Smallfoot review!!

Project Gutenberg - Throwback to gun toting CYF.

If I'm not mistaken the last time I went to cinema for a HK movie was couple of years back. It was Trivisa, I think. Overall this is a highly serviceable HK action thriller from one half of the Infernal Affairs and Overheard trilogy creative. The selling point is seeing CYF being a certified badass since his John Woo days. Aaron Kwok continue his career goal to be a chameleon with just enough pizzaz to be successful at it. Personally I'm quite taken with Zhang Jingchu as the female lead.

While it will not replace any of the best action thriller in the heyday of HK cinema, it is considered an achievement given the sorry state of pandering to China market. Also it is what it is and certain comparison to a certain unreliable narrator classic will be unavoidable.

The Night Comes For Us - The unofficial Raid Part 3.

Was hesitant to watch but end up a pretty solid experience watching it. Those yearning for 90s action movies will not be disappointed. It won't replace The Raid but close enough to scratch that itch to see Iko Uwais dishing out the hurt. By the way he is the big bag here. Brace yourself for an unusual high body count.

Illang aka Jin Roh The Wolf Brigade - Somewhat OK I think!!!

Based on Mamoru Oshii's 99 anime movie. A pretty faithful adaptation but hold your hands in connecting the complex storyline. The original anime was paced in similarly like Ghost in the Shell. You have to decipher what actually going on and soaked in the slow burn. Here they amped up the action scenes and over explained things a bit more. Wish they don't portray the last sewer sequence like a Terminator squashing his targets. Also what's up with the happy ending...

The original is the superior version as it has that John LeCarre tone to it and this one neatly tied the bow for you.

has anyone watched Star Is Born - Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper? waiting for reviews

There are rumors floating around this "old auntie" and Arnold may reprise their roles in True Lies 2

If only they will get around to release True Lies on Bluray!!

Hi

I may not end up watching this at the local cinema.

The reason being, I am concern what out local censorship board had done to the movie. This may end up "watched on bluray" for me.

Cheers

Robin Hood (2018)

From Kingsman to Robin of Hood?

No one knows if Robin Hood existed.

Was he real? A Myth? One thing is for sure,  a lot time, he is described as legendary.

Earliest record of him is during the 13/14th century? (Please bare in mind, The Hood was used to describe, thieves, back then.)

Usually, portrait to have lived during the reign of Richard the Lionheart (12th Century)

Now, here is where the movie is actually good, the beginning, and how Robin of Loxley is "drafted" to fight in a "Holy" Crusade (please don't ask me which, there were so many of them).

There is a modern sensibility to the production of this movie.

Even the "armory" that Robin and his "band of brothers" wore during the crusade, are both medieval and modern (camouflage armour??)

Even the "warfare" seems modern, although fought with bows and arrows.

Now as for the cast, Taron Egerton (Robin of Loxley), Jamie Foxx (Little John), Ben Mendelsohn (Sheriff of Nottingham), Eve Hewson (Marian), Jamie Dornan (Will Scarlet), Tim Minchin (Friar Tuck), Paul Anderson (Guy of Gisbourne) and the delicious, F. Murray Abraham (Cardinal).

They did good. Very engaging and the Cardinal stole every single scene he was in. Another worthy mention, is Paul Anderson, who did his role well too.

The middle part was the return of Loxley back to England, and he is re-introduce back to Nottingham.

My My, how things... had changed.

The third as could have been more well executed, but as a romantic adventure movie, it does it's job.

So, In short, script is good, third act could have been better. Cast good. The production has a "modern-medieval" feel to it (Gosh I have got to stop watching HGTV...)

One other thing I like about this movie is that the trailler DID NOT show all the good bits, so, there was alot to enjoy (the horse carriage chase!!!)

My Two Sen

2.0

sequel to Enthiran (2010), featuring Rajinikanth

I quite enjoyed the film, the film plot also taking a page out of total reliance on cellphone, corruption, and environment, Rajinikanth is the Bollywood of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Watch out for after credit scene. The film also lack of some sudden all people dance scene, review in Bollywood is not good, not sure why, and under use of Amy Jackson

It is quite long runtime, just you thought the filmed ended, then is another climatic clash

Christopher Robin (2018)

What a wonderful wonderful movie!

A GEM!!!

And it did WHAT at the box office (I am guilty too, did not watch it at the cinema...)??!?

An amazing family oriented movie.

Whimsical.

Magical.

And me, a non Winnie The Pooh fan, absolutely, positively falling in love with this work!

I told you it is magical.

The cast brought it.

The people behind the special effect (Pooh and Gang are a mixture of animatronic and CGI) did an amazing job. It is obvious that it is a labour of love.

The reason it did not make a killing at the box office is probably because of the onslaught of Paddington (2014 & 2017) and Peter Rabbit (2018), audiences had become... jaded?

I do have two peeves about this movie


My Two Sen

Aquaman (2018)

What a... spectacle!

I don't know how much money was spent making this movie, it must have been a obscene amount (according to imdb it is USD 160,000,000, and have to add, it looks to me much much more than that)!!

Okay, admittedly, I was a little skeptical, when Jason Momoa was cast as Aquaman, it sounded like a miscast for me (have you seen Aquaman in the comic?? He is BLOND for Pete's sake!!?!)

When Justice League came out, I was like okay, he did not suck.

How is he, in Aquaman's first solo outing?

He is... good!

His Polynesian/Hawaiian roots seems to give his portrayal of Aquaman, some... weight.

Let's talk about the source material for a minute.

Aquaman in the comic book is.... "very vanilla".

Even in Lego Aquaman, it makes fun of Aquaman "usefulness" in the League.

As mention, the Justice League (2017) movie, has all of DC's big three, namely Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman (yes, he is the third strongest character in the DC universe).

So, how do you make the character, relevant?

You make him an outcast.

The millennial will love that, and Jason Momoa "stands out" just by well, standing there.

This movie is NOT perfect, and have to add, it does make DC comics feel more adaptable to the movies.

They should not try to emulate the Marvel Cinema Universe.

They are their own material and have their own feel.

Wonder Woman (2016) and Aquaman (2018) have proven that.

Highlight of this movie is

1) Jason Momoa

2) Nicole Kidman (very little scene time, and have to add, she sold what little scene time she has to the max).

3) James Wan has a Patrick Wilson fetish? He seems to use him in everything he does!?! Aquaman list of villains are.... not household names, and have to add, Patrick Wilson sold his character Orm, like his life depended on it.

The not so good things about the movie

1) There are some plot holes between this movie and Justice League (2017) (this movie happens after Justice League)


So, don't like any negative I have mention above to impede you from watching this movie.

It is a good and entertaining movie.

And I hope, will encourage DC to make more.

Go watch it, you know you want to.

My Two Sen.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Hello kiddies, how is everyone?

Have not had a chance to watch anything at the cinema until today.

And I chose to watch this.

This was supposed to be at the cinema in Nov 2018, and for some odd reason, it got pushed to Feb 2019.

After watching the trailer for the first time sometime last year, I was hooked.

I looked towards the release in Nov 2018, and was disappointed and socked that it got pushed back.

Shock because being pushed back had....multiple implications and that could mean bad things for the movie...

So, how is it?

I.... actually like it.

I am a fan of Robert Rodriguez. And James Cameron had proven himself a good writer (I do think he had additional involvement of this movie production, apart from writing it)

The characters progression can be surprising.

The visuals are great

The story.... I would describe as... Juliet meets Romeo, throw in Elysium + Ghost in the Shell (anime version) +in some strange reason Wachowskis' Speed Racer (2008) and some visuals from Ready Player One, that should give to an idea of what to expect?

Who would have thunk that Christoph Waltz can play a good guy!!

One more think, watching this movie, I thought to myself, hm.... I wonder, would Jame and  Robert consider making a horror movie together... They have the qualification....

Well, cannot think of anything else to add

So...

My Two Sen

Creed 2 - More of the same as the first one.
Objectively it is not a bad sequel. It's the same thing all over again. Foregoing the cartoonish adversary tone of Rocky 4, this sequel dial down all the chest thumping tropes but focus on the sons living under the shadow of their fathers. The pace a little slower due to fleshing out more characterization of the story mainframe. Whether it's a good or bad thing the movie did not take on a new direction, somehow it just another one of those decent "underdog sport" movie.

12 Angry Men (1957)

Classic jury drama movie that is just mind-blowing with dialogues and awesome acting by 12 people in 1 room.
If you are type of person who enjoys paying close attention to the dialogues, scripts and facial expressions and body movements and also like to see court/jury genre movie,
this is a must watch movie.

I must say this is the only black-and-white movie I enjoyed and also laugh a bit and amazed by the way the 12 people act. One can see the true human nature of people put in the shoes of jury who lay down the decision "guilty" or "not guilty" being sway by their own emotions and prejudice.

Triple Frontier - All the stars appeal fail to salvage this junk.
File this under terrible Netflix's original movies. Their hit rate really leave a lot to be desired. An easily forgettable action thriller with nothing to write home about.

Then I'm of no help. Do reconsider LD+R cause David Fincher's name on it and some next level cgi animation. There are 18 self-contained short stories. Gotta hard sell it because it is that good.

A word of advice, don't watch it in the same room with your parent/young siblings
Some shorts are very very NSFW

Shazam! (2019)

As Alpha 5 from Power Rangers would say, Aiya ya ya ya....

This movie is SO..... CHEESY!!!!

Wait wait wait...

First thing first, this is directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out (2016), anyone).

Probably one of my favorite horror movie in recent years.

The main lead in this movie is Shazam (duh), played by Zachary Levi (whom I liked alot in (Chuck 2007)).

Mark Strong plays the villain, Thaddeus Sivana... and was he not also the main villain in Green Lantern? Oh wait, not DCEU canon....

Shazam is actually the acronym for Solomon (wisdom), Hercules (strength), Atlas (stamina), Zeus (power), Achilles (courage), and Mercury (speed).

Billy Batson/Asher Angel is magically transported to the Rock of Eternity and was bestow with the power of Shazam by the wizard.

The reason he was bestowed the said power if to fight again the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth that had taken over Thaddeus Sivana.

As Michael Buffer would say, "Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!".

Here is my experience with this movie.... I am more interested in Billy Batson back story, compared with his growth into the superhero Shazam.... Weird right.

What I am trying to say is I am more sold by Asher Angel as Billy Batson than I am by Zachary Levi as Shazzam...

Am I making sense?

Jack Dylan Grazer is proving to be a really good actor.

The Marvel Family/The Shazam Family is also introduce.

Am disappointed that with all the characters introduces, Mister Tawky Tawny, wasn't...

My Two Sen.

Hellboy (2019) - a very hot mess, too violence, ton of bloods, no Abe Sapien. I more preferred Hellboy (2004) story lines is good, I loved Selma Blair, all the characters is good, at least I can sense the emotions for this one, but Hellboy (2019) not even close...

Hellboy (2019)

This movie is a disaster...

I mean, this is right up there with The Spirit (2008)....

And no, I am not exaggerating...

Bad direction, bad editing, bad script and bad casting...

Nimue / The Blood Queen (Milla Jovovich)
Professor Broom (Ian McShane)
Hellboy (David Harbour)
Major Ben Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim) (I honestly rate his English accent as bad as Dick Van Dyke in the original Mary Poppins....)

How the heck is Mike Mignola involve with this piece of Kaka....

I have nothing redeeming to say about this movie.

My Two Sen....