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

   

KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (2017)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Running Length: 2:21
Cast: Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Pedro Pascal, Edward Holcroft, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Emily Watson, Bruce Greenwood, Hanna Alstrom
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Screenplay: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons

I never really did enjoy the predecessor Kingsman: The Secret Service because of its wanton violence, excessive swearing and crude humour. However, there were some quiet tender moments between Firth's character being a father figure to Egerton's Eggsy, which was pretty powerful. The sequel KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE doesn't really do anything much different from the first film but just to make it bigger and louder, thanks to a bigger budget.

Everything just feels like a 'one-up'; more CGI-heavy action sequences, more characters, more swearing. As meh as the first film was to me, at least it had an element of surprise. But this latest outing just feels safe. As OTT as some of the action sequences were, I actually felt bored.

Thankfully, there are enough gags and humour to save this film from totally unwatchable. To be fair, there are more comedic moments in this sequel, especially the ones involving a British singer. And Egerton proves he's not a one-hit wonder but is indeed capable of playing the lead. Firth is OK but at times it feels like he's not really invested in this movie. The rest of the cast is serviceable (a big shout out to Mark Strong's emotional rendition of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads).

RATING: 5.5/10

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (2015)

 
Genre: Action/Comedy
Running Length: 2:08
Cast: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Screenplay: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book "The Secret Service" by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons

KINGSMAN is a fast-paced high energy action flick with a morbid sense of humour. The build-up is engaging especially the no holds barred last man standing recruitment contest to select a "kingsman" (modern day knights). But the last act was a little tiresome even though the action was pretty solid. The biggest highlight to me is Colin Firth, as he makes a surprisingly suave but down-to-earth action hero. It is said that Firth did 80% of his own stunts (and fight scenes) and this is very much evident in a wtf orgy of violence sequence set in a church. Samuel L. Jackson is serviceable as the main villain; OTT with a scarily but valid motivation. I think I would have enjoyed more if it was tighter as it suffers from some pacing issues; it felt repetitive during the training sequences. If only it was shorter, it may have resulted to a possibly much stronger and more focused film. Personally, I'm beginning to enjoy older method actors (above 50) dabbling into the whole action genre ie. cast against type; Liam Neeson, Kevin Costner, Sean Penn and now Colin Firth. That's just something very "jantan" (macho) about it. 

Rating: 6/10

THE IMITATION GAME (2015)

Genre: Drama

Running Length: 1:54

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance, Mark Strong

Director: Morten Tyldum

Screenplay: Graham Moore, based on the book "Alan Turing: The Enigma" by Andrew Hodges

There is nothing more painful than a broken heart especially those involving a break-up or unresolved romantic relationship. It takes a person on a seemingly endless emotional roller coaster ride. But for some, like Alan Turing in THE IMITATION GAME, it was the source of his motivation and inspiration in creating a machine (that will eventually evolved to what we called "computers" today) that will crack the German Enigma code. His work shorten WW2 by two years, thereby saving thousands of lives. The movie provides 3 glimpses into Turing's life; a rejected boy during his formative years as he was a recluse and a homosexual, the building of the code breaker and his final days before he took his own life. With such a meaty narrative and Benedict Cumberbatch playing Turing, I was expecting to be moved. I was waiting to hold back my tears towards the climax of the movie but it didn't do it for me. I didn't dislike the movie but I just thought it could have been much better under the direction of a director who has more experience in handling such material. To be fair, there were some dramatic moments. One scene came to mind where Turing and his team were faced with an impossible dilemma, right after they successfully broke the Enigma, but such scenes were few and far between. The Imitation Game is a war movie where no glorious battlefields are shown. It illustrates an important concept that is even more valid today - that mathematicians and scientists play a critical part in winning the war on terrorism. 

Rating: 7/10