Last Vegas (2013)

Remember, when you get to be aged, like me, you really appreciate the friends and family you have. Especially the ones who had stick with you through thick and thin.

This comedy movie nice encapsulate that!

With Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kelvin Kline, with director Jon Turteltaub, it is very good.

Think Hangover, but with a little more style/character and acting!!

My Two Sen.

You've seen it!!! Hence my statement

"If you have not read the book, and you like drama, for Pete's sake watch this. I promise you, you'll never guess, WHO DID IT!!" should have included, if you had not watched the movie as well!!

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 10 2014, 06:21 PM

Ouch....

The Pelican Brief (1993)

I wonder why they had stop adapting John Grisham's books.

It is a drama + investigative journalism.

It is amazing how much in 21 years things have changed.

What that had once seen as "noble" (eg. journalism exposing injustice, committed by the rich and powerful), is now seen as "unpatriotic". (Snowden anyone)

I personally feel, that the world has become much much more cynical place and that, ladies and gentlemen, is sad.

Going back to the movie, Denzel Washington has a inner calmness that gives his performances alot of gravitas!

A very young and beautiful Julia Roberts, headlines this production with a very convincing performance as Darby Shaw, the writer of The Pelican Brief!

Once she had written it and passed it to her Professor/Lover, who in turned passed it to his F.B.I. friend.... Well, lets just say, something hits the fan...

Again, I emphasize this is a drama. And a well made one at that. Not many movies are made like this nowadays. The closes would be Jack Reacher (2012) (although there are more action in Jack Reacher).

Another movie I like a couple of years from 1993 is Conspiracy Theory (1997) which I hope I can get a copy of soon to re-watch in the near future.

If you want something different from the what is made nowadays, give this a go.

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 15 2014, 01:56 PM

Firestorm 風暴 (2013)

Gosh, I am currently consistently surprise by stuff that is coming out from Hong Kong.

Another good movie from Hong Kong and the ending is... surprising!!!

If you like Cops and robbers movies, give this a go.

There are some faults in the script (eg. alot of good characters have too little to do...and have to add overall, not bad)

And oh, for the Home Theater lovers out there, you want Sense Surround, THIS MOVIE GIVES YOU SENSE SURROUND (Dolby TrueHD).

I humbly submit, my two sen.

It is not bad.

The approach to the movie is different.

He was originally only going to be the producer for the movie. And when they could not get the finances together for the movie, the writer/director suggested that he leads the movie, he said yes.

Bad CGI? Not bad lah. It does not have the USD 100s millions of budget a typical Hollywood movie has.

I really appreciate what they achieve with USD 20 million.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (I) (2014)

Comic books characters' all the craze now, didn't you know??

After Thor The Dark World, Marvel/Disney presents to us, this and it is... Good!

Having already told the origins of C.A. in Captain America: The First Avenger, directors Anthony Russo & Joe Russo have the task of telling a man out of time tale and they did it well.

The first act is simply brilliant. They were able to re-introduce Captain America to the audience and it was done in STYLE!!

I think most people would be disappointed with the second act, where most of the story in being told through... dialogue... Although I personally appreciated it.

I for one is a little disappointed by the third act, because, I guessed (almost) every single plot twist!!! SO no surprises for me...

After this movie, alot should change in the Marvel Universe!!THAT, I did not see coming...

The action is something I have to give a tip of the hat to. Captain America does not have super powers. His capability is that of a top athlete/gymnast/wrestler/martial artist!! I really REALLY love they was they utilised his Shield this time round, because that is how it was done in the comics!!

Also the resolution with Peggy character is well done and touching.

And if you must know, there are additional stuff in the middle of the end credits.

I would give this a 3.5/5.

Bring On Summer Blockbusters!!

My Two Sen

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

Before i begin with my review of the above, let me get something off my chest!!

I LUV Disney stuff at this point in time. Their animation their short, best in the field (at this point in time). I know I know, Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a Dreamwork production, why am I going on about Disney. Case in point, the below

Almost Home Short. Dreamworks has taken a page from Pixar and created shorts for their animated feature. And they are just not as good... I did not enjoy Almost Home and I thought that would set a tone for the Animated Feature...

And boy was i glad I was wrong!!

As "silly" a premise as the movie is, it is actually quite entertaining.

To emphasize how much fun this is, it actually paid homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark!! Have I got your attention??

Don't get me wrong, there are some historic discrepancies when it comes to the history bits, and have to add, the fun more then makes up to the inconsistencies.

It is interesting that it might that a dog to show us how to be human!! Food for thought indeed!!

Seeing how this is the school holidays and you plan a family outing and have not watched this. Give it a go!!

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 28 2014, 03:52 PM

**Deleted Repeat**

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 28 2014, 01:15 PM

Need for Speed (2014)

Storyline possible.

Stunts very well done (practical effects)

Casting... Not sure if Aaron Paul should have led this...

Entertainment value, actually decent.

Not a bad video game to movie.

May be new stream of revenue for the movie industry (video games to movie)

My Two Sen

It is a decent Video Game to Movie adaptation.

Also made the consequences of what the characters in the movie do, clear.

I'll give it a 2.8/5

The Monkey King 西遊記之大鬧天宮 (2014)

1st act, which explains about Nu Wa was actually decent, and then the movie fell apart...

Too ambitious, poor execution...

Very expensive production, and CGI is not poor, just poorly executed. In Hollywood, the high end production will spend alot of time getting the CGI creature movements right, here... that is where the production fail and spectacular at that.

Is there really a need for the fox spirit character. Without it will Donnie Yen seem gay?? *Sigh*

The Good

The start of the story.

The Bad

Insincere CGI
Some battle scene are Immortals (2011) inspired... Talk about the blind leading the blind...
Er Lang Shen
Chow Yuen Fatt is really bad at Picking roles now (Dragonball anyone??)... Please stop being associating with The Pilgrim To The West material...
Aaron Kwok as the main baddie... REALLY???

The Ugly

Everything Else

Really, there is going to be part deux???

My Two Sen...

Constantine (2005)

I am going straight to the point here, I LOVE this movie.

I understand it bombed from the perspective of box office, still I like this movie.

It is being categories as a fantasy horror, and it defines the movie pretty well.

Keanu Reeves is John Constantine, much to the horror of the comic book fans, and I think he did a great job. I think the comic fans wanted something more edgy (Constantine is a chain smoking, foul mouth, could not careless & yellow trenchcoat wearing con man/mystic!!) and Keanu is not quite that, but I like him in the role. Hope that clears up his character...

Rachel Weisz is the lady lead and as always Shia LaBeouf the awkward side kick... have you noticed that that is the ONLY role he plays, no matter what movie he is in...

It is a shame that the movie did not do well in the box office. I would have love a sequel to this movie.

Will Disney/Marvel tearing up the box office with their comics material, maybe it is time Warner/DC rethink their Vertigo material... Sandman maybe??...

My Two Sen

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Wow, I am on a "R" binge!!

Again, a blast from the past and one I also like very much

Julia Roberts was at her peak. Mel Gibson before he is hated!! And Patrick Stewart... before he was Professor X!!

I have missed Richard Donner. John Schwartzman cinematography was great, Kevin Stitt & Frank J. Urioste edit were spot on and Carter Burwell score was lots of fun!!

Imagine Looney Tunes meets Alfred Hitchcock! That pretty much sums up this movie for me!!

If you have not watched this before, do yourself a favour and watch it!!

You know why I'm singing this when you watch the movie. Enjoy

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Apr 11 2014, 11:12 PM

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Want to escape a dreary life?

If you do, why not give The Secret Life of Walter Mitty to do it for you?

Very well written, well acted and very well executed!

Say what you want about Ben Stiller, his movies can have very meaningful messages in them, and this movie have spades of it!

Everything in the movie is so well thought out. From the storyline to the camera work, the getting the right actors for the different roles!!

Additionally, having Life Magazine as the basis for the movie is simply brilliant!!

Do yourself a favour, what ever point in life you are at, watch this movie!!

My two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Apr 12 2014, 05:36 PM

Yes. I like Assassins (1995)! I also like Richard Donner's The Omen (1976) and Superman (1978). His Lethal Weapon series (with the exception of 4) were good too. Too bad Timeline (2003) was a disaster...

Well... As silly as his characters Tugg Speedman and Derek Zoolander are, they in the end do have heart!!

Nevermind! Nevermind! Nevermind! Oh did I say, nevermind??

Oculus (2013)

Hm... what can I say about this movie.

First, it was made in 2012, and was only release in 2013.

The Good

Made with USD 5,000,000 budget (very modest in this day and age)

The leads Brenton Thwaites & Karen Gillan (especially their young counterparts Garrett Ryan & Annalise Basso) actually managed their roles, well.

The Bad

Katee Sackhoff (Starbucks anyone?) as the caring mother??!

The movie requires to jump between now and 10 years back... And to make it worst, the use the some method of filming between the two time periods, making them indistinguishable! Not very well thought out.

The Ugly

This movie script broken the cardinal rule or "reporting", The Why, Where, When and How. It did not even attempt to answer the Why??? And there lays the biggest stumbling block to the movie!!

I agree, this makes a better thriller than a horror movie per se...

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Apr 26 2014, 08:22 PM

The Way We Dance 狂舞派 (2013)

How would a Chinese dance movie compared with their western counter part like Step Up ?

The answer is, they cannot.

Strange, because the Chinese excel at Gymnastic and Kung Fu.

The issue lays not in the technical know how, and have to add, it is the ability to express oneself freely.

I do not mean to put this movie down, where is has not reach the standards set by their Western counterpart, it does have it merits, namely, Chinese Kung Fu!!

It added elements from Chinese Kung Fu and it works!!

Namely and glow Stick Nunchuk and Tai Chi!!

Also the inclusion finger shadow puppet is actually quite brilliant!!

If you like dance, give this a go!!

My Two Sen