SYNOPSIS: In the final instalment of the SP saga, the tension between superhuman SP agent Inoue and his superior Ogata finally comes to a head as the conspiracy that was hinted at in the first film is revealed. Secrets from decades past will be exposed as the two SP agents finally reach their inevitable face-off.

Inuoe now harbors a serious distrust of his commander Ogata who may have ties to chief cabinet secretary Kunio Date. On the day the national assembly is due to pass a vote of no confidence for the cabinet, a group of terrorists invades the building and takes the assembly hostage. Assigned to security in the assembly that day, Inoue uses his extraordinary powers to fight the terrorists and discovers a shocking truth about who's behind the conspiracy.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s not a surprise the concluding chapter of “Security Police: The Motion Picture” actually skipped the theatrical release here. As noted on my earlier DVD review here, the movie version of “Security Police” in short SP, is a jarring affair and to non-followers of the television series, this will be a tough act to follow through.

Since the first SP ends with a cliff-hanger, this final episode wastes no time in panning out the revolutionary as planned by the top brass of the government and led by the leader of SP, Ogata (Tsutsumi Shinichi). In short, this group of radicals planned to hold the parliament-in-session hostage and exposed their evil deeds in front of a ‘live’ telecast. With landmines in place and guards being taken down, there’s only SP agent Inoue (Okada Junichi) and his three loyal teammates left to save the day. Will they succeed in bringing Ogata down?

The premise is interesting enough given the current economic climate and political instability in certain countries not even Japan, the once superpower in Asia is performing up to expectations year after year. Kudos to the writers for having the balls to take jibes at its own nation and offers some startling nuggets of wisdom about how a nation will keep on going despite having corrupted officials and frequent changing of hands. Furthermore, what if a group of elite individuals ended up controlling the nation by having a puppet king as Prime Minister? It’s with such intriguing questions that make SP2 so watchable unfortunately the movie preferred a safer route that is ending it with Ogata’s personal vendetta which makes the entire hoo-ha an anti-climax.   

Okada Junichi who left a deep impression with his agile athletic fighting skills in the first continues his one-man fighting machine speciality sparring against the henchmen of Inoue though there is a significant lack of development for his role. The spotlight without a doubt shines on Tsutsumi Shinichi whose role is the key to everything. The veteran actor is passable as the solemn Ogata but most of us know Shinichi is capable of much more.

Production details on the whole are flawless and I would suggest watching the first one together with this to make it a more satisfactory experience. Seriously, don’t even think of watching one without the other or vice versa.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Colours, skin tones are clear and deep and the visual quality is excellent. The Dolby Digital 2.0 did a fairly decent job in executing the occasional gunshots and explosions. Dialogue remains clear throughout.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Nope, Hawaii isn’t just about surfing boards and hula dances. As Alexander Payne’s latest film has shows, life can get quite messed up in what seems like paradise too. Likewise for the film’s soundtrack, not everything is bright and sunny as you’d expect (this album is nothing like the soundtrack for Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, which came to mind immediately when “Hawaii music” is mentioned). Instead, get ready for a 65 minute journey of healing and relaxation, with doses of melancholy sprinkled in between.

The collection of 18 tracks features renowned and acknowledged artists whom we may not heard of in this part of the world. Because the filmmakers felt that the music is a crucial component of the movie, the music department has gathered a representative spectrum of Hawaii music to enchant its viewers. Now, fans of the film can actually relive the soulful and emotional moments by playing this album.

The slack key guitar is prominently featured on the soundtrack. This type of guitar has some of its strings loosened so that the open strings can form a chord. The result is a gentle and mellow feel which will soothe your senses.

The first track “Ka Makani Ka’ili Aloha” performed by slack key guitarist Gabby Pahinui sets the mood with its laidback yet affecting tune. Things then get a little despondent with “Kalena Kai”, a thought provoking piece performed by Keola Beamer and George Winston. This cue fuses Hawaii elements with contemporary music nicely, and will appeal to fans of modern music. Pahinui returns on “Hi’ilawe” and sings along to a comforting melody.    

Elsewhere, the mood becomes chirpier with Dennis Pavao’s “Ka Loke” and Pahinui’s “Leahi”, and these are also tracks which you can picture hula dancers dancing with their breezy hand movements. We love Char;es Michael Brotman’s “Hapuna Sunset” because the calming tune sets us in the mood to reflect upon our busy lives against the backdrop of the setting orange ball of fire.

Listen out for the soundtrack’s oldest selection: Ka Mele Oku’u Pu’uwai, a 1930 arrangement of a traditional tune performed by Hawaiian slide stell guitar pioneer Sol Hoopii’s Novelty Trio. It will bring a smile and hopefully, a resolution to make life count.

 ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (15) Hapuna Sunset – Charles Michael Brotman

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: How do you make a fortune from the bloodlust of millions? One sadistically savvy businessman has created an empire with his brutal, fight-to-the-death gladiator website. His newest warrior is David Lord, a kidnapped fireman now imprisoned and forced to fight for his life. To buy his freedom, Lord agrees to do a series of lethal bouts. But as the body count escalates and with his most challenging battle remaining, Lord unleashes a torrent of bloody carnage and reveals a secret that threatens to tear down the entire enterprise.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The first thing you wonder is what in the world is Samuel L. Jackson doing in a straight-to-video production? Is Nicky Fury having money issues or simply too much idle time on his hands?

And if you are wondering who is that white guy standing in front of Jackson, he is Kellan Lutz, one of the Cullens in the immensely popular Twilight franchise and one-time CK underwear model.

In this Stage 6 exploitative production, Lutz plays David Lord, a fireman/paramedic who is being forcefully lured to take part in an online gladiator-style games hosted by a maniac businessman, Logan (Jackson) and run by Kaden aka The Executioner (Johnny Messner) and Milla (Katia Winter). The objective of the game is to simply kill off your opponent in front of fanatic fans staring at their monitors worldwide thus setting up an excellent excuse to exhibit generous body counts and mindless carnage. Don’t even bother asking why the CIA or FBI or whatever authority can’t even track down this madcap setup.

First time director Jonah Loop who works formerly in the visual effects field obviously is a greenhorn when it comes to staging thrills and character exposition and while he has the luxury of Jackson going free rein and mouthing some really cringing dialogue, Loop has a harder time convincing audience that this is going to be a noteworthy Stage 6 title other than a mere exercise in human brutality. With a series of montages featuring Lord bludgeoning his opponents and getting all stitched up by Milla afterwards, there’s little story to talk about. 

Fans of this genre however will be delighted by the endless decapitations, arms breaking, full frontal nudity and boob shots. With the addition of Lutz’s well-toned body on display, the opposite sex and the not so opposite sex will definitely find something appealing right here.

Even if “Arena” included a clever twist in the end and the appearances of familiar faces such as Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), James Remar (Dexter) and Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries), these factors can’t really uplift this piece of bloody affair for the general audience. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Overall, the movie looks good enough for a direct-to-video title and the Dolby Digital 5.1 offers enough bass and aggressiveness to match the violence onscreen.

MOVIE RATING:

  

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: A young couple (James Marsden and Kate Bosworth) moves to a quaint southern town. Soon their perfect getaway turns out to become a living hell when dark secrets and lethal passions spiral out of control. Trapped by a pack of depraved locals led by a ruthless predator (Alexander Skarsgard, TV’s True Blood), they face a night of agonizing suffering and endless bloodshed. Now their only hope for survival is to become more savage than their merciless torturers.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The 1971 Sam Peckinpah ‘Straw Dogs’- which we must admit we have not seen- was supposed to be a symbol of Hollywood’s obsession with brutal realistic violence that sparked controversy when it was first released. It’s unlikely however that this remake from writer/director Rod Lurie (of little-seen gems ‘Resurrecting the Champ’ and ‘Nothing but the Truth’) will ignite a similar reaction- after all, films like ‘The Strangers’ and ‘Funny Games’) have desensitised modern-day audiences to the home invasion flick within the torture porn genre.

Lurie relocates the drama from rural England to the deep South, where Hollywood screenwriter David (James Marsden) moves to with his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) while penning his next script about the siege of Stalingrad. The town called Blackwater is also Amy’s hometown, and the former cheerleader is often hailed as the successful local town girl who’s made it big. Nonetheless, her former boyfriend and ex-star football player Charlie (True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard) still has the hots for her, and Charlie’s lingering attraction for Amy becomes one of the flashpoints for the gory showdown between David and Charlie.

Things only get more complicated when Charlie and his boys start fixing the roof of David’s barn- besides insisting on working only in the mornings and taking the afternoons for hunting, they also make themselves a little too comfortable in the main house. There is a class distinction at play here, which isn’t just Charlie’s fault but Amy’s as well- and Charlie, the smartest one of the town yahoos, is quick to point that out right in their faces. Lurie sets up their conflict as one between red-state and blue-state America, taking a measured approach before unleashing the much-awaited violence.

Where less patient and lesser screenwriters would have simply gone for the jugular right from the start, Lurie is a much smarter filmmaker at that, building things up to a suitable boil and giving reason to the aggression that follows. This isn’t senseless violence and gore, but one premised on self-perseveration, with Lurie savvy enough to let his audience empathise with his characters before the nail-biting last half-hour. There is a distinct sense of cause-and-effect with no easy heroes or villains- indeed, Amy herself might be blamed for titillating Charlie and his friends by jogging braless and flashing her tits at them in the first place.

Much of the film’s tension hinges on the brilliant interplay between Marsden and Skarsgard, both male actors- one carved from brawn and the other from brain- a tense gripping watch when the former is made to play on the latter’s level. Unfortunately, Bosworth is nothing better than a bimbo in the movie, her acting shallow and annoying. Faring much better are limited but solid supporting perfs from James Woods as the local redneck soccer coach Tom and Dominic Purcell as the town’s village idiot with a crush on Tom’s daughter.

Before you dismiss it as yet another bloody revenge flick, know that ‘Straw Dogs’ is much more than that. It doesn’t come close to the ultimate vengeance tale of ‘I Saw The Devil’, but amongst the recent deluge of genre pictures from Hollywood, this remake- like its original- deserves to be remembered among the best with solid scripting and gripping atmosphere.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The highlight on this disc is the Audio Commentary with writer/director Rod Lurie. A former critic, Lurie knows his movies well and his knowledge shines through when he compares his movie intelligently with that of Sam Peckinpah’s original. Lurie also talks about his characters and interesting nuggets of on-set stories.

Four other featurettes round out this disc. ‘Courting Controversy: Remaking a Classic’ has producer Marc Frydman and executive producer Beau Marks about their decision to take on the remake of such an iconic classic, as well as brief description of how two difficult scenes in the film were shot. ‘The Dynamics of Power: Cast’ features interviews with the cast and B-roll footage of the production. ‘Inside The Siege: Stunts’ focuses specifically on the siege of the Summer house, and the rehearsals and preparation work that went into choreographing the tense finish. Finally, the featurette ‘Creating The Summer House: Production Design’ discusses the cottage design by Tony Fanning for the movie..

AUDIO/VISUAL:

 The Dolby Digital 5.1 is a robust audio track, making use of the back speakers to build atmosphere and tension. Visuals are clear and sharp, with great balance between the dark and light tones of the movie.

MOVIE RATING:

   

DVD RATING :

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: After a bank robbery gone wrong, three brothers head for home hoping their mother can provide them with a getaway. The youngest brother, Johnny has been shot and their back-stabbing former partner has gotten away with all the cash. But when the brothers get home, they find that all their stuff is gone and mother is nowhere to be found: she lost the house months ago in a foreclosure. The new owners, Beth and Daniel Sohapi and their guests gathered for an ill-timed birthday party become the brothers' unwitting hostages. Not long after, mother arrives along with the boys' sister Lydia and it soon becomes clear that mother will do absolutely anything to protect her children. In one terrifying evening, she brilliantly takes control of the situation and mastermind her sons' escape from the law. Sides will be taken, secrets revealed and sins punished as the hostages struggle to make it through the night alive.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Twenty years after ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle’, Rebecca De Mornay has gone from nutty nanny to crazed mama of a family of criminal psychos. Indeed, despite her seemingly soft-spoken and gentle nature, De Mornay is the ultimate baddie in this picture, the puppetmaster behind the three Koffin brothers who return to their foreclosed home after a botched bank robbery to hold their new inhabitants hostage. Besides big brother Ike (Patrick Flueger), the middle but most volatile of the lot Addley (Warren Kole), and the heavily injured little brother Johnny (Matt O'Leary), there’s also a timid little sister Lydia (True Blood’s Deborah Ann Woll) to complete the dysfunctional family portrait.

‘Saw  II, III and IV’ helmer Darren Lynn Bousman pits them against Daniel (Frank Grillo) and Beth Sohapi (Jaime King)- whose family name is an ill-conceived running joke in the movie- as well as their seven yuppie guests partying in the basement as an impending tornado rages outside. Mother tells them they mean no harm- as long as they get enough money to engage their transport outta there, they will be gone before the night is over. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when it dawns on Mother that the Sohapi couple have been keeping the money her sons have been sending back to her presumed home address.

Add to that some harried hostages who can’t seem to think straight during stress as well as some others who can’t seem to take the situation lying down, and you have a setup from writer Scott Milam that’s more than enough to occupy the 112-min running time (though the M18 version released on DVD here has been edited). In fact, Milam may have bitten off more than he can chew, populating the movie with so many characters that nary one of them (except De Mornay) has enough screen time for you to know them well- let alone empathise with them when some meet their demise.

Indeed, death seems to be the singular focus for Bousman, the former music video director continuing his bloody spree from ‘Saw’ here. Plenty of blood and some amount of gore means that those among the weak of heart may be much better off celebrating the titular occasion than to watch this- nonetheless, these scenes of gruesome torture don’t have the same effective buildup as those in the ‘Saw’ series, and unless you’re a sadist, you’re probably going to find the viewing experience quite an off-putting one. Bousman also does himself no favours by not rewarding the baddies’ viciousness with an equally ferocious comeuppance (see ‘I Saw The Devil’), never satisfyingly appeasing that sense of injustice his audience would naturally have watching innocent people getting tortured.

In the end, despite a sufficiently twisty story, the only real pleasure in this twist on that venerable occasion is watching De Mornay return to the screen in a significant role. Equal parts tender and terrifying, De Mornay’s well-calibrated performance however deserves a much better treatment than standard torture porn/ home invasion flick that’s frankly becoming just too commonplace in recent years to truly thrill. It’s still a sufficiently exciting home video watch, but for all the agony it places its protagonists in, it lacks a truly gratifying end to leave you on a satisfying high. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Dolby Digital 2.0 doesn’t do much for the atmospherics of the film other than reproducing the dialogues clearly. Picture is presented in 16x9 widescreen, but lacks the standard resolution of a 1080p display, so expect a smaller screen if you’re watching this on your big TV.

MOVIE RATING:

  

DVD RATING :

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: One fine spring morning, Emilie receives a love letter. It's beautiful, inspired but it's also anonymous. She initially throws it into the trash can before realizing that it could be the way to rescue her mother who has become isolated and alone since her husband died. Without thinking further, she immediately sends the letter on to her. But Emilie doesn't yet know that Jean, her shy employee is the letter's author. She certainly doesn't imagine that her rash gesture will cast them into a series of misunderstandings and entanglements that will soon get out of hand.

MOVIE REVIEW:

As far as romantic comedies go, ‘Beautiful Lies’ is as generic as it gets. The story of a neurotic French hairdresser Emilie (no links to Amelie, though both are played by the same actress) who tangles a romantic mess by sending a love letter from her handyman Jean (Sami Bouajila) to her jilted mother Maddy (Nathalie Baye), it reunites French darling Audrey Tautou with her “Priceless” director Pierre Salvadori to much less charming effect.

It’s a one-note joke stretched to feature length, made even more ludicrous when (predictably) Emilie eventually falls in love with Jean and sleeps around with essentially her mother’s boyfriend. Just as expectedly, mother and daughter will end up fighting over the same guy before the misunderstanding clears itself and the happily-ever-after ending rolls along. But before that, we the audience are made to endure one hour of tedium as Emilie tries to push Jean away after finding out that he is much, much more qualified than he looks and engineers to work up the relationship between Jean and Maddy.

The script by Salvadori and regular co-scribe Benoit Graffin tries to play on the sexual drive of mother and daughter- one inhibited and the other surprisingly insatiable- but the innuendoes are tired and clichéd. In typical French fashion, Salvadori gets his actors to talk and act animatedly, but even Tautou’s charm and Bouajila’s laid-back charisma can’t quite disguise the fact that the film has very little to go about.

There is also a distinct sense of distaste about the trio of characters, particularly since all of them appear to be acting out of their own self-interest. It’s hard to endear to Emilie when she is too busy being prickly with everyone else around just because she can’t seem to get rid of Jean- and neither does it help when she eventually chances upon a way to do so by pushing him away to appease her mother. Maddy fares no better, so caught up with herself that she almost demands Jean’s affections. And Jean, on the other hand, plays right along just to spite Emilie and get her attention.

Little is beautiful about the lies said and told by any of the characters, and indeed, this film, like its title, is itself a misnomer. Operating out of a wafer-thin premise and doing little to help its cause with unlikeable scenarios, this is one of Tautou’s least appealing works. It is also ingratiatingly long-winded, possessing little of the lightness and verve you would expect from a French rom-com.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio brings out the French dialogue just fine. Visuals tend to be grainier than usual, with option only to turn on the Chinese subtitles.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Director: Wong Jing
Cast: Chapman To, Fiona Sit, Law Kar Ying
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Scenes of Intimacy and Sexual References)
Released By: Encore Films & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:

Opening Day: 23 February 2012

Synopsis: Manfred and Flora are degenerate gamblers who can gamble on anything 24 hours a day seven days a week. Though they have come across each other a few times at the casino, they have not left any lasting impression upon each other.

On that fateful day when both of them lost their jobs and abandoned by their lovers, they went to gamble at the casinos in Macau. Coincidentally, they both suffered heavy losses and were held hostage by the loan sharks. It was then they fell in love with each other. When they finally secure their freedom, they return to Hong Kong and live together.

While they started living together, their luck turns. They keep on winning until Flora is pregnant; they then decide to get married. However, before the wedding banquet is held, both of them cannot shake off their gambling addiction and lose their whole fortune. Their parents have to pay for their wedding finally.

With the birth of their daughter “Lucky”, Manfred and Flora consider quitting their gambling habits, but all their efforts were in vain. Instead they are debt ridden to such an extent they decide to end their lives. They buy a Mark Six ticket with their last ten dollars, and like a miracle, they win the first prize totalling over $100 million. However, they decide to split the money and have a divorce after all.

But who should have their daughter’s custody? After a long fight, they come to an agreement that both should quit gambling for a week and whoever breaks the agreement will lose his/her custody right. Private detectives are hired to watch over both of them. They do not realize how painful it is to quit gambling, even for just seven days. However, on the last day, something unimaginable happens…

Movie Review:

Never underestimate the man- that’s one thing we’ve learnt about veteran director Wong Jing from his movies. Just as you think he’s hit a new nadir in his career with a string of appalling flops ‘Future X-Cops’, ‘Men Suddenly in Love’ and ‘Treasure Hunt’, the (in)famous director of some of most trashy albeit entertaining Hong Kong comedies of the past three decades surprises with a hilarious comedy reminiscent of his best works.

Of course, this latest also marks a return to familiar territory for Wong Jing, built as it is around the theme of gambling. Yes this is the man who created one of Chow Yun-Fat’s iconic screen statuses with the classic ‘God of Gamblers’ series back in the late 1980s, did likewise for Andy Lau with ‘The Conman’ and ‘The Conmen in Vegas’ back in the late 1990s, and most recently made the same indelible imprint on Yuen Wah and Yuen Qiu’s career with his ‘Kung Fu Mahjong’ series. Somehow, despite being a jack of all genres, it is in that of the gambling comedy where Wong Jing has truly been a master.

The first half of the movie chock-full of wacky gags demonstrates just that. In flashback mode, and narrated by its lead star Chapman To, the film introduces the events leading up to the unlikely romance between two pathological gamblers. Manfred- or Shu Qi as his Chinese name goes- (To) and Flora (Fiona Sit) are two halves of that odd couple, whose paths cross one fateful day when Flora and her buddy Vulgarlina (Harriet Yeung) snatch a cab from Manfred under the guise of an emergency. In the process, Manfred loses the money intended for a horse racing bet- while as Murphy’s Law would have it, the very bets he had intended to place turn out to be the winning ones.

Manfred runs into the pair at a Macau casino and proceed to engage in a prolonged battle which leaves either side none the richer. Worse still, they end up owing a bunch of loansharks’ money (led by Hong Kong cinema resident baddie Jin Gang) and their commiseration at each other’s mutual sorry predicament is one of many laugh-out-loud sequences of the movie. Ditto for their subsequent meet the in-laws encounters- Manfred’s father (an utterly delightful Law Kar Ying) a part-time actor and full-time husband to his demential wife (Bonnie Wong) whom he fools into thinking he is Andy Lau; and Flora’s mother (Mimi Zhu) a scheming materialist who demands money from Manfred from day one in exchange for her daughter’s hand in marriage.

Equally offbeat is their marriage ceremony, both husband and wife glued to TV screens and then to their earpieces as they watch and listen intently to the live broadcast of a horse racing competition they had made bets on even while making their marriage vows. In typical Wong Jing fashion, the gags are thrown together in an almost haphazard manner, and so Manfred’s profession as a part-time actor turns out to be an excuse to poke generous fun at a fellow Wong director’s upcoming movie ‘The Grandmasters’.

What place you may ask does it have in the midst of a gambling-themed rom-com? Nothing really, except for the fact that it makes for absolutely uproarious fun. Chapman gets to do his best Tony Leung impersonation, while Matt Chow gets to play Wong Jing Wai (yes, that’s a combination of Wong Jing and Wong Kar-Wai’s name for you) filming Manfred in the appropriately titled ‘The Grandmasters- 2046’ with an indefinite release date. Before any Wong Kar Fai fans cry blasphemy, know that it’s all done in the name of good-natured hearty fun.

Admittedly, the jaunty pace of the first half takes a beating with a melodramatic change in tone following Manfred and Flora’s nuptials. In the movie’s weakest and most illogical plot twist, Manfred becomes an international star with the completion of ‘The Grandmasters- 2012’ and sets his sights on Hollywood as well as his wealthy producer/ financier Michelle (Hu Ran); while Flora gets a job at a casino and becomes the apple of the young boss’ (Philip Ng) eye. Dirt-digging ensues before an impending divorce, and what began as light-hearted suddenly takes a more sombre tone.

Despite the abrupt tonal shift, Wong Jing has his heart in the right place, attempting to show how too much focus on each other’s career and too little time on each other’s marriage can tear a couple apart. Though it probably isn’t too hard to guess how their marital conflicts pan out (has a Wong Jing film ever had anything less than a happy ending?), Wong Jing still manages to inject poignancy through a reiteration of their similarities and their under-appreciated dependency on each other for even the simple things in life. Yes clunky it may be, but there is probably more poignancy here than you’ll find in most of Wong Jing’s other films.

That we remain so engaged throughout is also thanks to the wonderful chemistry between Chapman and Fiona. They may not be the most physically attractive screen couple, but Chapman’s unassuming likeability and Fiona’s infectious spunk will more than win you over. The ensemble supporting cast of veterans (Kar Ying, Mimi Zhu and Bonnie Wong) are just as delightful, so kudos to Wong Jing for getting the casting for this movie spot-on.

What makes this Wong Jing film even more significant is the fact that it is the first true-blue made in Hong Kong comedy in recent memory, relatively undiluted by the sanitisation imposed by cross-strait China productions. Fashioned with the same madcap sensibilities of classic ‘mo lei tau’ comedies, it easily goes down as one of the most enjoyable Wong Jing movies of late and a surefire sign that the filmmaker isn’t quite ready to be written off just yet. If you’re looking for some harmless fun at the movies, you can go no wrong taking a gamble at this delightful gambling rom-com. 

Movie Rating: 

(With plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this latest from veteran writer/ director Wong Jing offers generous madcap fun and a guaranteed hilarious and entertaining time)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Scott Hicks
Cast: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Jay R. Ferguson, Riley Thomas Stewart, Adam Lefevre, Blythe Danner
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Scenes of Intimacy and Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://theluckyonemovie.warnerbros.com/

Opening Day: 19 April 2012

Synopsis: U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive - a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.

Movie Review:

I can presume that producer Denise Di Novi must be quite the Nicholas Sparks fan, having produced all of the author's works for the big screen from The Notebook to this latest film with Zac Efron headlining the cast. In some fashion, Sparks fans and romantic die hards will know exactly what to expect from the story, and to be honest it can be quite formulaic as far as romantic films go with the rules of engagement followed down to a pat, however films like these can either move you to wonder why some great romances don't happen to you in real life, or roll your eyes at some of the contrived moments.

Dear John had the lovebirds having to take a break no thanks to a call up for a tour of duty in the Middle East, and The Lucky One takes the cue from that theatre of war, where soldier Logan (Efron) finds himself being smiled at by Lady Luck multiple times in surviving many close shaves. He credits this to the photograph he randomly picked up from some rubble which had a beautiful blonde and an inscription at the back which reads “Keep Safe”, and makes a vow to track her down if he makes it out alive at the end and returns home. Which he does, and with some internet sleuthing and some good ol' legwork, finds this girl Beth (Taylor Schilling), a divorcee living with her mum and working in an animal shelter, and eventually finds herself becoming an employee, falling in love with her in the process.

Now you have to suspend disbelief if you are to enjoy The Lucky One. The key theme of the story, as already suggested by its title, is about Fate and Destiny, big and convenient themes for any storyteller to force everything down your throat. Logan is lucky to survive many battlefield engagements when the rest of his platoon mates don't, and in true blue needle in a haystack moment, tracks down one blonde girl amongst millions of coalition forces troops, where anyone could have dropped a photograph like that. But you have to believe that with American forces being the predominant coalition make up that the girl has to be American, and posing in front of a generic lighthouse would make it easy for it to be googled.

Once you can accept that, then it's the usual boy meets girl, girl thinks him having walked all the way to find her is crazy, but they both find common ground, especially since the guy is innately sly in working his way to her heart through her young son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart). In what would be a little bit different from the usual Nicholas Sparks characters is that these two potential lovebirds bring with them plenty of emotional baggage and involving an extended family of sorts. Logan is as jumpy as many Mid-East war veterans were reported to be when they return home, and still possesses this killer streak which he struggles to control as he assimilates back to civilian life, while Beth finds herself still stuck in a relationship rut, having divorced her husband Keith (Jay R. Ferguson) the county sheriff, but yet still under his sphere of influence for fear of losing joint custody of her son. It makes it a little worse when Keith happens to be the son of a judge, so Beth does have plenty of inferiority complex to overcome.

That's where you find love being the opportunity and bridge for these two to find each other, and as with the grand scheme of things, love makes you become somewhat fearless, as we see how these two conquer the obstacles placed in their paths, and turn out to be better people. As with any typical romance films there really isn't a true out and out villain as Sparks also provides a sympathetic point to Keith, with redeeming qualities and a chance for that redemption to turn into action. Just as you thought things would run its natural course, I suppose this expectation, coupled with the slow pace at how things develop, made The Lucky One look very much like The Boring One. Scott Hicks felt like he was directing this on autopilot, not keeping an eye on the clock, allowing scenes to overstay their welcome especially parts from the mid-section, and managing to suck the romanticism out of what's supposed to be tender, romantic moments between the lead characters.

Many of us would see Zac Efron as that alpha male who's lively to a fault and full of zest, or at least that's what his public persona to date would suggest, but he somehow managed to sedate himself and put on his best blank expression throughout the movie, so credit to him for that. Taylor Schilling looked like she's overawed to be in a production such as this one, although a turn in character toward feistiness made her a little more interesting than one suited to wallow in self-pity. Together the two leads made it just plausible enough to believe they were made for each other, although the more interesting scenes tend to happen when they are not together, which says a lot. Blythe Danner as Beth's mom perhaps had some of the best lines in the film, being the wise and cool head in a film with plenty of running emotions, while Riley Thomas Stewart unfortunately was just another forgettable child actor playing an equally forgettable child character.

Still, the Nicholas Sparks branding will likely pull couples looking for their next romantic genre flick fix into the cinemas. Just don't come to expect too much from an established formula, and find some other distraction while the middle of the movie sags under its own weight.

Movie Rating:

(Needs to breathe with a little more heart and soul)

Review by Stefan Shih

Genre: Fantasy/Comedy
Director: Tarsem Singh
Cast: Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Sean Bean, Mare Winningham, Michael Lerner, Robert Emms, Mark Provinelli, Martin Klebba, Jordan Prentice, Danny Woodburn, Ronald Lee Clark, Joe Gnoffo, Sebastian Saraceno
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://mirrormirrorfilm.com/

Opening Day: 5 April 2012

Synopsis: Relativity's "Mirror Mirror" is a spectacular reimagining of the classic fairy tale starring Oscar winner Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins ("The Blind Side") as Snow White, Armie Hammer ("The Social Network") as Prince Alcott, Sean Bean ("Game of Thrones," "The Lord of the Rings") as the King and Nathan Lane ("The Lion King," "The Birdcage") as the Queen's hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over. Visionary director Tarsem Singh ("Immortals") rewrites fairy tale history as a wicked enchantress (Roberts) schemes and scrambles for control of a spirited orphan's (Collins) throne and the attention of a charming prince (Hammer). When Snow White's beauty wins the heart of the prince that she desperately pursues, the Queen banishes her to the forest, where a ravening man-eating beast hungrily awaits. Rescued by a band of diminutive highway robbers, Snow White grows into an indomitable young woman determined to take back her realm from the treacherous Queen. With the support of her subjects, she roars into action in an epic battle that blends spectacle, magic and contemporary humor in Singh's signature, jaw-dropping visual style.

Movie Review:

Mirror Mirror begins with The Queen (Julia Roberts) immediately hijacking the story as her own.

Having previously usurped the crown after the mysterious death of Snow White’s father, the King, she spends her days taxing the already-beleaguered poor so she can dress extravagantly and throw lavish parties to entertain various wealthy suitors. Snow White (Lily Collins) is locked in her room all day and on her eighteenth birthday, she escapes her confines and takes her first journey into town where she witness the suffering of the people who once danced and sing all day. Completing her day of surprises, Snow then wanders out into the woods and chances upon the prince (Armie Hammer) and his servant suspended upside down from a rope and stripped of nearly all their clothing, having been robbed by the famous bandits of the forest. The prince is instantly smitten by his wide-eyed saviour, but she vanishes before he can act.  As the prince of a neighbouring kingdom, he presented himself before the Queen, who immediately lust after the handsome and wealthy young man. A ball given in his honour reunites Prince Alcott and Snow, who illicitly crept down to join the party.  The Queen, then decided to take extreme measures to make sure that she will never be upstaged again, ordered Snow to be dragged out to the woods to face the mythical beast that terrorises the townsfolk.  In her rush to escape from the howling creature, she finds herself in a tiny hovel belonging to the other supposed danger in the forest, the bandits aka the seven dwarves. Taking pity on the girl in need -- and really enjoying her homemaking skills – they allow Snow to remain while they devise a plan for the princess to take her rightful place as the kingdom’s ruler. Meanwhile, back at the palace, the Queen uses witchery to enthral the reticent Prince and a misbegotten potion has him on the verge of marrying the evil empress until Snow and her diminutive gang rescues him.  The Queen inevitably discovers Snow’s not quite as dead as first thought. She then uses all her magic, despite advice from the psychic in her magic mirror, to kill the girl and the dwarves hiding her. 

Julia Roberts, a recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actress (Erin Brockovich, 2000), shows that she has enough talent to steal the limelight form the original female lead of this fairy tale. Roberts is fun and campy yet overflowing with dismissiveness, arrogance and flippantness that it is hard not to enjoy her performance and laugh at her antics. Lily Collins is beautiful enough as Snow White with her porcelain pale skin, but a pity, her acting is not. The lack of chemistry with Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott is very telling. Despite Hammer’s best effort, playing the prince with plenty of charm and a good balance of goofiness and aloofness, the romance between the young couple is not brought across convincingly. In fact, Hammer’s scenes with Roberts are much more entertaining and infectious. The Seven Dwarfs reinvented as a gang of bandits, having new names and all, fall short too. Half Pint, Grub, Butcher, Wolf, Grimm, Napoleon and Chuckles have a very enjoyable introduction into the film, but they were not much fun after that. Each dwarf was very one dimensional, hitting home exactly who they are and nothing more.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the film is the outrageously beautiful costumes designed by the late Eiko Ishioka (Academy Award winner for Best Costume Design in 1992) and Mirror Mirror is, sadly, befittingly her swan song. Director Tarsem Singh stayed true to his style, and he knows how to use the power of art direction to create stunningly inventive images. With just four features to his name, the Indian-born director has developed a reputation for layered and arresting fantasy visuals that are hard to forget. His The Immortals (2011) also boasted a visual style that clearly outclassed its story. In Mirror Mirror, he, yet again, complemented the script with an impeccably lush production design to create a world that feels like pages out of a children's book. However, Singh's inclination is to slow things down and drink in his surroundings and this is made worse with the uneven script by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller. Mirror Mirror has so much potential to be something different and unique from the other adaptations.  It was a fresh and interesting start with the Queen’s narration of the story which is full of her cynical yet ridiculously amusing comments until it took a 180 degree turn at the middle to follow comparatively boring Snow White instead where it all become pretty much predictable, except the nice twist with the poison apple.

In this age where fairy-tale reinvention is the hot new trend in Hollywood, Mirror Mirror may not be the fairest of them all, but it definitely provides enough fun, laughter and enjoyment for the young and young at heart at this moment, until another Snow White comes to town (which is pretty soon).

Movie Rating:

(Mirror Mirror, on the wall, Julia Roberts still has enough magic to charm children and adult alike in this reinvention of the classic tale)

Review by Sing Swee Leong

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: George Lucas
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Pernilla August, Oliver Ford Davies, Hugh Quarshie, Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp
RunTime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Rating: PG
Released By:  20th Century Fox
Official Website: http://www.starwars.com/

Opening Day: 9 February 2012

Synopsis:  Join the celebration as Star Wars ® returns to theaters. Discover how the epic story of Anakin Skywalker™ begins on the big screen for the first time ever in 3D. A young slave boy o the desert planet Tatooine™, Anakin™ is strong in the Force, and an amazing Podracer pilot. Jedi™ Master Qui-Gon Jinn™ discovers Anakin and sees his potential to be a great Jedi™ Knight. Meanwhile, the droid army of the greedy Trade Federation invades the peaceful planet of Naboo™ as part of a secret plot by the Sith™ to gain power. In defending Queen Amidala™ of Naboo™, the Jedi™ Knights will cross lightsaber™ blades with the deadly Sith™ Lord, Darth Maul™.

Movie Review:

Where do i start with this? Much to the fans around the world, a clear divide was born to those who embrace the evolution and those who scorn at the abomination that was produced. Of course there are those who just don’t care. Opened in 1999, more than a decade ago, prequels was introduced to the cinematic trails of saga and solution to the evolutions of seemingly dead franchise. Origin story churn up the whys and hows and that gave the life of a certain character or situation for which in a way, if done correctly, enhances the visual feast upon reentering the original realm. In my opinion, its really a double edge sword. In one hand, character build up can create a further more enticing series for enjoyment and of cos in business wise, hence the term, milking the cow. In another hand, this deludes the fantasy and mystery that the original satire was build up and as how JJ Abrams says it, the mind is a very powerful tool to see the growth of curiosity. Then there’s the George Lucas. Yes, i’ve made his name into a verb. Someone who milks the hell out of a cow till its bone dry.

First it was the VHS, then VCD, then the DVD, Laser Disc and Blu-ray. That’s the home entertainment mind you. In the theater, you have the original trinity, then the subsequent 3 prequel, then the re-release of the original in digital with CG elements. And now the latest in its range, the beginning of a re-release, starting from episode 1 Phantom Menace in glorious 3D. I wonder, after the whole series is done, what will come next? Immersive? Smellovision? Force feedback motion (whoa that quite an idea really. I call dibs on that idea. You heard it first in MX!) ? The possibility are endless.

Well since the force is strong with this one Jedi, There’s no use fighting. It’s inevitable. I’m not particularly mad about the milking though. I am however furious with the shoddy work the 3D conversion was done for its re-release. It was hopeful at first, the black space and scrolling intro. Then it went down hill. Depth perception was not apparent enough. My only saving grace was the pod racing sequence and even that had its downfall. Much hope was put upon await for the Darth Maul saber fight sequence to pull me through, winning my affection of the 3D conversion but it just made me disappointed. The odd pacing and fighting choreograph is still lingering true from the first time i saw it. And being having moments a tad fast and blurry, hardly any 3D was apparent for my awe.

You can’t deny, Star Wars saga is a mountainous eruption that will continue to send fan base all around the world to view its majestic, but the magic of it has somehow lost the story and true form and quite apparently, more about making the bucks. As i slowly exited the hall, i over heard a few ho hums along the way and I'm pretty sure many unheard. The fact is, the saga should have been left as it is, without the bling bling because it may have added a evolution to its next step, it may have lost some fans along the way.

Oh dear does that mean i have to buy the 3D Blu-ray edition? Damn it!

Movie Rating:
  

(Watch it for the nostalgia- not the 3D experience)

Review by Lokman B S