Review of ME BEFORE YOU: Dealing with Debilitation

June 16,2016

I am not a fan of romantic films, be it comedies or dramas. However, occasionally, given the impetus of novel casting, I will check them out. The premise of this film itself did not exactly appeal to me. However, the casting of Emilia Clarke in the female lead really intrigued me. I had only known her before as Daenerys Targaryen the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi in "Game of Thrones", and I am very curious to see her in another role. 

Will Traynor is a very wealthy businessman who became a paraplegic following a freak accident with a motorcycle. Trapped in a bed, a mechanized wheelchair and extreme depression, Will was already seriously considering to end it all. Enter the colorfully eccentric waitress Louisa Clark whom Will's mother hired to be his caregiver and companion. Will Lou's quirky infectious joie de vivre snap Will out from his perpetual negativity about his life?

It is not easy to describe Emilia Clarke's performance. It starts off so annoyingly chipper, as reflected by her ridiculous wardrobe of iridescent colors and flashy designs. However, as the film went along, we will find her irresistibly delightful. With her uninhibited performance, you can truly feel the innate goodness of her person, a selfless and sincere dedication to her responsibility. Her smashing scene wearing the red dress drew audible gasps from the audience when I watched.

Sam Claflin portrayed Will very well, capturing his steely determination as well as his dignity in the face of his incapacity. That he remained debonaire and dashing and well-built despite his condition was not realistic in the least, but hey, this is a romance film so we cut it some slack. The chemistry between Lou and Will was not instant. We witnessed it develop and it definitely was THERE.

The ensemble of British actors in this film worked very well together. Janet McTeer and Charles Dance (yes, Tywin Lannister of GoT!) play Will's supportive parents, Camilla and Steven Traynor. Australian actor Steve Peacocke had significant screen time as Nathan, Will's nursing aide. Brendan Coyle and Samantha Spiro play Lou's supportive parents, Bernard and Josie Clark. A very trim Matthew Lewis (a guy we once knew as chubby Nevill Longbottom in the Harry Potter films) plays Lou's clueless health buff boyfriend Patrick. 

If I had any problem with the film, it is with a certain sensitive pro-choice topic upon which the whole conflict of the story was built upon. I cannot claim to know how paraplegics feel about their lives, but I feel it should not be with this ethically-problematic philosophy, especially as the patient here was basking in the warmth of all the love of the people around him. Selfishness is a loaded word in this discussion. Who was being selfish in this case  -- the patient or his loved ones? 

Director Thea Sharrock (in her feature film debut) skirted around the touchy issue using quirky humor and sweet sentimentality to bring to life the script by Jojo Moyes, who also wrote the novel upon which this film was based. Sharrock was fortunate to have a very likeable cast of actors to mitigate the heaviness of the theme. Some opposing views about the issue actually spoken by characters in the film. Ultimately though, it may still send the wrong message to vulnerable audiences, and this bothered me. 7/10.

Review of THE CONJURING 2: Diabolical Distress and Doubts

June 14, 2016

"The Conjuring" (2013) was one of the best horror films in recent memory. (My full review was posted HERE.) It told of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren helping the Perron family of Rhode Island with the spirit that haunted their farmhouse. It was a story formula that perfectly lent itself to possible sequels, and now, just three years later, here is the first one. 

The setting was 1977 in a simple townhouse in the borough of Enfield in London, England, where the Hodgson family (mom Peggy and her four children) lived. The second daughter Janet was seemingly being possessed by the malevolent spirit of Bill Wilkins, the previous owner of the house. The church of their community sought the help of Ed and Lorraine Warren to investigate the case and help free the poor family from their ghostly tormentor. 

There were so many parallelisms between the first Conjuring movie and this one in terms of story outline. Ed and Lorraine were investigating the Amityville Horror House, while the London incident was happening. The central victim family also had a distraught mother with four young vulnerable children. Eventually, the Warrens get called in to help get rid of the demons, at great peril to their own lives. It was good to revisit the Warren's museum and seeing its prize exhibit Annabelle again. 

If there was anything cheesy about it, I'd say it would be every time a CG demon was shown for a prolonged period of time. There was one prolonged scene where Lorraine was being taunted by a female demon dressed like a nun. While the ominous buildup to an attack was very suspensefully edited, it ended in a rather hilarious manner which made me laugh. There were many horror movie cliches as well, like people approaching a ghost they see, instead of running away from it. It is crazy why they do that. (But then again, we probably won't have a horror movie if they don't.)

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga were credible as Ed and Lorraine, as they vacillated between faith and skepticism in this case. For one remarkable scene, we get to see Wilson play the guitar and sing an Elvis love song in full. This is the first time I've heard him sing since his turn as Raoul in the film version of "Phantom of the Opera." Farmiga was really very good playing a medium going in and out of her eerie visions, without the excessive hamminess lesser actresses may resort to. Young Madison Wolfe gave an affecting performance as the possessed girl Janet.


Director James Wan is really an expert in the jump scare.  We still get startled every time the demonic face was shown in a flash with a loud sound cue, even if we expect it. This one felt like a combination of various story elements from "The Exorcist", "Insidious", "Sinister," "Drag Me to Hell," yet executed in its own novel way. The first "Conjuring" had this memorably crazy game called "Hide and Clap" which provided some really spine-tingling scary moments. This sequel did not exactly have something distinctly its own, but the creeps were mostly still there. 7/10.

Review of NOW YOU SEE ME 2: Inventive Illusions

June 13, 2016

The original "Now You See Me" was a sleeper hit of 2013. I rated it one of the top 20 films that I had seen that year. It began with an incredibly staged heist, and brought us along a puzzling roller coaster ride of a film that kept us wondering to the very end. Overall, it was, in my own words, "a very energetic, intelligent and most importantly, entertaining film". (My review was posted HERE.) 

Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), McKinney (Woody Harrelson) and Wilder (Dave Franco) were in hiding after their major caper from the first film, that led to exposure of the insurance fraud of Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and the incarceration of double-crossing magician Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). 

FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) reassembled the team, introducing Lula May (Lizzy Caplan) as the fourth Horseman.The mission was to expose tech businessman Owen Case (Ben Lamb) and his plan to use his new product to invade consumer privacy. However, their plans go haywire and the tables were turned on the Horsemen. From their getaway, the four mysteriously find themselves in Macau as the prisoners of eccentric millionaire, Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), who wants Case's vile technology for himself. 

Like the first film, this sequel relies on the magnetic charm of the Horsemen and their showmanship. Eisenberg, Franco and Harrelson (x2 in this sequel) all pour on the charisma to make this magical gem sparkle again. It was not too easy at first to accept Lizzy Caplan instead of Isla Fisher as the lone female member. Caplan does grow on you eventually in her awkwardly quirky way. The role of Rhodes takes on a different dimension this time because of the revelation at the end of the first film; and Ruffalo does the drama justice.

Radcliffe was a rather weird fit in all this ensemble, feeling he was miscast as the bad guy. Of course, senior stars Caine and Freeman can do no wrong in anything they do. It was very good to see Chinese actress Tsai Chin (best known to us for her role in "The Joy Luck Club") in an important role. However, as her son, Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou was sadly underused in a very minor role.

Even if they try to explain the magic tricks they show here, everything was just so over-the-top incredible. Anyhow, we are kept on the edge on another twisty ride until it reaches that final outcome in that New Year's Eve climax aboard a jet plane over London. Everything we loved about the first film -- the stylish CG visual effects and nifty exciting film editing -- makes this sequel a worthy one, and makes us look forward to the third installment. This same familiarity though makes it lose some points versus the totally unpredictable original. However, this still had its own entertaining surprises up its sleeve to the very end. 7/10. 

Review of MY SASSY GIRL vs. MY NEW SASSY GIRL: Outstanding Original, Spoiled Sequel

June 4, 2016

I have long heard of the very well-loved 2001 Korean film called "My Sassy Girl". But since I never really liked rom-coms, I have not seen it before. This summer though, with the release of its official sequel (yes, 15 years later!) "My New Sassy Girl", I thought this was the best time to check the original film out as well, before I watch the sequel.

MY SASSY GIRL (2001)

A homely young man Gyeon-woo saves an unnamed drunk Girl from falling into the subway track. From there begins a bizarre relationship where the Girl would swing wildly from loving to hurting Gyeon-woo, but he simply could not help but bear it all and fall in love with her. On the girl's suggestion, they leave letters in a time capsule under a tree on a hill and will meet each other again after two years. On that set day, confessions and revelations will redefine what they mean to each other. 

I am not surprised that this film has achieved iconic status among Korean film fans, achieving box office records not only in Korea, but all over Asia as well. This was really a very well-written, perfectly casted and wonderfully-acted film. The chemistry between the lead actors Cha Tae-hyun (as Gyeon-woo) and Jun Ji-hyun (as The Girl) was so charmingly and quirkily vital. The ending is one of the best rom-com endings I had ever seen. Anyone who had followed their journey together up to that point of the film will definitely be very emotionally engaged with what happens, and perhaps even tear up. The musical score and songs were beautifully fit to the scenes where they were heard. The direction of Kwak Jae-yong was faultless with the way he created romantic thrill. 9/10.

****************

MY NEW SASSY GIRL (2016)

Gyeon-woo is back, but without the original Girl anymore. This situation opened up the opportunity for him to meet and hook up with another "sassy" (also unnamed) girl.  (He is really a masochistic sort, isn't he?) Anyhow, this girl is Chinese this time, knows her marital arts and her cameras, They actually get married here in a charming indigenous ceremony. Conflict arises when Gyeon-woo gets a job at a tech company with an abusive boss. His Wife will not take that abuse sitting down, but will Gyeon-woo appreciate her for it?

Sad to say, watching "The New Sassy Girl" right after watching "My Sassy Girl" just emphasized just how bad this sequel by director Jo Geun-sik is. The comedy was terribly flat all the way, with nothing memorable that sticks at all. Even the romantic conflict is very lame, practically just tacked on without any emotional impact. The age of Cha Tae-hyun (already 40 years old now) shows, and his attempt to recapture his 2001 charm was largely ineffective. While she is pretty, Victoria Song (as the new Sassy) could not really measure up to the high level set by Jun Ji-hyun in the first film, in both charm and performance. Her role was very poorly developed. I thought this sequel did not really need to happen. It was but an insult to the former's memory. 2/10.

Review of A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING: Arid Anecdotes from Arabia

June 2, 2016

Alan Clay was an American salesman who just lost his livelihood, his house and his wife. Desperate to prove his worth and earn big in the process, he grabs a chance to sell the King of Saudi Arabia an advanced holographic teleconferencing system. However, he never expected the endless delays he would encounter there, leading him to various encounter new people and experience their exotic culture first hand.

Having a look inside Saudi Arabia would have been very interesting for us who would probably have no real chance to go visit there. However, a failed depressed salesman was probably not the best tour guide to show us around. Even if that salesman was played by Tom Hanks. The humor was mild at best, and not really sharp. There was really nothing much Hanks could do to lift the tedium out of the dry, anecdotal, ultimately pointless material.

All the time Clay spent waiting for nothing and all the runaround he met with his contacts, these also took their toll on the glacial pace of the storytelling. He also developed a big lump on his back, which probably symbolized the internal pressure he was experiencing. (This lump actually reminded me of the big boil the character of Coco Martin had on his butt in Brillante Mendoza's "Serbis".) In separate episodes, Clay accidentally entered Mecca, told a lame joke about the CIA, saw a wolf in a rifle crosshatch, drove a sleek new Audi -- all of which led absolutely nowhere. 

I liked the chemistry between Hanks and Alexander Black (who played his gregarious driver Yousef) which was vital. Black though seemed more American than Arab. Clay's relationship with his lady Saudi doctor Zahra (Sarita Choudhury) was entirely unbelievable for me the way their story was told. I don't know anymore if all the other supposedly Arabic traits and culture being shown were accurate or not. Aside from Arabs, there were  indirect digs about the permissiveness of Danes and the cutthroat business sense of the Chinese.

This is not the typical Tom Hanks film we expect. Usually, even if it was deadly serious, like "Captain Phillips" or "Bridge of Spies", there is an engaging story to draw us in. In this uneven film, there was nothing to root for. If there was one positive element I could cite,it would be its rich cinematography of the barren Arabian desert and the crystal blue sea water with its rich coral bed. Otherwise, there was nothing really compelling in the story (adapted from the novel by Dave Eggers) to keep us interested or even awake. 

Director Tom Tykwer had previously gained my admiration for films like "Run Lola Run" (1998) and "Perfume" (2006), both stories told with cinematic skill. But this time, the two film veteran Toms (Hanks and Tykwer) have a misfire. 4/10.

P.S. This was rated R-13 locally. I believe there were scenes of a sensitive nature here that should have earned it an R-16 rating. 

Review of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Testing Turtle Teamwork

June 1, 2016

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as comic book characters in 1984, later spinning off to have its own cartoon series, toys, video games, and of course, films.  There was a cartoonish film trilogy in the 1990s. Recently, Michael Bay produced a franchise-reboot as a live action-computer-generated motion capture film. I did not particularly like this very dark 2014 film, rating it only a 5/10 (MY REVIEW). When trailers came out for this sequel though, I already saw that it looked like it was going to be a way better movie than the first one. 

The turtle heroes, along with old pals April O'Neil and Vern Fenwick, and new friend Casey Jones, spring back into action as Shredder was busted from incarceration. The arch-villain had inter-galactically nefarious plans as he conspired with mad scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman to bring into Earth an evil Dimension X being called Krang and his Technodrome in his wild dream of world domination. 

The way the turtles looked in this new film was way better executed. In the first one, they all looked too big, ugly and unwieldy. Their appearance now is more accessible, more in tune with their personalities. Even if the storyline will have their team tested, this was a truly excellent ensemble work among the four actors behind them, imbuing each one with individual charm. They are: Pete Ploszek (as conflicted leader Leonardo), Alan Ritchson (as muscle-bound rebel Raphael), Jeremy Howard (as brainy scientist Donatello) and Noel Fisher (as childlike spirit Michelangelo). 

Also similarly excellent were the CG artwork, performance and the onscreen chemistry between the two comical evil side characters, warthog Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and the rhino Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly). They definitely stole their scenes from right under the main bad guy Shredder (Brian Tee), who felt rather lackluster among the other colorful characters of the film. The pinkish brain-like maniacal alien super-villain Krang was portrayed with gruesome glee by Brad Garrett.

The unconvincing and hammy acting of Megan Fox (as April) and Will Arnett (as Vern) were fortunately buoyed up the excellence of the CGI and story around them. Tyler Perry was an over-the-top nerd as Dr. Stockman, uncomfortably funny. Veteran acting nominee Laura Linney was uncharacteristically stiff as police chief Rebecca Vincent. The best live performer of the film was TV's "Arrow" Stephen Amell as Casey Jones. His graceful physicality (with a hockey stick and skates) and smart-alecky sense of humor made him stand out. 

The look of this new film is so much better than the first one, literally "out of the shadows" where the first one wallowed. There were brighter colors, a lighter mood, a more fun throwback general feel about it. The previous one was too dark and intense, and took itself too seriously, to its own detriment. With this one, we had our beloved Turtles back to the unpretentious way we knew them in our youth. Serious critics may be hard on this one, but I really enjoyed 112 minutes with it, right up to the classic TV cartoon theme song over the closing credits. 8/10. 

Review of MONEY MONSTER: Hostage Hysteria

May 28, 2016

If not for its headlining A-list stars, I would not even consider watching a movie with a bad title like this one. I had no idea what this film was going to be about before I went to watch it, just its stellar cast. Thankfully, I did.

(Side note:  The first time I tried to watch it in SM North EDSA on Thursday, the second day of release. I was shocked to find out that it had already been pulled out! So, it turns out not even Hollywood films, not even those with big stars in the cast, are spared from this unfortunate practice of first day-last day in mall cinemas. Fortunately, I later found out that this is still being shown in other malls other than SM.)

"Money Monster" turned out to be title of a cheesy financial TV show hosted by the obnoxiously entertaining stock market expert Lee Gates (George Clooney). He is loud, arrogant and even dances on his show. His show's director is the calm and collected Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts), who was already considering a change in her employment.

One day, one of Gates' hot stock picks IBIS Clear Capital suffered a "glitch" in its trading algorithm such that its investors lost $800M. On the day that Gates was to interview IBIS CEO Walt Camby (Dominic West) on his show, a disgruntled young man Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell) sneaked into the studio with a loaded gun and two bomb vests to hold Gates and Camby responsible for his disastrous investment.

Even with a very unlikeable role like Lee Gates, George Clooney still manages to hold our attention and draw us into his side. He did feel like he was playing his joker self at times. Julia Roberts had been on a career slump recently, but this role as Patty was a step in the positive direction. It was interesting to read that Clooney and Roberts actually shot most of their scenes separately from each other because of their busy schedules. However, they had chemistry together on screen despite this.

However, the actor to watch in this movie is really Jack O'Connell, who played the distraught hostage taker Kyle. I had seen him before in the war film "Unbroken" where he was really impressive as Louis Zamperini, a survivor of both a plane crash and a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. In "Money Monster," O'Connell delivered a riveting portrayal of a desperate man driven to an act of crazy violence. He will be able to rally you to sympathize with his plight and fate, despite knowing the stupidity of what he was doing.

Dominic West lacked screen presence as the CEO Camby, but Caitriona Balfe (from TV's "Outlander") did better in her pivotal role as IBIS spokesman Diane Lester. Other actors made their mark with their smaller roles, particularly Emily Meade (as Kyle's girlfriend Molly) and Aaron Woo (as the Korean IT expert Won).

Props go to the skillful direction of Ms. Jodie Foster. I was surprised to see her name up there when the credits rolled as I did not know this information going in. The storytelling and the editing of the scenes were so tight and exciting even when the situations do get too unbelievable or illogical. The humor was subtle and sharp. The suspense aspect was topnotch as we are held breathless as the hostage drama unfolded real time. The aftermath scenes were on-point, recognizing how the world of mass media turns these days. 8/10. 

Review of WARCRAFT: Virtue Amidst Violence

May 25, 2016

I only knew Warcraft as a computer video game which gained prominence in the 1990s. I never really played it, so I knew nothing about it except for its name which was part of the pop culture in those days. This year, a film version of Warcraft makes it on the big screen. I did not originally have plans to watch it. However, since there was a special screening of this film organized as a fundraiser for charity patients, I took my family to go watch it anyhow. 

Gigantic hulking beings with warthog-like fangs called Orcs had to search for a new world to settle in because their world Draenor was already laid in waste. Their ruthless enchanted leader Gul'dan opened a green magical portal into the peaceful world of Azeroth where humans lived. Faced with these invincible intruders, King Llane and his trusted knight Anduin Lothar led the seemingly futile campaign to save their world. 

However, Durotan, a thoughtful Orc chieftain and new father, and Garona, a female Orc with human features, see the evil in their leader and sought an alliance with the humans to overthrow Gul'dan. Over all these events, the supernatural Guardian Medivh was expected to intervene on the humans' behalf. However, a young magic apprentice Khadgar notices some circumstances which make him suspect something sinister was afoot.

The lead actors Travis Fimmel (as Lothar) and especially Toby Kebbell (behind the brutish exterior of Durotan) were both unknown to me, but they were able deliver their pure heroism with heart. Paula Patton took full advantage her unconventional beauty as Garona to full sympathetic effect. There are moments of humor mostly from the character of Khadgar, with the boyish wide-eyed actor Ben Schnetzer in a likeable performance. Ben Taylor has a talent for portraying characters of unclear loyalties in his films, and his Medivh here follows suit. Dominic Cooper has gone a long way from beach boy Sky in "Mamma Mia" to the regal King Llane here.

As expected from a fantasy film derived from a computer game, Warcraft was composed almost entirely of computer-generated imagery apart from its human characters. I was not really expecting much from this film, though I did like the "Prince of Persia" and "Need for Speed" films. The slow build up of the film's premise at the beginning, with all the strange names and jargon was discouraging. However, as I got into the groove of the storytelling, I actually got hooked into the heartfelt story beneath the CGI. The CGI of the Orcs may have looked over the top, but I have to give them props for painstaking details differentiating each one from another.

There were many derivative elements from the Lord of the Rings saga, with the term Orcs a prime example. The Guardian seemed to inspired by wizards like Gandalf and sorcerers like Sauron. There were minor characters who liked like the Elves and the Dwarves. The appearance of the giant eagle-horse Lothar rode called to mind the Hippogriff in classic Roman mythology, as well as the one we saw in the Harry Potter films. There was even a Biblical Moses reference thrown in the mix.

I cannot comment on how faithful this film was to the video game. I can say though that it was entertaining to watch even for someone who had no idea what the game was about. Several virtues were being extolled in this film in association with the R-13 rated violence -- nobility, loyalty, honor, sacrifice, fair play, the common good. The main drawback for me here is the length of the film, which could feel much longer than its 123 minutes at times. Since this film was subtitled "The Beginning", it was clearly laying down the groundwork for its franchise.  At least, we could expect the sequels to concentrate more on stories at hand rather than the backstory, and we look forward to that. 7/10. 

Review of X-MEN: APOCALYPSE: Complicated Continuity

May 20, 2016

Some may be better than others, but in general, I liked all of them for their character development and complex drama about humans-mutant relations. I particularly like this rebooted series about the X-Men in their youth which started in 2011 with "First Class" (MY REVIEW) and "Days in Future Past" (MY REVIEW). 

En Sabah Nur, a very powerful mutant from ancient Egypt, wakes up in 1983. He begins his conquest of the world by recruiting four powerful mutants to become his lieutenants, the Four Horsemen to his Apocalypse. At that time in Poland, Erik Lehnsherr's struggle to live a normal life with his wife and mutant daughter does not go too well. His depression makes him an easy target for recruitment.

Meanwhile, mutants converge at Prof. Charles X. Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, where Hank McCoy was a teacher and a young Jean Grey is a student. Mystique rescues Nightcrawler from a fight club in Berlin. Alex Summers brings in his brother Scott to control his newly-discovered powers. CIA agent Moira MacTaggert was also there to brief Prof. Xavier about her research about Nur. Just then, Nur and his Horsemen attacks the Institute. 

As this is already the third film in the rebooted series, the actors all play their characters as if the role was written with them in mind. This is most especially true with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Prof. X and Magneto with so much passion. Jennifer Lawrence plays Mystique with intensity as expected, as Nicholas Hoult played Hank McCoy with charm. 

Quicksilver (Evan Peter) reprises his amazing time-slowing stunts again here, but on a much bigger scale, this time to the tune of "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. Those comical Nightcrawler (an unrecognizable Kodi Smit-McPhee) gags can be diverting amidst the CG violence. This is the first time I have seen Sophie Turner outside "Game of Thrones" and she gets to play the awesome Jean Gray. Tye Sheridan (whom we met last year in the serious "Dark Places" and the absurd "Scouts' Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse") played Scott Summers still conflicted with his powerfully destructive ability. 

You would not really know that it was Oscar Isaac (whom we recently met as Poe Dameron on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens") hidden under the leathery face of the Apocalypse. Olivia Munn played Psylocke as a sexy leather-clad dominatrix. The new actors playing the other two Horsemen, Alexandra Shipp and Ben Hardy as young Storm and Angel respectively, fell short in the acting department amidst the formidable cast. 

The timeline of these X-Men movies are really all topsy-turvy now. Figuring out which happens first within the three films of this trilogy becomes too complicated, it is useless to try. We learn here how Storm's hair turned white, or how Prof. X lost his hair (in the movie world, at least). The production design and costumes evoke so much 80s pop culture nostalgia, it was really fun to catch them all as they flashed on screen. There is a cameo appearance of an invincible mutant in an exciting action sequence in the middle of the film, which will be referred to once again in the extra scene at the very end of the end credits. 

There are really very many instances here where the breaks of the battles obviously favored the heroes, even as the bad guys got the upper hand at first. Magneto was lifting metallic objects all over the world, while metallic objects right below his feet were still there. Apocalypse can disintegrate his human enemies into dust. Against mutants though, he chooses to just plaster them into the wall or, more incredibly, he just goes old-school and simply strangles the neck. 

Distracting as they may be, I guess that such illogicalities are to be expected in complex superhero franchises such as the X-Men. Despite this and the imposing scale of its scope, this film, again engagingly told by director Bryan Singer, entertained me as it unfolded. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy. Even if I still think "Days of Future Past" was superior, this comes pretty close to matching that one in excellence. 8/10.

Review of IP MAN 3: Invigorating, Intense and Intimate

May 14, 2016

Two big Chinese language films are being shown in local cinemas this week. While "The Mermaid" is being shown in only three theaters, "Ip Man 3" is being shown in a lot more theaters. It really is not any wonder why. This is already the third film of a familiar franchise. The first two films (especially the first one) I would consider to be among the most elegant martial arts films I have ever seen. (My review of "Ip Man 1" is posted HERE. My review of "Ip Man 2" is posted HERE.)

Ip Man tries to live simply in Hong Kong with his wife and young second son. However, their son's school is being threatened by a ruthless gang of bad guys who wanted to gain the school's property for themselves. Ip and his students were asked to serve as security guards to safeguard the school, taking up a lot of his time. Meanwhile, a talented local fighter Cheung Tin-chi challenges Ip to a duel to prove who is the real Wing Chun master. However, because Ip's wife Wing-sing develops a serious health condition, he was forced to reconsider his priorities in life.

This third Ip Man film certainly brings back the fond memories of watching the first Ip Man film that started the ball rolling. It has that gentle family story to counterbalance the bone-crunching action scenes. It also had elements from the second Ip Man film, particularly in that scene where Ip Man had a three-minute intense fight scene with a brutish American real estate developer named Frank, played by boxing champion Mike Tyson. 

Instead of Sammo Hung, the fight choreographer this time is Yuen Wo-ping, who regaled us before with those sublime fight scenes in diverse films, from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" to "Kill Bill" and "The Matrix," While the fights seemed to be toned down compared to the second film, they do achieve an unprecedented poignant elegance of fluid action.

Donnie Yen seemed to not age a bit since we first saw him in the first Ip Man in 2009. He is still the same neighborly good guy we admired and rooted for to win as he fights for the oppressed underdogs of society. There was really an effortlessness in his fight scenes, so cool yet so powerful. Lynn Hung is as elegant as ever as Ip's wife and mother of his two boys. She was the emotional core of this film and we suffer along with her. Zhang Jin was also very good as the noble fighter Cheung Tin-chi, who got swallowed by his pride. He also had that calm demeanor of fighting like Yen, though he got to do more violent bone-breaking moves with the bad guys. His final showdown with Yen was a fight in manifest grace.

Still under the skillful direction of Wilson Yip, "Ip Man 3" captures the best of the first two Ip Man films and adds a distinct character of its own. Unlike the first two films, this third film is more personal than patriotic. It also employed a number of artistic references to nature. This final episode is an invigorating yet emotional end to the Ip Man trilogy. Frankly though, I still want to see more of him in the future. Since his appearance here is like a cameo, maybe there could be another sequel with more of Bruce Lee? 9/10. 

Review of THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE: Flustered Feathers

May 13, 2016

Angry Birds is a video game franchise created by Finnish company Rovio Entertainment,  It was first released in December 2009. By July 2015, the series’ various games in all its different formats have been downloaded over three billion times the world over. It was not a big wonder that a film would eventually be made from the characters of this game.

Practically everyone has seen at least the original game with the five birds: main bird Red, yellow bird Chuck, black bird Bomb, white bird Matilda, and triple Blues. Many should be familiar with the maddening physics-laced puzzle game play of launching these angry birds to hit the green pigs hiding under various structures. Not too good with analyzing projectile motion, I admit I was not so patient with this game.

The film's storyline tells of Red as a miserable hotheaded outcast with poor people skills. A violent altercation with another bird caused him to be sentenced to attend Anger Management classes under Matilda. There, he met Chuck and Bomb, as well as quiet giant maroon bird named Terence. One day, a ship of green pigs landed on the birds' island. While the other birds welcomed their unusual guests, Red remained suspicious that the Pigs were up to no good. Unfortunately, Red's worst fears were soon confirmed, and birds have to go beyond themselves to get their precious treasures back.

The film as a whole was better than what the trailer showed. For the most part, the storytelling was very entertaining. The best part of the film was the climactic battle where we saw the birds in action with the giant slingshot, but it was too short, I felt. It was too bad we only saw the green boomerang toucan bird Hal, the tiny orange bird Bubbles and the cute pink bird Stella all too briefly. On the other hand, an inordinately long, occasionally awkward, time was spent with the iconic Mighty Eagle.

The voices come from some of the most popular comedians working in Hollywood today. Jason Sudeikis was Red. Danny McBride was Bomb. Maya Rudolph was Matilda. Bill Hader was Leonard. Josh Gad, whom we last heard as Olaf in "Frozen," was Chuck, a hyperactive voice performance I really enjoyed. Peter Dinklage did so well in his ironic casting the Mighty Eagle. It is very surprising that the first time I have seen Sean Penn's name in a film again was as Terence. Fans of the Youtube channel Smosh will be delighted that Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla have cameos here as the voices of Bubbles and Hal respectively.

The comedy was rather weird to describe. The jokes can really be juvenile, shallow and silly, but there were also quite a number of adult humor (some even creepy or uncomfortable references). I liked the obvious parody of the "Time in a Bottle" scene from "X-Men Days of Future Past" or that Grady twins reference from "The Shining." I liked the cheery and cheesy retro pop songs in the soundtrack, by artists from Rick Astley to Limp Bizkit, to accompany the most unexpected scenes. 

I had fun watching it for sure, but I cannot say I completely liked this film. It was really had to put a finger on what exactly the film lacked, but my kids and I all felt it while watching. Looking back now, I think it may have been this odd sense of humor, which felt forced and flat at times. Anyhow, the small kids in the theater were giggling and laughing so much at the wacky antics of the main avian crew, as well as those little round green pigs and super-cute wide-eyed hatchlings. Because of their delighted reactions, I guess then that the film did hit their target audience right, and that is most important. 6/10.