MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE

Malaysia Release Date: 25 Jan 2018

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure 

Running Length: 2:22

Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Rosa Salazar, Will Poulter, Aidan Gillen, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Patricia Clarkson, Walton Goggins

Director: Wes Ball

Screenplay: T.S. Nowlin, based on the novel by James Dashner 

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE is a good send-off to conclude the Maze Runner trilogy. To be fair, the bar wasn't set very high with the first and second one, so I was pleasantly surprise at the grand-ness of this third and final installment. 

What I liked about this film is its action set pieces. At get-go, it opens with a spectacular train rescue mission (felt like it was taken out from a scene in the later Fast and Furious movies) and the action doesn't stop there. It keeps piling up right to its fiery ending. In terms of performances, only one stood out - Dylan O'Brien. Together with the recent American Assassin, O'Brien is shaping up to be a potential action star. There's still room for improvement but I must say, he gives his all into every scene.  

What I didn't like? Way too much action scenes and unnecessary plots. This film is bloated. Clocking in at 2:22, it felt like a 4 hour movie. Some action scenes are so out there you just can't help but to chuckle a little. Although the filmmakers tried to balance it out with some Korean-drama-type emotional scenes, it just didn't really work for me. And what irritated me were the tropes (it came in spades) especially towards the end of the movie. There were so many moments I went, "Wait for it...this and that will happen" and BAM, it did! 

All in all, I must say the Maze Runner series is a much more consistent outing compared to the Hunger Games franchise. While the latter started off with a bang but spluttered to a halt by the time it came to its conclusion, the former kept chugging along.

RATING: 7/10

OKJA (2017)

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure
Running Length: 2:00
Cast: Ahn Seo-hyun, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Jake Gyllenhaal, Giancarlo Esposito
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Screenplay: Bong Joon-ho

(Although this Netflix original feature length production was not released in the local cinemas, it was released in selected US cinemas and simultaneously on the Netflix platform, including Netflix Malaysia. That's why I'm reviewing it here. Note: Don't miss the cool post-credits sequence)

OKJA feels like a Korean movie starring white people. Just like most Asian movies, the tone shifts pretty rapidly from one to another; from adventure to childish jokes to heavy use of F-bombs to serious action to horror and to tragedy. Viewers who are more accustomed to straightforward genre films may find Okja a weird watch.

Thankfully, somehow it worked for me because the tonality shifts felt seamless. At least it moved the story along without feeling terribly awkward. That said, I felt the film was manipulative in arm-twisting its audience to sit up and take notice of the meat packing industry. Its unflinching depiction of what happens at the assembly line in a slaughterhouse is so graphic and heart wrenching - it broke me.

Perhaps there is no other subtle way to convey this message as consumers these days are too desensitize. Or maybe, we just choose NOT to know how/where our food comes from. I believe this is true because just like how the consumers behave in this movie, we DO know. But instead, we choose to believe the marketing; "free range", "organic", "stress-free".

This movie tells of a tale of a little Korean girl (Ahn Seo-hyun) and her pet, Okja, a genetically enhanced pig (which looks like a hippo + elephant + pig). From the trailer, the little girl faces the possibility of losing her best friend to corporate capitalism and as a result, Okja would end up on a plate.

Never do we doubt that Okja the creature is real, thanks to the amazing CGI and convincing performance of Seo-hyun towards her beloved companion. Because of that, we become emotionally connected to the adorable and intelligent Okja.

This movie boast an impressive A-list cast; Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal. In my opinion, Dano is the most effective while Gyllenhaal is totally miscast. Whenever he appeared on screen, I was ready to cringe with his OTT Nic Cage-y performance. As for Swinton, what's with her teeth? Overall, the production value is high and I like the subtle score.

But for now, I'm staying away from eating meat.

RATING: 8.5/10

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

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS (2015)

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Running Length: 2:08
Cast:  Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Jacob Lofland, Rosa Salazar, Aidan Gillen, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor, Patricia Clarkson
Director: Wes Ball
Screenplay: T.S. Nowlin, based on the novel by James Dashner 

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24 

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS touches on the age-old question of whether is it right to sacrifice a small group of people to save the larger population? Just like the rest of the post-apocalyptic YA novels adapted to the big screen, this sequel expands its universe beyond the "maze" in the first movie.

This movie starts where The Maze Runner ended with our protagonist (O'Brien) and his fellow survivors are being taken to a secured location with the promise of a ticket to the promised land. Of course, not all is what it seems. And our survivors are on the run again. Although not quite like the maze we saw in the first film, but the "playground" now has expanded to include crawling through air vents, running away from zombie-like creatures through tunnels and fallen buildings and surviving severe weather conditions. The filmmakers have definitely amped-up the action sequences and some scenes are near terrifying (think Resident Evil). 

Although there are some interesting characters added to the group in this second installment, it still doesn't fare very well in the acting department. Compared to The Hunger Games franchise, the performance here rivals the bad acting we see in soap operas.

To be fair, I like what they did thematically with where all these are going, and I was genuinely entertained. However just like snacking on junk food, I was tricked to feeling full - it was just not as satisfying as a healthy gourmet dinner.

Rating: 6.5/10