Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim, Denis O'Hare, Jon Campling
RunTime: 1 hr 54 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: PG
Official Website: http://focusfeatures.com/the_eagle
Opening Day: 31 March 2011
Synopsis: In 2nd-Century Britain, two men - master and slave - venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism...The Roman epic adventure The Eagle is directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Duncan Kenworthy. Jeremy Brock has adapted the screenplay from Rosemary Sutcliff's classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth.
In 140 AD, the Roman Empire extends all the way to Britain - though its grasp is incomplete, as the rebellious tribes of Caledonia (today's Scotland) hold sway in the far North. Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives in Britain, determined to restore the tarnished reputation of his father, Flavius Aquila. It was 20 years earlier that Rome's 5,000-strong Ninth Legion, under the command of Flavius and carrying their golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth, marched north into Caledonia. They never returned; Legion and Eagle simply vanished into the mists. Angered, the Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of a wall to seal off the territory; Hadrian's Wall became the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire - the edge of the known world.
Driven to become a brilliant soldier and now given command of a small fort in the southwest, Marcus bravely leads his troops during a siege. Commended by Rome for his bravery, yet discharged from the army because of his severe wounds, Marcus convalesces, demoralized, in the villa of his Uncle Aquila (Donald Sutherland), a retired army man. When Marcus impulsively gets a young Briton's life spared at a gladiatorial contest, Aquila buys the Briton, Esca (Jamie Bell), to be Marcus' slave. Marcus is dismissive of Esca, who harbors a seething hatred of all things Roman. Yet Esca vows to serve the man who has saved his life.
Hearing a rumor that the Eagle has been seen in a tribal temple in the far north, Marcus is galvanized into action, and sets off with Esca across Hadrian's Wall. But the highlands of Caledonia are a vast and savage wilderness, and Marcus must rely on his slave to navigate the region. When they encounter ex-Roman soldier Guern (Mark Strong), Marcus realizes that the mystery of his father's disappearance may well be linked to the secret of his own slave's identity and loyalty - a secret all the more pressing when the two come face-to-face with the warriors of the fearsome Seal Prince (Tahar Rahim).
Movie Review:
Director Kevin Macdonald had Forest Whitaker to work with in The Last King of Scotland (2006), and was blessed with a fine ensemble cast which included Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren in his last Hollywood outing State of Play (2009).
Here, the Scottish director’s leading man is Channing “Dear John” Tatum.
What do we get as a result of that uninspired casting? An equally uninspired Roman epic adventure that brings with it more bore than excitement. Adapted by Jeremy Brock from Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth and based on the supposed disappearance of the Ninth Spanish Legion in Britain, this British American co production tells the story of a young Roman soldier who goes on a journey to honour his father by finding his lost legion’s golden emblem – the eagle.
It doesn’t really matter whether you are familiar with this piece of history, because the movie is marketed as an action adventure featuring, well, action and adventure. The boys may be all excited about the violence and blood, but the girls have a reason to watch this too – the good looking leading men. Tatum, who has shown the world how charming he is in movies like Step Up (2006) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), is the protagonist here: See him brood and emote in the 114 minute movie, that is, if you are not bothered by his expressionlessly tiresome acting. The well built star has little to offer here except his good looks, and of course, his good bod. He has every reason to don those Roman inspired costumes so that girls could swoon over how handsome he looks.
Elsewhere, we are looking out for Jamie Bell, who is best known for playing the very likeable titular character in Billy Elliot (2000). Besides bit roles in Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and Jumper (2008), the English actor hasn’t been in the limelight since his outstanding performance a decade ago. Here, he outshines his co star Tatum as a British slave. Bell shows us how he has grown as an actor here by quietly portraying a slave who detests Rome for what it is but still bound to his master who saved his life. Other commendable performances come from supporting actors Donald Sutherland (The Mechanic, Reign Over Me) and Mark Strong (Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes).
But alas, these fine performances are not enough to save this supposedly appealing action adventure. No, not even the sweeping cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle which transports us to the lush and picturesque landscapes of Hungary and Scotland, nor the swelling music by Atli Orvarsson which brings us to an era long forgotten by mankind, could salvage the evidently mind numbing production the filmmakers have put together here.
When the movie concludes with a less than impressive ending, you know that this may pass off as easy viewing on a boring weekend, but no way is it going to create an impact like a certain Roman epic adventure Gladiator (2000) did.
Movie Rating:
(No thanks to the buff and brawny Channing Tatum, this is one exasperatingly tedious action adventure )
Review by John Li
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: D.J. Caruso
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Jake Abel, Kevin Durand, Callan McAuliffe, Beau Mirchoff, Emily Wickersham
RunTime: 1 hr 49 mins
Released By: Walt Disney Motion Pictures
Rating: PG (Violence)
Official Website: http://www.findnumberfour.com/
Opening Day: 24 February 2011
Synopsis: Three are dead. Who is Number Four? D.J. Caruso ("Eagle Eye," "Disturbia") helms an action-packed thriller about an extraordinary teen, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.
Movie Review:
Riding on the popularity of a certain tween supernatural romance between human and being, the quest for belonging and the ever presence of attachment lives on and apparently emotions run deep no matter what culture, dimension or planet you are. A very typical epic teen drama wrap around a twist, sprinkled with action. I’m not going to fret about the fact that its a mish-mash of many iconic scene we have encountered on our silver screen namely because, lets face it, there is no original idea left now. What is important is not to be a blatant rip-off and to come up with a story that stays true. Fortunately, "I Am Number Four" surprisingly stands on its own, without any expectation as i passed through the doors of the cinema. Back when the first trailer popped across the island, i shrugged it off as another teen fantasy adventure that didn’t live pass its 1st venture out from the book, i expected this to fail. So do note that, your enjoyment for this film relies greatly on your expectation and main goal watching this show. Those who aim to be entertained, sadly to say, only the last half of the film does justice especially the final showdown. Anything before that, you'll be mistaken for accidentally entering the wrong cinema. But if you’re in for the ride of dwelling into the eye candy spread, you’re in luck. From Alex Pettyfer to Timothy Olyphant to Dianna Agron, its a buffet for everyone.
Lets break down the storyline which everyone seems to be confuse about. It may resemblance many shows we’ve seen before but it has this off kilter that throws many reviewers off from its unbalance theme and undulating pace that feels like a new car driver who is practicing the use of a brake system. But like any other fantasy sci-fi based film, a background introduction is laid out to give the back story. Much appreciated the effort for making this the quickest stuff in your face back-story ever told. It was told that Planet Lorien is under treat and had sent 9 special alien children to earth to hide from the Mogadorians whose main aim is to destroy them all. Why? Who knows. Perhaps it’ll be explained in the sequel. By now, don’t care. The story starts of with the killing of number 3. Wait-a-min, isn’t this a Disney funded film? Whats with all the killing and blood spill and even shocking, stuffing mini razor-saw balls into mouths (just realise that sounded wrong in so many levels, but I'm leaving it in). Disney with blood, I'm liking it. Anyway, back on track, As one by one these special alien children are assassinated by the evil bounty beings, they are helpless in protecting themselves from them thus the constant moving/running away. That is where the story starts going melodrama, while bringing up themes of what most teens grew up with. Love, bullying, acceptance and others. this is where, the pace suddenly come to a halt and dragged its feet almost to the pace of a certain sparkly kind. Thank goodness for John, the number four, being the legacy, having his new found special ability to play with. Alien boy meets girl, girl fall in love. Boy befriends geeky boy who in turns will help him in future. matter happens to keep boy and girl apart. You know the drill.
A broodingly handsome the model turn actor seems, its not as bad as mentioned in the press. John played by Alex Pettyfer has a certain charm and coyness to him that makes him be the guy who everyone thinks he is a douche bag but that just what everyone perceive him to be. guess haters gonna be haters. Dianna Agron who plays the love interest, Sarah, unfortunately still pertain the same outlook and demure of Quin in the hit TV show Glee, but minus the bitchiness which is hard to wipe such character off her. But her style and sense of conversation very much resembles the ethereal Liv Tyler. Her slow speech and glowing presence pretty much captivates and calms the beast within. Much to my disappointment is the appearance of Timothy Olyphant as the warrior guardian who (SPOILER ALERT) didn't live long till the end and wasn’t much of a guardian to begin with. How is he going to protect the children of Lorien from the major alien bounty if can be easily kidnapped by human beings? By this point, I've learnt to not question much and suspend the belief in or to enjoy the show.
What i am very excited about very much lies towards the end of the film where the action is. No, they did not get it on. What i was referring to is all the action you see from the trailer. All the sci-fi she-bang was full on and no rocks unturned. Bodies thrown about like rag dolls, explosions galore, phaser blaster on top dial, monsters abound and to top it off a bad-ass alien girl coming to save the day. Who says only guys can arrive as the gallant knight in shiny armour? This is one leather gun trotting child of Lorien i won’t mind be rescued by. And why all this top notch action sequence? Why would you settle less if its a Micheal Bay production? Bring on all those slow-mo and fire explosions in the next sequel!
Movie Rating:
(Twilight it may not be but with a fix of pacing, this is one hell of a sci-fi tween drama that kicks ass)
Reviewed by Lokman B S
Genre: Drama
Director: Steve McQueen
Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Garret Dillahunt, Carrie Coon, Jacki Weaver, Jon Bernthal, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo with Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes And Some Coarse Language)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website:
Opening Day: 6 December 2018
Synopsis: From Academy Award(r)-winning director Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave") and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn ("Gone Girl"), comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption: "Widows" is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar(r) winner Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.
Movie Review:
The idea of Steve McQueen, the artist-turned-director known for serious, humourless films that double up as social commentaries (with the most recent being the Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave), do a film adaption of a 1980s crime caper British television series that appealed to the mass is probably something unexpected in the movie industry.
Somehow though, McQueen makes the movie adaptation of Widows, originally a 1980s British television series, work in his uniquely McQueen style. Rather than a fun, sexy heist movie ala the Ocean’s series, Widows is an intelligent movie that has the right amount of poignancy balanced finely with tightly paced explosive action sequences that one would not have expected from McQueen.
The movie opens effectively as it launches the audience straight into a riveting heist that goes wrong rapidly. Shot from the point of view of a speeding van, the camera brings the audience into the thick of the action as bullets fly and the men involved in the heist shout at each other in panicked tones. The scene is accompanied by the background sounds of screeching tyres and police car sirens shrieking at high-pitched tones as the police chases down the robbers. It ends off with the men trapped in their getaway van which explodes spectacularly before you even have time to digest how the men ended up being trapped and think about how a thoroughly planned heist executed by experienced men could go wrong at every possible juncture.
Having set up the premise with that muscular, sharply edited action sequence, McQueen swiftly moves to how the widows of the robbers are coping (after all, the movie is titled Widows). The wife of the mastermind/leader of the gang, Harry, Veronica Rawlings (portrayed by a very capable Viola Davis) is a teachers’ union executive. She has no time to grief as she is threatened by mobster Jamal Manning (portrayed by Brian Tyree Henry) whose two million went up in smoke together with the getaway van Harry and his gang were in. In the hands of a less capable actress, Veronica’s transformation from a grieving fearful widow who knows nothing about crime to a female gangleader who has to put on a tough act would have been hard to believe. However, Davis’ performance reminds us why she is one of the few actresses to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, as she expertly balances Veronica’s superficial indomitable toughness with intense vulnerability and grief.
The actresses playing the women co-opted into the heist to gather the money needed to bring their lives back on track have much lesser screen time but they utilize those limited moments effectively and make you sympathise them. Fellow widows, Linda (portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice (portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki) and late addition, Belle (portrayed by Cynthia Erivo) make for a delightful ensemble cast. Rodriguez demonstrates that she is more than just an action star in one of her very few roles outside of an action movie. Debicki is a joy to watch as you witness Alice grow from being much being a pretty face to being able to come up with creative solutions to her problems (watch out for the scene where she lies as a desperate mail order bride who convinces a random stranger to help her).
McQueen, being McQueen, doesn’t just escape for a generic heist movie. He laces Widows with subtle social commentary about American society. Set in Chicago, which serves as a grim metaphor for America in microcosm, the film has a sub-plot about politics. While threatening Veronica to pay the two million he lost, Manning decides to run for a political seat in the ward that the heir to a political scion, Jack Mulligan (portrayed by Colin Farrell) is eyeing. Manning’s motive is purely selfish - he wants to win so that he can earn dirty money ‘legitimately’ without having to worry about the police shooting him. McQueen doesn’t only rely on this political contest to show the audience what he has to say about American society. The death of Veronica and Harry’s son, the interracial marriage between the two of them, Alice’s lie about being a mail order bride, Alice’s arrangement with a reasonably kind sugar daddy, Belle having to juggle two jobs and many other instances all come together to form a social commentary about America the way McQueen sees it.
The politics add to the plot in a subtle way, enriching this heist movie, which would have been sufficiently entertaining on its own without that added layer of politics. And this subtle way of weaving all the intricacies together to create a tightly paced action-packed yet emotionally riveting movie piece proves why McQueen is so celebrated as a director.
Movie Rating:
(This is the movie that Ocean’s Eight could have and should have been)
Review by Katrina Tee
SYNOPSIS: Anja and four friends join anthroplogy student, Dace on a journey to study a remote, ancient rock painting. Their excitement vanishes when Mel becomes delirious after skiny-dipping in the waterhole. Feverish, bleeding, confused, she physically and mentally regresses to a vicious predatory state. Mel has gone primal. Mel's lover and friends realise they are the prey as she savagely hunts then down. Before they can escape another one of them starts to regress, posing a hideous choice: kill their friends or by killed by them. Their only hope of survival is through a cave, where Anja learns too late the meaning of the ancient rock art they came to study.
MOVIE REVIEW:
From Down Under comes this low-budget horror film “Primal”, which really isn’t that different from British director Neil Marshall’s “The Descent”, or American director John Gulager’s “Feast”, or even fellow Aussie director Greg Mclean’s “Wolf Creek”. All these films were similarly made on the cheap, starred a bunch of unknown young actors/ actresses, packed plenty of gore in their horror, and were made in the hopes of attaining cult status for themselves and their respective young directors at regular horror film festivals such as Fantastic Fest or After Dark.
But irrespective of nationality, the fact that “Primal” already belongs to a league of such similar genre movies means that it’s probably going to need to do a lot more to differentiate itself from the pack- and this is where director Josh Reed’s feature-length debut fails. Indeed, while it is a well-told fight for survival tale, the screenplay by Reed (who shares story credits with Nigel Christensen) just seems too straightforward to offer up any surprises, especially for an audience who has already seen “The Descent”, “Feast” and “Wolf Creek”.
The basic premise for throwing the sextet into the thick is an anthropology expedition led by student Dace (Wil Traval) to the Australian outback in order to study some ancient cave paintings. A brief prologue that makes no apologies for looking like it was never set 12,000 years ago which it is supposed to shows a caveman making the same painting before something comes from behind and kills him. That every night Dace and his friends arrive, they set up camp near a lake where one of them, the signature dumb blonde Mel (Krew Boylan) decides to go skinny-dipping in.
Bad move- apparently there are parasites in the water which over the course of the night turn Mel into a primal creature hunting for flesh and blood. And oh, she’s also developed extraordinary strength and agility as well in addition to fangs sticking out from her mouth cavity. You can pretty much guess what follows- and yes, Reed’s screenplay here leaves much to be desired by not venturing anywhere further than a cat-and-mouse game between prey and predator.
Worse still, Reed lets perhaps one of the most irritating male characters on screen live on for way too long. That’s Mel’s boyfriend Chad (Lindsay Farris), who first ingratiates by refusing to help his fellow friend Anja (Zoe Tuckwell-Smith) kill another one of them who has turned feral, and then believing so naively that there is still something good left behind Mel’s portrait of madness. It’s unclear Reed’s intention for keeping him alive until pretty much the climax of the movie, but boy were we glad when he finally got his throat ripped out.
Speaking of which, the climax which takes place inside a narrow tunnel where said evil apparently originates is more of an anti-climax really, thanks to laughably bad CGI. While we can appreciate the budget that this movie didn’t have, it is no excuse for a lack of imagination as well, which is the only reason Reed could have come out with an amorphous grey blob that tries to impregnate Anja by repeatedly slamming against her crotch.
Indeed, “Primal” seems no more than a poor attempt at trying to copy the template set down by other much superior films. Unfortunately, even with tight pacing and buckets of gore, Reed doesn’t do enough to make his film stand out from the lot. It will please bloodhounds looking for some genre fare, but “Primal” is not a film that will eventually stand out from the pack
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio offers surprisingly strong bass to go with the soundtrack during the action sequences that helps to pump up the excitement. Visuals are clear, and the colours of the Australian outback look vibrant on screen. Contrast though needs to be strengthened, especially during the night sequences
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comics/Action
Director: Joe Johnston
Cast: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Dormer, Neal McDonough, JJ Feild, Derek Luke
RunTime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Released By: UIP
Rating: PG (Action Violence)
Official Website: http://captainamerica.marvel.com/
Opening Day: 28 July 2011
Synopsis: "Captain America: The First Avenger" will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.).
Movie Review:
The last of Marvel Comics’ superheroes to make its big screen debut before next year’s hotly anticipated ‘The Avengers’ was also the first to debut on print some 70 years ago in Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s Super Soldier series. Captain America was his name, his appearance at the time when the world was in the throes of World War II- though it would be months later before America finally decided to join in the fight following the bombing of Pearl Harbour.
You’d understand why then the character was created as a square-jawed, well-chiselled, honourable man with almost zero flaws- the world needed a hero in the truest sense of the word and Captain America fit that profile to a T. In adapting the comic character, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (of the ‘Narnia’ franchise) have wisely opted not to distort the wholesome hero Captain America has been known to be, and this is precisely why their film stands out tall and strong against the plethora of superhero flicks in recent years.
Indeed, moral ambiguity has become de rigueur for the modern-day superhero since the likes of ‘The Dark Knight’, so much so that the simplicity of old-fashioned true-blue heroism is in fact quite refreshing. And other than his physical build, Steve Rogers is no less than the perfect hero- his only wish is to enlist in the war to do his part for his nation, and he’s not afraid to fight back even when faced with an opponent bigger and stronger than he is. Rogers is finally granted his wish- after numerous unsuccessful interviews- when he meets German defector Dr. Abraham Erskine (the excellent Stanley Tucci), who recruits him as part of the US Army’s plan to create super-soldiers.
Needless to say, Rogers is eventually chosen among the candidates- the choice, as Dr Erskine explains to him, is because ‘a strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power; but a weak man knows the value of strength and knows compassion’. An agonising serum injection later, Rogers is transformed into the buff and muscular Captain America- his newfound powers quickly put to the test when he sets off down the streets of Manhattan barefoot in hot pursuit of a German spy who assassinates Dr Erskine just minutes after the experiment.
That spy is in fact under the service of renegade officer Johann Schmidt (The Matrix’s Hugo Weaving in another expert villain role), the leader of the Nazis’ occult research arm HYDRA building his own personal army for world domination. Schmidt is a fine nemesis to Captain America, the very antithesis of the latter’s red-white-and-blue goodness and very definition of the word ‘evil’. If the film draws Captain America as the equivalent of pure heroism, then so must it also paint Schmidt as the equivalent of complete evil.
But before the two go up against each other, Captain America must first overcome the politics of war, as he is quickly placed in a blue costume and made to perform on stage as an All-American hero to urge the public to buy war bonds and hence raise money for the war effort. Director Joe Johnston has plenty of satirical fun playing up the overt patriotism of these acts, presenting them in a montage that sees Captain America perform across different states but with the same act which includes a fake German Nazi. This detour into media celebrity also sees the film at its most grounded, as Captain America becomes a larger-than-life symbol used as a morale booster for the public.
He finally springs into action when he learns that his buddy Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has been taken prisoner by HYDRA, and despite warnings from his former commanding officer, Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), decides to go deep into enemy territory to rescue him and other prisoners-of-war. It is there he realises the extent of Schmidt’s nefarious plans, the rest of the movie a non-stop thrill-ride as Captain America assembles his army to clean out Schmidt’s bases one by one leading up to that final confrontation between the two.
Yes, it takes an hour before the action kicks in proper, but Johnston makes the wait absolutely worth it. Johnston has demonstrated his penchant for visual effects, and his abilities are plainly evident in the film’s action set-pieces- beginning with a daring raid to rescue the POWs, followed by a sneak attack on Schmidt on board a moving train, and culminating in a climactic showdown set inside Schmidt’s underground lair as well as around and in his fighter jet. There is unadulterated exhilaration to be had here, and the film’s infectiously jaunty spirit adds immensely to the sheer enjoyment.
So too do the film’s supporting players, featuring a bevy of ensemble actors. Tommy Lee Jones is pitch-perfect as the surly Colonel, at first doubtful of Captain America’s abilities and later a fine sidekick aiding the hero on his mission. The veteran actor nails every one of Markus and McFeely’s witty dialogue, and it’s hard to imagine another actor pulling off punchlines like ‘If you have something to say, now is a perfect time to keep it to yourself’ with the same gruff charisma. Other notable supporting cast members include Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, the father of future ‘Iron Man’ character Tony Stark; Toby Jones as Schmidt’s right-hand man; and Derek Luke, Neal McDonough and Ken Choi as fellow soldiers on Captain America’s team.
Deserving of special mention is British actress Hayley Atwell, who plays her character with the right amount of passion and tenacity to convince as both our hero’s love interest and Army supervisor. Atwell nails the emotional finish beautifully, and there will certainly be those left with a teary eye by the time the final exchange between her and Captain America is over. There is also real chemistry between Atwell and Chris Evans who plays the titular character. This is Evans’ fifth outing in a live-action superhero movie, and the actor delivers his most sincere performance that is perfectly in line with his character.
Of course given the period setting, there is a need to bring our hero to the present to join with the other members of S.H.I.E.L.D. including their team leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson in yet another cameo)- but kudos to both the screenwriting team of Markus and McFeely as well as director Johnston for keeping this adaptation true to the old pop culture motif that Captain America was. Whereas modern-day superheroes tend to be less clearly defined in terms of black and white or should we say good and evil, this old-school hero is a perfect nostalgic emblem of heroism. That and the fact that this movie is also mighty entertaining is just the perfect finish to this summer’s superhero bombast, and a run-up par excellence to next summer’s ‘The Avengers’.
Movie Rating:
(This old-school good-vs-evil superhero fable is an excellent throwback to the straightforward heroism of the past, and a mightily entertaining blockbuster with great humour and loads of thrilling action)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS:
Britt Reid is a slacker by day, party animal by night...until he finds a serious career that's seriously cool: crime-fighting action hero. As the Green Hornet, he teams up with gadget wiz and martial arts master Kato and with a little help from his assistant Lenore they bust the city's toughest thugs led by Chudnofsky.
MOVIE REVIEW:
In an arena that is dominated by Marvel and DC superheroes, who in the world cares about a masked vigilante that originated from a radio program in the 1930s. In addition, who will believe an infamous onscreen pot-smoking, slacker dude liked Seth Rogen can pull this role as the green hornet off given his obvious less than flattering size. Believe it or not, he managed to accomplish it anyway after a series of roller-coaster production woes.
The role of playboy Britt Reid actually suits Rogen to the T. For the umpteen times, he is playing the role of a slacker and man-child sans the trademark figure and unkempt hair. Britt is the offspring of a famous newspaper magnate, James Reid (Tom Wilkinson). Following the bizarre death of James, Britt decides to partner with James’ mechanic and personal coffee-maker, Kato (Jay Chou) to become crime fighters. To make a long story short, the duo ends up getting in the way of a Russian mobster, Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) and a corrupt district attorney.
To be fair, Rogen and his childhood friend, frequent collaborator, Evan Goldberg (Co-writer of Superbad and Pineapple Express) treatment of The Green Hornet reeks more of bromance elements and mishmashed of typical buddy-cop humour than a full-pledge superhero movie. It tries to satirize the genre but their combined scribing never reaches that level despite Rogen’s plentiful amount of dialogues. The man is more suited to be mouthing something from the hands of Judd Apatow at the end of the day. Instead it plays better when they let the action do the talking. Mixed with director Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind) weird, sometimes over-the-top visual style, the movie ultimately is more for the eyes than the mind.
All Jay Chou fans should rejoice that Chou is quite the scene-stealer in the role made famous by the late martial-arts star, Bruce Lee. Kato obviously is much more likeable than Britt Reid. He is a smart tactician, a fantastic mechanic, equipped with agile martial-arts skill not to mention a brilliant barista as compared to the detestable child-like, tantrums-throwing smart-alec Reid. The only mishap here perhaps is Chou’s halting English. Waltz turns in another amazing performance as the villain, too bad he didn’t get enough screentime. Charlie Angel’s Cameron Diaz’s megawatt smile is the only thing I could recalled after watching this 119 minutes feature.
The best things about the movie is the MTV-style staged fight sequences, endless car chases, explosive shootouts courtesy of second unit director, Vic Armstrong and especially a half-wrecked car ploughing through an office for the finale, mostly choreographed without the usage of computer graphics.
There’s simply no reason not to catch The Green Hornet given the massive amount of entertainment values. It has a cool car in the form of Black Beauty, gadgets, beauty, action and somewhat half-baked jokes if you don’t mind. But at the back of your mind, you might wonder what Stephen Chow, the original named director will do to the material otherwise.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There is a whopping 26 minutes of Deleted Scenes, one involving a prolonged chase scene meant for the movie finale. If you have lots of free time perhaps you might like to cut your own version The Green Hornet movie clips and share with your friends using The Green Hornet Cutting Room feature. This 9 minutes feature discusses the directing style of Gondry and his warp way of filmmaking in Trust Me: Michel Gondry. He tells a funny dirty joke in the end as well. All of us in Asia knew who is Jay Chou but not the angmos. Finding Kato looks at how Jay is cast in the role of Kato. I love how physical stunts are being carried out behind-the-scenes.
And in this segment, The Stunt Family Armstrong, we are shown how Vic and his brother, Andy Armstrong led a bunch of stuntmen including their own offsprings in doing about their business for the movie’s second unit. The Art of Destruction showcases behind-the-scenes footages of how the crew wired and prepared the various explosions in the movie numerous action sequences. “Awesome” Gag Reel runs approximately 7 minutes and you get the usual clowning around and cracking of jokes among the cast and crew. The production team refurbished more than 30 cars for the movie and we get to see snippets of it in The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool. Writer/Producer Evan Goldberg and Writer/Producer/Actor Seth Rogen talks about their writing process and development of the script in Writing The Green Hornet. For the Filmmakers Commentary, Actor/Producer Seth Rogan, Producer Neal Moritz, Director Michel Gondry and Writer/Producer Evan Goldberg gather together to deliver a marvellous entertaining track on the making of the movie. Plenty of jokes and fooling around makes this a worthy listening experience though Gondry’s heavily accented English can be hard to listen to at times.
A number of Previews of upcoming Sony titles round up the extras of this Blu-ray.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The DTS-HD Master Audio is amazingly aggressive. Dialogue is clear, the score by James Newton Howard is refreshing and most importantly, the deep loud bass is overwhelming throughout the speakers. The visual is detailed and colours are crystal clear. This is another perfect looking and sounding blu-ray that is meant to showcase your home theatre system in front of your guests.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Reviewed by Linus Tee
Posted on 16 May 2011
Genre: Thriller
Director: Kim Sang-Man
Cast: Soo-ae, Yoo Ji-tae, Ma Dong-Seok, Choi Song-Hyeon, Shin Da-Eun, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Min-Kyu
RunTime: 1 hr 43 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: NC-16 (Some Violence)
Official Website: http://www.fm2010.co.kr/
Opening Day: 2 June 2011
Synopsis: A desperate struggle of a radio DJ to save her loved ones. Sun-young is a popular radio DJ with a huge fan base for a movie-music program that is aired live at midnight. She is a perfectionist who has built a successful career for the past five years, but when her young daughter needs surgical operations overseas, the single-mom decides to quit. She prepares for her final show from song selections down to the smallest details. During the show, she receives a call from a listener named Dong-soo. He tells her that she must follow his orders while she hosts her live radio show, or her family’s live will be at stake, and threatens that she can’t tell anyone. Without knowing what he wants or why this is happening to her, she continues her 2-hour radio program as things start to get worse.
Movie Review:
Remember back then when we had only our ears to the radio to thrill our senses, listening to the drama unfolding over the airwaves as voice actors spit out their scripts into the mic and entertained us all? Hearing the thrills unfold. Bu what if, one night, you hear an actual drama explode into the ears of your fans. One can only imagine the devastating feeling if you were the DJ coping to strike that balance of professionalism and actually trying to save your children from a certain horror that has set upon.
K-film has far more a tour de force riding on the notion of being the bad-ass cousin of revenge flick. Brutal, honest and severely mind-blowingly psychological, plotting of such pavement through it’s theaters has been an angst one and it quite often we see good products flying of of this side of the world. Then came along Midnight FM which totally brings you through the night a ride of your life. In a nutshell, Seon-Yeong Go, a DJ at a well known radio station has been brought down to horror when her last show before she leaves for greener pastures, has been taunted and horrified by a madman, threatening the lives of her beloved family. It’s a game of cat and mouse as the predator lashes out his claw live on air and that starts the mayhem that spirals down to breakdown. But she is no ordinary girl as she picks herself up and driven to save her children, it would seem the cat just messed with the wrong mouse.
Professional sweet face Su-Ae plays the confident, career driven radio DJ at the brink of exhaustion only to be pushed further down the rabbit hole when her weakness probed from her own popularity. Graceful and strong, it’s always a joy to watch such fragile looking female lead take the lead and carry her weight and pummel through the film, breaking the rule of society. But in all is fair, anyone who is thrown into such turmoil would defiantly do the impossible.
And who else is so be fitting into the role of an obsessed fan other than, Ji-tae Yu, most well known for cult classic like Old Boy, Lady Vengeance and Running Wild. Yet again, a role all too familiar but never grows tired, he plays a rather misunderstood character that mimics the vigilante of wiping out evil with evil (much like Jigsaw in the Saw series).
Bravo to the kids playing the children at the terror that rained upon them. Unlike other plotlines where the prey were the helpless ones, the scenes involving them are a gem to watch and can be it’s own thriller.
Helming the drive of Midnight FM, fresh director, Sang Man Kim, has managed to catch my eye on his good pacing throughout the story as it unfolds. The first sign of vandals defacing her car was a much clever way to signal of what is to come. Smooth transition and gentle turns makes this tension filled storyline more enjoyable as it escalates into the mind of madness but still attain a level of humanity at the characters without making them look like superheroes. Dare i say the story is almost Alfred Hitchcock-ian in terms of story in the flesh, I'll still hold on to that statement but it’s almost there. A near comparison of such would be comparing a favourite of mine, Nick of Time, starring Johnny Depp. Some my say, i love the concept of claustrophobic thrillers. With few locations and short time span, this makes full use of its resources and really concentrate on character building, pushing to it’s limit. It lets the story be center stage without the magician waving his hand to distract you.
Movie Rating:
(Full of tension and thrills, this is one late night talk show i wouldn’t mind staying up late for)
Review by Lokman B S
SYNOPSIS:
The story is set in 1960s Hong Kong, Mr Lau is a writer migrated from Shanghai and now living in a city with no need for serious literature. He is forced to make a living by writing popular martial-arts stories and pulp fiction and can only seeks solace from alcohol and women. Lau meets and falls for the young and beautiful dance-hall girl Lulu, has an one night stand affair with landlady Mrs Wong whilst his relationship with his mature and highly realistic girlfriend Lily comes to a bitter end...
MOVIE REVIEW:
By looking at the
John Chang (Chang Chen’s father) plays a writer in 1960s Hong Kong. He finds it increasingly difficult to be taken seriously as a writer in the era, and the demoralisation results in him fleeting from woman to woman. His emotions spiral into nothingness bit by bit amidst the beautiful backdrop of the foregone era.
Chang (A Brighter Summer Day) manages to convince the audiences that despite his age (not everyone looks like Tony Leung, you know), he has the charisma to allure numerous women played by Irene Wan (Exodus), Katie Kwok (6 AM) and Joman Chiang (The Third Eye). And we are talking about a range of different women, including an attractive landlady (Wan who looks absolutely gorgeous), his landlord’s young daughter (Kwok who commands screen presence) and a young nightclub hostess (Chiang who shows off some nice curves in her cheongsam).
Sounds like a film which guys would fall in love with? Not exactly the case here.
This is not a pleasant film to sit through. Sure, with its vibrantly coloured set decorations and intricately designed costumes, you may think that it is a visual treat which brings you back to an era now long gone. It is, thanks to Henry Chung’s (Public Toilet) cinematography and art direction by Yank Wong (City Without Baseball). However, there is simply something unpleasant about the story which doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the characters.
There is irony here, considering the imperfect personalities and their picture perfect backdrops. One can feel the emotional turmoil the characters are going through. With dreary voiceovers and deliberate close ups on literary classics, Wong (nominated for Best New Director at the recent Hong Kong Film Awards) seems determined to tell his viewers how bookish this film is. One can feel his effort in translating the novel to screen, and how much you enjoy this independent production will depend on your appreciation for such genre.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A Trailer is included in this Code 3
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual transfer of the movie is pristine enough for you to enjoy the colours the female characters’ cheongsams, and is presented in its original Cantonese and Mandarin audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
Posted on 28 May 2011
SYNOPSIS:
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can't turn his back on Harry's son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There are two camps of viewers when it comes to movie remakes. One group would be purists who have watched the original version and cannot imagine anything better than what they watched eons ago. The other group are people who have not watched (or even heard of the original version) and have nothing to compare against.
We admit that we have never seen the 1972 Michael Winner directed version of this action thriller. Starring Charles Bronson as the titular character, we hear that it was an existentialist work which featured characters who live lives on their own terms and often face out of this world situations. That said, it was also known as a violent melodrama which was considered outrageous for its time.
Here, we have English actor Jason Stratham playing the protagonist. He is an elite hitman who manages to make his killings look like accidents or suicides. The drama begins when he takes in an apprentice (played by Ben Foster) who is connected to one of his previous victims.
That is about it for if you are concerned about the Simon West directed remake has any plot development to speak of. The 93 minutes of this rather noisy movie (read: screeching car chases, ear splitting explosions, thunderous gun shots) feels like an over indulgent piece of work from West (When A Stranger Calls, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), who has been involved in TV movies the last few years. Once you get over the storyline about the apprentice wanting to execute revenge, it becomes a passé action movie that makes you feel dumb after a while.
You feel numbed out by the movie’s anesthetised pacing. Despite the deafening soundtrack which is constantly shoved into your face, you can’t help but feel the dreariness as one killing is executed after another.
Most viewers would know Stratham as the leading man in (equally loud) action movies like The Transporter and The Bank Job. Here, he pulls no surprises as he goes from scene to scene shooting people and blowing things up. His co star Foster (X Men: The Last Stand, 3:1- To Yuma) is an interesting casting choice, considering his evidently smaller physique. However, he steals the show with his unique screen presence. Donald Sutherland takes on the role of the protagonist’s mentor and exudes a worldly charm which adds a little depth to the otherwise shallow movie.
The filmmakers may have wanted younger audiences to lap up this mindless action flick, but this is one unnecessary and disposable remake that we think both camps will disapprove of.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
This Code 3
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie's visual transfer is acceptable, and is presented in its original English audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
Posted on 29 May 2011
SYNOPSIS:
George (Matt Damon) is a blue-collar American with a special connection to the afterlife dating from his childhood. French journalist Marie (Cécile de France) has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when London schoolboy Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren) loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each seeking the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might – or must – exist in the hereafter.
MOVIE REVIEW:
You have to give it to Clint Eastwood. What would you think you’d be doing at the age of 80? Probably enjoying life after retirement, if (touch wood) you haven’t passed on. At the ripe old age of 80, Eastwood is still directing films (and occasionally producing, acting and composing as well), how’s that for a fulfilling life.
Younger audiences may probably know Eastwood for recent movies like the 2006 World War II double bill Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, Changeling (2008) and Gran Torino (2008). The award winning filmmaker is also known for taking on lead roles for some of his movies. How can you not respect a man like that?
In this 2010 film, he ropes in Matt Damon from Invictus (2009) to play a man who is able to communicate with the dead. His tale is intertwined with two other separate stories about death, one involving a French television journalist who had a near death experience during the 2004 tsunami, and a British boy who wants to get in touch with his dead brother.
Those familiar with the veteran’s works will not be taken aback by the 129 minute film’s unrushed and calm pacing. It does not rush into things, and unhurriedly develops its plot. Considering that this the central theme of this film is about death, Eastwood manages to get viewers acquainted with the central characters of the stories, but does not bombard his audiences with too much overbearing details that it insults their intelligence. The concept of afterlife is approached with Eastwood’s signature gentleness, and it works well here because it gives the film a surreal etherealness. One can only imagine that in the hands of a less able director, the result may be a clichéd dread.
Besides Peter Morgan’s (The Queen. Frost/ Nixon) well written screenplay, the film also works because of Tom Stern’s (Million Dollar Baby, Things We Lost in the Fire) appealing cinematography. Eastwood composed the delicate music score himself, while the technical wizards recreated the terrifying tsunami waves, earning the film an Academy Award nomination for best visual effects.
The film is engaging also because of its solid casting. Damon delivers an affecting performance as a reluctant psychic who discovers his ability to heal grieving individuals. French actress Cecile de France takes on the role of the television journalist with a much needed gusto and will power, wile twins Frankie and George McLaren play twin brothers who get separated by an unfortunate accident. Together with the supporting cast which includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Jay Mohr and Lyndsey Marshal, the ensemble captures your heart and manages to leave you thinking what significance life after death has on the living.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Code 3
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie’s visual transfer is clear and pristine, and you can watch the feature in either English, Portuguese, Spanish or Thai.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
Posted on 29 May 2011
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