Screenplay: Dave Callaham, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP, the sequel to the 2009's Zombieland is more of the same. Really. It's the same movie, just with slightly more humans. And the filmmakers are not shy about repeating the same formula. Hence, if you enjoyed Zombieland, you’ll probably like this sequel, just not as much.
It has some clever moments and good laughs (don't miss the opening scene, yes, the one with the Columbia Pictures torch lady!). However not everything lands especially some running gags.
There are some interesting cameos; some worked, some didn't.
Double Tap is best enjoyed laughing-out-loud with a friend who also liked the first movie.
Cast: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis,
Natalia Reyes, Gabriel Luna
Director: Tim Miller
Screenplay: David S. Goyer & Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray, based on a
story by James Cameron & Charles H. Eglee & Josh Friedman & David
S. Goyer & Justin Rhodes
From an entertainment standpoint, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE is an improvement over the recent sequels but it still can't match the level of the first two entries in the series. In fact, the series should have just ended at T2.
This movie is somewhat a remake of T1 and T2 by taking what worked in that two entries and smashed it together in this one to serve a new generation of audience. Yeah, there is a bold move in Dark Fate which happens right at the beginning but other than that, it's actually more or less a T1 and T2 mashup.
Action junkies would enjoy this entry but I disliked it. The action sequences here are the Fast & Furious type where it defies physics and it goes up to eleven as the movie progresses: loud, CGI-packed action and just numbing. There was hardly any tension.
Performance wise, Arnold still steals the show everytime he is on screen. He is the king of one-liners. The filmmakers introduced emotions into Arnold's Terminator here and he does it with surprising effectiveness without coming across awkward and forced. Linda's Sarah Connor is fine here. She looks great for her age but I just can't help but be distracted by how much her face has aged. Perhaps it's a reflection of how much I have aged too >.<
As for the younger actors, Mackenzie's Grace is a standout while the rest of the cast were serviceable.
All in all, they should just stop making more Terminator movies.
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE is strictly for the fans.
Those who have not watched the series will hard it to follow. As a massive fan of Breaking Bad, I hyperventilated when Netflix dropped (out of the blue) a teaser trailer for this "Netflix event" two months ago. "It's REAL. It's FINALLY happening!"
So is this movie any good?
"Bitch!" This film was a letdown. The plot is so thin, the filmmakers had to add in unnecessary flashbacks to stretch it into a feature-length film. And these flashbacks do not add anything to the character of Jesse Pinkman except as an excuse to showcase some familiar characters from the Breaking Bad series.
Among all of these cameos, only one was memorable. When he showed up on screen, my eyes just lit up! He looked the same as he was in the series! I can't say the same for the other characters especially one of them who put on so much weight here. Eventhough his performance was on point, his appearance was such a distraction.
Also, there were a a few decisions that Jesse made which was not believable. In an earlier scene, he couldn't carry out an obvious decision because he was broken and vulnerable but in a much later scene, he was cool as a Marlboro Man cowboy. Perhaps Vince Gilligan (the director and writer) wanted to convey the message that Jesse is finally comfortable in his own skin? I dunno. El Camino could have worked better as a one-hour epilogue episode. It's a decent closure to the character of Jesse Pinkman but a lackluster addition to the Breaking Bad universe.
Release Date: Malaysia, 03 Oct 2019 Genre: Drama / Crime
Running Length: 2:02
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenplay: Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
JOKER is certainly a provocative film.
To me, it was uncomfortable at
times to witness an individual with a fragile mind slowly descending into
madness. Some viewers may also find this movie unsettling because of the glorification of our main villain and his excuse for violence. And for some, with what's happening in the world today, the scenes depicting the public taking their frustration into the streets to riot and loot may just hit it close to home for them.
The reason Joker is believable is squarely because of Joaquin Phoenix’s dedicated and uncompromising portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker. For those who doesn’t know his work, they will be in for a treat. But for those who are familiar, we know he is definitely most capable of such tour de force. However, what I am most captivated about his performance here is his physical transformation and his ability to be both scary and sympathetic at the same time. Phoenix puts his own spin on the maniacal signature Joker laugh (His character Arthur claims it's an uncontrollable medical condition but then in one scene, he could just stop laughing at will).
As for the film itself, I can't help but find it to be too visually perfect. I mean, it seems as though almost every moment was intentionally shot and edited with the purpose of creating an impact. Don't get me wrong, the film looks grainy and gorgeous but I was distracted with these "moments". In fact, I felt Phoenix went a little too method in some of these shots (it looks stunning in the first teaser trailer, but to see such "BE AWED" moments repeatedly over the course of a 2 hour film can be a tad too self indulgent and even tedious)
And when it comes to references, although I have only watched a few clips from Taxi Driver, there were just too many scenes in Joker aping that movie. Also, I get it that this movie exist in the Batman universe, but I felt the filmmakers here tried a little too hard to have a force connection with that universe.
Plus, I felt that the pacing was a little off. I can't put a finger to it but I felt some parts were disjointed and inconsistent. Not too sure if it was the result of writing, directing, editing or all three. For example, the film experiments with the unreliable narrator angle but I just couldn't feel the "Oh wow, I didn't see that coming! That was smart" impact when they unveiled it.
All in all, is Joker a good film? Well, at times I felt the filmmakers bit off more than they could chew but it's still a necessary film to watch. Warning: If you're going into this film to be entertained, be prepared to be disturbed instead. The very fact that I was still thinking about this movie long after the curtain fell says something about this film.
"Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?"
Cast: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga
Director: James Gray
Screenplay: Ethan Gross
"He could only see what was not there and miss what was
right in front of him."
AD ASTRA (Latin for "to the stars") isn’t the sort of sci-fi motion picture with action and explosion aka Armageddon, eventhough it has Liv Tyler in this movie. Instead, this movie is in the same vein as The Martian, Gravity and Interstellarwhere the focus is on the human spirit and relationships. What I really enjoyed about this film is the use of space exploration as a canvas to look inward
at the very core of our humanity - what does it mean to live and to love?
This film spoke to me and probably most men, as our masculinity are pegged with our drive, performance and success in reaching our quest. And if we fail, we are told to "man up". As a result, we are good at compartmentalizing how we feel. Such suppression usually leads to loneliness and being distant in our relationships.
Brad Pitt, fresh off the recent Once Upon A Time in Hollywood turns in another stellar performance. His performances here reminds us that
he’s more than a pretty face. He is restrained throughout the entire film (probably because his character's heart rate doesn't go up more than 80 bpm even when he is faced head-on with fight-or-flight situations).
The cinematography and set design captures the vastness of space and just so gorgeous to look at respectively. And the soundtrack complements the film instead of trying to forcefully draw out a certain emotion from the audience.
All in all, it was a meditative and healing experience for me as this film develops at its own pace. At times, it feels personal and intimate as though Brad Pitt was still reeling from his recent split from Angelina Jolie and their children. It feels like we're inside Brad Pitt's brain as we see him close-up in almost every frame and hear him narrating calmly in voice-over throughout the film. A mesmerizing film.
Cast: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Albert
Jones, Lauren Glazier, Stacey Roca, Michael Cerveris
Series created by: Joe Penhall
When MINDHUNTER first came out almost 2 years ago on Netflix, I was completely captivated by it. It showed the power of dialogue done right. I was genuinely creep out by the interviews between our two FBI protagonist (Groff and McCallany) and the serial killers. This video explained it best.
So when the second season recently came out, I was stoked. So, is season 2 better than the first one?
But before I give my review, for those who have yet to watch Season 1, here's what this crime series is all about. Set in the late 1970s, two FBI agents are tasked with
interviewing serial killers to determine patterns on why they did what they did. By profiling them, such behavioral research will be used to solve open cases.
Season 2 picked up immediately from the ending of Season 1. Some of the infamous serial murderers who appeared in this season include: Son of Sam, Charles Manson, Tex Watson, Paul "Bag Murderer" Bateson, BTK and Wayne Williams.
I found this season not as gripping as Season 1. Perhaps I was expecting more of those chilling interviews to understand deeper what was going on in the minds of the criminals. But this season instead chose to tackle an ongoing case, the politics and bureaucracy of the justice system and the personal drama of some of the characters.
If there is one thing I learned about a profile pattern from this season is the need to control. Also, this season competently explores the question of, "Are serial killers born or made?" through a family tragedy.
All in all, I'm still invested in this series and I can't wait for Season 3!
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-Kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-Shik,
Park So-Dam, Lee Jeong-eun
Director: Bong Joon-Ho
Screenplay: Jin Won-Han, Bong Joon-Ho
PARASITE, the latest from Bong Joon-Ho (The Host, Snowpiercer, Okja) tells the tale of a lower-class unemployed family of four. Luck (or some may argue bad luck) came upon them when they chanced upon a glamorous higher-class family of four and in no time, their lives get entangled in the most unexpected way.
Bong Joon-Ho has crafted a rare and bizarre movie but yet it's very accessible and believable to audiences worldwide. Parasite is a multi-genre movie where it has elements of dark comedy, drama and thriller. And somehow it works.
The performances are on point. What I do like are the restrained set pieces and how the cinematographer is able to bring out the best with the limitations. The spaces where the poor lives feels really claustrophobic and "smelly" while the rich; spacious and clean.
Just like Okja, if there is one thing which I felt was a tad too heavy-handed is its social commentary. Also, the length of the movie especially the middle portion could have benefited if it was trimmed down a little.
