An ambitious movie that thrills audiences at every minute...
'Fast and Furious 6' is probably like any previous movies in the series, but is enjoyable at every minute, and has its own special moments which makes it more than meets the eye. It is special in the fact that it relates to every other in the series, uniting the franchise together. It is also ambitious with new additions that thrills audiences with what otherwise is just another 'Fast and Furious'.
My greatest respect for this movie is the plot, in which it is able to relate to every other movie in the franchise in very interesting ways. They even managed to call upon every other cast (e.g. for Stasiak's & Braga's character) they need, which is not always feasible as easily seen in the issues going on with Marvel movie actors. The way the story is able to relate to 'Fast and Furious', and even with 'Tokyo Drift', while at the same time introducing a new villain for the next one, is a very smart move. They even add some references to previous movies which are interesting as well. Fans of the franchise will find these aspects very compelling indeed.
The other thing I find special with this movie is their ambitions. 'Fast Five' was a great movie on its own, and it takes something big to outmatch it. But 'Fast Six' has just the thing. The addition of the 'Flip Car's used by the villains is very cool, and adds the thrills to the action as well. The scene with the flip cars is very entertaining and fresh indeed. And then they managed to add tanks as well, which is a whole another challenge for the crew,while the finale was even bigger with the inclusion of an aircraft in the runway. They successfully put audiences in the edge of their seats with these fresh and yet hugely entertaining ideas for their action sequences.
Without these ambitions, the movie would have been just like any other of its predecessors. Instead, Justin Lin managed to pull off another spectacle that general audiences would come to enjoy, and fans of the franchise will be more than pleased with. The additions of the flip cars, the tank, and the runway scene brings this movie to a whole another level, while the storyline that connects every other movie and unites the whole franchise is a smart act that fans will appreciate. This will be the special movie in the series that connects the whole story together. And yet, the humour is good, the actions are great, and 'Fast and Furious 6' is entertaining, fun, and deeply enjoyable at every moment.
VERDICT:
Good: Brilliant connecting storyline, Uniting the franchise, Great ambitions, Fresh and thrilling action sequences
Bad: -
SCORE: 9.0
An enjoyable animation movie for families...
No aspect of the movie impressed me much, but is overall a decent animation and an enjoyable one to relax on and get time off our stresses in the real world. It is well presented, funny, but with typical storyline making it just what we'd expect it to be.
Although 'Epic' is just like any other animation movies, it is still well presented and a joy to watch. Battle sequences are interesting, with fast paced movements involving flight and flying arrows that adds the excitement. There are funny moments here and there, and the characters in the movie are generally unique and likeable enough.
Otherwise, nothing else is new, really. The plot is generally typical and predictable. Though there are moments to be dramatic on, but the feeling is not passed on that much to audiences. Soundtrack is good, but not great. Though there are some well known voice actors in the cast, it doesn't make a big difference in the movie.
With nothing special to note upon, there is no rush and urgency to go to the cinemas for this, but is still a decent movie to watch. 'Epic' is fun to watch for kids and families, but otherwise, it is just like any other animation movies we've seen before.
VERDICT:
Good: Well presented, Interesting battle sequences, Funny, Unique characters
Bad: Typical in every other aspect, Nothing impressive
SCORE: 6.0
If J.J. Abrams has a masterpiece, this would be it...
Despite the high bar set by 'Star Trek' back in 2009, which received highly positive reviews, this one not only did not fail to live up to expectations, but was a whole another level of cinematic experience by J.J. Abrams. With spectacular action, excellent plot, and amazing characters, Star Trek Into Darkness was the complete blockbuster and the best science-fiction for years now.
The storyline was excellent and the writers deserved praise, but more importantly, the way it was brought and how the story unfolds was why it felt great. As the movie went on, the story got more and more interesting which kept audiences in the edge of their seats. It was just so brilliantly brought that the tension can be felt throughout the movie, and kept on increasing as the revelations kick in. Such feeling has been missed in recent blockbusters.
For trekkies, they will be more than pleased with the inclusion of some characters, especially knowing that a lot has supposedly change in this alternate timeline. Another thing I also specifically like is the villain. He was such a creepy, menacing, and terrifying character, and huge credit to Benedict Cumberbatch for his great acting. And this villain had this charisma and power that made the good guys seemed that they were up against their biggest challenge ever.
The action sequences were great and satisfying. There was no lack of drama, and with sufficient humour, audiences got the laugh they needed. Got to mention this as well, I watched it in IMAX 3D, and it was beyond stunning. More than worth the price of admission, and the experience is unbelievable (you should try it!). This truly is J.J. Abrams masterpiece.
VERDICT:
Good: Great story, Amazing tension, Smart revelations, Terrifying villain, Decent action sequences, Sufficient drama & humour, Stunning 3D (IMAX) effects
Bad: -
SCORE: 10
The month of June brings about another big blockbuster in Man of Steel, along with several other high-budget movies in World War Z, After Earth, and more...
Man of Steel (June 14-USA, June 14-UK, June 13-Singapore)
I've never really been a fan of Superman, but this movie, looks to be one of the biggest movies of this summer. Just by knowing that Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder are the project leaders is enough to have me go for it. From Nolan's work in 'The Dark Knight' trilogy, I will come to expect something big from this one. And the trailers...they looked (beyond) amazing and did more than convince me to watch it, but maybe in IMAX 3D too. It looks great, and I seriously expect Man of Steel to challenge Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness in quality and experience.
Links for trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xesooMINHCM (Teaser - Jor-El)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aelq1S4XKI (Teaser - Jonathan Kent)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVu3gS7iJu4 (Trailer #2) (Must See!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY (Trailer #3) (Must See!)
Monsters University (June 21-USA, July 12-UK, June 20-Singapore)
12 years back, 'Monsters, Inc.' was a big hit, and was part of my memorable childhood moments, and when I watched it again recently, I finally understood the story and what a great movie it was (I'd give it at least a '9' in my review). Now, the prequel will be coming out soon, and what a creative idea it is to bring the monsters to college. I mean, who'd expect that, monsters in universities?? I've always liked animation movies for it's creativity, and this one doesn't seem to be lacking of it. And not to forget, this is a Disney/Pixar animation. Definitely must watch this!
Links for trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYTE2_W2O00 (Teaser)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODePHkWSg-U (Trailer #2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onZe3gOhWkQ (Trailer #3)
After Earth (May 31-USA, June 7-UK, June 6-Singapore)
I'm a bit troubled by the fact that the idea of this movie is very similar to 'Oblivion'. But then again, this movie is set 1000 years in the future compared to Oblivion's 60, and it may be interesting to directly compare which is the better post-apocalyptic Earth movie. The science-fiction elements looks good in this movie, and though the story looks initially linear, we may never know if something's up (as in 'Oblivion') or may involve deeper emotional events. But I'm not that enthusiastic with this one, but I may just watch it in cinema, but not in IMAX.
Links for trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIt20emgLY (Trailer #1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUcNyzu4IdM (Trailer #2)
Other Movies:
World War Z (June 21)
-A zombie apocalypse which didn't really appeal that much to me, in story and in action, but the budget and plans seem to speak otherwise. Might go to watch this, but maybe not in IMAX...
White House Down (June 28)
-Unbelievably very similar to 'Olympus Has Fallen' in the fact that both are about the White House being under attack. But from the trailer, this one looked humorous, and this movie has a surprisingly high budget. Might go to watch this one as well...
Our favorite Avenger is back and with a new and advanced look in this spectacular blockbuster...
*there will be a final section containing spoilers (after verdict & score), so if you haven't watch it, consider yourself warned
Even after the hugely entertaining 'The Avengers' last year, Iron Man 3 didn't fail to keep up and brought in an amazing movie to watch. It gave a new look on the character of Tony Stark, and with brilliant action sequences as well as the humors throughout, this movie is the perfect blockbuster to kick start your summer.
A major point about this movie is the new look and perspective on Tony Stark. Compared to previous movies, Iron Man 3 explored Stark's character deeper; more than the fun, talkative, reckless billionaire we knew but into his emotional, intelligent, and heroic-ish side as well. The character felt like a different Tony Stark, yet it was great to know more about the man behind the suit.
The action sequences were great and very, very entertaining. I love the action all the way, and it also felt new. It was more than just the man in the suit attacking with various arsenals to take down the enemy (you will know what I mean if you have watched it). Tony Stark himself, and even Rhodey and Pepper, as humans, were involved in the action sequences.
There were lots of humor and they were great throughout the whole movie. They kept the movie bright and fun, even during darker scenes. The plot wasn't great, but it was entertaining and the twist and turns made the movie more than what people thought it would be, and it had some elements that were very surprising that audiences would not have come to expect.
The characters were cool, and important ones were properly introduced. The villains with the extremis looked visually stunning, and Killian's character was just amazing (he was perfect). The cast was great, and I have special praise for Guy Pearce for bringing Aldrich Killian to life and become one of my all-time favorite character. Robert Downey Jr was great in showing the other side of Stark, and Sir Ben Kingsley didn't disappoint with his convincing acting.
The soundtrack was, not great, but decent, and I specially liked the one in the final battle scene, and the end credits as well. Other aspects like the directing was okay, not great though. I watched it in IMAX 3D but the 3D effect were not special. On a movie level, it was great, and summer (in movies) could not start with anything better. However, there are some points that may be an issue for true marvel fans (like me), as will be explained in the last section, however it will contains spoilers, so don't continue after the verdict, if you have not watched it.
VERDICT:
Good: New and advanced perspective (look), Great action sequences, Lots of humor, Amazing characters, Brilliant actors, Decent soundtrack.
Bad: -
SCORE: 9.0
*note: I did not give a score of 10 even though there were nothing bad with this movie. However the score of 10 are for exceptional movies there were outstanding in many ways that it deserve special commendation (such as The Dark Knight). Iron Man 3 was flawless, but it didn't have that special something to deserve a 10, but still, it was the perfect summer blockbuster.
###SPOILERS BELOW!!!###
###YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED###
###DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED IT###
As a marvel fan, and I'm pretty sure other fans will feel the same, there were some disappointments from this movie. One major thing is the Mandarin himself. As comic book fans we know that the Mandarin is Iron Man's biggest adversary and to make him, not just powerless, but a joke like this, is pretty much messing with what the fans believed in. It didn't feel right to have such an important character turned into some fake one like this. This will be such a big disappointment for true Marvel fans.
Another thing to note, and this also applies to Iron Man movie fans as well, is that the movie seemed to go too far ahead, and by the looks of how the characters in the movie had developed by the end of the movie, it suddenly feel that it could be the movie that ends the trilogy (and maybe the Iron Man movie series). It was such a great movie, and to end it on a high like this would be great, in a cinematic perspective. However, as fans, we certainly want more of Tony Stark, and especially Robert Downey Jr himself. Movie critics tend to criticize on movies that were repetitive, however as fans, sometimes, we just want more of the same, more of Iron Man, really.
But, this is out of our hands, so let us enjoy this movie that we have in front of us, and hope for a bright future in this beautiful Marvel Cinematic Universe.
###SPOILERS!!!###
