John Wick (2014)

There is something very old school about this movie.

And I don't mean 1980s old school, further back then that. Back to when Warner Brothers were churning out a lot of Gangster movies...

I don't know why, the feeling of this movie is a throw back to that period... Gangster/Film Noir-ishness.

And IT IS GREAT!!!!

AS of yesterday, I have watched 3 moths in the past three weeks and all three movies are GREAT!!!

Okay, back to this movie, how throw back is this movie, if this movie was a silent movie, the context of the movie would still have been CLEAR!!!

Don't get me wrong, when I say old school does it mean this movie is not violent, Far from it!!

There aren't any good guys here!

There are just people with/without code of conduct!!!

Go watch this.

I cannot emphasize this move, GO WATCH THIS!!

My Two Sen

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Disney Animation is back, and I dare say, I think they are currently more progressive, in terms of story telling, compared to what Pixar is churning out!!! (I did not even go see Pixar offering this year)

This is an AMAZING movie.

The emotional roller coaster that it takes the viewer on... FANTASTIC!!!

The characters are well flesh out, the CGI breathtaking, and the voice characters are at the top of the game!!!

I really don't want to spoil anything for you.

Great last three week, great movie one after another, 2014 is going out with a BANG!!

GO WATCH THIS.

My Two Sen

Rise of the Legend 黃飛鴻之英雄有夢 (2014)

This is a China/US collaboration production.

When this movie was being made, I believe the producers hope that words like, DARING, BOLD, FRESH, NEW PERSPECTIVE and BREAKTHROUGH would be used to describe this movie.

So did they managed the above??...

Because it is a joint venture with the US, of course they would have things to say about casting, so it was not surprising to see people like Byron Mann (Street Fighter 1994, he played Ryu) in here, and have to add, it is not a bad thing. He is actually a decent actor.

Being a fan of the movie Unbeatable (2013), I was actually intrigued when I discovered that Peng Yu Yan is the new Wong Fei Hong. What he achieve in Unbeatable (2013) is astounding!

The production of this movie is amazing.

The 19th Century Canton Port is so realistic.

They literally, was able to give us a Pseudo Representation of the way of life, in Canton during the 19th Century. Very immersive indeed!!

Again, because it is a joint venture, I really wonder how much meddling the American producers did, because I can see, influence from movies like Lone Ranger (2013), Batman Begins (2005) etc. This is literally, the "origins story" of Wong Fei Hong!!

Please note that I am NO expert about all things related to him.

I only know two thing about him

1) Wong supposedly instructed Guangdong's local militia in martial arts and once followed the Black Flag Army to fight the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895.

2) After his death, his wife and sons migrated to Hong Kong, and from then on, his legends lived on, and many a Hong Kong movies were made about him.

I am actually familiar with the Hong Kong Black and White movies done in the 60s.

There was a late 70s TV series about him that left the most impression on me.

Shaw Brothers made I think at least two Wong Fei Hong movies in the 70s for local and International Market.

I believe most people would know about the movie that Tsui Hark made in the 90s, with Jet Li.

The best way I can describe this movie is that if you know the movie The Blade (1995) made by Tsui Hark in the 90s, The viciousness of that movie, is magnified TEN FOLD in this movie!!!

This is a violent, violent movie.

Wong Fei Hong is not longer and Faultless Person in a Black and White world

In this movie, he is a shade of gray in a world that is 24 million shades of gray.

As impressed as I was with Peng Yu Yan in The Unbeatable, I personally believe, here he had bitten off more than he can chew. He just does not have the acting maturity needed to portray this role convincingly.

The same applies to Angelababy (can some one please explain to me, what is so special about her??) By Jove, she is a stick!!!!!

Okay, let me do it, like this

The Good

Production quality is through the roof!! 19th Century, Canton, China is very realistically portrayed here. Sammo Hung still got it. Having American actor, Byron Mann here, is appreciated. Tony Leung Ka-fai is in this!!!

The Bad

Tony Leung Ka-fai role has too little scene time. The "heroes" mission is not well define and articulated to the audience.

The Ugly

Why, on god's green earth did they decide to hire a Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, to write the score for a Chinese movie for THAT period. It makes absolutely, positively, NO SENSE. It did not GO TOGETHER AT ALL!!!!

Peng Yu Yan & Angelababy do not have the acting chops to pull off their respective roles... yet. Having Peng Yu Yan fight Sammo Hung, there is just no comparison. Sammo Hung had obviously eaten "night porridge" (it's a Chinese thing) and Peng..., no.

I humbly submit to you, My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Dec 3 2014, 11:44 PM

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

Timing, it is all about the timing...

Am currently in a funk and went to watch this movie.

Not the best decision I had made...

This movie is... bleak.

Katniss the badass in the previous movies is Katniss I feel so sorry for my self...

Really really hard to watch.

Where most of the movies were action oriented, this is more drama.

Don't get me wrong it is good to get all the great background information for this world, and have to add, I had chosen to watch this movie at a bad time...

Am looking forward to the last episode.

The best I can describe this is Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 1.

Same Vibe

My Two Sen

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) (HFR 3D Signature Cinema The Gardens)

Okay, for the parties who are interested to know if the HFR 3D is worth the money, I have watched all three episodes in 48 frames 3D and the answer is YES!

You will not believe the details you get from the start if the movie, namely

As for the rest of the movie, by Jove Peter, do you really need the money??

This seriously, is a two parter, at most!!! A three parter!?! Come on!!

A VERY self indulgent project.

Now, I really REALLY wish Guillermo had stuck on to direct it!!

Don't get me wrong, production quality is through the roof, unfortunately, there just isn't that much of a story....

I kinda remember the story (I;ve read the book). I remember how it ended
If you have watched the first and second, how can you possibly missed this!!

My Two Sen

As Above, So Below (2014)

I think the horror genre is tap out at this point in time.

Admittedly, apart from the decent Deliver Us From Evil (2014) and also Babadok (2014) I am not sure there is any good horror in 2014.

I watched the above today and it is just decent.

Points are scored for "showing" the French Catacomb. Why would any living person visited the said place is beyond me (same goes for the English version)!!

Who would have thought that Nicolas Flamel (a 14th Century's scribe and manuscript-seller) (of Harry Potter fame??!) is really.

Supposedly, there is a rumor after his death, during the 17th century that he had discovered The Philosopher's Stone and the said stone has the ability to grant immortality.

In this movie, archaeologist, Scarlett, takes father her father and is chasing after The Philosopher's Stone and at any cost...

Apparently, Nicolas Flamel grave holds the the secret, and the catacombs runs underneath his tomb...

Let the terror begin???

It is a mildly entertaining horror movie.

For a horror movie, there really isn't much that is really scary or shocking... Even with the French Catacomb as the back drop...

My Two Sen

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Managed to catch this at NU Sentral's GSC in Thursday (Atmos Cinema, Hall 3)

How was it?...

With a budget of USD $176, this is a lamentable MESS.

Only the first half hour of the movie is really watchable... And the funny thing is, I really wanted the movie to be good!!!

I have stood by The Wachowski, even when their previous few outings were blasted in General (Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas etc)

This is.... just plain bad!

Let's do a Top 10 of things that went wrong with this movie



One thing I did enjoy about the movie (apart from the first half hour) is Channing Tatum's hover boots!!!

End!

My two Sen

Into the Woods (2014)

Consider me amour'ed

The introduction of the different main characters!

The Song, the Music.

Brilliant 25 minutes of theater!!

The music stop, the characters goes their different way and we see Johnny Depp, another brilliant 5 mintues.

And than something peculiar happened, the movie went down hill.

The final nail in the coffin?


The movie had no chance of recovering after THAT!! (Also not so amour'ed anymore)

Movies has not been kind to me recently...

My Two Sen

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Oh My Fortune God!!

What a start to Chinese New Year!?!

This is the BEST Chinese New Year movie ever!!!

Story, Gripping

Direction, Clear

Budget, Well Used

Casting, PERFECT!!!

This is a very WELL DONE movie!!!

I kid you not.

My only concern is because of the violent nature of the movie, this might not be suitable for all

This is a 4.9/5 movie for me!!!

The Wachowskis, this is HOW IT IS DONE!!!

My Two Sen

Focus (2015)

It has been a long time since I've seen Will Smith in a movie.

The last, I believe, was the fiasco called After Earth (2013).

Now, what is this movie about.

It's about CON baby!! CON is the name of the game.

Think of this as Ocean Eleven meets Now You See Me...

Got it?

No, Good!

Because you are going to be please with this movie.

Story is "clever" (okay I do see some loop holes).

May be a little too "clever" at times, but not so much that the movie falls apart.

Casting is great. It's been awhile since I see B.D. Wong, but alas, his role is... Nope, not gonna spoil it for you.

Okay, okay, this movie is all about misdirection.... I really don't want to say too much, because it will spoil it for you.

For those who are keeping score, I give this 4 out of 5 stars

Go watch it, because... just go watch it.

Oh, Mr Smith, Stop trying to make Jaden, "IT". Just saying...

As always, my Humble Two Sen

Chappie (2015)

Let's cut through the chase.

The Good

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Stars: Sharlto Copley (Chappie's mannerism is uniquely Sharlto Copley), Hugh Jackman (who would have thunk he could play such an @$$h0le)

The storyline, at least for the 2/3 of the movie play homage to Robocop (1987, Paul Verhoeven version) & Ghost In The Shell (1995). Outside of Paul Verhoeven, Neill Blomkamp is currently the ballsiest (is THAT a word??) director working in "Hollywood". The reason Hollywood is in quotation marks is because, this has a distinctly "unHollywood" vibe.

The Bad

Dev Patel is a pretty good actor. I just don't think he is the best suit for this role... The story is pretty "unique" for a Hollywood production, but at certain points, the "leap of faith" the director expects from the viewer, leaves me going... "but, but, but!"

The Ugly

I was gonna write that it was refreshing not to see the American Flag in this movie, but alas in the middle of the movie... *Sigh*. I do not agree with the Director/Writer's conclusion. Not necessary a bad thing. At least it challenges it's viewer to "think about it"

Conclusion

If you think the above is a negative review, it really isn't.

Go watch this. It is very entertaining!! 3.5/5

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 8 2015, 12:58 AM

Am assuming you have read American review and you are having second thoughts...

Let me put it this way. This is not an American-centric movie, hence the negative reviews from the Americans...

Cinderella (2015)

Wow, no actual reviews yet?

I could have sworn the cinema was pretty full yesterday (Nu Sentral)

Or are you guys here too shy to admit that you have watched this!!

Permit me to stick my head out here.

I was bored, I actually had some free time yesterday and I went to watch and it is what you expect from a Disney Fairytale/Live Action.

Don't get me wrong. This is NO Alice In Wonderland (2010) (re-imagine by Tim Burton)

The script is very true to the Disney Animation Classic.

Kenneth Branagh is great. Everything he touches has an English sensibility, which is appropriate for this movie.

Nice to see Ben Chaplin (I remember him from The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996) opposite Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo. You guys might remember him from The Thin Red Line (1998)) in a big Hollywood movie again (As Cinderella's Father).

Lily James, I feel, "tried a little too hard". I think she would do the role better justice, if she relax a smidgen.

Richard Madden who plays the Prince looks familiar, for the whole movie I went, where have I seen him before, where have I seen him before and after doing a search, Robb, the Game Of Thrones!!!

Derek Jacobi plays a fine and ailing King and Stellan Skarsgård a deliciously conniving Grand Duke.

Now for the reason I went to see this movie, Cate Blanchett as the wicked stepmother. She is SO elegantly... CRUEL. Does she have no peer?! Alas no, as cruel as she is, I believe she had a hard act to follow... Namely, Anjelica Huston!!

I am not sure if you young'un remember, there is actually a Cinderella Live Action movie (sans magic), named Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998) where Anjelica Huston played the wicked Stepmother, and to date, she has NOT been surpassed in that role!!

Conclusion. This is a true adaptation of the Disney Animation Classic, Cinderella (1950).

There are no surprises, no twist and you know what happens at the end.

One basically watch this movie to see... how a pumpkin gets turn into a coach (And I do not mean a handbag!!?! )!!!

For the chicks reader, yes, the palace scene is great. And there are ballroom dance with all the bells and whistle (gowns, ballroom dancing, orchestration music etc). I am no expert but the Cinderella gown seems... "impossible" at times. In Green Lantern they had to CGI Green Lantern's costume... Does it mean they are now CGI'ing Cinderella's ballroom gown!!!?!

Oh! Almost forgot the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother (Bib Baddi Bob Baddi Boo and all) ...

She is the goto "gal" for all the weird Hollywood movies chick character nowadays!!

Seriously, do I need to ask you to go see this??

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 13 2015, 09:32 PM

Demonic (2014)

My planning to watch this movie is bad

I arrived late, the movie had already started for 15 minutes when I entered the cinema.

To top THAT off, I did not have any dinner b4, so I had to leave the cinema to get some grub...

Even then I guess the end...

The story is thin and does not make ANY sense....

A disappointment

My two sen...

Watched this on 1080p, just to see what I missed, and...

This is even worst with 2nd viewing....

My Additional Two Sens.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jun 17 2015, 11:26 PM

I Fine, Thank You, Love You (2014)

I will admit that I am not Thai film movie connoisseur.

I do watch the occasional Thai horror movie or action movie, and it kinda stop around that.

Truthfully, I saw the trailer for this when I watch Cinderella and tickets are more cost effective on Wednesday so I thought, why not.

And it is pretty good.

Story straight forward.

Acting passable (I thought Sunny Suwanmethanon played a better Yim/Gym compared to Preechaya Pongthananikorn's more amateur performance as Pleng.)

And have to add, by Jove, Preechaya Pongthananikorn sure is PRETTY!! Though I have to complain that the makeup artist for the movie could not stop messing with her eyebrows throughout the movie!!

Some of the supporting actors also did a good job, being the comic relief (in a Rom Com!!?!)

And what sold the movie to me is the fact that you can feel, for all intent and purpose, how everyone one behind and in front of the camera for this movie, did their roles to the best of their ability and I really appreciate that!!

I find this movie a lot more enjoyable then the best comedy movies made by, lets say Singapore! Heck, I would go as far as to say, even compared with comedic works coming out of Hong Kong!!

Okay, this movie is not above toilet humor at times, and again I add, points are give for the genuine execution.

I will go on the record to say I have enjoyed this movie.

My Two Sen.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 26 2015, 03:04 PM

Really!!?!

Thank you for the heads up??

Erm... at the movies

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Mar 27 2015, 09:36 AM

Insurgent (2015)

Did a movie marathon on Wednesday.

Watched this first and the I Fine, Thank You, Love You (2015).

If you are reading this, chances are you had watched the first movie and is curious to see how they are to carry that story forward (like me).

Is it me or do current authors all have a dystopian view of the future (Hunger Games Series & Maze Runner Series etc)??

I can understand with the world in it's current State, who can be optimistic about the future!! (*Sigh*)

Anyway back to the movie.

Having browsed through some reviews (after I had a chance to watched the movie, which explains why I held back to writing my own reviews too quickly, which can be good/bad thing), I have a feeling that most people would "miss" the point of the movie/story....

Referring back to Hunger Games/Maze Runner/Divergent series, they are all "Ideology" based.

What do I mean?

I mean, ideologies like Democracy, Communism, Socialism, Fascism etc.

Unless you have lived through WWII, I do not think many a people gives much thought to these ideologies.

Which I think why these movie loses their audiences as their sequel progresses...

Hunger Games, to me, forces me to this about these ideologies the most.

And like the third installment of Hunger Games, Insurgent, unfortunately, tries to persuade it's viewer to submerge themselves into the world thought these ideologies and there I believe lays the issue. People go to the cinema nowadays to be entertained. Not to be preached to. Not to be forced to think about complex thoughts.

And when you do the above, it will hurt the movie's profitability.

Where in the latest Hunger Games, the leads mulls over difficult decisions, here the lead breezes through them, so they force people to think difficult thoughts and then waltz through them?? Hmm.....

Which make the story SO PREDICTABLE....

I have done this is the past, looks like I have to do this again...

I curse the day I have watched Divergent, I curse the day!!

Why? I have "OCD". Which means if I have watch the first part of something, even if I dislike it, I HAVE TO FINISH THE SERIES!!!!

Allegiant is a TWO PART MOVIE!!!!!

Arrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

My Two Sen

Fast And Furious 7 (2015)

Who would have thunk!!

James Wan has a butt fetish!!

Again I apologise.

I had chosen to watch this movie at a bad time.

Been rather busy and was dead tired, I actually fell asleep during the Dubai scene!!

In a nut shell, the movie is just OVER THE TOP!!

Car-Fu??, Really??? (I never really got, the American's obsession with cars)

Is The Rock out of his mind??? (Probably with all the Steroid he is hop up on to look like THAT for the movie...)

Also Tony Jaa was here, why??? His role is SO pointless??? Like Jet Li in the Expendables... So sad...

Also there seems to be a shift in Vin Diesel, and I think the shift happened after the passing of Paul Walker...

The shift seem to translate to Dominic seeking out death!!

I really cannot remember if I had watched any of the Fast and Furious at the cinema... Maybe the very first...

It was actually tough for me to watch this, know what had happened to Paul Walker.

The last scene when Dominic and O'Brien said good bye... Oh man...

R.I.P Mr Paul Walker.

My Two Sen

You wish, my command??

Sorry, I am never a big fan of the series...