SYNOPSIS: A mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and a young Japanese warrior Yoshi (Gackt) both arrive in a town that has been terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his separate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson) at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola (Ron Perlman), the awesomely evil “woodcutter” and his lady Alexandra (Demi Moore), a femme fatale with a secret past. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s not crucial to know the real meaning behind the word, “Bunraku” except that you must be prepared that this movie is a mixture of classic spaghetti westerns and samurai films. Throw in a bit of “Sin City”, maybe a little “Kill Bill” plus a dash of “Dick Tracy” and you have an interesting indie movie worth spending two hours with.  

Written and directed by a dude named Guy Moshe, this tale of revenge has a mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and a Japanese warrior Yoshi (Gackt) teaming up in an unnamed city where guns are forbidden to track down the local Kingpin, the evil Nicola “Woodcutter” (Ron Perlman). Guided by a bartender (Woody Harrelson), will the unlikely duo succeed in their mission or slain by Nicola’s second-in-command, Killer No.2 (Kevin McKidd) way before they reach Nicola’s lair?

To be honest, the script by Moshe is filled to the brim with clichés. Firstly, there’s the obligatory fight to forge a friendship between our two heroes who came from entirely different backgrounds. Then there is the know-it-all bartender who knows things way beyond sake and whiskey and conveniently popped in and out in his mini car. Thirdly, the hapless uncle and female cousin and a wayward courtesan, Alexandra (Demi Moore) whom Nicola is in love with. Oh not forgetting the vicious henchmen who managed all the dirty work.

Despite Moshe’s predictable plotting, cringing dialogue and his languish pacing which took more than an hour to setup the above, his eye for visual is commendable with the assistance of his brilliant team of production designers. Shot entirely in studios with CG enhancement, the film-noirish sets though sparse looks like they popped straight out of manga. Instead of dark and gray in the likes of “Sin City” and “The Spirit”, “Bunraku” is filled with outrageous bright colours and the transition effects which is similar to origami is practically pieces of art.

Not a stranger to film noir, Josh Harnett who previously appeared in “Sin City” and “The Black Dahlia” looks as cool as a cat with that mustache and fedora. Japanese pop singer and actor Gackt plays the typical typecast Japanese samurai with not much of a surprise while it’s always a fun affair having Woody Harrelson onboard. Demi Moore appears for a total of 15 minutes give and take and laughingly, Ron Perlman’s character shows you he can literally chop up some woods! The real gem goes to Kevin Mckidd who proves he is not a mere doctor in “Grey’s Anatomy”.

There are plenty of fistfights, swordfights and one particularly one-take shot involving the drifter fighting against cops down the floors of a prison. Unfortunately, the fight choreography is a yawn fest especially if you grow up watching Jackie Chan’s stuff or Tony Jaa as the fights here are nothing fanciful or compelling to warrant repeated viewings.

In the end, Guy Moshe may not impress you with his scripting (the overlong talky finale is one example) at least his penchant for all the rich visual made up for his lack of substance and lastly probably all the familiar faces featured on the DVD cover deserved a single viewing.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There is only one Trailer attached to the DVD.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

 Images strangely look jagged on the edges; colours on the other hand are vibrant while the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is active and booming with ambient effects.

MOVIE RATING:

  

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Corrine Yam, Jalil Lespert, Vincent Rottiers, Sifan Shao, Patrick Mille, Songwen Zhang, Adèle Ado
Director: Lou Ye
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R21
Released By: Festive Films and Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/loveandbruises.lefilm

Opening Day: 5 May 2012

Synopsis: Hua, a young teacher from Beijing,is a recent arrival in Paris. Exiled in an unknown city, she wanders between her tiny apartment and the university, drifting between former lovers and recent French acquaintances. She meets Mathieu, a young worker who falls madly in love with her. Possessed by an insatiable desire for her body, he treats Hua like a dog. An intense affair begins, marked by Mathieu’s passionate embraces and harsh verbal abuse. When Hua determines to leave her lover, she discovers the strength of her addiction, and the vital role he has come to play in her life as a woman.. 

Movie Review:

Paris isn’t exactly the city of lights and love in Mainland Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye’s eyes, as you’d find out after watching his latest work. Known for his controversial films like Summer Palace (2006) and Spring Fever (2009), the Shanghai born who is commonly grouped with the Sixth Generation directors of Chinese cinema is no stranger with the Chinese censors, who have repeatedly banned him from filmmaking. In his first foreign language film, Lou tackles what he knows best – how gritty and ugly love can get.

Based on Jie Liu Falin’s novel, the film takes place in Paris. A female student from Beijing, who has just gotten dumped by her French boyfriend, bumps into a local construction worker and the two eventually have a night of rough sex. They begin meeting regularly for sex, and she eventually gets to know his friends. When one of them rapes her one day, she begins suspecting whether she has been set up. After further misunderstandings and secrets, she has to make a decision whether to stay with him or move back to Bejing to her former life.

Viewers familiar with Lou’s works would not be expecting questions to be answered in this raw and hypnotic production. Instead of characters engaging in substantial dialogue, what you’d get are the dreamy protagonists wandering from place to place, looking lost and forlorn, and not forgetting having lots of sex. Though not as graphic and intense as Lou’s last two films, there is quite a bit of lovemaking scenes here to have our friends from the regulatory board slapping the film with a R21 rating.

This is definitely not your usual mainstream movie. The niche art house crowd would find solace in discovering how viscerally intense a love story can get, as well as how a fine a line it is between love and lust. For those who are specifically looking out for the sex scenes, let’s just say it is not your glamourous Hollywood shot sequences with soft lighting and beautiful people in focus. This isn’t the easiest film to sit through and watch, but we are assuming with a title like “Love and Bruises”, you can’t be expecting a wholesome romantic movie with a happy ending.

Be warned – the 100 minute film’s production values are not what you usually get from a mainstream movie. Yu Lik Wai’s handheld cinematography isn’t made any visually appealing with natural lights, while Juliette Welfing’s editing may leave you dumbfounded with the protagonists’ loss and frustrations. Peyman Yasdanian composes an unobtrusive score which lingers in the background, echoing the characters’ emotions. Brought together, this creates the unstable sentiments experienced by the long suffering protagonists.

Played by Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and newcomer Corrine Yam, one must admit that these characters are not the easiest to portray in an actor’s career. Rahim, with his likeable demeanor, manages to play the almost detestable male lead who seems to be only interested in physical pleasures and abusive behaviour. On the other hand, Yam, who looks vulnerable on the surface, also has a tough task of playing what most would believe is the victim of this sado masochistic relationship.

Lou makes it clear that this is not going to be a pleasurable watch, but he makes sure that it is a honestly brutal look at how unattractively dreadful love can become.

Movie Rating:

(The bleak art house film may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does give a glimpse into the gutters of an unconventional relationship)

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler), a successful advertising executive in Los Angeles with a beautiful wife (Katie Holmes) and kids, who dreads one event each year: the holiday visit of his identical twin sister Jill (also Adam Sandler). Jill’s neediness and passive-aggressiveness are maddening to Jack, turning his normally tranquil life upside down. Things spin even more out of control for Jack when Jill decides to extend her visit and he doesn’t think that she’ll ever leave!

MOVIE REVIEW:

Adam Sandler, the career of the once infallible comedian seems to be going the same direction as our MRT system – downhill. For the last decade or so, Sandler’s movies have been formulaic, lazy and downright predictable. And just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, Sandler appears in drag to haunt you further.



Sandler plays identical twins Jack and Jill Sadelstein, Jack is a successful advertising executive in the midst of prepping his next big gig with Dunkin Donuts and their ideal choice of spokesman happen to be Al Pacino, yup that Al Pacino from The Godfather. In the meantime, Jack’s younger twin sister, Jill is popping in for a visit to Jack’s family of four during the Thanksgiving holiday and what follows is one whole long event showcasing how irritating the character of Jill is.

Sandler and company must have thought by crafting a character that is socially inept, loopy and more than capable of pulling half-a-dozen fart, poop jokes is funny that they didn’t bother to inject more spirit into the movie. The jokes are tired and the gags recycled from other past Happy Madison productions and you know what, an early sequence which feature the main characters sitting around a dining table gets awkwardly unfunny and mean as the minute pass. Doesn’t this whole production go through some sort of QC?  

Since Sandler has the power to rope in Nicole Kidman for an extended cameo role in last year’s “Just Go With It”, it’s not a surprise the acclaimed Al Pacino turned up playing himself. It’s a blast watching him spoofing himself on the stage but on the other hand it’s definitely creeps me out watching him showering praises and love on Jill, fetching her for a date on a helicopter and running after her in a medieval castle. Talk about budget well spent.  

The good thing about “Jack And Jill” apparently is Sandler has once again snag a prominent actress for the role of his leading lady. Katie Holmes joined the ranks of Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek, Keri Russell, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Tea Leoni, Marisa Tomei and Winona Ryder to become the love interest or wife. At least, it’s easy money for Holmes to plainly look visibly stunned throughout the ordeal.

“Jack And Jill” proves that Sandler desperately needs to break away from writing his own script and stopped hiring his buddies including director Dennis Dugan. His whole Happy Madison routine is getting complacent and annoying. And we hope “Jack And Jill” winning of all the ten categories of this year’s Razzies is a big hint to him. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Unless you crave to see Jill in her bra, underwear and swimwear, you won’t really miss a lot in the 20 minutes Deleted Scenes.

Laughter is Contagious is a not-so-amusing 3 minutes Blooper Reel.

Look Who Stopped By takes a short look at the many cameo appearances including Shaquille O’ Neal, David Spade, Drew Carey, John McEnroe etc.

Boys Will Be Girls feature the cast and crew talking about how Adam Sandler goes about being a woman.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

“Jack And Jill” appears gorgeously on this DVD with pristine images and colours. Ambient sound effect is brimming with activity and dialogue is so clear that you might Sandler’s impersonation of a woman irritating.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Timo Vuorensola
Cast: Julia Dietze, Götz Otto, Chris Kirby, Udo Kier, Kym Jackson, Stephanie Paul, Monika Gossmann
RunTime: 1 hr 33 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Coarse Language And Violence)
Released By:  Lighthouse Pictures & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.ironsky.net/
 
Opening Day: 23 August 2012

Synopsis: In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers. When American astronaut James Washington (Christopher Kirby) puts down his Lunar Lander a bit too close to the secret Nazi base, the Moon Führer (Udo Kier) decides the glorious moment of retaking the Earth has arrived sooner than expected. Washington claims the mission is just a publicity stunt for the President of the United States (Stephanie Paul), but what else could the man be but a scout for the imminent attack by Earth forces? The Fourth Reich must act! Two Nazi officers, ruthless Klaus Adler (Götz Otto) and idealistic Renate Richter (Julia Dietze), travel to Earth to prepare the invasion. In the end when the Moon Nazi UFO armada darkens the skies, ready to strike at the unprepared Earth, every man, woman and nation alike, must re-evaluate their priorities.

Movie Review:

Joining Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Inglorious Basterds as history-revisionist entertainment is Iron Sky, a movie that imagines the escape of Nazis in 1945 to the dark side of the moon, where they secretly orchestrate a large-scale assault on earth in 2018. The film’s premise had all the promise in the world to grow into a cult favourite; too bad director Timo Vuorensola squanders that potential by using the historical re-imagination as a backdrop to pile on gags. You will laugh, yes, but at what exactly?

After the sweeping, beautifully shot opening scene where you’re told the Nazis’ nefarious plan, you’re introduced to a president (Stephanie Paul) who clearly resembles Sarah Palin both in appearance and in her bid to be elected (re-elected, in the case of the character). Though this reference is clear for anyone who actually keeps in touch with American politics, its significance is unclear. As with the movie’s many other knowing references – the funniest include a North Korean official seems totally clueless about the real world and overly-reverential to his leader - the satirical element has zero weight to it, besides obvious self-congratulation.

So Madam President decides that launching missions to the moon again will secure her forthcoming re-election, because it is rich in a resource called Helium 3. Unknown to them, the Nazis have been harvesting Helium 3 for the past few decades in their bid to make their grand counter-assault on earth, resulting in their astronauts dying, save for a black astronaut who was captured earlier on (and in case you’re wondering, yes, there are gags related to his race), who eventually escapes from the Nazis’ labyrinth of a base.

I’m not gonna lie here. If you found Snakes on a Plane funny, you’re gonna laugh at Iron Sky too, as did I. You’re going to find the jokes by turns gloriously politically incorrect and downright revolting.  Yet it is obvious that this film doesn’t mine its rich premise for anything more than lowbrow humour, which makes you wonder why the filmmakers chose it anyway. The premise is not preposterous in itself; it is how Vuorensola’s hackneyed treatment of it renders it so infuriating. At the end of the film, it’s hard not to feel like Vuorensola has trivialized the sacrifices made by the armed forces back in the day, creating what amounts to little more than a thinly veiled exploitation movie.

Movie Rating:  

(It's nothing much more than cheap humour, but while it is at it, it pulls out all the stops to make you laugh. It's enjoyable if you don't expect too much from it)

Review by Raymond Tan

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: “King” Somching Srisupap
Cast: Peter corp Dyrendal, Patchrapa Chaichua, Phupoom Phongpanu, Nitit Warayanon, Warinda Damrongphol, Sasapin Siriwanij, Benjawan Piantumdee, Orn-arnin Peerachakajornpatt, Nutthapong Piboonthanakiat, Arada Arayawuth
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: www.m-thirtyninemovie.com

Opening Day: 3 May 2012

Synopsis: As Ja blew the candles on the cake for her 31^st birthday, the light in the room brightens up unexpectedly – A good-looking young man standing by her door.

Por – a 24-year old Petroleum Engineer to-be, has travelled to Bangkok to attend the basic training for his job. That night, he follows his friend, Zen to an unknown part. Por’s heart beats like a drum as he met Ja, a woman he fell in love with 7 years ago. Por told himself that he will never let her disappear again and is determined to win her love within the three months he has in Bangkok.

Fate has it that Por stays next to Ja, as his grandmother is also Ja’s landlady. With the proximity, Por has more opportunities to know Ja better and he gradually falls head over heels in love with her.

At the same time, Ja is having a hard time coping with her best. After splitting from his boyfriend of 7-years, Ja lost faith in love. She spends her day working and partying to kill time. It is not easy for her to open her heart to a new relationship, especially to someone who is 7-years younger, like Por.

As time passes, Ja opens her heart to Por. However, Por’s innocent and cheerful personality is not enough to convince Ja of the age-gap between them. The age difference is not the only obstacle: Nop – Ja’s handsome, pilot ex-boyfriend returns to Ja, asking for reconciliation. Nop’s appearance certainly upset the budding romance between Ja and Por.

During this awkward period, Por left home for Basic off-shore training. Several days after Por’s departure, Ja experienced a sense of loss. When Por returns from his training and profess his love, Ja is still uncertain. Heartbroken by Ja’s response, Por told Ja that will leave to work on the Oil rig, somewhere in the ocean and will not harass her again. Ja, though sad about Por’s pending departure is still not ready to accept his love.

Days and months passed, and it’s Ja’s 32^nd birthday. She receives an e-mail with a Youtube link, could it be from Por? Will love come knocking again?

Movie Review:

‘Fabulous 30’ is yet another entry by the Thai film industry into the rom-com genre, a foray that arguably began with GMM’s ‘Bangkok Traffic Love Story’ and has continued through their string of recent hits ‘Hello Stranger’ and ‘ATM’. Unlike those movies however, this doesn’t come from the GMM studio, which probably explains why it is less slick and less entertaining than any one of the other films.

Certainly its premise is less inspired, drawing as it does on the proverbial fears of single women who have hit the big 30. That lady is Ja (Patchrapa Chaichua), who not only has to deal with her supposed insecurity due to her age, but also from her recent split with a boyfriend of seven years after she finds out that he has no intention of settling down. As formula would have it, she will meet the right one just as she is prepared to give up on love.

Enter Porasit (Ken Phupoom), an engineer by training who has just graduated from university and is about to begin his job on an oil rig in six months time. And oh in case you’re wondering, Por just happens to be seven years younger than her (i.e. he is 24 and she is 31 when they meet), which of course turns out to be a sore point in their budding romance even as they fall in love with each other.

Never mind that Por’s best friend Zen (Nitit Warayanon) happens to have a crush on Ja, or that Ja’s longtime boyfriend Nop (Peter Corp Dyrendal) comes knocking with an plea for them to get back together, this is essentially a love story between a younger man and an older woman and their attendant age complications. There’s of course no doubt that by the end, Ja will overcome her dilemma of dating someone younger and follow her heart to say an affirmative yes to Por’s constant plea for them to be a couple.

The journey to that established outcome however proves less fulfilling than you would expect it to, chiefly because the trio of screenwriters (Somching Srisupap, Boonpong Panich and Sakila Banyen) keep the story simple to the point of being simplistic. Instead of letting the characters develop along the way, they stick with the same formula throughout- guy and girl share a close intimate moment; guy and girl look like they might get together; girl gets cold feet due to some reminder of their age difference; then guy starts over trying to win her heart again.

Not only does the repetition get tiresome after a while, it also gets bogged down every time by heavy-handed melodrama. Indeed, Srisupap is too keen at every possible turn to let some sappy pop song or soundtrack play in the background as Por gets rejected time and again by Ja. It doesn’t help that the pacing of the movie is too slow for its own good, and at slightly over two hours, is clearly stretching the material too thin.

Yet despite its flaws, there is still a sweet appeal to it, thanks to the mostly delightful cast. Kudos to Patchrapa Chaichua, who proves that she is much more than just a pretty face, channelling both her character’s joys and insecurities sharply. Next to her, Phupoom comes off as rather blad and wooden, but at least the model and TV star making his first leap into feature film fits the bill as a gentle, playful and slightly less mature adult next to Chaichua. The supporting cast, consisting mainly of Ja’s posse of friends, are largely a hoot and make the best of what screen time the film accords to them.

Of course, no rom-com could be possible without chemistry between the leads, and fortunately there is plenty of that between Chaichua and Phupoom. Without that spark between them, this rom-com would most certainly have fallen apart. Rather, they make the best of a middling script and some uneven direction to finally win you over with a message that love is always possible- despite what society may tell you- if you only trust your heart and follow your instincts. 

Movie Rating:

(Fabulous it may not be, but this Thai rom-com has enough winning chemistry between its leads to be a pleasing date movie)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre:Romance/Comedy
Director: Seven Wong
Cast: Ella Chen, Mike Ho, Fang Zhi You, Jack Kao, Bi Xiao Hai, Pan Li-li, Chris Wang, Kitamura Toyoharu 
RunTime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG
Released By:  Cathay-Keris Films & Scorpio East Pictures
Official Website:
 
Opening Day: 31 May 2012

Synopsis: Bad Girls is a youthful romantic comedy about a high school girl Dan (Ella Chen) who has a chivalrous personality. She and her two best friends form a girl group called ‘Bad Girls’ in school to fight bullies. One day, a filming crew borrows Dan’s school to film a romantic movie. The male lead, Justin (Mike Ho) is a popular idol and the girls in school are going crazy over him. Dan is chosen as the female lead, starring opposite the arrogant Justin. Curious about Justin, Dan tries to find out more about him. But unknown to her and the others, Justin buries a dark secret deep within him. The filming of this odd pair continues, brewing up a whole lot of hilarious episodes. Will Justin finally let down his guard and reveal his secret to Dan? How will Dan be able to overcome the challenges placed in front of her? Feel the lighthearted love as romance blossoms this summer!

Movie Review:

In 2001, Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. was formed by Selina Jen, Hebe Tien and Ella Chen, three girls with very different on screen personalities. The group gave the Chinese pop music industry a much needed breath of fresh air, and if it isn’t clear enough to you, the music label which signed them on had used the girls’ alphabetism to function as the name of the group. Some 10 years have passed, and if you are familiar with the Chinese entertainment industry, you’d know how each of the girls has moved on to different paths in their careers. Here, Chen is starring in her second feature film (the first being Kevin Chu’s New Perfect Two earlier released this year), and will fans get to see an improvement in the role she’s cast in?

Taiwanese filmmaker Seven Wong directs Chen in a romantic comedy about a girl (Chen) who is, well, bad (as suggested by the movie title – duh). Always the one to count on to fight off bullies, our protagonist is never regarded someone who is graceful and ladylike. Call it fate if you want, a film crew drops by her school to shoot a romance movie, and before you can spell “c-o-i-n-c-i-d-e-n-c-e”, the rowdy girl lands herself as the female lead of the production. And will there be love blossoming between her and the handsome male lead? You bet!

Fans who are familiar with Chen’s persona will know that she is the “tomboy” of S.H.E. (even her vocals are deeper than her group mates), so it is natural that viewers find her easing comfortably into her latest big screen role. So here we were, sitting through the 94 minute movie, trying very hard to like it. After all, there’s nothing some fluff and sweet romance can’t do for our highly stressful urban lifestyles.

Unfortunately, the movie turns out to be a dreary and overlong affair, with frequent moments where we wondered where the plot was heading. To be fair, the movie starts off promising enough, where director Wong employs cutesy animation and dramatic setups to tell his story. Before long, this tactic turns out to be a seemingly directionless attempt to chalk up screen time.  

The movie plods along, churning out one predictable episode after another, hoping to milk some laughs from its audience. The result is a feature film which feels like a stretched idol drama (one that features good looking people, good looking backdrops and commendable production values). While fans of Chen would be suitably pleased, the romantic comedy is still one that doesn’t work.

It is evident that Chen is giving her best in her first leading role (her involvement in New Perfect Two was negligent at best) to make the movie work, but a somewhat disinterested looking Mike Ho doesn’t help. The mesmerising Ho is known for his charming looks, but his performance here (intentional or not) just doesn’t make the cut. The inconsequential supporting characters played by Taiwanese actors like Fang Zhi You, Jack Kao and Bi Xiao Hai also do not leave an impression. Try as hard as the filmmakers might to conjure a comedy, but the jokes mostly fall flat.

If there’s one thing we love about the movie, it has to be the picturesque sceneries captured on film. They have successfully made us want to visit the locations where the movie was filmed, but hoping not to meet similar characters along the way. 

Movie Rating: 

(A good looking movie that doesn’t work as the intended romantic comedy)

Review by John Li

Genre: Thriller/Action
Director: Yoo-Ha
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Na-young, Sin Jeong-geun, Lee Sung-min, Lim Hyeon-seong, Jeong Jin
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language and Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: http://www.howling2012.co.kr/

Opening Day: 24 May 2012

Synopsis: A series of mysterious murders to which the only clue is an animal bite mark… There is a reason behind his killings. Sang-gil (SONG Kang-ho) is a homicide detective who is perpetually passed over for promotion. One typically dismissive day he’s gets assigned yet another simple case, a suicide, as well as a rookie female detective, Eun-young (LEE Na-young), as a partner. Sang-gil grudgingly starts the investigation, but the case turns out to be a premeditated murder intricately designed to include a time-bomb. Blinded by the chance to earn a long overdue promotion, Sang-gil continues to investigate on his own without reporting to his superiors. Eunyoung questions the oddity of the bite mark on the body, but Sang-gil ignores her. Meanwhile, a seemingly random wild animal attack kills another person, and Eun-young senses a connection between the two deaths. Without realizing the seriousness of the situation, Sang-gil stubbornly continues to investigate the case alone, and Eun-young reluctantly follows along. When the two discover the bite marks on the bodies belong to a wolfdog, a cross between a dog and a wolf, they also discover that all the victims are connected to one another… Why did a wolfdog go on a murder-spree?

Movie Review:

Billed as South Korea’s answer to ‘The Howling’- which is in fact its English title in most, if not, all other territories, ‘The Killer Wolf’ proves to be so much more than your generic werewolf movie. Indeed, former poet-turned-director Yoo Ha’s latest brings to mind Bong Joon-ho’s ‘The Host’, which successfully reinvented the monster movie with sharp social commentary- and though Ha’s attempt doesn’t reach the heights of Bong’s classic, it does successfully breathe new life into the subgenre by combining its sensibilities with that of a crime thriller.

It is in the form of the latter that the movie opens, as veteran detective Jo Sang-gil (Song Kang-ho, who coincidentally is also the lead of ‘The Host’) is teamed up with a young female rookie Cha Eun-young (Lee Na-young making the leap from her usual staple of rom-coms) to investigate the possible self-immolation of a middle-aged male in his own car. Adding to the mystery of that individual’s cause of death are the unusual bite marks on the deceased, which suggest he was bitten by some large dog, or even a wolf.

With some forensic help and the requisite stakeouts, the pair of detectives manage to pin down the identity of the deceased- though a visit to his apartment unveils a much more sinister background. It turns out the victim was, together with four others, in the business of underage sex trafficking, using his apartment as a den for older men to indulge in their teenage girl fantasies. Clue by clue, Cha stitches together the pieces of a despicable criminal organisation, even as one by one the deceased’s associates meet their demise at the mouth of a vicious half-dog half-wolf hybrid known simply as a ‘wolfdog’.

A lot of the fun in Ha’s film is guessing how the many disparate pieces of the puzzle fit together, as the narrative- based upon a Japanese novel by Asa Nonami- twists and turns to reveal the origins of the ‘wolfdog’ as well as the reason behind its series of targeted brutal attacks. The less you know about the plot the better, and the more attention you pay to the unfolding events the wiser, given the plethora of supporting characters as well as the plot complexities. There is a lot going on, but Ha manages to keep it all together while maintaining a tight tense atmosphere throughout.

But anyone who’s seen Ha’s previous films ‘A Dirty Carnival’ or ‘A Frozen Flower’ will know that he is not simply interested in plot but also equally in character. That explains the effort he spends setting Cha apart from the rest, painting her as the newbie ostracised by her colleagues for simply being a pretty female face but who turns out to be smarter and sharper than anyone else. Kudos to Ha for giving Cha more depth than the usual stereotype of a tough determined woman, though his execution- especially a flashback that explains her steeliness- could use a bit more finesse.

Next to Cha, Jo is unfortunately sidelined as the gruff old-hand still rankling at being passed over for a recent promotion- and even a subplot very early on about his troubled relationship with a delinquent son is quickly forgotten as the events of the case take precedence. Nonetheless, despite his character’s significance in the course of the narrative, it is Song Kang-ho’s low-key performance that holds the movie together. There’s nothing particularly challenging here for the actor of more demanding fare such as ‘Thirst’ and ‘Sympathy for Mr Vengeance’, but Kang-ho is a perfect foil against the entirely serviceable performance of Na-young.

It isn’t difficult to see why the actress had chosen Cha as her breakout role, but the sweet fresh-faced Na-young is sadly out of her depth here. That’s particularly apparent in the scenes where she is required to imply an emotional connection between her character and that of the ‘wolfdog’ after the latter saves her life, which could have been more poignant in the hands of a more capable actress. Still, she isn’t as bad as some reports have made her out to be, though a large part of that credit goes to her co-star Kang-ho.

Arriving in the midst of much summer bombast, it’s easy to overlook a smaller, less-hyped movie like ‘The Killer Wolf’- especially given its rather tacky English title. Yet those looking for some good old-fashioned intrigue and suspense will find that this Korean hybrid of a werewolf movie and a serial killer thriller offers both in one taut package, and if it’s something different from the typical Hollywood spectacle you are looking for, then make this your film of choice. 

Movie Rating:

(Intriguing and surprisingly suspenseful, this hybrid of a werewolf movie and a serial killer thriller is a tense taut murder mystery gripping from start to end)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Tony Gilroy
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Oscar Isaac, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, Stacy Keach, Scott Glenn
RunTime: 2 hrs 15 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By:  UIP
Official Website: http://www.thebournelegacy.net/

Opening Day: 8 August 2012

Synopsis: The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films. For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.

Movie Review:

To find an actor in place of Matt Damon as Jason Bourne was going to be close to impossible, so series writer Tony Gilroy did the next best thing – he created a Bourne-like agent in the form of Aaron Cross, and cast character actor Jeremy Renner in that role. Not only that, to leave room for the possibility of Matt Damon’s return, Gilroy created what we would call a ‘side-quel’ – in other words, a movie whose events unfold in parallel with that in the last Bourne movie with Damon, ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’.

It’s a good premise we’d have to admit, but Gilroy here makes one misstep – he decided to take over the reins from Paul Greengrass as director. Oh don’t get us wrong, the veteran writer who first ventured into the director’s seat with the critically acclaimed ‘Michael Clayton’ and then the playful ‘Duplicity’ is a capable director in his own right, but his inclination for exposition as well as his lack of experience in crafting the sort of tense action that audiences have come to expect from any respectable Bourne film prove to be this ‘Legacy’s’ weakest spots. 

Indeed, one of the key reasons why the Bourne films have been so compelling was Doug Liman’s (who directed the first ‘Bourne Identity’) and Greengrass’ ability to tell an intriguing espionage story within the context of a traditional action movie, paring down the narrative to its essentials so the overall film moves at a lean brisk pace. Gilroy however clearly favours plot over action, and while that isn’t a bad thing in itself, it becomes so when it’s clear what story (scripted by Tony Gilroy together with his brother Dan) there is has little to add to the Bourne universe beyond what was already established in the earlier films. 

So once again, Cross goes on the defensive as the CIA tries to shut down one of its programmes, fearing the backlash that will no doubt follow if it were leaked to the public. The connection to Bourne? ‘Outcome’ was a companion programme to ‘Treadstone’, though genetic modification was applied only on the former. Narrowly escaping a drone attack ordered by the Agency on a remote Alaskan bunker, Cross returns to the United States to find his genetic meds he believes are crucial to his survival – blue for brain functioning and green for athletic performance. 

Help once again lies in a lady whom he will develop a connection towards by the end of the film – a certain Dr Marta Shearing (Rachel Wesiz), who herself had a harrowing escape from her ex-colleague programmed to kill all scientists with knowledge of ‘Outcome’ (and a word of caution that this particular shooting scene might offend some sensitivities given the two recent real-life shootings in the United States). Beneath a lot of talk about how super-soldiers like Cross can be created by the interaction of viruses, chromosomes and mitochondria is really a straight-forward chase film where Cross and Shearing have to stay one step ahead of his former boss Eric (Edward Norton). 

If ‘Bourne Legacy’ feels familiar every step of the way, it’s because you’ve actually seen parts of it in different Bourne films before. The crisis room dealings ring smack of ‘Bourne Supremacy’ and ‘Bourne Ultimatum’, the slow-burning relationship between Cross and Shearing is reminiscent of that between Damon and Franka Potente in ‘Bourne Identity’ and even the extended climax featuring a parkour-like chase through the rooftops of the shantytowns of Manila followed by a motorbike chase sequence through its busy streets reminds one of two similar sequences in ‘Ultimatum’. 

Alongside a distinct lack of originality, Gilroy also never gives his audience much reason to care about his central character Cross. The first three ‘Bourne’ movies were told primarily through the eyes of Bourne as he searches first for his own identity and then for the people after him, allowing their audience to experience his confusion, determination, perseverance, and thirst for justice. Here, Cross is on a mission to find his pills, and while that is well and dandy, it just seems trivial and uninvolving compared to Bourne’s mission. Gilroy’s choice of giving more screen time to Shearing and Byer without the presence of Cross also renders the latter a hazy blur, difficult to identify let alone empathise with. 

And that is despite the best efforts of Renner, who cannot be faulted for not trying his best to fill Damon’s shoes. Renner does his best with a thinly written part – you can especially see his dedication to making the hand-to-hand combat sequences thrilling – but without a compelling backstory, his Cross never quite becomes more than a stock type. Weisz brings her usual sincerity to the role, but she and Renner unfortunately don’t share the same chemistry Damon and Potente did in the first movie. Even the always reliable Norton is essentially wasted in a one-note caricatured villain that hardly comes in any shades of grey. 

Those looking for the same level of adrenaline-kicking excitement as ‘Ultimatum’ will be severely let down – the action sequences here pack less oomph, take too long to get from one to the other, and are often over too quickly. The one and only sequence worth mentioning is the climax earlier described, and derivative as it is, it is the closest that the film comes to matching the same white-knuckle thrills that the previous movie packed in generous amounts. 

Of course, ‘The Bourne Legacy’ is also an unfortunate victim of its predecessor’s expectations. Yes, the past three films were definitive in shaking (and we do mean this literally) up the espionage genre with pulse-pounding action, thanks in no small part to Greengrass’ fast-cut handheld camerawork that has since been copied ad infinitum. Coming after the legacy of these films, this serviceable action thriller is a letdown, with little of the exhilaration nor the intelligence that made its predecessors so iconic. Truly, it says a lot when you realise how much you miss Bourne every time a picture or reference to him is made in this movie.
 
Movie Rating:

(Too many familiarities, a less-than compelling Bourne replacement, and mediocre action sequences make this spinoff a poor cousin that fails to live up to the legacy of its predecessors)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: From the celebrated director of Sideways (Alexander Payne) comes a wonderfully warm and witty film that Rolling Stone calls "damn near perfect." Academy Awardr winner George Clooney 'leads the ensemble cast of year' (Chicago Tribune). Experience a bittersweet drama about a detached father's attempt to reconnect with his two daughters and their often-hilarious quest for the truth in this "moving, enlightening, funny and unapologetically human" film (Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine). Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.

MOVIE REVIEW:

“My friends on the mainland think just because I live in Hawaii, I live in paradise. Like a permanent vacation. We're all just out here sipping Mai Tais, shaking our hips, and catching waves. Are they insane?” – Matt King

The above Matt King’s opening lines sold me shortly after the opening credits. Based on an original novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, “The Descendants” is a wondrous, tongue-in-cheek drama directed by the acclaimed Alexander Payne who gave audiences “Sideways” more than seven years ago.

The charismatic George Clooney plays Matt King, a Honolulu-based lawyer who tragically finds his wife, Elizabeth in a coma after a boat-skiing accident. Not only must King deals with this sad event, he must also takes on a full-time father role to his two daughters, a major pending land sale on behalf of his King family awaits him and worst, finding out his wife has cuckolded him from his best friends.

It’s obviously a lot of material to cover for a movie that runs slightly less than two hours and imagine the sheer number of characters and subplots involved. Ultimately, Payne and his two writers minus regular partner, Jim Taylor managed to steer everything nicely together. For a movie that revolves around a comatose patient, there’s enough human drama and a substantial amount of laughter going around, a trademark of Payne’s works. Watching Matt King running clumsily in his flip flops out of the house after finding out his wife has betrayed him is both heartbreaking and funny.

The believable, witty dialogue and tight scripting allows young actors such as Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller who plays King’s daughters, Alexandra and Scottie enough room to shine and play off. Add to the duo is Nick Krause who plays Alexandra’s goofy friend, Sid who gets into trouble with both King and his father-in-law along the way. Scooby Doo’s Shaggy, Matthew Lillard gave an impressive performance with his seldom-seen dramatic side as Brian, a property agent who has an affair with Elizabeth. Clooney on the other hand delivers an effective performance as the man on a self-discovering journey with his two rebellious daughters in tow.

Beautiful shot by DP Phedon Papamichael on-location in Hawaii with a mesmerizing soundtrack that heavily features Hawaiian music, “The Descendants” never for one minute turns into an emotional wreckage, it’s just incredibly engaging and thought-provoking for the most part. Count me in if you think this is one of the best dramas of 2012.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

We would love George Clooney as well if we met him in real-life. He is genuinely goofy and friendly onset according to his co-stars in this lovely feature, Everybody Loves George.

Alexander Payne makes omelet for his cast and crew. How nice and in turn they talks and shares about the homely atmosphere working on this movie in Working with Alexander.  

Alexander Payne and his cast members such as Matthew Lillard and Amara Miller talks about their auditioning experiences in Casting.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The images are sharp and colours are naturally reproduced on the DVD. The clarity and soothing music soundtrack makes this dialog driven drama a pleasant experience to listen to.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: In this suspenseful sci-fi thriller, a group of young Americans visiting Moscow wage a desperate fight for survival in the face of an apocalyptic alien invasion. Composed of pure energy, the invisible extraterrestrials show no mercy as they incinerate helpless human beings merely by touching them. The small band of survivors armed only with their courage and ingenuity who may hold the key to stopping the alien onslaught. But with time running out and hope fading, they may only get one chance to save themselves... and the planet.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Hollywood produces so many alien-invasion thrillers that at the end of the day, there are only a handful of them that are actually worth catching. The only good ones that come to mind in recent times are “War of the Worlds” and “District 9” while “The Darkest Hour” probably comes close to the critically-panned Brothers Strause’s “Skyline”. Rest assured, it’s not as bad as the latter though.

With much elaboration, voiceover or narration, “The Darkest Hour” opens with two young Americans, Ben (Max Minghella) and Sean (Emile Hirsch) travelling to Moscow to pitch their networking program to a corporation. Unbeknownst to them, their Swedish partner, Skyler has sold the pitch to them. Feeling low and dejected, the duo ends up in a nightclub and met two attractive women, Anne (Rachael Taylor) and Natalie (Olivia Thirlby). Did I mention Skyler is there as well? Anyway, mysterious lights start to appear out of the Moscow sky and disintegrate every human in sight and our five protagonists find themselves stranded in a foreign country, alone and helpless with aliens everywhere waiting to destroy anyone alive.

To its credit, “The Darkest Hour” has its moments of thrill and suspense. The shopping mall sequence where Sean and Anne have a near-death encounter with the aliens is wonderfully staged. Take into account, the aliens here are not the usual raging creatures but light sources or electromagnetic pulses. The rest of the movie hovers between the usual fight-for-survival and looking-for-survivors plotting with a peculiar Russian scientist thrown in for some light-hearted laughs.

Directed by Chris Gorak who gave us the indie thriller, “Right At Your Door” and produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Night Watch), “The Darkest Hour” is rich on CG and visuals (take for example a scene of a disintegrating barking dog in the middle of Red Square), the location shoot in Russia replaces the usual LA/New York/Tokyo setting though I guess didn’t do much help to the lackluster plotting. The notorious short running time explains why there aren’t many characterizations to begin with and the limp aliens-mining-Earth-resources reasoning might cause you to scratch your head for a more rational cause.

Given the talents behind including Emile Hirsch who is the critic’s darling in “Into the Wild” and “Milk”, this ends up as yet another generic alien-invasion sci-fi thriller that fails to impress and easily file itself under the “forgettable’ category.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Four Deleted Scenes and a single Extended Scene are included on the DVD. None of them are action-oriented or played a crucial role in the movie.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Dialog is clear and the sound of disintegrating humans, gunshots are strong and crisp to the ears. The visual quality is overall excellent with impressive framed pictures and CG.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee