Genre: Action/Comedy/Romance
Director: McG
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Chelsea Handler, Til Schweiger, John Paul Ruttan, Valin Shinyei, Angela Bassett, David Koechner
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence and Sexual References)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: http://www.thismeanswarmovie.com/
Opening Day: 23 February 2012
Synopsis: Two lifelong best friends, dedicated to their lives as CIA spies, wage an epic war against one another after they both fall in love with the same unsuspecting woman, an indecisive product tester forced to make the toughest choice of her life.
Movie Review:
McG must have watched one too many cartoons when he was a kid- how else will you explain his obsessive love for them? After venturing into more mature territory with the inspirational sports drama 'We Are Marshall' and the sci-fi thriller ‘Terminator: Salvation’, the director is back making live-action cartoons in the vein of his 'Charlie's Angels' duo-logy, and 'This Means War' sees him at his most indulgent. Indeed, there is nothing that can be taken seriously about this loud, preposterous and utterly logic-less action comedy that requires that its audience to check every brain cell at the door just so they can watch two handsome hunky CIA agents go at each other to win the affections of the same girl.
That is the only catch of this lazily plotted movie from Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg- the former an actor turned writer who sadly demonstrates little of the subversive cleverness from his earlier 'Role Models' nor the broad but nonetheless inspired hilarity of 'Just Go With It'; and the latter an experienced hand at the genre (responsible for the studio's earlier hit 'Mr and Mrs Smith') enlisted to polish the banter and distract the audience from the glaring plot-holes. Neither writer tries hard enough, and without a solid well-grounded script to rein in McG's fluffy excesses, the result is a 'Smith' wannabe without the entertainment.
To be sure, a film like this is always going to be as good as its individual gags, and so to trick you into the theatre, the trailer showcases the best the film has to offer. Remember the one where Agent Tuck (Tom Hardy) shoots a dart right into Agent FDR’s (Chris Pine) neck so he falls fast asleep just before he is about to bed the girl Lauren (Reese Witherspoon)? Or the one where Lauren accidentally shoots a paintball at Tuck's crotch while attempting to discharge its triggering mechanism? Trust us, these individual sequences in the movie don’t go beyond what the trailer already shows, so you're not really missing anything more.
The banality of the rest of the movie is only made more apparent by the one-note characterisation. Tuck and FDR are both good-natured sensitive guys equally eligible, while Lauren is the pretty attractive girl with no luck at love. Then just to add in a shade of raunch because ‘Bridesmaids’ showed there was a place for girls to be talking dirty, Lauren has a perpetually horny best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) whose only purpose is to goad Lauren to have sex with Tuck and FDR. At no point do you care if Tuck or FDR get the girl, simply because either guy is just as shallowly drawn.
Ditto for the tired banter between Tuck and FDR, scripted without the wit nor the punch of Kinberg’s ‘Smith’ or ‘Sherlock Holmes’- in fact, the most memorable line is delivered by a fellow agent who tries politely to tell Tuck the night after FDR beds Lauren that the latter had ‘entered the premises’. Fortunately, there is genuine bromantic chemistry between the two actors Pine and Hardy, both of whom do their best with the trite material that doesn’t do justice to their heretofore-unknown sharp comedic timing.
Against their natural bromance, Reese Witherspoon ends up regrettably nondescript, giving as little as the script demands of her. That the romance between Lauren and Tuck or FDR doesn’t ring true is not entirely the actress’ fault however- for some inexplicable reason, the script has them falling in love over a private trapeze session at an amusement park and a private showcase of Gustav Klimt masterpieces at some warehouse. Granted that a suspension of belief is de rigueur for most movies, but the leap of logic this McG live-action cartoon demands is just too absurd.
And don’t get us started about the poorly conceived action sequences that are so badly choreographed it’s no wonder they are over before you know it. We’re not just talking about over-the-top, but absolutely head-scratching nonsense that turns the pair of CIA agents into superheroes who pretty much emerge unscathed- except for some cuts- from every supposed life-endangering situation. Even with the paucity of such sequences (we count only three in total), McG can’t even get the climax right- and a high-speed chase that ends on a dead-end freeway ramp is so laughably shot it goes in the running for the worst action sequence of the year.
Whether as action or as comedy, this mishmash of a buddy picture, spy thriller and rom-com fails in every regard. We can accept a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously, but one that disregards every ounce of logic ultimately causes its audience to pay little attention to it as well. Like we said, it’s really another one of McG’s live-action cartoons- how else really can two spies use the full resources of the CIA to spy on a personal subject without anyone raising any alarm- and it is as juvenile as its titular claim that two guys fighting over one girl could really mean war.
Movie Rating:
(As ridiculous as it gets, this McG live-action cartoon with unfunny lines and terrible action wastes the great bromantic chemistry of its lead stars)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Featuring never before seen footage and exclusive interviews with Michael's Mother Katherine and siblings Tito and Rebbie Jackson covering all the highs and also the lows in the King of Pop's extraordinary life story uniquely told by those who knew him best. Producer David Gest presents a feature length, definitive portrait of his best friend Michael Jackson through the eyes of family, friends and music legends including Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson plus many more.
MOVIE REVIEW:
June 25, 2009. A date which will be known as the day the world lost the King of Pop. Two and a half years have since passed. Countless tribute albums, books and DVDs later, we are still not done with “new” and “exclusive” music and interviews with those who were close to Michael Jackson? Here we have one more production which hails itself as a feature length tribute to the legendary pop star, one that claims that his true story has never really been told until now.
We do not claim to be Jackson’s most loyal fan, but we think that we have enough common sense left in us to know that this is a sales pitch which, well, is trying a tad too hard to influence the fanatic collectors out there to buy a copy of this
The extensive research is evident from the 156 minute runtime of this production directed by Andrew Eastel. Produced by Jackson’s close childhood friend David Gest (who’s also a television star over at that side of the world), this documentary features countless interviews, especially noteworthy are those by mother Katherine, brother Tito an sister Rebbie. Being a close family friend, Gest probably convinced Jackson’s family members to share stories about his celebrated life.
Also included in the lineup of interviewees are over 50 friends, peers and associates who have nothing but the most inspirational words to describe Jackson. Be it intimate stories or fascinating encounters, these feel good moments should please the die hard MJ fan.
No tribute documentary is complete without footage of Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5. Here, relive those good ol’ days when music was less tainted by commercial pressures to sell. There are also obligatory moments where MJ’s much discussed molestation trial are showcased in this production. Viewers will get to hear his family members talk about the hurt emotional hurt they experienced during that trying period in 2005.
For viewers who are uninitiated about Jackson’s hair catching fire during the filming of a television commercial in 1984 will be informed about how that incident led to subsequent treatment for severe burns. That then sparked a drug dependency which plagued the pop star until his death. Yes, there are bittersweet moments of this production which may have you shed a tear or two, and if you do so, Gest and his team would have succeeded in their attempt to have you know the man’s life a little better.
Now, you may want to hunt down other tribute CDs, books and DVDs offering similar takes on the icon’s life.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Code 3
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual transfer of the production is commendable, and is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 English.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Meet the sexy new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige. He's dangerously charming - and utterly lethal. That's because he just happens to be a vampire and out for blood...buckets of it. After high school senior Charlie Brewster makes the connection between Jerry's suspicious activity and a steadily rising body count, he vows to end the reign of terror next door. But he can't do it alone. His only hope is Las Vegas magician/vampire-slayer Peter Vincent. Together this unlikely duo set out to end Jerry's evil rampage. But Jerry is a ruthless, relentless killer and he's not going down without a fight.
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Fright Night” joins the long list of remakes Hollywood has planned for us. The classic 1985 horror comedy gets a contemporary makeover by the revamped DreamWorks Pictures and for the record, a consistently entertaining effort far better than the recent remakes of “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street”.
The gist of the original Tom Holland’s script is retained here with a high school student, Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin from The Terminator Salvation) living next door to a vampire, Jerry (Colin Farrell) in a suburban estate in Las Vegas, the perfect place for vampires to blend in as most people there sleep in the day and work at night. Anyway, Charley starts to get suspicious after his nerdy school friend, Ed (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse from Superbad) went missing after telling him the stuff he has seen while he was spying on Jerry. With Jerry eyeing on Charley’s mom, Jane (Toni Collette) and his girlfriend, Amy getting all worked up by Charley’s weird behaviour, Charley’s time is fast running out.
Liked the original, “Fright Night” 2011 is more of a fun romp than an all-out fright fest and director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) kept the pacing swift and tight with one really intense scene involving Charley rescuing one of Jerry’s victims out of his secret compartment. Clearly with a higher budget and fanciful digital effects, a minivan car chase along the desert combines adrenalin, shock and laughs into one stand-out sequence. Oh well, and with jibes at the current “Twilight” craze, references to ebay and an app on “How to pick a lock”, the script is cheeky enough to remind us that this is the year 2011 we are living in and not 1985 where vampires still sleep in coffins!
Colin Farrell who has not been in a major studio production for a while sizzles as Jerry. Handsome, charming, strutting sexily, somewhat a bit pale and munches on apples, Farrell’s version of Vampire Jerry does have the mileage to compete against Vampire Edward. Playing Peter Vincent, a Criss Angel-like magician in tight leather pants who helps Charley in his vampire-catching antics, David Tennant (the Brit actor who plays Doctor Who) is one funny, eye-catching bloke. While Anton Yelchin is passable as the zero-to-hero, Charley Brewster, Christopher Mintz-Plasse who usually played a nerdy bookish fella surprisingly turns up in the third act to stir up lots of menaces.
We probably learnt all know the various ways to kill a vampire from comics, books and likely television and “Fright Night” doesn’t really offer anything new. Driving a stake through the heart, holy water, crucifixes and yes the mighty sunlight. No matter how predictable things are, this remake still managed to offer plenty of goofy-fun and oozes lots of charm than blood to please the audience.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A handful of fluffy extras including 3 minutes of Bloopers, a Music Video and Squid Man: Extended & Uncut, the home video made by Charley and Ed as seen in the movie.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 provides audience a scary immersive experience with even handling of dialogue and ambient sound effects. Even with most of the movie shrouded in darkness, imaging is detailed and skin tones remain natural.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: The Help is an inspirational, courageous and empowering story about very different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project - one that breaks society's rules and puts them all at risk. Filled with poignancy, humour and hope - and complete with compelling, never-before-seen bonus features - The Help is a timeless, universal and triumphant story about the ability to create change.
MOVIE REVIEW:
A while ago, we came across this website which spoofed the movie poster of this Tate Taylor directed movie about an aspiring author who decides to pen a book on the issues of racism faced by African American maids in the 1960s. Instead of the movie title “The Help”, the words “White People Solve Racism” were plastered across the poster featuring Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard. And it’s topped off with a tagline “You’re welcome, black people.” While we are no experts when it comes to such cultural issues, we have to agree that it is Hollywood movies like this which gloss over real life issues like racism, but hey, we are not complaining because this is one truly well made movie.
Taylor directs a wonderful ensemble cast in this adaptation of American author Kathryn Stockett’s novel of the same name. Stone plays a righteous writer who goes all out to collect stories from African American maids to publish a compilation of tales on the hardships they go through on a daily basis in the white families they work for. In the process, expect emotional breakouts, hysterical catfights, big hugs, jovial laughter and of course, buckets of tears.
This is the kind of stuff which the jury at the Academy adores, and that is why the film has garnered four nominations at the upcoming Oscars. Davis and Spencer are hot favourites for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively, having already snagged the accolades at the recent Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. The two ladies deliver pitch perfect performances in this somewhat emotionally manipulative movie, and if the roles of these two long suffering maids fall into the laps of any less capable actresses, the film would be a pain to watch.
Besides Davis and Spencer, actresses like Stone (who is surprisingly endearing in this role), Howard (the resident bitch we enjoy hating), Jessica Chastain (her role as a good hearted but not very capable housewife has also earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Academy Awards), Allison Janney and Sissy Spacek (as mothers, of course) also light up the screen with their amazing performances. This deserving Best Ensemble Cast at the SAG is the primary reason why this 146 minute production works.
While you can predict how the film progresses with its feel good and triumphant themes, you do not loathe the filmmakers for staging a far from perfect portrayal of racism as a social issue here. In fact, it is films like that which offer a glimpse of hope that the world can be a better place if we tried hard enough.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Code 3 DVD contains a two Deleted Scenes with director introductions. Watch out for the one with a battered Spencer calling Davis for help. It is one of those clips you’d expect the Academy to play during the awards show. Also included is the uplifting “The Living Proof” Music Video performed by Mary J. Blige.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie's visual transfer is pristine, while English, Spanish, Portuguese and Thai audio tracks are available.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Enter the not-so-distant future, where boxing has gone high-tech - 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots have taken over the ring. Starring Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter turned small-time promoter. Real Steel is a gritty, white-knuckle action ride that pulls no punches. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s easy to dismiss a movie such as “Real Steel”. Partly, there is already a much bigger movie franchise featuring transforming robots and secondly, director Shawn Levy doesn’t instil much confidence when his repertoire includes perfunctory comedies such as “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Night at the Museum”.
Set in the year 2020 where robots has replaced men in the boxing arena, a down-and-out former boxer, Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) makes his living pitting his robot against others in underground matches, fun fairs and running away from countless debtors. Just when his life couldn’t get any worse, his long estranged son, Max (Dakota Goyo who played a young Thor in “Thor”) dropped in for a visit after the death of his mother. Even though Charlie can’t wait to shake off Max in the beginning, the unlikely team of father-and-son reunites on a journey that takes them to places where the unthinkable happens.
“Real Steel” marks Levy’s most ambitious and biggest production to date. Armed with a reportedly budget of US$110 million, the massive amount of CG and physical effects on display will have you in awe. With legendary boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard acting as consultant, the slugging between the robots is remarkable well-choreographed and framed even though all are realized through visual effects company, Digital Domain. Comparing this to Bay’s Transformers series which relied heavily on fast cuts, blurring effect and slow-mo, “Real Steel” on the other hand wins hands down and surprisingly impresses when at least you can made out who is Noisy Boy, Atom, Zeus or Midas for that matter.
Action pieces aside, “Real Steel” features an all-round nicely written father-and-son drama. Hugh Jackman is endearing as ever even if he is playing the jerk here. From a father who is never there to one that bond with his son Max who at his end truly believes his dad has the potential to train his robot, Atom to compete in the World Robot Boxing League, something akin to WWE. It’s a journey filled with clichés, corny moments yet remain thoroughly engaging as we root for Charlie, Max and Atom. Dakota Goya might be the next child star to look out for but as you know, kids do grow up damn fast and its either make or break for Goya in the years to come.
There is no lack of brawling action sequences, lush production sets and campy dance moves courtesy of Max in this 127 minutes movie. With people liked Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis onboard serving as producers, Levy managed to pull off a heartwarming rousing sports drama that is equivalent to the iconic “Rocky Balboa”. Though it’s hard to tell in what aspects Spielberg and Zemeckis contributed to the overall product, as far as this reviewer can tell, “Real Steel” in the end is a real winner.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A somewhat entertaining 3 minutes of Bloopers where you see the cast fumbling over their lines.
Making of Metal Valley is a 14 minutes segment that takes viewers behind-the-scenes in the sequence where Max found Atom at the junkyard. The amount of work that goes to the stunts, set-ups, editing and the amount of cranes that are deployed for four nights of shooting is amazing.
Building the Bots is a brief featurette that showcases the beautiful robots that are built by the guys at Legacy Effects. Steven Spielberg even drops in for a set visit.
Because Levy is such an engaging and lively talker, you shouldn’t miss out on the Audio Commentary with Director Shawn Levy as he shares plenty of anecdotes on the CG effects, music, production design and many aspects on making the movie.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is excellent and bombastic; at times it even drowned out Danny Elfman’s score. Visually, it’s a charm to indulge in all the details, depth and the cinematography. “Real Steel” is the perfect choice for any DVD collector.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Nicknamed the Woman Knight of Mirror Lake, Qiu Jin was an early feminist, revolutionist and poet in the late Qing Dynasty. Advocating equality between men and women, Qiu Jin felt that a better future for women came under a Western-type government instead of the corrupt Manchu government. Appreciating the Japanese culture after the Meiji Restoration, she went to study in Japan in 1904. Qiu Jin was beheaded after a failed uprising against the Manchu government and is considered a heroine in China's anti-feudalist cause.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s all about how a movie is marketed. For example, this ignorant columnist has no idea who Qiu Jin is, until this Herman Yau directed action flick came along. Also, no thanks to the rather unimpressive artwork of the
There they were, the phrase “From the director of Ip Man: The Legend is Born”, placed outstandingly on the
So here we have this autobiographical film about Qiu Jin (hands up, those who have heard of the heroine before this movie came along), a poet and feminist who was captured after her associate fails to assassinate a Manchu official. She refused to flee with her students at the point of arrest in her home cum training school. She was eventually imprisoned, tortured and trialed, and during this time, she reflected on her past life which led to her current passion of advocating equality between men and women.
Just from this plot, one can already detect the potential for patriotically tear jerking moments. Director Yau (the underrated filmmaker also made 2008’s True Women for Sale and 2009’s Turning Point) knows this is not enough to sell in this day and age, hence he rightfully included elements of good ol’ action and adrenalin filled sequences to up the entertainment value. This is a correct decision, considering how the 109 minute movie is adequately paced, never letting the historical portions bog down the movie.
Taking on the role of Qiu Jin is Huang Yi (Overheard 2, East Meets West 2011), who puts on an aptly gungho front to bring this historically highly regarded character to life. She is supported by other more familiar faces in this ensemble piece, which includes Dennis To (1911) as revolutionary Xu Xilin, Anthony Wong (Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen) as a righteous county magistrate and Kevin Cheng (72 Tenants of Prosperity) as a conservative husband. While there are no A list celebrities in the cast, it serves the earnest production well as viewers won’t be distracted by pretty faces which lack depth.
If the marketing team of this decent production had not made the effort to attract more attention with its collaterals, it would have been drowned out by the other inferior movies out there which are less worthy of your time.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Code 3
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There is nothing to complain about the movie’s visual transfer. It is presented in a Mandarin soundtrack.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Adapted from a Liao Zhai story by the same title, ‘Mural’ tells of three men who chance upon an enchanted world through a mural, and believe it to be paradise until the darker and uglier side of that world begins to emerge. This is an enchanted world that seems to promise satisfaction for every man’s desire on the surface, but brewing beneath it is the Queen’s vindictiveness and deep hatred for men.
MOVIE REVIEW:
This is one of those times when we hate marketing folks for trying to hard sell a bad product which promises so much, but delivers so little. The
The story bears much potential though: A poor scholar travels to the capital to sit for an examination. During his journey, he becomes distracted by a mural and enters a world of fantasy filled with beautiful women. Unknown to the scholar, this land forbids the presence of men, and before long, he falls in love with one of the fairies. From there on, it becomes a tale of undying love involving demons, spirits and lots of colourful computer generated effects.
Therein lies the problem of this seemingly high budget production, with too much special effects, storytelling takes a backseat and becomes overshadowed by the artificially created backgrounds and creatures. Sure, there are examples of good movies which are effects laden (Avatar comes to mind straightaway), but with the present standards of movie magic in Asia, the result is less than satisfactory.
If you remember the premier event that was Screen Singapore in 2011, this movie was much hyped up, with Chan and producer Abe Kwang gracing our shores. One may also remember stars Collin Chou, Yan Ni and Liu Yan in attendance at the extravagant industry event. And here we have the completed film which is almost too embarrassing to complement.
If we had to credit one aspect of the movie, it would be leading stars Deng Chao and Sun Li’s engaging performances. Maybe it’s the fact that the duo are a real life couple, their portrayal of a human spirit pairing in the movie has enough chemistry to make their romance believable. Sidekick characters are played by Chou and Baobeier with gusto, while the familiar Eric Tsang takes on the role of making viewers laugh by playing a rather comical Taoist priest. Yan plays the role of the Queen comfortably, snarling and displaying her alluring menace.
The two hour runtime is excessive and unnecessary, mainly due to the laughable setups. Somehow, we were more awed during the days when movies like A Chinese Ghost Story used actual film sets and props. As much as this Liao Zhai (Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio) tale by Pu Songling was meant to haunt, we couldn’t help but feel bored.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Code 3
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie's visual transfer is pristine, while Mandarin and Cantonese audio tracks are available.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Will Smith, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Nicole Scherzinger, Alice Eve, Bill Hader, Michael Stuhlbarg
RunTime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG (Some Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website: www.meninblack.com
Opening Day: 24 May 2012
Synopsis: In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back... in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.
Movie Review:
There’s an undeniable staleness that ‘Men in Black 3’ can’t quite shake off, the third movie in the franchise that arrives ten years after the first sequel and 15 years since the original. No, we’re not talking about the fact that director Barry Sonnenfeld once again banks the movie on the offbeat chemistry of the genuinely affable Agent J and the lovably gruff Agent K- which to be honest is still the best thing the series has going for it. Rather, the premise is too familiar, the gags are less inspired, and the story- sans the surprisingly moving finale- feels tired.
And no wonder really, since this third-parter was effectively shepherded into production without a finished script- so much so that filming had to shut down midway so that professional Hollywood script doctors David Koepp and Jeff Nathanson, as well as Will Smith’s personal dialogue doctor Mike Soccio, could refine the original writing from six screenwriters (of which only Etan Cohen receives a credit). From what we see of the finished product, it hasn’t helped much, and the very faults that made Sonnenfeld pull the plug in the midst of shooting are still all too apparent.
Once again, the mission is yet another rogue alien threatening the future of the planet, who also happens to be the lone survivor of a hostile alien race. Played with cool menace by Jermaine Clement (of ‘Flight of the Conchords’), Boris the Animal has been holed up in lunar prison for the past 40 years after being apprehended by none other than Agent K. So following an exciting opening sequence featuring a slinky Nicole Scherzinger, Boris breaks out of his confinement and vows revenge on K for maiming him the last time they met.
Meanwhile, the buddy-cop dynamic is still alive and well between Will Smith’s Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K- though back at HQ, chief Z (Rip Torn) has been killed off and replaced by an unexpectedly quirky Agent O (Emma Thompson). Z’s death also begets one of the funniest scenes in the movie, where both Agents K and O take turns demonstrating the social ineptitude of the agency through their respective eulogies.
In keeping with the brisk economical pace of the first two movies, it isn’t long before J and K come face to face with Boris and his nefarious gang of alien allies in a Chinese restaurant that offers otherworldly delicacies for its extraterrestrial customers. That brilliantly shot shootout also forms the culmination of the first act, undoubtedly the best among the film’s three-act structure, combining some thrilling action choreography with the ever-fascinating menagerie of alien types conceived by series regular Rick Baker.
What promise there was at the beginning however quickly falls apart in the second and third act, which employs the oft-used time-travel narrative device to bring J back to 1969. That’s the year Boris was caught and imprisoned by K, and the inter-galactic marauder has since transported himself back in time to assassinate said agent. Except for an alien with a detachable head J uses as a bowling ball as well as a multi-dimensional seer Griffin, there isn’t much out-of-this-world fun that this middle act offers.
Instead, Sonnenfeld turns the joke on J by constantly riffing on the unlikely pairing between him and a 29-year-old K (Josh Brolin). Turns out that K wasn’t always the curmudgeon J had known him to be, which provides a welcome change of dynamics between J and K compared to the last two movies. While there’s no denying that Brolin is very good at replicating Jones’ deadpan mannerisms, it is a one-note gag that soon loses its novelty and would have even more quickly lost its appeal were it not for the fantastic chemistry between Smith and Brolin.
As is prerequisite for any time-travel movie, Sonnenfeld pokes fun at the icons and prevailing social norms of the era. Nonetheless, J’s run-in with a pair of racist cops while driving a stolen luxury car falls flat; while a sequence alluding to the Age of Aquarius set in Andy Warhol’s Factory (with Bill Hader playing the larger-than-life character as a secret MIB agent) again fails to inspire much hilarity despite the screenwriters’ valiant attempts at generating some laughs through an awkwardly cast misunderstanding between Warhol and J.
There is a surprising reliance on exposition within the second act, but some middling plot developments and uninteresting dialogue undermine an otherwise more character-driven approach than the previous films. Only in the third and final act when both heroes and villiains young and old descend on Cape Canaveral for the launch of the Apollo 11 moon module does the movie regain its lost momentum, though the overblown finale rarely matches up to the pizzazz of the earlier climax in the first act.
Thankfully, a last-minute twist that casts the relationship between J and K in a whole different light provides unexpected poignancy that will be especially fulfilling for fans of the series- though as is typical of time-travel premises, this one also requires you to look past its logical loopholes. The backbone of the trilogy has always been the odd-couple pairing of J and K, and whether the original Tommy Lee Jones or new entrant Josh Brolin, both capture the enjoyably idiosyncratic nature of their original banter.
Not without its attendant pleasures therefore, ‘Men in Black 3’ makes for a passably entertaining affair that- like its immediate predecessor- fails to live up to the spirit and energy of the original. Indeed, despite an invigorating first act, the rest of the film- which had to be sent to the script clinic while shooting- is only intermittently entertaining with both its gags and dialogues lacking inspiration. Those looking for a firm dose of nostalgia will still find it here, thanks to winning performances by Smith, Jones and Brolin- but there’s only so much fun you can have with the old and familiar.
Movie Rating:
(Lacking the inspiration and energy of the original, this third entry in the franchise nonetheless rehashes the chemistry between the odd-couple pairing of Agents J and K for a passably entertaining blast-from-the-past)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: For Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day), the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston) into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con (Jamie Foxx), the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers... permanently. There's only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
MOVIE REVIEW:
In a twisted sort of way, employees will probably imagine killing their own bosses on a really bad day. “Horrible Bosses” took this notion and spin it into a dark raunchy comedy starring every familiar face in Hollywood.
The script for “Horrible Bosses” isn’t exactly comedy gold and this is a movie that is uplift by the performance of the cast members than anything. The first act introducing the various players generates enough laughs to keep you glued starting with the hardworking Nick (Jason Bateman) who got sidetracked by his own boss Dave (Kevin Spacey). This is followed by Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) who has to bear with his cokehead, newly self-appointed boss’ son, Bobby (Colin Farrell) and lastly, Dale (Charlie Day) who has to endure his sexually harassing boss, Dr Julia (Jennifer Aniston).
These three goofballs unable to bear the torture of their bosses decide to hire a hitman by the name of Motherf***** Jones (Jamie Foxx) to do the job and expectedly things go horribly wrong.
Despite the promising start, “Horrible Bosses” starts to sag right after the threesome decides to kill each other’s bosses. There’s a limit to watching them rushing from one point to another mouthing vulgarities and fumbling around fortunately, there’s always Kevin Spacey who always turned up at the right time to spice things up. Spacey no stranger to being a villain onscreen is a scene-stealer and obviously he is having a great time torturing the dudes. Colin Farrell is amazing as Dale, the messed-up son of Kurt’s deceased boss played by Donald Sutherland. With a fake comb-over and potbelly, this homophobic, self-indulgent character definitely deserved a much bigger slice of screentime. As a male version of a sex maniac, Jennifer Aniston proves she can be a gung-ho actress without sticking to her usual repertoire of romantic comedies.
The two Jasons namely Bateman and Sudeikis garnered no surprises as both of them have been playing the same kind of roles for a while. Bateman always the right man in the wrong place and Sudeikis always the sex-crazed, potty-mouthed individual as seen in the earlier “Hall Pass”. Of the trio, only the helium-voiced, petite Charlie Day stands out as the victim of sexual harassment.
While this is definitely a better effort for director Seth Gordon (his last being “Four Christmases”), “Horrible Bosses” remains an uneven piece of comedy work. Some of the setups and gags do work tremendously and cameos by Jamie Foxx and even Mr Fantastic himself, Ioan Gruffudd weave themselves magically into the plot.
Overall not that horrible just mainly watch this for all the colourful performances alone.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are 10 minutes of Deleted Scenes with an alternate opening thrown in. Pretty funny actually.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack isn’t a terribly exciting one though dialogue is clear while the remaining sound effect doesn’t really stand out. Colours are strikingly lovely and image details impressive for the visual aspect of it.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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