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. 

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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 

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

Release Date: Malaysia, 24 Oct 2019

Genre: Science Fiction / Action

Running Length: 2:08

Cast: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Gabriel Luna

Director: Tim Miller

Screenplay: David S. Goyer & Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray, based on a story by James Cameron & Charles H. Eglee & Josh Friedman & David S. Goyer & Justin Rhodes

From an entertainment standpoint, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE is an improvement over the recent sequels but it still can't match the level of the first two entries in the series. In fact, the series should have just ended at T2.

This movie is somewhat a remake of T1 and T2 by taking what worked in that two entries and smashed it together in this one to serve a new generation of audience. Yeah, there is a bold move in Dark Fate which happens right at the beginning but other than that, it's actually more or less a T1 and T2 mashup. 

Action junkies would enjoy this entry but I disliked it. The action sequences here are the Fast & Furious type where it defies physics and it goes up to eleven as the movie progresses: loud, CGI-packed action and just numbing. There was hardly any tension. 

Performance wise, Arnold still steals the show everytime he is on screen. He is the king of one-liners. The filmmakers introduced emotions into Arnold's Terminator here and he does it with surprising effectiveness without coming across awkward and forced. Linda's Sarah Connor is fine here. She looks great for her age but I just can't help but be distracted by how much her face has aged. Perhaps it's a reflection of how much I have aged too >.<

As for the younger actors, Mackenzie's Grace is a standout while the rest of the cast were serviceable.

All in all, they should just stop making more Terminator movies. 

RATING: 6/10   

AD ASTRA

Release Date: Malaysia, 19 Sep 2019

Genre: Science Fiction / Drama

Running Length: 2:02

Cast: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga

Director: James Gray 

Screenplay: Ethan Gross

"He could only see what was not there and miss what was right in front of him."

AD ASTRA (Latin for "to the stars") isn’t the sort of sci-fi motion picture with action and explosion aka Armageddon, eventhough it has Liv Tyler in this movie. Instead, this movie is in the same vein as The Martian, Gravity and Interstellar where the focus is on the human spirit and relationships. 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? 

This film spoke to me and probably most men, as our masculinity are pegged with our drive, performance and success in reaching our quest. And if we fail, we are told to "man up". As a result, we are good at compartmentalizing how we feel. Such suppression usually leads to loneliness and being distant in our relationships.

Brad Pitt, fresh off the recent Once Upon A Time in Hollywood turns in another stellar performance. His performances here reminds us that he’s more than a pretty face. He is restrained throughout the entire film (probably because his character's heart rate doesn't go up more than 80 bpm even when he is faced head-on with fight-or-flight situations).

The cinematography and set design captures the vastness of space and just so gorgeous to look at respectively. And the soundtrack complements the film instead of trying to forcefully draw out a certain emotion from the audience.

All in all, it was a meditative and healing experience for me as this film develops at its own pace. At times, it feels personal and intimate as though Brad Pitt was still reeling from his recent split from Angelina Jolie and their children. It feels like we're inside Brad Pitt's brain as we see him close-up in almost every frame and hear him narrating calmly in voice-over throughout the film. A mesmerizing film. 

RATING: 9/10

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

Release Date: Malaysia, 05 Feb 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Running Length: 2:02

Cast:  Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson

Director:  Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay: James Cameron, Laeta Kalogridis and Robert Rodriguez, based on the manga series "Gunnm" by Yukito Kishiro

Before going into the cinema, my expectations for ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL was set really low after what I've witnessed in the trailers. It was CGI heavy, the main lead is cosmetically CGI and the action scenes were just too loud and silly. I was prepared to be bored. I mean, just look at the unconvincing poster. C'mon!

But boy, was I BLOWN AWAY!

(But more of that later)

This movie is set in a dystopian future of the 26th century where cyborgs and humans live together in a run-down city known as Iron City. Most of them aspire to reach a utopian world known as Zalem which floats above the city (like the movie Elysium). The only way for these peasants to get to 'heaven' is to win in the violent sport of Motorball.

After being saved from the scrapyard, Alita (Salazar) was brought back to life by Dr Ido (Waltz), a cybernetic doctor. He soon becomes a father figure to the teen-aged Alita as she tries to recall her past.

This film worked for me because of Salazar's performance, the convincing CGI and the thrilling action set pieces. 

In the trailer, Alita's big eyes were creepy and distracting but thankfully, her naive but powerful personality over shadowed her appearance. One just can't help but to fall for her charm as she comes across as a fully formed believable teenage cyborg girl.  

The Iron City world is an eyeful at every frame as it's packed with details. WETA Digital, you guys did it again!

And finally, the ACTION SCENES! It's thrilling, violent and bizarre at the same time. Most of the cyborg characters are much better realized than expected. Some of them are really monstrous looking with OTT enhancements. 

Something about the action set pieces reminds me of Max Max: Fury Road . Although there isn't much blood splatter, its cartoon violence is unapologetic. It has several beheading, visceral bone crunching death scenes and a shocking scene involving a four legged *gasp*

I'm glad James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez didn't waste time in being all intellectual and cerebral on the ethics and philosophy aspects of this movie (eg. Ghost in the Shell) but went straight into producing an action-packed movie. 

As entertaining as it is, there were some jarring moments which made this movie feel like a motion picture made for tweens. Perhaps it's the cheesy dialogue, the central unconvincing romantic relationship and some cartoon-like characters. 

All in all, I felt that the filmmakers really pour out their sweat, blood and heart in bringing this movie to life on the big screen. I had a good time and it definitely exceeded my expectations (keep an eye out for a few uncredited guest appearances).

RATING: 8.5/10

GLASS

Release Date: Malaysia, 17 Jan 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Running Length: 2:09

Cast: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan

GLASS serves as the final installment in Shyamalan's Eastrail 177 superhero universe where Unbreakable and Split exist. We see the return of David Dunn (Willis) and his "arch enemy" Elijah Prince aka Mr Glass (Jackson), as well as Kevin Wendell Crumb (McAvoy), the "villain" who has multiple personalities.    

While 2017's Split got better and better as the movie progressed (THAT hyperventilating brief moment at the very end...YAS!), Glass was a reverse experience for me. It started out strongly but ran out of gas mid-way. 

Eventhough Shyamalan said he already had an idea of how all these 3 main characters would exist when Unbreakable was conceptualized (that was 20+ years ago), this film felt like a rushed job with a mix of half-baked ideas. 

From a performance standpoint, many have praised McAvoy's acting. As good as he is here, his performance was "same-same" to me as he was in Split. There wasn't any additional layer(s) introduced to make his character more human. At times, he just came across as a caricature. 

The poorest performance to me was from Sarah Paulson. The whole time I was think if she was played by say, Jodie Foster (think Silence of the Lambs), this movie could have seriously leveled-up.

What bothered me about this film is also its excessive exposition. Characters in the movie will be illustrating out loud their intentions and motivations. 

That said, I enjoyed the slow-burn approach to such a genre (vs any other loud and CGI heavy superhero movies) as it gives its audience time to reflect and take it in. The signature Shyamalan twist was also serviceable, although some would argue it's a little tad too silly. 

In summary, Glass offers a tidy closure to these characters. It's watchable but an underwhelming conclusion. 

  

RATING: 6.5/10

THE PREDATOR (Malaysia, 13 Sep 2018)

Genre: Science Fiction / Action

Running Length: 1:47

Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski

Director: Shane Black

Screenplay: Fred Dekker & Shane Black

What's this movie about?

THE PREDATOR is essentially the same plot as the 1987 original classic Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger: a squad of "jantan" (manly man) soldiers go against the galaxy's greatest killing machine. 

But this time, the Predator(s) are much stronger and the reason they keep coming back to earth is just...baffling.  

Highlights!

• Some "markah kesian" (pity points) for the filmmakers for trying something different. Some of the dialogue and banter is witty for example the running gag involving the name "Predator".
• The 80s style of movie making where it's profane, bloody and gory.   

Lowlights

• I don't even know where to start but all in all, this movie is a complete mess and it's just not worth my brain power to write anything here. 

In summary

Who the hell is Shane Black? Why does he have keys to big production budgets but yet keeps churning out subpar to terrible movies?? 

THE PREDATOR is just a series of moments told by a 10-year old boy who doesn't understand narrative logic and flow. It's terrible.  

Space dogs? Really??!

RATING: 1/10

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (Malaysia, 07 Jun 2018)

Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure / Thriller

Running Length: 2:08

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Ted Levine, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Isabella Sermon, BD Wong

Director: J.A. Bayona

Screenplay: Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow, based on the novels by Michael Crichton

What's this movie about? 

Three years after the closure of the Jurassic World theme park, the island's dormant volcano threatens to erupt and would wipe off all the remaining dinosaurs there. Claire (Bryce) and Owen (Chris) return to rescue the dinosaurs but in the process, discover a group's unlawful secret plan.

Highlights!

• The first 1/3 of the movie. One of the best opening scenes ever in the Jurassic series leading to the erupting volcano sequence, as shown in the trailer. What a ride! 
• The movie direction. Director J.A. Bayona does a good job with shadows and silhouettes to create a horror-like atmosphere. He does a competent job in pushing the action forward too.
• The dinosaurs. I read that most of these dinosaurs were a mixed of animatronics + CGI. They look real and fantastic! And there is a variety of them in this outing. Ooo...the Indoraptor is one nasty predator.  
• Ethics and social commentary. Although some of these themes were heavy handed, I thought it was necessary. Some of it actually got me thinking.  
• The ending. Pandora's box. Wow. Enough said.    

Lowlights

• Nothing we haven't seen before action scenes. It was still a thrilling ride to see screaming people running away from hunting dinosaurs but after a while, it becomes predictable (except the escape from the erupting volcano sequence). Smart nasty dino goes around hunting for frightened kids? Seen that. Evil hearted villain deservingly gets eaten up? Check. 
• The performances. To be fair, they are not forgettable but just serviceable. Chris is more subdued in this sequel but still as charming as ever while Bryce has more to do this round. In fact, the interactions between the humans and dinosaurs were more believable than the human ones.  
• Humanizing the dinosaurs to tug at the heartstrings. I don't remember tearing at a Jurassic film but some of the scenes were designed to manipulatively open the floodgates. Animal lovers, you've been warned!   

In summary

I like how the filmmakers took the risk in this 5th installment (of the Jurassic series) to a brand new direction. Meant to be a trilogy, I have no idea where the filmmakers will take the third Jurassic World to - and that's a good thing. In my opinion, the overall Jurassic series has just been recycling itself but FALLEN KINGDOM felt fresh. This film managed to successfully mix nostalgia with a new story. 

   

RATING: 8.5/10

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (Malaysia, 24 May 2018)

Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure 

Running Length: 2:15

Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Director: Ron Howard 

Screenplay: Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan, based on characters created by George Lucas

What's this movie about?

A prequel to the original trilogy, SOLO chronicles the adventures of young Han Solo; how he met Chewbacca, got his hands on the Millennium Falcon and his involvement in a heist. 

Highlights!

• Han and Chewie moments. When they are together on screen, it just lights up. The bromance is strong with these two.
• The action scenes. Most of the action scenes are well choreographed. There is one standout scene involving stealing an important cargo from a moving "train". 
• Performances. Everything you heard about Donald Glover's performance as Lando Calrissian...is true; he is so on point. Harrelson and Bettany's performances are commendable too. They definitely have screen presence.   
• Gambling scenes. Han and Lando's poker scenes are so much fun to watch.
• L3-37 droid. The droids from the standalone films are definitely more memorable than the Star Wars family saga. L3 is such a memorable character its performance is much more believable than most of the human actors in this movie. 

Lowlights

• Bad pacing. Some critics said the movie flowed really well eventhough there were different directors involved in the production (original directors duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller left due to "creative differences"). But to me, I just felt that the overall movie pacing was off. As a result, it just couldn't generate sufficient energy to lift off. 
• No sense of danger, whatsoever. Eventhough we are familiar with the events of the original trilogy, prequel Rogue One still got me at the edge of my seat. Can't say the same for Solo as we know our protagonist and his furry sidekick would not die or get their faces smashed in from an oncoming mountain rock. 
• Poor casting. Throughout the movie I just wasn't convinced that Alden Ehrenreich was playing the same Han Solo character as Harrison Ford did. Although I have not watched a single episode of GOT (*gasp*), I am convinced Emilia Clarke really cannot act. She was terrible in Terminator Genisys and she is terrible-r here. 

In summary

A fun, breezy and light adventure. Predictably, it checks all the boxes of an origins story but doesn't add any depth to the Han Solo we know. 

RATING: 7.5/10

READY PLAYER ONE (Malaysia, 29 Mar 2018)

Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure 

Running Length: 2:20

Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki

Director: Steven Spielberg 

Screenplay: Zak Penn and Ernest Cline, based on the novel by Ernest Cline 

READY PLAYER ONE brings back a little of the "Spielberg magic" missing in his recent movies; the sense of adventure, special effects, sweeping music score, awestruck faces of the actors to show a sense of wonder and of course, the neat ending.

What's the movie about?

The year is 2045, where there's widespread poverty and overpopulation. People are more interested in escaping reality into this massive online universe called The Oasis via their VR equipment. When the founder of this game died, he offered his fortune and ownership of the entire game to whoever who can find the prized Easter Egg. Our hero Wade Watts (Sheridan) and his group of new found friends in the game has to face off against an evil corporation who wants The Oasis too.   

What I like about it?

• The Oasis. It's a visual fest, immersive and packed with details! This movie needs to be watched on the big screen with the best possible sound system.  
• Pop references. Because a player can be anybody in the game, this movie is packed full with recognizable characters; King Kong, Iron Giant, the DeLorean, the Akira motorbike, Streetfighter characters, Alien etc. One YouTube video says there are at least 128 of these references. Geeks will love this movie!
• The sweeping music score by Alan Silvestri.
• The sense of adventure and wonder in Act 1. The car race is WOW!
• The good old Spielberg kan-cheong moments in Act 3, involving scenes going back and forth between the game world and the real world. Only Spielberg can get the audience to scream  "Quick, quick hurry up!" at the screen. 

What I didn't?

• The bloated middle Act. After being introduced to the Oasis, I felt that was no need to keep going deeper into that world. I caught myself checking my watch. 
• The missed opportunity of exploring the growing phenomenon of young people living a reclusive life. The filmmakers did shed some light on it but kinda addressed it lightly at the end. 
• The performances from the actors are ok but not particularly memorable. 

RATING: 7.5/10 

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE

Malaysia Release Date: 25 Jan 2018

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure 

Running Length: 2:22

Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Rosa Salazar, Will Poulter, Aidan Gillen, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Patricia Clarkson, Walton Goggins

Director: Wes Ball

Screenplay: T.S. Nowlin, based on the novel by James Dashner 

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE is a good send-off to conclude the Maze Runner trilogy. To be fair, the bar wasn't set very high with the first and second one, so I was pleasantly surprise at the grand-ness of this third and final installment. 

What I liked about this film is its action set pieces. At get-go, it opens with a spectacular train rescue mission (felt like it was taken out from a scene in the later Fast and Furious movies) and the action doesn't stop there. It keeps piling up right to its fiery ending. In terms of performances, only one stood out - Dylan O'Brien. Together with the recent American Assassin, O'Brien is shaping up to be a potential action star. There's still room for improvement but I must say, he gives his all into every scene.  

What I didn't like? Way too much action scenes and unnecessary plots. This film is bloated. Clocking in at 2:22, it felt like a 4 hour movie. Some action scenes are so out there you just can't help but to chuckle a little. Although the filmmakers tried to balance it out with some Korean-drama-type emotional scenes, it just didn't really work for me. And what irritated me were the tropes (it came in spades) especially towards the end of the movie. There were so many moments I went, "Wait for it...this and that will happen" and BAM, it did! 

All in all, I must say the Maze Runner series is a much more consistent outing compared to the Hunger Games franchise. While the latter started off with a bang but spluttered to a halt by the time it came to its conclusion, the former kept chugging along.

RATING: 7/10

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017)

Genre: Adventure / Science Fiction

Running Length: 2:20

Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Amiah Miller, Terry Notary, Ty Olsson

Director: Matt Reeves 

Screenplay: Mark Bomback & Matt Reeves 

What I learned from this movie is that leaders are flawed individuals too. They are capable of making irrational mistakes (which could lead to grave consequences). When they err, most leaders will usually cover up, blame others, deny or rationalise their actions. But when a leader acknowledges his own flaws, apologizes and quickly rebound to make good with his actions, his people would trust him even more because they see authenticity, ownership and courage. And courage begets courage because these followers will most likely ape their leader's actions. So when tough times come, these followers will most likely rise up and take ownership of their problems too.

Just like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES defies the conventional summer blockbuster. You would think from the trailer and the title for this final film to the prequel trilogy will lead movie goers to a full-on apes vs humans battle finale, but instead, the filmmakers choose NOT to take the predictable path. 

What we are presented instead is a tale on betrayal, obsession and sacrifice. Everytime I thought I knew where the film was going, it took me to a complete unexpected direction. Some would find such an approach fresh, but I personally think it was tad overdone. Perhaps I like my movies to go deep instead of wide ie. explore only one, maximum two themes but expound on it.   

And it doesn't help that War borrows heavily from classic war pictures and epic biblical movies. As a result, there are just too many references from scenes of finding the promised land to public flogging and crucifixion to an Act of God intervention. It felt a little copy-and-paste at times. 

That aside, the motion capture special effects that transform Andy Serkis into Caesar, as well as the other actors into the different ape characters is the highlight for me. It's the most impressive technical achievement I've ever seen. The close-ups are so realistic I actually felt the emotions and compassion, especially from Maurice the orangutan (played tenderly by Konoval). Harrelson who plays the human character here is equally brilliant too.   

Just like Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in the original trilogy, Dawn was my favourite because it became deeper and darker thus it carried the highest emotional impact. But if viewed as an entire arc, War is a fitting way to end this excellent trilogy. It is a satisfying conclusion to witness the journey undertaken by Caesar from a baby in Rise to a reluctant leader in Dawn and finally to a Moses-like leader in War.

RATING: 8.5/10 

ARRIVAL (2017)

Genre: Science Fiction
Running Length: 1:56
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay: Eric Heisserer, based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang

ARRIVAL is a not for the mainstream audience. If you're expecting an Independence Day type of blockbuster, you'll be bored to death. The college students sitting at the back of me were impatient throughout the film; kicking the seats in front of them and shifting in their seats. When the ending credits rolled, one of them went, "Damn boring wei! No action also?! The Great Wall is better man..."

Arrival is an intelligent and cerebral movie experience. It explores the situation we're all familiar with - the arrival of the aliens in their big ships, "Are they friend or foe?" But what stands out from the other movies with similar approach is the focus on our protagonist, played convincingly by Amy Adams.

Thanks to the clever edits, camera work and good use of sound and amazing score, audience would be immersed in the shoes of Amy Adams' Dr Louise Banks. We see what she sees and we feel what she feels. So much so, when the big reveal came, I was caught off guard emotionally (eventhough I managed to guess it earlier). I genuinely felt the "painful hope" of our heroine.

As I was reflecting on Adam's character, this film reminded me Jesus' mom, Mary - what she had to go through as she cared and loved Jesus from the cradle to the cross.

In summary, Arrival is a believable film because it doesn't dumb down its story to appease the mass audience. For the thinking and patient viewers, they will find this film both intellectually and emotionally satisfying.

Rating: 9/10

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016)

Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure
Running Length: 2:13
Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen,
Director: Gareth Edwards
Screenplay: Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta, based on characters created by George Lucas

ROGUE ONE is better than Force Awakens, not because the former is more superior but it's because the end product feels unrestrained. Probably the filmmakers do not feel overly pressurized to fit their story into the Skywalker saga. One do not really need to fully understand the universe that George Lucas has created in his trilogies to enjoy this movie.

For Star Wars fans, Rogue One is packed with easter eggs. Thankfully it wasn't distracting but more like a wink to its legion of followers. As for the narrative itself, it's a grittier fare than one would expect because this film has more "war" than "star" ie space opera. People die in Rogue One. Not just one but many.

That said, when the characters gets killed off, I didn't feel much for them, eventhough the movie took a good 50%-60% of its running length to establish its characters. Ok, I did feel a lump in my throat when one of them perished.

The 'return' of Darth Vader was triumphant. Eventhough Director Krennic is the chief villain in this film, it is Darth Vader that steals the show with the few scenes he is in. Talk about impact. As for the rest of the cast, Diego Luna's character is equally central as Felicity Jones'. And as for Donnie Yen, it's nice to see him finally getting the kind of recognition from the West he so deserves. Overall, the diverse cast is adequate.

The big standout for me was the special effects. It is very impressive especially the dogfights and war scenes. It wasn't a disorientating mess as viewers know who's good and bad. And thank God it's not a CGI fest aka screensaver, like the ones in Ep. I, II and III. And speaking of CGI, the recreation of Grand Moff Tarkin (once again portrayed by Peter Cushing, who passed away in 1994) using CGI was a distraction for me. It reminded me of Polar Express.    

In summary, Rogue One a good standalone movie and it presents a closure on why the Empire's ultimate planet killer weapon had such an easy-to-exploit flaw. And it serves well as a companion piece to the Star Wars anthology too.

Rating: 8.5/10

STAR TREK BEYOND (2016)

Genre: Science Fiction / Action
Running Length: 2.00
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella
Director: Justin Lin
Screenplay: Simon Pegg & Doug Jung

I was neither a big fan of Star Trek nor Star Wars series. But I leaned towards the latter because light sabers are just too cool. Well let's put it this way, Star Wars is about a war and Star Trek is about trekking the galaxy for the purpose of exploration. And war stories are always grander in scope and the agenda is clear; good guys vs bad guys. Thus, the premise of showing the day-to-day life on the Enterprise and the crew contemplating whether to engage with foreign regimes or not seems boring...until now.

Well, the first act of STAR TREK BEYOND does just that by looking at the reality of the everyday life on the starship. Even Captain Kirk himself is questioning his purpose as the captain of the ship because, "Things are starting to feel a little...episodic, " he confesses.

But when the second act kicks in, it goes up a notch. The Captain and his crew are attacked by Krall (Alba), a vicious enemy. As a result, the USS Enterprise crashes (yet again) into our deadly enemy's territory and the main crew are separated. It is in this process of finding each other and rescuing the rest of the crew, the audience is treated to some nice character development. The highlight to me is the amazing chemistry between Urban and Quinto's character as they had to lean-on each other to survive. A shout out to Urban who usually plays tough action hero characters because in this installment, his Bones character is fully fleshed out and his against type casting as a "doctor and not a fighter" is just perfect.

Speaking of casting, many critics have argued that Idris Alba is wasted as the main villain because he is buried under all the prosthetic. But when his character's motivation is revealed, I personally felt his casting was worthwhile.    

And when the movie finally kicks into warp drive in its third act, it goes into full on explosive Justin Lin's Fast & Furious mode. In fact, now I can fully appreciate how clever it is for the marketing team to use "it" for its first trailer. Many may argue for its sheer ridiculousness but I love it!

All in all, Star Trek Beyond should appeal to the mainstream audience without alienating fans of the Star Trek series. Although it seems to draw more inspiration from Guardians of the Galaxy in terms of its treatment, I'm not complaining because this film is much more fun compared to its predecessors. And it has a good balance of piling up the action and focusing on the relationships within the crew. The humanity element which defines this series is respectfully kept in this sequel as it explores the vision of what society could become in the future if humanity learned from its past mistakes...or do not.

Rating: 8.5/10

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (2016)

Genre: Science Fiction / Thriller / Drama
Running Length: 1:40
Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Jaeden Lieberher, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard
Director: Jeff Nichols
Screenplay: Jeff Nichols

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is a frustrating watch. It's a character driven low budget small film. The premise of the story is familiar; how would ordinary people of the world react if someone with special powers is placed among them. It reminds me of M Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable but the payout in the end doesn't justify the "what's going on" slow-burn built up. In fact, it implodes as it crosses the finishing line when the big reveal is made known.

I get it. It's not about the destination but the journey. It's about a study on "what would a father do to protect his loved one". I get it. But still, the story of getting there gets less interesting as it unfolds. Also, the audience is left with more questions than answers when the credits rolled.

The story is about a father and his young son (who possesses special powers) who is on the run from those who would want to take advantage of the boy's gifts. We are talking about the military and the Ranch, an ajaran sesat sect where the boy grew up.

The cast puts on a credible performance but it's disappointing how this movie falls apart towards the end after starting so remarkably.

Rating: 4.5/10

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (2015)

Genre: Science Fiction / Action
Running Length: 2:16
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin, Mahershala Ali, Natalie Dormer
Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenplay: Peter Craig and Danny Strong, based on the novel “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins

Dramatic irony is a powerful tool in literature and films. When used correctly, it connects so deeply into the very core of the audience one literally feels like they were punched in the gut. MOCKINGJAY PART 2 had so much potential to do so but in order to attract a wider audience, the filmmakers compromised and never went "all in". There were at least two major ironies which they could have focused on to redeem the franchise (which started off with so much shock and promise) but instead, they chose the safe path of highlighting the characters running around in abandoned tunnels and buildings chased by zombie-like creatures aka Maze Runner or Divergent series.

The film begins exactly were Part 1 ended. Distressed about what happened to Hurtcherson's character, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss decides to join the front line of the Resistance with a personal agenda of assassinating President Snow (Sutherland). And so begins her dangerous mission which she later learns that she could just be a pawn in a bigger game.

I think one of the key problems of the Mockingjay movies is dividing it into two movies. It could have been one epic satisfying major movie to conclude the series. But instead, to justify more box office money the need to develop more three dimensional characters and deeper plots, the results were counter intuitive. Both films felt bloated with uneven pacing. I didn't care enough when major characters were killed off.

There's no doubting that the Hunger Game series has high aspirations and is meant to provoke the irony of war, but it ended lukewarm - neither a satisfying sci-fi adventure movie nor a deeper exploration into the grim side of human nature.

Rating: 5.5/10

THE MARTIAN (2015)

Genre: Science Fiction
Running Length: 2:21
Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristin Wiig, Sean Bean

Director: Ridley Scott
Screenplay: Drew Goddard, based on the novel by Andy Weir

"You solve one problem and then the next. You solve enough problems and you get to come home." Mark Watney

THE MARTIAN is probably one of the most accessible films from Ridley Scott since Gladiator. This is Castaway for today's generation; where Damon's character spends the majority of his time talking to an "audience" aka. video blogging rather than talking to himself. And his best friend is Wilson the GoPro camera (several of them actually).

The science and maths in this film is easier to follow compared to Nolan's Interstellar. Apparently it was even fact-checked by NASA. The plot is easy to follow too. Damon's character is an astronaut where he was left behind on planet Mars by his fellow crew mates due to a freak storm. They presumed he was dead. So our protagonist must use his smarts to find a way to survive on the red planet until he is possibly rescued - several years away.

Although the narrative sounds depressing, the film's tone is actually pretty positive and upbeat. Eventhough the subject matter is serious, the film is approachable thanks to several light hearted moments peppered with appropriate low-key comedy. Also, it has a good balance of how Damon's character tackles both his physical limitations and psychological challenges. So, it's not emo all the way. From the trailers, audience may think that they are in for a boring time, seeing one man going up against one complication after another but it's actually more than that. There are several stories unfolding at the very same time but shares the same mission - to bring our astronaut back home safely, thus making this an interesting watch as we witness brilliant minds around the world coordinating and working together.

As good as Matt Damon is as our everyday hero, he is no Tom Hanks. Nevertheless, his performance here is arguably one of the best in his career. The supporting cast (with very big names) is equally impressive.

I'm glad the filmmakers use practical effects to enhance the look and feel, rather than hardcore CGI. Also, the smart editing coupled with an inspired choice of disco music gives the film a good pacing. Although the ending is a little too over-the-top (and the plot involving the Chinese government seemed forced and out of place), The Martian is still a feel-good cinematic experience.

Rating: 8.5/10

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS (2015)

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Running Length: 2:08
Cast:  Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Jacob Lofland, Rosa Salazar, Aidan Gillen, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor, Patricia Clarkson
Director: Wes Ball
Screenplay: T.S. Nowlin, based on the novel by James Dashner 

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24 

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS touches on the age-old question of whether is it right to sacrifice a small group of people to save the larger population? Just like the rest of the post-apocalyptic YA novels adapted to the big screen, this sequel expands its universe beyond the "maze" in the first movie.

This movie starts where The Maze Runner ended with our protagonist (O'Brien) and his fellow survivors are being taken to a secured location with the promise of a ticket to the promised land. Of course, not all is what it seems. And our survivors are on the run again. Although not quite like the maze we saw in the first film, but the "playground" now has expanded to include crawling through air vents, running away from zombie-like creatures through tunnels and fallen buildings and surviving severe weather conditions. The filmmakers have definitely amped-up the action sequences and some scenes are near terrifying (think Resident Evil). 

Although there are some interesting characters added to the group in this second installment, it still doesn't fare very well in the acting department. Compared to The Hunger Games franchise, the performance here rivals the bad acting we see in soap operas.

To be fair, I like what they did thematically with where all these are going, and I was genuinely entertained. However just like snacking on junk food, I was tricked to feeling full - it was just not as satisfying as a healthy gourmet dinner.

Rating: 6.5/10

   

ANT-MAN (2015)

 
Genre: Action/Science fiction
Running Length: 1:57
Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, T.I., David Dastmalchian
Director: Peyton Reed
Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd

Marvel's ANT-MAN is a tight and smaller scale movie (see what I just did there...) compared to the other epic and god-like superhero movies. And it packs a lot of heart too. In fact, it seems to share the same template as last year's surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy:

• It goes for fun over dark brooding drama. 
• It's bright and uses a similar bold color palette. 
• Just like Chris Pratt, Paul Rudd is a likeable and humorous hero (heck, there's even a similar ripped six pack abs side profile shot of the actors in their respective movie trailers)      

I was a little skeptical when I watched the first trailer and not knowing much about the comic book, I thought the name "Ant-Man" was a tad too goofy. But boy was I wrong! The ability to shrink to a size of an insect is actually brilliant and lethal at the same time. The idea is so dangerous that if this technology falls into the hands of the wrong people, it would have serious global consequences. And that's actually the premise of the movie; to break into a high security premise to steal and destroy this technology before our main villain sells it to a bigger bad-der organization. Think of it like the Ocean's Eleven heist of Marvel movies.

What worked in this movie is its great cast. Rudd's comic timing is perfect and he's generally a nice guy who's trying to do the right thing for his daughter. Evangeline Lilly gets me everytime whenever she plays a strong character with scenes where she breaks down emotionally. Michael Pena steals every scene he’s in. And of course, there's Michael Douglas. He still has charisma and he oozes personality. And the action scenes are never too loud and bombastic. The climatic fight scene between Ant-Man and the baddie is ingenious as it switches between their perspective and that of normal-size human scale (and it also involves Thomas The Tank Engine Train). And kudos to the effective use of effects. When our hero shrinks down to size, his surroundings look unbelievably detailed and real.

Indeed, less is more.

Rating: 7.5/10

TERMINATOR: GENISYS (2015)

Genre: Science Fiction/Action

Running Length: 2:05

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Matt Smith

Director: Alan Taylor

Screenplay: Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier

TERMINATOR: GENISYS ignores the existence of Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation, and sets itself up as a direct sequel of The Terminator and T2: Judgement Day. In fact, it follows so closely to the storyline established by James Cameron that some (younger) audience may find it difficult to follow without having seen the earlier installments. Case in point, the guy sitting next to me in the cinema was providing an express back story to his young-ish girlfriend throughout the film. You know this guy was in for a ride when his gf asked him at the start of the movie, "So, Arnold is a robot-ah?" -__-

Sorry, I digressed. 

So, is this movie any good? Sadly, it's pretty bad. I was hoping it to be a "Jurassic World" where it was an updated version for today's generation while keeping the heart of the original intact. Heck, they even threw in a T-1000 in police uniform for nostalgia. But it just didn't work. To be fair, it tries to reboot the franchise by messing up the timelines (think Back to The Future 2) and having a major twist to the origins of the story. However, the more I kept thinking about it, the more headache inducing I became. James Cameron's Terminator series has a sense of realism to it ie. it can happen in today's context. Its memorable action scenes has a sense of clear and present danger; remember the cop shop killing spree and the lorry vs the little dirt bike viaduct chase scene? In GENISYS, the action is so CGI heavy it's boring; everything gets blown up and helicopters can pull 360 degree flips under bridges. Yawn. 

GENISYS is blessed with a diverse cast. Emilia Clarke's Sarah Connor is serviceable and her presence should attract a legion of Game of Thrones fans while former Doctor Who's Matt Smith should bring along his fan base as well. But this is Arnold Schwarzenegger's show through and through. He is the face of the franchise. Without his presence, this movie will be an outright disaster. The best one-liners, the best fight scenes, and even the film's comedy are reserved for Schwarzenegger. The only time this movie entertains is when Ah-nuld is doing his thing. I think the movie could have benefited if the filmmakers took time to weave the theme of predestination paradox into the storyline (A predestination paradox, also called a causal loop, is a paradox of time travel. A time traveler attempting to alter the past, intentionally or not, would only be fulfilling his role in creating history as we know it, not changing it. It's another way of saying whatever has happened was meant to happen. If it's meant to be, it will be)

Rating: 5.5/10

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