IP MAN 4: THE FINALE

Release Date: Malaysia, 20 Dec 2019

Genre: Action

Running Length: 1:45

Cast: Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, Vanness Wu, Wu Yue, Chris Collins, Kent Cheng

Director: Wilson Yip

Screenplay: Edmond Wong, Dana Fukazawa, Chan Tai Lee & Jil Leung Lai Yin

IP MAN 4: THE FINALE is indeed the concluding chapter of the popular Ip Man franchise which started way back in 2008 and have since created many spin offs and alternate versions in the last ten years. For the uninitiated, this saga is an inspired version (not exactly autobiographical) of the life of Ip Man, the famed teacher of the the Wing Chun style of martial arts and of course, the sifu of the legendary Bruce Lee. 

The year is 1964, and Ip Man (Donnie Yen) makes a trip to San Francisco from Hong Kong with the purpose of enrolling his teenager son in a school there. Due to the problems of immigration, he soon finds out it's not so easy to get a place in the local schools and he needs to engage the chairman (Wu Yue) of the Chinese Benevolent Association from Chinatown to write him a recommendation letter.  The chairman is not so co-operative because he is unhappy with Ip Man's student Bruce Lee (Danny Chan) for teaching martial arts to non-Chinese.  And the plot also include a racist Marine officer (Scott Adkins), intolerance towards immigrants and finding your passion.

Yeah, it's a mixed bag to be honest but just like all the earlier entries, it's really an excuse to showcase a collection of martial art duels. In terms of fight choreography, the hand-to-hand fights here are the weakest compared to the earlier episodes. To be fair,  all the scenes were serviceable but none were memorable. 

I was expecting an emotional "send off" since this is the finale, but I was actually more moved by Ip Man 3.

As for the performances, I still cannot brain how come Caucasians who appear in HK movies always end up as caricatures. Their dialogue are always cringe-worthy and their acting; over-the-top.  No different here. I guess it's just a poor understanding on the filmmakers' end on how they view the "ang mohs". Now, who's the racist here? 

A big shout-out to Danny Chan's impression as Bruce Lee. He perfectly captures Bruce Lee's charisma, swagger and his signature moves. Danny is a refreshing highlight.

The Ip Man movies have always been about nationalistic triumphs. So, it's pretty obvious the filmmakers of this movie were going for the social commentary angle aimed at the bigotry of the Trump-era. Unfortunately, it's heavy handed here. Thankfully, there is a heartfelt montage from the previous three films at the end which saved Ip Man 4 from being a below average finale. 

RATING: 6.5/10

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Release Date: Malaysia, 19 Dec 2019
Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure

Running Length: 2:21

Cast: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Joonas Suotamo, Anthony Daniels, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid

Director: J.J. Abrams

Screenplay: Chris Terrio & J.J. Abrams, based on characters created by George Lucas

The next paragraph is really not a spoiler if you've seen the trailer. But if you want to watch STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, the finale of the Skywalker saga, without knowing anything at all, then please turn away. 

.

.

.

.

.

Still here? Ok, here's the iconic opening crawl of this movie that will set the audience up pretty nicely for the following 2 hours+: 

EPISODE IX THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

The dead speak! The galaxy has heard a mysterious broadcast, a threat of REVENGE in the sinister voice of the late EMPEROR PALPATINE.

GENERAL LEIA ORGANA dispatches secret agents to gather intelligence, while REY, the last hope of the Jedi, trains for battle against the diabolical FIRST ORDER.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader KYLO REN rages in search of the phantom Emperor, determined to destroy any threat to his power…

(Actually for geeks out there, this "mysterious broadcast" was revealed much earlier in Fortnite (yes, the game!). And here's the message) 

I am aware that fans and professional reviewers worldwide are shredding this movie into pieces at this very moment.  As for me, I actually enjoyed it. It's not life-defining or anything of that sorts. I mean it's Star Wars after all.

Then it dawned upon me that I'm not a die-hard Star Wars fan after all. I mean I know the characters and the overall folklore lah but I could never really remember the storyline from any of the installment. (Perhaps, I'm just not into epic fantasy trilogies and series like The Lord of The Rings, Game of Thrones etc)

However, what I do like about the Star Wars series were all present in The Rise of Skywalker. Stormtroopers? Checked. The Force on display? Checked. Weird creatures? Checked. X-wings and Tie Fighters dogfights? Checked. Epic lightsaber duels? Double triple checked.

I mean this movie is like watching my favourite band in concert playing all of the crowd-pleasing greatest hits as their tens of thousands of fans sing-along.

Abrams really displays a firm understanding on the power of nostalgia. He really knows what the fans want. "Forget about the plot. Just focus on creating sweeping and breathtaking epic scenes. And remember to pepper the scenes with familiar faces!" Greatest Hits indeed.  

To be fair, there is a story, of course. But as mentioned, it just consists of a bunch of events and, if you pause long enough to think through the plot, it falls apart very quickly. Probably that's why this movie is currently rated barely fresh at 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

I think the biggest mistake Disney made with this "new" trilogy (Episode VII, VIII, IX) was to have different directors to bring forth their unique vision for the episode they helm. I mean as terrible as the "first" trilogy (Episode I, II, III) was, at least it was consistent because it was written and directed by the same person. Just look at what Johnson did with The Last Jedi?? I think all he wanted was to disrupt the entire Skywalker saga. Thankfully J.J. Abrams of Episode VII The Force Awakens is back to helm the finale.  

Hence, that's why I think J.J. Abrams and his team really tried and did the best way they knew how with what was handed to them after the disastrous The Last Jedi and of course, the unexpected demise of Carrie Fisher. For better or worse, I'm glad the Skywalker saga is over. Disney, please move on and tell other Star Wars stories. 

RATING: 8/10 

FROZEN II

Release Date: Malaysia, 21 Nov 2019
Genre: Animation

Running Length: 1:43

Cast (voices): Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood

Director: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Screenplay: Jennifer Lee

As I am preparing to review FROZEN II, the only thing that is repeatedly pounding my head right now is:

"Into the unknown, into the UNKNOWN, into the UNKNOOOoooOOoooWN. Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahhhh~"

Several years have passed since the incidents from the first movie. Elsa (Menzel) is the ruler of Arendelle. However, there is an unknown voice calling her to leave Arendelle for the mysterious enchanted forest in order to save her kingdom from an unknown threat. Yes, I am aware there are two "unknowns" in one sentence. And so, Elsa and her sister Anna (Bell), Anna's boyfriend Kristoff (Groff), Sven the moose and Olaf (Gad) leave Arendelle and set out to travel to this mysterious forest to make things alright again.

There is just something about excessive singing in an animation that will bore me to tears. I never grew to like it. Probably that's why I've never really developed a liking for the performing/theatre arts. That was probably why I couldn't connect with Frozen when it first came out in 2013.

Hence after impacting a whole generation of kids with "Let It Go" and all things Frozen, I was very hesitant to watch the sequel. But I braved myself and decided to step into the unknooooown to check it out anyway. 

Let's get the songs out of the way first, shall we? Musically, the songs here are not as "catchy" compared to the first one but the one song that really stood out for me was, yep, "Into The Unknown" (personally, I prefer Panic! At the Disco's version compared to Menzel's). Overall, there is a certain 'Broadway' feel to the list of songs here. Not sure if it's because the characters in the movie delivered them with gusto or it's the composition or just both.

As for the plot, I must say I'm glad the filmmakers didn't rehash it from the first movie. The themes explored here are more mature. However, that doesn't mean it's better as it's not as focused as the first one. There are themes of politics, save the environment, growing up and a handful more. It's a bit of a mess, really. 

Visually, it does move the bar, if only by a little (I'm comparing to the recent animations and not the first Frozen). Some scenes are beautiful to watch as it's photo-realistic but still maintain the animated touch. The scene where Elsa ran towards the dark and stormy ocean, coupled with the heart pounding soundtrack, is a sight to behold. 

All in all, I'm glad Frozen II is not a cash grab and the writers took time to extend the arc of some of these characters and expand the Frozen universe. Oh, and Olaf provides just enough comic-relief here to be not irritating.

RATING: 7/10

KAUSERN MOVIE REVIEWS: TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2019

I must say the quality of movies from the 2^nd half of the 2019 is so much better than the 1^st half. In fact, I gave more 9s this year compared to 2018.

I watched the least number of movies in the cinema this year compared to the last 5 years. Blame it on office work and Netfix (I also started to review more Netflix released movies).

Before we get into the Top 10, let me first list down two (dis)honourable movies of the year.

The most un-enjoyable movie of 2019: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

I told myself I will never catch John Wick 2 because I didn’t enjoy the first movie. But I did. And I regretted my decision. So, when the 3^rd one came out, I wanted to be sure if it was really me (as the majority of people were raving about the 3^rd movie from the franchise). I caught it and...it's definitely me. I'm the problem. John Wick: Chapter 4? No, thank you. I rather watch paint dry.     

The most disappointing movie of 2019: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Breaking Bad is the most complete and perfect series I've watched, bar none. And its spin off Better Call Saul, despite its inconsistencies, is still one of the more watchable series on TV. So when they announced there IS GOING TO BE A BREAKING BAD movie after all, I hyperventilated for weeks leading to the release of the "movie event" on Netflix. Bitch! What a letdown it was. They should have just ended at Jesse Pinkman driving away to his freedom in the El Camino at the end of Breaking Bad. 

Ok, now that I've put all that aside, let's get on with it, shall we? (Click on the titles to open up the full review)

#10 PARASITE

A rare and bizarre movie but yet very accessible to a global audience; with elements of dark comedy, drama and thriller.

#9 TOY STORY 4

The themes explored here are beautifully bleak; what does it mean to be unlovable and losing one's purpose. And because I care for these characters, the heart-wrenching conclusion ripped me to shreds.

#8 ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

The most surprising movie of 2019 for me! I was prepared to be pounded silly by the CGI and mindless action scenes but boy, was I BLOWN AWAY! It's thrilling, violent and bizarre at the same time.

#7 MARRIAGE STORY

This movie is about the exploration of marriage; the happier days and the end it. It's humourous, honest and heartbreaking.

#6 THE TWO POPES

This is such a fascinating movie as it demystifies these divine men as mere mortals, and surprisingly, it made me reflect my relationship with God and who I am as a human being.  I was expecting this movie to be dry and talky-talky. Yes, it's talky-talky but it's absolutely not boring.

#5 KNIVES OUT

The ensemble cast of calibre actors here are playing against type and they are on-point. I was glued to what's unfolding in front of me because of its sharp dialogue. Knives Out is one of the most entertaining, smart and enjoyable films I've seen this year!

#4 AD ASTRA

This is the most visually beautiful movie of the year for me. What I really enjoyed about this film is the use of space exploration as a canvas to look inward at the very core of our humanity - what does it mean to live and to love? Ad Astra was a meditative and healing experience for me.

#3 FORD V FERRARI

The most feel-good movie of the year for me! A solid blockbuster driven by friendship, passion for the craft and human drama.

#2: AVENGERS: END GAME

Although not as "shock-to-the-system" impactful as Infinity War, this movie still carries an emotional punch to the gut. In fact, I was "punched" a few times. A super satisfying ending for me that has the right balance of closure and setup for future installments for some characters.

And the #1 movie of 2019 is

.

.

.

.

.

#1 JOKER

The very fact that I was still thinking about this movie long after the curtain fell says something about this film. (The theme of mental health from this movie was further covered by my creative partner and I on our podcast The Stories We Tell Ourselves)

              

"Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?"

And that's a wrap for 2019!

THE TWO POPES

Release Date: Netflix Malaysia, 20 Dec 2019
Genre: Drama

Running Length: 2:05

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujín

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Screenplay: Anthony McCarten

Based on true events, THE TWO POPES imagines a meeting between Pope Benedict/Cardinal Ratzinger (Hopkins) and his future successor, Pope Francis/Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Pryce). Benedict is a conservative leader while Francis is more of a liberal and modern thinker; and one of Pope Benedict's harshest critics.

I was expecting this movie to be dry and talky-talky. Yes, it's talky-talky but it's absolutely not boring.

There are elements of faith in this movie but the filmmakers are more concerned with giving us an inside look on the political side of the church and a rare behind-the-scene peek into the process of voting for a Pope. 

Of course, the highlight to me was seeing the meeting of the two men of faith. The bulk of the film happens when Pope Benedict summons Bergoglio to visit him in Rome with the purpose of informing him of his resignation, and tries to convince him to be his successor. 

What really spoke to me was seeing Bergoglio trying to avoid his destiny to be the future world leader because he felt undeserving due to a crisis of conscience (he was scarred by a particular incident that happened to him when he was a young man, shown here in flashbacks).

The performances from both Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are on point. You can see both their character's arc transform on screen throughout the course of the movie. The dialogue is sharp and peppered with just enough humour to make me see them as imperfect humans; one more close-minded than the other, but both equally passionate for God and compassionate for His people.  

What I also like is the unconventional cinematography and editing choice the filmmakers made to keep this film moving along swiftly. The decision to use the shaky cam approach for some scenes were distracting at first, but overtime, it did successfully gave us the audience, a more intimate and almost voyeuristic view into the conversations of these two godly men.  

This is such a fascinating movie as it demystifies these divine men as mere mortals, and surprisingly, it made me reflect my relationship with God and who I am as a human being.  

RATING: 8.5/10

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

Release Date: Malaysia, 05 Dec 2019

Genre: Adventure / Comedy

Running Length: 2:02

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Awkwafina, Nick Jonas, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito, Alex Wolff, Ser’Darius Blain, Morgan Turner, Madison Iseman, Rory McCann, Colin Hanks

Director: Jake Kasdan

Screenplay: Jake Kasdan and Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg, based on “Jumanji” by Chris Van Allsburg

Those who enjoyed 2017's hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will definitely enjoy JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL. The content is practically a regurgitation of its predecessor; it's more of the same. At least, it's entertaining on a popcorn level.

Everyone from the 2017 movie returns in this sequel with additional cast of Awkwafina, Danny DeVito and Danny Glover.  

This time round, there is a change-up in the "pairings of the virtual avatars". Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson plays Danny DeVito's character, Kevin Hart plays Danny Glover's character and instead of playing the millennial girl character, Jack Black plays the character of the buff black dude. Yeah, it sounds all so confusing if you've not seen Welcome to the Jungle but trust me, it's easy to follow. (Eventhough my parents have not watched the 2017 movie, they recently went to see this movie in a 4DX cinema and they thoroughly enjoyed it!)

The fun part of the movie isn't seeing how these avatars survive in the Jumanji world but seeing the likes of The Rock, Kevin Hart and Jack Black (and even Awkwafina) inhabiting and impersonating other characters. In fact, I felt like I was watching a film version of the improvisational comedy TV show, Who's Line Is It Anyway?

The least convincing "impersonation" is The Rock playing Danny DeVito's character. I mean on paper it sounds hilarious but not so from paper to film. Surprisingly, the best impersonation goes to Kevin Hart playing Danny Glover's character! (In the last movie, my money went to Jack Black). Kevin Hart was playing Kevin Hart in the last movie, but in this outing, he's really good here as the subdued zoologist. Another standout is Awkwafina playing a particular character very much later in the film.         

Although The Next Level is entertaining and has some solid LOL moments (and a touching ending), it does feel a little too much like a money grab move. 

RATING: 7/10

MARRIAGE STORY

Release Date: Netflix Malaysia, 06 Dec 2019
Genre: Drama
Running Length: 2:16
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Alan Alda, Azhy Robertson
Director: Noah Baumbach
Screenplay: Noah Baumbach

MARRIAGE STORY is a love story but not that kind. It's humourous, honest and heartbreaking. 

This movie is about the exploration of marriage; the happier days and the end it. When the movie begins, Nicole (Johansson) and Charlie (Driver) are in the process of splitting up. All they want is to ensure that they can still raise and provide the best for their son (Robertson). And when the movie ends, it would leave the audience on a bittersweet note. 

Most films about divorce focus on the bitterness and the shouting matches but not this one. Almost the entire length of the movie, it centres around how these two adults try to cope with what's happening in a, well....adult way. Most of the the time it involves a lot of talking or just silence.  

What I appreciate about this movie is how the filmmakers showcase the process of a divorce especially when the lawyers are involved. Well, there are a few heavy handed scenes to caricaturize the lawyers but most of it are true; all they care is about being paid and "winning". 

I'm also glad the director didn't take sides on who's the "bad" person and who's the "good" one. We clearly know why Nicole wants out from the marriage but the audience can also empathize with Charlie.  

The watch-ability of Marriage Story is squarely on the shoulders of the stellar performances of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. There is this one argument scene which was so intense it really got to me. 

(Strangely, I feel if this was made into a small-scale theater production, the raw emotions shown by the actors would have been more affecting and powerful for its audience.) 

The film’s themes and emotions are universal. One doesn't have to have gone through a divorce to "enjoy" this film but whoever has been through a break-up will appreciate the sensitivity shown in how a separation will take a personal toll on the respective parties. 

RATING: 8.5/10

WIRA

Release Date: Malaysia, 21 Nov 2019

Genre: Action

Running Length: 1:48

Cast: Hairul Azreen, Fify Azmi, Hilal Azman, Henley Hii, Dain Said, Ismi Melinda, Yayan Ruhian

Director: Adrian Teh

Screenplay: Anwari Ashraf & Adrian Teh

I really enjoyed Paskal when it came out last year. So when I heard that the team that did Paskal is behind WIRA, I had to go check it out. So is it as good? 

Before we get to that, what's this movie about? Well, this movie is set in a dystopian-like little town in Malaysia run by a kingpin called Raja (Dain Said). Hassan who once served Raja (Hairul Azreen) years ago is now a military guy and he goes back to that sh*t hole to get his father and younger sister out. Wira being a fight movie, I'm sure you can guess where the plot will eventually lead to.

I went into this movie for the fight scenes as I have read reviews claiming that the hand-to-hand fight scenes are on par with Indonesian's The Raid and even Hollywood's John Wick. I read as well that the film's director Adrian Teh wanted to aim for "Hollywood-level fight scenes, but on a Malaysian budget". Wah....sure boh? I had to see it for myself, right?

And the verdict? 50/50. 

First of all, there is no doubt there are plenty of fight scenes. In fact, right at the opening scene of the movie, we already see Hassan's sis Zain (Fify Azmi) and Raja's daughter Vee (Ismi Melinda) beating the cr*p out of each other in the ring. But the fight choreography, unfortunately, was very tame and unbelievable. In fact, there is this one vs many unbroken-one-take fight scene where it looked a little weird; like bullet time but not.

Fortunately, the fight scenes do get better and better. And the payoff came at the last fight scene which lasted a good 10 minutes between tag team bro + sis vs Raja's bodyguard (Yayan Ruhian, yes, the Raid dude, who is also the fight choreographer for this movie). Man, that fight scene was worth the price of the admission ticket itself! It was intense and brutal. 

I really believe Adrian could have bring in the A-game on a Malaysian budget on all the fight scenes (and not only the last few fight scenes) but I think his team is constrained by the PG-13 rating. If this was rated R, on boy, it could have been a blast. The bones breaking and bodies getting slashed would have been more riveting.

What I do like also are the performances by Fify and Dain Said. Fify is believable as our strong female lead, something you don't see much in our local movies. And Dain Said channeling his inner Alan Rickman from Die Hard...ahh, whenever he appears on screen, I am engaged. 

So all in all, is Wira a worthy follow-up to Paskal? Not really. There wasn't any "sign me up for TUDM!" emotions I felt when I watched Paskal. Besides the inconsistent fight sequences, it's a tad melodrama and some of the dialogue sounds awkward too. 

p/s: Do stay behind for a mid-credit scene which I thought was...anyway, just watch for yourselves. 

RATING: 6.5/10 

KNIVES OUT

Release Date: Malaysia, 28 Nov 2019

Genre: Thriller

Running Length: 2:00

Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer

Director: Rian Johnson

Screenplay: Rian Johnson

KNIVES OUT is one of the most entertaining, smart and enjoyable films I've seen this year. 

The movie starts off like the board game Cluedo. Harlan Thrombey (Plummer), a renowned and rich crime novelist is found dead in his huge mansion the day after his 85th birthday party. He has invited his dysfunctional family, and there are many of them, to his party. Of course, everyone at the party is a suspect and in comes famous Detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) to investigate this mysterious death. 

And that's all I can say about this movie. Because anything more than that will rob you of your joy in watching this well-written, well-directed and well acted movie. 

The highlight of this movie is Daniel Craig's Blanc. His southern drawl is one of a kind and his method of investigation is refreshing. He is detached from logic and intuition and believes that the evidence will eventually show up. It's nice to see him moving around in a nonchalant laid-back manner, compared to his portrayal of James Bond. 

The other highlight is of course the ensemble cast of calibre actors, with most of them playing against type. You are glued to what's unfolding in front of you because of its sharp dialogue and not because of some car chase action scene. In fact, there is only one car chase scene in the entire movie and the remark at the end of the chase was funny in a self-parody way. 

Go watch this classic whodunnit? murder mystery on the big screen!

RATING: 9/10