GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Running Length: 1:47
Cast:  Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Chin Han, Peter Ferdinando
Director: Rupert Sanders
Screenplay: Jamie Moss and William Wheeler based on the comic 'Ghost In The Shell' by Masamune Shirow

As I've never seen the animated version before (touted by many as a classic anime), I was actually looking forward to GHOST IN THE SHELL because I didn't want to have any baggage or benchmark whatsoever.

Yet, the experience turned out to be meh at best. Much of the effort was put into turning this film into a visual fest. And indeed it delivers in that department with interesting visuals and imagination (although some scenes look like a trailer to a fantasy game). I actually like how they used the stunning architecture of Hong Kong city as the landscape to represent a dystopian Japan (see HERE). The soundtrack is atmospheric too with a hint of cyberpunk. But that's about it.

Everything else seems dull. The actors' performance are lethargic ("Beat" Takeshi looks bored throughout). The action choreography is nice to look at but it doesn't have any sense of danger or energy. And the themes explored here is overly familiar. If only the filmmakers could have just updated it with some plot twist to what we already know.

And speaking about the wafer thin plot, Johansson plays Major, a field commander of an anti-terrorist unit called Section 9. She has a prosthetic body with a "cleanup" human brain. As the film progresses, she starts to recall bits and pieces of her past and thus, starts questioning who she really is.

Personally, I think Johansson should stop playing such AI sort of roles; she did it with Her and Lucy. Her stiff performance here doesn't really payoff when she realizes she's more human than robot. The rest of the supporting cast are just serviceable. Our very own Malaysian Pete Teo does a "serviceable-me" job too! ;)

Eventhough there are many things happening on the screen at any given time, this movie just wasn't engaging enough. I believe this is what Youtuber Nerdwriter talks about Moments vs Scenes, where the filmmakers try hard to make every 'moment' picturesque and cinematic hoping the audience will be awed. Instead, it should have been balanced out with longer 'scenes' allowing the audience to connect and stay longer with its characters.

RATING: 5.5/10

LOGAN (2017)

Genre: Drama / Action
Running Length: 2:17
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant
Director: James Mangold
Screenplay: Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green

LOGAN is a very different kind of superhero movie. There are no portals opening up from the sky. No giant robots. No loud noises and definitely not a CGI fest. This is a very grounded and gritty film. Both bad and innocent people die violently in this film.

First and foremost, this film is set up as a drama with a depressing theme; mortality. Yes, there are enough intense action pieces to keep the traditional superhero audience going, "Oh sh*t!" But overall, it's a slow paced movie. There are a lot of dialogue and even a homely scene of our protagonists having a decent conversation with a family over dinner. Yep, some folks I know said Logan was boring.

A quick summary of the plot. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world of 2029 where mutants are mostly extinct. An aging Logan/Wolverine (yes, he is not immortal. He just ages much much slower) lives a secluded life as a chauffeur. The measly income he earns is used to buy illegal meds to treat an even older and frail Charles Xavier/Professor X (Stewart). Charles is suffering from early stages of a brain degenerative disease. When Logan agrees to accept a big cheque to chauffeur a lady and a young girl to the border of Canada, he soon realised that the young girl is no ordinary girl.

In no time, the baddies are after them with truckload of firearms. And when our hero face off with them, it is unapologetically violent. It truly deserves its 18 years+ rating.  The wounds inflicted by Logan is extremely graphic (imagine a ferocious and powerful lion swiping its claws continuously across your soft flesh). And there are alot of swearing. In fact, the first word in the movie is, "F*ck!"

And there lies the problem for me. No doubt that fans will be pleased with an R-rated Wolverine (finally!) but just because it's not kids friendly, the filmmakers need not have to insert curse words in every other sentence. And they made the film as graphically violent as it can be. Curse words and violence, when used appropriately, can be very powerful. Here, it just loses its power.

And I get it that director James Mangold wanted to make a Western, but there is a particular scene where he hammers home this point in a "Get it?! Get it?!??" manner. In fact, there are many of such "Get it?!?" scenes just to make a point. And there is this particular villain which I thought was a little out of place.

But in terms of performance, Jackman and Stewart delivers one of their finest performance. They are totally committed. And I was particularly captivated by newcomer Dafne Keen's passion and ferality. Technically, the film is beautiful to look at and the score complements the movie well.

I was actually hoping the filmmakers would explore deeper the anger and emotional pain Logan had to experience in his lifetime due to his "curse of immortality". Alas, it was just briefly mentioned. I really wanted this film to punch me emotionally in the gut since this would be Jackman's last performance as Wolverine, but it didn't.

RATING: 7.5/10