to clear his name, Cheuk demands that Tse be the hostage negotiator as the former believes Tse is a righteous fellow and a neutral party in the whole saga thus it's time to cue in the obligatory screaming, shouting and gun firing.
Despite the so-called adaptation, Crisis Negotiators works like a standard, old-school HK cops and robber thriller. Whatever criticisms you have about Herman Yau as a director, the guy simply works far harder than the average filmmaker. Likely Wong Jing is going to have a say about this but this review is not about him. Yau has been shunning away from his exploitation roots and shifting his gear into big budget, CGI-heavy actioners (The White Storm 3, Shockwave) in recent years and while his outputs can largely be rated from bad to mediocre, Crisis Negotiators is more into the latter.
That is to say, it’s not bad after all.
With the exception of some unbelievable foot chases and exhilarating car crashes in the busy streets of Hong Kong, the crime thriller stays relatively grounded. In short, there’s no distracting massive CGI scenes which Yau is fond of. Right here, Yau generally keeps the pacing hectic and all thanks to his two leading men, Sean and Francis who never fails to keep things afloat despite a relatively predictable script. Considering the promise of a larger conspiracy at work, the ending don’t really lead to anywhere except a few corrupted cops.
As for Sean and Francis, frankly Crisis Negotiators won’t even work in the first place without these two alluring veteran actors. They might looked as if they are simply here for the pay check but you can’t deny they never for one second overplayed their parts and easily exudes rousing screen presence throughout the two hours running time. If you can still recall, Sean also played a hostage negotiator opposite Andy Lau in Running Out of Time.
For fans of HK action movies, you are not likely going to miss Yau’s touches anytime soon as the prolific filmmaker has yet another title due to release the week after. For now, Crisis Negotiators works better than the usual Chinese actioners in terms of execution and acting.
Movie Rating:
(On the whole, not exactly noteworthy or memorable, Crisis Negotiators is entertaining enough for what it is)
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor (Glen Powell) uncovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man in undercover police stings. He meets his match in a client (Adria Arjona) who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Glen Powell is on the way to be the new go to leading man in Hollywood after his breakout charismatic performance as the cocky “Hangman” in Top Gun: Maverick. His latest romcom, Anyone But You is a huge success and his next big screen outing is the summer blockbuster, Twisters.
The Texan is just getting started it seems and he has now joined Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, Boyhood) in writing Hit Man and starring in the leading role. Powell plays Gary Johnson, a down-to-earth professor of psychology at the University of New Orleans who also works as a part-time tech for the police department. When a real police officer, Jasper (Justin Amelio) is suspended, Gary has to stand-in as a fake hitman to take down people who plans to pay for murder.
Things turned complicated or in this case romantic when Ron (Gary’s fake persona) falls in love with a woman, Madison (Adria Arjona) who initially wanted to engage Ron to kill her controlling, abusive husband. Gary or Ron, the unlikely couple quickly descends into lust and love while the shady Jasper is harbouring sinister intentions towards them.
It’s a surprise to learn that Hit Man is actually based on a real person who worked undercover and poses as a hitman for the police department. While the real “Gary” did helped a woman in leaving her toxic marriage, they never really fall in love unlike the movie.
Hit Man is very much a fun movie to watch. Richard Linklater knows his way of directing a crowd-pleaser filled with romance, wit and charm. Honestly, it’s not much of a crime movie. We can’t even tell if the material presented is supposedly to be tongue-in-cheek or a true reflection of how desperate a person can be when they are out of their means. We guessed people are just that vulnerable to believe it’s that easy to hire a hitman to take out their enemies or love ones.
And then there is Glen Powell’s character whom with genuine touches from the makeup department turned up from one scene to another with totally different looks and mannerisms. Playing opposite Powell is Puerto Rican actress Adria Arjona (Morbius), turning up the heat as the seemingly innocent Madison. Their chemistry is dazzlingly and perfect even though their characters are morally questionable.
Of course, Hit Man is not perfect especially the less than satisfying conclusion. But for nearly two hours, you will be swept away by Powell’s effortless charm and acting skills. Throw in their smartly written lines and some well supporting work from the cast, it’s a slick sexy romantic comedy not to be missed.
Like what Gary says, all pie is good pie.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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