SYNOPSIS: St. Jude Square is a neighborhood living in fear and despair. The dueling gangs of local kingpins Dash and Antuan terrorize the streets and the citizens live without a shred of hope... until mysterious stranger Ryan Hong (Cung Le) arrives in town. He begins to play one gang against the other using his unparalleled martial arts skills, and by calling on the teachings of his brilliant mentor Tiano (Jean-Claude Van Damme) to find the strength to battle back. However, just as he begins to bring the community under control, Hong is confronted by Mr. V, the town's ruthless and corrupt police chief. At first Mr. V is impressed by Hong's skill, but soon sees Hong as a threat to his regime, and the two warriors are locked in a head-to-head battle, pitting the fear and corruption of Mr. V's regime versus the new beginning Hong represents for the people of St. Jude Square.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Despite the fact that Jean Claude Van Damme received top billing on the DVD cover, he is definitely not the main star in this direct-to-video release. The leading man is Cung Le, an American Vietnamese who is an MMA champion and UFC fighter in real-life and starred in bit roles in movies such as “Tekken” and “Bodyguards and Assassins”. “Dragon Eyes” marks his first attempt at being the main star, producer and action choreographer and boy it’s a terrible effort to say the least.
Written by Tim Tori and helmed by John Hyams who revived the dying “Universal Soldier” franchise with the much applauded “Regeneration”, fails to hit the mark with this crime thriller that screams generic and boring at every turn. Cung Le plays Hong, a mysterious stranger who arrives in a corrupted neighbourhood run by drug dealing gangs and a much worse police force led by the ruthless Mr V (Peter Weller from the original Robocop), Hong is determined to bring St Jude back on track. Guided and mentored by Tiano (Van Damme) while serving his time in prison, will Hong’s finally find his own redemption here?
There isn’t much of a story to begin with for an 89 minutes movie, the plotting is repetitive (you get a lot of the usual gang rivalry, cop dealings and stuff like that) and the subplot regarding Hong’s crime is never elaborate further. With the exception of Weller hamming it up as the gun-toting Mr V, there are zilch performances to talk about. Cung Le fares the worst with his monotonous, one-off expression to carry the entire movie. Van Damme whose role only occurs in flashbacks fails to leave much of an impression either and probably you might end up tickled by his fortune cookie one-liners.
The biggest problem with “Dragon Eyes” however lies in the action choreography. While many can accept a low-budgeted movie with admirable action sequences, this one delivers the action in spades but none of them matches the intensity and creativity of a typical Hong Kong martial-arts flick. Cung Le obviously can joust; grapple and pound his way through and take on at least ten men at one go yet the numerous no holds barred fights just doesn’t sustain one’s attention if the choreography is formulaic. Tagged along with an anti-climatic ending which hastily conclude the movie, the movie is a letdown.
Van Damme for sure deserved better and for a 52 year old, he still has the moves to kick some serious ass while Cung Le on the other hand needs to work with better filmmakers if he wants to secure a place in the action movie arena. This is an overall disappointing effort considering the names involved.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A Trailer Gallery is included
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The digitally shot and highly processed visual looks respectable on the DVD while the stereo track hardly show much activity except the accompanied rap music.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Growing up together, Mitch and Dave were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they've slowly drifted apart. To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife and a high-paying job. To Dave, Mitch lives a stress free life without obligation or consequence. Wishing they had each other's lives the guys wake up to find they have switched bodies. Can they avoid completely destroying each other's lives before they can find a way to get their old ones back?
MOVIE REVIEW:
Does the cinematic world seriously need another body-swopping comedy? Yes, if you manage to pull in a hot star as your lead and packaged it as a crass, adult comedy.
To start it all, “Green Lantern” Ryan Reynolds plays Mitch, a foul-mouthed slacker who is bff with a successful lawyer, Dave (Jason Bateman). Mitch admires Dave for having a perfect family and a high-flying job while Dave on the other hand craved for Mitch’s freedom and his skills at bedding women. After a heartfelt drinking session and a peeing session in front of a fountain, the two guys switched bodies the next day. Will they return to their original selves?
“The Change-Up” is definitely no “Freaky Friday” or “Big”. Remember we are living in a post-Hangover era so F-words and penis joke is a must. Somehow director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) and his Fred Claus’ collaborators, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover) feel these isn’t enough that they decide to crank up the poop jokes as well, one of them bound to be classified as disgustingly distasteful even for parents. The movie practically offers every crude gags on earth just to please the male audience even though the script does have some life lessons to learn at the end of the day. Assuming the audience is less than intelligent to tolerant meaningful storytelling, the filmmakers are more than willing to let the generous doses of bathroom humour overshadowed the meat of the story.
What’s enjoyable is the chemistry of Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. Both stars play characters that are the least likeable. One is an uptight workaholic and one is a would-be actor aka slacker. Somehow, their constant bickering keeps the movie going and watching both of them playing against their types is a fun romp. The comedic Leslie Mann (Funny People) is once again wasted in the role of Dave’s neglected wife. Oh well at least she gets to flash her boobs to redeem much of her absence. In addition, we have the gorgeous Olivia Wilde (Cowboys & Aliens) playing Dave’s colleague at his law firm which makes things a little easier to swallow as well.
Despite having gross-out humour all over the place and a body-swopping gimmick, “The Change-Up” offers nothing exceptional although I must add the raunchy material here is far better than the average Adam Sandler and buddies’ comedy. And also watch this one for the stars.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A very long scene for an already long movie? Nope, that’s why you get a Fist Fight Deleted Scene lasting 7 minutes in the end.
If you can’t enough of Bateman and Reynolds clowning in the movie, another 5 minutes of Gag Reel might make your day.
A typical making of segment featuring the main cast members hyping up their own movie in Time For A Change.
An interesting behind-the-scenes look at how Bateman eats poopcourtesy of some clever puppeteer works in Family Matter.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 expectedly is not that bombastic to burst your eardrums but it is serviceable for a dialogue based comedy. Video transfer is clean and natural for TV viewing.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: A Shin, a young and happy Yi-Lan country boy who was gifted in sports and was deeply attracted by gymnastics and stepped into gymnastics world coincidentally. Unfortunately, his mother was against of A Shin pursuing of his gymnastic dream and left his favourite sports team as a result. After leaving the sports team, A Shin went astray due to the cruel reality and lost himself in violent absurd years. It was not until he made up his mind to pick up gymnastics again. Experiencing the feeling in the air as A Shin jump over the vaulting horse which had made him realized the value in life (that he seized the last chance to start a new life).
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s a tricky thing especially if you are doing a movie based on true-life events. If you take too much dramatic license with the material, you might draw the ire of the parties involved but fortunately in this case, the director and writer of “Jump Ashin!”, Lin Yu Hsien is the younger brother of the subject matter, Shin whose wayward ways never deter him from falling back in love with his passion – gymnastic.
Documented in this uplifting drama is the character of Lin Yu Hshin aka Shin (played by Eddie Peng), a country boy in Taiwan, Yilan who is attracted to the world of gymnastics since young. However, his constant injuries caused by his choice of sports become a worrying factor for his mum. Concerned for his son who had suffered polio when he was younger, Shin’s mum requested his coach to take him out of the gymnastic team. Feeling disgruntled by his mum’s action and unwillingness to help out at her fruit stall, Shin turns into street-fighting and together with his buddy, Pickle (Lawrence Ko) lands themselves in hot soup after a tussle with the son (Chen Han Dien) of a local triad boss. Will Shin managed to return back to his true passion in the end?
Director Lin packed enough laughs, action and romance into the biopic of his brother who for a start has led a far more colorful life than the average person. Of course, his romance with a telephone operator who provides him with heartwarming messages from time to time and his tragic encounter in Taipei probably belongs to the creative side of scriptwriting although the real-life Shin did admit his two years in Taipei were nothing but plain street-fighting. The pacing of the story actually suffered in the middle where lots of time is focused on the friendship between Shin and Pickle. Things did picked up a little when Shin packed his bags and return to Yilan to pursue his dreams.
For a movie that is set in the 80’s and 90’s, much effort is channeled to make the viewing experience an authentic one. The aged roadside food stalls, Shin’s house, telephone booths and pagers (an endless flow of 80’s music that includes songs from Dave Wang and Alex To) become a necessity prop to evoke the forgotten era. The good-looking Eddie Peng is terrific as Shin. Given his performances in “Cold War” and “Tai Chi Zero”, Peng looks set to surpass his acting range and his command of Hokkien and his hard work in doing his own stunts (with the clever use of camera angles and editing) in “Jump Ashin!” proves that the Canadian-Taiwanese actor is ready for the big league. Lawrence Ko who won the best supporting actor in the Asian Film Award is a scene stealer as the simplistic Pickle. Same goes to veteran actress Pan Li-li who plays the boys' widowed mum.
Filled with a motivational theme, an excellent cast and crew, “Jump Ashin!” is one of the best sports dramas in recent years despite being ultra-predictable. Highly recommended if you are tired of the constant rom-coms from Taiwan.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Lower your expectations, audio and visual is just passable for this DVD.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
|
PAINTED SKIN: THE RESURRECTION gets lavish premiere at the Shanghai International Film FestivalPosted on 18 Jun 2012 |
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Huang Yiliang
Cast: Huang Yiliang, Richard Low, Zeng Guo Cheng, Brandon Wong, Emily Yeo Yang Libing, Esther Liew, Carole Lin, Dawn Yeoh, Nick Shen, Isaac Chua, Tan Jia Hui, Le Yao
RunTime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG (Gambling Theme)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 30 August 2012
Synopsis: A tale of two incorrigible gambling partners, YI FEI & ZHANG SHI, who get caught up in their own web of deceit and having to fend for their lives. With their enemies hot on their heels, would they weave themselves out of this mess or will they succumb to a treacherous end?
Movie Review:
I like and support local movies. The works of film industry doyens Jack Neo, Eric Khoo and Kelvin Tong never cease to surprise me with their sharp, controlled takes on issues close to our hearts and charming little tales of love that appeal to the ordinary person. Yet any one of these treasures is often the result of an experience that has stretched for years, a meticulously perfected craft that comes at the price of countless mistakes. It’s with this measured attitude that we must approach My Ghost Partner. Either you are very tolerant of local movies helmed by neophyte directors or you stay away: This film is clearly not going to impress.
Yi Fei and Zhang Shi are two recalcitrant cheaters at the gambling table. Sly but not nearly smart enough, Zhang Shi is drowned after their ruse is exposed. He returns as a spirit to help Yi Fei continue their exploits at the table but they soon encounter three mysterious women who want to recruit them for a gambling competition. Faced with the threat of multiple gangs who want Yi Fei dead and the prospect of facing an old rival who has previously beaten them to their tricks, Yi Fei needs the help of his ghost partner Zhang Shi more than ever.
Former Mediacorp actor-turned-director Huang Yiliang, making his second movie after 2009’s direct-to-DVD Autumn in March, has few ideas what makes a movie tick and his misguided efforts to mask this shortfall often straddle the line between hilarity and awkwardness. He means well to broach a theme that’s easily relatable to Singaporeans yet completely misses the mark in treading anything remotely meaningful to the topic. Instead he proposes an insipid plot that quickly disintegrates under his clueless direction. If you’re lucky, you will get to see a few actors who actually try to put on some emotions in a few scenes. I won’t blame them because like me, they’re just trying their best to get through the movie.
One of the reasons why it’s so hard to get this movie to work is because it has too many characters. I’m not saying that it’s wrong to feature many characters in a movie but the director must have the wherewithal to make sense out of each character and ensure that each character adds at least some value to the plot. The dozen characters here keep the script busy but most of them aren’t even given anything to do. I’m positively sure that two of the women who try to recruit the gamblers into the competition are only present to decorate the screen with their faces and bodies. The movie throws in so many random characters at so many random moments that you suspect it’s happy to be a ridiculous mess.
At the most desperate moments where nothing seems to work, the film aims for light-hearted humour though these scenes often descend into outright embarrassments. Little of the humour works and even those that work are shockingly childish, too emblematic of the most obscure jokes that I once thought forgotten and never to be uncovered again. It only gets worse when the humour doesn’t work: The jokes make absolutely no sense in the context of the scenes. Take, for instance, a man starts to dance and asks a lady whether he dances well when he is asked to buy a packet of tissue. I could only bury my head in my hands.
If you are looking for a local movie that’s going to headline the year, My Ghost Partner isn’t it. If you are looking for a local movie that can offer decent entertainment, this movie still isn’t it. Marked by one of the most clueless directions I have witnessed so far, atrocious performances by amateurish actors who seem plucked from the streets, a bloated character count that sinks the movie into a mess and the most lifeless humour in a local movie yet, My Ghost Partner is fundamentally flawed on all fronts. Unless you are really supportive of local movies, don’t apply.
Movie Rating:
(Fundamentally flawed on all fronts, this is one mistake-laden showcase destined for the filmmaking school)
Review by Loh Yong Jian
|
MOTORWAY Car Display at Shaw housePosted on 22 Jun 2012 |
SYNOPSIS: In the suspense thriller, Gone, Jill Parrish comes home from a night shift to discover her sister Molly has been abducted. Jill, having escaped from a kidnapping a year before is convinced that the same serial killer has come back and taken Molly. The police think JIll is crazy and are unwilling to use their resources to help her. Afraid that Molly will be dead by sundown, she sets out alone on a heart-pounding chase to find the killer, expose his secrets and save her sister.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Even though the producers managed to entice Amanda Seyfried to be their leading lady, “Gone” is sadly yet another paint-by-numbers, predictable serial-killer movie proving there isn’t a shred of imagination left in Hollywood.
The young actress who shot to fame in the musical hit, “Mamma Mia!” plays Jill Parrish, a seemingly normal-looking waitress working at a local eatery and lives with her student sister, Molly. However, Jill suffers from mental problems after the tragic demise of her parents and no one including the police believes she managed to escape from the clutches of her kidnapper a year ago. But when her sister went missing, Jill believes the kidnapper is back for revenge. The problem right now is the police think Jill is crazy and is unwilling to take her case seriously. Taking the matter into her own hands, will Jill manage to save her only kin?
The scripting tries to lead us into wondering if all these happenings are imaginative or real but it turns out to be such a sloppy, amateurish piece of work that you probably knew Jill is not faking it thus killing the suspense quotient. The gaping loopholes are aplenty liked how the police dismissed the works of a serial killer when you have multiple unaccounted missing personalities. Come on, shouldn’t they open up a file or something? To make up for it, there’s some occasional car chases to fill in the holes. And I actually counted Seyfried gets to drive three different types of vehicles in the entire movie. That’s an interesting trivia to me.
It is fun watching Seyfried acting liked a ‘siaocharbo’ (mad woman in dialect) though her beautiful big eyes convinced me she is not at all crazy. Perhaps her co-star in “Chloe”, Liam Neeson inspired her to take on this “Taken” style thriller. I can see she looks dangerous armed with a pistol on the DVD cover and a brief scene of her in a self-defense class shows that she is not to be messed with. That’s about all the acting chops she summoned. Beside Seyfried, the other known face here, Wes Bentley of “American Beauty” fame turned up laughingly in a totally unnecessary role as a cop.
Brazilian director Heitor Dhalia seems to be at a loss with the material with the serial killer looking the least sinister or motivating. When Jill’s old man neighbor looks creepier, you realized something is amiss. At least, Dhalia got the mood right with the dark, rainy weather of Oregon, Portland and the silky green forest in the background.
Hardly a title to recommend further, “Gone” is just plain silly and forgettable. I’m not sure on the other hand if remembering Seyfried’s outline in the shower is a good thing.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
“Gone” is visually presented in an intended low-light atmosphere and the DVD nicely plays out the images, sharp and detailed. Dialogue is clear while the Dolby Digital 2.0 produced enough startling sound effects to jolt you from falling asleep.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
It’s been a good seven years since the four animals from New York Central Zoo escaped from their sheltered home, and after three successful movies and some encouragingly healthy box office earnings, it is still King Julien’s antics which never fail to tickle us.
If you don’t already know, King Julien (XIII – that’s the ring tailed lemur’s complete name, mind you) is the conceited and fun-loving supporting character from the Madagascarmovie series. And his rendition of American house duo Reel 2 Deal’s 1994 hit “I Like to Move It” is the signature tune people relate to endearingly. In this soundtrack album, the song is given a wacky afro treatment and performed as a duet by Marty (the zebra) and King Julien. This is easily the highlight of the soundtrack, given how the characters are donning psychedelically colourful wigs on the cover.
Elsewhere, King Julien croons “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now”, “Wannabe” and “Hot in Here” for his die hard fans. The vocals on the album are performed by Danny Jacobs, who sounds a lot like Sacha Baron Cohen, who voices King Julien in the movie.
Also, listen out for tunes like The Capitols’ “Cool Jerk”, Peter Asher’s “Love Always Comes As A Surprise” and the hilarious “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien” performed by the crazed villain voiced by Frances McDormand. Katy Perry’s mega hit “Fireworks” inject the extra dose of energy to an already hyper collection of music on the 38 minute album.
The very efficient Hans Zimmer returns with five scorecues on the soundtrack. Although there isn’t much new material, tracks like “Game On” and “Light the Hoop on Fire!” are fu n to listen to. “Resuce Stefano” concludes the score section of the album with some emotionally affecting themes.
Will the animals return for a fourth time? Will King Julien ask us to “move it move it” again? With how the franchise is a hit, we are guessing it’s a yes.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: : (11) Rescue Stefano
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Academy Award-nominated writer-director Paul Weitz (ABOUT A BOY) turns his hand to this moving portrait of fathers and sons. Based on a true story, BEING FLYNN follows Nick Flynn (Paul Dano of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THERE WILL BE BLOOD) who is shocked to have his eccentric and long-absent father, Jonathan (two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro) reach out to him unexpectedly. Still feeling the loss of his mother (played in flashbacks by four-time Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore) in the midst of starting a new relationship with Denise (JUNO's Olivia Thirlby), the last person Nick wants to see is his father. But you can't outrun fate and slowly Nick comes to realize he has been given the chance to make a real future not only for himself, but for his struggling father too.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Giving a fresh meaning to the phrase ‘like father, like son’, screenwriter/ director Paul Weitz’s adaption of Nick Flynn’s memoir is a surprisingly poignant reflection of absent parenting and its consequent effects on the child. The father is Johnathan Flynn, a taxi driver by day entertaining delusions of grandeur of himself as one of the great American writers the likes of Mark Twain and J.D. Salinger. In his opening voiceover, John explains that his work during the day is part of his writing process to gather material for his book.
In truth, John has never published a single novel, and his life has recently gone from bad to worse after he is evicted from his apartment for reacting violently to his downstairs neighbour. Refusing to accept his circumstance, he wallows instead in his delusions that he is better than the rest of the homeless people he spends his nights on the street and subsequently in the shelter where he stays. One of them he ends up in just happens to be that which his son, Nick (Paul Dano), works at.
This is as much the story of John the father as it is of Nick the son. Blaming his father for never being there for him or his late mother (Julianne Moore), Nick refuses to be associated with John, whether is it offering him shelter at the place he is putting up at or acknowledging him at the homeless shelter. As much as he tries to escape the destructive shadow of his father, it is without any doubt to the audience that Nick is in need of help as much as John.
Though it may seem at first like a cheat device, Weitz’s choice to use both John and Flynn alternately as voiceovers during the course of the movie to articulate their thoughts proves to be a smart and insightful one. Allowing the audience to hear it from the point of view of both John and Flynn gives not only clarity to the clouded minds of both protagonists, but also illustrates the similarities between father and son despite the latter vehemently saying otherwise.
Weitz has also made an artistic choice in toning down the more vulgar aspects of his source material, which is probably likely to appal more than intrigue. Yet even with streamlining and softening the novel, he loses none of the bite nor the tenderness of the tale, and Weitz also has De Niro and Dano to thank in this respect. One of his best roles in recent years, De Niro rewards the complexity with a layered performance that combines the ‘Taxi Driver’s’ brashness with the inevitable temerity that comes with age. And Dano is perfect in complementing De Niro like two sides of the same coin as the movie calls for, nuanced in his portrayal of defiance and callousness.
Like most such tales are oft to do, this one ends too on a bittersweet note, one cautiously hopeful of the reconciliation between father and son as they attempt to forge a new and better future for their lives together. It is nonetheless, to us, a kicker of an ending, especially the way Weitz uses De Niro’s last line to wrap up the movie. ‘Being Flynn’ is one of those rare dramas that stay with you long after you’ve seen it, and is as much a cautionary tale to anyone who’s ever been a parent and/or a child as it is an inspiring tale of hope and survival – we’d certainly recommend you to check it out if you haven’t yet. .
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is clear enough for this dialogue-heavy film, while the visuals are sharp and pristine throughout.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Abigail Spencer, Joey King, Zach Braff, Martin Klebba, Ted Raimi, Bill Cobbs, Tony Cox
RunTime: 2 hrs 11 mins
Rating: PG (Some Frightening Scenes)
Released By: Walt Disney Motion Pictures
Official Website: http://www.ozthegreatandpowerfulmovie.com/
Opening Day: 7 March 2013
Synopsis: Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity and even a bit of wizardry - Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
Movie Review:
More than seventy years have passed since Dorothy visited ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on a tornado that swept through her Kansas farm, and yet the MGM film remains a timeless icon of Old Hollywood films that continues to delight audiences young and old till today. To attempt a follow-up to such a beloved classic would seem entirely foolhardy; not least for the fact that it eschews being a literal adaptation of the fifteen or so novels that L. Frank Baum have penned of Oz, but instead attempts an entirely original prequel story that explains the origins behind the Wizard.
Yet there is sheer magic in Sam Raimi’s ‘Oz: The Great and Powerful’, an always engaging, consistently entertaining and utterly bewitching fairy tale fable that elegantly evokes the 1939 classic while being entirely in tune with the sensibilities of modern-day audiences. As clear reverence to that legendary picture, it opens in black-and-white and framed in Academy ratio with the traveling magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) at the Baum Family Circus in 1905 Kansas. It’s no secret that Oscar will eventually become the Wizard; all that matters is how he gets there, and what follows is a beautiful journey imagined by screenwriters Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire of how an ordinary man can become a great man with a good heart and a little bit of faith.
As such tales do, this one starts with who Oscar isn’t – and that is, an honest and reliable person. No doubt as a magician, Oscar will always have a trick up his sleeve; but Oscar hasn’t simply been hoodwinking his audience. Instead, the smooth talker has also been fooling any beautiful lady whom he meets, his trick of the trade a music box he gives to the ladies claiming it is an important inheritance from his grandmother. Even as one such lady (Michelle Williams) hopes to persuade him in his trailer to marry her, the relative of another broken-hearted woman gives furious chase, forcing him to climb into his hot-air balloon for escape.
That is the first of many narrative sleight-of-hands in which fans will immediately recall Victor Fleming’s original. Here, a giant tornado whisks him right into its eye, where he watches with wide-eyed horror as every manner of debris flies dangerously around him. Once again taking a cue from the original, this sequence is filmed for maximum thrills – especially so with an added dimension – with an exhilarating ride down a gushing waterfall added in for good measure. It’s safe to say that by the time Oscar steps out of the hot-air balloon (in Panavision, we might add) that he is no longer in Kansas anymore.
As Dorothy was in ‘The Wizard of Oz’, Oscar is greeted by a kind and beautiful witch, Theodora (Mila Kunis), who is immediately spellbound by the possibility that he could very well be the great and wonderful wizard that an ancient prophecy had once foretold will ascend to the throne of Emerald City and deliver Oz from evil. Those familiar with the tale will recall that Theodora is but one of the witches of Oz; besides her, there is her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) as well as the supposed evil one called Glinda (Williams again) whom Evanora accuses of murdering her father. But anyone who remembers the name of the Witch of the North will know that Glinda is not the bad apple (pun intended); so the identity of which becomes the Wicked Witch of the East and which the Wicked Witch of the West is merely a toss-up between Theodora and Evanora.
The fates of these pivotal witches of Oz is intertwined closely with Oscar’s transformation from an opportunistic and self-centred trickster to a revered hero of the people of Oz, and like Dorothy, Oscar is joined on his adventure by two unlikely companions – a flying monkey (Zach Braff) and an all-porcelain China Girl (Joey King). Along the way, fans of both Baum’s novels as well as the original will recognise the other cleverly placed narrative sleights – including flying baboons, singing and dancing Munchkins, poisonous-scented poppy fields, and floating magic bubbles. Even the fact that the Wicked Witch of the West disappears in a cloud of red smoke is recreated here, which only goes to show the level of attention the filmmakers have paid to its forebear.
Yet at no point do these plentiful references ever feel slavish; rather, building on a solid foundation from Kapner and Abaire, Raimi creates a visually resplendent world wowing in its lovingly rendered details that feels fresh and original. With excellent support from Gary Jones and Michael Kutsche’s gorgeous costumes and Robert Stromberg’s imaginatively designed sets, Raimi pulls you into an enchanting world that truly comes alive in Robert DeMing’s widescreen cinematography – done in stereoscopy no less. The effect is, we dare say, just as magical as that audiences in the past were transported on when Fleming’s Technicolour visual effects fantasy was first unveiled, and perhaps even more so with the wonder of today’s CGI advances put to work.
There is of course much more than just visual bombast on display; in fact, Raimi uses these in service of a story that is full of heart and nerve. Cast as an unprepared man whom destiny calls to greatness, the Wizard is a surprisingly poignant character study of a flawed hero who eventually finds it within himself to rise above himself. That change of heart is portrayed in a befittingly heart-stopping climax engineered on illusion and ingenuity, a grand magic show set right in the heart of Emerald City that again brings to mind the revelation at the end of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ of the Wizard’s identity. It is also a particularly charming Disney fairytale-like end, where good triumphs evil in a satisfyingly rousing fashion.
If there is one blemish to an otherwise outstanding accomplishment, it is James Franco’s casting as the Wizard. While he does bring a slippery charm to the Wizard, he lacks the dramatic stature necessary to make the character a more compelling one, a quality which one suspects Raimi’s first choice – Robert Downey Jr – could likely have brought to the role. Among the three witches, it is Williams and Weisz who steal the show, the former’s radiant goodness a perfect complement against the latter’s icy malevolence. And though we do not see him after the film’s extended prologue, Braff’s voiceover for the Wizard’s winged companion brings much spirited humour to the proceedings.
So like ‘The Wizard of Oz’, this prequel is good old-fashioned family entertainment, both grand and awe-inspiring in its sumptuously designed setting and yet intimate and moving in its storytelling. Most importantly, it is testament to Raimi’s brilliance as a master craftsman, his return to big-budget blockbuster filmmaking six years after ‘Spiderman 3’ demonstrating his ability to balance both warm nostalgia to a classic source material with humour and verve for today’s audiences. And just because this comes late in Hollywood’s recent obsession with fairy tales should not at all deter you from making a beeline for it – because this is hands down the best of them (even better than Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in fact). True to its title, it is great and wonderful, an ageless and timeless fantasy deserved to be enjoyed in history with its forbearer.
Movie Rating:
(At once lovingly referential and delightfully imaginative, this prequel to the beloved musical classic is a vivid, colourful and enchanting tale of whimsy and wonderment that is also a perfect slice of good old-fashioned family entertainment)
Review by Gabriel Chong
| « Prev | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | Next » |
Most Viewed
No content.