JOBS: Unloving and Uninvoling

September 2, 2013

This is a partial life story of iconic founder of Apple Steve Jobs, how he founded his company, lost it and got it back. In between we see what an arrogant anti-social guy Jobs actually was. This was a far cry from the Steve Jobs who was so lovingly adulated after his recent death.

I do not know if it was because Steve Jobs the man is not exactly a good movie biopic subject, or was it Ashton Kutcher's fault for not being able to bring the man out? Yes Ashton had his distinctive walk, stance and mannerisms down pat, but maybe the way it was written that was the problem. Everything just felt so shallow.  Even made-for-TV films (which this one felt like) could have told this story better. 

One glaring instance of poor storytelling was the side story about his daughter Lisa. When he found out first that his girlfriend was pregnant, he did not acknowledge paternity. But somewhere in the second half, Lisa was a teenager living in his house!  So what happened in between?  

In contrast, the character of Steve Wozniak, Jobs' technical genius partner, was very vividly portrayed by Josh Gad. Woz was a well- developed character in his own little arc even if he was not the central character.

It was good to see former lead stars Dermot Mulroney and Matthew Modine on the big screen again, though the characters they played were dry corporate types, no big emotion nor action in their acting. But they were still able to deliver well enough in their unsavory roles nevertheless.

They assumed a lot that the audience already know about the difference between Apple 1, Apple 2 and Mackintosh, such that these were not explained clearer. I am sure the younger audiences were waiting for the iPhone, the iPad or Steve's fight with cancer to be shown, but alas, these recent developments were not even mentioned.

The movie is so dry and uninvolving. I did not get drawn to be interested to know more about him. The episodes of his life jump around so much without logical continuity. The supposedly inspirational ending came out of nowhere, not having anything to do with the ongoing story at that point  It completely had no impact, which was a pity.   3/10

ON THE JOB: Eloquence in Violence

August 30, 2013

Mario (Joel Torre) and Daniel (Gerald Anderson) are convicts who are being sneaked out of prison and hired as hitmen by a powerful highly-connected syndicate.  "Tatang" Mario is set for retirement since he is to be released from prison already, while young Daniel is his apprentice and heir-apparent in his deadly job.

After they bungle a job to execute a policeman, the secure web of protection around them begin to unravel as an idealistic NBI lawyer Francis Coronel Jr. (Piolo Pascual) and a maverick but sincere policeman PO1 Joaquin Acosta (Joey Marquez) threaten to throw this assassination ring wide open up to its highest levels.

"On the Job" is a gritty, honest, no-holds-barred Filipino film.  The script by Michiko Yamamoto and Erik Matti fearlessly traces the operations of this gun-for-hire business from the lowly trainees to the gunmen to the middlemen (Vivian Velez) to the connections inside the prison (William Martinez) to the police protectors (Lito Pimentel) to the higher echelons of the military.

We also get a peek into the family lives of these men. Mario has a wife (Angel Aquino) who is cuckolding him and a daughter (Empress Schuck) in law school.  Francis is married to the daughter (Shaina Magdayao) of a lawmaker (Michael de Mesa) who is the pawn of a corrupt general (Leo Martinez).  Joaquin has been at odds with his boss, stuck at being PO1 even after 30 years of service, with a harried wife (Rosanna Roces) and a drug pusher son (JM de Guzman).

The theme and the style is indie but the stars are big names.  It may be considered distracting for indie purists, but this stunt casting of actors against type was actually part of the appeal of this film for the general movie going public.

I have to admit though that among the talented cast, the most difficult to accept was Gerald Anderson.  This was not only because his attractive mestizo looks made him an unlikely hitman (they should not be too conspicuous, should they?). But it was also because he had to act side by side with the flawless Joel Torre.  Torre was a man possessed in this role as the senior assassin.  He was never out of character up to the very end, always very believable and realistic.  He was able to convey ruthlessness and fatherliness with the same face.

Piolo Pascual postured artificially a lot in the start, which made his characterization unconvincing at first.  However when he got into the groove of his character, especially in the second half, he will get us over on his side.

Joey Marquez was a puzzling choice of an actor for a character in this film.  When I first saw the teasers, I thought he was badly miscast in this role as a cop.  But as I was watching the film, I realized the wisdom of his casting.  He was key in providing the moments which served to lighten the intense mood this film creates.

The technical aspects of the film are outstanding, particularly the cinematography and the film editing.  The atmosphere created was very tense and exciting.  Those parallel foot chase scenes in the streets of Manila, with parts involving the Light Rail Transit System, was so well shot, very thrilling. The suspense was heart-pounding as the pace is frenetic, and you would not know what will happen with succeeding scenes.  This film is NOT predictable.

Despite being a very well-made film, there are some cons I noted, but these were relatively minor issues only. I have already mentioned how the casting of Anderson stretched believability.  His character of Daniel had too little background story behind him, just a deluded mother and a ex-girlfriend (Dawn Jimenez). Unlike the other main characters, so we do not really know enough about Daniel to care more about him.  Also, the addition of what seemed to be unnecessary sex scenes for both Anderson and Pascual sort of derailed from the story a bit, without really adding any development to their characters.

Director Erik Matti has certainly come a long way from his directorial debut in "Scorpio Nights 2" and his various fantasy films.  With OTJ, Matti assembled an amazing all Filipino cast and crew, and successfully crafted a film of international quality. Its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and subsequent distribution deals in North America, Europe and Australia are evidences of its worldwide appeal. 

This is as timely as the present headlines.  You will understand why fugitives and whistle-blowers are morbidly obsessed about their security.  This film is a social exposé as much as it is an excellent action-drama film.  It lives up to its hype, guys.  This is a must-see Filipino film. 9/10.

PEE MAK: More Funny than Scary!

August 29, 2013

Pee Mak came home from the battlefield with his four soldier friends, namely Puak (with the winged victory hairstyle), Ter (with the glasses), Shin (with the bun) and Aey (with the mustache). They were met by his beautiful wife Nak with their newborn baby boy. However, it did not take long for his four friends to notice something strange about Nak. This leads to a merry comedy of errors and terrors, Thai style.

Being in a foreign language and in set in the past, I am sure a lot of the nuances are lost in translation. However visual horror and slapstick comedy is universal. While "Pee Mak" is also a horror film, the more commercial and memorable aspect of this film is actually its comedy. The horror takes a back seat to the comedy here. 

You just simply have to watch and enjoy those hilarious sequences of the silly gang at the dinner table, playing charades, in the haunted house of the amusement park, the boat on the river and in the Buddhist temple with the monk! These scenes were laugh-out-loud funny beyond words! Don't miss those extra scenes during the end credits as well.

A deglamorized Thai/German actor/model Mario Maurer (as Mak) and the four actors playing his zany friends indeed have great comic chemistry and timing together. They were such a delight playing cartoonish nincompoops and stupid idiots as they were terrorized by the ghostly presence around them. 

Thai/Belgian actress/model Daveeka Hoorne also has her dramatic moments as Nak, as her character was mainly the straight man of this farce. I am sure she had a difficult time keeping a straight face in front of all that ridiculous foolishness around her.

I think the only other Thai movie I have seen before was the thrilling and haunting horror film "Shutter" (2004). After I watched "Pee Mak," I discovered that these two films were actually directed by the same man, Banjong Pisanthanakun. "Shutter" was his directorial debut, "Pee Mak" is his latest and biggest hit.  It is reportedly the highest grossing Thai film currently, now grossing more than 1B Baht worldwide (mostly in Asia). 

I am sure Filipino film fans will have a good time watching "Pee Mak". The inane comedy/horror genre is also very popular here, and the slapstick faces and routines will be familiar. I am sure we can even think up of specific local comedians who can play these crazy roles. What "Pee Mak" adds is the exotic Thai cultural setting that gives it that unique mystic feel that adds to the eerie nature of the basic story. This is more fun than scary, very entertaining! 7/10.

KICK-ASS 1 and 2: Graphically Violent Kids!

August 28, 2013

KICK-ASS 1 (2010)

I never got to watch "Kick-Ass" when it was first released in 2010. Now with the sequel in local theaters this week, several people recommend that I should probably watch this first installment first before I watch Part 2. So I did.

I did not know exactly what this film was about so I was surprised when this film and its sequel had posters of what looked like kid superheroes, yet the rating is R-16! Now that I have finished watching Part 1, the answer is very clear.

"Kick Ass" tells the story of Dave Lizewsky, a nerdy guy who decide that he wanted to be a real superhero like those in the comic books he loves to read. He buys himself a dorky green uniform and tries to fight petty criminals around town as Kick Ass. Unfortunately he had absolutely no fighting skills.

However, his exploits apparently inspired a ultra-war-freak father-daughter team,, Damon and Mindy Macready, to don superhero uniforms themselves as Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Can these new superheroes stand up to the very real threat of the evil crime boss Frank D'Amico, his son Chris (who also took on a superhero persona Red Mist) and their entire gangster organization?

While Aaron Johnson does well as the titular character Dave/Kick Ass, the more memorable actor and character in this whole film is Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit Girl. It was disconcerting to see a real 11-year old girl do all the killing Hit Girl did because this film did NOT sugarcoat any violence. THIS IS GRAPHIC STUFF! OK, it is CG but still very bloody graphic. However for some perverse underlying reason, Hit Girl was great movie character!

This movie sets up Part 2 very well, and yes, I am now quite excited to watch it as well. Now I know exactly what I am getting into. I am eager to see how the lessons Kick Ass and Hit Girl learned about being heroes here in Part 1 will affect their characters in Part 2. I am also itching to see how Red Mist steps up his game to be a worthy adversary.  7/10.

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KICK-ASS 2 (2013)

The first "Kick-Ass" literally kicked ass because of its revolutionary R-rated violence in a movie with very young characters. It was very shocking yes, but it also had heart and laughs with it that made it the hit it was.

This second "Kick-Ass" shows our heroes Kick Ass and Hit Girl grown up a few years. Hit Girl had been forbidden by her strict guardian from being a superhero anymore. Now partner-less, Kick Ass joins a vigilante group of hero wannabes led by Captain Stars and Stripes. Red Mist becomes more insane, collects his own set of super villains and calls himself a monicker so filthy even his lieutenant (John Leguizamo) cannot say it.

Aaron Johnson does not really look like a teenager here anymore. He still acts more like a sidekick than a title character, and that may really be how it is. We get to see more interaction between his character Dave and his dad (Garrett M. Brown) here, and Aaron delivers in that aspect.

Jim Carrey, I did not immediately recognize to be Captain Stars and Stripes. If not for the posters, I would not have. He was actually very good in this film, and his character is bad-ass. His relationship with his dad gets explored here a little more so there is a little more drama in his character than in the first movie.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse is really crazy in this film, vicious yet hilarious as Chris D'Amico, madly wanting to avenge his father's death. I do not think it is easy to achieve that balance, so it is impressive. We see only a suggestion of what he can do in the first film, but he goes full blast with his insanity in this one.

Chloe Grace Moretz has certainly grown up to be one pretty lady in this film. She was indeed the star of the first film, and I'd say, she is still very much the star of this one as well.  The screen lights up whenever she is onscreen. She was spectacular not only in her fight scenes as the awesome Hit Girl, but also as Mindy Macready, who was tormented by the mean girls at school.

Being the sequel, we are not really surprised anymore as to what this franchise will give us. The fight scenes seem to be more graphic and bloody than the first. The seriously ultra-violent killing machine, the macho Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina), made sure of that. However, the shock factor is clearly diminished already, and this sequel just goes through basically the same motions. But the entertainment value of the first film is still very much there. 6/10.

PLANES: Aero-Dynamic!

August 26, 2013

I had no plans to watch  "Planes". The posters were so much like desperate copies of "Cars" and what's worse, the initial reviews were not too good.  I confess I had relented grudgingly when my kids insisted to watch it today, feeling this will not be worth the expensive ticket prices. But you know what, during and after the film, my kids and I all agree that this surprisingly turned out to be one of the best animated films we have watched this year, if not the very best!

From the very start, "Planes" proudly announces that it is indeed part of the world of "Cars," which means that this film is actually a spin-off.  The animation style of the characters in "Planes" was that of "Cars" with those characteristic eyes and old-fashioned charm.  Notably though, the name of Pixar, the studio who originated "Cars," is not seen anymore.

The lead plane character is Dusty Crophopper, a lowly crop duster, who loved to fly fast and fancy, pushing his engine to its very extreme limits. Determined to be more than what he is made to be, Dusty aspires to qualify and win the prestigious "Wings Across the World" international aviation race which flies from New York, across the freezing Atlantic, through the treacherous Himalayas, across the monsoons of the Pacific and back.

This "unlikely hero taking on an impossible race" story is already an oft-repeated theme in several animated films. In fact, just earlier this year, we just saw this very same story in "Turbo", a snail who wanted to race with cars.  But unlike these others, there was something special about "Planes."

I think it was the very good nature of Dusty that made the difference. He was humble, helpful, and friendly throughout the race.  We will all cheer him through all the difficulties he had to get over in order to remain in contention for the big title, given his inherent limitations.   Not only his determination, but more importantly, his kindness will earn him his just rewards at the end, in more ways than one.

Despite many commonalities with other films, "Planes" managed NOT to feel like an exact copy of anything. It was actually very refreshing and enjoyable to watch even for adults.

The aviation terminology (from Dottie, Dusty's talented plane mechanic) and air force jargon (from Skipper, Dusty's old-timer fighter jet coach) are very interesting to hear.  I'd like to buy the DVD just so i can run those lines by me again and read more about them.

The side plot about the hopeless romantic Mexican plane "El Chupacabra" and his crush on the icy "Rochelle" from Canada is funny without distracting from the main story.  There is another subplot about Skipper and his war records on the USN aircraft carrier Flyhausen which may be of interest to the older audiences.

The voices may not be so distinctive, but the voice actors, led by Dane Cook for Dusty, do their jobs well. The other voice actors were Teri Hatcher as Dottie, Stacy Keach as Skipper, Julia Louise Dreyfuss as Rochelle, and John Cleese as the haughty British plane called Bulldog.  "Top Gun" actors Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer also contribute their voices to a couple of fighter jets called Echo and Bravo.

The numerous aerial sequences were breathtakingly executed and edited all the way up to the finish line. The musical scores were also exhilarating during the scenes, making them all the more exciting to watch. These scenes definitely overshot my very low expectations by nautical miles.

As of now, there is now a sequel in pre-production called "Planes: Fire and Rescue", which sounds like it is veering away from the tired race format (hopefully), so that should be something to look forward to in the summer of 2014.  8/10

The Mortal Instruments: CITY OF BONES: Interesting New Myths

August 25, 2013

"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" is about a typical New York girl named Clary Fray.  After her mother Jocelyn was abducted in a most violent way by demonic creatures, a Shadowhunter (or demon warrior), a tattooed Goth boy named Jace, helps Clary and brings her to their Institute for refuge and training. It turns out that Clary was in fact a Shadowhunter as well, and a very powerful one at that.

Wait a minute, didn't that backgrounder on the central character sound very familiar. It should! The story is almost exactly like that of Harry Potter, a boy who suddenly discovers he is a powerful warlock, who had to be taken to Hogwarts for training. This same line was also taken by Percy Jackson, a boy who suddenly discovers he is a demigod son of the god Poseidon, who had to be taken to Camp Half-Blood for training. 

Similar to the other successful young adult series "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games", we also have a love triangle here, involving Clary, her fellow Shadowhunter Jace, and her human best friend Simon. To be fair though, as was revealed in this first film, this Mortal Instruments series throws an interesting wrench into the mix to complicate the triangle.

The fantasy world it creates its own mythology of an alternate dimension inhabited by angels and demons, with vampires and werewolves on the side. Of course, there is also an ultimate evil being. As Voldemort was to Harry Potter, or Kronos to Percy Jackson, here the super villain is Valentine, a Shadowhunter who turned to the dark side.

The adventure in this first book/movie is the search of a certain Mortal Cup, one of three Mortal Instruments, bequeathed to the first Shadowhunter by the Angel Raziel. Valentine, of course, has his own nefarious plot why he wants to gather all three Mortal Instruments into his possession.

Lily Collins plays Clary. I must say her thick eyebrows bothered me since she played Snow White in "Mirror, Mirror," and same here. However, as the movie progressed she was able to get me on her side as far as her quest for her mother and the Mortal Cup. However, like Bella in "Twilight," I will never understand this girly romantic indecision.

Jamie Campbell Bower graduates from his minor vampire character in the last Twilight films to play the lead male character here, Jace. In my opinion, his appearance looks a little scary, hardly shedding his pale Volturi look, looking more like a drug addict than a hero.  But I would guess he is really supposed to project that bad boy vibe that good girls can't resist.

Robert Sheehan plays the third angle of the triangle as Simon. He is convincing as a nerdy good boy, unfortunately friend-zoned by the girl he loves. Cheesy as that scene was when he confesses his love to Clary, I have to say that Sheehan played that realization very well.

My biggest disappointment was how Valentine was presented in this film. Instead of the big bad villain he was supposed to be, he turned out to be rather lame after all the way he acted here. This role was performed by an acclaimed actor Jonathan Rhys Meyer, but I felt he was totally wrong for it physically. Meyer did not have enough commanding presence nor negative charisma to be truly terrifying.

Overall, this really is not a bad film. The pace set by Director Harald Zwart is decently fast. The cinematography and musical scoring were well done. The CG special effects were okay, but could be better by today's standards. The mythology though can be very interesting. You will want to read the book to get more details that could not have been squeezed into the film's two- hour running time. 

So despite the derivative nature of the story line, squirmy love triangle angle and the weak portrayal of the main villain (in this film at least), this world created by author Cassandra Clare is quite engaging and compelling.  I can say that I am still actually curious to watch for the next films in the series for further developments in the story and, hopefully, improvements in their execution. 6/10.

Lee Daniels' THE BUTLER: Oscars in the Bag!

August 23, 2013

"The Butler" tells us the life story of Cecil Gaines, from his childhood on a Southern cotton plantation in the 1920s all the way up to Barack Obama's proclamation as US President. In between, Gaines was a silent witness to the inner workings of the White House as one of its butlers, from the presidencies of Dwight Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan.

We actually see more of his personal life. His wife Gloria enjoyed smoking and alcohol and partying. They had two sons. The eldest Louis becomes an activist for black rights. The younger son Charlie becomes a soldier in Vietnam. Through their lives, we see an abbreviated history of the civil rights movement during the 1960s and onwards.  It sounds a bit like "Forrest Gump" but here, Cecil Gaines was more of a bystander, never an active participants in these events. That passive nature of the lead character may be where the main fault of this film lies.

The story has been told in many films before, but this one has a unique point of view. However, the main conceit of this movie, as its poster proudly announces, is its all-star cast. A lot of critics decry the use of the most unlikely actors to portray peripheral characters, such as the US Presidents. But for me, these made the film more special to watch, in spite of the fact that these guests were onscreen for barely a few fleeting minutes.

Consider these cameos:  Playing the Presidents were Robin Williams as Eisenhower, James Marsden as Kennedy, Liev Schrieber as LBJ, Jon Cusack as Nixon, and Alan Rickman as Reagan, with Jane Fonda as Nancy.  From his cotton plantation days, Mariah Carey plays Cecil's mother, Vanessa Redgrave plays the matriarch who trains Cecil to serve in the house and Alex Pettyfer plays their abusive and ruthless white taskmaster.  I personally did not think having these unexpected star appearances in any way detracted from the story telling.

Playing bigger supporting roles were Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz as fellow White House butlers, and Terrence Howard plays a philandering neighbor. David Oyelowo plays their eldest son Louis with the striking Yaya Alafia as his activist girlfriend.  Elijah Kelly plays the younger son Charlie.

Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey play the central roles of Cecil and Gloria Gaines. They will age several years and we will see the passage of time through their makeup and costumes. Their acting will definitely earn them nominations come awards season. Forest talks mainly with his uniquely soulful eyes in this quiet and dignified role. Oprah completely and effectively owns all of her scenes as she struggles to stand by her man. It may as well be her Oscar already, as early as now.  When I saw Harvey Weinstein's name in the final credits, that Oscar is not a far-fetched possibility.  7/10.

R.I.P.D.: MiB Turns Ghostbusters!

August 22, 2013

"R.I.P.D." means "Rest in Peace Department, a limbo dimension where dead law enforcers help catch renegade ghosts that still roam the earth doing dastardly deeds. 

This is where the soul of Officer Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) went after he was treacherously gunned down dead by his corrupt partner Officer Hayes (Kevin Bacon). Nick was partnered with crusty old-timer Officer Roy Pulsipher (Jeff Bridges) to track down a heist of gold bars, which turned out to have a connection with the living world as well.

The execution of this film is very reminiscent of "Men In Black," only replacing aliens with so-called "deados" (dead people still existing as monsters in the world). The computer-imagery of these "deados" even have the same look and texture used for MiB aliens, down to their grotesque faces and 3D constitutions. Even the firearms of our RIPD guys are too similar to those in MiB.

Speaking of references to previous films, "Ghost" ( the classic 1990 Patrick Swayze-Demi Moore-Whoopi Goldberg film) also comes to mind because of the story line that dealt with Nick's wife Julia (Stephanie Szostak). The similarity is just too strong to ignore.

I don't know what is wrong, but Ryan Reynolds looked totally flat and lifeless as Nick. The ghost of his previous miscasting as "Green Lantern" haunts him here. If his Green Lantern was over-hyper, his Nick was over-dry. Reynolds' blandness was the reason why his co-stars walk all over him here, despite him being the central character. 

Jeff Bridges literally chews Reynolds up with his over-the-top semi-"True Grit" performance as Roy. The best moments of the film are because of Bridges's spirited portrayal of the veteran old-school lawman. Furthermore, there was barely any chemistry between Reynolds and Bridges even as the movie progressed, which is always unfortunate. 

As the villain of the film, Kevin Bacon did not really do anything new here. It is his typical Bacon villain performance we have all seen before in films from "The River Wild" to "X-Men First Class".  Yet despite this, he still managed to project better screen presence than Reynolds.

I found the deadpan character of Mary Louise Parker as Proctor, the commanding officer of RIPD's Boston division, quite delightful actually. This is the second consecutive movie this year after "RED 2" where Parker stands out with a quirky performance.

There are occasional funny parts, yes, but these are few and far between. For me, there was only genuine LOL scene, and that was when we first see how regular people see Nick and Roy as:  Nick as an elderly Asian guy, and Roy as ... I'll leave that for you to find out when you do watch, as that was the best scene in the film and I do not want to spoil that for you. Of course, that happened in the first half of the film. There was nothing much memorable after that.

Overall, this is an average action comedy with special CG effects.  However, the faults of this movie are so patently obvious even for the casual movie fan, even if you watch with low expectations. 4/10.

THE INTERNSHIP: A Trip to Googleplex

August 15, 2013

"The Internship" is a story about Billy McMahon and Nick Campbell, two watch salesmen in their 40s who lose their jobs because their boss suddenly decides to shut down their dwindling business. Out of desperation, they try out and (inexplicably) get accepted into the coveted internship program at Google. 

As the obvious outcasts among the much younger computer geek majority, the two guys struggle with their group of other misfits to snag those elusive job slots over all the other candidates.

The story of misfits trying to fit into an establishment and succeed is so familiar. This story was just recently tackled in animated form in Pixar's "Monsters University." This movie follows that tried and true formula to the letter, from being put down hard at the start to winning big at the end against all odds.

Here though, the setting just shifted from a university campus to the Google Headquarters in California, and that was THE one interesting aspect of this film. If those were the real perks of actual Google staff (unlimited free food, nap pods, etc.), then we would all like to work there! Many people criticize this film for being a big 2-hour advertisement for the Google Corporation. However, without this innovative setting, the rest of the film would just not stand up.

A lot is riding on the comedic talents and good will of the two main stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson (who had previously paired up in the very successful "Wedding Crashers"). They are credible as good guys, yes, and they have good chemistry together as Billy and Nick. However, sadly for me, they could not rise above the mediocre material they had to contend with. Their jabbering sales pitches frequently come across as annoying rather than charming. I would not buy anything from loud and smart-alecky salesmen like them.

An interesting detail for the Filipino audience is the presence of a Fil-Am character named Yo-Yo Santos, played by Fil-Am actor Tobit Raphael. A sheltered kid home-schooled by a domineering mom, Yo-Yo is one of misfits who was forced to team up with Billy and Nick. Tobit did well enough for his first big role in a major movie, although his part is memorable only for nervously picking his eyebrows and an "impressive recovery time" during their wild night at a bar with sexy ladies.

Overall, you get an uneven film. Only the setting is original, but mostly, this is just an average garden-variety feel-good comedy, with some raunchy scenes. You will smile more than laugh out loud. Nevertheless, the final outcome can still spark a happy feeling, however predictable it may be.  5/10.

THE CONJURING: Intensely Malevolent!

August 13, 2013

This movie was set in 1971, when Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters moved into a rundown country house in an isolated area in Rhode Island. Almost immediately, strange events begin to happen to them. The ghostly manifestations started benignly, with creaky opening doors to unexplained bruising. As days passed, the attacks become increasingly violent and physical.

Carolyn desperately sought the help of noted supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. What they discovered in the Perron home is a dark spirit more hateful than anything they have encountered before. They needed to work against time in order to prevent deadly events that happened to previous occupants of this cursed house. In this extraordinary case, the Warrens had to resort to the most extreme measures they know in order to save the tormented family

Unlike other films boasting about being based on a true story, this one actually convinces you that the horrific events shown in it happened in real life. A lot of this was due to the very authentic production design bringing us back to the early 1970s. The musical choices were atmospherically apt and unsettling.

There was also the topnotch acting from the cast, which is unusual for a horror movie. The expertise and compassion of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who played the Warrens, were very realistic. The chemistry between them was palpably sincere. Ron Livingston, Lili Palmer and the five young actresses who play the Perron daughters (among them Joey King of "White House Down" and Mackenzie Foy of "Breaking Dawn") all played naturally well as the victimized family. I would not be surprised if Vera Farmiga and Lili Palmer pick up acting nominations for their performances.

Director James Wan (who had also brought us "Saw" and "Insidious" before) throws every horror gimmick and cliche at us here, but somehow still makes everything felt remarkably fresh and original. There was some welcome humor to lighten some of the intense dread and tension that builds up within the film. The deliberately slow pace felt interminably long in some eerie scenes which will make you squirm in your seats  There are scenes which can make you jump. The editing of the film was very effective in this regard.

As good as this film was, there were some minor things that did not feel right. The haunting poster and even the pre-credits scene will make you expect something, but the rest of the movie was totally about something else. There was a subplot about Ed and Lorraine's daughter which was very well-executed with some of the film's scariest scenes, but this ultimately led nowhere, except maybe a possible sequel, which is something I would look forward to.

Overall, watching this film will really immerse you into the intense malevolence that terrorized the Perron family.  Many creepy images you see will stick with you for a long time.  All the hype was accurate this time. This IS one of the best horror films in recent years.  8/10

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS: Fluid Adventure!

August 10, 2013

This second installment of the Percy Jackson film franchise begins with the story of how the sacrifice of Thalia, demigod daughter of Zeus, gave rise to a tree which provided a protective shield over Camp Half-Blood. When enemies poison this enchanted tree, our demigod hero Percy and his close friends, fellow demigod Annabeth and satyr Grover, embark on a quest to find the legendary Golden Fleece in order to use its healing powers to heal the tree and restore its shield as soon as possible. 

Along with them in this quest is Clarisse, demigod daughter of Ares, and Tyson, the gentle cyclops half-brother of Percy. This adventure not only brings them to Circe's amusement park island, where the Golden Fleece was protected by the vicious cyclops Polyphemus, it will also bring them face to face with the ultimate evil Titan, Kronos himself, who has been resurrected from the depths of Tartarus by his misguided minions.

I really liked the fluid way the story telling in this film flowed. Even young audiences can easily follow the story. However, there are a few head-scratchers may arise when you look back in retrospect, but they did not diminish my enjoyment at all. Audiences who have not read the book will probably enjoy it more since they go in without very big expectations about their favorite parts of the novel.

There are so many elaborate computer-generated effects which looked very good, like the bronze bull that attacked Camp Half-Blood, the colorful stained-glass rendition of the big prophecy involving Percy, the frenetic taxi ride with the Grey Sisters, the graceful Hippocampus creature, the two bickering snakes on the rod on Hermes, the churning belly of Charybdis -- I thought all of these visual effects were done really well.

Logan Lehrmann is really a very good young actor. He can convey his internal conflicts very effectively, and he can also execute some pretty intense action stunts. Alexandra Daddario is a very beautiful Annabeth, though her movie character sort of diminished the strength and daring of her book character. Brandon T. Jackson plays the sidekick Grover with adeptness for physical comedy.

The character of Clarisse was played by slim and pretty actress Leven Rambin. This was pretty much against the way brusque and hefty Clarisse was described in the books. Tyson was played with much charm and sensitivity by Douglas Scott, despite the rather distractingly strange way the CGI of his cyclops eye was achieved. 

Their camp trainers are now portrayed by new actors. The god Dionysus, lovingly called Mr. D, is now played by the ever-reliable Stanley Tucci. The centaur Chiron, previously played by Pierce Brosnan, is now portrayed by Anthony Head. Too bad they had limited screen time.  The part in the book where Chiron was suspected of poisoning Thalia's tree, was fired and replaced, was not even mentioned in the film.

After the movie, my youngest son asked me, "The title is "Sea of Monsters". But why was there only ONE monster?" And as I have already read the book before, I noted that a lot of events and details described in Rick Riordan's book had to be sacrificed or altered for the sake of streamlining this film version. A most glaring omission was the episode in Circe's spa where Percy was turned into a guinea pig.  They also junked that part of the novel about the deadly Hydra, as well as the part about Blackbeard's ship and the Sirens.

Despite these deviations from the original source, the final result by Director Thor Freudenthal (previously known for more kiddie fare like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Hotel for Dogs") is actually a neat, easy to follow, very entertaining adventure film for young and old alike. An enjoyable 7/10, but would have been higher had I not read the book first.