The Malaysian Movie News And Reviews

Skyline

2010-11-08T11:16:00.001-08:00

Skyline
Directors: Colin and Greg Strause
92 minutes
2.40:1

Earth is being invaded by aliens again. But when done right, you enjoy being sucked in the Skyline.

A group of friends party till the early morning when they are awaken by bright blue light and screams. The aliens are coming and they are ready to solve human's overpopulation problem.

The Brothers Strause doesn't give anything new plot wise - and writers Joshua Cordes and Liam O'Donnell do not provide you with many exposition scenes either - but it plays much better than J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield. Shot on a shoestring budget but not looking it, they give us something that hasn't been seen before in an alien invasion movie - direct mass harvesting. The premise is enough to get people to watch this movie in droves.

The small cast do what they can with the minimal script and they did it well. Standout performances are from Eric Balfour and David Zayas. The score could use a little more work but the sound design and mixing are well done. The VFX is amazing but this is to be expected. The Brothers Strause are the owners of Hydraulx, the boutique VFX house that is frequently used by Hollywood studios which did all of the CGI work here.

For an independently-financed epic monster movie to be conceived and finished within one year is an amazing feat. It will be interesting to see what the Strause brothers will come up with next after their impressive debut with Skyline.

Unstoppable

2010-11-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Unstoppable
Director: Tony Scott
92 minutes
2.40:1

It is said that everybody loves to watch a train wreck. Unstoppable is not one and it is worth watching.

Human error caused a train to go off the train yard without an engineer on board. Carrying hazardous chemicals, the speeding train is a disaster waiting to happen, unless a rookie conductor and an experienced engineer can stop it. This story is loosely based on a true incident.

Scott did a tremendous job of heightening tension here as making a moving train look dangerous is not easy. It's also not easy to shoot the human drama when the actors are on the actual speeding train. Writer Mark Bomback script is smart in explaining to the audience the technical difficulties in stopping a train while keeping the suspense intact. Director of photography Ben Serensen captured the action and vista brilliantly. While Denzel Washington and Chris Pine get the top billing, Rosario Dawson is also a key cast member. Indeed the entire ensemble is commendable in making the show entirely believable.

There are CGI effects to be seen here but they are hard to find if you're not paying attention - and that usually means it's really good. The sound design and mixing are wonderfully balanced between the calming lull of the countryside and the rush of the runaway train.

Tony Scott has created one hell of a ride that features no bad guys and one Unstoppable train.

Megamind

2010-11-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

Megamind
Director: Todd McGrath
96 minutes
2.40:1

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, spike it with vodka and sell it to the boy scouts!

Megamind is a blue alien with a large head who, out of sheer luck, got mixed with the wrong crowd when he landed on Earth. Thinking that he will always be the bad guy, he becomes the arch nemesis to Metroman, also an alien, who fights the good fight. Their epic battles ends predictably every time until one day when Megamind's plan goes according to plan. He wins for the first and last time. So now what?

A fantastic twist of the superhero genre, this is a clever, witty and funny film from start to finish. It's also got plenty of heart. McGrath and writers Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simmons tell an amusing fairy tale of what goes wrong when your dreams come true. The Dreamworks Animation team did a great job at animating the exhilarating 3D fight sequences but the emotional scenes were their best work to date. The cinematography is impressive and it might give the audience an idea of what to expect when the Superman reboot is shown in 3D.

The voice talents is delightful and Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt in particular are brilliant at not sounding like their usual selves. The sound elements didn't offer anything new but the mixing is well done. The special effects - that is anything that is not part of the animation process - is detailed and amazing.

Take the time to enjoy Megamind in 3D! It's worth it!

Hisss

2010-11-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Hisss
Director: Jennifer Lynch
99 minutes
2.40:1

The point of a remake is to make it a fresh positive experience for contemporary audience. Unfortunately Hisss fails at that.

There is an Indian myth that whoever could possess the energy of Naagin, the snake goddess, he will live on forever. Believing this myth, a group of men in modern day India captures her mate in order to force the goddess' hand. As the goddess kills them one by one, a detective must wrestle with his disbelief of the myth and solve the serial murder case.

If the above paragraph makes the movie seems interesting, well then obviously the opportunity to make an entertaining remake was lost somewhere. To be fair, there are no English version of the move prior to Hisss; in fact, even the current one is a mix of Hindi and English. There were actually two Hindi versions prior to this. Within the Bollywood movie musical convention, the 1986 version was far more entertaining than this one!

The only admirable work to be seen here is the cinematography by Madhu Ambat.

Director and screenwriter Jennifer Lynch has disowned the film because she was booted out of the post-production stage by the producers. So much can make a movie better in editing, in music score and CGI effects but it is clear that this one received a sloppy post-pro work. Producers Govind Menon and Vikram Singh must shoulder the blame for letting this mess be released theatrically.

This Is It

2009-10-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

This Is It
Director: Kenny Ortega
112 minutes
1.78:1

Prior to this, Kenny Ortega is most famous for molding a generation of musical-loving teens with his High School Musical movies. But with This Is It, he will be known as the director who gave millions of people closure.

Culled from hours of rehearsal footage, This Is It shows an artist who wants to give his fans the time of their life. He wants to entertain them and show them something they've never seen before. He had the unique vision, the kind-hearted tenacity and the brilliant instinct to deliver a concert series that would have been memorable.

Ortega would be the first to say that this is not about the director. This Is It is about his friend and collaborator whose professional side is finally being revealed. But here, professional is personal and that is what makes the film captivating. This is a documentary about a concert that was a work-in-progress, one that never sees its full-dress rehearsal.

The video and sound editors did one hell of a job of making the best of what is available. The film is made up of HD and SD footage. Because it was never intended to be a concert film, it does not have the high gloss of sweeping cameras moves and wide shots. Even some of the songs are made up of two or three different rehearsal dates. But what is lacking in video, the audio makes up for it big time. The digital projection of the movie means that the performances sound fantastic, full of detail and vibrancy. It makes it an up close and personal experience, better than the best seats in the stadium.

Running only for two weeks, This Is It is a tribute to a man whose lasting legacy is his mark in music and popular culture. It is a celebration of his eternal gift to the world. Clap, shake, groove and dance to the one and only Michael Jackson.

Surrogates

2009-09-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Surrogates
Director: Jonathan Mostow
98 minutes
2.39:1

Jonathan Mostow does not have a perfect batting score when it comes to directing movies but Surrogates will certainly improve it.

Based on a graphic novel, Surrogates paints the world as being populated by super robots, called surrogates, while their human controllers stay at home. Then one day, two surrogates got killed and so did their human, a crime unheard of in 15 years.

There are obvious flaws in the storytelling - the accelerated time line of surrogate adoption as well as the rushed ending - but Surrogates hold up as a good entry in sci fi. Writers Michael Ferris and John D. Brancato retain the essential parts from Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele's graphic novel to tell a thrilling story of the evolution of technology. Mostow made the story credible, exciting and relevant.

The cast is uniformly great. The ones that got the most breadth are Bruce Willis and Rosamund Pike as the Greers and James Cromwell as Canter as they represent the cracks underneath the veneer of human liberation. Most of the VFX are seamless except for Willis' surrogates, which was intentionally plasticized.

Breakdown, a white-knuckle ride from start to finish, is still Mostow's best movie. But Surrogates is still commendable because it asks the right questions about the use of human substitutes and what it could mean for civilization.

2009-08-22T04:41:00.001-07:00

Avatar - 15-Minute PREVIEW
Director: James Cameron
15 minutes
2.39:1

James Cameron is a very talented guy because whenever he makes a movie, people take notice. And it's hard not to take notice of Avatar.

The 15-minute preview of Cameron's latest is absolutely amazing. But to an average Joe who only saw the teaser, it can come off as looking unspectacular. The reason is the seamlessness of the photorealistic CGI of the Na'vi as they appear in the teaser. But the teaser don't show complete scenes with a lot of dialogue and THAT is where the magic is!

In the preview, the interaction of the avatar and human is shown within the same shot. And while this is not exactly new, what haven't been seen in movies since Gollum is that intricate and completely believable level of facial animation. It's absolutely seamless to the dialog! What J6P may not understand/know is that the Na'vi and the avatars are not humans in makeup and suits - they are completely, head-to-toe emotion-captured CGI creature! There's a scene in the preview where Sigourney Weaver's avatar is guiding the hero in the forest; it LOOKS, ACTS and SPEAKS like it's Weaver but she is younger, taller and BLUE!

Seriously, three months is a long time to wait to watch the entire movie! Avatar may not be have a groundbreaking story - some liken it to Pocahontas in space - but the method of storytelling is definitely revolutionary. The same experience can easily be expected next year when Spielberg's finish off his TinTin movie, since both films are done using emotion-capture and both are worked on by Weta Digital.

Avatar will mark another notch in the craft of filmmaking. Just like other visual effects before - think Cameron's T1000 liquid metal or the liquid ROV in The Abyss, or Spielberg's dinosaur and aliens, or the Wachowski's bullet-time or even PJ's Gollum - movies PROCEEDING it will overuse its technology to cover under-develop ideas. But come December, you have to go to a 3D theater to witness another film history unfolding before your eyes with Avatar.

Taking Of Pelham 123

2009-07-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Taking Of Pelham 123
Director: Tony Scott
105 minutes
2.39:1

Leave it to Tony Scott to dive into the remake arena of Hollywood and pull off a surprisingly involving thriller.

The Scott-Washington team has worked on three successful films before and this one is no exception. The script by Brian Helgeland is smart and Scott executed it with great comedic and thrilling moments. The cast - John Turturro and Ramon Rodriguez reunited for this film - from the background characters to the supporting characters, are very good. The editing is tight and as usual showcases Scott's penchant of flashy sequences.

The score is contemporary and works well with the film's overall style. Everything else about the production is also impeccable.

This is a surprising film to schedule during the "summer" months but the gamble worked. Taking Of Pelham 123 is one of the better hostage negotiation thrillers to come in a long while.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
Director: David Yates
153 minutes
2.39:1

Puberty and adolescence are such tumultuous times. That's why in Harry's sixth outing, he's a more interesting character.

Much darker than any of the previous films, Half-Blood Prince in that regard because it stamps out any inclination that it was as kid-friendly as the first film. As it should be expected since if the same kid who watched the first film when s/he was six, s/he would be 12 by now and clamoring for more teen fare. Steve Kloves did a great job at picking the essence of the book and David Yates have to be commended for a great work at directing.

The entire cast is excellent, from the main to the bit players that have played their individual characters known all these years. Everything about the production is first rate - set designs, costumes, hair and makeup, special effects, VFX, editing, sound mixing and design.

The Potter saga is coming to an end. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is doing such a great job at setting it all up.

Transformers

2007-06-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Transformers
Director: Michael Bay
140 minutes
2.39:1

It’s the cars. Chicks and dicks love the cars.

In a time where original ideas do not sell in Hollywood, the move to greenlight Transformers was not surprising at the time. Like many other TV properties, the animated series that was first aired in 1984 has a built-in audience of boys and girls. That same group of people grew up to be men and women with sizeable disposable incomes. Hollywood loves built-in audience but will the audience love Transformers? Yes they will.

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is trying hard to get the teenage American dream – a hot car and a hot babe. Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) is certainly hot but not his babe. So Sam is hell-bent on trying to change that with the help of his own ride. Ron Witwicky (Kevin Dunn) however is not helping much, buying his son a beat-up yellow ’74 Camaro as a present instead.

Meanwhile somewhere in Qatar, Army Captain William Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and Staff Sergeant Epps (Tyrese Gibson) of the Special Forces Rangers have just returned from a mission. They are expecting a quiet night in when an unidentified bogey lands on their base and launches an attack without provocation and warning. The men have to find a way to stay alive and tell their incredible story to the Pentagon.

Having Michael Bay helm any movie does not inspire confidence. However, with a solid producing team behind him including Lorenzo di Bonaventura of Shooter, Tom DeSanto of the X-Men series and Ian Bryce of Saving Private Ryan and of course executive producer Steven Spielberg, Bay’s effort here works staggeringly well. There are his trademark twirling camera moves and bleached contrast look, but that can be forgiven when his kinetic style is matched by the cinematic battles in the film. Director of photography Mitchell Amundsen frames his shots amazingly to create thrilling and beautiful moments.

Smartly the core of the story belongs to the human beings and how they must cope with the arrival of the Autobots and the Decepticons. Most of the dialogues between the characters are simple but convincing. The opening monologue and some later scenes are expositionally heavy, however that is unavoidable for a sci-fi fantasy film. Credit for the screenplay goes to Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, based on the story by John Rogers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Editors Paul Rubell, Glen Scantlebury and Thomas A. Muldoon manage to capture the essence of Bay and elevate it. While some locations have been used by Bay himself in his other films, production designer Jeff Mann successfully created other visually-interesting sets as well as securing roads, highways and the Hoover Dam for the action sequences.

The transforming sequences are Transformers geeks and fans’ wet dreams come true. It is spectacularly well done! From the transformation and the animation to the composition of the CGIs with practical effects and human actors, these sequences are simply jaw dropping. Nothing in these shots looked fake. Kudos to the VFX team specifically ILM that did the bulk of the CGI work and Digital Domain, as well as the practical effects team at KNB EFX Group for creating the illusion of mass carnage.

The sound design and mixing team complemented the visuals with an incredible and inventive work. Just like the VFX, the sound mix is a joy to listen to. The voices of the Autobots and Decepticons sound better than ever. Not forgetting are the pumping bass from the guns, the many explosions, the choppers and the fighter jets. The action sequences are simply sonic orgasms! Sound designer and editor Ethan Van Der Ryn, a Lord Of The Rings alumni, and his team should be proud of themselves. Both the VFX and the sound crews should expect an Oscar nod next year.

The cast played it straight as they should, given that this is no cheesy B-grade movie. LaBeouf gave another engaging and likeable performance, critical to ground the movie for non-Transformers audiences. Fox is a beautiful young actress and hopefully she will bloom into a solid performer. Dunn and Julie White as Judy Witwicky are a great comedic pair. Rachael Taylor as Maggie Madsen, Anthony Anderson as Glen Whitmann, Jon Voight as Defense Secretary John Keller and John Turturro as Agent Simmons round up the rest of the live-action cast that provide another subplot and half of the comic relief to the story.

The voice cast for the Autobots and Decepticons are well cast. However the actors don’t have much dialogue in the film. This cast is led by Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Hugo Weaving as Megatron.

With the right creative team, an okay concept can turn out to be a great film. That is what happens with Transformers. Both fans and non-fans alike will like the movie as well as movie-goers of all sexes and ages. It has a winning combo of cars, robots, action and good looking casts. This will be the summer movie to beat this year.

Fast cars are skin deep but Transformers is more than meets the eye.

Die Hard 4.0

2007-06-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

Die Hard 4.0
Director: Len Wiseman
125 minutes
2.39:1

The following review has been rated R.

Unlike Hollywood series of the 1920s and 1930s, not many modern film franchises go beyond three with the same lead actor. Finding the right spark that made the first film popular is hard to begin with. Doing it beyond two sequels is really fucking hard. To get to number four, both the actor and character must have a great bond with the audience. Bruce Willis and John McClane in the Die Hard franchise are it.

16 years have gone by and John McClane (Bruce Willis) is still an NYPD cop. He’s mostly content to read the Miranda act to Lucy Gennarro’s (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) dates. Enter Matt Farrell (Justin Long), a white hat (good hacker) who had just uploaded a program to an unknown client. This algorithm is meant to test secure networks. Before you can even type U R PWNED!, the FBI cyber intelligence system is hacked and the Feds are pissed as fuck.

Director Bowman (Cliff Curtis) sends local detectives across the nation to track down all the black and white hats for questioning. That is how John and Matt meet and they soon discover a group of terrorists led by Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) is the cause of it all.

Let’s lay down the controversy first - the ratings. Twentieth Century Fox’s executives need to get serious kicks on their balls for this fucking mess, if they had them to begin with. No, the film is not a mess but the drive to get a PG-13 rating is. Even though they removed the blood splatters, and edited and ADRed scenes to censor every fucking expletive, the fact of the matter is this movie is still violent!

Many people die violent, on-screen deaths and this should be the main reason to keep the film’s rating at R. 13 year olds should not have easy access to this film. To beat a dead horse yet again, the MPAA’s system is fucked. The film has received BBFC’s 15 rating in the UK - “Suitable only for 15 years and over” - while the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia has given it an SG-18 – “For 18-years and above. Film contains elements of violence and horror that are not excessive.”

The fans of Die Hard are not die-hard fans of the F word. What they are fans of is the iconic character of John McClane. Age has an effect of mellowing people to tone down their language in real life. However in tense situations as depicted in a movie, it is completely believable and understandable that stressed people, and not just McClane, will blow off some motherfucking steam with the F words peppered in their conversations.

Censoring the foul language out of Die Hard 4.0 is just fucking dumb.

With this being his third film, director Lens Wiseman shows that he has a good sense of action, drama and comedy to pull off action movies. Working with a tight script by Mark Bomback - story by Bomback and David Marconi, and based on John Carlin’s war-games article “A Farewell To Arms” – Wiseman wisely gives enough hacker details to the story to create tension early on. Wiseman however trimmed down McClane's signature wisecracking nature significantly. He and director of photography Simon Duggan designed dynamic camera movements in the thick of action scenes that are fucking impressive. The aerial photography unit also did an amazing job at capturing beautiful and exciting shots. Editor Nicolas De Toth keeps the pace quick and moving with enough sense of backstory and comedy, though the scenes where “fuck” is uttered a lot are sloppily edited and sometimes do not match the ADR.

Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos must have one of the harder jobs in the production in trying to recreate NYC, DC and Baltimore by masking L.A. locations with props. In spite of not pulling that feat off consistently, he and set decorator Robert Gould did a great job with the sets of the FBI, the terrorists’ hive, and the action set pieces, both practical and CGI. The work by digital film colorist Siggy Ferstl and digital conform Alex Romano must not also be forgotten for they are responsible in stringing together scenes from different locations to look the same. Kudos must also be given to the under appreciated departments of make-up and costume for without them, McClane’s and Farrell’s roughed-up state just won’t be believable.

No modern action film can get by without the help of digital visual effects. To their credit, the VFX by The Orphanage do not scream for attention or look too fake. The augmented scenes have enough believable animation detail that they don’t detract from the movie experience. With additional work by Riot, Pixel Magic, Amalgated Pixels, as well as computer screen simulation by Digital Dimension, and miniature effects and miniature visual effects by New Deal Studios and Cinema Production Services, the VFX of the film as a whole is cohesive. Interestingly enough, it is the non-action green-screen driving sequences that feel fake. How the fuck did that happen?

Sound Designers Ai-Ling Lee and Jason W. Jennings and Sound Effects Editor Randall Kelley did a great job at creating soundscapes that are enveloping and alive. No doubt their work is also affected by the need to conform the film to a PG-13 rating. The sound of the gunshot wounds do not sound as wet and bloody as they normally would. Still, it is a bang-up job by the sound department.

Finally, the cast is great. Willis’s performance is the one that most people may overlook. His McClane is an aged McClane and that performance requires some intimate knowledge of the character. It may not scream Oscar-worthy but it is a great work. As the instant sidekick, Long’s characterization is also noteworthy for he had to be vulnerable without being annoying and still fulfill his tiny arch in the end. Olyphant as the bad guy gives a great performance with his minimal facial and eye expressions, and some really snappy lines.

Curtis’s Fed man is commanding, decisive but sympathetic. Winstead as the daughter gives an interesting and fiery performance that nails down the essence of John McClane. Maggie Q as Mai is just a bad-ass cunt; she must have had a great time chewing her scenes during the shoot. Last but not least is big nerdy bear Kevin Smith as the Warlock. While it may not be as endearing as his performance in Catch And Release, the scenes he is in are just fun to watch. His scenes alone probably would jack up the ratings and no doubt a lot of them ended up on the virtual floor of the cutting room.

In the end though, Die Hard 4.0 is a kick-ass action movie. It is similar in structure to Die Hard With A Vengeance than the original film. But let’s face it. Die Hard is in the top 5 action movies of all time. Even without the F words this movie fucking works.

Hopefully when the Blu-ray Disc and DVD are released later this year, Fox execs would come to their senses and release the truer version of the film, with the realistic, expletives-filled dialog put back in. Until then, action film lovers are just going to live with and hopefully enjoy the violent and kids-friendly Die Hard 4.0. Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!

Die Hard 4.0 is the international title to Live Free Or Die Hard.

Surf's Up

2007-06-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

Surf’s Up
Directors: Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
85 minutes
1.85:1

A paradigm describes this colorful CGI movie: understated.

For a while now, these two things are synonymous: penguins and tent-pole summer movies. Because of this, there is a sense of apathy towards Surf’s Up. It is another CGI animation feature that has penguins as the main cast. In spite of this handicap, Surf’s Up serves up.

For Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf) is an aspiring surfer in a dead-end job. The one thing that drives him everyday is his love for surfing. His hero is Big Z, the first surfer that made a career out of the sport. However, everybody in the chilly town of Shiverpool is unsupportive of him, including his own mother Edna (Dana BelBen) and his brother, Glen (Brian Posehn). It wasn’t until Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), a surfing scout, comes down into town on a slow whale to Antartica that Cody realizes he could live out his dreams.

Together with best pal Chicken Joe (John Heder), they got picked for a surfing competition organized by Reggie Belafonte (James Woods) and they all head up to Pen Gu Island. There he meets his biggest surfing foe Tank Evans (Diedrich Bader), the girl he fancies in Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), and her bum of an uncle, Geek (Jeff Bridges).

What makes Surf’s Up stand out from the rest of the CGI features so far is the fact that it is a mockumentary on the rise and slide of Cody’s career. Yes you read it right: mockumentary.

Most other CGI features have done a few scenes that had the shaky look documentary films have. In Surf’s Up, most of the scenes had that unsteady camera shot. It is not just the shots either that created the feel of a documentary. It is also the cross-cutting of different scenes back and forth as well as the ubiquitous filmmaker’s voice prodding his subjects on that made it feel real. Directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck must be credited for breathing fresh air into an over-hyped animation style.

However, even this technique wouldn’t have worked if not for the genuinely affecting story and the very funny dialogues. To this, writers Chris Jenkins and Christian Darren, who came up with the story, and Don Rhymer & Ash Brannon, and Chris Buck & Chris Jenkins must be thanked. Their contributions are immense.

The thankless job the animators did is terrific. To animate a scripted performance is hard enough but to portray a supposedly spontaneous action is another. The nuances coming out of the characters were a joy to watch. On top of that, the cinematography is spectacular. The ocean is filled with waves, wakes and mists. The lighting effects courtesy of the sun and fire is gorgeous. The realistic looking coconut trees and forest fauna are incredible. To top it all off, the pseudo black-and-white shots, the 8mm and 16mm shots make Surf’s Up a joy to watch. Hats off to Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Imageworks!

The voice cast is amazing. The repartee between the characters is absolutely funny. LaBeouf, who is simply in every hit movie this year, delivers another winning performance here. Deschanel just oozes love and care. For some reason, Woods plays slimy characters really well but at least here he’s funny. Posehn, Bader and Heder simply have to make a movie together. Reed Buck, Reese Elowe and Jack P. Ranjo, the kid actors who play Arnold, Katey and Smudge, should also do the same. And if you loved the Dude in The Big Lebowski, well you’re in for a treat!

It is clear that the studio had trouble marketing this movie. The initial tagline from the teaser trailer was “A True Story” had changed to “A Major Ocean Picture,” courtesy of the marketing department. Then there’s the penguin effect. Regardless of how the trailers looked or how over-exposed penguins have become, you can’t avoid this one. It is sea-breeze fresh, wickedly funny and the surfing sequences are beautiful to watch. So far the best animated movie this year belongs to Surf’s Up.

Spider-Man 3

2007-04-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Spider-Man 3
Director: Sam Raimi
140 minutes
2.39:1

This little spider spins a tangled web indeed.

The film adaptations of the Spider-Man and the X-Men comics have kept the genre prospering to levels unseen before. Apart from the X-Men films, the Spider-Man films have also made this genre respectable due to the depth of their dramatic arcs. (These same arcs also contributed to the less than stellar reviews of other film adaptations of comic books even though those films stayed true to their origins.) Spider-Man 3 simply continues the intricate storytelling tradition of the previous Spider-Man films.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has got a good thing going. His Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) is sorted out in a nice apartment, his grades at school have improved, his love life with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) is just sparkling and at long last, Spider-Man has become a beloved NYC hero. Peter can sing “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” for a Rogers & Hammerstein revue and meant every word of it.

Trouble however is brewing just underneath the surface. His best friend Harry (James Franco) is bearing a deadly grudge against him. Peter finds out that Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), his uncle’s actual killer, has escaped from prison. Peter also faces a fierce competition against Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a dangerously determined freelance photographer, at The Daily Bugle. To top it all off, a gooey stringy black substance from space has grown attached to Peter. Can he handle all of this by himself?

Working with writers Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent, who also worked on the first two Spider-Man films, director Sam Raimi once again tells a great story that is full of drama and action. In fact, with a running time of 140 minutes and all of the plot points and new characters, it almost feels like the movie would collapse under its own weight. Almost, but thanks to Raimi, it didn’t. Some of the scenes were laugh out loud moments while some of the action sequences were enough to give you sweaty palms and acrophobia.

Helping Raimi to sustain the look and feel of this alternate New York that Peter Parker lives in is the production team. Director of photography Bill Pope makes each scene look fresh and beautiful every time, even in Peter’s crappy apartment. Production designers Neil Spisak and J. Michael Riva’s work is invisible most of the time because it can’t glaringly pop-up, with the exception of two nail-biting cliffhangers. Costume designer James Acheson delivers in spades again, not only for the non-descript wardrobe for the entire cast but also for the creation of the tough-to-shoot black Spider-Man and Venom costumes, and the not-so -green New Goblin costume. Editor Bob Murawski must have had a tough time to deliver scenes that are concise yet full of meaning and impact at every level.

The visual effects of Spider-Man 3 also reached dizzying heights, figuratively and literally. Visual effects supervisor Scott Stokdyk and visual effects designer John Dykstra brings a new look and feel to the film’s many effects shot. Created mostly by Sony Pictures Imageworks, the effects are almost seamless and realistically done. Using signature elements from Danny Elfman’s original Spider-Man score and his own, Christopher Young crafts a score that helps sustain and create tension and drama. Supervising sound mixers Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell, and supervising sound editor/designer Paul N. J. Ottosson deliver a powerful sonic rush as well as subtle environmental cues that make the film come alive.

The original cast is excellent and that is to be expected, having comfortably performed the roles in the first two movies. Even so, Franco finally proves that he is an actor worthy of praise after all, at least in these films. His character has more range than before. Grace and Church’s performances are great, delivering subtlety and quiet sadness in their very short and few scenes. Another great performance comes from Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy, Peter’s lab partner. Unlike most of her other film roles, she is vamped up as the beautiful and smart blonde.

The world that Peter Parker lives in may never be normal and permanently free of danger. That is the beauty of these Spider-Man films, in that it is a reflection of the everyday struggles of regular people striving to be happy and stay happy to the best of their abilities. That is why the first two films were blockbusters.

With Spider-Man 3, another fantastic trilogy is complete. Assuredly more sequels are being planned, but whether or not the actors or director involved will come back is yet to be seen. Regardless of the outcome, Spider-Man 3 is a great and satisfying film that bookends these incredible stories of a humane superhero.

Sunshine

2007-04-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

Sunshine
Director: Danny Boyle
110 minutes
2.39:1

What this movie needed most is an extended director’s cut. It is not a bad movie. In fact, it is a great movie. However, it could have been perfect.

Sunshine tells the story of a crew of eight scientists aboard a giant space ship. Their goal is next to impossible: recharge the sun so that it doesn’t collapse into itself. Failure would result in a black hole sucking in the entire solar system. Success would mean life continuing on Earth.

The premise is intriguing scientifically, sociologically and also psychologically. What director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland explored in the movie is mainly the psychological effects of this dooms day scenario, coupled with a healthy dose of science. What would have made the movie resonate more is the sociological perspective of how the human race is forced to deal with this scenario and why these scientists chose to be a part of this mission. The back stories may be haunting and illuminating. Hence, it would have been perfect if the film was just a little bit longer.

Otherwise, Sunshine is a stellar production. Production designer Mark Tildesley created a believable late 21st century space craft and filled it with the right things. Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb provided the finishing touch with her subtly futuristic designs, complemented by make-up and hair designer Christine Blundell’s work. The visual effects by the Moving Picture Company, headed up by visual effects supervisor Tom Wood, is amazing to watch.

Capturing all of this is director of photography Alwin Küchler who made it all devastatingly beautiful. Accompanying the visuals are the work of sound designer Tom Sayers and the thrilling score by John Murphy and Underworld. Putting all of this together is editor Chris Gill, who maintained a sense of isolation and danger in every frame. Simply put, Sunshine is a visual and aural feast.

The cast is small and brilliant. Lead by Cillian Murphy who plays Capa, they crafted their silent scenes to speak volumes. Apart from Murphy, stand out performances to watch out for are Christ Evans as Mace, Rose Byrne as Cassie, Michelle Yeoh as Corazon, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Kaneda. Cliff Curtis as Searle, Benedict Wong as Trey, and Troy Garity as Harvey round off the main cast.

Sunshine in its 110-minute running time is a must-see movie, even though the cerebral nature of the story predetermined its destiny as a cult sci-fi film. Boyle and Garland did a great job at bringing to life this scientifically possible story. Hopefully just like what 20th Century Fox did with Ridley Scott’s Kingdom Of Heaven, Fox Searchlight will eventually release the extended director’s cut of Sunshine on Blu-ray Disc sometime in the future.

300

2007-04-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

300
Director: Director: Zack Snyder
117 minutes
2.39:1

In the last decade, there have been many outstanding adaptations of comics for the big screen. However, few of which accurately represented the look of the comics. It took the Wachowskis’ The Matrix to remind audiences of the beautiful, expressively drawn panels that these movies were inspired from. Ironically The Matrix itself is not a comics-based film even though it was heavily influenced by comics and manga. Since then, more directors have embraced this intricate visual style.

300 is based on Frank Miller’s 300, a graphic novel that explores the Battle of Thermopylae, a devastating battle between the Spartans and Persians that occurred in 480 B.C. King Leonidas, played by Gerard Butler, was informed by a Persian emissary that King Xerxes, a self-anointed God from Persia, will be landing on the Grecian shores soon. The emissary gave the king two options: submit to King Xerxes and receive clemency and support, or fight to suffer a certain defeat and the obliteration of Sparta. Like all great leaders with back bones, King Leonidas chooses the latter and a great story is born.

The only drawback to 300 is that Snyder has not managed to squeeze the emotional core of the story. There is a lack of connection between the audience and the Spartan warriors’ fight ethic. But was there one from the graphic novel to begin with? That is a question only those who have read Miller’s 300 could answer.

Otherwise, Snyder must be commended for executing this movie almost perfectly. Beautiful in its cinematography and art design, courtesy of DP Larry Fong, production designer James Bissell and costume designer Michael Wilkinson. Enhancing the look of Greek topography and ancient battles falls under the direction of visual effects supervisor Chris Watts, and make-up and creature effects supervisors Shaun Smith and Mark Rappaport.

300 also owes its visceral impact to aural manipulation. Sound effects supervisor EricA. Norris and his team of sound effects editors – Derek Vanderhorst, Jon Mete, David Werntz, Brad North and Rick Hromadka – augmented the action with an involving sonic delights. Finally Tyler Bates provided the rousing score that doesn’t overwhelm.

The cast gave a great performance. Butler’s King Leonidas has enough charisma and frailty. Lena Headey’s Queen Gorgo shows resolve and courage. Dominic West as Theron has a devious charm. Rodrigo Santoro’s King Xerxes is an enigmatic and creepy figure. Tom Wisdom as Astinos, Vincent Regan as the Captain, and Michael Fassbender as Stelios were given limited acting range but they acutely portray the dedication of the Spartan army. David Wenham as Dilios carries the most burden as both a high-ranking Spartan soldier and the narrator of the tale. Another thing to note is that all of them looked great in every single frame they are in.

Like Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City, Snyder’s adaptation works brilliantly with an amazing palette of color and violence. It is an instant classic among its target audience. Whether 300 can withstand the test of time like the Battle of Thermopylae, may be decided in just a few years.

Curse Of The Golden Flower

2006-12-24T22:55:00.000-08:00

Curse Of The Golden Flower
Director: Zhang Yi Mou
114 minutes
2.39:1

One word that describes the Curse Of The Golden Flower: sumptuous.

It is films like this that makes you appreciate this art form. The language is not important so long as the message is clear. Like other delicate art, the message is not quite spelled out. It means different things to different people. Just like how differently festivals are celebrated and valued.

The story starts as the Chong Yang Festival nears. The Emperor arrives in the Palace after a battle to defeat the rebels. He is accompanied by Prince Jai who had served in the military for three years. Their homecoming is met with open arms by the Crown Prince Wan and Prince Yu, but the Empress is besotted by dizzy spells. Inspite of this, the royal family prepares to celebrate the festival. It is during these last few days that secrets are unearthed and elaborate plans are revealed. Family unity and love is stretched to the limits as the irony of the meaning of the festival hits home.

The similarity between Riding Alone For A Thousand Miles and the Curse Of The Golden Flower is that Zhang Yimou likes to paint on a huge canvas while telling a small story. Of course, that is the only similarity of the two films. Flower bitchslaps you with intoxicating eye candy the moment the opening credit ends, which is just under a minute away. Credit for the delirious visuals must be given to production designer Huo Tingxio, costume designer Yee Chung Man, and director of photography Zhao Xiaoding. Kudos also for editor Cheng Long who had to piece it all together coherently.

The visuals however must be supported by a great story. Writers Wu Nan, Bian Zhihong and Yimou himself, along with story consultant Wang Bin have crafted a simple story that is best described as Thanksgiving with swords. The tension they build is not just from the layers and facade each character puts up but also from the royal rule of knowing your place within the palace. By the time they place the last piece, all the audience can do is watch the dominoes fall.

The performance of the cast is generally excellent. Gong Li is particularly impressive as the ice-cold Empress whose moments of despair and pain are heartbreaking. Chow Yun Fat is compelling to watch as the iron-fisted leader of the family who somehow manages to insert glimpses of a moral being in his performance. Jay Chou as Prince Jai fumbles into modern expressions in a few scenes but otherwise gives a commendable effort. Liu Yu as the Crown Prince, Chen Jin as the Imperial Doctor's wife, Ni Dahong as the Imperial Doctor, Li Man as Ni's daughter Chan, and Qin Junjie as Prince Yu give great performances as supporting cast who had to match the fine expressiveness of the main actors.

Unlike Chinese costume dramas of yore, this movie benefits greatly from modern filmmaking techniques. Composer Shigeru Umebayashi is an interesting choice for a Chinese movie. His score enhances each scenes that unfold. Sound supervisor Tao Jing impresses again with his aural work here. Sounds that are delicate and forceful are presented across the wide soundfield. Visual effects supervisor Frankie Chung Chi Hang do a marvellous job at enhancing the action, even though in some scenes the effects are apparent. Finally, action director Tony Ching Siu Tung made most of the fight sequences a fresh experience to watch, even if a few are clearly done with wires.

The Curse Of The Golden Flower is a must watch. The many beautiful metaphors in the movie points to its numerous messages. Zhang Yimou has crafted another gem.

One thing that must be made clear to Malaysian audiences is that for Malaysia, the Curse Of The Golden Flower has been dubbed completely to Cantonese! According to the film's distributor here Malaysia is the only country in the world that will have the film's language dubbed to Cantonese. Even Hong Kong and Singapore get the original Mandarin. Dubbing robs audiences the full performances of the actors. It is regretful that Malaysians have to endure this blatant theft. If the original language of the film is not available, the film distributors must clearly inform audiences of this on their movie posters.

Sinking Of Japan

2006-12-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sinking Of Japan
Director: Shinji Higuchi
96 minutes
2.39:1

Malaysia is a country where the worst natural disasters are land slides, flooding and toll hikes. They don't quite compare to what Japan can endure from just the movements of Earth's tectonic plates: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Sinking Of Japan details all three disasters in one movie.

Reiko Abe, played by rising actress Kou Shibasaki, rescues Toshio Onodera, played by Japanese pop star Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, from a fireball that was a result of the latest series of earthquakes in Japan. Soon, an American geologist briefed the Prime Minister of an impending disaster: Japan will completely disappear off the face of the planet in 50 years. Saori Takamori, played by Mao Daichi, who is the Minister of Crisis Management and Disaster Prevention seeks confirmation of this theory by consulting a geoscientist, Yusuke Tadokoro, played by Etsushi Toyokawa. Yusuke, who happens to be Saori's ex-husband, soon discovers that the series of earthquakes Japan is experiencing will culminate in the country sinking in less than a year.

So why is it fair and unfair to describe Sinking Of Japan as a disaster movie? It fairly describes it because by design the centerpieces of disaster movies are their special effects sequences. But it is unfair to describe this movie as just another disaster movie because most of the expositional scenes have emotional resonance, making them fairly important to the success of the film's climactic end.

Like Deep Impact by Mimi Leder, Shinji Higuchi has crafted a fairly entertaining and educational film about what would happen if such a catostrophic event occur. Shinji, who only has directed one feature film before this, and screenwriter Masato Kato had to write the script based on Sakyo Komatsu's popular sci-fi novel from 1973, the movie adaptation of the book and modern scientific findings. Reportedly the first adaptation had more depth when compared to the book than the updated version. Still, Shinji ably uses the four main casts and several supporting characters while keeping his eye focused on the big picture which is to stress the impact these events have on this small group of people.

The cast for the most part did their job well. Etsushi as the scientist didn't have much to do but worry about the effect of the tectonic movements. Mao on the other hand has a more commanding role that examplifies the changing dynamics of Japanese political office as the landscape itself is being reshaped. The love story between Kou and Tsuyoshi is underdeveloped. This is highlighted even more when their story reached its pinnacle in the movie. It would have been more interesting if director Shinji shows the contrast between the four actors' relationships. The rest of the casts shows the flexibility of the Japanese, or for that matter any nationality, in making the best of the worst kind of a situation.

The cinematography is striking, showing the beauty of Japan and the beautiful disaster that strikes later. Some of the more beautiful shots are the destruction of Japan as seen from space. Credit must be given to all the special, practical and visual effects technicians who made this film exciting. Pulling all of this off with a budget of just US$20 million, it is clear that shooting with High Definition cameras instead of film has its financial advantages.

The score by Taro Iwadai is minimalistic though there is a theme music running throughout the film. The sound design and mixing is very good though its quality can't be assessed due to drop-outs in the digital sound during the press screening. It could be caused by either a dirty or damaged film print, or improper projector maintenance.

If there was such an event occuring, other countries will also be affected by the movement of the tectonic plates or the measures the Japanese took to save their country. However, this movie is not about Japan saving the world so a worldwide view would be irrelevant. Sinking Of Japan succeeds as a reminder and as an escapist entertainment.

Sinking Of Japan has been recut for Malaysia! According to the film's distributor here, the running time is only 96 minutes. The Japanese cut is 136 minutes, a full 40 minutes longer which is an equivalent of two reels and a half. So there was indeed a substantial amount of story that was omitted. While this move is not censorship, it feels like one. Malaysian audiences are cheated of the full Japanese cut. The film distributor must take responsibility in informing audiences that this is the 96 minute version of the movie on its posters.

Seed of Darkness

2006-12-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Seed of Darkness
Director: Michael Chuah

1.78:1

Two words that should not be associated with this movie: exciting and scary.

Asian cinema was seen as the antidote to Hollywood's by-the-numbers movie making in the late 90s and early 2000s. This cinematic beacon of hope however has been proven to be just another flicker in the dark. Like their more expensive cousins, the quality of Asian movies vary from very good to very bad. One consistent style that emerges from contemporary Asian cinema is the depiction of ghosts in its horror movies. However, consistent style + the horror genre = stale.

Seed Of Darkness tells the tale of Yan who has just moved in to an apartment. The apartment complex is a little bit run-down and secluded, but that doesn't stop her from moving in with her daughter, Ying Ying. Soon after the big move, Yan begins to notice her daughter behaving strangely. Yan gets more stressed out when she senses that they are not alone in the apartment.

If the above synopsis got you excited, let it be your only exposure to this movie. Don't spend your hard-earned cash on a ticket because the movie is a total mess. Let's start at the beginning: the script.

Like other movies, horror movies must have its rules and logic so that the arc of the story is complete. It is also important because if the rules and logic don't hold up upon the first viewing, people are more disinclined to see it again. Seed Of Darkness failed this test not because it doesn't have its rules and logic but because they weren't shown or narrated on the screen. In fact, it doesn't even feel that the movie have much of a plot either!

Specifically, the ending was designed so that audience would be compelled to see the movie again to watch for clues they may have missed throughout the movie. However, the breadcrumbs the filmmakers left were so few. So instead of keeping the audience guessing as to how the film will end, the guessing was about if the end will come at all.

To that end, the faults lay with director Michael Chuah, who also co-wrote the movie with Khee Mei Chyn and Oliver Lee. He failed to keep track of the clues he should have dropped. He also allowed the film to have too many fade-ins and fade-outs which segmented the film into episodes that slowed down the momentum of its supernatural core.

The disjointed effect of the film is further exacerbated by some pretty awful performances. Wong Sze Sen as Yan can't overcome the limitations of the script and rise above it. Instead of becoming a mother pushed to the brink of insanity, her Yan is a mother pushed to the brink of numbness. Another key performance that needed to be great is Ying Ying but the child actor's performance is mundane. Her role is deemed irrelevant enough that she is not even credited on the production notes or on the film's website. The worst performance of the cast is Amber Chia who played Dr. Chen, the psychiatrist who is treating Yan. What little lines she had to say is said with blandness, but what made her performance the worst is that she looked like a model pretending to be a shrink.

Interestingly enough, the better performances came from the male leads. Vick Teo as Kit, Yan's protective brother, is believable enough in the few scenes that he is in. Alvin Wong makes the most of his small role as Sang, the sympathetic neighbor. His performance is the most nuanced of the cast.

The movie is also marred by bad editing, foley effects, sound design and mixing. There are several instances where an extra half a second could have been cut from the top of the scenes to speed up the flow of the narrative. The bad editing is also evident in the "car park" sequences where Yan's running speed varies from cut to cut. She goes from fast to slow to fast again within the scene. This created havoc for the foley artist who had to match her steps. Not only that, the "car park" sequences sounded like she is running on a wet, muddy field instead of a wet cement floor. Lastly, the dialog volume level fluctuates between normal to high with each scene, causing an unintended "scare" and perhaps puncturing an eardrum or two.

Thankfully, the film does not feature "the hunchback female ghost with long hair" that much even though it tries to immitate the atmospheric syle from Ringu. However, there is little to praise here. Seed Of Darkness is not going to be a good Malaysian cinematic import. The only bounty it will sow are seeds of disdain.

Eragon

2006-12-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

Eragon
Directed by Stefen Fangmeier
104 minutes
2.39:1

Two words that describe this movie succinctly: plodding and uninvolving.

You can't really screw up with a movie about dragons. Either with a wise ol' dragon like Draco in Dragonheart or the many ferocious dragons in Reign Of Fire, the flying sequences alone are enough to get movie audiences excited. But something is amiss when even those sequences made by the top effects houses in the world cannot save the movie.

The movie is a coming of age story. Eragon is a teenage boy who found a blue rock on a hunting trip in a forbidden forest. The rock, obviously, is not a rock but a dragon egg. Before he can even enjoy his new found pet, he is thrusted into a decades-long war that only he could end.

Based on a best-selling children's novel by Christopher Paolini, the movie failed to engage the audience within its first 15 minutes. Even Wikipedia's synopsis of the book, which is three paragraphs long, was a far more engrossing read than the movie. The blame for the failure of this adaptation rests on several people but high on the list are producers John Davis and Wyck Godfrey for allowing the production to proceed without an emotionally satisfying script. Screenwriter Peter Buchman also shares the blame for not injecting enough history of Alagaësia, the world where the story takes place. Even Eragon's past is not well told.

Director Stefen Fangmeier can be blamed for not sticking to the book and for the awful performances he inspired from his actors. Unlike Tilda Swinton, whose nuanced performance as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia gave us a frigid example of an ice queen, John Malkovich as King Galbatorix overacts on his throne, delivering his lines as if he is a contemporary power-hungry warlord. Robert Carlyle played his role as Durza just enough to stand out but not enough to inform the audience of his subservience to Galbatorix.

Just like Malkovich and Carlyle, Jeremy Irons is wasted as Brom but at least he acts and sounds like a has-been warrior. The one performance that could have saved this film through sheer brilliance of acting and charisma was Edward Speelers as Eragon. Unfortunately, he couldn't. He shouldn't be blamed for not being able to carry this film on his own as he is making his feature debut here.

Costumes by Kym Barrett for the most part work. However on several female character like Angela the fortune teller or the high ranking women of the Varden, the costumes were too beady to be practical, believable attires. The original score by Patrick Doyle also failed to connect instinctively with the film. It is merely adequate but not memorable.

On location cinematography by Hugh Johnson for the most part is excellent. Shot in Hungary and helped by visual effects enhancements, his sweeping shots paint a beautiful view of Alagaësia. The Academy Award winning Randy Thom did a great job as sound designer and supervising sound editor, enveloping the audience with immersive audio cues. Finally, congratulations on a job well done for ILM and Weta Digital, two visual effects houses that provided much of the dragon eye-candy.

It doesn't bode well for 20th Century Fox that the first installment in the Inheritance trilogy is not off to a flying start. But this is a tentpole movie for Fox. Whether they will green-light the sequel, Eldest, and the as yet-unnamed and unreleased third book, will be determined by Eragon's box office performance.