TOY STORY 4

Release Date: Malaysia, 20 June 2019

Genre: Animated

Running Length: 1:40

Cast (Voices): Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves

Director: Josh Cooley

Screenplay: Andrew Stanton & Stephany Folsom

A couple of years ago when Pixar announced they are going to do another Toy Story, the first words that dropped into my mind were, "cash grab". And when the trailer to TOY STORY 4 was released, I wasn't impressed. The plot macam same-same with the rest of the other Toy Story episodes and it kinda looked...boring.

I had a similar feeling towards Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo. But I still watched it then because it's Pixar yo. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed with Dory because it felt the same.

So with all these precedents, I walked into Toy Story 4 with my bar set very low.

And I'm glad to say I really enjoyed this movie! Here's why

In terms of the plot for all the Toy Story movies, I never really could remember much of it. It all somewhat blend into one because it usually involves Woody (Hanks) and Buzz (Allen) fighting for their owner's attention. And somehow a toy or two will get stranded and the whole gang will go on a rescue mission.

However, what I do care about this series is its characters, especially Woody and Buzz. And in this movie, eventhough it involves another rescue mission, something more happens to a major character. And because I care for this character, the heart-wrenching conclusion ripped me to shreds.

And speaking of characters, there are some new ones introduced in this installment and I absolutely love them especially Forky, Ducky and Bunny and Duke Caboom (voiced by the ever reliable Keanu "Woah" Reeves). They are super funny!

Oh, and don't forget to stay till the end after the final end-credits involving Duke Caboom and a G.I. Joe-like action figure.

And finally, as for the themes explored here, it's beautifully bleak. More mature kids watching this may be affected by real-world themes such as being unlovable, losing one's purpose and making a difficult decision to follow your heart. (There are some horror elements too, so those bringing kids, you've been warned)

In conclusion, I'm glad Toy Story 4 wasn't a cash grab. Even if it was, I felt a sense of relief that the filmmakers put in so much care in these characters and the superior photo-realistic animation.

RATING: 8.5/10

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS

Release Date: Malaysia, 30 May 2019

Genre: Adventure

Running Length: 2:11

Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Director: Michael Dougherty 

Screenplay: Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields 

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS is a direct sequel to Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla. One of the major complaints from the fans back then was that it featured "too little Godzilla" and "not enough kaiju smackdown". That movie had a more dramatic approach as it centred around its characters. 

I guess the filmmakers took those feedback and boy, did they double-double down on the monsters. You gotta see it on the big screen to fully appreciate the spectacle and the visually stunning kaiju smackdown! There was a scene in the movie where I literally exclaimed, "YEAAAH!!!" when one of the monsters literally "power up" by chomping on some power grid.

It was like watching a WWE match.

"I've seen stranger things"

However on the flip side, when it came to its characters, boy oh boy, I really don't know what were the filmmakers thinking. I have no idea what's the purpose of the human beings in this movie except to give exposition. Everytime when the characters appear on the screen (usually in-between the monsters fight sequences), they are there telling each other stories on the legend of the gods (the kaiju). Mind you, whoever is explaining this usually has images magically ready on their monitors to help the other people in the room to visualize better what he/she is talking about. Yes, like a powerpoint presentation.

And the dialogue is JUST TERRIBLE. Who talks like this! And I really pity the actors involved in this movie as they are capable artist but unfortunately, they were dealt with a poor script. So when some of these characters die, I just couldn't care less.

And don't get me started with the baffling decisions these characters make throughout the movie! All in all, the plot is supposed to be simple but it turned out to be so convoluted. When I checked on IMDB who is this "Michael Dougherty" director, I was surprised to find out that he is primarily known for being a screenwriter. But yet, he could churn out such a garbage script! Makes me wanna scream!

"Hehe. That tickles!"

If there is one movie which did an excellent job in balancing the monsters and the human beings, it's the original Jurassic Park. 

That being said, if you're into seeing cities being torn apart and flattened as these god-sized monsters collide with one another (accompanied with a dramatic soundtrack) , you won't leave disappointed.

RATING: 6/10

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM

Release Date: Malaysia, 16 May 2019

Genre: Action / Thriller

Running Length: 2:10

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Halle Berry, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Angelica Huston

Director: Chad Stahelski

Screenplay: Derek Kolstad and Shay Hatten and Chris Collins & Marc Abrams

These events in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 picks up exactly where Chapter 2 left off: 

Excommunicado.

Tick tock tick tock.

$14 Million bounty.

Stylized neon nightscape.

Book fight.

Knife fight.

Fight on a running horse.

The Director.

The Adjudicator.

Casablanca.

"He finds you."

Woah, Halle Berry! You go girl!

Two awesome Belgian Shepherds!

Rules and consequences.

Desert.

Ouch! 4 Fingers.

High Table.

Motorcycle fight.

"I'm a fan!" (Woah, that was totally left field)

Deconsecrated.

"Gun, lots of guns."

Fight in a hotel.

Mirrors.

Hand to hand combat.

"If you want peace, prepare for war" ie. Parabellum.

Back alley.

"Because I am...pissed!"

"Yeah!"

RATING: 3/10

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

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