like tony the tiger would say : it's ggreAAATTT!!

Zombieland

well well, i never thought about anything to grace so close to shaun of the dead. but this almost knocks em over. zombieland and shaun otd are two of the best contemporary zombie horror-comedy flick around!

the characters are simple and straightforward, yet as the story goes on, they expand and evolves. it's very easy to relate to the characters. the story is also casual and doesnt take itself too seriously. the zombies are real, the threat is real, the logic is real. but how the characters deal with it with light and easy yet hectic and chaos is totally fun to watch.

the strongest element in this flick is the rules of zombieland introduced by the protagonist. each time the rule is used, u'll see a nice montage of it in a very fun way with a witty narrative.

i say, if u must watch only one zombie movie this year, this is the one!

8/10

Surrogates

this film tried too hard to top i, robot. but one thing it apparently didnt realize is that i, robot isnt as good as its original idea presented in scifi novels. there are lots of other things that they could focus on, like the whole humans vs surrogates resistance fighters and the moral conflict of the characters. but they decided to only focus on the main character and then jump in and out between action and drama.

there's no focus in this film. it's very hard for me to relate to any of the characters. it's a good premise gone to waste.

5/10

Horsemen

another se7en wannabe. it was almost successful, though. ALMOST. it managed to grip me about the mystery surrounding several killings and the clues that the killers left around the victim. dennis quaid's character is a detective who tried to solve the problem while juggling with his two sons, a rebellious teen and a just-about-to-know-the-world 9 year old, while still trying to deal with the loss of his wife to cancer.

it plays on this notion that there is something looming on the horizon, the end of the world, and the four horsemen of apocalypse bringing war, famine, destruction and death. however, that's about the only mysticism that u'd get from the film. and heck, u couldve figured that the killers would establish some form of rules that u could relate to.

the story's quite unrefined, plotholes everywhere. but the visuals are DAMN GOOD. perhaps the only thing i'd applaud in this movie. and owh, dennis quaid is still good too.

5/10

Troy - Director's Cut

well, troy isnt as great as other epics like braveheart or kingdoms of heaven, but it still has its perks to attract me to watch it again and again. this time around, i finally got my hands on the director's cut.

the DC has about 30minutes of extra footage. some of the scenes were indeed recut and rearranged. definitely for the better because now i can feel the epicness of the battles and the drama behind it. the battle scenes now has more gore, although blood still doesnt look realistic just like the original ones, it's longer and now u can sense a bit of strategies and tactics implemented in it. it's not just charge and defend.

and there are more skin in this version that the theatrical release, although most of the skin are brad pitt's. we do get a prolonged sex scene between brad pitt and rose byrne, although no nudity there, just more skin. but diane kruger did go topless in this one, and it's well worth it .

Taking of Pelham 123

well, i'd have to say it's not as bad as most people say it was. the only thing that irks me is the visuals. the stuttering old school slow motion is so... um... dated. it doesnt work well for this movie. but story wise, it's fine. nothing outstanding, just a good decent work. acting by denzel and john travolta is the highlight of the film. everything else is just... fine.

5.5/10

Triangle

melissa george (30 days of night) is jess, a single mother who set sail with a couple of friends off miami. in a freak storm, their yacht capsized, killing one of their friends. stranded, they waited for help to arrive. when a cruise ship stumbled upon them, they thought they were saved. they boarded the ship, only to find themselves seemingly alone. but then strange things started to happen, and they started dying one by one.

it's a simple film. it doesnt need good effects, CGI or anything to sell the story. the story can sell itself. it doesnt try to explain itself at all, but u will suddenly understand the rules of the phenomenon, try to adapt to it, and relates to the character's motivation. it's a story brilliantly told.

if u're looking for the next mindf*ck movie, this is it.

8/10

this?



Triangle

melissa george (30 days of night) is jess, a single mother who set sail with a couple of friends off miami. in a freak storm, their yacht capsized, killing one of their friends. stranded, they waited for help to arrive. when a cruise ship stumbled upon them, they thought they were saved. they boarded the ship, only to find themselves seemingly alone. but then strange things started to happen, and they started dying one by one.

it's a simple film. it doesnt need good effects, CGI or anything to sell the story. the story can sell itself. it doesnt try to explain itself at all, but u will suddenly understand the rules of the phenomenon, try to adapt to it, and relates to the character's motivation. it's a story brilliantly told.

if u're looking for the next mindf*ck movie, this is it.

8/10

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Added on November 29, 2009, 6:05 amPriceless (Hors de Prix)

this is a french romantic comedy starring audrey toutou and gad elmaleh. it's about a lady gold digger who've been hopping from one rich guy to another. then she stumbled upon a charming man who she didnt know worked at the hotel as a barman. guy fell in love with the women, and realized she's way out of his league. he tried to win her by buying her the most expensive clothes, the most extravagant dinner and a rich lifestyle. that is, until he went broke himself. somehow he finds himself playing her game, becoming an equal and eventually gets better at the game.

this is a brilliant romantic comedy. it establishes a rule that is continuously followed and relates back to certain points of the story. the story telling is superb, funny and intelligent. and who can say no to a romantic film in FRENCH? .

oh btw, if u ever fantasize about audrey toutou, this is a film to watch.

8/10

This post has been edited by azarimy: Nov 29 2009, 06:05 AM

Deadline

this film is the big break for KRU productions in hollywood. it's a psychological thriller starring brittany murphy and thora birch, about a writer struggling to write while dealing with her own terror over a recent history with her man.

it's a decent flick. the setup is quite good, visually tense and at the same time beautiful. however, it delves too much on the psychological part than the thriller, leaving u floating around most of the time in the movie. it's not engrossing or immersive. it's not as good as most asian horror flicks, i can tell u that.

5/10

Law Abiding Citizen

hey, this is actually quite good. it's an action thriller with a very simple yet very workable concept. when the system failed a guy, guy takes it back to the system! the two lead, jamie foxx and gerard butler are brilliant. they totally played off each other, and we can see how they relate to each other despite being on the opposite end.

there are lots of twists and turns in this film, including some quite memorable lines. it all brings together a great element for action. u know that the action fulfills the story, and not the story written to fulfill the action. the only drawback i had for this film is that the trailer spoiled a little too much.

7/10

Feng Sheng (The Message)

now this is an epic film. it doesnt need armies by the thousands going to war against each other, no cliche'd heroism, no gallant charges, no blind patriotism which we often see in recent chinese films. this is about the characters and their motivation.

the film is set in 1942 nanking during japanese occupation. the puppet government installed by the japanese found out that they have an informer/spy in their midst, and narrowed it down to 5 persons. they were invited to a gothic mansion for dinner, which apparently a holding cell for them to flush out the mole.

it became a cat and mouse game. they knew the mole would try to get the message out. at the same time they need to not only find the spy, but it's handler. killing all the suspects would drive the mastermind away.

it's a psychological drama with elements of suspense. i couldnt grasp some of the dialogues as the subtitles were crap. but it was a thoroughly satisfying film.

8/10

finally!

i thought i was the only one who caught this film in LYN!

The Box

i went into this film without any idea what's the show was about. i needed to waste 2 hours while waiting for my wife to finish work, and this was the only one with the suitable timing. i was only informed only by its category advertised be the cinema: psychological thriller. boy was i surprised. it's a brilliant psychological SCIFI thriller.

it was based on a short story "button, button" by richard matheson, who also wrote "what dreams may come" and "i am legend". the premise is simple: u're given a box with a button on it. if u push, 2 things will happen i) somebody u dont know will die, and ii) u will get 1million dollars.

it's a question of morality. do u accept the money, knowing it'll be tainted with blood? do u reject it, and lose the only chance to save ur family out of its financial problem? but the bigger question, where does the box come from? who creates the box? what does it represent?

if u like donnie darko, u gonna like this. but just like donnie darko, u either love it or hate it.

7.5/10