ENTER THE FAT DRAGON

Release Date: Malaysia, 23 Jan 2020

Genre: Action / Comedy

Running Length: 1:37

Cast: Donnie Yen, Niki Chow, Teresa Mo Sun Kwan, Wong Jing, Louis Cheung

Director: Kenji Tanigaki, Wong Jing

Screenplay: Wong Jing, Lui Koon-nam, Ronald Chan Kin-hung

ENTER THE FAT DRAGON is a throwback to the good old days of Hong Kong movies released during the Lunar New Year. It's entertaining, funny, features recognizable cameos, has a good message and of course, a happy ending. What's missing is probably the main cast appearing at the end credits wishing the audience all the good sayings during this festive season. 

The plot is fairly easy to follow. After getting dumped by his fiance (Niki Chow) and coupled with an unfortunate demotion to the basement evidence room, supercop Fallon Zhu (Donnie Yen) copes by stuffing his face. As a result, he gains massive weight (but yet, he is still agile and can pack a punch and a mean kick). 

In order to redeem himself back to the squad, he agreed to take on a simple assignment of escorting a Japanese convict back to Japan. But of course, nothing goes according to plan and soon, chaos ensues with the Yakuza thrown into the mix. 

There are no particular standout action scenes in this movie but overall, the kung-fu scenes are well choreographed and it comes in think and fast. There is no notable difference between Yen in a fat suit fighting bad guys vs Yen without the fat suit fighting bad guys. In fact, fat Yen's punches are much more powerful, often sending the baddies flying through the air during the brawl scenes. 

  

One would expect the filmmakers here to pay homage to classic Bruce Lee movies, but instead, they chose to reference some of Donnie Yen's own classic fight scenes from movies such as SPL and Flash Point.  And the outcome is LOL hilarious!

    

Enter The Fat Dragon will not go down as one of the must-see movies of Donnie Yen but if you have 2 hours to spare and some pocket money to get some popcorn and soda, you'll have a good time at the cinema. 

RATING: 7/10 

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

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Release Date: Malaysia, 15 Aug 2019

Genre: Drama / Comedy

Running Length: 2:41

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant

Director: Quentin Tarantino 

Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino 

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is nothing like anything being released recently from the Hollywood factory. There isn't really much of a plot. As an audience, I was just kinda "hanging out" with the two leads; Leonardo and Brad, throughout the almost 3 hours movie length. However, the final hour of the movie really paid off with an unexpected jaw dropping "Holy SH*T!" ending! 

When Tarantino announced he would be doing a movie with Charles Manson in it, he wasn't lying when he said this was NOT a movie about Charles Manson. 

I heard of "Charles Manson" but I really didn't know much about him until this movie. If I knew more of what he did and his movement, I'm sure I would have enjoyed this movie more. So here you go if you don't know who the Manson Family is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manson_Family Read this before you watch this film. 

Instead, this movie is about middle-aged fading star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his buddy/stunt double, Cliff Booth (Pitt). Set in 1969 during the flower power Vietnam War years, this fairy tale like movie intersects with real historical tapestry, giving us a contrasting look at larger-than-life movie gods and their hedonistic life vs. a more cynical common American society. 

What I like about this movie is its comedic moments especially of the violent variety (although the level of violence in this film is significantly restrained compared to Tarantino's other movies). Tarantino also had some fun here with the audience with his signature treatment of tension and suspense as it plays out counter to what we expect. 

DiCaprio and Pitt are perfect here as buddies. I did enjoy "hanging out" with them. The rest of the performances are on-point too. 

And the set design here is perfect. This film feels like the 60s. I believe this sixties atmosphere is also contributed by Tarantino's decision to shoot this movie on film (and the camera movements). It does make a difference in the output - it looks older and warmer. 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood might be too long and meandering for some. It's a little self-indulgent too, as expected since we're talking about QT here. But thankfully it's saved by great performances, an excellent atmospheric 60's Hollywood set design and brilliant memorable moments. 

It's true. Quentin Tarantino is really passionate and loves cinema movies with all his heart. 

RATING: 8/10  

LONG SHOT

Release Date: Malaysia, 02 May 2019

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Running Length: 2:05

Cast: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, June Diane Raphael, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ravi Patel, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Serkis, Alexander Skarsgård

Director: Jonathan Levine

Screenplay: Liza Hannah, Dan Sterling

I hardly watch a romantic comedy but if I do, I hope to walk out of the cinema hall feeling entertained; the fuzzy-feel-good kinda feeling.  It's like reading a fantasy book. You are fully aware the stuff in there will not happen but yet you just want to pause reality for a second and root that our couple will overcome all odds and will eventually walk away into the sunset hand-in-hand.

LONG SHOT tells the tale of Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen), an angry left-wing journalist and Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), the Secretary of State preparing to run for President of the United States. Of course, they crossed path and things become complicated. 

"Give me a LIKE if you think Charlize Theron is a goddess"

Structurally, Long Shot follows the rom-com formula closely. Perhaps that is where I found it predictable. I know I'm contradicting myself.

What I was looking for was the formulaic romantic pairings but with just a good amount of risk thrown in. I was not expecting a grounded drama but just a little update to that formula. But alas, this is not that movie. 

What I do like in this film is the pop culture references. Some of these are clever. Actors, actresses, singers and even politicians are being referenced directly and indirectly resulting to some genuine giggles; Woody Harrelson, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Jeremy Piven, Chris Brown and even the Prime Minister of Canada is not spared. And the choice of retro pop music used sparingly throughout the movie was a nice touch.

"Hey guys, did you know I starred in this 2008 film 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'?"

If the filmmakers were to stick to such sharp dialogue instead of relying on visual gags which involves bodily fluids and getting high, I would have enjoyed this movie more. Some of the choices that Theron's Secretary of State does just to land some laughs from the audience, are out-of-character.

Thankfully, the chemistry between Rogen + Theron is believable here; just like what the movie poster says, "unlikely but not impossible".  However, it would have worked better for me if the filmmakers were to explore deeper the theme of being authentic (but yet open to change) as part of the resolution instead of trying too hard to be politically correct. 

RATING: 6.5/10

THE NEW KING OF COMEDY (新喜剧之王)

Release Date: Malaysia, 05 Feb 2019

Genre: Comedy

Running Length: 1:31

Cast:  E Jingwen, Wang Baoqiang, Zhang Qi, Yuan Xingzhe, Zhang Quandan, Jing Ruyang

Director: Stephen Chow

Screenplay: Stephen Chow

Based on the main idea from his 1999 film King of Comedy, Stephen Chow's THE NEW KING OF COMEDY is not really a remake. Although both films share the same premise of a struggling extra (actor) wanting their big break into the main cast, the original film is more of a romantic comedy while this new take focuses squarely on the journey of background performer, Dreamy (newcomer E Jingwen) wanting so badly to be cast as a lead.

There are two things I really appreciate about this film: No CGI and Stephen's casting of E Jingwen.

Most of his recent movies have been heavy in CGI (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, 2013's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons and 2016’s The Mermaid). If you know me, I cringe whenever CGI is used in Chinese films. Because for whatever reasons, the outcome always look cheap and unbelievable. So it's very refreshing to see no heavy effects were used in this production.

And the casting of E Jingwen as the film's lead was a bold move as she doesn't have the looks of Cecilia Cheung (1999's King of Comedy) or Jelly Lin (The Mermaid). However, as the movie progressed, I was captivated by her earnest performance. There's just something very genuine about Jingwen.

So, is this movie funny? Not really.

(Not that I mind)

There are its moments but I was chuckling instead of laughing out loud. Perhaps it's the distracting Cantonese dubbing as the original language is in Mandarin. (After CJ7, Stephen has stopped acting to focus on writing and directing films for audiences in mainland China).

Or perhaps, it was done on purpose. The 1999 film had a similar tone; it was a bittersweet drama + comedy. Just like the original, I appreciated the quieter moments of its characters interacting with each other. There are two standout scenes in particular: a washed-up actor Marco (Wang Baoqiang) accepting he is no longer an A-list actor and a really moving scene at the end involving Dreamy's parents (played convincingly by Zhang Qi and Yuan Xingzhe).

All in all, eventhough I appreciate the performances of the cast, this is far from a perfect film. Its pacing is uneven and the plot is half baked. And the closure felt rushed and forced.

That said, Stephen Chow is getting better as a drama-comedy director. Or maybe, he has just mellowed over the years.

RATING: 7/10

CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Malaysia, 22 Aug 2018)

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Running Length: 2:00

Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Sonoya Mizuno, Chris Pang, Pierre Png, Lisa Lu, 

Director: Jon M. Chu 

Screenplay: Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the book by Kevin Kwan 

What's this movie about?

CRAZY RICH ASIANS tells the tale of New Yorker Rachel Chu (Wu) who follows her boyfriend Nick Young (Golding) to his home country of Singapore to attend his best friend's wedding. She soon learns that Nick comes from a super filthy rich family.

Before Rachel can even wrap her head around the near royalty lifestyle, she meets Nick's icy mother (Yeoh). And the "queen" is not impressed with her.

This movie is your typical poor girl who finds her Prince Charming, but featuring an all-Asian cast.

Highlights!

• The near perfect casting. By placing the right actors in the right role, the director could draw out the best from their limited acting range (this is Malaysian-born Golding big screen acting debut). Speaking of performances, I personally enjoyed watching the legendary actress Michelle Yeoh as Nick's mother - her background is pretty complex and audience would understand why she has this tough personality. A shout out to Gemma Chan too as Nick's poised cousin but is actually going through her own set of domestic problems. 
• The strong women characters. Thanks to Malaysian writer Adele Lim, she understands what it takes for an Asian woman to be both strong and vulnerable. She injected enough of such subtlety to her female characters to make them believable.  
• The romance is believable. Like all romcom, the success of the movie is dependent on the chemistry of the couple and thankfully, they have it.  
• Just enough comedy. We agree that Awkwafina and Ken Jeong's brand of comedy could be too in your face at times, but they are amusing here in small doses.
• Visually beautiful. The cinematography successfully captures the grandeur of Singapore, the glitz of the high society and the close-ups like the food scenes. The wedding scene had the audiences swooning! 
• Soundtrack. A smart choice of using recognizable English language pop songs but sung in Chinese language to appeal to the Western cinema goers. 

Lowlights

• The ending. It somehow seems abrupt and too neat with a ribbon bow and all. 
• A certain minority group played for laughs. It was unnecessary. 
• Feels like a Singapore Tourism Board ad. Especially in the beginning and the end - it was just too heavy handed.

In summary

CRAZY RICH ASIANS is actually a modern-day fairy tale. It's an escapist fantasy that entertains. And more importantly, the hype and publicity is real - this movie is indeed going to go down as a piece of history which has the potential to open doors for more Asian-led commercial motion pictures in Hollywood.

RATING: 8/10

MEN ON THE DRAGON (Malaysia, 02 Aug 2018)

Genre: Drama / Comedy

Running Length: 1:32

Cast: Francis Ng, Poon Chan Leung, Kenny Wong, Tony Wu, Jennifer Yu, Nancy Wu

Director: Sunny Chan

Screenplay: Sunny Chan 

What's this movie about? 

MEN ON THE DRAGON (逆流大叔) tells the tale of four men who work for a telecom company who decide to join the company’s dragon boat team in a bid to avoid a corporate layoff.

If I'm not mistaken, the direct translation of the Chinese title means "uncles going against the tide", which is a more accurate description of this underdog sports comedy-drama. The real focus here is more about these four lovable losers going through mid-life crisis instead of the sport of dragon boating.

Highlights!

• Conceptually a good story. I have always had a soft spot for HK movies. I grew up with it and I could relate to their stories. But in the past decade, high quality HK movies are as rare as hen's teeth. So kudos to director and scriptwriter Sunny Chan for crafting out an original story about working class middle aged men and mashing it up with a sports theme.
• A movie for HK people. This is not a China funded production and I'm not sure if it's even going to be screened in mainland China - which is great. Without Big Brother watching over, the filmmakers were free to develop a true HK movie, resulting to nuances and pop culture references which I truly appreciate eg. kids today speaking in Mandarin, using Chow Yun Fat's classic A Better Tomorrow as a reference point. But the biggest theme that stood out for me is the 'Lion Rock' spirit (HK people's can-do spirit), told from the perspective of both the individual characters and Hong Kong as a country.     
• Intimate cinematography. A big shout out to the person behind the camera for successfully capturing the realistic HK life cinematically eg. small and crowded flats, interesting angles during the dragon boat races.  
• The theme song by Rubberband. Great guitar riffs and a catchy chorus. Instantly likeable. 

Lowlights

• Mediocre execution. Although the premise is interesting, the film falls short in its execution. Perhaps there were just too many themes the filmmakers wanted to explore in 90 mins. The story tries hard to balance between the challenges of the personal lives of our 4 men and a sports movie. As a result, it lacked depth in both areas and when the finale came, there was no emotional payoff. 
• Casting. I can sense that everyone in this film really gave their best in their performance. However because some of them were placed in the wrong role, they ended up being unbelievable.     

In summary
MEN ON THE DRAGON (逆流大叔) is not going to end up as a classic HK movie but it's definitely one of the more enjoyable ones in recent years. It's not your typical underdog sports movie but more of a bittersweet tale about men in mid-life crisis. 

RATING: 8/10

DEADPOOL 2 (Malaysia, 17 May 2018)

Genre: Action / Comedy
Running Length: 2:00
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller,  Stefan Kapicic, Karan Soni, Leslie Uggams
Director: David Leitch
Screenplay: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Ryan Reynolds

What's this movie about?

Mercenary Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, recruits a team of folks with supernatural abilities to protect a young mutant boy from a time-traveling cyborg, Cable. Sounds like Terminator, isn't it? 

Highlights!

• Not serious/serious approach. It doesn't take itself seriously, even when serious things happen especially the first and last 15 minutes of the movie. It delivers the seriousness and even tenderness of certain moments but in a funny Deadpool way. 
• The side characters. The middle act where Deadpool recruits a bunch of misfits and thereafter followed by parachute drop scene = highlight of the entire movie!
• The soundtrack. The intentionally mismatched use of songs for some scenes (eg. using a hopeful song during a bleak moment) really makes those moments memorable especially a super slo-mo scene.  

Lowlights

• Overly produced action scenes. Too long = boring
• Uneven comedy. Like most comedy movies, some will land and some won't. But there are some one-joke concept that keeps going it overstays its welcome. However, the movie redeems itself with its end-credit scenes (that's a particular one which had me in stitches!) 

In summary

I enjoyed DEADPOOL 2 much more than the first outing . I felt this one has got a more complete story, whereas the first one was just a series of gags and one-liners.

RATING: 7/10

GAME NIGHT (Malaysia, 01 Mar 2018)

Genre: Comedy
Running Length: 1:40
Cast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons
Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Screenplay: Mark Perez

If you have not watched the trailer for GAME NIGHT - DON'T! Because some of the best bits were revealed in the trailer and it kinda ruined my experience when I watched the movie: "Oh, I know what's going to happen next." (So, I've decided not to include the trailer here in the usual spot)

What's this movie about?
A group of friends who regularly meets for game nights (charades, monopoly, RISK etc) decides to participate in a "real-life" solve a murder mystery game one day. But little did they know, it's not a game they are playing, or are they? This may sound like a thriller horror movie, but it's not. It's a comedy and it's funny.

What I like about it?

• It kept me guessing throughout the movie whether it's a game or not. And the clever twists works. 
• The comedy! There is a variety of comedy type genre here; from LOL cringe-inducing moments to clever pop culture references. For movie geeks, you'll love the many references.
• I got to know the main characters and their relationships better throughout the course of the "game". That's a nice way of revealing who these people are. 
• Some stylish camera work. 
• Rachel McAdams. I didn't know she could do comedy. Yeah, there were some scenes which she was overacting but overall, she is as good as Jason Bateman. 
• Jesse Plemons. Period. 

What I didn't like?

• The comedy is a little uneven at times and it does go on a bit too much. 

RATING: 7.5/10

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2017)

Genre: Adventure / Comedy
Running Length: 1:59
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Ser’Darius Blain, Morgan Turner, Madison Iseman 
Director: Jake Kasdan
Screenplay: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers and Scott Rosenberg & Jeff Pinkner, based on Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

I suspect the reason I prefer JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE to the original Jumanji (starring the late Robin Williams) is because the 1995 version was really forgettable. I figuratively and literally mean it because I have no recollection of that movie experience.

It doesn't mean this movie is without faults for when a joke works, it works really well but when it doesn't, it's cringe worthy. What really worked for me is seeing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Jack Black playing against type. And they seemed to be having a good time poking fun of themselves. Kevin Hart is well...Kevin Hart. He's always dependable to bring in the LOL moments for his shortcomings.

As for Nick Jonas' performance, I'm sorry but he really needs some acting lessons. Putting on an aviator sunglasses and acting cool is not...acting. That said, an unbilled cameo playing the adult version of Jonas' character was really effective. Eventhough his cameo was only for a few minutes and he comes in very late in the movie, his acting was really moving.

Perhaps that scene worked because we the audience, did feel the grave dangers and risk of what the characters had to go through to stay alive. You see, if they die in the game (see trailer for the plot synopsis), they die in real life. 

All in all, Welcome to the Jungle is easy to follow and entertaining. There is this nice "one life" quote which was uttered twice but it was the second time that had the most impact because of its context.

What I have learned from this movie?
"What makes someone really awesome is being comfortable in their own skin" 

RATING: 6.5/10

(COMBO REVIEW) THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (2017) | A GHOST STORY (2017)

As I saw both of this films on the small screen (Meyerowitz on Netflix and Ghost on a flight), I didn't think of reviewing it. But after I watched a recent video by Nerdwriter I was inspired to write a combo review because they share a common theme (besides having 'story' in their titles) and that is: Moving on in Life.

THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES

There are many films out there about the typical dysfunctional American family but there's just something endearing about this film that makes it sad but yet hopeful. And I reckon it's because of the compassion of Baumbach (the writer and director) for he is able to paint a story of redemption in a broken family. Although this movie is dialogue heavy, viewers will not find it difficult to follow as Baumbach has presented THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES in a light-hearted manner.

As pointed out by the Nerdwriter, although there are rapid conversations happening between two people in a scene, it doesn't mean they are communicating. The real intent in these conversations are found not in their spoken words but expressed in-between their sentences, thus making this film a realistic (and entertaining) watch.

  

As good as Ben Stiller is, it is Adam Sandler who is a revelation here. His performance as the obliging eldest son is moving and heartfelt especially when his character is around his overbearing father (Hoffman). 

What is it about the power of a father's approval that will drive his sons day after day for a lifetime to prove to their father that they are good enough to be considered a man? 

RATING: 7.5/10

A GHOST STORY

A GHOST STORY is a haunting movie, but not in a paranormal kinda way. The movie stays with you long after the credits because the narrative reminds you of the need for closure in order to move on. It causes you to think rather than giving you the answers. 

If you watch the trailer, it plays out like a meditative arty indie film. It informs you of a couple where the husband dies very suddenly, and comes back in a Halloween kind of ghost to 'haunt' his grieving wife. Sounds like a self-indulgent, boring and almost cheesy premise, doesn't it? Trust me, it's not. What you see in the trailer is just the surface to a very original film. And that's all I'm going to say because anything thereafter may just constitute as a spoiler.

Although there are many scenes which are dialogue free (most of it are just long takes of silence), there is actually a lot going on underneath. Aside from what I feel as an unnecessary monologue, A Ghost Story is almost a perfect film. The storytelling is simple, smart and just beautiful to look at.

RATING: 9.5/10 

-----

THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES

Genre: Drama / Comedy 

Running Length: 1:50

Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Grace Van Patten, Emma Thompson, Elizabeth Marvel, Judd Hirsch, Rebecca Miller

Director: Noah Baumbach 

Screenplay: Noah Baumbach 

A GHOST STORY

Genre: Drama / Fantasy

Running Length: 1:32

Cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara

Director: David Lowery

Screenplay: David Lowery

VICTORIA AND ABDUL (2017)

Genre: Drama / Comedy
Running Length: 1:52
Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Olivia Williams, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins
Director: Stephen Frears
Screenplay: Lee Hall, based on the book by Shrabani Basu, Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant 

VICTORIA & ABDUL is based on the true events of Queen Victoria (The Queen of England who reigned from 1837 to her death in 1901), who found comfort and companionship in her twilight years in a young and handsome Indian attendant, Abdul Karim. Yes, you read it right. Obviously, such a relationship would be considered controversial (even in today's standards, what more then).

Thus, the royal family had to remove all traces of this scandalous affair from royal history. It is only until recently, a good 100 years later, a journalist Shrabani Basu noticed a clue in the Queen’s summer home that led her to discover their relationship (which she incorporated into her book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant - the basis for this movie). You can read more about it here, a story covered by Vanity Fair. 

However, one would think that with such a juicy material to work on, this film would be an interesting watch, but unfortunately, it failed to captivate. Perhaps it's the lack of in-depth material that prevented the narrative from going deeper.

It is interesting (and funny) in the beginning as the audience is introduced to how the two met. But halfway through the film, it started to drag for me. The elements of racism, behind-the-scenes of everyday life in the royal household and of course, the developing friendship of Victoia and Abdul, started to go in circles instead of in-depth.

Eventhough Abdul was painted as a man who's shrewd and naive at the same time, we were never really clear of his motives. I don't think it's entirely the fault of Ali Fazal's performance but more of the material that he was given to work on. Thankfully, Judi Dench's performance saved this movie. Despite being one the most powerful person at that era, we could feel the Queen's sadness and loneliness as she was surrounded by people who revered her and only cared for their own interests. So it wasn't surprising when she connected emotionally with a commoner who was respectful but yet unafraid of her. He looked at her as her, an imperfect human being.

All of us know that forging an emotional bond is one of the most important fundamental building blocks of a lasting relationship. But it's easier said than done. What I've learned from this movie is that having an emotional connection with anyone, regardless of age, colour and religion - is to be able to give the other person a friendly ear and having the courage to provide frank feedback. 

RATING: 7/10

AMERICAN MADE (2017)

Genre: Thriller / Comedy / Drama
Running Length: 1:55
Cast: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Caleb Landry Jones, Jesse Plemons
Director: Doug Liman
Screenplay: Gary Spinelli

As fun as AMERICAN MADE was, I sincerely think that Tom Cruise is miscast here. For starters, he doesn't look anything like the real Barry Seal (a chubby pilot who worked for both the CIA and the Colombian cartel in the 1980s), eventhough some critics said that Cruise channels the same "spirit" as Seal. Don't get me wrong, Mr Cruise does some fine work here. Some would even say he has return to form. But what could have been more believable is for Tom to really pack on a few pounds like what Christian Bale did in American Hustle

This biopic is about the life of Barry Seal, a hot shot maverick commercial pilot who got himself drawn into working with the CIA. The events that followed suit got more bizarre, bigger and crazier, all in the name of chasing after the American dream. I read somewhere that this movie felt like a cross between The Wolf of Wall Street and Top Gun.  

What didn't work for me is that as the turn of events got more bizarre and dangerous, Seal always "gets away". Thus, after a while I didn't feel any real tension because I know Cruise will somehow escape and still flash his signature mega-watt smile. We don't get to see Seal struggle through the moral dilemma of his actions and somehow gets the audience to feel sympathetic for him (eventhough what he does is not really nice).

What I learn from this movie is that sometimes learning when to stop and surrender - will make all the difference.

RATING: 6.5/10

BAD GENIUS (2017)

Genre: Thriller / Comedy
Running Length: 2:10
Cast: Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Eisaya Hosuwan, Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Chanon Santinatornkul, Thaneth Warakulnukroh
Director: Nattawut Poonpiriya
Screenplay: Tanida Hantaweewatana, Vasudhorn Piyaromna, Nattawut Poonpiriya

What I've learned from this movie is that the Love of a father is more than just provision and protection. Whether we're a genius or a fool, a nurturing father will always encourage us to choose the right way. On the contrary, the absence of a father figure may cause us to be lured by a faster but darker way to be recognized and live up to people's expectations. Unfortunately, this path would usually lead to destruction.

BAD GENIUS is such a brilliant watch! Who would have thought that cinema-goers would be kept on the edge of their seats by watching a group of high school students cheating in their exams. This movie feels like a cross between a teen movie and Ocean's Eleven with a stylish visual flair of Edgar Wright's movies.

The story starts off with brilliant student Lynn (Chuengcharoensukying) securing a scholarship at a prestigious high school. She then befriends Grace (Hosuwan) and her rich kid boyfriend Pat (Supapunpinyo). Soon, Grace would emotionally blackmail Lynn to help her and her spoiled brat bf to cheat in their exams - in exchange for a healthy amount of money.

Lynn gives in as she justifies her decision as a way of helping her working-class father (Warakulnukroh). In no time, this arrangement grew rapidly involving more wealthy classmates but with more at stake. The plot thickens with the arrival of Bank (Santinatornkul), another equally brilliant student. While Lynn is more street smart, Bank is more naive, uptight and goes by the book kinda boy.

What I love about this movie is the unpredictable plot. As soon as you think it would go a certain way for our protagonists, a spanner gets thrown in the works. It is truly a relentless display of Murphy's Law with a big emotional payout at the end.

That said, the performances from the peripheral characters do come across as a little over-the-top and cartoon-y. But thankfully, the casting of our main characters is strong with a special shout out to Warakulnukroh's performance as the sympathetic and supportive father.

Bad Genius is sharply directed and well edited especially the nail-biting sequences. It's also grounded in Asian values thus, feels more at home for me. As a result, it feels fresh and more importantly, entertaining.

RATING: 9/10

COLOSSAL (2017)

Genre: Fantasy / Comedy / Drama
Running Length: 1:50
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson
Director: Nacho Vigalondo

Screenplay: Nacho Vigalondo

Anne Hathaway's character in COLOSSAL discovers she is directly connected to a kaiju (a giant monster) terrorizing Seoul. It's as though she is remotely controlling the monster's actions from the other side of the planet. The story gets more quirky as the film progresses and in the third act, it takes an unexpected turn into dark territories. 

I can't elaborate much about the film's plot as I will definitely spoil it for the readers. But all I can say is if you're expecting to see a dark comedy about Hathaway's character discovering her connection with the monster, you'll be pleasantly surprised because this movie will take you to unexpected places. Just don't expect it to be another Pacific Rim. 

Eventhough it's a comedy, this film actually deals with very serious social issues. And if it's not dealt with overtime, it would grow into something colossal. And the monstrosity of our problems will affect or even destroy the people around us. 

Hathaway is perfectly cast in this indie fare and she does a very believable job here. But it's Jason Sudeikis' performance here that caught me by surprise. There's this intense scene involving a fire hazard which Sudeikis really owned it.   

I enjoyed the direction, clever camera angles and sound employed in this film. For example, the filmmakers were able to capture the carnage of the monster without actually showing any of it. Overall, I enjoyed this film because it's a refreshing way to tell a familiar story. 

But it does get too clever for its own good and as a result, the main message gets lost amidst its unconventional storytelling. I reckon this film would never be able to reach the masses but would end up as a cult flick. Nevertheless, Colossal is an impressive mix of comedy, tragedy and dark drama. Plus it's filled with hidden meanings, symbols and metaphors worth discovering and researching when you get back home from the theaters.  

RATING: 8.5/10

HIDDEN FIGURES (2017)

Genre: Drama / Comedy
Running Length: 2:07
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell
Director: Theodore Melfi
Screenplay: Allison Schroder and Theodore Melfi, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly

HIDDEN FIGURES' second half is a much more interesting watch than its first half. Granted that the filmmakers needed to quickly establish the context of this true story, I felt they were too heavy-handed in delivering the message of race and gender equality. I've seen some films which were more subtle in dealing with this subject but yet still gets the message across effectively and powerfully. In this movie, we have forceful dialogues like, "Here at NASA, we all pee the same colour!"

This movie which is set in the early 1960s, tells the untold tale of three African-American ladies who had to fight an uphill battle of racism and feminism at NASA to put the first American into space. I'm not sure how accurate this based on real events film is but I'm pretty sure the filmmakers took some liberty in the narrative especially our unsung heroes' private lives.

And speaking of that, the NASA scenes are much more engaging than the side plots revolving around their personal lives. Somehow, the performance of our trio is more authentic in the work place vs those segments revolving around their home life.

Performance wise, the filmmakers have assembled a strong cast. Our protagonists give solid performance and the supporting cast is serviceable especially Costner. He does seem to get better as he ages. There is this rather peculiar and prolonged segment where we see Taraji's character dashing half a mile in high heels in a cartoonish manner to the bathroom. After a while, it felt like one of those, "Ok, I get it. Now get on with it already, will ya?" segments but the resolution to it is by far the movie's most satisfying scene.

Overall a light-hearted and feel-good drama which tells how race played an important role in the US vs Soviet space race in the 1960s.

RATING: 7.5/10

BRIDGET JONES'S BABY (2016)

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Running Length: 2:00

Cast: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Solemani, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Emma Thompson

Director: Sharon Maguire 

Screenplay: Helen Fielding and Dan Mazar and Emma Thompson, based on characters created by Helen Fielding 

When you watch a Bridget Jones movie, you're 100% sure it will have a happy ending. So, when I walked into BRIDGET JONES'S BABY, all I did was relax and enjoy the ride. And enjoyed it, I did. It was consistently witty, laugh out loud funny at times and even moving in some scenes. It exceeded my expectations. 

There's just something commendable about making a well written romantic comedy for the older audience. It's rare in an era where movie studios prefer to churn out romcoms to appeal to the below 30s viewers in the name of box office moola.  

As for the plot, the movie title and poster kinda says it all. Bridget Jones, 43 years old, is single again and has split from Mr Darcy some years now. Darcy has moved on and married to someone else. All alone on her birthday, Jones decided it's time to take control of her life by attending a Woodstock "make love, not war" type of music festival, got herself wasted and ended up bonking Dempsey's character; a dashing entrepreneur who's an expert in love algorithm. A week later, Jones is briefly reconnected with Mr Darcy (who is now separated) and yes, you guessed it...also ended up under the sheets. 

Predictably, she is preggers. But who's the father? Jeng jeng jeng...And so the chaos ensues with the two potential fathers fighting over both Jones and her baby. In the previous installments, we all secretly want Bridget to end up with Mr Darcy but she will always be distracted by another man. In the first two films, it was Hugh Grant's character, and in this one, it's Dempsey's Jack Qwant.     

Overall the cast is solid with a special shout out to wonderful new additions Emma Thompson and Sarah Solemani who plays a gynaecologist and Bridget's colleague respectively. As for Patrick Dempsey, he is charming indeed but I feel he is trying a little too hard and thus ended up not being a worthy opponent of Firth's Mark Darcy.  

To sum it up, even if you've not watched any of the earlier films (or read the books), you'll still have a good time watching it. 

Rating: 7.5/10

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016)

Genre: Drama / Comedy
Running Length: 1:58
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Shree Crooks, Nicholas Hamilton, Annalise Basso, Samantha Isler, Ann Dowd, Frank Langella, Steve Zahn, Kathryn Hahn, George MacKay, Charlie Shotwell
Director: Matt Ross
Screenplay: Matt Ross

In the summer season where blockbusters are meant to be a spectacle fest with loud noises and kinetic action sequences, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC offers an alternative. It's a small and quiet movie anchored around the theme of parenting (so no, this is not another superhero movie).

This film explores two different approaches to raising a family; back-to-nature experiential technique vs. the conventional way. Although the film leans towards the appeal of the former approach (at least from a philosophical standpoint), it balances out pretty well with the practicality of the latter.

Mortensen plays the role of the father raising his six kids away from society in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. His wife had to be separated from the family to seek medical attention in the city for her serious condition. Not long thereafter, she took her own life.

I'm not spoiling the movie because all these happened at the very beginning. For most of the film, we follow this family's road trip which they are forced to take - a journey to the city to attend their mother's funeral.

The synopsis above definitely gives out the vibes of Little Miss Sunshine, the other small quirky film that was both a critical and commercial hit a while back. Although this film has its funny moments, it's primarily a drama. There are some very powerful moments especially the emotional reactions from the children when they found out that they will never see their mother again.

The other potent scene that got me is when his eldest son confronted Mortensen's character on his upbringing techniques, "Unless it comes out of a <expletive> book I don’t know ANYTHING about ANYTHING!" This is an actor's movie and the performances are strong across-the-board. Mortensen is ideally cast but it's Langella's portrayal as our protagonist late wife's conservative dad that captivated me.

Although this probably won't end up winning any major awards, Captain Fantastic is still a refreshing original story from Hollywood.

Rating: 8/10

GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)

Genre: Comedy/Horror

Running Length: 1:56

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth

Director: Paul Feig 

Screenplay: Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, based on the 1984 film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis 

Eventhough I walked into the new GHOSTBUSTERS film without much judgement (in actuality, I couldn't remember much of the original or even the sequel), it turned out to be not very good. It's not very bad either but it's just...mediocre. 

When the studio announced that they would be rebooting the series with an all female cast, I thought it was a clever idea. I enjoyed the trailers because it checked all the boxes of the Ghostbusters elements which I was familiar; the four buddies, the comedy, the proton packs, the classic station wagon and of course, the theme song. 

But what made this movie meh is the weak script. It felt as though the filmmakers were torn between making a fan service film and taking risk to do something different. As mentioned, although all the familiar elements are present, and even the original cast made a cameo, I felt that the existence of this movie was just unnecessary. If only they followed what The Force Awakens did where the old characters came alongside to support the new cast, this new Ghostbusters film could have turned out to be a fresh approach to the franchise without alienating the fans.     

What made the the original worked is the comedy. But for some reason, this film's focus is on the Ghostbuster-on-ghost action. To be fair, some of the action sequences are engaging but the majority of it especially the "epic final battle" turned out to be boring (because it's so done before). But is it funny? Well let's just say there are more miss than hits. Chris Hemsworth is hilarious and I'm glad he wasn't just playing a small supporting role.  

What I do like about this film is the cool looking apparitions. They are bright and glowy (and some are quite scary looking). In conclusion, this is a serviceable film but there's just nothing memorable about it.

Rating: 6/10

THE NICE GUYS (2016)

Genre: Thriller / Comedy
Running Length: 1:56
Cast:Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Kim Basinger
Director: Shane Black
Screenplay: Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi

In my opinion, Shane Black (once upon a time the most sought after and highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood; Lethal Weapon series, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Last Action Hero) is perhaps a better writer than a director. The narrative of THE NICE GUYS has all the elements of a fun and quirky "mismatched buddy cop" movie coupled with a Tarantino-esque approach to humour. But the end product ended up not as engaging as what the trailer promises. I reckon perhaps Black was unable to draw the best out of his talented actors, especially Ryan Gosling.

Fans of Gosling will probably hate me for this, but in this movie he was overdoing the gags and was just trying too hard to be funny. As a result, his performance was bordering on the silly lawak bodoh kind. Again, I don't blame Gosling but the director.

Set in the mid 1970s in LA (think Boogie Nights), Gosling plays a down-on-his-luck detective who teams up with Crowe, a hired messenger who delivers his messages with his fists. Their job is to track down the runaway daughter of a District attorney (Kim Basinger) who's involved in the sleazy underbelly world of the porn industry. Gosling's the brain of the operations while Crowe's the brawn; both characters are flawed but they are well, nice guys.

Of course, to make this film worthy of a cinema release, their seemingly simple mission is very quickly escalated into an outrageous one involving mermaids, dead bodies and a giant killer bee. Overall, it's a welcome throwback to the good old fashioned 80s/90s commercial action movies made for adults; free of superheroes and CGI galore. But somehow, it's not as edgy as I expected it to be eventhough it's peppered with some laugh out loud moments.

Rating: 6.5/10