AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Release Date: Malaysia, 24 Apr 2019

Genre: Action / Adventure

Running Length: 3:01

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle

Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo 

Screenplay: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely 

WARNING: Eventhough this is a spoiler-free review, I would still recommend you to turn away if you've not watched Avengers: Endgame and especially the last movie Avengers: Infinity War as I'll be making references to the events that happened in Infinity War. If you want a full-on 100% spoiler-free experience, avoid any sort of reviews, commentaries and even crowded places. 

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Still here? Ok, you've been warned. 

AVENGERS: END GAME picks up almost immediately after the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War. With whoever is left, the Avenger assemble once more in an attempt to undo Thanos' actions. 

"Whatever it takes"

The story structure to this film is clearly broken into 3 parts. 

1. The first one showcases whatever's left of our superheroes; all of them tries to move on with their lives but just can't.    
2. The second part focuses on our superheroes trying to undo what Thanos did.
3. The showdown. This part deals with the consequences of trying to undo what Thanos did.   

I like the first two parts because it feels like a drama. Our heroes are the most "human" here instead of the usual explosions and fights. I've not seen anything like this in any of the MCU movies. It's moving and affecting thanks to the performances of our ensemble cast, especially from the original Avengers.  

The usual signature random funny scenes are present here thanks to The Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Don Cheadle's War Machine but overall, the atmosphere of this movie is bleak.

I also like the approach that the filmmakers took for the middle section of the movie. Let's just say it feels like a "Best Of" episode but with a fresh take on it.  

"Why so serious?"

Did the filmmakers take any risk in this outing in comparison to the last one? Yes, they did. 

Although not as "shock-to-the-system" impactful as Infinity War, but this movie still carries an emotional punch to the gut. In fact, I was "punched" a few times. 

Overall, comparing the two latest Avengers movies, Infinity War has a stronger narrative and is more focused. The stakes felt really high. Endgame does a good job in mixing the quieter dramatic elements with big special effects sequences but there are some pacing issues here and there, and a few things to nitpick. Also, I had a lot of questions after the film but thankfully (don't click if you've not seen the movie!) I got most of the answers from this link. 

In conclusion, Avengers: Endgame is a super satisfying ending for me that has the right balance of closure and setup for future installments for some characters. 

RATING: 9/10 

(this "9" is a shade lower than the "9" I gave for Infinity War)

FLY BY NIGHT

Release Date: Malaysia, 11 Apr 2019

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Running Length: 1:30

Cast: Sunny Pang, Jack Tan, Fabian Loo, Bront Palarae, Eric Chen, Frederick Lee

Director: Zahir Omar

Screenplay: Dain Said, Ivan Yeo, Frederick Bailey

FLY BY NIGHT is another step in the right direction for Malaysian cinema. 

What's interesting about this locally made movie: 

1. The director Zahir Omar. A non-Chinese dude directing an ensemble cast of primarily Chinese actors speaking their own native language ie. Cantonese and Mandarin. Respect!
2. The risque content. Aside from the occasional shocking violence, this movie does not shy away from the topic of power abuse and misconduct by the local police force.  

"U nak kopi atau kopi?"

Such a movie, together with last year's One Two Jaga would never have seen the light in our local cinemas before Malaysia Baru.

This movie is about a group of taxi drivers who operates a low-key extortion racket targeting rich passengers. Of course, things go awry when some of the group members became impatient and greedy and got themselves entangled with various "interesting" parties.

I read somewhere that the director is a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino's earlier films (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction). So, it's no big surprise to see some of QT's signature style appearing in this movie. 

As for how I felt about this movie - it didn't really move me. It's a very nicely shot film but there were some jarring continuity and tonal inconsistencies. Perhaps, there were just too many characters and too short of a time to unpack some of these characters. As a result, some of them unintentionally came off as caricatures. 

"I should've been a Grab driver instead"

Maybe that's why I couldn't find anyone in the cast I could root for. Moreover, the stakes just wasn't high enough to be immersed into this film. 

Nevertheless, when this film gets picked up by a streaming service in the coming future (I don't think they are showing it anymore in the cinemas), I strongly encourage you to catch it then. Fly By Night demonstrates that Malaysian filmmakers are capable of telling compelling crime stories and we as Malaysians, should support our own products.    

RATING: 7.5/10

SHAZAM!

Release Date: Malaysia, 04 Apr 2019

Genre: Action / Adventure

Running Length: 2:12

Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong, Djimon Hounsou

Director: David F. Sandberg

Screenplay: Henry Gayden

Note to self: I should avoid reading reviews before watching a movie. 

When I read that SHAZAM! is a "mash-up of Superman and Big", naturally I had high expectations. You see, when I caught Big yeaaaars ago, I instantly fell in love with that Tom Hanks movie. I remember it being funny but yet has a lot of heart.

Unfortunately Shazam! didn't live up to my expectations. I blame myself for having a benchmark. 

To be fair, it IS a funny movie. And there are several noteworthy emotional scenes too. But the problem I had is the uneven tonal shift between comedy, action and the tender scenes. As a result, I wasn't sure what emotional reaction was the filmmakers aiming for. For me, it gave me a lukewarm experience.

(The best superhero movie to-date that managed to perfectly blend comedy and action but yet still has a strong emotional core is Thor: Ragnarok) 

"By the power of ..."

Plot wise, it's about an ancient wizard who chose teenager Billy Batson (Angel) and bestowed him with superpowers. All Billy has to do is to say "Shazam!" and BOOMZ, Billy transforms into an adult superhero. 

Whenever there is a superhero, there will always be a super villain. Eventhough our baddie Doctor Sivana (Strong) has a backstory of how he became our chief villain, he was a little generic and unforgettable for me. Perhaps it's the familiar casting of Mark Strong. 

Also, I found the movie a little draggy at times.

However, what I really do like about the movie is the quieter moments especially the scenes between Billy/Shazam and his foster family brother, Freddy. There are several memorable scenes whenever the two get together; such as the "super powers test" and the running gag of naming Billy's alter ego (Thundercrack XD)

Not Coke

As for the casting of Zachary Levi as our main hero, he is a PERFECT choice. He is believable as the kid in a grown-up superhero body. Levi has just the right amount of heroic charisma coupled with the awkwardness of a teenager. 

There are many DCEU references here too; Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. In fact, this movie is much more connected to the DCEU compared to Wonder Woman or the recent Aquaman. It's definitely a nice touch. 

All in all, Shazam! needs a tighter edit and a better script. That said, this movie represents another step forward for DC movies and I firmly believe they should just stick to creating standalone movies and not try to build towards a Justice League type of movie.

p/s: There are two 2 post credit scenes, one in the middle and the other right at the end. 

RATING: 6.5/10

   

US

Release Date: Malaysia, 21 Mar 2019

Genre: Horror / Thriller

Running Length: 1:56

Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker

Director: Jordan Peele 

Screenplay: Jordan Peele 

Get Out was my #02 film of 2017 so I was naturally excited to see Jordan Peele's next film. Eventhough I was told that his follow-up US has more horror elements compared to his directorial debut, I dragged myself to watch it. 

For those who know me, I don't enjoy the straight out horror genre (I HATE JUMP SCARES!). I would only go watch one if the filmmakers have something fresh and creative to tell. For example, Get Out is a social commentary in the horror genre. 

So was Us fresh?

Packed with symbolism and metaphors, this movie is trying to say something...but I don't know what. 

"Kids, don't play with fire"

Whereas Get Out was a focused movie, I felt that Jordan Peele was too busy preaching a variety of topics to the viewers in this one; the current political red-blue divide in US ("US" get it??), the marginalized, free will etc. 

What's the plot about? 

A family of four wishing to spend some pleasant vacation time together is disrupted when a group of four people who look like them showed up on their front door and start terrorizing them. I mean, "terrorizing" is an understatement because halfway through the movie, things just go absolute bonkers. 

"Hello neighbour, can we borrow some salt?"

This is a horror movie after all. So was it terrifying? 

Well, there are some memorable moments like the home invasion sequence but overall, it's actually pretty tame. There are some mild gory moments played for laughs.   

As for the performances, both Lupita and Winston are very good here as the couple (they both appeared in Black Panther). Lupita is very believable as the anxious and paranoid mother while Winston is the comic relief. 

In summary, despite its puzzling and thought-provoking premise (I was pondering about it over two days), Us was somewhat mixed for me. That said, I will still be anticipating Jordan Peele's next movie as I admire his "social thriller" approach to his creations. 

RATING: 7/10

CAPTAIN MARVEL

Release Date: Malaysia, 06 Mar 2019

Genre: Action / Adventure

Running Length: 2:04

Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Annette Bening, Djimon Hounsou, Gemma Chan

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Screenplay: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet

CAPTAIN MARVEL ranks at the bottom half of the MCU standalone movies. It's not as weak as the recent Ant-Man and the Wasp but it's no Black Panther. To be fair, it's because the bar is already set so high up for an already overcrowded field of MCU movies, this film felt...generic.

The movie opens in outer space. When we are first introduced to Brie Larson's character, she is part of the heroic Kree team (led by Jude Law's character) looking to take down the shapeshifting villainous tribe called the Skrulls in the Kree/Skrull war. We soon learn that she has no memories of her past except the occasional flashback of her in various ages on planet Earth.

During one of her missions to take down a group of Skrulls, she ended up on Earth (the year is 1995). That's when she meets the younger looking Nick Fury (Jackson) and Agent Coulson (Gregg). By the way, the de-aging effects is amazing.

Wanting badly to know her past, she goes on a journey to discover who she really is and ended up uncovering more than she expected.

I'm not doing a one-piece bathing suit costume like in the comics.

As far as Brie Larson is concerned, the actress is fine as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. She has the dramatic chops for the quieter moments. In fact, I find her performance much more interesting during her character's amnesia stage as her powers were still repressed. But once she learns how to "unlock" her seemingly limitless powers, Larson somewhat lacks the charisma to carry the god-like presence of Captain Marvel.

That said, the most inspiring part of the movie is during the "unlocking" of her powers moment, represented by a montage of Carol Danvers suddenly finding her inner strength.

  

There are plenty of big visuals and actions with humorous quips; thanks to a very youthful and animated Samuel L. Jackson. And speaking of Jackson's Fury, we learn a lot more about his character here and how he ended up wearing the signature eye patch. Plus, the 90s music throwback is a nice touch especially one fight scene choreographed to the tune of No Doubt's Just A Girl.

Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye.

There are some nice tribute scenes too; one involving a Star Wars chase sequence (accompanied by a John William-ish soundtrack) and an Indiana Jones moment played to laughs.

In summary, Captain Marvel is no Wonder Woman (the most obvious point of comparison). And Brie Larson is no Gal Gadot. The latter movie has heart, vulnerability and power and as a result, it could easily connect emotionally to its audience. Nevertheless, Captain Marvel is still an important watch as it gives us a clue to how next month's Avengers: End Game would come to an end.

  

(Just like any MCU movie, stay back for two end credit scenes; one mid-credit and the other right at the end involving Goose the Cat)

RATING: 7/10

INTEGRITY (廉政風雲 煙幕)

Release Date: Malaysia, 14 Feb 2019

Genre: Thriller

Running Length: 1:54

Cast:  Sean Lau Ching-wan, Nick Cheung Ka-fai, Karena Lam, Alex Fong Chung-san, Anita Yuen Wing-yi, Deep Ng

Director:  Alan Mak

Screenplay: Alan Mak

When INTEGRITY, soared to the top of the Hong Kong box office during this Lunar New Year, I had to check it out because it's not your typical type of genre to be released during the Chinese New Year period. 

The holiday period is usually reserved for light-hearted comedy family type of blockbusters, not something so serious which involves corruption, crime, money laundering and cryptocurrency. Just check out the trailer below and you'll know what I mean. 

And I was also looking forward to see Sean Lau and Anita Yuen reunite on screen after 26 years. They appeared in 1993’s C’est la vie, mon chéri <新不了情> as a pair of lovers but in this movie, Sean's character will be going head on against Anita Yuen's character in court. 

Not a spoiler: Although there is only one scene they shared together in this film, I must say it was very memorable. 

With regards to the plot, I actually don't know where to start. But I'll try. King (Sean Lau) is an anti-corruption officer in Hong Kong’s ICAC (our equivalent of MACC), who is in the heat of investigating a high-profile corruption case involving a tobacco company and the customs. A key witness, the whistle-blowing accountant Jack (Nick Cheung) who is about to appear in court decides to flee the country. Another officer Shirley (Karena Lam), is tasked to look for him. 

Sounds simple enough, right? NOooo~ 

Nothing is simple when it comes to Alan Mak, the co-director of the acclaimed Infernal Affairs trilogy and the Overheard trilogy. The plot is heavy and convoluted but thankfully fairly easy to follow (at times it tries too hard to be too smart. Reminds me of last year's Chow Yun-fat and Aaron Kwok's Project Gutenberg). 

His signature atmospheric build-up and tension with the occasional humour are all present in this film  

I am really glad that Hong Kong is not giving up and is still producing such gritty drama which relies on its intricate plotting instead of the staple gun-toting loud action scenes.  Unfortunately, the film falls apart at the end leaving me unsatisfied and questioning what's the purpose of this whole movie.

But thanks to the A-list actors, this film is more than watchable. The performances from the three main leads; Sean, Nick and Karena are very good. There is a sub-plot involving King and Shirley's relationship which I thought was a nice break from the film's weighty plot. 

Also, this movie also gave me a glimpse of the intricacies of finance and creative accounting. As the film was unspooling, I just couldn't help but compare it with our very own 1MDB scandal and the integrity of every party, big or small, who was involved in it. 

RATING: 7/10

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3 (THE HIDDEN WORLD)

Release Date: Malaysia, 31 Jan 2019

Genre: Action / Adventure / Animation

Running Length: 1:45

Cast (voices):  Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, F. Murray Abraham, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig, Kit Harington

Director:  Dean DeBlois

Screenplay: Dean DeBlois based upon the "How to Train Your Dragon" book series by Cressida Cowell 

In this last installment of the How to Train Your Dragon series, I went in with some anxiety anticipating for the worst. If you followed part 1 and 2, you would have realized that the series creators take risk. 

In the first one, our heroes Hiccup (Baruchel) and Toothless lost their leg and tail wing respectively. And in Part 2, as Hiccup finally found his mother, his father dies! 

So, going into HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3, I had all these thoughts in my mind, "Does Toothless die?" , "Does Hiccup die?", "Do Hiccup and Astrid get married?" 

Well, all I can reveal for now is that the character arc (the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story) of both Hiccup and Toothless is complete in an emotionally satisfying way. 

With Hiccup as head chief now, he and Toothless (being the alpha dragon) safeguard their island and keep everyone safe, both humans and dragons. However, there is a new threat to this peaceful dragon utopia where the villagers are forced to make a decision to vacate their village.  

Meanwhile, Toothless has fallen in love with another dragon, a Light Fury. 

This is where Hidden World soars. It's such a delight to see the courtship of this cute couple, from a clumsy mating dance to a no dialogue high-flying sequence official date across the clouds and beautiful "magic hour" cinematic landscape. It's one of the most beautiful and heart warming sequence for me ever created using animation.  

The visuals in this movie is stunning and accompanying score is just perfect.  

The villain (Abraham) in this installment is also much more memorable than Part 2. I swear his demeanor and voice sounded so much like John Lithgow. 

Speaking of the non-verbal, there is this powerful moment somewhere at the end where Hiccup and Toothless communicates without any words. Such an emotional scene.   

How to Train Your Dragon 3 is a fitting ending. Much better than part two, whereas the first one was still the best. 

RATING: 8/10