tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79083153100166403012024-03-13T22:06:23.562-07:00blockbusted9from a fan who goes to the movies for the experience...not a critic that judges them...edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.comBlogger365125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-75590670459888252702019-01-24T19:50:00.000-08:002019-01-24T19:50:59.854-08:00Most Anticipated of 2019<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Haven't been writing here for a while now...but as I got bored, I thought I'll give it a crack with my most anticipated movies of 2019...here goes:</span><br />
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<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Avengers_Endgame_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Aladdin_2019_Movie_Poster.png" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/John_Wick_Chapter_3_Parabellum.png" width="135" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Honorable Mentions:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Hellboy </b>(April 12)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> If given the choice, I would prefer Guillermo Del Toro & Ron Perlman getting to complete their Hellboy trilogy vision. But this version looks pretty interesting, anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Aladdin </b>(May 24) & <b>The Lion King </b>(July 19)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Disney has been killing it with their live-action adaptations like The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. So I wouldn't really bet against these upcoming ones. But the fact that these aren't exactly new stories means that its difficult to get super excited about them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Top 10:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Captain Marvel </b>(March 8)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Please don't be surprised to see the whole bunch of Marvel films in this list. They just seem to know what they're doing, and Captain Marvel looks just as awesome as the other thousands of movies they have made (and will continue to make).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Godzilla: King of the Monsters </b>(May 31)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> I have never been a fan of Godzilla, but the last movie that came out was pretty awesome. And while that movie hid Godzilla until the last act of the movie, this sequel doesn't seem to need to do that. And there'll be few other monsters to deal with here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>8. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum </b>(May 17)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> I remember that I somehow did not find the first John Wick film interesting, but the second one is really good. And with the cliffhanger ending of that, it is easy to say that I am really quite excited with this third film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Men in Black: International </b>(June 14)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> I will definitely miss the banter & chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. That being said, I think Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson is quite a capable & funny pair - if their connection in Thor: Ragnarok is anything to go by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Dark Phoenix </b>(June 7)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Truth be told, the trailer for this film got me a bit nervous. It didn't actually look good. But I really do think James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender are awesome as Professor X and Magneto, and any time I get to see more of them is just a good thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Kingsman: The Great Game </b>(November 8)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> The Kingsman movies are very good examples of fun & action blockbuster. And since this one takes the story way back to the origins of the Kingsman, with actors like Daniel Bruhl, Ralph Fiennes & Charles Dance, it looks to be very interesting indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Spider-Man: Far From Home </b>(July 5)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> I wasn't initially super excited with a new Spider-Man film, given the many we've had before. But the trailer that was released recently got me very interested, especially with Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw </b>(August 2)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> By now, the Fast & Furious films should have been quite predictable/repetitive, but the films always had heart (family, you know) - even the most recent one. Now, if you take the two funniest & badass-est characters in the franchise and put them together on their own adventure...now that sounds interesting! And especially with a well-known action director like David Leitch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Star Wars: Episode IX </b>(December 20)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> It was supposed to be a tight race between the film in number one and this. But the issues arising from the previous film The Last Jedi undermines this film slightly. Many people (me included) didn't really like how they change things in the previous film. But that will never take away my love for this franchise, and that is why I remain super excited with Star Wars Episode IX.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Avengers: Endgame </b>(April 26)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> This is a very easy pick. If you watched Avengers: Infinity War, you can understand easily why this is number one in my list (and for a great many people too, I assume).</span></div>
edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-65902391501698730822018-05-06T08:21:00.001-07:002018-05-06T08:21:46.137-07:00What I like most about AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR... (with SPOILERS)<div>
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The movie that may be considered the biggest ensemble movie yet has recently released...and safe to say, it has caught audiences by surprise...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I liked what they did with the story & the ending, but there is one thing that I like most about this film...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that is the fact that it is a Thanos movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Call me a maniac or whatever, but I really like the way that Thanos is protrayed in this film, and moreover, I can feel & understand for the character.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So first off, I really like the fact that it is a Thanos movie through and through. From the beginning we see him start off his mission, and we see his journey in getting all the Infinity Stones...and it even ends with him successfully obtaining all the stones and completing his mission.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As with any typical protagonist in many other movies, Thanos had to went through some struggles and sacrifices of his own...including killing his own beloved daughter Gamora. And as with any typical protagonist in many other movies, Thanos completes his mission but not before almost failing (almost lost against the Avengers in Titan, and later, stabbed in the chest by Thor's axe). And as with any typical protagonist in many other movies, the film ends with Thanos looking over the sunset in peace. And I really like that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really want to give credit to the team for pulling this off, and especially, Josh Brolin for such an amazing performance as Thanos. I really do feel for his character, especially when he had to sacrifice his own daughter and he sheds a tear in that moment. I want to give credit to the writing & directing team for being bold enough to make this move very Thanos-centric, especially considering that the sequel and immediate continuation of this film will be out a year from now - which will be expected to be a fully Avengers-focused movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And speaking of that, I do realize that among all the characters, all of the original Avengers from the first Avengers movie are still alive. So it does seem like it will be a re-group of the original team and one last hurrah for this bunch in next year's Avengers 4!</span></div>
edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-59906633165632215032018-03-05T06:37:00.000-08:002018-03-05T06:37:30.646-08:00Looking Forward: MARCH 2018<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>This is a little late, I know, now that we're in March already, but there's quite a lot of films to look forward to this month...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/AWrinkleInTimeTeaser.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2e/Pacificrim2-poster.jpg" width="126" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Ready_Player_One_%28film%29.png" width="133" /><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Red Sparrow </b>(Mar 2-USA, Mar 1-UK, Mar 1-Singapore)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Some people have mentioned the notion that this is probably what a more "realistic" take of a Black Widow (Marvel) movie would be like. And I get why they'd say that. It is a similar concept - a Russian female ballerina who joined a secret program to turn them into a spy. But while I get the appeal of the film, I am not that intrigued by this particular film. And I am sad to say this, but while I know that Jennifer Lawrence is one of the best actress alive, I am already bored of her characters and performances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_sAY0gNyH8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_sAY0gNyH8</a> (Trailer #1)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3m155Oj-V0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3m155Oj-V0</a> (Trailer #2)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>A Wrinkle in Time </b>(Mar 9-USA, Mar 23-UK, Mar 8-Singapore)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I am very much curious about this film, but I don't really understand much about it, so I am not exactly very excited. The trailers show some enticing visuals, but I don't understand what I see so I have doubts on the story itself. But if it turns out to be good, this could really be one of the surprise hits of the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNw0PSLtJhk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNw0PSLtJhk</a> (Trailer #1)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tomb Raider </b>(Mar 16-USA, Mar 14-UK, Mar 8-Singapore)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I find it a little tricky to place this film in my mind. On one hand, the film looks promising and I think it could be a good, fun adventure film. However, as I am such a big fan of the recent (reboot) Tomb Raider video games, there comes the feeling where I have my definitive Lara Croft (performed by Camilla Luddington) and I don't exactly need a Tomb Raider movie because even the stories in those games are already very good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But I do get the idea that this film opens up opportunities for further financial gains, and movies are more widely accessible to the public audience, as compared to the gaming community. So perhaps I will go into this film with a mindset of hoping to enjoy a nice adventure flick, but I might not associate this with the Lara Croft I know in the video games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w5VZmos5I4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w5VZmos5I4</a> (Trailer #1)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEHpkZCc1Y">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEHpkZCc1Y</a> (Trailer #2)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pacific Rim Uprising </b>(Mar 23-USA, Mar 23-UK, Mar 22-Singapore)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I still don't think that the original Pacific Rim was a great movie, especially from a story perspective. But there is just something to like about it, and it is really an enjoyable film. It had excellent characters, and watching it again recently, it actually had excellent visual effects and it looked so real. A Guillermo Del Toro directed film will never look bad (and by the way, his recent film The Shape of Water just won the Oscar, so well done to him for that).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Now, on Pacific Rim Uprising, it almost looks like it lost everything that made the first film great. The characters in this sequel looks shallow and over-the-top, and the actions & visual effects (from the trailers) looks rather fake & cheap. The first film wasn't great, but it was done with great heart & effort. This one just looks bad and uninteresting. I hope I'm wrong, but that is my impression of this film so far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EhiLLOhVis">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EhiLLOhVis</a> (Trailer #1)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVsJtCjVGnA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVsJtCjVGnA</a> (Trailer #2)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ready Player One </b>(Mar 29-USA, Mar 28-UK, Mar 29-Singapore)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A Steven Spielberg directed science-fiction film will always be up there in my to-watch list. Add to that the brilliant cast and the promising story from the novel by Ernest Cline and also (hopefully) a memorable score/soundtrack by Alan Silvestri. But there is something more that excites me beyond all those, and that would be all the possible Easter Egg references and inclusions which ranges from 80s pop culture (like Back to the Future) to comic book characters to the video game world (like Tomb Raider, Street Fighter) and even more modern ones (like Overwatch). These are probably less significant when it comes to the story, but it just adds another level of excitement to the movie itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiK2fhOY0nE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiK2fhOY0nE</a> (Comic Con Trailer)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aifnWlP_sM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aifnWlP_sM</a> (Trailer #1)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>Other Movies:</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In March 2, an action film titled <b>Death Wish</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkVCA0LDhwI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkVCA0LDhwI</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) was released. Unfortunately, it looked like many other generic action flicks, and it stars Bruce Willis (whom I haven't seen in a good movie for a while). Worse still, the reviews from critics aren't that good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Then, on March 9, we have the action-comedy flick <b>Gringo</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-bZLM3I-C0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-bZLM3I-C0</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) and also a disaster-action movie called <b>The Hurricane Heist</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56whWF2NJrM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56whWF2NJrM</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">). The latter film looks a bit too exaggerated and it does not appeal to me at all. On the other hand, Gringo is a film that I never knew about, but the trailer made me interested. It looks fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Finally, as we near Easter, we see the release of both <b>Paul, Apostle of Christ</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyOqQZUDdO4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyOqQZUDdO4</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) and <b>Sherlock Gnomes</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC9b1orltc8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC9b1orltc8</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) on March 23rd. The first is, as the title suggests, a biblical story adaptation - smartly playing off the Easter season - while the other film is an animation flick which looks pretty interesting and boasts a pretty awesome voice cast.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-7275422512120830552018-02-17T17:00:00.001-08:002018-02-17T17:00:20.767-08:00BLACK PANTHER<br />
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<img height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Black_Panther_film_poster.jpg" width="215" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> There is so much to like (or at least, to appreciate) in this film that I actually wanted to say it is a must watch - but I can't quite say so. Black Panther is still among the better films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I would still recommend everyone to consider watching it (especially if you like these kind of films), but the film still has noticeable gaps/flaws from a storytelling quality perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As I mentioned, though, there are so much to like and so many good things about this film. The characters (and to an extent, the actors' performances) are what stood out most. Chadwick Boseman shows he can lead the film as T'Challa, able to be dramatic or funny, powerful or struggling, depending on the period in the story. Michael B. Jordan & Lupita Nyong'o were also great in their respective roles. But the standout for me has to be Letitia Wright's character - who is funny, but more importantly, brings a different level of energy & carefree-ness (modernity) in a community still high on tradition. I think Shuri is my new favourite character in the MCU.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But while the characters were great & well developed from the beginning, it is unfortunate that they did not go through much development throughout this particular story itself. There is not too much change (or struggle) in character even for T'Challa himself. So, while the overall plot isn't actually that bad, unfortunately it also does not significantly change/impact most of the characters. And the sequence of events didn't feel as tightly written/edited as it could be. There are scenes which I felt could be fleshed out a bit more, and vice versa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Meanwhile, all of the action sequences were great and so were the visual effects. I also want to give credit specifically to the production design team for the look & feel of the setting (Wakanda, for the most part), and then also for the ideas of the different pieces of technology. In particular, I like the look of the Black Panther outfit and the mechanics of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> There are quite a few comedic moments peppered, but gratefully, it didn't take over the film (like what Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy did). It's about time for a change. The remaining aspects of the film were decent or okay, but nothing else really stood out. And overall, it remains a great Marvel film which I really like - perhaps too much so that I wish I could plainly say that this is a must watch film. But I am only being a little melodramatic, so don't listen to me too much - this is still among the better MCU film which definitely is worth a watch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 80 / 100</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-59474879720497483602018-02-14T06:37:00.001-08:002018-02-14T06:37:33.684-08:00THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8nFO7IYyXo/WoRJbHNSDDI/AAAAAAAABCw/b4Jc5HwN-f8-1TkGwVtdhcDZQj5BYjexgCLcBGAs/s1600/Cloverfield_paradox_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8nFO7IYyXo/WoRJbHNSDDI/AAAAAAAABCw/b4Jc5HwN-f8-1TkGwVtdhcDZQj5BYjexgCLcBGAs/s320/Cloverfield_paradox_poster.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Perhaps the biggest appeal of this movie is the surprise marketing campaign of releasing a movie immediately on the day itself the trailer was released. Maybe a little bit because of the word 'Cloverfield' in the title, but it surprises many people when the trailer is released during Super Bowl, that the film itself will release in Netflix that night. This has never happened before, and it really got the buzz.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But that seems to be all there is - the buzz, the hype...because the quality of the film didn't really deliver. And in a way, it now makes more sense to be released in Netflix rather than in theatres, because it does not justify a theatrical release. The movie isn't particularly bad, but there isn't much in it as well. The premise of the film was exciting, but the execution wasn't and the dialogue was rather poor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As a TV watch, it is not bad. Most of the performances are well delivered, especially the lead protagonist Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who was brilliant. And the premise was really intriguing, and the overall plot actually isn't bad. It works. That being said, there isn't much more the film has to offer. Everything else that happens are rather bland and predictable, and most of all, the dialogue was quite poor, especially in the beginning. Meanwhile, the suspense & discovery element of the film just about does enough to keep me interested, but I don't feel satisfied at the end of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> For a TV watch in your day off when you having nothing else to do, sure, it works. But it is by no means a quality film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u> 52<i> / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-35629880830842367022018-02-06T21:43:00.001-08:002018-02-06T21:43:28.674-08:00MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/MazeRunnerDeathCureFinalPoster.jpeg" width="270" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> For a trilogy I never cared much about, I surprisingly enjoyed this film. And its not that the story is groundbreakingly good or something...its the production design that I appreciate. The action sequences were not bad...and the rest of the film are just what you'd expect from a Maze Runner film. But from the first film on, something has constantly improved, and that's the production design.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> While I am usually an advocate of 'story first' when it comes to movies, I do appreciate these visual details - which is why I go to movies and not read books. There is a certain pleasure in being able to see a dystopian world with different settings like the messy, war-torn outskirts versus the beautiful technological marvel inside the city. And that is what this film does brilliantly. There seems to be a lot of thought that goes through in capturing all the details and creating the settings and backdrops. And not just that, even the character designs and clothing were excellently done. I have special admiration for that one character played by Walton Goggins - just for how he looks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Now, coming to the story...it's actually not half bad. It works for the series and it is simply what you'd expect from this trilogy. But it works, it's decent. Similarly the characters are still not great (and nor are the performances), but yeah, not bad. It works. The action sequences were pretty fun, helped by the production design as well which makes it so believable and enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And I think, overall, a pretty decent film for a trilogy that I never much cared for. The characters and story weren't great to begin with, and so they end as such. But the production design of this final film makes it a bit more enjoyable to watch, and I appreciate the effort put into it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 68 / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-14575005093998642672018-01-31T03:13:00.001-08:002018-01-31T03:13:27.599-08:00Looking Forward: FEBRUARY 2018<img height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Black_Panther_film_poster.jpg" width="215" /><img height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Game_Night_%28film%29.png" width="215" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Peter Rabbit </b>(Feb 9-USA, Mar 16-UK, Mar 8-Singapore)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> From the outset, this was a film that I could never say I am interested in. There is just something about CGI animals interacting with live people that is always hard to like (unless you are The Jungle Book). But maybe it is more of the goofiness of these types of film which puts me off. That being said, I do feel that if I watch this film, I won't be completely bored either. I like Domnhall Gleeson as an actor. Rose Byrne is pretty cool as well. Even the rabbits are voiced by some of my favourite actors, with the likes of James Corden, Daisy Ridley, Matt Lucas, etc. Despite the fact that I don't like the look of the film overall, there are things within the film that I like. And maybe the goofiness is what makes it entertaining to watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahW0AP1ecxY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahW0AP1ecxY</a> (Trailer #1)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYzpAL3mKB4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYzpAL3mKB4</a> (Trailer #2)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Black Panther </b>(Feb 16-USA, Feb 13-UK, Feb 15-Singapore)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This is it. The stand out film of the month, and also my 2nd most anticipated film of the year. There is just no more way I can further emphasize my excitement for this film. The character himself T'Challa/Black Panther is easily the best character in Captain America: Civil War, and is now among my favourite superhero in the MCU. Add to that some very stellar cast in this film, including the return of one of my favourite actors alive - Andy Serkis, as Ulysses Klaue. And finally, the most exciting thing for me has to be to see Wakanda in the big screen. A technologically advanced nation in the midst of Africa. How cool is it to see a nation in the midst of the forest & jungles of Africa but littered with technological advancements like cloaking technology, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And if you have not seen the trailers, you are missing out. Especially that second trailer, which is super cool. Check it out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWkJg4qfZG8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWkJg4qfZG8</a> (Teaser Trailer)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">MUST SEE: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHLU3T-e2t4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHLU3T-e2t4</a> (Trailer #1)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Game Night </b>(Feb 23-USA, Mar 2-UK, Feb 22-Singapore)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I actually didn't know about this film before, but then I saw the trailer, and I have to say, it looks pretty fun. When a comedy has that mix of action or mystery, it always become a bit more fun and meaningful. And though there looks to be some cheesy moments, there also some pretty funny moments. And the cast also looks great. Overall, I am not too convinced of how good this film will be, but there are good signs, and I am quite interested with this film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90a88XoQA8I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90a88XoQA8I</a> (Trailer #1)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Other Movies:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> It is not often that a film based on a true story gets to be portrayed by the real people themselves, but that is the case with The <b>15:17 to Paris</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFZ3-jcQVs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFZ3-jcQVs</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), which tells about the 2015 Thalys train attack, but more so about the lives of the people in it. The trailer is not bad, but I don't think the film appealed to me. This film will be out on February 9th.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Also out on the same day is the concluding chapter of a trilogy I could not care about, <b>Fifty Shades Freed</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5RZEt3arI0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5RZEt3arI0</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">). Yeah, that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Next up, out on February 16th, is a stop-motion animation film which stars the voices of Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, and more. How cool is that? But the thing is, there is always something about stop-motion that puts me off. And unlike Kubo and the Two Strings (which I liked), this film <b>Early Man</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMD9_AKK_FI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMD9_AKK_FI</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) does not quite appeal to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Finally, out on February 23rd, is <b>Annihilation</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBWm4qpTRTQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBWm4qpTRTQ</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), a science-fiction film which sounds interesting & promising from the premise, but somehow the trailer didn't really sell me. </span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-75123562632022286952018-01-20T01:54:00.000-08:002018-01-20T01:54:26.856-08:00THE COMMUTER<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/The_Commuter_film_poster.jpg" width="279" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It looked like another typical Liam Neeson action flick before I watched the film...and it feels exactly like another Liam Neeson action flick after watching it. But, this is definitely one of the better ones. It is not exactly a great story overall...and even within it, there are moments which just doesn't feel right or makes sense. Yet, it is still nicely written and the thrills are there, so as an action film, its pretty enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With these kind of lower budget action flicks, there are usually quite a lot of wrong things that I ended up just listing down what felt wrong, or what could have been done better. This film does the basics right and I pretty much enjoyed it, so I don't feel too inclined to criticize it. The overall story isn't that great, and even after watching it & thinking about it for the next 3 hours, some things just doesn't make sense. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Yet, it does the other basics right, and does what an action movie needs to have. Some decent progressing narrative, yes. Some cool action sequences, yes. Even the thrills. I actually find myself surprised that I was enjoying the thrills when some things happen in the latter half of the film. And even the ending - though not necessarily groundbreaking - felt right and nicely written.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So overall it does feel like a nice action flick that is pretty enjoyable. Not great, but neither are there big gaping flaws that turns you off. A pretty decent action flick to kick off the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 64 / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-81104062506420805592018-01-12T05:38:00.000-08:002018-01-12T05:38:02.425-08:00Best Movies of 2017 (Top 3)<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Logan_2017_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d7/War_for_the_Planet_of_the_Apes_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Coco_%282017_film%29_poster.jpg" width="134" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Coco</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> By far the best animation movie of the year. The story of this film is as brilliant as it gets - as we follow this boy into the world of the dead and learns about the meaning of family. The characters are all wonderfully crafted, and music in this film is just brilliant. If anything is lacking, it would, in fact, be the humour - but in terms of quantity, not quality. But the rest of the film is just brilliantly done, and it is a wonderful story/adventure to behold. And the overall story is just so deep & meaningful that I would not hesitate to recommend this film to anyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Logan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This is a truly special film, and a very different kind of comic book film. The overall story is great, but its in the little details and scenes which I find special. There are so many memorable moments & interactions between the characters, and a lot of that is credit to the performances of these wonderful actors (Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and also Dafne Keen). Of course, the way they were written are also brilliant, and I like the fact that this film feels more like a character drama than a comic book film, with a lot more character conflicts than physical ones. And it has a western road trip feel to it, which is not something you'd see in typical comic book flicks. And the overall quality & execution of the story makes it such a special movie, and very much a great send off to the brilliant Hugh Jackman as Logan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. War for the Planet of the Apes</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I surely can't pick another film with a one-word title, so I chose the longest title instead. No, just kidding, of course that is not the reason why. The reason why is simply because this film is such a perfect end to a trilogy of Caesar's story arc that began in Rise back in 2011. Though this film does not have as much action as the title seems to imply, it just feels right. What the character Caesar goes through feels true to his journey, but moreover, the other characters in the film stole the spotlight all the same, including new characters Bad Ape and Nova. They provide such perfect balance to Caesar in terms of character spirit and sentiments, and occasionally, the much needed humour. Overall, it is such an excellent film to end the trilogy - which overall is right up there challenging the best trilogies of all time.</span><br />
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<br />edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-14744930276528358322018-01-11T06:41:00.000-08:002018-01-11T06:41:17.367-08:00Best Movies of 2017 (10 to 4)<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Spider-Man_Homecoming_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Blade_Runner_2049_poster.png" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Star_Wars_The_Last_Jedi.jpg" width="134" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Star Wars: The Last Jedi</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> If the list is about my personal favourite movies, The Last Jedi will be right up there, in the Top 3 for sure. But I have to take into consideration the quality of the film, so here it is. This film is nowhere near perfect, with some humour that didn't really hit, and some sequences which drags on too long. But overall this remains a solid Star Wars movie, with great characters and some very memorable & amazing sequences. There are some sequences which are just visually stunning, and some which are just exciting to watch. And all this makes for another solid entry in the Star Wars saga of the new generation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>9. American Made</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> When people mention of a biographical film, I tend to think twice about it. But this film employs a good blend of fast-paced editing and documentary style sequences, and it is a lot of fun. I really have to credit director Doug Liman for approaching it this way and crafting an excellent & fun way to watch & understand how this character grew from being a normal airline pilot to one of the drug cartel's best smugglers. And Tom Cruise plays this man Barry Seal in such a way that is both fun & charming. This is one of those rare films that got me hooked into a real life story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Spider-Man: Homecoming</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And this is the best MCU film of the year. Don't get me wrong, I really love the other two as well (they are in the list for that reason), but I feel that overall this is a more complete film. The other two have something that's not that good or slightly lacking, but this one is great all around. It has great characters, great action, great humour. It is not a particularly special or memorable film, but its all round quality makes it a complete summer blockbuster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Blade Runner 2049</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> On the other hand, this film isn't your usual blockbuster flick, but it feels special. This film brings back a lot from the classic original Blade Runner, but expands the universe and the story in such a way that makes the original more meaningful. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The visuals are particularly beautiful and the overall story is great. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pacing is slow (and the film is long), and like I said, is not your typical popcorn blockbuster, but what it is is a perfect Blade Runner sequel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Darkest Hour</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Another in this list which is more of a historical drama. But this one in particular feels way more special for a few reasons. The first is that the performance of Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill is just exceptionally good such that he brings out both the strength yet the confusion/weakness of the man...with both the emotional side and the humorous side also in display. And to carry from that, the second reason is that there is perfect balance between the dramatic tension and the humorous moments, and that makes the film engaging and fun as it delivers a well written story. And finally, just overall, this is a high quality film that is well written & directed, and it certainly is a great film to watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Kingsman: The Golden Circle</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The definition of a true sequel. The film takes everything great from the first film - the fun humour & fast-paced action sequences are all on display again. But more than that, this movie takes the story to the next chapter which feels bold but right. It properly makes use & references the events of the first film, and because of how this plot unfolds, the ending makes it such that there is kind of a closure of story for the characters which began from the first film. A proper sequel, but more importantly, a properly fun film to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Wonder Woman</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film also feels like a complete blockbuster. But it ends up higher in the list here because it just feels a little more special. For one, the visuals and the setting look particularly stunning, considering that the locations include a mythical island and the time period is set during World War 1. Put into that some great characters with a lot of funny (and other times, emotional) interactions, some great story & moral message, and some brilliant action sequences, it becomes one hell of a comic book film.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-40308559327513059402018-01-10T05:26:00.000-08:002018-01-10T05:26:27.389-08:00Best Movies of 2017 (15 to 11)<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And now for the best films of 2017. Again, please take note that these are just based on the films which I have watched...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And in many case, the list might not correspond perfectly to the score I gave the films, because my feelings about the movies can change over time, I take consideration my personal feelings when watching the films as well (not just the quality itself)...</i></span><br />
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<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Beauty_and_the_Beast_2017_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/GotG_Vol2_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Thor_Ragnarok_poster.jpg" width="134" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Honourable Mentions:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>John Wick: Chapter Two</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-This film has great & memorable action sequences, but the film's dialogue & story can be improved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Baby Driver</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-I like the way this film makes use of the songs in the sequences, but there is another film that does it better (a little later in the list), and the story is still a bit generic, unfortunately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dunkirk</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-I did not give this film a good score the first time around, but I began to appreciate the film for what it is and for what it did. I maintain that the lack of story makes it not as appealing for me, but I appreciate it's cinematic achievement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Top 15:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>15. Beauty and the Beast</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I remembered really admiring this film a lot the first time, and thinking it would be up there in the Top 10 for sure. But then I have to be fair and realize that a lot of it is due to the original animated film, which was a gem of its own. That being said, credit where credit is due, I think the performances in this film was great, and so are the visuals. Even the new songs they have added are quite memorable, so well done for that. And then there's also the humour, which was not the cheesy sort of humour that you see in an animated flick, but some real funny lines. Overall, the film has a powerful base to work with but credit where credit is due, they added some nice humour and delivers great performances to make a worthy live-action adaptation of a Disney classic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>14. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I am probably going a bit against the status quo here, but I have to be true to myself. I actually liked this film. I understand it has it faults, and there are scenes which I did not enjoy as much (opening sequence, for example). But overall, this film is a lot of fun and I like the way they play with the humour. And most of all, I enjoy the directing & editing style of director Guy Ritchie. And deep down, I actually want to recommend this film to people - not because its the best film or whatever - but to appreciate the rare & unique (and fun, for that matter) directing style & humour used in this film. This is a rather special film I will personally cherish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As mentioned above, Baby Driver employed songs in a very fun way, but for me, Guardians did it better. If you just look at these specific sequences, there is more color and more visual appeal in what James Gunn did in Guardians Vol. 2. Look at the sequences like the opening sequence (Mr. Blue Sky) or the "Yondu killing Ravagers" sequence (Come A Little Bit Closer). I really loved them. And while the overall story is a bit shallow, I still like the characters a lot (especially Yondu), and overall this film remains a fun & good film to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>12. Thor: Ragnarok</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Next up is another film in the MCU. This film is a lot of fun from start to finish. While there are no particular scenes which are as memorable as those in Guardians Vol.2, what this film does brilliantly is craft a film that is paced perfectly and is a lot of fun throughout. It may not be the best, and it sure has its faults (or rather, moments I don't quite like), but it sure as hell is one of the most entertaining films of the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>11. The Lego Batman Movie</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> What I really like about this film is that it is not your typical Batman flick. It has all the characters from the Batman universe, but the story is deeper than that. There is a lot of character conflicts, especially on the part of Batman as he tries to fix his own normal life (not-Batman life). It is a very different & unique story, but it works, and it delivers the message well. Additionally, the humour in this film were great. And for an animated movie (with some Lego characters at that), the action sequences were pretty entertaining. Would have been the best animation film of the year, if not for one special little film you'll see later on.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-86865437340317551042018-01-08T07:27:00.000-08:002018-01-08T07:27:03.897-08:00Disappointing Movies of 2017<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Please note that these are not necessarily the worst movies of the Year...these are just the ones I find most disappointing out of the ones I have watched...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And I wasn't really able to order them, so its just a list of them in chronological order of release...</i></span><br />
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<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bf/Resident_Evil_The_Final_Chapter_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Transformers_The_Last_Knight_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Justice_League_film_poster.jpg" width="134" /><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Resident Evil: The Final Chapter</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I recall a sentiment from someone else that the best thing about this film is that it is the last in the series. There is almost nothing good from this film. None of the Resident Evil movies in the franchise has been good, but usually they have something interesting to show for. Not this one. It really is as boring and as bad as it gets, so I'm glad to say that it's over now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ghost in the Shell</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This could well just be me, but, I fell asleep a little bit during the film. The movie might have cool visuals but it has nothing to hook me in. The characters were kind of dull, the story was not particularly engaging nor paced well. I just didn't really care much about what happened, and I only got some cool action to see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Lost City of Z</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I tried to give this film credit and appreciation where its due, but to be perfectly honest, it is perhaps the most boring film I watched all year. The pacing was just super slow, and nothing was really happening most of the time. And watching it, I feel like they could (and should) throw in a bit of humourous moments now and again (and it won't feel out of place), but they didn't. It could have been a bit more engaging that way, but they didn't make the effort to put in even a little humour at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Transformers: The Last Knight</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I was one of the minority who actually enjoyed and appreciated Transformers: Age of Extinction for what it is, and for some cool moments. With this film, I gave up. This one is just terribly boring, and not even the visuals look cool anymore. The character, dull. The story, dull. Even in the final battle sequence, I was just begging for it to end so I can spend my precious time sleeping at home. I sure hope that with new people involved, the future of the Transformers series can be better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Despicable Me 3</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> For sure, this is not the most awful film of the year. There is still a bit of fun & laughs to be had, but the rest of it is just disappointing. The story is just so dull, and there isn't much happening in the film. From where they began with the first Despicable Me (which is among the best animation flicks in the past few years), this has been a very disappointing fall, and I hope they think twice and look back before making the next one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Murder on the Orient Express</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Out of all the films in this list, this is probably the best. The overall story is still quite interesting, though this is probably more credit to the writer of the book, Agatha Christie. However, the execution of the plot in this film is quite bad. It didn't keep me engaged with the story. A murder mystery should be more intense - a feeling that the killer could be nearby - and more engaging - where we can follow & have thoughts/ideas about the culprit ourselves. This film does none of that, and that is why it feels rather disappointing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Justice League</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> There is just so many things wrong with this film, that I probably feel more pity than dislike on Justice League. The signs are already there from the first scene when you see Superman's mustache. Not that that was the only thing wrong, but it shows that when a big budget superhero flick can't get that right, then something is just isn't right. The overall story is super generic, the villain is dull. Even the dialogue is terribly inconsistent. They tried, but it just didn't work.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-25232705979769330162018-01-06T18:04:00.001-08:002018-01-06T18:04:10.960-08:00DARKEST HOUR<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Darkest_Hour_poster.png" width="278" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Gary Oldman puts in one hell of a performance in this film, but so did the rest of the cast. And with the addition of great script, great directing, great music, it makes for a very fascinating and entertaining telling of Winston Churchill's finest moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> First and foremost, though, the performance of Gary Oldman - one of my favourite actors alive - cannot be overstated. It was so brilliant, and he brings out a great mix of strength & confusion of the character, showing both the emotional and also humorous side of the man. And yes, there is quite a lot of humour in the film, which is not something you can often say about a historical drama. Gary Oldman deserves a lot of credit for this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The rest of the cast also put in quite strong performances, especially Lily James who plays very well opposite Gary Oldman. Both struck up an excellent chemistry and has lots of memorable scenes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But more than just the performances, the writing of the story was good. It was paced perfectly, and the dialogue was excellent. The mix of excellent directing & writing makes for a very well-paced film that keeps the story & characters interesting, but also provides a lot of memorable (and funny) moments. I don't want to overstate this, but there really is quite a lot of funny scenes, and they provide a perfect counterbalance to the dramatic feel of the overall story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So, as you may imagine, I actually find this film surprisingly very entertaining. Especially for someone who is interested in what happens in WW2, this is a very fascinating film. But even if you are not, I still think this is a quality film to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And funnily & coincidentally, I find this film a perfect complement to the Dunkirk film by Christopher Nolan released recently. Both films make the other a little more interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 81 / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-29989450109026885862017-12-30T16:39:00.001-08:002017-12-30T16:41:16.673-08:00SPOILER TALK: Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Part 2)<div>
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<b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Supreme Leader Snoke</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Well, surely Snoke would be the big bad of the whole trilogy, and we would get to know more of his backstory and who he was in this film. Well, to quote Luke Skywalker, every word in that sentence was wrong. There was no clue at all as who he was before, how he gets his powers, etc. But more importantly, he is now dead as we see Kylo Ren kill him instead of Rey. This is totally not what I thought would have happened at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kylo Ren & Rey</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And for a second, I was curious (and nervous) to think that Kylo Ren is turning good. Though then of course he made clear his intention of ruling the First Order as the new Supreme Leader, and it seems to carve a path to him being the real big bad of this trilogy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But before we get there, can we spare some time to cherish and admire that action sequence where Kylo Ren & Rey teams up to fend off Snoke's Royal Guards. That could well be the best action sequence I have ever seen in a Star Wars film. It had excellent choreography, but more importantly, there was an intensity & realism to it. It was not just smooth & beautiful moves like we see in the prequels (though I enjoyed those), but you can see in the Royal Guards that they are trying hard to find ways to beat Kylo Ren & Rey, and vice versa. And of course, that final blow by Kylo Ren was just slick. Easily the best action sequence I have seen in a while now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Episode IX</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So, what next for episode 9? Of course, if there is one thing I have learned from this film, is that a Star Wars film is never predictable. That being said, I can think of a few things that are likely to happen, or at least I would like to see happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The first of which is something we didn't see between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi...and that is a time jump. The ending of this film makes it suitable for the next chapter in the saga to be set a few years in the future instead. And I like that idea. Additionally, it gives a proper opportunity to maybe consider the passing of General Leia Organa within that time frame - or better yet, to have her funeral in the beginning of episode 9. I think this makes a lot of sense for the story, and gives more layers/depth to what problems may lie ahead in episode 9. And of course, a great send-off (without the need to kill the character off on screen) to our late dear princess Carrie Fisher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Actually, I don't really have much idea for speculation regarding episode 9, and I actually do prefer it that way, but one thing it does look like to setup is another great confrontation between Kylo Ren & Rey, as the first two films has been a lot about setting up the journey and the path of these two characters. There has been different interactions even within The Last Jedi itself, from despise to actually understanding each other and working together. There is a lot that has happened between these two, and it looks to set up a great final confrontation between Kylo Ren and Rey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This is my last article of the Year and I will see you all again in 2018...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>My best wishes & a very Happy New Year to all! </i></span></div>
edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-3032292399714875982017-12-29T15:55:00.003-08:002017-12-29T15:55:59.254-08:00SPOILER TALK: Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Part 1)<b><b><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>### SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! ###### SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! </i></b><b><i>### ### SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! ###</i></b></span></b></b></b><br />
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<b><b><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></b></b></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Luke Skywalker</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film was always going have a lot of focus on Luke, all with that ending of the previous film and the title basically referring to him. But to be honest, the first time we see him, I thought he was a little "not-Luke". But the moment he first speaks, I start to feel his presence again. It wasn't the greatest scenes to see his life in exile (though nice to know), but since he meet R2-D2 again, and R2 plays out that original message from Leia (from A New Hope), I can see the old Luke Skywalker back again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> His interactions with Rey are also good & fun to watch, from the trainings to the flashback stories. And it ends (physically, at least) with a great confrontation/duel between the two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Of course, a major talking point with Luke would be that scene in the planet Crait. I had my suspicions initially...but then I thought it was really Luke as everybody else could see him. From then on, I was just thoroughly amazed with Luke's ability, but more importantly, I enjoyed the confrontation between Kylo Ren and Luke. It was emotional & powerful. Then, it was revealed that Luke was never there. Looking back, I should have spotted more of the clues (no physical contact, no red dust in the ground, etc), but I actually liked being surprised this way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So I'm happy to know that Luke isn't dead...but, NO. In the moments after, he sat in peace and he looked towards the sunset and vanishes into thin air. I was sad, but it felt right. And sure, he could always come back as a Force Ghost later on. Another thing I would like to add is that I am glad that we get to see Luke & Leia (despite not physically) have a nice moment together. That was a special scene.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Master Yoda</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And then of course, how could we not talk about that Yoda cameo? It is a nice little surprise to see the Force Ghost of Yoda again, still giving that same lecture & teachings to Luke. That chemistry between Luke & Yoda is exactly the same as it was in The Empire Strikes Back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I didn't particularly fancy the idea that Yoda can conjure that lightning as a Force Ghost, but it didn't bother me much. I still like the scene overall and it was a very nice character moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Beautiful Sequences</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I will get into more of the main characters in the next article, but for now I'd like to call out some of the sequences which are amongst the most gorgeous I have ever seen in film. This is my biggest appreciation to director Rian Johnson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The first of which is the sequence in the cave, where Rey sees mirror images of herself, and I especially like the sound design involved, like when she snaps her finger and the other mirror images followed in quick succession. It was beautifully shot, and just an amazing sequence to behold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Next up is still with Rey, but this time involves Kylo Ren, in a Force-Communication, where they see each other and can speak to each other. I really like how Rian Johnson shot this sequence, and the positioning of both characters made it feel like they are literally facing each other, despite being in two different places. And again, the sound involved was great. When we are with one character, the other character's voice fills the whole theater/room, as if their voice are really all that we can hear inside our minds. And that is brilliant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The final sequence was that one where Vice Admiral Holdo engaged the cruiser into light speed and drove straight through the enemy's command ship. That shot was just gorgeous to witness, and the fact that there was no sound at all is just amazing. It was breathless.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-11279026624989121222017-12-28T16:14:00.005-08:002017-12-28T16:14:41.952-08:00Looking Forward: JANUARY 2018<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>It is quite typical that the month of January is filled with lower budget action flicks or the wide releases of some Oscar nominated films from December...no scent of any major blockbuster flicks at all...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Molly's Game </b>(Jan 5-USA, Jan 1-UK, Jan 4-Singapore)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Aaron Sorkin is one of the best writers in recent time, with his award-winning works in The Social Network and Steve Jobs. Now, this next film may also be his directorial debut, but it looks great. And sometimes, I prefer it if directors pay high respect/attention to the story first and foremost. And yet, the trailers for this film show that the directing may not be half bad at all, and with a very intriguing crime drama story, this is a film I am excited to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Post </b>(Jan 12-USA, Jan 19-UK, Jan 18-Singapore)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Even if I do not know the plot of this film, I would already be sold. Directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Meryl Streep & Tom Hanks, music composed by John Williams. In sports terms, this is like the All-Star Team. I did not need anything else to be sold, but knowing that the plot is about The Pentagon Papers story is good. And so is knowing that this film is already nominated for the Golden Globes in six categories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Commuter </b>(Jan 12-USA, Jan 19-UK, Jan 11-Singapore)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Non-Stop, Run All Night, the Taken films. This new film is just the next one in a series of Liam Neeson as an action hero in a lower budget action flick. I suppose Liam Neeson is not a bad action hero, and it is nice to see him do these movies while he still can. But when the stories and the quality of the film does not justify it, it becomes a problem. In fact, with this film being directed by his frequent collaborator Jaume Collet-Serra, I can imagine this movie to be just like Non-Stop, but switching the plane with a train.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgRi8pmMyGQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgRi8pmMyGQ</a> (Trailer #1)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>12 Strong </b>(Jan 19-USA, Jan 26-UK, Jan 18-Singapore)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> What this film really reminds me of is that film from Michael Bay titled 13 Hours. Not only because of the resemblance in the title formatting, but also because the plot seems to revolve around a group of soldiers facing a large threat with the odds stacked highly against their favour. I can seriously see this being a repeat of that film, just in a different setting. And I have to say, I did not quite like that film. But I won't brush off this new film just yet. The cast looks pretty good, and if the word out there is quite positive, I might give this a chance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of1OhDiwVD0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of1OhDiwVD0</a> (Trailer #2)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Maze Runner: The Death Cure </b>(Jan 26-USA, Jan 26-UK, Jan 25-Singapore)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I have never been a big fan of the Maze Runner series. They may be an okay/decent watch, but they are not that good, in all honesty. And even if there are no sequels or anything, I wouldn't mind at all. But knowing that this is the last in the series, maybe it is worth giving it one last go and at minimum, to see how the story ends. I won't be going in with much anticipation or excitement, but I would be willing to give it one last shot and hope it ends the trilogy with a good run.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnE_y4vN9nQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnE_y4vN9nQ</a> (Trailer #1)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leFSYkUAaAw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leFSYkUAaAw</a> (Final Trailer)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Other Movies:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As is customary, I can call out some interesting horror movies to look out for, but don't expect any word from me, in any way. The next installment in the Insidious franchise, <b>Insidious: The Last Key</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSX1J0BsoiI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSX1J0BsoiI</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) is out on January 5.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In addition to those action flicks above, there are still a few more action films which I personally rate as generic because they look just like any other action flick and does not offer much more in terms of plot variety, casting, etc. These are <b>Stratton</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoBq-oOqUs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoBq-oOqUs</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), out on January 5 in the US, and <b>Proud Mary</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUWKn4p2s_s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUWKn4p2s_s</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), which will be out on January 12.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Next up is a very interesting western film, <b>Hostiles</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M5cj4UmscE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M5cj4UmscE</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), which will be out on January 19. The trailer looks pretty cool. Also out on the same day is the heist action film <b>Den of Thieves</b> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLPP4kUWrKI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLPP4kUWrKI</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), which also looks pretty cool, especially with the idea that these group of cops have no limits.</span></div>
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edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-12538463520625178512017-12-24T16:23:00.003-08:002017-12-24T16:23:50.575-08:00JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Jumanji_Welcome_to_the_Jungle.png" width="269" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film is quite the pleasant Christmas surprise. It might be one of the funniest movie I have seen all year. The setup of this story primes itself for a lot of comedic moments, and I am glad to say that they executed it perfectly. And the action itself is pretty cool, and the story is not half bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> What I like best about films like these are that the comedic moments are not forced. The setup of the story/plot already puts itself in the perfect position - in the case of this film, having young teenagers inside game avatar bodies who look so different than they are in real life. And fortunately, this film has great writers who crafted the perfect dialogue & scenes for these comedic moments, and also great actors to pull it off. All four of the main cast (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black & Karen Gillan) deserves praise for this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And while the comedy is what stands out, the rest of it is not half bad. There are some decent action sequences throughout, and the overall story is (though not great) pretty decent and works well for the film. Similarly, the film has some decent character moments - though again, it is always the comedic interactions that takes center stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In the end, this movie is by no means perfect, but it is really fun & funny, and it sure makes for a great time in the theater with family & friends. A pleasant Christmas entertainment, indeed. Definitely worth the watch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u> <i>70 / 100</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And have a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!!!</i></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-68301750837920418242017-12-16T17:16:00.000-08:002017-12-16T17:16:19.607-08:00STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Star_Wars_The_Last_Jedi.jpg" width="269" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film is probably not as great as I hoped it would be, but I sure as hell enjoyed it. I'm not entirely able to exactly pinpoint the flaws right now, but one thing that I felt was that the story wasn't that tightly written. That being said, the characters were great, the action sequences were great, the visual effects were great. It feels great to be back in a Star Wars movie again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The overall story was pretty good, but I felt that there were too many things happening at the same time to too many characters, and it wasn't that neatly packed. Some scenes ended up feeling a bit rushed, while some felt a bit too long. Sometimes it is nice to say that a film is breathless and is packed from start to finish, but in truth, I would appreciate it more if there was a bit more time to breath in the moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> However, the characters were mostly great. Even the new characters were pretty good, especially Kelly Marie Tran's character, who I really like. It is so easy to feel for and like most of the characters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Between the plot and the characters, there were some emotional moments, although most didn't really hit hard - again, maybe because we don't receive enough time to breath the emotions in. Similarly, some of the humour were pretty good, but some felt a little out of place as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> All that being said, I still do enjoy the film a lot. The action sequences were really good. There is this one action sequence (which you might know when you see it) which I think is the best action sequence in a Star Wars movie ever. I really loved watching it. There was also a few other sequences which were just beautifully shot mixed with great sound design. And meanwhile, the visual effects is great, as always, and so is the feeling of being in these different worlds. And that is always one of the specialty of a Star Wars film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And in the end, despite there being some flaws in this film (and I didn't find it as great as I would have hoped), if I can watch a Star Wars movie and feel like I am there, in these unique and different worlds, and enjoy some great action & adventure with great characters, I will always cherish the feeling. And that is exactly what I got from Star Wars: The Last Jedi...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 82 / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-23651856834284146822017-12-12T05:42:00.000-08:002017-12-12T05:42:01.990-08:00Most Anticipated Films of 2018 (Top 5)<img height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Black_Panther_film_poster.jpg" width="214" /><img height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Avengers_Infinity_War.jpg" width="215" /><br />
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<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Aquaman </b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(December 21)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Among the characters in the Justice League, Aquaman is the character I am most excited about, and I am excited to see the story and the conflicts in Atlantis. And among all the potential upcoming films in the DCEU (except maybe The Batman, because of director Matt Reeves) this is the film I am most excited about. Imagine all the characters and the battle which takes place underwater in Atlantis. And with James Wan at the helm, this film has all the potential to be among the best DCEU film as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4. X-Men: Dark Phoenix </b>(November 2)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> X-Men: Apocalypse wasn't really among the best X-Men films, but it does so well in capturing the great feeling of X-Men films, especially the scenes in the school and with this young group of X-Men characters we have always known. And in many ways, the ending in that film felt like a new beginning of a great adventure to come. But outside of it, it felt as if it could be the end for the main folks James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and co.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So to see all of them returning and really continuing on from where we left off is exactly what I want to see. Apocalypse ended with so much promise and potential, and I'm glad they took this opportunity. And I don't know how this will work, but I like the idea of going beyond Earth and into space. And though this will be Simon Kinberg's directorial debut, he has been such a mainstay throughout the series that I have all the confidence in the world that he can deliver.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald </b>(November 16)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The first Fantastic Beasts film was surprisingly very good and I think it was in my Top 3 of last year, too. It has a great mix of fun & drama, and the visuals of the period and the magical world is just, well...magical. With both J.K. Rowling returning to write the script and David Yates to direct, and all the key cast returning (especially Dan Fogler, who I really like), I can't be any more excited with this film. Wait, actually, I can - because now we have the addition of Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald and Jude Law as young Albus Dumbledore. So excited for this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Black Panther </b>(February 16)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Remember when I said earlier that director Ryan Coogler is working on another project. This is the one. This is him proving that he really is one of the top, young directors out there. The trailers are really cool! I like the look of Wakanda and I am really glad that we get to explore this fictional nation. Nowhere in our real Earth will we ever get to see a technologically advanced region hidden among the forestry natures of Africa. And the cast also looks great, including Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, and I am so especially happy to see the involvement of Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue. Everything I have seen in the trailers are just so cool - the story, the characters, the action sequences, the visual design, everything. If not for the fact that the film in number 1 is the culmination of an era, Black Panther would top this list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Avengers: Infinity War </b>(May 4)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So what is this film that tops Black Panther? It is a movie involving Black Panther and more than a dozen of other characters that has made up 18 other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I mean, we're talking about a movie that culminates an arc of a dozen big characters over 1.5 dozens of movies. Many of the previous MCU films have touched upon or even heavily involved the Infinity Stones. This film is set to be the culmination of it where one of the great beings in the universe, Thanos, aims to hunt down and potentially wield the power of all the stones, requiring all the superheroes that we have been introduced to to team up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Well, do I actually even need to explain this? I mean, I think you all will already know of all this and probably already feel the same excitement as I do. And just look at that teaser trailer they put out. It breaks a record viewing of a trailer within 24 hours (230 million views). And even from Marvel Studios' perspective, this has to be like the biggest film of the decade! Let's just bring it on!</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-9163000511120308972017-12-11T06:44:00.000-08:002017-12-11T06:44:43.830-08:00Most Anticipated Films of 2018 (13 to 6)<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Tomb_Raider_%282018_film%29.png" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/The_Incredibles_2.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Jurassic_World_Fallen_Kingdom.png" width="126" /><br />
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<b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom </b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(June 22)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The predecessor to this film was a bit special for me because it took me back to my childhood. I loved the original Jurassic Park as a kid, and Jurassic World brought me back those feelings and a little bit more - I never imagined seeing a guy riding a bike flanked by raptors. But truth be told, that film delivered not much more than that. And this sequel won't have the benefit of just bringing that feeling back. It will have to deliver well with the story and the characters and stuff. The trailer & synopsis didn't get me too excited either, but the director did some great work recently, so here's hoping for something good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>12. Tomb Raider </b>(March 16)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I am a big fan of the Tomb Raider video games, especially the reboot series: Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015). Now, whether I'll be excited with this film reboot is a different question. I like the look of it from the trailers, and the cast looks pretty good. But the story seems to be rehashing story points from the video game. It normally would be okay (to an extent), but the fact is a lot of us have just played the games recently and those games have excellent visuals. So, what will this new film bring to the table, then, will be the big question for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>11. Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 </b>(November 21)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The first Wreck-It Ralph was one of the best film of that year, and certainly among the better Disney films that came out recently. It was funny but also very touching & heartful. And the great thing is, this sequel already has the smart vision to expand the universe to involve the Internet with the possibility of adding some form of other Disney characters, including from the other animation flicks (Frozen, Moana, Mulan, etc), but also from their owned properties, Marvel & Star Wars. Exciting, isn't it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Mission: Impossible 6 </b>(July 27)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I have to say, the latest MI film Rogue Nation wasn't really as good as I had hoped, especially after the brilliant Ghost Protocol. But it was still a solid action film, and the characters were pretty good. So to have most of them returning and with some excellent new cast additions, they have the opportunity to once again create a great MI film (while Tom Cruise is still young...ish). And yes, Tom Cruise is such a national treasure, you can't help but love the guy and hope his next film is great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Ant-Man and the Wasp </b>(July 6)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The first Ant-Man film was a lot of fun, and it remains a film that I still like to watch. It has cool action, great music & a lot of (creatively) funny moments. And the story has heart, too. But among the MCU pantheon, it does not really rank that high, and could do with a better story. For this sequel, though, with all they key people returning to this project, I have hopes that they could deliver at least another great, fun film, but maybe even more than that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Mortal Engines </b>(December 14)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I always loved Peter Jackson and his visual ideas, and it has been a while since we last saw a film of his. Of course, he also won't be directing this film, but being a screenwriter and a producer in the project, I am pretty sure he has more than small part to play. And even the concept of this film alone is intriguing, a post-apocalyptic world where cities are mobile and battle each other. It kind of has a Mad Max feel to it, by the sound of it. Because of all that, I am really excited to see what this world will look like when brought to life in the big screen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7. The Incredibles 2 </b>(June 15)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The Incredibles remains, to this day, one of the best Pixar animation film of all time. It is such a shock that a sequel hasn't been done until 14 years later. The good news is, it is now here, and with Brad Bird returning to both write & direct the film, it will be great to finally jump back into the world of The Incredibles, and it sure has all the signs to be another great Pixar film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Solo: A Star Wars Story </b>(May 25)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Truth be told, if this was any other potential upcoming Star Wars projects (Episode 9, Obi-Wan spin-off, Rian Johnson's New Trilogy), this would easily crack the Top 3. But a film about Han Solo is the one that I don't personally crave for - especially having just recently seen the great Harrison Ford as Han Solo again just two years back. Though, it remains a Star Wars film and I am always excited to see one. And if anything, what I really want to see is if they really explore and delve into the underworld and the crime/smuggling/bounty hunter life - like really delving into the dark cracks of the Star Wars universe and not just the fantastical worlds in the surface.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-49548411987061168392017-12-10T05:51:00.003-08:002017-12-10T05:51:44.779-08:00Most Anticipated Films of 2018 (20 to 14)<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>As is tradition, I like to share my most anticipated films of the coming year, but given how much big films there are in my radar, I will have to resort to Top 20 this time...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/AWrinkleInTimeTeaser.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Ready_Player_One_poster.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/The_Predator_promotional_poster.jpg" width="109" /><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honourable Mentions:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A quick shout-out to the films that didn't make my list. In order of release:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>- A Wrinkle in Time</b> (March 9)</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- Robin Hood</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (September 21)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- <b>Venom</b> (October 5)</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- Jungle Book</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (October 19)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- <b>Bumblebee: The Movie</b> (December 21)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>20. Ocean's Eight </b>(June 8)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> </b>A spin-off of the Ocean's Trilogy but with a whole female crew this time. Hell yes! I like the overall idea (though the quality of the execution will be another matter entirely) and you just have to look at the cast to get excited. Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and one of my favourite actresses of all time, Sandra Bullock - among many. Mind you, this film could very well fail, but it sure looks like a fun idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>19. The New Mutants </b>(April 13)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film should be high in this list...like 'maybe cracking Top 10' high. I like the way Fox is operating with their Marvel properties, playing with many different genres (like the very comedic fourth-wall breaking Deadpool or the western drama Logan) and not pulling any punches with any of them. They're doing the same with this one....but why oh why it has to be horror/thriller. Damn. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited to see how this goes, but whether I'm that excited to step into a dark, loud theatre to watch this is a different question altogether.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>18. Soldado </b>(June 29)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A sequel to the brilliant crime-drama Sicario. Unfortunately, director Denis Villeneuve is not returning, but the fact that writer Taylor Sheridan is back to write the script gives me confidence. His recent work has been brilliant, brilliant & brilliant (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River). One can cautiously hope this next one to be similarly so...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>17. The Predator </b>(August 3)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I am just a little bit unsure of this. I am excited to see a new Predator film, and moreover I am also very excited to see a new Shane Black film. His last film The Nice Guys is extremely good & funny, and is a must watch. But what he is really good at versus what I think a Predator film will be like are two quite different things. I suppose now the question becomes how much of his style/vision will be stamped into this new Predator movie and what the outcome will be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>16. Creed 2 </b>(November 21)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Creed was one of the best film of that year, and it's the film that got me liking Ryan Coogler as a director. Of course, Ryan Coogler is not returning because he is working on another film that is very high in this list (you'll see). But when you have someone like Sylvester Stallone taking over, with the love & passion he has for this franchise, and with some great people returning, including Dolph Lundgren, this is definitely one film I am very much looking forward to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>15. Deadpool 2 </b>(June 1)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I really appreciate & like what they did with the first Deadpool film, but I maintain that I still don't find it that great. It's funny (to a certain extent), but the rest of it is still quite standard. The story, the action, etc. So, if I am to really be excited with this sequel, they better kick it up a notch, especially in terms of the quality of storytelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>14. Ready Player One </b>(March 30)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A Steven Spielberg big-budget science-fiction blockbuster. Probably should've easily made my Top 10, but the trailer that has been released didn't really get me much excited, unfortunately. I mean, I would never bet against this film in any way, but my anticipation level for this film isn't particularly that high either.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-88535554007301569852017-12-06T05:56:00.000-08:002017-12-06T05:56:05.128-08:00MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Murder_on_the_Orient_Express_teaser_poster.jpg" width="269" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film is actually not that bad. In many ways, the film was okay. But I didn't really feel quite satisfied walking out of the theatre. It feels like something is missing/lacking....it doesn't feel like it was executed very well. It might be the editing (which was a bit too fast), or it could be the dialogue, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> There is nothing in this film that is particularly bad, but then again, there isn't anything that is particularly good, either. The thing that sticks out most before the film was the stellar cast. But none of them actually pulled out a spectacular performance. Josh Gad was perhaps the only one who did pretty well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The visuals in the film was pretty good, and I have to say I particularly liked the wide shots of the setting - whether it be a shot of the city when they first set off, or the many shots of the different backdrop that the train traversed along. But one thing I find annoying (which could well be one of the reasons I didn't feel quite satisfied with the film) is the editing. It just cuts from scene to a scene a little too quickly. It didn't give us much time to digest or think about what just happened or what could happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And then there is also the dialogue, which I feel wasn't particularly good. And in the moments when they try to make a joke, it didn't quite land....most of the time. They tried to make the story a little more fun & light, but it didn't really work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> While the overall story was fine (which I think is more credit to original writer Agatha Christie instead), the execution of the film wasn't very good, especially for a director like Kenneth Branagh. And in the end, it's not that the film is bad. Especially if you have not read the book or know the story (like I do), it ends up being a good watch with an interesting mystery solving. However, I don't really feel the film was that good either, and I don't feel quite that satisfied walking out of the film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u> <i>52 / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-75837991049992577522017-12-03T05:42:00.001-08:002017-12-03T05:42:26.810-08:00COCO<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Coco_%282017_film%29_poster.jpg" width="269" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Disney...Pixar...these folks just don't know how to make less-than-stellar movies, do they? They say Pixar has a blip with their Cars movies, but that is just a testament to how good their other films are. And Coco is another spectacular outing from the studio. It's hard to find a flaw in this film, but more than that, I don't even want to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In so many aspects, this film did brilliantly well. At it's core, it is a very touching story with amazing characters. All the characters in the film are quite distinct but feels like real characters we see in our lives. And it is so much fun to see the interactions between these characters, and occasionally, it becomes very emotional & touching moments. A lot of these characters develops and changes throughout this adventure - perhaps because the story is so powerful & meaningful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The plot is easily the strongest element of the film, but I won't say too much more, because it needs to be experienced first-hand. Meanwhile, though there isn't particularly too much laughs to be had, but there are some very great humour along the way, even towards the end. And I suppose I don't need to re-emphasize about the dramatic/touching moments of the story. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The music is another strong part of the movie. There are quite a few memorable & enjoyable songs that really enhances the emotions of the story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Like I said, it's hard to specify the flaws in the film, probably because I don't really care much when the rest of the film is just so good. Even the voice cast - who are mainly new names I am not quite familiar of - did really solid performances. And finally, I'd like to call out that I also appreciate how they stuck to and explored the Mexican culture. For a lot of us not from that area of the world, it is a very eye-opening knowledge, and it is really nice to see the beautiful things they do and the festivals they have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This film really is right up there alongside the best of the Pixar films like Toy Story, Inside Out, and more. I would recommend this film to anyone and everyone, because I think this is a movie that is both eye-opening but also just a damn good story to experience...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 90 / 100</i></b> </span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-13092226042222939522017-11-17T07:02:00.002-08:002017-11-17T07:02:35.890-08:00JUSTICE LEAGUE<img height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Justice_League_film_poster.jpg" width="269" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This movie feels much like a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. It is not any one person's vision, and hence, feels inconsistent. Zack Snyder kicked it off, but due to unfortunate circumstances, was unable to complete it. Joss Whedon (who has a rather opposing style & vision) was asked to complete it. And then there is the directive from Warner Bros chiefs to keep it light and to keep it under two hours. The outcome: neither here nor there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Among the many flaws in this movie, the biggest among them are the overly simplistic, generic, predictable plot. It is literally like taking the common denominator of all superhero flicks of the past 10 years. And the plot feels so shallow - things just happen too quickly and the characters doesn't seem to change or have any character development at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> To make it worse, the main villain in here is so dull & lame. If not for the stupid & weird Enchantress (in Suicide Squad), I can almost say that the villain in Justice League is the worst comic book villain in the past 10 years. Not to mention the CGI that wasn't really done well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And speaking of the CGI, the overall visual effects in this movie was rather poor as well. I can still bear with it, but for a movie the size & scale of Justice League, it should have been done better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But moving towards the more positive aspects of the film. It has great characters, in terms of the members of the Justice League. The dynamic between the characters was pretty cool & fun to watch. And despite some misses with the humour, a lot of the jokes does land and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the heroes. Such that if these characters were put in a different (better) story, I think this would have been a good movie. Crossing my fingers for Justice League 2...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Meanwhile, the action is still pretty good & fun to watch. And the score is okay, though it doesn't stand out. In fact, the one part I do like is the song used in the opening credits (Everybody Knows - Sigrid). Though it is not a good testament to the overall movie, but that song in the opening credits was my favourite part of the film. I really like that song.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Overall, the film is watchable & enjoyable, for me, but it is not of high quality in any way. As much as Batman v Superman wasn't great, at least it was fully Zack Snyder's vision. This one isn't, and that is what disappoints me most.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>VERDICT:</u><i> 60 / 100</i></b></span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908315310016640301.post-89765025589562340822017-11-12T04:31:00.001-08:002017-11-12T04:31:33.786-08:00Looking Forward: DECEMBER 2017<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Much like last December, and the December before, we have a Star Wars movie, one or two other (quite) big budget films, and some Oscar potentials...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>For this list, I will only mention films which gets wide release (in the US) in December, so films like The Post will only get mentioned for January 2018...</i></span><br />
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<img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/The_Shape_of_Water_%28film%29.png" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Star_Wars_The_Last_Jedi.jpg" width="134" /><img height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Jumanji_Welcome_to_the_Jungle.png" width="134" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Shape of Water </b>(Dec 8-USA, Feb 16-UK, Jan 18-Singapore)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I can actually say that this film looks to be among those Oscar potentials as well. But I am interested in this film for more than just the quality of directing, story or performances. The story itself interests me. And I have always liked Guillermo del Toro's ideas/concepts for visual storytelling. And the fact that this film (as of writing) has 97% rating in Rotten Tomatoes and has won the Golden Lion award in the 74th Venice Film Festival, it does look to potentially be GDT's best film other than Pan's Labyrinth, and this is something to be excited about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA4WD92it0k">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA4WD92it0k</a> (Trailer #1)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Star Wars: The Last Jedi </b>(Dec 15-USA, Dec 14-UK, Dec 14-Singapore)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And of course, this is the one! Most of you would know by now how a big a Star Wars fan I am. This was easily my most anticipated film of the year, and looking at the landscape right now, this is probably my most anticipated film until Star Wars Episode 9 comes out. Not only am I very excited to see Luke Skywalker in action, or the continuation of the stories of Rey, Kylo Ren, and co, but I am also very hopeful that this will be one of the best SW films ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A big reason for that would be director Rian Johnson. And the fact is Rian was the only director in which there have been no word or rumblings of any trouble at all (unlike the Han Solo film or Episode 9). Add to that the fact that this film has been fully completed (with post-production and all) a few months before release. There is just so much confidence and positive vibe surrounding this film. And finally, of course, the trailers for this film is just awesome!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qsg0fku78o&t=1s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qsg0fku78o&t=1s</a> (Teaser)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">MUST SEE!!: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-qnbOVhM_U">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-qnbOVhM_U</a> (Trailer #1)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle </b>(Dec 20-USA, Dec 20-UK, Dec 21-Singapore)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I am actually quite doubtful of the quality of this film. But it sure does look like fun, so why not. And I suppose that sums up my thoughts about this film. It looks fun, and I'm probably going to go watch it simply for that, but for sure I am not expecting this to be a high quality film. If I'm wrong, then all the better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trailers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leE10vdvkho">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leE10vdvkho</a> (Trailer #1)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3f1Tvev010">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3f1Tvev010</a> (Trailer #2)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Other Movies:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Let's kick it off lightly, before we get to the Oscar potentials. First up is this animation flick - out on December 15 - <b>Ferdinand</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hggl_Ime15I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hggl_Ime15I</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), which I'm really not quite interested in. The synopsis of the plot doesn't interest me, and Blue Sky Studios' recent track record have been poor. So unless this film comes out with stellar reviews, I'm probably going to stay away from it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Next up, <b>Pitch Perfect 3</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8GbmkbKTGg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8GbmkbKTGg</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) comes out on December 22. I had watched the first film sometime back, but to be perfectly honest, I had never been very interested in these kind of movies, anyway. Also out on Dec 22 is a science-fiction comedy that I am much more interested in, </span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Downsizing</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoBLLqlI3tQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoBLLqlI3tQ</a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">), starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, and more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Now, moving to the likely Oscar potentials. For these kind of films (which I rarely watch), the ones that could get me interested are those in the crime-drama realm (as compared to biographies or the likes), so when a movie like <b>All the Money in the World</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJtqk0qq0uk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJtqk0qq0uk</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">) comes along, it caught my attention, especially knowing that Ridley Scott is at the helm. But of course the more interesting thing is the fact that Kevin Spacey (for obvious reasons) gets replaced by Christopher Plummer just a month before a release. This film is out on December 22nd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Out on December 20th is a film called <b>The Greatest Showman</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXEF3G0fAc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXEF3G0fAc</a></span>), which usually isn't my kind of film, but the performances and the color and the visuals of the film got me a little bit interested. And finally, I would like to call out a movie titled <b>Phantom Thread</b> (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtWNdHDWsB0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtWNdHDWsB0</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">). I am not personally interested, but given that this is likely to be Daniel-Day Lewis' final film, maybe its worth a mention. This film is out on December 25th.</span>edwardanthony9http://www.blogger.com/profile/05139911298644210812noreply@blogger.com0