ENDER'S GAME

A satisfying science-fiction with solid characters & great visuals...

          Ender's Game is overall an enjoyable story following the character Ender in his pursuit of becoming a commander of a fleet. While the plot may be relatively straightforward, it is still fun to follow, with the addition of strong character developments & excellent visuals, that made this movie a rather satisfying piece of art.

          The trailers may be a bit deceiving as most of the movie is on Ender's progress in the battle school instead of the battle against the aliens. While the technology & setting of the school seems way too advanced, the basic story is very much grounded, reflecting typical issues such as friendship, competition, and even bullying. The story though is very much simple & straightforward, except for the finale where, without revealing anything, the story uncovers a great deal of mystery, while ending with a rather strong & unexpected conclusion.

          The visuals are excellent, giving the movie an extra dimension to the relatively simple plot. The character developments are good for audiences to be able to understand the characters. The finale feels grand in scale, despite it being fast & shallow. The soundtrack is amazing as well. However, the drama isn't really felt, while the humour is lacking, which otherwise might increase the value of watching it.

          It is a simple yet enjoyable movie to follow, with some great character moments, only lacking in the humour & drama which could have made it a great movie adaptation.

VERDICT:

Good: Solid characters, Great visuals, Decent soundtrack, Good plot

Bad: Relatively simple plot, Lack of humour & drama

SCORE: 7.0 

FREE BIRDS

Touches of drama salvages what is an otherwise unamusing and uninteresting animation movie...



          With the likes of Cloudy, Despicable Me, and 'Disney' animations on the rise, this one stands no chance and is nowhere near the level of these animation movies. Even Turbo which lacks quality in many aspects, still manages to amuse in some ways. Free Birds is for the most part boring and cheesy, and lacks a good plot, apart from a slight touch of drama.

          The humour in this one is all too cheesy & childish. While undoubtedly targeted for little kids, what they should know, is that kids normally watch with their parents, and so there have to be something to show for them. While recent animation movies have been on the rise, and manages to drag not just the below 10 audiences, but even teenagers and adults as well, this one does not.

          The first half of the movie is unbelievably boring. With a very boring unfolding plot, and utterly unamusing humour & jokes, I kept looking at my watch, while regretting going to the cinema in the first place. The second half is slightly better, with touches of drama & even some thrills in the action, which made it just decently good to see, and saving me from the boredom I had experienced for the first 45 minutes or so.

          But in the end, this is still a boring & unamusing animation movie, with a predictable & weak plot, uninteresting characters, while only salvaged by the little touches of drama in the final moments of the film. Otherwise, this is a movie you may want to avoid for the time being.

VERDICT:

Good: Touch of drama

Bad: Unamusing humour, Weak & predictable plot, Uninteresting characters, Boring first half

SCORE: 3.0

THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Everything I expected from a Marvel movie...and more!



          The Dark World is incredibly humorous and light hearted at its core. With delightful visuals and entertaining action sequences, touches of drama, and amazing cast and characters with a flow of story that is so close to the heart, it is yet another marvellous blockbuster by Marvel.

          The whole movie is hilariously entertaining from start to end, incorporating tons of humorous scenes in the mix. Since The Avengers, and followed by Iron Man 3, Marvel have been making their movies so light & funny, it probably has become their legacy now. I have to say, Loki's scenes are highly entertaining and are among my favourites. Moreover, even the final battle is riddled with humour as well. (For countless times, the whole theatre burst into laughter, that I missed some lines because I could not hear them.)

           The overall story may be simple and very classical with not much depth & substance, but it was perhaps Marvel's intention all along, to make a movie that is easy to follow, yet joyfully entertaining. The few touches of drama and some good twists made it not seem all that shallow. And while the fantasy may be of gods & monsters, but the plot is grounded and made relatable to audiences, such as the simple brotherly relationship between Thor and Loki.

            The scale of the movie is so much bigger than its predecessor. In Thor, the only thing we see of Asgard is probably just the centre "castle", so to speak. In this one, the world is shown like a medieval but magnificent city, with houses, arenas, and bridges too. Brilliant soundtrack adds to the excitement, while the visual direction of Alan Taylor deserved praise as well. Oh, and Stan Lee's cameo is so funny, and is much better than in Iron Man 3.

           Marvel is really making a name for themselves, to be the cinematic series that takes the fantasy of the world of superheroes and giving them a light & family-friendly take, compared to other science-fictions that conveys darker story lines. Thor: The Dark World is a brilliant representation of Marvel's work, and with excellent visuals & great action sequences, along with the humorous take from start to end, is just an immensely satisfying adventure that is not to be missed.

VERDICT:

Good: Delightful visuals, Entertaining action sequences, Humour from start to end, Touch of twists & drama

Bad: -

SCORE: 9.0
           

ESCAPE PLAN

An entertaining old-fashioned action flick...



          Before watching the movie, I was expecting a good fun movie, but without a strong plot. After watching it, that's exactly what I feel that I got, but with a little something extra though. The whole movie is entertaining and thrilling for the prison breaking bits, but otherwise felt a bit boring and lifeless.

          The scenes in the prisons are enjoyable for the most part. Just when Stallone's character was scanning around, and then describing the flaws and weaknesses, it felt cool already. Although when inside 'The Tomb', the seemingly escape-proof prison where most of the movie is set in, he seemed way more vulnerable and worried, and it puts audiences in the position where they can root for the character in his troubles.

          Stallone's chemistry with Schwarzenegger was not as good as I had hoped, although there were some memorable scenes, and most of the funny scenes do came from them. The action sequences were simple, old-fashioned action, but it was still decently entertaining. With a mix of humour in between, the scenes in the prison are mostly great to see. 

          However, away from them, the movie seemed a bit boring, and gets uninteresting, even though a big part of the plot was from there. The overall plot was straightforward, and the whole movie is only about breaking out. But there is a small twist in the end that kind of clear things up, which surprised me a bit, as I wasn't expecting it, really.

          Another small disappointment was in the finale, where the sense of intelligent prison breaking is just lost. When things go haywire, instead of having our hero rethink another smart improvised strategy, it ends with actions that made the prison lost all its credibility of an escape proof-prison with top security, while at the same time making Stallone's character feel like just another old-fashioned gun slinger.

          The acting wasn't awfully great, but we would have loved seeing Sly and Arnold together anyway. But in the end, its just a fun movie that's worth the watch, especially while waiting for the blockbusters to start coming in soon.

VERDICT:

Good: Decent action sequences, Good mix of humour

Bad: Straightforward plot, No drama, Disappointing finale

SCORE: 6.5

Looking Forward: November 2013

The month of November signals the return of big blockbuster movies, and in this November, we have more than we could ever ask for...



Thor: The Dark World (Nov 8-USA, Oct 30-UK, Oct 31-Singapore)

          After the highly successful Iron Man 3 earlier this year, Marvel took no time for a break, with the imminent release of Thor: The Dark World. Our hammer-wielding Avenger returns as a new evil rises in Malekith and the dark elves, who plans to plunge the universe back into darkness. Not only that, Thor must also ask help from his imprisoned step brother Loki, who has been a villain in his past two appearances in Marvel movies. What intrigues me the most from this movie will be to what extent Loki helps Thor, and if he will actually redeem himself, or return to evil in the end. 

Trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p7rocHEecE (Teaser)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npvJ9FTgZbM (Trailer)


The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Nov 22-USA, Nov 21-UK, Nov 21-Singapore)

          The first Hunger Games movie was a huge success. In terms of story and action, it was great. This next one looks to build up on the first one, and despite my definite decision to watch this one, the trailers further convinced me that this one is going to be bigger and better than the first. With the games' president turning out to be evil, threat seems to be everywhere for our young heroes. But the fact that blows my mind away is that the 75th Hunger Games in this movie will consist of past victors, and when Haymitch said "Last year was child's play, this time you're dealing with all experienced killers", that's when shivers went through my spine, and I thought to myself, this is going to be epic.

Trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyPnQw_Lqds (Teaser)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAzGXqJSDJ8 (Trailer) (Must See!)


Ender's Game (Nov 1-USA, Oct 25-UK, Nov 7-Singapore)

          Another science-fiction in the mix, and one which is also based on a well-known novel. The story is about one young teenager who sees and thinks differently than others, and have the potential to save the world from the alien invasion. One of the few movies this year that initiates a new potential franchise, which if it succeeds, could spark upcoming sequels based on the many books already written by writer Orson Scott Card. Not the one I'm most looking forward to, but given the stellar cast in Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley, and the cool-looking trailers, I'm curious to see what this one has to bring.

Trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UNWLgY-wuo (Trailer #2)


Other Movies:

Free Birds (November 1)
-An animation movie that doesn't seem great, but could be a joyful ride...
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq3y7NeCoPc)

Frozen (November 27)
-Another Disney animation movie which reminded me of Tangled at first glance...
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc)

Homefront (November 27)
-An action flick with a potentially good story line...
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjSOj8b804U)

GRAVITY

Fully immersive, but felt shallow at times...



          Gravity is a visual artwork at its best, and with some brilliant direction and unbelievable 3D effects, it is one of the most immersive movies of recent memories, as audiences are able to really feel like being in space. Amazing it may be, this masterpiece was not perfected with a strong plot & substance.

          Critics around the world have been giving this universally positive responses, and understandably so. This movie is able to make audiences feel as if they are really there. This is an outstanding feat, which I believe is because of director Alfonso Cuaron's amazing direction, with cameras spinning as if its floating, and the takes are longer extended shots, instead of short jumps from one angle to the other. And the graphics played no small part, as its stunning and flawless visuals provide the sense of really being in space.

          However, there are some drawbacks within this movie. One is which I have feared all along (and as I have mentioned in the preview post), is that the movie is not supported by a strong script. The movie was all about thrills and survival in space, but not based on a strong emotional plot. In between thrilling, dangerous sequences there are some quiet moments for the characters to tell their stories, but is not enough to grab the heart of audiences. Some moments felt emotional, but mostly they don't pull audiences to their level. I remember a scene where audiences laugh, when I realize it was supposed to be something dark & questionable. In fact, the more dramatic scenes I think was due to Bullock's brilliant acting instead. 

          This movie is indeed one of its kind, at least, for now. Yet it could be perfected with a strong script and substance. If it had been so, it would have been the perfect movie, and one which is not just an amazing thrill ride, but will remain in the heart of audiences for long. Though the case is not so, Cuaron have made his mark in the world of cinema, and will surely trigger something in the mind of other movie makers in the near future.

VERDICT:

Good: Fully immersive experience, Great direction, Stunning visuals, Good 3D effects

Bad: Not supported by script & substance

SCORE: 7.5

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2

Predictable but emotionally satisfying...



          Cloudy 2 is a creative and entertaining sequel. However, it lacks in the story line and memorable scenes. Plot is predictable overall, with minor surprising twists as the spices. The visuals are great, and the story has emotional scenes that convey a moral message.

          The plot is predictable in the big picture, but has surprising minor twists that audiences may not realize. Though the villain of the movie is made aware to audiences from the beginning, the unfolding turn of events is pretty enjoyable, especially on the more emotional scenes when the gang realizes the truth about the world, which in my opinion, conveys a deep, emotional, moral message that, although simple, is a good note for children watching this movie.

          Movie-wise, the visuals are good, however there are no scenes that are memorable or fun to watch for. Simply put, there are no action scenes that could have made it more entertaining. The humour is good overall, but gets too repetitive (especially with the food references) and boring as it goes. Other humour are more child-targeted ones, which may still be laughable, but not great.

           In the end, Cloudy 2 is fun to watch, and certainly a good one for the families. Though it did not achieve as high as its predecessor, its still just fun to watch, and worth the price of admission.

VERDICT:

Good: Great visuals, Emotionally satisfying, Good humour

Bad: No memorable scenes, Repetitive references

SCORE: 6.5