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

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017)

Genre: Musical
Running Length: 2:09
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Stanley Tucci
Director: Bill Condon
Screenplay: Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos

You've got to give it to the House of Mouse for creating yet another stable revenue $tream; adapting their classic animations into live-action movies. With Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and The Jungle Book, and now BEAUTY AND THE BEAST breaking all sorts of box office records, we will definitely be expecting more of such adaptations coming our way.

In all honesty, I did enjoy myself with this movie. Not because it offered anything new to add another layer to a classic we all know (like how Maleficent did), but it just felt familiar - like meeting an old friend. It was 2 hours of pleasant nostalgia. It's probably because it follows the 1991 animation classic to the tee.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. I found myself humming to the songs and was actually looking forward to the iconic scenes; the lively Be Our Guest number and of course, the ballroom dancing scene. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. To be fair, there were some new compositions but they were mostly forgettable. And the attempt to provide some additional background to the characters were commendable but unfortunately, it didn't add any depth to them.

As for the casting, all were solid. But a big shout out to Luke Evans for playing the narcissistic Gaston. I remembered the animated Gaston to be this stereotype beefcake with not much happening up there. But Evans somehow managed to give Gaston a more "human" quality. Whenever he's on screen, he delivers his part with plenty of gusto.

I suspect for those who have not watched the predecessor, this 2017 version could be a magical experience for them. But for purists who grew up with the classic, I can only imagine it would suffer by comparison.

RATING: 7.5/10