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Movie that prob won't make it here - 72 MARTYRSPosted on 17 Jan 2012 |
Genre: Action/Martial-Arts
Director: Tsui Hark
Cast: Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Mavis Fan, Louis Fan Siu Wong, Kwai Lun Mei, Li Yu Chun, Gordon Liu
RunTime: 2 hrs
Released By: Golden Village
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 December 2011
Synopsis: "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate” picks up three years after the infamous Dragon Inn was burnt down in the desert when its innkeeper JADE vanished. A new gang of marauders had taken over: innkeepers by day, and treasure hunters by night. The inn is the rumored location of a lost city buried under the desert, and its hidden treasure would only be revealed by a gigantic storm every sixty years. The gang used the inn as a front to locate the lost treasure. The storm is arriving. But the situation becomes more complicated when a pregnant concubine who escaped from the palace came to the inn. The concubine was saved by a mysterious woman WEN, and the two fled to the Dragon Inn in hiding. Hot on their trail were the Imperial Assassins led by the powerful eunuch YU, followed by the righteous general ZHAO who was determined to take down Yu to restore order in the palace. As the gigantic storm loomed in the horizon, ready to wipe out everything in sight, the cat-and-mouse game inside Dragon Inn grew fiercer. Everyone was trapped, and there’s nowhere to go. Fortune, love and vengeance, could very well be gone with the wind…
Movie Review:
Who better to attempt the world’s first 3D ‘wuxia’ movie than Tsui Hark- after all, the man is behind some of the genre’s most iconic representations like ‘The Swordsman’, ‘Green Snake’ and ‘Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain’, and with the latter also a pioneer for introducing Hollywood-style special effects to Chinese cinema. It seems befitting therefore that almost thirty years later, Tsui Hark should be the one to import the latest Hollywood fad for the same genre- and true enough, the veteran director’s maiden effort at the third dimension is nothing less than impressive.
Like James Cameron, Tsui brings his considerable experience as a director to bear on the use of 3D to immerse his viewer into his cinematic vision. Gimmicks aside (yes, you’ll still find all kinds of flying objects- wooden beams, arrows, knives and swords- coming straight at you), Tsui crafts each shot meticulously to create depth in every one of them. Static shots make use of background props like slanting ladders, flapping banners and angled flagpoles, while action shots exploit all manner of moving objects like unfurling chains and spinning ropes to provide raison d’etre for the use of 3D. Tsui has of course had some generous help from Hollywood expert Chuck Comisky (who oversaw the visual effects for ‘Avatar’), and the result is a milestone for the ‘wuxia’ genre as well as for Chinese cinema.
Alas for all its technical achievements, this loose remake of his classic ‘New Dragon Gate Inn’ unfortunately is let down by more conventional elements like plot and character. As with his earlier movie, the setup here is also the gathering of three disparate groups of individuals at a trading post in the middle of the desert. On one hand, there is the vigilante Zhao Huai’an (Jet Li), Zhao’s female equivalent Ling Lanqiu (Zhou Xun), as well as a runaway palace maid Su (Mavis Fan) impregnated by the Emperor and therefore an assassination target by the Empress to preserve the lineage. On the other, there are the formidable Western Bureau troops, led by their fearsome commander Yu Huatian (Chen Kun), who have been sent by the Empress to kill Su and eliminate those opposed to the reigning monarchy.
The pursuit of the latter for the former leads their paths to cross with a ragtag group of bandits in search of ancient treasure buried under the sand near the inn. The advent of a once-in-60-years major sandstorm is supposed to unearth the treasure, and among those waiting to get a share of the riches are Gu Shaotang (Li Yuchun), Yu Huatian’s doppelganger White Blade (also Chen Kun) as well as an intimidating Tartar warrior princess Buludu (Gwai Lun Mei) and her band of loutish tribesmen. Setting up such a sheer number of characters takes time, and a good half-hour is spent on exposition detailing these individuals and their relationships with each other. The effect of this after an exciting first half-hour watching Zhao assassinate the leader of the Eastern Front (Gordon Liu) and then finding himself outmatched by Yu is like adding a lead weight to the proceedings, so much so that what momentum the film had going for it is almost completely lost.
Perhaps even more significant is that Jet Li is practically absent during this half-hour, and by the time he does reappear to join in the action-packed finale, it’s too late for any significant characterisation to allow his crusading warrior Zhao Huai’an to rise above the fray. There is a past romance hinted at with Zhou Xun’s Ling, but Tsui (who also wrote the screenplay) provides too little elaboration on it- and if Jet Li’s Zhao is thinly drawn, you can pretty much guess that the rest of the characters also suffer the same fate. The simplicity of course allows the viewer the convenience of casting characters as either good guys or bad guys, but one wishes that Tsui had invested in more depth for at least to some of the main ones to allow his audience to have an emotional connection with them.
Not only does this first reunion of Tsui Hark and Jet Li outside the ‘Once Upon A Time in China’ series fail to create a cinematic icon like Wong Fei-Hung, it also gives Jet Li surprisingly little to do in the action department. As if hemmed in by the movie’s title, Jet Li is almost always duelling only with his swords while performing some gravity-defying flight through the air, with ultimately too little of the lightning-quick hand-to-hand combat we’ve come to love about the action star. Not to say that Yuen Bun’s action choreography doesn’t thrill (it does, especially with Tsui’s ability to direct elaborate action sequences), but one hopes that Yuen (who was also behind Tsui’s ‘New Dragon Gate Inn’ back in 1992)- and his co-choreographers Lan Ha Han and Sun Jiankui- had exploited Jet Li’s martial arts prowess for more.
While it fails to capitalise on its key asset (i.e. Jet Li), the film does deliver some thrilling action sequences that blend old-school choreography with modern-day CG wizardry- the showdown between Zhao and Yu right in the middle of a raging sandstorm is an excellent example of this combination. Amid the wire-ful stunts, the excellently staged swordplay stands out- and it is Zhou Xun, rather than Jet Li, who impresses with her elegant moves. Kudos too to Yee Chung-man's rich production design, Choi Sung-fai’s fluid cinematography and Yau Chi-wan’s deft editing in all the elaborately staged action sequences- especially one which seamlessly intercuts between the action inside the inn and below the inn when the triumvirate first converge.
In terms of visual spectacle, Tsui Hark is definitely at the top of his game, both the action choreography and the initiation of 3D into the ‘wuxia’ genre easily establishing itself as one of the must-see classics. Nonetheless, for all its technical achievements, this latest reworking of the ‘Dragon Inn’ mythology is let down by its poorly drawn characters and at times its frenetic over-plotting of deceptions and double-crosses. And even as Tsui has more than proven his prowess with new-fangled Hollywood magic, one wishes that he had also not forgotten his faculty for old-school elements like plot and character- after all, it was these that made his 1992 ‘New Dragon Gate Inn’ such an enduring masterpiece.
Movie Rating:
(Thrilling action and the best use of 3D since ‘Avatar’- pity the frenetic overplotting, the underwritten characters and most of all, an underused Jet Li)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Ben Palmer
Cast: James Buckley, Blake Harrison , Joe Thomas, and Simon Bird
RunTime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language, Sexual References and Some Nudity)
Released By: MVP & Golden Village
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 January 2012
Synopsis: THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE is the fastest-grossing live action comedy in UK box office history, topping the UK and Ireland box office for 4 weeks!
Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas), Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison), have finished school forever, and are off on their first lads’ holiday. They’ve got two weeks in Malia with no parents, no teachers, no money, and little chance with the ladies.
From the creative minds that brought you the award winning TV show (creators & writers Damon Beesley and Iain Morris; producer Christopher Young and director Ben Palmer), the boys are joined on the big screen by Emily Head, Belinda Stewart-Wilson, and Greg Davies. The film introduces Lydia Rose Bewley, Laura Haddock, Jessica Knappett, and Tamla Kari.
Join them in cinemas everywhere as they continue their outrageous adventures on the big screen.
This December four boys become men.
Movie Review:
There are many great TV shows which never made it to our local screens. While we are familiar with sitcoms like Friends (for those who are, well, a little older) and Glee (we don’t know anyone who does not like this cultural phenomenon), there are sitcoms like The Inbetweeners which are just as good – if not better. And how do we know that?
It’s British.
The award winning production aired for three seasons from 2008 to 2010 in Britain, and has been nominated at BAFTA and won accolades at the British Academy Television Awards and the British Comedy Awards. The episodic adventures of a suburban teenager are chronicled in this series as he and his friends make life work at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. This movie version follows their misadventures as they go on a holiday in Crete after their final year at school together. It is supposed to serve as an ending to the TV series written by creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris.
The film directed by Ben Palmer is a hoot to watch, especially if you step into the theatre with no background knowledge of the series, or the personalities of the four protagonists Will, Simon Jay and Neil. The fun and joy is sitting through the 97 minute movie, slowly knowing these four characters played by Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison. With each of them displaying a unique personality, you are reminded of your own memories of hanging out with your friends on your first overseas trip. It helps, of course, if you are a guy.
We haven’t seen the original TV series to know what the humour is like, but judging from this movie, we can tell you that this is one teen comedy that will leave you in stitches. While it the shyer viewer (probably of the female species) may be slightly embarrassed by some of the scenes (warning: expect to see, err, genitalia), the movie never becomes distasteful and offensive. While some may consider it on the brinks of becoming obnoxious, the crude humour remains truly funny throughout. Maybe it’s the British accent, or maybe it’s the socially awkward boys who you cannot bear to hate – this is a comedy that you will enjoy.
Narrated by Bird’s character Will, the boys’ holiday is marked with drugs, booze and sex, or so they had hoped. Things go wrong in the most hilarious ways and each of them ends up in different unthinkable consequences. Watch out for a scene where the four boys attempt to steal the sun tan chairs at a hotel pool – you don’t know whether to sympathize or laugh at them when things go awry.
Amidst the laughs, there is heart in the movie. There are stories of love, tales of friendship and how people stand by each other at the end of the day. You’ll come to realise that while not every one of us has the fortune to live the perfect life, it is the people around us that matters the most.
Movie Rating:
(This teen comedy has got lots of heart – it may contain crude jokes, but it is everything The Hangover isn’t)
Review by John Li
Genre: Comedy/Action/Drama
Director: Sampson Yuen & James Lee
Cast: Mark Lee, Yeo Yann Yann, Chris Tong, Namewee, Alvin Wong, Ramasundran Rengan, Frederick Lee, Peter Ong, John Cheng, Brendan Yuen, Rayson Tan, Jack Neo, Henry Thia, Ho Yuhang
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References and Violence)
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 December 2011
Synopsis: Set against the background of Petaling Street in 1908, Petaling Street Warriors tells the story of a pair of married couple, Shi Duyao (Mark Lee) and Zhung Lichun (Yeo Yann Yann), who operate a Hokkien mee stall in Petaling Street, where they suffer from the inefficiency of the colonial government and suppression by the Chinese gangsters. While trying to impress his wife, Duyao encounters a mysterious yet strikingly beautiful kungfu expert, Xiaoju (Chris Tong), who claims that Duyao is a descendant of the missing Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty. To stop a group of Qing warriors and Japanese ninjas from robbing a treasure map that Duyao doesn't even know he has, Lichun and her cousin, Liukun (Namewee), finally reveal their kungfu, turning Petaling Street into the ultimate battleground. Facing enemies of unthinkable powers, could Duyao unravel the mystery of his real identity and come to his wife's rescue just in time?.
Movie Review:
The Petaling Street Warriors is a proud production from directors Sampson Yuen, James Lee and their team. This made-in-Malaysia film is pride as the first period gongfu comedy in the Singapore-Malaysia region. Lending experience and skills of Hong Kong action choreographer Ma Yuk-Sing, the film is not only limited to the Singapore and Malaysia audiences. The film is also due to release in Taiwan, and the team is still in negotiation with the Hong Kong distributors.
The movie is set in year 1908 at Petaling Street, telling the tale of the seemingly simple and common street hawker Shi Duyao (Mark Lee) and Zhung Lichun (Yeo Yann Yann). Shi is eventually enlightened about his true identity after a series of incidents, and turns out that his wife, Zhung, and two other acquaintances are his bodyguards. The story is loosely based on the legend of the missing emperor, Emperor Jianwen of Ming Dynasty, who is rumoured to have fled to South-East Asia after being dethroned. All these background research and the scripting started way before this film was filmed. Inclusive of the post-production and the filming, the team took 2 years to churn out this work. This meticulous effort includes refurbishing a street at Ipoh, Malaysia, to reproduce the look and the feel of the 1900s. The set though small, is still rather convincing and vivid.
As a gongfu comedy, obviously two elements are played up, mainly the humour and the action. Sad to say, although action choreographer Ma lends his help to this film, the fact that none of these actors or actresses are action stars is still fairly obvious in the film. No sophisticated action sequence to watch, just the simple and frills-free ones. Considering the massive efforts and coordination for the action sequences, this is probably acceptable for the first time. Humour wise, it really fail to satisfy. The bulk of the jokes made are either erotic or localized. By localized, it means that the jokes are based on only what the locals would understand. Take for instance the phrase ‘There is no piracy on Petaling Street!’ is repeated a few times. For those who frequent Kuala Lumpur, you’ll probably know that Petaling Street is in fact infamous for the pirated merchandises and DVDs/CDs. Yes, this is the kind of cheap humour that attempts to poke fun. This eventually flawed the film as it restricts its appeal. It is obviously on different level as fellow gongfu comedy film producers from Hong Kong.
Nonetheless, one can still anticipate some little surprises along the way as there is a great deal of familiar faces in the film. The entourage includes local comedians Henry Thia and Jack Neo. Also, look out for the cameo appearance of Liang Po Po; tried but still as iconic and nostalgic as it is. On this note, kudos to the Yuen and Lee for the tremendous efforts! Undeniably a sincere work, but please try again…
MOVIE RATING:
(Spending the New Year with the Petaling Street Warriors? Maybe not… too cheesy for comfort!)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
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TITANIC 3D returns next AprilPosted on 17 Nov 2011 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Dominic Cooper, Emma Watson, Julia Ormond, Dougray Scott, Zoe Wanamaker, Toby Jones, Philip Jackson, Geraldine Somerville, Derek Jacobi, Simon Russell Beale
RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village
Official Website: http://myweekwithmarilynmovie.com/
Opening Day: 5 January 2012
Synopsis: In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a lowly assistant on the set of "The Prince and the Showgirl". The film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later as My Week with Marilyn – this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work.
Movie Review:
I had to constantly and consciously pick my jaw from the ground and close my gaping mouth shut, as I could have sworn the real Marilyn Monroe was on screen in My Week With Marilyn, a biography film that doesn't attempt to tell the sultry actress' entire life from birth to untimely death, but gives one specific insights into the actress and well known sex symbol's demeanour from the revolving around the set and production of her 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl, directed and starring Sir Laurence Olivier. This biopic, directed by Simon Curtis is based upon the books and memoirs by Colin Clark, titled "The Prince, The Showgirl and Me" and "My Week with Marilyn", the latter of which speaks of the missing week in the former.
As the story goes, Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) tries so hard to enter the film industry in any way, that he ended up as a lowly production assistant given the fancy title of 3rd Assistant Director, but in effect is the errant boy equivalent. And what a moment for any fanboy when your job has you share the same breathable air as your idol, which in Colin's case is Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), newly married to Arthur Miller (an almost unrecognizable Dougray Scott) and is spending her honeymoon in London, in tandem to shooting her first film with Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). But the production is anything but smooth for Marilyn's shenanigans on set that drives Olivier insane, with her method acting techniques of unsuccessfully getting into character, her confidante and acting coach Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker) interfering much to Olivier's frustration, and her constantly being late on set, amongst others.
But before you jump the gun and exclaim "Prima-donna", it is here that Adrian Hodges' screenplay shines. It's easy to generalize through sweeping presumptions that here's probably the world's most recognized woman throwing her tantrum and weight around, given that she has the whole male population of the world eating out of her hands. My Week With Marilyn paints a more complete picture of a terribly complex woman, who on one hand has to deal with the insane popularity of her dumb blonde persona which she created and can carry with aplomb, while on the other having to handle insecurity issues, mistrust of people around her who are within reach of exploiting who she is and what she can bring to the table, and just about struggling to constantly seek reassurances from others, living to her own high expectations, while remaining contractually bound to the studio and star system. Episodes in Simon Curtis' film brings out this extremely layered picture
painting a never before seen portrayal not of Marilyn Monroe the icon, but Marilyn Monroe the tragedy.
And bringing her to life is Michelle Williams, who disappears totally into her role, thanks to the filmmakers pulling out all the stops to engage various coaches to ensure that her voice, and right down to her movement, paid off in terms of authenticity, making it vividly believable that it is Marilyn herself who's on screen. Never for once it copped out using flashbacks, stock film footage and the likes obtained from archives; everything up there on screen is pure Michelle Williams being immersed in the character, and she rightly deserves all accolades coming her way for mimicking to perfection a Hollywood icon, delicately balancing Monroe's predatory and vulnerable moments, sparkling to life when showered with attention, withdrawn and aloof when she feels vulnerable with her medicines as her crutch, and giggly like the attractive girl next door when able to be herself without the pressures of living up to the weight of expectations brought about by her
success.
It is the game Marilyn Monroe inevitably plays that makes this film such a compelling watch, where males will constantly question what would they do if the world's most recognizable woman was to want to spend quality, private time with you, which in some ways is what Colin Clark's kiss and tell account is all about. Those interested in film production will treasure the moments of what went on behind the scenes of The Prince and the Showgirl, with Kenneth Branagh in his element mimicking the ever so exasperated Sir Laurence Olivier in what would be a contrast of, in a keen observation by Colin himself, an actor wanting to become a star, with that of Monroe's aspirations of a star wanting to become an actress, making their pairing absolutely near impossible to work out, yet it's precisely because of their opposites that made it an irresistible attempt to do so.
Film buffs who enjoy the making of films, will enjoy all the little behind the scenes process moments in My Week with Marilyn, with key scenes reenacted complete with its fair share of bloopers, the reviewing of rushes and the likes all finding their place in the movie. And you can tell that the supporting ensemble cast members of Toby Jones, Dominic Cooper, Judi Dench and Julia Ormond all had a field day playing renowned personalities from yesteryears. The other minor subplot involves Colin's on-off romance with a wardrobe assistant (played by Emma Watson) that pales in comparison to that of the time spent with Marilyn, but offers good contrast in how something that's relatively grounded in reality, pales in comparison to fantasy no matter how fleeting that opportunity is.
If anything, this film will spark renewed interest in all things Marilyn Monroe again, especially in revisiting The Prince and the Showgirl, and perhaps picking up Colin Clark's actual books to delve a little more deeper into his account of an unforgettable, magical week. Highly recommended!
Movie Rating:
(The real Marilyn Monroe would probably have been proud of this effort)
Review by Stefan Shih
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Local horror hit 23:59 readies sequelPosted on 17 Nov 2011 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Ryo Kase, Schuyler Fisk, Lusia Strus, Jane Adams, Chin Han
RunTime: 1 hr 31 mins
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Rating: PG13 (Disturbing Theme)
Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/RestlessMovie
Opening Day: 1 December 2011
Synopsis: The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.
Movie Review:
Life may dish out a series of lemons, but it's up to our individual responses to make the best of the situation. We cannot control what Fate has in store for us, but we sure do have total control over our emotions in dealing with the unfair hand dealt. Based upon the play by Jason Lew and adapted for the screen under the vision of director Gus Van Sant, Restless opened the Un Certain Regard sidebar at this year's Cannes Film Festival, with a cast and crew of pedigree but unfortunately didn't have much going for it besides its promising synopsis.
Produced by Ron Howard and his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard, together with Brian Grazer, the film is short of narrative substance, about budding love between two youngsters who know their love couldn't escape Death at the doorstep, with the story being extrapolated into feature length runtime just because it can. I had thought that the beginning was almost similar to Fight Club with the narrator visiting therapy groups since he suffers from insomnia, meeting Marla his main squeeze in that story and we'd know how dark and twisted that went. Here, we have Enoch (Henry Hopper), a boy who spends most of his waking hours in funeral parlours gatecrashing families of mourners, and meets up with Annabel (Mia Wasikowska), with whom he soon hooks up with, but having things develop in a more whimsical fashion.
Personally, I had always felt romantic tales fell into two broad categories, and that's either Romantic Comedy, or Romantic Tragedy. The synopsis primes the film under the latter category, with Annabel being diagnosed with brain cancer from the outset of the film, thus forcing a deadline (pun not intended) and expiry date upon which their love will all but terminate physically. But it had what most films don't really focus too much on, and that's the relentless focus on all things sweet during a budding relationship, from stolen kisses to glances and the genuine innocence that accompanies new love.
Gus Van Sant managed to construct some really saccharine sweet moments of romance, from the spending of quality alone with each other planning for the morbid inevitable, to doing activities in public together such as going trick and treating. Like a cliche romantic film, you can go as far as stating the couple's togetherness sparked more of all things good in which the characters experience in their lives, where the strengths of their union far outweigh the strengths of when they were left alone. Of course there is skepticism in their relationship especially from family members on the outside looking in, but these alone do not detract the lovebirds from their spending time together.
Mia Wasikowska steals the show as the believably chirpy and effervescent lass with such a positive outlook despite her condition, and performed admirably in giving her character the deep level strength necessary to take control of her life, determined to call the shots in how she wanted it to end. Henry Hopper, son of the late Dennis Hopper to whom this film got dedicated to, on the other hand had his inexperience exposed, tackling the complex Enoch who had to grapple and come to terms with his parents demise, and trying to keep his emotional baggage out of his budding relationship with Annabel. In what would be an attempt to further enrich the character, we have him able to communicate with Hiroshi Takahashi, a Japanese ghost from WWII (Ryo Kase), but it came off as either very schizophrenic, or had possessed the power of Cole Sear from The Sixth Sense, which unfortunately was a very forced quirk that was present just so that Enoch had someone to talk to.
While there were little subplots and elements put in to expand the narrative, such as Enoch's issues with his deceased parents, and themes about life, death and the reminder about how spending quality time with loved ones always matter more than the quantity of time spent, where in a romance it's down to having loved rather than not having loved before, Restless turned out to be a rather tired and dragged out affair, boosted only by Mia Wasikowska's star presence and the carefully crafted sweet little moments that define the romantic ideals of a young couple enjoying the presence of each other.
Movie Rating:
(Restlessness in pitch perfect terms)
Review by Stefan Shih
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SCRAT! It's another short!Posted on 18 Nov 2011 |
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WHITE VENGEANCE unveils character postersPosted on 18 Nov 2011 |
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