TOY STORY 4

Release Date: Malaysia, 20 June 2019

Genre: Animated

Running Length: 1:40

Cast (Voices): Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves

Director: Josh Cooley

Screenplay: Andrew Stanton & Stephany Folsom

A couple of years ago when Pixar announced they are going to do another Toy Story, the first words that dropped into my mind were, "cash grab". And when the trailer to TOY STORY 4 was released, I wasn't impressed. The plot macam same-same with the rest of the other Toy Story episodes and it kinda looked...boring.

I had a similar feeling towards Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo. But I still watched it then because it's Pixar yo. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed with Dory because it felt the same.

So with all these precedents, I walked into Toy Story 4 with my bar set very low.

And I'm glad to say I really enjoyed this movie! Here's why

In terms of the plot for all the Toy Story movies, I never really could remember much of it. It all somewhat blend into one because it usually involves Woody (Hanks) and Buzz (Allen) fighting for their owner's attention. And somehow a toy or two will get stranded and the whole gang will go on a rescue mission.

However, what I do care about this series is its characters, especially Woody and Buzz. And in this movie, eventhough it involves another rescue mission, something more happens to a major character. And because I care for this character, the heart-wrenching conclusion ripped me to shreds.

And speaking of characters, there are some new ones introduced in this installment and I absolutely love them especially Forky, Ducky and Bunny and Duke Caboom (voiced by the ever reliable Keanu "Woah" Reeves). They are super funny!

Oh, and don't forget to stay till the end after the final end-credits involving Duke Caboom and a G.I. Joe-like action figure.

And finally, as for the themes explored here, it's beautifully bleak. More mature kids watching this may be affected by real-world themes such as being unlovable, losing one's purpose and making a difficult decision to follow your heart. (There are some horror elements too, so those bringing kids, you've been warned)

In conclusion, I'm glad Toy Story 4 wasn't a cash grab. Even if it was, I felt a sense of relief that the filmmakers put in so much care in these characters and the superior photo-realistic animation.

RATING: 8.5/10

DARK PLACES (2015)

Genre: Thriller
Running Length:1:43
Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Chloe Grace Moretz, Corey Stoll, Christina Hendricks
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Screenplay: Gilles Paquet-Brenner, based on the novel by Gillian Flynn.

"The hardest prison to escape is in your mind."

If only DARK PLACES explored the angle of the psychological trauma of guilt and lies have on its characters, this movie could have been a far more satisfying cinematic experience. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad movie but it's not very good either. Blame it on today's abundance of solid crime thriller stories available on TV, this film appears surprisingly tame for the big screen (perhaps this is why it has not gotten a domestic release date in the U.S.). Dark Places is told from the first person (Theron), one of two known survivors of a family massacre that took place in 1985 on the family farm in rural Kansas. In present day, she's compelled to revisit the demons of her childhood to find out whether her then teenage brother (the other survivor who's serving life time in jail for his crime) actually killed their mother and two other siblings. As the movie unfolded, it kept me guessing but when the end credits rolled, I just felt it was a missed opportunity. Gillian Flynn’s second adaptation (first being Gone Girl) to the silver screen has all the raw ingredients of a great film; satanic cults, twisted family secrets, obsessions, lies, selflessness, young lust and serial killings and it has the very dependable Charlize Theron - but it just turned out to be an average motion picture. Perhaps it lacked atmosphere and a dark soundtrack. Perhaps the director is not an actor's director. Perhaps it's the screenplay. Whatever it is, just imagine what David Fincher could have done with a setup like that. There are a dime a dozen of whodunits stories out there in both the small and big screen, but there are not many which examine the issues of guilt, innocence and lies that keep its characters locked-up not in physical prison cells but in the prison of their mind.      

Rating: 6.5/10