THE MERMAID (2016)

Genre: Comedy
Running Length: 1:34
Cast: Deng Chao, Show Luo, Kitty Zhang, Lin Yun
Director: Stephen Chow
Screenplay: Stephen Chow, Kelvin Lee, Ho Miu-kei, Lu Zhengyu, Fung Chih-chiang, Ivy Kong, Chan Hing-ka, Tsang Kan-cheung

It has been a while since I laughed so hard at a Stephen Chow movie. Although Chow himself is not in THE MERMAID, trust me, if you're familiar with his earlier "mo lei tau" (nonsensical) movies, you'll "see" him everywhere in this movie. I hated his last directed movie Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons and I thought he took CJ7 too seriously. The brand of humour in The Mermaid goes way back to the days of King Of Comedy and The God of Cookery.

But is the movie any good? It's definitely way above average but it's still not "there" yet. For a start, the CG effects are bad, like really bad. You would think Chow would be an expert by now in this area after using this art form in his last four movies, but nooo~ it's worst than Shaolin Soccer. And the mermaid herself, played by newcomer Lin Yun, is irritating. She looks, performs and speaks (dubbed nevertheless) like a younger Shu Qi. I really wonder where did all the budget go. I mean the film makers ran a public casting contest to look for the lead actress and they hired 8 (!) script writers.

In terms of the positive, there were 3 standouts. Deng Chao, Show Luo and of course, the back to basics side-splitting slapstick comedy. The storyline is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's well-known "The Little Mermaid" with an eco message. But without the three elements mentioned above, this film would have been meh meh only. Chao is well suited as the douchebag self-made tycoon who slowly opens up his heart to the mermaid. Luo is a revelation here. He stole the show in Journey to the West and he did it here again. He is perfectly cast as the half-man, half-octopus, air-headed "himbo" leader of the mermaid species. There is one standout scene which involves his tentacles and a teppanyaki grill.

Overall, a surprisingly energetic movie marred by bad effects rendering and a weak lead. If Stephen Chow continues this trajectory, he would be back in his game again in the next two movies. And if he appears in any of them (even in a cameo), that would make me so happy I'll sing out loud the theme song from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" Hoo! Ha!

Rating: 7/10

DEADPOOL (2016)

Genre: Action / Comedy
Running Length: 1:48
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Stefan Kapicic, Brianna Hildebrand, Leslie Uggams, Gina Carano
Director: Tim Miller
Screenplay: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, based on characters created by Rob Liefeld & Fabian Nicieza

Firstly, let me get a few things out of the way. The DEADPOOL shown in Malaysian cinemas is an inferior version; it's censored artistically and as a result, it's distracting. Secondly, I'm not a fan of this anti-hero because from what I understand, this movie was made for the fans. What this means is that if you like the first 10 mins of the film, you will have a blast with the remaining time. If you don't like what you see in the beginning, Deadpool our main guy would not grow on you overtime. You'll just get more of the same.

Deadpool is definitely a different kind of superhero (or anti-hero) movie from the Marvel studio. Right from the start in the opening credit sequence, you know the movie is going to poke fun at itself and everything else; Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, IKEA, other superhero movies, Ryan Reynolds himself etc. To a certain extent, it works in small segments but not as an entire feature length. It can get pretty tiresome watching Reynolds spewing away smart-ass one-liners laced with F-bombs and dispatching (killing, maiming, torturing) baddies with absolutely no compunctions (Perhaps that's why the short short promo videos on YouTube leading to the release is so much more fun to watch). Sorry guys, I'm a non-fan.

In terms of story wise, it's actually a love story. Reynolds plays a mercenary named Wade Wilson and when he found out he has terminal cancer, he signs his life over to a shadowy organization with the promise of a cure + superhero abilities, so that he can reconnect with his lover. Unfortunately, in the process, he was horribly scarred and he swears revenge over the evil doctor who made him ugly.

Overall, this movie feels small because it was clearly shot on a tight budget (there's even a joke about this in the film) with only two real action sequences bookending the movie. In summary, the highlights of the movie are Ryan Reynolds and the 80s/90s music selection. The hype is true. Reynolds was born to play this role. As for the song selection, you just can't go wrong with Chicago, Salt-N-Pepa and "Wham!"

Rating: 6/10

OLA BOLA (2016)

Genre: Drama / Sports
Running Length: 1:53
Cast: Chee Jun Cherng, Luqman Hafidz, Saran Kumar, Marianne Tan, Katrina Ho, Bront Palarae
Director: Chiu Keng Guan
Screenplay: Chan Yoke Yeng, Tan Pik Yee

OLA BOLA is a technically accomplished film. No matter what Chiu and his team says about not feeling the pressure to deliver another "The Journey" phenomenal box office hit, the expectations for his latest film will be high.

So did Ola Bola deliver? Well, it's definitely a feel good Malaysia Boleh movie, but the screenplay and editing could have been more focused and tighter. The first half of the movie was a little all over the place because there are too many characters introduced plus their off the pitch personal stories to tell (and it didn't help they all somewhat looked alike because of the late 70s long hairstyle). But the filmmakers were much more in control in the second half and thus, resulting to a triumphant finish.

Although this story is fictional (with fictional characters), it is based on true events ie. the journey of our multi-cultural Malaysian football team competing to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

What really worked for me was the rousing movie score, the sound and the cinematography. When put all three together in the right context, you can't help but to stand up and cheer. The scene where the team walks back into the pitch (in glorious slowmo) with a reinvigorated spirit after the motivational half-time locker room talk got my neighbour in the cinema hall pumping his fist in the air and cheering loudly. Wow, it was an emotional moment!

As for the performances, some worked and some didn't. Some cameos were unnecessary and distracting. Two performances that really stood out for me were from Saran Kumar and Bront Palarae. Saran's performance as the goalkeeper and a son wanting his father's approval made me all teary (stupid sand). While Bront has an undeniable onscreen charisma as a passionate and witty rookie commentator as well as an affectionate young father. The supporting cast of the team captain's sister and a reserve player with bucktooth gave memorable performances despite their limited screen time.

In summary, the movie is little heavy handed in delivering the muhibbah message as it felt like the filmmakers were beating us into submission but I welcome it as a timely reminder when one considers what has been happening in our country in the last few years. We are strong not because we are one but it's because we are diverse. Indeed, diversity is Malaysia's strength and we should embrace it.

Rating: 7.5/10

THE REVENANT (2016)

Genre: Drama / Adventure
Running Length: 2:36
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Mark L. Smith, based on part on the novel by Michael Punke

THE REVENANT feels like an expensive exercise in self indulgence by director Inarritu (more about that later). And it also feels like Leo signed up for this because it could be his ticket to winning an Oscar, finally. The industry knows that the Academy digs actors who go through physical transformation or some kind of emotional torture (or both) in the name of Intense Method Acting. And boy, does DiCaprio suffer to "become" the character of Hugh Glass; consuming raw bison liver on camera, frequently shirtless in hypothermia-inducing harsh climates, sleeping in animal carcasses and so on and forth. 

Please don't get me wrong as all these misery the cast and crew had to go through is translated powerfully on screen - it's a tough, intense and experiential drama. But was it necessary for the film to take so long to tell a simple revenge-in-the-wilderness tale? 

There were way too many perfectly crafted long tracking shots (especially the film's opening Indian raid sequence) which was more distracting than immersive. As the camera glides smoothly through the bloodbath, it calls attention to the whereabouts of the camera instead of making it disappear. It just informs me that Inarritu was intentional on this and wants people to admire his craft rather than getting the audience involved in the action. And there are just too many extended takes on the rugged landscape. 

That said, this method of "not cutting away" was employed effectively in a grizzly bear attack sequence which was intense and disturbing. It gives a realistic view of what actually takes place when a man is being mauled by an enraged bear. Viewers may find this scene way too unsettling as we see DiCaprio being shred apart. 

And speaking of serving the ego, there is an ongoing artsy dream sequence which didn't really serve the story except to showcase how beautifully it was shot. It could have at least been used to fill in some back story of our protagonist so that the audience could be more emotionally invested in him. All we know of DiCaprio's character is that he seems to be super determined to survive but I was detached from his character because I hardly know anything about him. 

From a technical standpoint, The Revenant is flawless and very beautiful to look at. Reportedly shot using only natural light, the glory of the untouched (and freezing) American frontier is masterfully captured. 

Catch it on big screen if you like a gorgeously filmed revenge flick cum survival porn.  

Rating: 7/10

JAGAT (2015)

Genre: Drama
Running Length: 1:30
Cast: Harvind Raj, Jibrail Rajhula, Tinesh Sathi Krishnan, Kuben Mahadevan

Director: Shanjhey Kumar Perumal

Screenplay: Shanjhey Kumar Perumal

JAGAT (Tamil slang for Malay word ‘Jahat’ which loosely translated as ‘Bad’) is a very commendable Malaysian made Tamil movie. The debut film of Shanjhey Kumar Perumal tells the tale of a 12-year old boy Appoi (Harvind Raj) growing up in a marginalized community shaped by the cycle of poverty. It is set against a small Malaysian town in the early 1990s. 

There are two main characters in this movie; Appoi and his uncle, Mexico (Jibrail Rajula). Appoi is a smart and talented kid who's definitely ahead of his time, while his uncle is jobless and living a meaningless life. Both are finding redemption in their very own ways; Appoi is constantly trying to figure out this vicious cycle in order to break out of it while Mexico gives into it by joining the local gang. 

Jagat is a serious drama (no song and dance) which demonstrates how the rigid education system, the impoverished family unit and kids exposed to crime at an early age keeps the wheel of poverty turning. This film is almost a pseudo-documentary about life in a ghetto fused with a narrative about these few individuals. 

As newcomers, both Raj and Rajhula's raw performance are outstanding. The casting is good - right people for the right role. Some scenes are beautifully shot for eg. the landscape shots of the small town surrounded by mountains, the fishing village scenes and the little charms found only in small Malaysian "ghost" towns (suddenly there is an urge to do a road trip #cuticutimalaysia). Although there are some technical flaws (most likely due to the small production budget), the audience would be able to feel that every scene was meticulously planned and shot with love. 

From a narrative standpoint, it would definitely have benefited from a tighter script but I can't help but to feel proud of Shanjhey. This movie is definitely a big step forward to bridge the racial divide in our country. Through the power of storytelling, I now understand the Indian community much better. And I found out that despite our different skin colour, all of us share the same obstacles and aspirations in life. We are in fact unified in our diversity. 

Rating: 8/10

THE BIG SHORT (2016)

Genre: Comedy / Drama
Running Length: 2:12

Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Brad Pitt, Melissa Leo, Marisa Tomei, Jeremy Strong

Director: Adam McKay

Screenplay: Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, based on the book by Michael Lewis

"Three great forces rule the world; stupidity, fear and greed." Albert Einstein

THE BIG SHORT is one of those rare films which fuses comedy and drama so effectively. And we're not talking about a light subject matter here. It's about the burst of the housing credit bubble in 2008 which brought about the devastating global financial meltdown where tens of thousands of people lost their homes and jobs. To be fair, the comedy showcased here is of the sharp comedic edge and wit genre and not the silly LOL humour one has come to expect from McKay's work. All in all, this is a serious comedy presented in an unconventional filmmaking technique. And it works brilliantly. 

This movie (which is based on true events) tells the story of a few group of investors which saw the opportunity to profit off the imminent collapse of the housing market. This interesting narrative is merged flawlessly with a semi-documentary presentation of what happened leading to the crash. Usually for movies with an ensemble cast, the character development will suffer as there's just too many things happening. But not for this film, as the main characters (Bale and Carell) are fully fleshed out and is ably supported by the other big-name actors. Speaking of the two actors, Carell's performance is equally compelling as Bale's. 

Credit is given to the screenplay for successfully explaining something so complicated ("credit default swaps", "collateralized debt obligations") using object lessons and cameo appearances such as Anthony Bordain and Selena Gomez - employed in a hilarious way. And yet, movie goers are also caught up with the lives of these individual characters. 

With so many things happening, it's a miracle that The Big Short emerges triumphant and didn't fall apart. It's educational, highly engaging and energetic. And I couldn't help but to feel a deep anger when I walked out of the cinema hall as lo and behold, how little has changed today since the devastation of 2008. Oh, and did I say this was a comedy? 

Rating: 9/10

THE PEANUTS MOVIE (2015)

Genre: Animated
Running Length: 1:28
Cast (Voices): Noah Schnapp, Alexander Garfin, Hadley Belle Miller, Francesca Capaldi, Venus Schultheis, Mariel Sheets         

Director: Steve Martino

Screenplay: Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz and Cornelius Uliano, based on the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz

I never really grew up with the Snoopy comic strip so it was a good introduction to the world of Charlie Brown and his best pal in THE PEANUTS MOVIE. From what I gather, this animated flick was made for fans to walk down the nostalgia road as it doesn't offer anything new or updated eg. you don't see the gang on mobile phones or selfie-ying.

The only thing "modern" this film did was to use computer generated images rather than hand-drawn representations of the beloved characters, while still retaining the overall look and feel of the late Schulz' strips. As a result, it looks really refreshing. And another highlight is the voice work. The child actors (many of whom have limited professional experience) did a great job because the gang sounds just like what we expect them to sound. It just fits. (On a side note, the sounds made by Snoopy and Woodstock are provided by the original voice artist ie. the late Bill Melendez, via archived sounds.)

Is there a storyline? Of course. It's about the infatuation of Charlie Brown with The Little Red-Haired Girl and the lessons he learns about self-worth as he tries to get her attention. There is one really touching scene (two actually, the last sequence was the most moving) involving a talent show and a difficult choice Charlie had to make.

Although this good family film feels a little long at times, I'm curious to find out whether today's young audience will appreciate such good old-fashioned animated flick or they will approach it with cynicism. I suspect it will play better to their parents.

(And I didn't know Snoopy is so adorable. He's cheeky, loves sleeping, smart, imaginative and loyal. Snoopy is a genuinely happy dog.)

Rating: 7/10