Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Norio Tsuruta
Cast: Mirai Shida, Haruna Kawaguchi
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Frightening Scenes And Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://pov-film.com/

Opening Day: 26 April 2012

Synopsis: Mirai and Haruna are shooting a show streamed on smartphones which introduces different viewer submitted videos. That day the videos were all of paranormal phenomena, carefully selected alleged accurate accounts of haunted occurrences. In the middle of one video, the image gets interrupted, immediately turning back on to show a footage that was not in the script. The video capture an urban legend rumored at Haruna’s school. A psychic on the show assesses that a certain demonological ritual must be performed in order to rid the school of this phenomena. The director, agents and the two girls go to the school accordingly to find there is more to the video than meets the eye. 

Movie Review:

The found footage horror sub genre has been introduced in a number of countries each adapting the usual shaky-camera technique and first person perspective, and it's curious to note that Japan, whose horror films champion atmospherics, seem to be falling short and trailing in the adoption of this protocol. Written and directed by Norio Tsuruta, who presented films like Premonition and The Ring 0, P.O.V. perhaps was a case in point that not all cinematic horror films can utilize found footage, coming across as quite artificial in treatment, and riddled with enough plot loopholes that made it seem like a relatively lazy production.

Starring Mirai Shida and Haruna Kawaguchi as themselves, the story revolves around Mirai's television programme that introduces the viewer to video clips submitted by others. For this particular episode it centers on the paranormal, and the submission dwelled upon a mysterious looking restroom in which a cubicle door opens automatically. Soon the girls and their crew get haunted by a mysterious image caught on film, and before you know it, they're going back to Haruna's school, the source of their hauntings, on the advice of a psychic where a ritual is to be performed in order to put a lid on everything. It sounds like a perfect plan, only that nobody discusses about nor assessed the risks involved in getting into the lion's den.

For starters, the cinematography is going to get to you, even for the most patient amongst us. The film spends more than half the time, especially within the school compound, bouncing around everywhere, which works for the filmmakers in keeping production costs low since almost everything can't be caught in focus in the film. One is expected to get spooked by the plenty of fluorescent lights being turned on and off, and shadowy figures who seem to pop up out of nowhere, before disappearing again once they have sent the crew packing and running down in the opposite direction. You hardly get to see anything up close, and efforts were tremendous in trying to keep everything consistent in the mood to chalk up some scares, but I suppose subtlety doesn't quite go hand in glove with found footage.

There's a method to the madness of course, where you will learn in a reveal why this had to be so, and about the usual unfinished business the primary ghoul, a long haired spirit, tends to have a grudge against rather than disappearing into the netherworld. But throughout the mid section where it's supposed to have ramped up in its spooky offerings, you'd tend to feel mildly disturbed by its repetitiveness and lack of focus and direction, before the final third after the faux pas end credits (please don't leave the theatre just yet) showed that glimmer of hope and was actually the saving grace of the film, until it decided to shoot itself in the foot through the lack of logic. It tried to come up with a twist, and it did, but trust me you'd have to suspend disbelief for a bit, especially when it involves solid matter and the passing through another solid matter.

Norio Tsuruta may have wanted to make a film about perspectives, drawing conclusions from how a series of events may be interpreted from different points of view, or vantage points, set up throughout the film. It may come from that of a pre-recorded disc, or through the lens of a camera, either singular or through a series set up to capture from different angles, or even a meta film that draws its edition from multiple sources. The final act was perhaps one that will raise goosebumps for its sitting through almost everything again in a darkened hall that will resemble the cinema the audience is in, with both Mirai and Haruna being pitch perfect for the crescendo, but alas if you'd take a step back and examine things closely, everything will begin to fall apart once more.

Movie Rating:

(Good while it lasted, but can't withstand further scrutiny)

Review by Stefan Shih

SYNOPSIS: Year 1908. SEE and ZHUNG run a Hokkien Mee stall in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur, and they always face extortion from the colonial police and the Chinese gangs. One day, See finds a Chinese seal in her pillow and gambles it away. To impress Zhung, See recruits his neighbors to form the Self-Strengthening Society to protect themselves from the gangs. In the hilarious process, See befriends a mysterious, beautiful kungfu expert who believes that he is a descendant of the missing Jian Wen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Meanwhile, Zhung and Tan Kun start to reveal their superb kungfu skills. Soon, skilled fighters from Japan and the Qing Government start to converge in Kuala Lumpur and pursue See for a treasure map that he doesn’t know he has. Can See find out what has really happened and finally reconcile with his wife?

MOVIE REVIEW:

Our local comedian Mark Lee truly deserves the top honour for being such a hardworking dude clocking in countless hours of variety shows on television and chalking up at least four big screen appearances in 2011 alone. And notice we have yet mentioned his business ventures in salons and eateries.

In this Malaysia’s produced period comedy, “Petaling Street Warriors”, the pockmarked funnyman plays a simpleton named Shi Duyao who runs a Hokkien mee stall with his wife, Lichun (Yeo Yann Yann). Unknown to him, Duyao is supposedly a descendent of the dethroned Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty and he might or might not be holding the key to a treasure map. But as an evil eunuch and a mysterious beautiful ninja descend upon Petaling Street, Lichun finally unravels her long hidden secrets.

Helmed by James Lee and Sampson Yuen, an ex-Mediacorp producer, “Petaling Street Warriors” is a rib tickling ‘mo-lei-tau’ comedy, at times political satire mixed with kungfu action piece in which this region of audience do not often get to see. The RM3 million budget is being put to good use as the filmmakers spent a lot of effort sprucing a section of the street and buildings to make it feel as if it’s the early 1900s. I guess you can’t replicate it in Singapore with that sum of money as for the record we need SGD$750 million just to revamp our canal system let alone recreating an authentic street scene for movie making. Thus this little trivia explains why our filmmakers can only stick to contemporary dramas or the best option right now is to cross over the causeway.

Anyway the role of Shi Duyao naturally comes alive in the hands of Mark Lee. He has been playing the Ah-Beng for far too long and it’s refreshing to see him playing an innocent, simple mee-seller whose only grudge is why he has to wear a chastity innerwear! The jokes and gags are mostly play for laughs and a majority comes courtesy of the earlier mentioned ‘gadget’ and Duyao’s favourite phrase, ‘Jidut’. The luxury of hearing the cast members cracking their jokes in a variety of dialects is uproarious especially when people liked J-Team regular John Cheng shows up as a Hokkien-sprouting gangster. And wait for another absurdly cameo from director/writer Jack Neo who despite his scandalous past still has the charisma to tickle on the big screen. Not forgetting also Mediacorp actor Chen Taiming’s cameo in the movie that gives Taiwanese actor Winston Chao a run for his money.

The Queen of local indie film circuit, Yeo Yann Yann didn’t disappoint in her first official fight role and she brings a touch of seriousness to balance out the nonsensical humour around her. Chris Tong (viewers who watched Channel 8 dramas will know her from C.L.I.F and The Family Court) did her part well as a bewitching ninja in disguise and Frederick Lee (younger brother of Christopher Lee) looks more smashing than sinister as the evil eunuch Ma Fuyi. The fighting sequences with the aid of HK choreographer Ma Yuk Sing looks better than the usual regional productions but honestly nothing exceptionally impressive.

While the movie is in need of a tighter editing especially when it comes to some unnecessary corny, gag scenes one involving Duyao’s buddies disguising as vampires, “Petaling Street Warriors” remains as one of the best period kungfu comedy ever coming out of this region. While you might not appreciate the occasional jabs at the political scene, just remember Mark Lee and company’s outrageous antics will tide you over any depressing post-weekend mood. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Making of featurette covers plenty of behind-the-scenes footages and interviews with the two directors and main cast members such as Mark Lee, Yeo Yann Yann and Namewee. A Trailer and a Photo Gallery round up the extras.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Though the night shots looks slightly darker than expected, the visual transfer is satisfactory on the whole with brimming natural colours. Dialogue is clear and sound effects are loud, aggressive at times but have its limits given the Dolby Digital 2.0 output.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS:  A rumour about a spirit of a mad woman haunts the soldiers stationed on an island used for military training. It is said that the woman died at 23:59pm and comes back at the very same time every night to haunt the living. Tan, one of the recruits, suspect he's the next victim of the spirit and tries to convince his fellow recruit named Jeremy. Jeremy claims that there are no such things as ghost and adds in that it's all in Tan's head. Then during one of the training exercises, Tan is found dead with an expression of deep fear on his face. With guilt in his heart, Jeremy has to face his worst fears to uncover the spine-tingling truth about the island and its "unique" guest.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It was something just waiting to happen, wasn’t it? All those years reading chapter after chapter about haunted army camps in Russell Lee’s “True Singapore Ghost Stories”, all those nights listening to supernatural tales narrated by friends who have enlisted in the armed forces before us, all those moments scaring ourselves silly during guard duty shifts – it all led to this. A feature film about an army ghost story which boys (who have since become men) can identify with.

So it’s only natural that this columnist is curious to find out whether writer-director Gilbert Chan’s debut feature film will send chills down his spine. After all, this self-declared fearless mortal did his part of serving the nation more than 10 years ago. This just means that he did his national service on a five-and-a-half-day week, and beat this – lower allowance. Most importantly, he had slept in one of those run-down bunkers which can easily let your imagination run amok.

Chan’s script tells the story of a group of army recruits staying on an island which is supposedly haunted by an insane woman who died at 23:59. A cowardly soldier claims that the spirit has been visiting him every night. The next thing his fellow recruits know, he is found dead after a route march. Strange things continue happening, and the soldiers’ worst fears come true.

Conceptually, this story does have a lot of potential to scare the hell out of local audiences (especially those who have served their national service offshore). Who isn’t afraid of that strange old lady who appears at the door every time you open your eyes in the middle of the night? Who isn’t freaked out by that strange noise emitting from the bushes whenever you patrol the camp with your buddy? And aren’t you damn sure that there is a pair of eyes watching over you as you leopard crawl through the twigs and branches?

Rated PG13 for horror theme and disturbing scenes, this movie won’t be the scariest picture you would see. Chan tries a little too hard to set up the frights, and although there are a few effective shocks, they are few and far between. Besides the fact these moments come across as cheap scares, what you’d get from a large part of the 78-minute production are soldiers looking disturbed, frightened and anxious.

Headlined by local comedian Mark Lee who does his best to inject some light-hearted moments in the otherwise dreary movie, the decently-produced flick also stars Malaysian stars Henley Hii and Josh Lai. The two good-lookers are convincing as army boys (it’s amazing what a shaved head can do to your acting), but the show is stolen by, err, a badly deformed girl who creeps out from the corner to shock the hell out of unknowing audiences.

That said, marks go the makeup team for creating such a hideous creature. Also, the production values of this averagely-rated movie aren’t too bad. From location scouting and art direction to cinematography and sound design, the team deserves commendation. Maybe it’s just a case of this demanding (and ahem, fearless) columnist who does not know (yet!) the true meaning of fear.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Code 3 DVD contains two Trailers, a 23 minute Making of which features your usual interviews with the cast and crew (the makeup process is quite interesting though) and a Photo Gallery. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

There is nothing to complain about the movie’s visual transfer. It is presented in its original Mandarin, English and dialect audio tracks.   

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: “Life Without Principle” tells the story of three ordinary citizens - bank teller Teresa (Denise Ho), triad thug Buzzard (Lau Ching Wan) and Police inspector Cheung Jin Fong (Richie Jen), whose lives are turned upside down by a bizarre robbery. Hammered by the predicaments of their respective lives, what are their choices between money and principles?

MOVIE REVIEW:

What does three unrelated individuals got to do with one another in this Johnny To’s directed drama?     

After a hiatus of two years, the acclaimed director and producer is back with “Life Without Principle”, a social drama that builds around the troubling state of the Greek economy and its impact on the financial world. Adopting a non-linear narrative, certain level of patience is a must for the casual audience as To and his Milkyway scripting team takes us through the lives of Inspector Cheung (Richie Jen), Bank officer Teresa (Denise Ho) and a triad member, Panther (Lau Ching Wan).

Cheung is a workaholic inspector who doesn’t share his fiancée, Connie’s (Myolie Wu) enthusiasm in purchasing an $8 million new flat for investment purposes. Teresa under pressure from her demanding boss is desperate to meet her sales target while the ever-loyal Panther goes all the way to save his fellow sworn brothers out of financial situations. Lastly the death of a loanshark is thrown into the mix. Those expecting To’s usual trigger-happy, guns-toting action sequences will be sorely disappointed even though “Life Without Principle” features a cop and a triad member.

Much of the narrative focused on the thankless job of bank officer and the scripting did a good job explaining to audience the risks of hedge funds through Teresa and an elderly woman who simply wants more returns out of her million dollar savings. Knowing the high risk of the fund and the ignorance of the old woman, Teresa went on with the transaction. This is an interesting jab at the Lehman Brothers fiasco and perhaps a demonstration of the basic greed of men. One individual has to meet her sales target while the other unknowingly walks into a financial trap purely on the promise of 7% return rate. The other character Panther while at times play for laughs is enticing enough given the Triad member who has no prior knowledge of investment manages to hit a homerun in the end. Cheung on the other hand is more gung-ho fighting criminals than handling his materialistic fiancée who insists on getting a new sea-view apartment. With the exception of Panther, the characters of Teresa and Cheung take a realistic view at the mindset of people with materialistic desires. Don’t we all love money in a way?   

Cantopop singer Denise Ho did a low key but remarkable job and we really hope to see her face more often. Lau Ching Wan who is no stranger to the financial world given his recent appearance in “Overheard 2” and the TVB blockbuster, “The Greed of Man” did a serviceable job as the naive Panther who just can’t stop blinking his eyes. Owing to the constraint of the plotting, Richie Jen is allocated with yet another forgettable role.

Johnnie To’s “Life Without Principle” is a departure from his usual forays into the triad or romantic pastures. It’s his statement on moral dilemmas and the current instability of the financial world.   

SPECIAL FEATURES:

This DVD only contains a Trailer and Photo Gallery.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The mandarin track is clear for this dialogue-based drama. Colours and image transfer is natural and good looking.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: War/Drama
Director: Renny Harlin
Cast: Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Richard Coyle, Heather Graham, Andy Garcia, Val Kilmer
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: NC-16 (War Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.fivedaysofwar.com/

Opening Day: 1 March 2012

Synopsis: In this intensely human portrayal of courage under fire, acclaimed director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) combines heart-pounding action with real human drama, as he tells the riveting story of a war reporter caught behind enemy lines during the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia. As a nation fights for its very survival, a brave and passionate coalition of international reporters and local Georgians risk their lives to tell the true human cost of military conflict. Filmed for six weeks on location, 5 Days Of War is a suspenseful and moving portrait of people who risk their lives every day to report from the front lines. 

Movie Review:

For a film that invokes Senator Hiram Johnson’s classic quote ‘the first casualty of war is truth’, it is ironic that the first casualty of this account of the brief period of fighting between Russia and the Georgian republic is objectivity. Told entirely from the perspective of the Georgians, and intended to portray the five-day war as an act of aggression by Russia to snatch the breakaway republic of South Ossetia while the world was distracted by the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, it whitewashes the responsibility of the Georgians in favour of clunky melodrama to paint the Georgians as victims.

No wonder really- this political action thriller that tries to be in the vein of ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘Body of Lies’ was funded by Georgia International Films and made with the full support of the Georgian government and their array of tanks, helicopters and munitions. And to ensure that it reaches a wider audience, the producers have employed Hollywood director Renny Harlin to be at the helm, ostensibly because they have admired his action blockbusters from the ‘90s- ‘Die Hard 2’ and ‘Cliffhanger’ among his biggest hits.

Harlin is however a director of little finesse, and he approaches the biased material from screenwriter Mikko Alane (who will also be writing Oliver Stone’s upcoming film about the My Lai massacre) with about the subtlety as a sledgehammer. The result are plenty of explosions, whether exploding tanks, exploding cars or exploding buildings, but little of the significance of the events gets much in-depth treatment. It’s a shame really, for one can see that in the hands of a less bombastic director, this could have been quite the insightful look at journalism and its power to influence world opinion.

The perspective with which Harlin brings his audience in is that of war reporter Thomas Anders (Rupert Friend), who in the film’s opening minutes loses his lover (an oddly cast Heather Graham) to Iraqi militants. At the behest of a fellow journalist known simply as the Dutchman (Val Kilmer in another inexplicable cameo), Thomas travels to Georgia with his reliable photographer Sebastian Ganz (Richard Coyle) right before the skirmish between Russia and Georgia erupts.

On the first night of the conflict, Thomas meets a beautiful local Tatia (a miscast Emmanuelle Chriqui) who follows them on their journey to document the atrocities committed by the Russians to serve as their interpreter on the premise that they will assist her to locate her family. Against their attempt to bring to light the truth behind enemy lines, an exasperated President Mikheil Saakashvili (Andy Garcia) tries to get international help to stop the impending invasion but finding himself isolated from both the United States as well as the United Nations.

Alane juxtaposes Thomas’ determination to broadcast the footage he and Sebastian had captured with the indifference of the world leaders as expressed through President Saakashvili’s growing frustration at their inaction, and indeed the question of how significant our war journalists who risk life and limb to bring us images and videos of war is a compelling one. Yet Harlin undermines Alane’s efforts by directing the scenes as if he were filming some big-budget summer entertainment, emboldened possibly by the cooperation he had received from the local Georgian authorities where the movie was shot. The mismatch between director and material is even more obvious when he tries to adopt a more documentary-like approach to filming the individual scenes, which sits awkwardly with the money shots of destruction he is evidently more comfortable with.

Harlin fails even more miserably to put a human face to the sufferings, the melodramatic scenes so ineptly filmed that they are almost laughable. Certainly, the human cost of the war is not to be ignored, but Harlin too readily resorts to music cues and slo-mo camera work to hammer across the supposed poignancy, which fails rather abysmally. To inject some narrative into the events, Harlin introduces the Russian colonel Demidov (Rade Serbedzija) and his ruthless deputy who are desperate to get their hands on Thomas’ memory card to destroy evidence of their terrible deeds- but the resolution to this is straight out of a Hollywood playbook of clichés.

The only justice the movie does to the conflict is in its last five minutes, where real-life survivors of the war come before the camera with pictures of their loved ones who have died or gone missing. None of the rest of the movie compares with the power of these simple scenes that put a human face to the tragedy- and while this dramatised account tries to also champion the contributions of war journalists, it embarrasses more than celebrates their achievements. Strip aside the geopolitical message, and even as a war movie a la “Black Hawk Down”, this rarely packs enough action to thrill. You’d better be off reading about the Russia/ Georgia conflict than watching this rendition of it.

Movie Rating: 

(A clumsy attempt at melding Hollywood-style action with geopolitical insights from the Russia/ Georgia war, it is neither exciting nor intelligent enough)

Review by Gabriel Chong 

SYNOPSIS: A sexy summer weekend turns into a blood-soaked nightmare for a group of college students trapped on an island surrounded by voracious underwater predators. Arriving by boat at her family's Louisiana lake island cabin, Sara (Paxton) and her friends quickly strip down to their swimsuits for a weekend of fun in the sun. But when star football player Malik (Walls) stumbles from the salt-water lake with his arm torn off, the party mood quickly evaporates. Assuming the injury was caused by a freak wake-boarding accident, the group realizes they have to get Malik to a hospital on the other side of the lake, and fast. But as they set out in a tiny speedboat, the college friends discover the lake has been stocked with hundreds of massive, flesh-eating sharks! As they face one grisly death after another, Sara and the others struggle desperately to fend off the sharks, get help and stay alive long enough to reach the safety of dry land.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Every possible creature that bites and swims has been made into a movie in Hollywood. Think anacondas, alligators, piranhas and of course sharks which no doubt “Jaws” comes to mind. From director David R. Ellis whose past works include “The Final Destination” and “Snakes On A Plane”, “Shark Night” is yet another cheap exploitative flick that tries hard to cash on the 3D, gorefest craze.

Ellis and his writers waste no time killing their cast members - a group of seven college students out on a vacation trip to a holiday house situated on a remote lake over the weekend. There’s the main protagonist, Sara (Sara Paxton), a geeky medical student, a goofball, the handsome blonde guy, the obligatory athletic African American and two scantily dressed girls. I don’t even need to delve deeper as we all know this is not Steven Spielberg’s JAWS. Amity Island? Shark Hunter Quint? Police Chief Brody? Nah, you won’t find any of these interesting characters or premise in “Shark Night” too.

For a movie that features man-eating sharks, there’s zilch atmospheric tension and this clearly shows Ellis at his worst. Scene after scene of watching the sharks killing its preys only has the audience laughing at how silly it is. Even the deaths are nothing imaginative and one or two scenes have the predators jumping out of the water at their victims as if they are dolphins gone wild. The equally bad subplot featuring Sara’s sinister ex-boyfriend, Dennis and his accomplices is trashy and unnecessary not mentioning the fact that how the sharks reside in a saltwater lake in the first place and Dennis’ cringing effort to educate us on the number of species of Sharks.

To make matters worse, the brakes are pulled with the nudity and gore factors heavily toned. I guess “Piranha 3D” at least deserved what we called ‘gulity pleasure’, “Shark Night” on the other hand fails at all ends unless you desperately crave for unbelievably bad CGI sharks or Sara Paxton in her turquoise bikini which warrant half a star more.  

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The DVD transfer is nothing extraordinary with the images; colours look just fine on the small screen. The screams, shrills and ambient effects such as water splashing etc sounds passable.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: On the surface, Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all…married to a famous spy hunting television reporter, a new baby and intelligent twin step kids. But in reality, trying to mother Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), who clearly don’t want her around, is her toughest challenge yet. Also, her husband, Wilbur (Joel McHale), wouldn’t know a spy if he lived with one which is exactly the case – Marissa’s a retired secret agent. Marissa’s world is turned upside down when the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to take over the planet and she’s called back into action by the head ofOSS, home of the greatest spies and where the now-defunct Spy Kids division was created. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action when they learn their boring stepmom was once a top agent and now the world’s most competitive ten year olds are forced to put their bickering aside and rely on their wits. With a little help from a couple of very familiar Spy Kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world and possibly bring their family together while they’re at it. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Eight years after the last Spy Kids entry, Robert Rodriguez introduced an entirely new cast (sort of) to his latest instalment of his successful Spy Kids franchise, “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World” presented in 4D Aromascope no less. But of course, you won’t get any of them except a whiff of plastic as you unwrapped the DVD.  

Lacking any discerning efforts as compared to Rodriguez’s earlier much entertaining instalments, a villain dubbed Tick Tock (Jeremy Piven) has surfaced in Spy Kids 4 and the movie opens with a pregnant OSS agent, Marissa (Jessica Alba) trying to stop Tick Tock. As Marissa’s two stepchildren, Rebecca and Cecil (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) is pulled into the madcap chase, the trio must team up with ex-Spy Kids, Carmen and Juni (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) to stop a new mysterious villain, The Timekeeper from destroying the world.

While the movie still featured a decent array of gadgets and occasional cheeky pun-filled writings, the multi-talented Rodriguez who also produced, wrote the script, did the cinematography and music is contend populating the spy movie with baby farts, diaper bombs and kiddie vomits. He even throws in a talking dog (kids love dogs don’t they?) named Argonaut voiced by Ricky Gervais minus his usual wit and humour seen at the Golden Globes or his standup comedy acts.

One wonders how much the younger audience will be entertained by all the poop gags and supposedly understood the meaningful messages the story is trying to convey. I for one is utterly bored and disappointed with Rodriguez’s treatment given the man have made a far superior kiddie flick “Shorts” in 2009.

Seriously, with all the dated CG backdrops, special effects, lazy scribing and what? Spy baby?, it’s a miracle “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World” didn’t end up as a direct-to-video release. For one man who pulled off everything independently in his Troublemaker outfit from Sin City to Grindhouse, the audience deserved a better-imagined family flick.  

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are 8 minutes worth of Deleted Scenes followed by the feature, Spy Kids: Passing the Torch where the original Spy Kids Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara reminisces about their glorious past and talks about working with the two current young stars. Rowan & Mason's Video Diary shows us footages behind the kids’ hair makeup, costume and onset schooling. Robert Rodriguez Interview with Kid Reporter is a 7 minutes segment where Rodriguez answers questions from a young wannabe reporter.

 AUDIO/VISUAL:

The visual is both dazzling and colourful, the perfect material for the younger ones while there are plenty of nicely done sounding effects like baby farts.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Director: Boaz Yakin
Cast: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Danni Lang, James Colby, Kate Rogal, James Hong, Reggie Lee, Robert John Burke, Anson Mount, Chris Sarandon
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.safethefilm.com/

Opening Day: 10 May 2012

Synopsis: A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change...until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed. But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action...and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. Mei, he discovers, is no ordinary girl, but an orphaned math prodigy forced to work for the Triads as a "counter." He discovers she holds in her memory a priceless numerical code that the Triads, the Russian mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD will kill for. Realizing he's the only person Mei can trust, Luke tears a swath through the city's brutal underworld to save an innocent girl's life...and perhaps even redeem his own.

Movie Review:

One does not walk into a Jason Statham movie expecting Shakespeare. Or even Woody Allen, for that matter. One walks into a Jason Statham movie expecting non stop wham bham action, and nothing more. After all, this is the man who heightened your adrenalin rush in action flicks like Snatch (2000), The Transporter and Crank series. More recently, he was part of the gang in The Expendables (we can’t wait for the sequel). So if you are looking for a movie to reflect and ponder upon, you may want to look elsewhere.

The English actor and former diver plays a second rate cage fighter (don’t you love how innovative writers can get these days, giving such interesting occupations into their characters?) who gets himself into a messy situation with a Chinese girl whose memory holds a priceless numeric code. She is chased by ruthless triad members, the Russian mobsters and corrupt policemen. Along comes our protagonist, and a cat and mouse games ensues. 

There are two parts to this mission – rescuing the helpless little girl, and using the code to outwit the baddies. It is that simple, so viewers are advised not go into the theatres expecting complicated story developments and dramatic plot twists. Viewer discretion comes in the form of strong violence and language, earning the Boaz Yakin action thriller a M18 rating here.

With that out of the way, let’s concentrate on whether Statham delivers. We’ve always thought the 44 year old to be an underrated action star. Who else in today’s film industry kicks and punches like Statham? And we mean real power kicks and hard fisted punches. Here, amidst the gun shootouts and car chases, Statham impresses us again with his ability to carry off the charisma of a real action star. His masculinity makes men want to be him, and women desire to be with him. Statham’s badass grimness complement the gritty action sequences well, and as much as we don’t believe how his character can remain unscathed throughout the hard hitting violence, we are taken along the ride – suitably awed by how  incredibly absurd this guy can get.

It sure helps that the action star hails from England. Who doesn’t love a crisp British accent? Get out of the way, all you Chris Pines and Channing Tatums.

Statham’s effortless performance is supported by unknowns like Catherine Chan, Danni Lang, James Colby and Kate Rogal. They play characters who live up to your stereotypes of obligatory roles in an action movie. An intelligent Asian kid who holds a special power to unlock an expensive secret? Check. The rowdy mobsters who are lacking in the intelligence department? Check. The corrupted cops who think they can outsmart everyone, but are also not that proficient when it comes to using their brains? Check.

As justified earlier, one does not step into the cinema expecting award winning performances or thought provoking storylines. Statham and his co stars deliver what they are supposed to and do nothing more. The agreeable 95 minute runtime also ensures a fast and engaging ride from the opening sequence to the end credits. Director Yakin (Remember the Titans, Uptown Girls) knows to keep it quick and simple with flashy cinematography (Stefan Czapsky), speedy edits (Frederic Thoraval) and pompous music (Mark Mothersbaugh). The guy’s not out to win an Oscar, he’s out to bombard your senses. And on that note, this agreeable action flick delivers. 

Movie Rating:

(Jason Statham’s still the man we adore when it comes to action movies)

Review by John Li

Genre: Comedy/Action
Director:Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, DeRay Davis, Jake M. Johnson, Johnny Simmons, Johnny Depp, Johnny Pemberton, Dakota Johnson, Ellie Kemper
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language, Sexual Scenes and Drug Use)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website: http://www.21jumpstreet-movie.com/

Opening Day: 10 May 2012

Synopsis: In the action-comedy "21 Jump Street", Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier - and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.

Movie Review:

“21 Jump Street” pulls through with such conviction in its absurdity that it becomes better than it really has any right to be. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as bumbling police officers who get reassigned to an undercover unit operating from an abandoned Korean church. Their mission soon becomes clear – assume identities of high school students and ferret out the supplier of a deadly new drug called HFS (Holy %&#!). The film lacks a certain polish but the insane idealism it holds sustains the lesser sequences that plod along its one-note premise. Co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller last feature was the well-received animated comedy “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and with this effort, they have surprised once again in how energetic and self-reflexively clever they have made its late 1980s television series premise (starring a young Johnny Depp) become. As a reimagining (but perhaps more accurately a spinoff), this repackages the idea and sends it up in countless ways.

Tatum and Hill form a credible chemistry in the film but never truly coalesces into anything truly memorable. The narratives digress and break up into various vignettes of tomfoolery and inane jackassery between them – one scene had them faux-jump out of the way of an approaching muscle car. It’s funnier than how it sounds. And that’s precisely how the film plays out. Everything is elevated by the sheer fatuity of the material and its characters. They are acutely aware that they are objects of ridicule but they embrace it, taking it miles away from the original series’ serious tone. The cutaways show so much verve and comic naturalism that it completely outshines much of the scenes that settle into the narrative. There’s a sense that the film is never quite as funny as when it moves away from propelling the story forward – it’s the throwaway gags that matter, the asides between Tatum and Hill or the interactions that have with their environment. There’s also terrific casting in play here and a great measure of scene-stealers in different roles. Nick Offerman, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, James Franco etc. – each of them do extremely well in taking the comic responsibilities away from its leads. Importantly, they create memorable personalities in a film that could have coasted along with its central performances.

Even through the film’s rougher sequences where scripted scenes loose a sense of focus and begins to fall into a lull in its comedy, the film garners enough goodwill by being such a good sport about itself. It hits the meta vein over and over again to remind the audience that it’s not going to be a perfect film but it keeps plugging away with such gusto that it’s hard not to get swept away by its self-effacing attitude in pursuit of a fun time. 

Movie Rating:

(Funnier than it has any right to be) 

Review by Justin Deimen 

Genre: Comedy
Director: Kirk Jones
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Brooklyn Decker, Chris Rock, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Joe Manganiello, Matthew Morrison, Chace Crawford, Dennis Quaid, Rodrigo Santoro, Rob Heubel, Ben Falcone, Thomas Lennon, Amir Talai, Cheryl Cole
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language & Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://whattoexpectthefilm.com/

Opening Day: 17 May 2012

Synopsis: Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, "WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING" is a hilarious and heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules and dance show star Evan find that their high-octane celebrity lives don't stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mommy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body; while Wendy's husband, Gary, struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad, who's expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler. Photographer Holly is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, but her husband Alex isn't so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a "dudes" support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is. And rival food truck chefs Rosie and Marco's surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date? A kaleidoscopic comedy as universal as it is unpredictable, "WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING" finds humor and uplift in all the unexpected trials and triumphs of welcoming a child into the world.

Movie Review:

Loosely inspired by Heidi Murkoff’s best-selling pregnancy manual of the same title, What to Expect When You are Expecting centers around five couples, each having their own problem revolving around pregnancy.

Jules (Cameron Diaz) is a fitness guru and the host of a weight loss reality show “Lose it and Weep”, who is expecting with Evan (Matthew Morrison) unexpectedly, her dance partner in another reality show, “Celebrity Dance Factor”. These two must now find a way to balance the pregnancy along with their new relationship and demanding careers. Holly (Jennifer Lopez) is a photographer with “bad eggs” and she is hoping to adopt a baby from Ethiopia with her husband, Alex (Rodrigo Santoro). She is so determined to succeed that she feels the need to wear fake eyelashes.

Wendy (Elizabeth Banks) has been trying to have a baby for two years with her husband, Gary (Ben Falcone) and once multiple pregnancy tests come up positive, they rush to tell Gary’s father, Ramsey (Dennis Quaid), a former NASCAR legend, who gotten his new trophy wife, Skyler (Brooklyn Decker), pregnant without much effort. Gary has some daddy issues, and this subplot ends up with a golf-cart racing at the backyard of Ramsey’s mansion, is one of the many clichéd elements of the film. Lastly, there is the twenty-something Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and Marco (Chace Crawford), competing food truck owners and former high schoolmates who got knocked up when they finally give in to the temptation one night.

The story for the movie may be good enough for a few episodes on a television sitcom but definitely not a full feature film. However, it is hard to blame the scriptwriters as they have nothing much to work on since they are supposed to be inspired by a non-fictional source with no story, characters or any form of engaging qualities. The paper thin plot expectedly fails to create believable and dimensional characters and fits any possible pregnancy clichés into the story, ending up with a sloppy and incoherent mess.

The plot also follows the tried and tested formula of any low end comedy by starting with making fun of almost everything possible and ending up with an affirmation of socially desirable values. This is most prominently shown in the “dude group” in which dads push strollers in the park and lament about fatherhood. Portrayed at first as juvenile, with repeated gags upon each meeting, the group ultimately agrees that all forms of sacrifice for parenthood are worth it. This will probably fit well into the government campaign for more babies and console the parents-to-be in the audience, but for the other, it will be difficult to relate to this surreal notion.

It is depressing to see that Hollywood has continued to include educational manuals as sources for adaptation after countless novels, comics and games. Maybe dictionary and encyclopedia will be next.  Director Kirk Jones, once again, proved that family comedy is not his forte after coming out from Everybody’s Fine (2009). His first two directorial efforts (Nanny McPhee and Waking Ned Devine) are much more entertaining. Perhaps it is hard for him to juggle between so many scenes and characters that are neither connected nor intertwined except for the fact that the couples remotely know one another somehow, somewhat.

The only better aspect of the show is the ensemble cast, who thankfully delivers. Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) again proves herself to be a gifted comedienne with perfect comedic timing. As her husband, Falcone (Bridesmaids) shines in his scenes. Kendrick (Up in the Air) confirms her status as one of her generation’s brightest young stars but she might need to start choosing better scripts if she wants to advance in this industry. Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) also delivers some hilarity as the shop assistant in Wendy’s shop, “The Breast Choice”. Diaz (Bad Teacher) and Lopez (The Back-up Plan), without a doubt, still have enough screen gravitas to carry off their role well enough to entertain.

All in all, What to Expect When You’re Expecting works mainly as a showcase for the talents of its cast so expect nothing more out of it.

Movie Rating:

(It is best to lower your expectations as I expect this may not be what you might be expecting)

Review by Sing Swee Leong