Personally, I feel they have push these series of movies to the point of tediousness...

Yes a chuckle or two here and there and that is about it.

Simon Rex might not have been the best person as the lead...

I think your parody list is quite complete.

Independence Day (1996)

This movie made careers!

Roland Emmerich a sort after director.

Dean Devlin & Roland Emmerich a sort after script writing team.

And Will Smith a sort after leading man!!

After the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, lost his fortunes...

Apparently, he squandered it ALL!!

Then this movie came along, and he showed the world that he has leading man quality!!

This movie was one of the first big budget movie which uses alot of CGI for special effects!!

Most of the F16 on screens were computer generated!!

There is a novel of this just before the movie was launch. I was in the period where I had to get my grubby little hands on everything about a movie before it was launch. I actually like the novel compared to the movie.

Some portions of the novel works alot better!!



If you like Scifi and Alien invasion and had not watched this (don't laugh, many a people on here is born after 1996) give this a try

Oh, some people like this, the transfer to BD for this movie is decent.

My Two Sen

RoboCop 2 (1990)

Irvin Kershner ( of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back fame) director & Frank Miller (he wrote The Dark Knight Return, and Dark Knight) on story!!

What a combo!!

Sequels do not get better then this!!

And being rated R, there are ALL KINDS OF violence in this one as well. WAY more then Robocop!!

Anything that is good about the 1st movie is augmented here!!

And it is great.

I believe this this trilogy is probably the last few big budget movie using the Stop Motion (Made famous by King Kong and Ray Harryhausen).

Also the video transfer for this movie is much much stronger compared to the 1st one.

If you like Scifi and violence, go for this.

(Again don't laugh many a people here are born after 1990)

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Aug 11 2013, 10:53 PM

RoboCop 3 (1993)

Here is a movie on how-to.

How to NOT make a sequel!!

First, they made it more appealing to kids (more like appealing to kids parents) by making it PG13...

Then they hired a TV director to direct this movie!!

Do not get me wrong, alot of TV directors when on and made good movies (eg. Joss Whedon anyone?) and have to add, this movie is SO BAD and basically killed the Robocop franchise, that the director, Fred Dekker had to stop directing... On that note, this feels alot more like a TV movie rather then a feature film...

Then when Peter Weller did not comeback as Robocop, they hired Robert John Burke as Robocop, and I can tell you, he does not know "the robot" as well as Peter...

Even with Frank Miller behind the script...

I have watched this before, and I knew it is a bad movie.

I forgot how bad it is until now... It is gonna take me a good decade before I can forgot how bad this movie is...

Hopefully with it recorded here, I do not have to make this mistake every again...

For the love of everything that is good, AVOID THIS LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Even if you have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do, AVOID THIS!!

I have watched this CRAP so you don't have to...

My Two Sen...

Independence Day hasn't aged very well. I don't mean from a VFX standpoint. I mean from an aliens coming to earth and blowing shit up standpoint. Because these days you have stuff like The Avengers. Despite that the movie is still pretty damn fun. It's just that the gleeful excitement that was once its hallmark has since been successfully replicated and bettered.

The RoboCop movies... ahh. Been some years since I watched the first one. It should still rank as a grimy, filthy classic of sorts. I love it. Robocop 2? I havent seen that one since I was 6 pr 7 years old probably. What I do remember is that it's horrifically violent and mean, but as a kid I really loved it. Not sure how it fares now. Robocop 3... that had the flying RoboCop? Even as a kid I thought it was rubbish.

This post has been edited by QuickFire: Aug 11 2013, 11:01 PM

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

This is Alfred Hitchcock's favorite movie.

He has a formula. His leading man is always brunette and his leading lady is blond. If you watch his movie, you will notice is is always true, there are exceptions... Namely Rope (1948) and this!!

This movie is one of the movies that Hitchcock film on location. He is not happy with going on location, because he has no control over lighting...

Interestingly, I believe I've only watched this once before, on Australia TV...

The story is unique, in a sense that the leading man plays the uncle to the leading lady...



Interesting movie and the ending...

Unusual even for a Hitchcock movie

Lover of Hitchcock movie, you know what you should do.

My Two Sen

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)


This movie is an adaptation of a novel of the same name and what's unique about this one is that the writer of the novel is the director of the movie. So in a sense, you cannot get a more faithful novel adaptation because the director, Stephen Chbosky, is the one who wrote the book!

Anyway, I have not read the novel and the only reasons I picked up the DVD is because:

a) Emma Watson is starring
b) My sister mentioned that she wanted to watch it when it was first released in theaters

When the DVD ended up in the bargain bin I thought that I might as well give it a go. Perks is a movie about Charlie (Logan Lerman) a freshman in high school. To say Charlie is introverted is an understatement. He starts high school with no friends after his best friend in middle school shot himself. He's has depression and has trouble fitting in.

Things starts to look up when Charlie befriends a senior, Patrick (Ezra Miller) that is retaking a workshop class Charlie is in. Through Patrick, Charlie also meets Sam (Emma Watson), Patrick's step sister who is also a senior. Charlie is smitten by Sam but he keeps this to himself and the trio becomes fast friends. The rest of the movie details the ups and downs in the trio's life from the start of the semester till Patrick and Sam's graduation.

If you think that so far the movie seems like your typical high school bubblegum pop movie, you're half right. Perks is a high school movie but it deals with very mature themes that teenagers deals with when they are in high school. Perks is drama and there's very little action but the story is paced well and I was never bored with it. If you like drama with a good story, then give Perks a try. I won't go into details because it will spoil the movie.

The acting is good and all the actors gave solid performances. The pacing is good and the movie will subtly reveal bits and pieces of the character's back story as the movie progresses to keep you glued to the screen. Nice watch for a lazy weekend afternoon.

Rating : 3 stars out of 5

So... which year was that??

ZU Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) (not the be confused with [Zu Warriors (2001)]

This is a blast from the past!!

Probably Tsui Hark BIGGEST project after film school (he supposedly went to the same film school as Lucas, and they know each other).

They are some practical shots here that I still wonder how they did it!!

They also hired the special effects guy from Star Wars to help out with effect (later part of the movie)

And Frankly I like what the did in the first half rather then the second half

This is a far cry from the 60s Black and White Buddha's Palm serials!!

Flying sword and cymbals (I kid you not). Laser beams, flying beings!! FUN!!

(ZU period in Chinese history supposedly occurred a couple of thousand years before Qin Dynasty)

The video transfer is not up to par with what Shaw Brothers did for their library...

Frankly I have not seen anything outside of Shaw Library that impresses me and alot of it boils down to how well the masters have been kept, and I don't think they are WELL kept at ALL.

Still a hoot to watch after all these years...

Warning many of you will laugh at the production value.

It is more of a nostalgia for me!!

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Aug 21 2013, 03:57 AM

UNBEATABLE (2013, HK-CHI film)

If you're a hardcore fan of MMA (mixed martial arts), you'd find the fight scenes here rather unrealistic and poorly executed; even all the shaky, closeup and zoom in-out camera works failed to cover that up. But that's forgivable, thanks to the film's heartfelt storyline, strong acting performance, decent humour and moral purposes.

Nick Cheung Kar Fai is top class for Unbeatable, practically carried the movie with an engaging emotional display without leaving his trademark comedic ways. Eddie Peng, too, plays his innocent, determined character so convincingly that it gets the audience rooting and fearing for him in his fight scenes despite the illogical choreography.

The film's biggest issue is that it seems to portray MMA as a dodgy, brutal and fatal sport. It will, however, educate the audience about the basics of the combat sport effectively.

This post has been edited by tonYe: Aug 14 2013, 04:35 AM

Epic(2013) - 6/10
-> This movie is not quite epic,maybe I was expecting this movie too much. Not so much of humor compare to Ice age series. But I have to admit the animation is so realistic and amazing. Overall,this film is suitable for kids. (Ice age series is for kids and adults)

PS: I almost fall asleep in the 1st 20mins (yawn)

Dark Angel (1990)

Ah... Dolph Lundgren. After playing the bad guy in Rocky IV (1985), everyone expected him to be a BIG star!!

He was first pick for the role of He-Man in Masters of the Universe (1987) and were in several high profile projects namely The Punisher (1989) and Universal Soldier (1992), with equally unlucky Jean-Claude Van Damme) and have to add, true movie star status had always alluded him.

Which is an enigma, he is tall, good looking, athletic and smart (he has a master's degree in chemical engineering, which he got through a scholarship)

Looking at this movie, from a script point of view, it is actually decent. Almost at par with the original Terminator (1984). Even the production value is almost that of Terminator!!?!

The difference is Craig R. Baxley (the director) with an estimated budget of $7,000,000 is a much better Stunt Coordinator (although he had since done TV Series which I like, like Human Target) could not do what James Cameron achieved with an estimated budget of $6,400,000 in Terminator. The difference, the passion for making movie. I believe James Cameron poured body and soul into the making of Terminator, while Craig R. Baxley wanted good stunts in this movie, and it shows...

Dolph Lundgren is actually decent here and spoke with a convincing American accent!!

The Good Alien and Bad Alien (I kid you not, that is how they are referred to in the end credits) could have been much MUCH better...

The premised for the whole movie is also quite decent, and when you are watching the movie, you just feel that it is... lacking...

Shame, this was suppose to be the movie which would launch Dolph Lundgren into stardom... Now, he is designated to plays the "Hey I Know That Face" thug roles in movies...

Video and Audio is decent and are nothing to shout about...

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Aug 15 2013, 04:43 PM

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)

Now for something completely different!

I watch alot of Scooby Doo.

I actually think the live action movies are actually decent.

This year Warner Brothers seems to have a couple of direct to video Scooby Doo animation planned.

A few bits of trivia that some of you might not know are, Frank Welker the voice actor, voices both Scooby Doo and Fred Jones, Casey Kasem from American Top 40 is the original voice behind Shaggy and now Matthew Lillard (from the Scooby Doo live action movie has taken over the role) and Mindy Cohn from The Facts of Live (1979 - 1988) is the voice behind Velma!!

This direct to video animation is actually pretty good!!

Scooby Doo meets American Idol + Phantom of the Opera!?!!!

Does this intrigue you??

My Two Sen

Teen Beach Movie (2013)

Now from something really REALLY completely different.

What is this REALLY old uncle watching this!!!

Well... I was sitting infront of the TV watching *GASP* Assteruk... and the ad came on for THIS!!!

And I went, okay... maybe I'll watch it.

And I did!!

This is what is interesting about this

1) Like High School Musical (2006), which retells the story of Grease (1978) [which in it self is a musical adaption of Romeo and Juliet, but with a happy ending], this is a modern retelling of West Side Story (1961)!

2) The script for this TV Movie is actually stronger then some of the big budget movies!!! What gives??????

This movie does not pretend to be anything then what it is. And actually makes fun if itself... That is actually quite brilliant...

It pays homage to alot of the Saturday matinee beach movie from the sixties with Ms. Annette Funicello (from the Mickey Mouse Club... er the original Mickey Mouse Club... No, no not when Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake... Before that, more like Kevin Corcoran and Annette Funicello....? Oh never mind!!

Lots of music, lots of fun and woman empowering.

The message to little girls in this movie, is much MUCH healthier than the one in Twilight, that's for sure....

If you want a fun movie to watch with your little kids... Go for it!!

My Two Sen

Check out below trailer from Jean-Claude Van Damme's latest film. His character is a villain (with ridiculous hair) again, after The Expendables 2. Does anyone know the date of its release ? Is it going to be theatrical or straight to DVD ?

Pain & Gain (2013)

With Michael Bay as director, Mark Wahlberg & Dwayne Johnson as leads, should be an okay film RIGHT!!?

WRONG!!

I thought Mark Wahlberg had gone on the record and said he would not be in a movie he would not be proud to show to his kids... Well, he would probably keep this from them for a long... LONG time.

It is bad.

Michael bay directing a COMEDY... Granted a Dark comedy, but a COMEDY????

There is absolutely, positively nothing that ir redeeming about this movie.

Even with the great Tony Shalhoub, this movie is a DUD!!!

There is NOT one likeable character in this movie. NOT ONE!!!?!

Consider yourself warned kiddies!! CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!!!!!

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Aug 21 2013, 03:54 AM

Thanks for the review on Teen Beach Movie. I was thinking to catch it on Astro too but it managed to elude me. As to why movies like this sometimes have stronger scripts than big budget blockbusters is because movies like this holds no interest for those studio executives and thus they leave the movie making to those who actually knows how to make a movie. Executive meddling has ruined a lot of movies...

Ok... here's my review:


Wu Xia (2011)

Directed by Peter Chan and starring Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kaneshiro, this is a martial arts action flick that is not quite mainstream. This is not your typical martial arts hero movie where the protagonist kicks all of the bad guys' butts. This movie presents you with a dilemma and asks a hard question.

The story opens in a rural village in China. The Liu village a sleepy little hamlet where everyone knows everyone else and nothing much ever happens. Living in this little village is Jin Xi (Donnie Yen), his wife Yu (Tang Wei looking very common here) and his two sons. The older boy is from Yu's previous marriage while the younger boy is Jin Xi and Yu's. Jin Xi works in the local paper making mill and leads a very ordinary life.

The peace and quiet of the village is shattered one day when 2 bandits came along. The 2 bandits attempts to rob a sundry shop where Jin Xi is repairing a window. A tussle breaks out and Jin Xi clumsily wrestles with the bandits. In the end, the 2 bandits were dead seemingly from accidents during the tussle.

In steps Xu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) a local constable to investigate the case. He finds that one of the 2 bandits was actually a highly wanted fugitive and highly skilled martial artist known for his cruelty and brutality. Learning this, the local court official wants to quickly wrap up the case and hails Jin Xi as the hero in the case for bringing down a fugitive of the law.

Xu however is not convinced that the case is so simple and starts to dig deeper. His investigation reveals that the 2 bandits actually died from precision strikes to specific meridian points in the body. Only a very highly skilled martial artist could have pulled off such a strike but Jin Xi appears to be a very average person with no martial arts knowledge.

Xu begins to dig into Jin Xi's past. He finds that Jin Xi is not a local and had come to the Liu village a few years ago. He then married Yu and settled down in the Liu village adopting the Liu surname. Xu's investigation unveils that Jin Xi is actually Tang Long, a member of the 72 Demons gang from the vicious and bloodthirsty Tangut clan. He plans to arrest Jin Xi but Jin Xi tells him that he has renounced his association with the 72 Demon and is a changed man and no longer wants to kill indiscriminately. Xu seeks a warrant for Tang Long's arrest nonetheless and his action alerts the 72 Demons to Tang Long's whereabouts.

The 72 Demons descends upon the Liu village in an attempt to bring Tang Long back to the gang. This results more deaths of the innocent Liu villagers and the Demons indiscriminately burns down houses and confronts Tang Long. Tang Long is forced to reveal his identity but he still fights to protect his family and the villagers. Seeing this, Xu is torn between wanting to carry out his duty as a constable and arrest Tang Long or to go with what his heart feels is right but that means letting Tang Long go free.

Good story and good acting from the leads.

Rating : 3 stars out of 5

You are welcome.

You want to hear something insidious...

There is an actor in there who LOOKS exactly like Zac Efron and another actress who looks EXACTLY like Selena Gomez....

I'm hypothesizing that Disney actually have a factory somewhere which "manufacture" their young stars!!!! *Shivers*

It's not surprising. I mean I don't believe that there is a 'factory' somewhere in Disney that stamps out clones of young stars but it makes perfect sense to try and imitate the successful stars.

They know for a fact that Zac Efron and Selena Gomez have herds of fans. If they could appeal to this segment of the audience then they would have a pool of ready target audience for their movie. The easiest way is to have them look like their more successful peers.

Iron Man 3 (2013) Addendum

Well, I have to say, this movie is better at second viewing...

The story feels better flesh out...

And I appreciate Tony/Robert, more. Having more time to see how invested he is in the role.

I remember that when I was watching this in the cinema, the air force one sequence was breathtaking. I remember thinking to myself, how did they make that so believably using green screen. The answer, it was shot practical, which explain why... WOW...

I feel that the special bonus is a little thin. Apart from the making of the Air Force One sequence, what I like most is the Peggy Carter's (Hayley Atwell) Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter short. It does explain what happened to the character, after Captain America got frozen!! I am also glad that she would also be appearing in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). YEAH!!!

Pic and Sound quality, FANTASTIC!!

My ADDED Two Sen.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Aug 23 2013, 10:38 PM