SYNOPSIS: Chipmunks ahoy! It's a tidal wave of toe-tapping music and unfurgettable fun for the whole family as Alvin and the Chipmunks return in their greatest adventure yet! While on vacation aboard a luxury cruise liner, Alvin, Simon, Theodore and the Chipettes can't help rocking the boat with their unique brand of 'munk mischief. But things get really squeaky when the gang winds up stranded on a remote island - and they soon discover their new tropical playground is not as deserted as it seems.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The scariest thing nowadays when you step into a cineplex is encountering a new poster featuring an upcoming Adam Sandler movie or worse still, a new instalment of the Chipmunks franchise.
The third (and hopefully) last, “Alvin and the Chipmunks 3” has Dave and his gang of Chipmunks and Chipettes onboard a cruise ship for a vacation. Expectedly, Alvin got the gang into trouble by paragliding the lot into the ocean and finds themselves stranded on a deserted island. With dangerous creatures looming around and without fresh water and food supply, will the rodents survive the ordeal?
To be fair, the first live-action Chipmunks’ movie was entertaining at least to both adults and children. It was a good origin story and it matches the Christmas spirit that is reveling in the air. Then came the unavoidable, cash-in sequel which introduces the Chipettes. This current instalment only shows how tiresome and annoying the rodents have become. Despite a third change of director, it doesn’t solve the minimal and formulaic plotting even though Mike Mitchell’s resume includes “Sky High” and “Shrek Forever After”.
The franchise’s original live-action actors Jason Lee and David Cross appears once again (briefly) together as the Chipmunks’ unfortunate owner, Dave while Cross’ evil manager-Ian Holmes character has been reduced to making a living as a mascot on the cruise ship. Lee obviously has much more talents on the TV screen if you have watched “My Name Is Earl” instead of mere screaming “Alvin!”. And if you think Cross is funny wearing a pelican suit then you hasn’t watched “Arrested Development”. The little known Jenny Slate portrays a quirky island castaway, Zoe who has ulterior motives of her own, acting all crazy and all. Probably this is how we end up with if you faced nobody else except a bunch of noisy rodents.
The song routines continue whether you like it or not. Be it Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”, Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” or Destiny Child’s “Survivor” though you won’t be able to distinguish the voice talents behind them. Justin Long? Jesse McCartney? Anna Faris? Christina Applegate? They are all here, trust me, their names are printed on the rolling credits at the end.
Ask yourself, can you endure another instalment of the Chipmunks? If the answer is yes, feel free to pop in this disc, if not, clean your furniture, go for a swim, walk your dog or take a slow walk in the park. Leave this title to those who are 10 years or below.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Munk Music and Dance Machine is a 19 minutes feature that allows you to dance and sing to your favourite songs in the movie.
Munking Movies in Paradise has the cast and crew raving about shooting in Hawaii and Vancouver.
The Bad Romance Music Video is included with sing-along mode.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Images are colourful and the detailing on the CGI chipmunks looks great on the TV screen. The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack sounds incredible with plenty of active ambient effects and rousing song routines for the young viewers.
MOVIE RATING:
(warrant additional stars if you happen to be below the age of 10)
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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SYNOPSIS: Yang (Yapeng Li)and Wen (Xu Jinglei) have married for almost 10 years. Yang is promoted to the executive position in a big corporation while Wen manages the family on her own. Life and work seems to be getting more tedious for Yang day after day. One day, Yang runs away from home and lives in a hotel across the street. He wants a second for breathing and gets Wen’s attention. He keeps watchful eyes on Wen through a telescope. Days go by and there is no evidence that Wen has been looking for him. Although frustrated, Yang finds out more secrets about Wen through the telescope…
MOVIE REVIEW:
What happens if you can’t find an ending? Well, you come up with three short ones instead. Zhang Yibai’s sequel to his popular TV drama which ended its run some 12 years ago is a collection of three ‘what-if’ scenarios in the lives of once-college sweethearts Wen Hui (Xu Jinglei) and Yang Zheng (Li Yapeng). Yet despite the possibilities, ‘Eternal Moment’ far from lives up to its promise of being unforgettable- instead, only the first vignette is likely to leave much of an impression.
That circles around the premise that Yang Zheng and Wen Hui had eventually married, though the years since have not been kind to them. Yang Zheng has become a workaholic and settled into an almost frustrating routine of shuttling between home and work; while Wen Hui has come to get used to her husband’s absence. So when Yang Zheng returns home one night to find his house packed with partying guests Wen Hui had invited over, he moves into a hotel room to observe her from across the street.
Infidelity is not the question here, but indifference- as Yang Zheng discovers that Wen Hui has pretty much gone on with her own life as if his disappearance did not matter. Heavily stylised unlike the rest of the shorts, this is also perhaps the most heartfelt of them, employing Eason Chan and Faye Wong’s duet ‘Because of Love’ and the former’s ‘Long Time to See’ to evoke feelings of missed opportunities and forgotten priorities especially to long-time married couples who have pretty much settled into a particular routine with little interaction between each other.
Compared to the first evocative piece, the second and third are simply too perfunctory. In the former, the two are living separate lives- Yang Zheng as a car mechanic about to be divorced and Wen Hui as a divorcee with two sons- until their 10th anniversary college reunion brings them together. Banking heavily on nostalgia, director Zhang Yibai uses generously old footage from the TV series and draws several similarities between their current situation and that in the past.
Nonetheless, like the last story, the lack of a compelling narrative or well-drawn characters undermines its potential. And in the last, Yang Zheng and Wen Hui are once again living their own separate lives until a sudden phone call from Wen Hui sends Yang to Bordeaux, France where Hui’s husband is running a wine business. He’s also fallen in love with a young teenage girl, and Wen Hui has discreetly made plans to be her tour guide just to see who this other party is. It isn’t particularly exciting- not even when Chapman To drops in for a surprise cameo as Wen Hui’s husband.
And indeed, one hopes that Yibai had decided to focus on just one ending for the characters, instead of coming up with two half-baked ones. The best part about it is still Eason Chan’s songs, which of course is thanks to the fact that Yapeng (who is also producing the movie) is none other than Faye Wong’s hubby. With little insights on love, and little to entertain as either a romance or a comedy, this ‘Eternal Moment’ feels more like an eternity in mediocrity.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio reproduces the dialogue in the movie clearly. The visual transfer however is disappointing, and appears little better than a downloaded copy you could get off the net.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Eighty two minutes – that’s how much music you’d get on this very generous album. Holding the record for a single soundtrack with the longest runtime we’ve seen so far, the collection of dance tracks on this disc will delight fans of the genre, or anyone who is planning a dance party but is too lazy to compile music for the occasion.
Things get off on a good start with the household tune “We Will Rock You” by British rock band Queen. English rapper Wretch 32 brings on the infectious party track “Go In, Go Hard” next, a cue which will have your guests gyrating to the catchy melody. Not wanting to be outdone, English singer songwriter Jessie J and British solo pop singer Sunday Girl bring on some girl power with “Domino” and “High and Low”, two tracks which will send hands waving in the air. Things become mellower with British rapper Dappy and soul singer songwriter Dionne Bromfield’s “Rockstar” and “Who Says You Can’t Have It All”, two radio friendly tunes which are equally pleasing to party goers.
Elsewhere, British hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks brings on “Mama Do The Hump”, a tune we feel has some country influence. Canadian recording artiste Drake and American rapper Lil Wayne come together to rap the too cool to be true “The Motto”. Taio Cruz shows listeners what he’s made of in the crowd pleaser “Troublemaker”, while English songwriter Pixie Lott and Tinchy Stryer show off their vocals in “Bright Lights”.
The last third of the album has English Grime MC Skepta displays his soulful side in the heart thumping “Hold On (Original Mix)”, and Lloyd Perrin & Jordan Crisp performing two very different cues “Baudelaires Tango No Vox” and “Catacombs Dance Off (Remix)”. Things get festive with Latin Formation’s “Cuba 2012 (DJ Rebel Streetdance 2 Remix)”, before the album closes with Polluted Mindz’s “Ride My Beat”, a tune with attitude.
If there is one qualm we had to pick on about this otherwise value for money soundtrack, it would be how the tunes begin to sound similar by the 20 minute mark. But hey, if you are unable to employ a deejay to spin at your party, this album would do just fine.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (13) Troublemaker – Taio Cruz
Review by John Li
It will be a sin not to recommend this soundtrack to the documentary biographical film directed by Kevin MacDonald. The story of the life of Bob Marley, the widely known and revered performer of reggae music is brought to life with this 2 CD set comprising of two dozen songs, a selection of the singer’s better known hits and harder edged political and spiritual material.
The Jamaican singer songwriter formed the reggae, ska and rocksteady band Bob Marley & The Wailers with like minded musicians in 1963, and for 18 years till the death of Marley in 1981, the popular band had brought the world countless memorable tunes, some of which can be found on this extraordinary soundtrack.
One can feel the love in putting this album together, considering that the decision was left in the hands of Marley’s immediate family members and former Island Records boss Chris Blackwell. Instead of releasing another obligatorily commercial “best of” album, the producers manage to connect listeners with Marley’s true form of music with this highly recommended soundtrack.
With 102 minutes of music to soothe your nerves, be ready to soak in the comforting vocals of the band in tunes like “Corner Stone”, “Simmer Down” and “Mellow Mood”. Elsewhere, get in the groove of things with flavourful tracks like “Crazy Baldhead”, “Natty Dread” and “Get Up Stand Up”.
Live recordings are also included on this album. Listen out for the soulful “Trenchtown Rock (Live at Roxy Theatre)” – you will strike a chord with the poignantly written lyrics “One good thing about music/ When it hits you you feel no pain/ So hit me with music/ Hit me with music”. There is also the previously unreleased nine minute “Jammin’ (Live at One Love Peace Concert)”, a gem which is worth the price of the album alone. “No Woman No Cry (Live at the Lyceum)” and “War (Live! At the Rainbow)” are also noteworthy tunes on the album.
Whether or not you are familiar with the influential artiste’s contributions to the music scene, you will fall in love with the sincerely selected songs on this soundtrack.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: Disc 2 (1) Jammin’ (Live at One Love Peace Concert)
Review by John Li
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Shane Carruth, Jeff Daniels, Garret Dillahunt, Piper Perabo, Tracie Thoms, Noah Segan
RunTime: 1 hr 58 mins
Released By: GV & MVP
Rating: NC-16
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 October 2012
Synopsis: "Looper" is a time travel movie, set in a near future where time travel doesn't exist but will be invented in a few decades. It's pretty dark in tone, much different from Bloom, and involves a group of killers (called Loopers) who work for a crime syndicate in the future. Their bosses send their targets hogtied and blindfolded back in time to the Loopers, and their job is to simply shoot them in the head and dispose of the body. So the target vanishes from the future and the Loopers dispose of a corpse that doesn't technically exist, a very clean system. Complications set in from there.
Movie Review:
If you’re ever going to enjoy a science-fiction movie about time travel, then you have to accept that there will be some narrative, logical or physical problem about travelling backward in the space-time continuum that you will probably never be able to wrap your head around. In fact, you’ll been duly warned in the film as well – “I don't want to talk about time-travel shit,” Bruce Willis tells Joseph Gordon-Levitt. “Because if we start, we're going to be here all day, making diagrams with straws.”
So instead of getting caught up in his own conundrum, writer/ director Rian Johnson is wise enough to leave the physics and the philosophy of it out of the movie. Instead, he takes your mind in a different direction, pondering on equally thought-provoking issues such as cause-and-effect and nature-versus-nurture. Intrigued yet? We guarantee you that you will be by the end of Johnson’s thrilling and cerebral mind-bender, certainly one of the most original films we have seen this year.
You’ll do yourself a favour if you familiarise yourself with ‘Looper’s’ premise before you enter the cinema – that is, in a future where time travel is outlawed, the technology becomes exploited by big-time organised criminals who send their targets 30 years back into the past to be killed by guns-for-hire. These paid killers are known as ‘loopers’, who wait at a specific place for the exact moment when their target materialises in front of them, and who collect payment in the form of silver ingots taped to their target’s back.
Why their (pardon the pun) loopy name? Because at some point, these assassins will end up unknowingly shooting the future version of themselves, an act nicely called ‘closing the loop’. For that, they get a big payoff in gold ingots and get to enjoy the rest of your life that they have rationed themselves to. Before our main protagonist Joe does likewise, we see what happens when a looper essentially ‘lets his loop run’ – and suffice to say that it does not end well for his fellow looper and best friend Seth (Paul Dano).
But Seth points out a troubling new development – them from the future are suddenly ‘closing all the loops’, and it isn’t long before Joe recognises his future self kneeling on a tarp spread out on an open patch of field surrounded by agriculture. The older Joe is however not tied up and not hooded, and manages to escape before the younger Joe can close their common loop. All this, we might add, takes place in the first act of the film, which does the necessary in setting up the seedy dystopian universe of 2044 but little more.
Instead, the movie really finds its footing in the more measured second act, where the younger and older Joe are forced to confront their divergent interests. Young Joe is determined to kill his older self in order to make good with his none-too-forgiving boss Abe (Jeff Daniels); while the older Joe is set on killing The Rainmaker, the criminal overlord responsible for the ‘looping’ profession and also behind the eventual killing of their wife, who would no doubt just be a young kid in 2044. The latter wants to convince the former how he is ultimately doing a favour for him, but without the benefit of hindsight, the former cannot grasp why that is key to his salvation in his later years.
Their mutual confrontation in a diner is one of the best scenes of the movie, and also one of the few that Levitt and Willis get to share the screen together. In order not to give everything away, we’d just say that it is as wonderfully weird as how you would imagine your younger self being lectured by your older self. One shootout later, and Young Joe hides out at one of three potential targets earmarked by his older self – a isolated farmhouse where single mom Sara (Emily Blunt) is raising her only son Cid (Pierce Gagnon).
Here, Johnson builds on the relationship between Joe and Sara, as well as that between Joe and Cid – Joe sees in Cid a picture of his reticent childhood self, while finding companionship and even intimacy in another lonely soul Sara. There is of course deeper significance in this, and the arrival of the older Joe ignites a firecracker twist of an ending that will leave you breathless. Much as we’d love to have a philosophical discussion about the fascinating ending, we’d prefer you experience it as we did – totally unexpected and absolutely blown away (but if you want a hint, think about what we mentioned earlier about cause and effect).
It is a climax packed with pulse and poignancy, and confirms that the movie isn’t just trying to be smart – it really is. It also proves that Johnson’s mettle as a filmmaker, unafraid to go to disquieting lengths even to challenge his viewer with a provocative conclusion that you’d definitely be talking about long after the lights in the cinema come on. Being only Johnson’s third feature after ‘Brick’ and ‘The Brothers Bloom’, it is even more impressive, raising immediate comparisons with Christopher Nolan – and it will be interesting to see what he is capable of doing with a much bigger budget.
But ‘Looper’ would not be possible without the committed performances of the cast. Much has been said about how Levitt’s face had been altered via prosthetic makeup to look like the younger version of Willis, but those cosmetic changes do nothing to lose his subtly nuanced portrayal of a hitman forced to call the values and principles he knows into question. In what is more of a supporting role, Willis does what he does best projecting both tough and tender. The scene stealer here is Gagnon, whose portrayal of the unusually gifted Sid will take your breath away.
Their strong acting complements Johnson’s assured direction, which to his credit makes the potentially convoluted plot surprisingly easy to follow. The best sci-fi thrillers have always been as exhilarating as they are inspiring, and ‘Looper’ fits both adjectives beautifully. It is a fascinating mind-bender, intertwining exciting action with touching gravity through themes of regret and redemption, solitude and sacrifice, love and loss. This is one loop you will want to relive, again and again.
Movie Rating:
(A mind-bendingly original sci fi thriller packed with pulse and poignancy that’s worthy to be proclaimed this year’s ‘Inception’)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Like a scene straight out of a movie, on the day superstar Michael is to marry his actress sweetheart Yuan Yuan, a coal miner shows up and runs off with the bride. While dodging the paparazzi, Michael inadvertently boards a truck driven by Sue and ends up in Shangri-la. Sue is the innkeeper of a local inn and allows the rather depressed Michael to stay and get his life back together. During his stay, Michael finds out Sue is a die-hard fan and Michael’s movies are the links of Sue’s marriage. Unfortunately, her husband, Tian, disappeared 7 years ago near the inn and hasn’t been found ever since.
MOVIE REVIEW:
If the mark of a brilliant director is his ability to straddle different genres, then Johnnie To would surely qualify as among one of the best. Barely months after his critically acclaimed financial thriller ‘Life Without Principle’, To returns to the big screen with a romance aimed squarely at the demographic who made his earlier rom-coms ‘Needing You’, ‘Love on a Diet’ and ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ resounding box-office successes.
Collaborating once again with his muse Wai Kar-Fai, ‘Romancing in Thin Air’ sees To transporting the movie-within-a-movie concept into the traditional tearjerker. On one hand, this is the story of two people finding a second chance at love within each other- the handsome movie star-like Michael (Louis Koo) and the somewhat plain-looking Sue (Sammi Cheng). Michael’s been recently jilted at the altar, while Sue is still waiting for her long and literally lost husband to return.
The twist here is that Michael, with his photogenic looks, is indeed a movie star- and one that has not long ago won the Best Actor award as well as the hearts of many female audiences. So his abrupt appearance at Sue’s lodge causes somewhat of a stir amongst two of her employees, and perhaps even more so in Sue- who proves later on to be an even bigger fan of Michael than the rest of her village combined. Between celebrity and ardent fan, between jilted fiancée and pining wife, Michael and Sue will find solace in each other’s presence and yes fall in love.
Even as Kar-Fai and his co-writers go through the familiar beats of adding the prerequisite complications in the form of Michael’s paparazzi-glared life and Sue’s lost-and-found husband (Li Guanjie), they take the unusual step of setting the story in one of the unlikeliest locations- up in the air and into the woods at Shangri-la in Yunnan province. The wintry location provides a perfect backdrop for the healing of hearts, and d.p. Cheng Siu-keung captures stunning natural vistas in his photography of the location.
Kar-Fai also deserves credit for the unconventional ending, which gives the movie a different perspective and fully explains why the Chinese title- that was something of a mystery when it was revealed- seems to suggest that this is in fact a sequel to an earlier movie. You never get just typical when the Milkyway team is involved, and ‘Romancing in Thin Air’- while following the formula of a romance- does offer up its fair share of pleasant surprises.
Living up to their respective billings, Louis Koo and Sammi Cheng are beautifully nuanced in their performances, absolutely convincing in their portrayal of two people wounded by love finding comfort in each other as kindred friends. Koo especially doesn’t overplay his self-effacing role, ensuring that potentially farcical moments remain just tongue-in-cheek amusing. The supporting players are largely forgettable, mostly because To keeps the focus firmly on either one of the pair.
On his part, To brings a certain finesse to the film, opting for quiet and contemplative moments that fit into the setting rather than broad humour. Those expecting the hilarities of his earlier rom-coms should take note- this is an uncharacteristically subdued affair. To injects class too by eschewing the usual Cantopop tunes and choosing instead Guy Zerafa’s simple but meaningful score, complete with a theme song from Cheng whose titles and lyrics are especially significant in the context of the narrative.
Given To’s choice of style, it’s to be expected that ‘Romancing in Thin Air’ will not please those looking for easy entertainment. Rather, it moves as a tearjerker, and then as a balm for those who have ever been hurt in love. Wai’s touches- in the form of the film’s metafilmic gestures- are also clearly evident, and these add an unexpected panache to the romance. It will enchant you if you allow it to, so go in with an open mind and let it work its subtle charms.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio conveys the dialogue clearly enough, but the visual transfer of this disc is slightly disappointing, and often muddles the dark and light tones of the cinematography.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Boris Boo
Cast: Henry Thia, Kang Kang, Jessica Liu, Brendan Yuen
RunTime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Frightening Scenes)
Released By: Clover Films & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 August 2012
Synopsis: Lim has always been unlucky. He is struggling to make ends meet until he chanced upon the ‘Wordless Script’ one day and won lottery! As the winning was marginal, it was soon exhausted when he spent it with Nam and Hui, his two poor roommates cum colleagues who excavate bones from old graves for a living. Unwilling to return to his poor days, Lim approaches the ‘Wordless Script’ for winning numbers again. This time, the Book-Spirit of the “Wordless Script” forewarns Lim that he will have to pay a heavy price, should he wants big winnings. Blinded by greed, Lim agrees to the terms and strikes a deal with the Book-Spirit. As Lim’s life gets better and lavish, he also becomes increasingly dependent on the Book-Spirit, seeking its advice in everything. Soon, the Book-Spirit reveals the price which Lim has to pay for all his riches… and Lim will have to pay with his life! It is only with Lim’s death, that he can be the next Book-Spirit, thus liberating the current Book-Spirit. Little does Lim expects: the richer he gets, the closer he is to his death. At the same time, the greedy gambler in Nam is playing with fire… To satisfy his gambling addiction, he resorted to stealing the accompanying valuables in the coffin during one of the excavations, despite strong objections from Hui. Following Nam’s theft, strange things happened. A vengeful spirit haunts Nam and Hui repeatedly, causing them much distress…The trio of Lim, Nam and Hui can actually lead a decent and peaceful life, but made decisions at various stages of their lives to pursue riches and luxuries without knowing the heavy price they had to pay. Is there really no way for the trio to redeem themselves from this mess? Or is their death the ultimate solution?
Movie Review:
How many of horror comedies must we endure before filmmakers realise that it is a genre that is tiresome and boring to watch? We weren’t the biggest fans of disposable flicks like The Ghosts Must Be Crazy (2011), Where Got Ghost? (2009) and Men in White (2007). That said, we are sure there is a market for movies like this (in the region, at least). It’s simple economics after all - supply comes only with demand, right?
Director Boris Boo helms this feature film about a man who gets his hand on a supernatural book one day, and as greed would have him, he spirals into a journey of no return. To beef up the story, he has two friends on this misadventure, and what the trio really wants you to know is: Greed isn’t a good thing.
But do we really need 92 minutes of tedious and wearisome filmmaking to get that point across? The jokes in this otherwise well shot and edited production are uninspired, and as each cringing minute passes by, you can’t help but keep glancing at your watch, wondering whether the end credits will show up soon. The blundering humour is at times crass, at times predictable, at times dull, and bland throughout.
Boo’s cast doesn’t help to make things easier. Taiwanese comedian Kang Kang takes on the role of the protagonist who picks up the supernatural scripture. While he talks about how viewers should pay attention to his non comedic performance in this movie, there is just nothing to commend about his forgettable acting. No thanks to the rather unlikable role, you won’t find yourself empathizing with the character. His co stars do not fare too well either. There are only so many times we can chuckle at local comedian Henry Thia trying to comb his hair into place. As for Malaysian actor Brendan Yuen, his overacting is mildly entertaining, if not irritating most of the time. Local TV star Jesseca Liu has it the worst for strutting around trying her best to look petrified and lost. The only source of amusement comes from the cameos by Taiwanese celebrity Nono and local artistes Irene Ang and Chua En Lai.
Producer Mark Lee misfires in his latest project with the tried and tested formula which doesn’t offer anything except cheap laughs, unremarkable performances and predicable plot development. What also fails is Lee’s “portrayal” as a spirit haunting the three protagonists. Neither scary nor funny, the booming voice which use of local language and slang does not do anything except to induce plenty cringe worthy moments.
Despite all the unkind criticisms, we have a gut feeling (which is most unfortunate) there will be a continual demand for movies like this, which will lead to filmmakers churning out such works to satisfy the market. Granted that there is a noble message to be relayed in collaborative productions like this (what better way to milk the market than to release the movie in both Singaporeand Malaysia?), we are sure there is a more artistically engaging method to make such movies. In the meantime, we are guessing we’d just have to grin and bear it.
Movie Rating:
(Uninspired and unfunny, this bland production which will leave you unimpressed)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: TRIPLE DOG takes place in a small suburban town, where six high school girls play a game of dare that staggers out of control, altering their lives forever… the popular girl, Eve (Alexia Fast), is having her 16th birthday slumber party, when her best friend, the attention-hungry Chapin (Brittany Robertson), arrives late and the party starts spinning out of control. Content to entertain themselves with facials and pedicures, tomboy Chapin suggests they play a game of dare called, "Triple Dog". The rules are simple: everyone gets a dare and gives a dare. Failure to perform a dare results in one's head being shaved. Whoever performs the best "Triple Dog Dare" by the end of the night wins a cash prize, their friends' prized possessions and the ultimate respect from their peers. As the night goes on, Chapin challenges each girl to take greater and greater risks. However, it becomes apparent that Chapin is holding on to a big secret. She was there the night her former classmate, Stacy St. Clair, jumped off a bridge and killed herself. No one knows what happened for sure, but everyone has a strong opinion. Chapin is aware that some of her friends hold her responsible for her friend's apparent suicide, and she is defensive about the subject that it's easy to see why. Maddened by the rumors that continue to swirl around her, she runs for the bridge that Stacy St. Clair jumped to her death from, and before her friends can catch up to her, she jumps off too. And it is at the moment that Chapin puts her own life in danger that we finally discover the truth behind the secret that has haunted her.
MOVIE REVIEW:
What is ‘Triple Dog’ exactly? Well, in a nutshell, it’s a game played by a bunch of teenage girls who dare each other to do dangerous stuff, or be shaved bald for gutlessness. What a juvenile game, you say- yes, we won’t deny that the game and its attendant dares are childish but hey this teen drama still proves to be a guilty pleasure if you keep your expectations low.
Writer Barbara Marshall (who has graduated from this movie to the likes of the now-defunct TV series ‘Terra Nova’) aims for something both cool and edgy- which explains the dialogue, that consists of teen-speak such as ‘bitchuation’, ‘ear rape’, or ‘slut me’. Sure, it does make for some corny and cheesy moments, but who are we to judge if teenage girls genuinely believe that they gain street cred by speaking like that.
Anyhow, the game unfolds as a bunch of five girls congregated at Eve’s house on the occasion of her birthday sleepover party decide to spice things up for the evening by taking up a suggestion to do something more exciting. Out of peer pressure and the fear of appearing wimpy, none of them objects.
So it begins- from asking the prim and proper religious girl Sarah (Emily Tennant) to streak naked down the neighbourhood, to getting socially awkward ‘Rat Girl’ Liza (Scout Taylor- Compton) to hide in Eve’s brother’s closet, to goading Eve to fake a seizure at a Chinese restaurant that hosts standup performers as entertainment. That’s of course the milder ones, and we won’t spoil the surprise on the rest.
The fun lies in both not anticipating what the next dare will be, as well as anticipating just how far each character will go not to lose ‘face’ in front of her friends. There’s also a nice bit of mystery thrown in, with resident bad girl Chapin (Britt Robertson) hiding some painful secret from the rest about her involvement in a local girl’s purported suicide just months ago.
Running at a brief 90 mins, director Pascal Franchot keeps the pace brisk and efficient, so the pace rarely does slack- even through momentary diversions such as an unlikely romance between Liza and Eve’s brother Clarke. In between, the teenage cast do their best to hold your attention. Best of all is Robertson, who exudes both arrogance and vulnerability in equal measure, and keeps your feelings vacillating about her character before eventually winning your sympathy.
Perhaps the best thing you could say about ‘Triple Dog’ is that it wasn’t a ‘dog’- for what it was worth, it offers a modicum of excitement to keep you intrigued, even as you scoff at the characters’ and their infantile behaviour. And for our younger readers, you might just want to know that the cast is easy on the eye to say the least. .
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is functional at best, and could do better at certain parts of the dialogue. Picture is presented in cropped 4:3 format, rather inexcusable if you ask us in this day and age of widescreen TVs.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Fantasy/Thriller
Director: Wuershan
Cast: Zhou Xun, Vicky Zhao Wei, Chen Kun, Yang Mi, Feng Shao Feng, Chen Ting Jia, Kris Phillips
RunTime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Sexual Scenes)
Released By: Clover Films & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 July 2012
Synopsis: According to the demon lore, it takes hundreds of years to attain human form. Even then, lacking a human heart, a demon cannot experience the true pains and passions of existence. However, there is a legend that if a pure human heart is freely offered to a demon, it can become a mortal and experience true life. Xiaowei, a fox spirit, has been imprisoned for centuries under a frozen lake for violating the laws of the demon world. Her sheer will to survive attracted the bird spirit Que’r, who broke through the ice and revived her. Xiaowei saw two choices: experience true death or become truly human. She regains her strength – and youth – by consuming the heart of a stranger, transforming herself into a beautiful seductress. Unknown to her, the stranger is the Prince of Tian Lang Kingdom…
Movie Review:
This reviewer first laid eyes on Mainland Chinese actress Zhou Xun some 10 years ago in Fruit Chan’s Hollywood Hong Kong (2001). The charismatic Zhejiang born star, who is regarded as one of the “Four Young Dan actresses” in the early 2000s (the other four being Zhang Ziyi, Xu Jinglei and Zhao Wei), went on to star in films like Balzac and the Little Mistress (2001), Perhaps Love (2005) and The Banquet (2006), each performance as captivating as the other.
The 37 year old then took on a somewhat villainous role in 2008’s Painted Skin, and her entrancing portrayal as a fox spirit won praises from critics everywhere. In this unofficial sequel, Zhou reprises her role as Xiao Wei, the fox spirit who yearns to become a human being. Zhou is not the only cast member to return – Zhao Wei and Chen Kun also star in this Chinese action fantasy movie, but as new characters.
Zhou’s Xiao Wei lacks a human heart to become a true human being. However, the catch here is that the heart must be one that is given to the fox spirit voluntarily. She meets a princess (Zhao), who was mauled by a bear when she was younger. Ashamed of her disfigured face, she wears a golden mask. Enter a handsome guard (Chen) who happens to be her childhood sweetheart, and a complicated tale of love, jealously, rivalry and sacrifice.
Chinese director Wuershan (The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman) takes over from Gordon Chan to helm this high budgeted movie touted as the “Asian mythical Blockbuster of the Year”. The first thing you’d notice is the excessive usage of special effects and
There is really no need for the filmmakers to indulge themselves in so much computer generated effects, because the cast is fully capable of delivering fine performances. The show obviously belongs to Zhou, who manages to hypnotise in the most fantastical way you can imagine every time she makes her presence felt on screen. Her co star (and rumoured rival) Zhao does a decent job of portraying an emotionally torn princess who cannot decide what’s good for her. Chen, while suave and charming in his own right, skims the surface of a rather unlikable character.
Taiwanpop singer and Broadway performer Kris Phillips (also known as Fei Xiang to the older viewers) show up as an unintentionally hilarious baddie, spouting an almost laughable barbarian language while donning a spiky halo and a shaven head. A pleasant surprise comes in the form of Yang Mi and Feng Shao Feng as an unlikely couple – a bird spirit and a demon catcher. The chemistry between the two is so likeable, their on screen appearances help bring the overly serious movie up a notch.
Movie Rating:
(An unwarranted showcase of excessive special effects saved by the fine performances of its capable cast)
Review by John Li
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THE RAID gets a new release date in local cinemas - 17 May!Posted on 18 Apr 2012 |
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