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

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (2016)

Genre: Action/Adventure

Running Length: 2:14

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, Olivia Munn, Ben Hardy

Director: Bryan Singer 

Screenplay: Simon Kinberg 

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, the third film of The First Class trilogy is the weakest link considering Days of Future Past was such a powerhouse. There is a tongue-in-cheek scene in the movie where one of the characters was lamenting that Return Of the Jedi, "the third one...was the worst”. I believe director Singer was jabbing at The Last Stand (critics ranked it the worst X:Men entry), which he has expressed regrettably not directing it. Looks like the joke's on him for Apocalypse.

To be fair, this movie is not terrible but it's just not groundbreaking. There were moments where it was just absolutely perfect (Magneto's confrontation with a group of Polish soldiers) but such scenes were few and far between. Perhaps we are all suffering from superhero movie fatigue. After all, how many times do we have to sit through massive battle scenes where world iconic landmarks are being destroyed (Golden Gate Bridge, yet again -__-)

My biggest complaint is the chief villain himself. Apocalypse is supposed to be frightening and god-like but he looks like an uncomfortable clown. I blame it on the costume design. And although Quicksilver's THE sequence in Days of Future Past was arguably the most talked about scene, here in this movie, the filmmakers are really milking it. As a result, it feels uninspired eventhough it was well executed.           

As for the highlights, Fassbender's Shakespearean interpretation of Magneto and McAvoy's Gandhi like approach to Professor X are still the anchor of the film. And of course, the wild and brutal sequence of Hugh Jackman's extended cameo as you know who.    

X-Men: Apocalypse is a serviceable superheroes movie, at least the first 2/3 of it. Unfortunately, the last act was just an absolute mess. 

Rating: 6.5/10 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

Genre: Action / Adventure
Running Length: 2:26
Cast: Chris Evans, Daniel Bruhl, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Emily VanCamp         

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

There are two major themes in  CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR that are conceptually interesting on paper but wasn't fleshed out effectively in execution.

Firstly, the concept of a government body stepping in to regulate the honest actions of superheroes in causing civilian casualties during their epic battles with supervillains. (Interestingly, this similar premise was explored in the recent brood-ish Batman v. Superman). Among all the superhero movies, the X-Men stories have done a much better job at exploring this theme.

So, I personally found this reason a little weak for team Captain to clash with team Iron Man ("Lionheart" CapAm is against the accords while "pro-capitalist/anti-war" Iron Man is for it). As a result, the climatic royal rumble between the two camps felt restrained. Despite a lot of flying action, pummelling and blowing things up, it played out more like a spectacle than an all-out war. You can kinda expect no superheroes will die during this battle.

That said, somewhere towards the end of the movie, an intimate fist fight between Captain, Iron Man and The Winter Soldier is more dramatic and powerful. Because it's personal, there is a possibility that someone will die. It felt more real.

As for the second misstep, the theme of "a house divided against itself" is the most interesting but the journey to get to that point seems overly convoluted.

Although it's jam packed with characters, the movie doesn't feel bloated. It's probably because we are familiar with the back story of 90% of these characters which were introduced throughout the years across different movies in the Marvel Productions Universe (MPU). Not counting the re-introduction of a younger Spider-Man (brilliantly played by Tom Holland), the only new character is Black Panther.

Overall, Civil War is entertaining but it’s not as gripping and tight as Captain America: Winter Soldier. Oh, one gripe. As adorable as Marisa Tomei is, but as the new Aunt May...really?

Rating: 7/10

EYE IN THE SKY (2016)

Genre: Thriller
Running Length: 1:42
Cast: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Phoebe Fox, Barkhad Abdi
Director: Gavin Hood
Screenplay: Guy Hibbert

EYE IN THE SKY is a very different take on drone strikes compared to Ethan Hawke's Good Kill. The latter explores the stress and psychological effects on drone pilots. As for this movie, it provides an almost real-time comprehensive inside look on the procedures, bureaucracy and dare I say, the humanity of the firing of a single hellfire missile from a drone.

The premise sounds boring but it's far from it. Although positioned as a political/military drama, it's first and foremost a thriller. And boy, what a thriller! It gets so tensed at times one will start squirming in their seat.

The story is straightforward. Key members of al-Shabaab, a terrorist group, have gathered in a small house in a village in Kenya and they are preparing for an imminent suicide bombing. A military mission involving three governments is launched to capture or maybe kill those involved with a hovering drone. However, it gets complicated with the presence of a little innocent girl in the blast radius and 3 of the terrorists are British and US citizens.

The strength of this film is definitely the quality acting. Characters are revealed through their actions and reactions rather than clunky "this is what I'm doing" explanations. Take for example, Aaron Paul (of Breaking Bad fame) plays the deeply convicted pilot who has never shot a missile but is presented with the potential of squeezing the trigger. He rarely moves from his pilot seat but yet managed to convey a range of emotions when orders from the top are forced down upon him. The rest of the cast; Helen Mirren, Barkhad Abdi, the late Alan Rickman and the other supporting cast are all effective.

Although it gets a tad manipulative at times, the filmmakers succeeds in providing a non bias perspective on the issue at hand. It's refreshing to watch such a well-made, intelligent and "entertaining talky drama" in the cinema these days in the midst of loud and mindless superhero flicks and sequels.  

Rating: 9/10

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 JUNGLE BOOK (2016)

Genre: Adventure
Running Length: 1:45
Cast (voices): Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Neel Sethi
Director: Jon Favreau
Screenplay: Justin Marks based on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

THE JUNGLE BOOK will forever change the way how CGI is integrated into a real world setting. Actually, this isn't even practical effects but full on graphics created on computers using motion capture techniques, layered into CGI trees, river and mountains. It is mind boggling to think that this film was shot in Los Angeles as it looks like a surreal India landscape.

The Jungle Book is one of the most beautiful movies to watch as it's visually stunning. Despite the obvious that these are talking animals, I was never distracted and totally convinced they could do so. The attention to detail on every animal is so vivid and lively - they look natural. Kudos to the hundreds of animators and artists involved in this project.

From a narrative perspective, it's definitely inspired by the 1967 animation and not Rudyard Kipling’s source material. There are even homages paid to the former, as fans will get to hear three famous snippets sung (and spoken); one of it being the famous "Bare Necessities". That said, it's not quite child-friendly as some of the images and themes are unsettling and pretty dark.

Another highlight is newcomer Neel Sethi playing the “man cub” Mowgli. He is the only human in this movie. Sethi's performance is energetic and animated. He is simply a delight to watch. And to think that he filmed almost every scene by himself in front of a green screen makes him even more impressive. Of course, his scenes wouldn't have succeeded without Favreau's direction.

Overall this film is not heavy on thought-provoking materials but it's visually captivating and immersive. (Oh, the animation accompanying the closing credit is so fun to watch!)

Rating: 8.5/10

TRIVISA (2016)

Genre: Thriller
Running Length: 1:37
Cast: Gordon Lam Ka-tung, Richie Jen, Jordan Chan
Director: Frank Hui, Jevons Au, Vicky Wong
Screenplay: Loong Man-hong, Thomas Ng, Mak Tin-shu

Trivisa; Sansrkit for "three poisons" in Buddhist teachings - delusion, desire and fury - which leads to suffering.

TRIVISA is a reflective and engaging 3 films in 1 movie by three first-time directors. It features three notorious Hong Kong criminals which are loosely based on real life figures; each one of the felon embodying a "poison".

What's intoxicating about this movie is how the narrative of the three leading characters (ably performed by veterans Gordon, Richie and Jordan) are convincingly fused together eventhough the 3 films were shot separately. Adding to that mix is the interesting setting - 1997, the year where British-ruled Hong Kong is returned to Chinese sovereignty.

Although the movie kicks off literally with a bang, don't expect it to be your typical cops-and-robbers gun-toting galore. In fact I'm glad it didn't go down that route but instead it explored how the city began to squirm in the shadow of the rise of mainland China, forcing the trio to kowtow to the effects of bullying Big Brother. It is indeed an interesting perspective.

Of course, it's not all indie as it feels cinematic. It's beautifully shot with shocking burst of violence. Each story has its own strength. The one with Gordon is intense and has the most edge of your seat suspense. Richie is unrecognizable as he plays a ringleader who turned over a new leaf from robbing banks to smuggling electronic goods across the borders, only to be severely frustrated by corrupt Chinese officials. While the flamboyant Jordan plays a big time kidnapper who is bored with intimidating tycoons and instead chooses to pursue an underground rumour.

Trivisa joins the recent wave of Hong Kong made films which are taking jabs at Big Brother as it seems to suggest that the city's struggle is in vain as it head towards its sociopolitical doom.

Rating: 8.5/10