CINDERELLA

"Have courage, and be kind..."



          A classic tale presented as magical as the original was. Unlike Maleficent, it did not venture into untold territories. But even as it sticks to the story that everyone knows, it is done so beautifully and with so much effort on all parts - with so much heart & soul, if you will. There is nothing special about it apart from that it resurrected a classic story as beautiful as can be.

          I can't seem to find words logical enough to explain why this film was amazingly done. With a classic plot that almost everyone knows - almost no action sequences to entertain the modern audience - yet it still rekindles old memories with a brand new magic. 

          Perhaps, the only reason I can find, is that it is done with so much heart & soul - from the director, the actors & actresses, and perhaps even the people in the editing room. You can see the actors really put their heart into it, especially Richard Madden (as Prince Kit), who was as charming and likeable as can be, and even Lily James (Cinderella), who portrayed the character with a certain degree of flair & power. They really took me by surprise by how well they made me like (and root for) the characters.

          Kenneth Branagh surprised me with how well the tale was brought to life. There was so much energy with all the iconic moments, like the midnight clock striking and when the Prince fit the glass slipper on Cinderella. The scenes were done with so much power & drama, that as predictable as it is, still gave me chills when I saw it. 

          Furthermore, the stories that fill the gaps in between these iconic moments worked (almost) to perfection. Some scenes are just beautifully done, like when the Prince and Cinderella first met. And I have to admit, I was rooting for them to meet each other again ever since (although this is also where a bit of the setback comes in, for me). Meanwhile, every other characters also work well, like those that are meant to be hated, as are those that are meant to be likeable. And just to add, the stepsisters & stepmother are a bit too exagerrated, but their despise & stubborness provides some humorous moments.

            The bit of the setback I had was with the implausiblity of one iconic moment, and I'm not talking about the magical fairy Godmother. The magic was fine, but I'm slightly disappointed with the palace dance scene. As I said, I was rooting for the Prince and Cinderella to meet each other once again, but I had hoped there would be more complexity with the palace scene. I didn't expect it to be that quick & easy. It could have been done more cleverly, with some setbacks before they get to meet one another. And I was hoping for more (shock) reaction from Cinderella in learning of the Prince. It need not be that smooth.

          But otherwise, this movie is beautifully done. And there is also a small, sweet, surprising twist towards the end. With the exception of that, this film has nothing special or surprising to offer, but it is so magically and beautifully done with so much love, heart & soul put into it, that the iconic moments relive in your memories once again.

VERDICT:

Good: The last paragraph properly explains why I like this film...

Bad: A slight setback with one iconic moment that could have been done better...

SCORE: 8.0

CHAPPIE

"A thinking robot could be the end of mankind..."

          This movie turned out to be more entertaining than I'd thought. But on the other hand, the drama was less impactful than I'd initially expect. There were some exciting & funny moments, but it never really took me in. A good time in the theaters, is all.

          I never really got into the film...not until I find out that a kid robot acting like a gangster can be funny. It's the element that surprised me yet entertained me...how this robot Chappie is brought up by a family of gangsters, and grows up to that unlike of any Artificial Intelligence ever seen before. It's funny, it's entertaining...and is probably the only reason for me to like Chappie (the robot).

          But the drama never really hit hard. Perhaps because the events happening towards the end is a little messy, and it tried to send several different moral messages to the audience, ending up with none. It tried too hard, basically. And then I have a little bit of a problem with the resolution at the end. I won't spoil it here...but I disapprove the ending, if not for one sweet moment. (I'll put a short spoiler discussion below...).

          And there was the problem of Hugh Jackman & Sigourney Weaver. Two great actors - slash - marketing material, whose characters never really integrated to the film. They were lost for a lot of the middle portion of the film, and never really looked like properly layered characters. But the gangster family (portrayed by Die Antwoord band members) and Chappie himself prove themselves the star of the show. And just as a side note, Hans Zimmer is a genius - even when the movie is less than brilliant, his music always is (brilliant).

VERDICT:

Good: Entertaining moments, Decent main actors (& characters), Great music.

Bad: Less dramatic, Messy resolution.

SCORE: 6.5

### SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! ###### SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! ###

          Now, about the resolution of the story: Not only did the drama fail because both Deon & Chappie survives...but it's also a bit far-fetched for consciousness (of a robot) to be transferred. My first initial perception was way more dramatic: that despite Chappie's software to be able to be copied....the consciousness that develop out of it could not (and is not) written in computer codes...so I thought a new Chappie could be built...but the old life would be gone. That would have been awesome, right?

          Furthermore, I could understand and accept for Deon (a human) to be able to have his consciousness transferred. But Chappie? A robot? He didn't even have neural sensors or something. My, that really disappoints me when I saw it happen on screen. The only sweet moment, which I mentioned above, is that it leads to the revelation that Chappie at one point downloaded Yo-landi's consciousness...so that was a nice & touching moment, but that's about it. I was very disappointed with how the other parts of the ending transpired.

TV Review: Agent Carter

The 8-episode run of Marvel's Agent Carter series ended recently...and so here are my thoughts on them...



          As compared to Marvel's other series Agents of SHIELD, this one ultimately is much better & way more interesting. Most of it is due to the interesting chemistry between main characters Peggy Carter & Edwin Jarvis. And as a fan, it's nice to see interesting connections being made with the bigger picture - Marvel Cinematic Universe. But in the end, as a series on its own, it is fairly entertaining with some brilliant moments, and certainly worth the while.

          It is not without setbacks, however, as I have to admit that the series took its time to find its feet. The first three episodes were all about establishment, and I have to say - were relatively boring. It's not all bad, as they (first three episodes) establish the tone as well as the characters of the series, while giving us plenty of fun and laughs in between, but the story seems pretty vague and rather dull. 

          But then, from episode 4 onwards, the series begins to play with interesting reveals as well as connections to the cinematic series, and this is where the story gets interesting & substantial. As the series proceeds, the more it gets interesting, and by the end of every episode, there's always something more to look forward to. And with a short run of 8 episodes, they are able to stick with the main story arc, and therefore, allows for strong, powerful plot lines to play out in every episode.

           By the time the finale arrived, I was super excited as to how it would play out, and anticipation is high. It's a good finale, with some emotional moments, but it lacks the explosiveness & intensity that I hope it'd bring. Howard Stark is fun, as he always is from the beginning. And the final climactic scene is very emotional and well played out indeed. But there is only a short fight scene, and it lacks the energy that it had supposedly built up to. But it did left something hanging in the end, and with a very exciting easter egg for fans.

CONCLUSION

          Overall, the series works and is fun & interesting at the same time. But it did not really strike hard to both fans and general audience alike to make it a very memorable series. The series takes time to find its feet, but then works well towards the end, before a slightly less-than-spectacular finale. There are some exciting easter eggs for fans, but even general audiences will find this series quite good, and find it certainly worth the time.


Note: I find this better than Agents of SHIELD because of its focus and drama. In SHIELD, there seems to be too many things its trying to acheive and ended up achieving none. It is less dramatic and less focused overall. Meanwhile, I also liked Agent Carter more for connecting the dots of the stories that has been established in the MCU, as compared to SHIELD who is instead creating new paths and playing with themes that are not even touched yet on the MCU (i.e. Inhumans).

Looking Forward: MARCH 2015

More exciting spring blockbusters come into the mix of what is to be an amazing year for films...



Chappie (Mar 6-USA, Mar 6-UK, Mar 5-Singapore)

          Some time this year we'll have big blockbusters with villainous artificial intelligence like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Terminator: Genisys, meanwhile this film does the reverse with a conscious robot fighting for the good cause. Yet somehow the premise still feels familiar...to be rooting for something non-human, supported by a band of humans, all the while being hunted by other humans...truly it doesn't feel all that fresh. But with some amazing cast in Hugh Jackman and Sigourney Weaver, as well as a great director in Neill Blomkamp, this certainly looks to be quite the spring blockbuster to look forward to.

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhNshgSYF_M (Teaser)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyy7y0QOK-0 (Main Trailer)


Cinderella (Mar 13-USA, Mar 27-UK, Mar 12-Singapore)

          A romantic fantasy film that never looked like my kind of film. But the most recent trailer hooked me in, and now I'm intrigued & curious about this live-action take on this famous Disney titular character. The cast looks amazing, while I've always enjoyed director Kenneth Branagh's films...and the visual effects looks awesome, indeed - which brings in a level of confidence with the quality of this film. Hoping it'll be as good as Maleficent may be asking too much, but all the signs (and trailers) show that it may yet be a surprisingly entertaining movie.

And there's some excellent song/music in the trailers, too. 

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfR8Su4ulX0 (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJuk8uZymj0 (International Trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1dLcSoiHzA (Trailer #3) (Must See!)


The Divergent Series: Insurgent (Mar 20-USA, Mar 19-UK, Mar 19-Singapore)

          Divergent was a surprisingly entertaining & strong first entry to the series. Though the general theme never felt too distinctive to other YA novel adaptations, Divergent prove to be one of the better ones. With that, there is no reason to miss out on its first sequel, Insurgent. However, I have to admit, recent trailers have been rather underwhelming and vague. For me, personally, the trailers seem to be more confusing than exciting. One other thing that unsettles me is that the villain doesn't seem to be all too threatening, or doesn't even seem to have a clear motive. It feels a bit unclear as to where the story is headed, but I'm crossing my fingers that I will feel satisfied the moment I leave the theaters after this intriguing second entry of the franchise.

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Ok1tzdQMQ (Teaser)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR-l_TSjlEo (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf3HZaB57Jk ("Fight Back" Trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBn_LRp-D7U ("Stand Together" Trailer)


Other Movies:

Run All Night (March 13)
-Yet another action flick starring Liam Neeson...why not?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uDuFh-nC-c)

The Gunman (March 20)
-An action thriller with an array of exciting cast...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug9xufczPVE)

Home (March 27)
-An interesting animation film from the brilliant DreamWorks Animation...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLGDJkhYnVc)

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

"Manners - maketh - man...do you know what that means?"



          Oh, man, this movie is awesome!! I thought this film will be a simple, brainless fun & action...but I'm surprised to find out it has heart & soul, too. This is how a blockbuster should be...or almost be. It certainly is the action, comedy flick we need in a rather dull start of the year. Despite the comical violence, it is fun, action-packed & touching, too.

          I did expect one hell of a fun ride when I went to see this, and yes, I got it...a film full with colorful, fast-paced action sequences which is just fun in every possible way. The tone was light, the shots were fast, and the music was great, too. Some fun songs are even incorporated amongst the action, and it plays out perfectly. In a way, they kind of remind me of Guardians of the Galaxy...which is good, because in this film, it works, too! 

          What surprised me most of all, is the plot. I initially thought it was going to be simple & brainless...but it is rather smart...and more importantly, it has heart & soul. From the first few minutes, I am already proven wrong, and I can feel that there is more to the plot than I initially thought (from the trailers). Not to mention the excellently-crafted twists & turns...so yes, the plot is great!

          And it has a lot of humour...all along the film. It's certainly a very fun ride to enjoy. And the cast fits brilliantly...from Colin Firth to Samuel Jackson...even young Taron Egerton is brilliant! Plays out their characters perfectly!

          The only thing stopping it from becoming the perfect blockbuster is that it had to use comical, weird violence. Not to say it's not good...it is...in fact, the comical deaths plays out to their strengths. Without it, it won't be as fun. But here's my point...a perfect blockbuster is an awesome movie that still feels reasonably realistic...the fact that this film had to resort to comical violence & deaths, means that it tries to play things differently. In my view, no film with comical (sorry, I can't find another word for this) unrealism will ever get a perfect score.

            But what matters most, is that the comical violence in this movie plays out perfectly to the tone of this film...and its better because of it. So, yes, this movie is super fun...and I super recommend you to check it out!!

VERDICT:

Good: Colorful & fast-paced action, Excellent humour throughout, Smart & heartful plot, Brilliant cast, Nice twists

Bad: Resorting to comical outcomes...not that bad, though...

SCORE: 9.0

JUPITER ASCENDING

"That planet belongs to me"



            The 7 month delay of this film's release...is properly justified. They needed the time to get the visual effects done, and my, it was awesome! This is our first spring blockbuster of the year! It's not the greatest of films, but I am particularly amazed by the stunning visual effects & impressive action sequences. They certainly put in a lot of effort in the detail, and the designs are amazing - the weapons, the ships, the cities. The chase sequences are cool, the fights are cool, and most of it is due to the innovative and detailed visuals. Hands down - this is how summer blockbusters should be...in terms of visual effects & action sequences.

           In other aspects, however, not so. The characters work, but most of them are hardly appealing. It's a mess, particularly with the villains. All of them have very limited roles, and neither of them feel significantly threatening, anyway. Eddie Redmayne was supposed to play the big bad, but he only appears in the last 30 minutes or so. Not a very significant villain. And then the human story regarding Mila Kunis' family is hardly relevant. They could just make do with a normal family, but they overcomplicate things.

           Though the plot feels very standard & straightforward, I like the general theme of the whole movie. The scale of the film works with that general theme, but they fail to focus up and make it a compelling story. It certainly has all the seeds for a brand new science-fiction franchise. The drama rarely works, except for the one character played by Channing Tatum. 

          And while the visual effects were brilliant, they could have done one better with an improved & more powerful sound effect (like Star Trek Into Darkness - powerful sound effects of the ship, of the phasers, and of course, of warp jumps!). But the music/soundtrack is still good enough.

          In the end, the movie is still worth the price of admission, and is certainly a fun time at the movies. Not a memorable movie, or even a great one, but certainly an impressively entertaining & fun movie to watch.

VERDICT:

Good: Stunning visual effects, Awesome action sequences, Good general theme

Bad: Unappealing characters, Straightforward plot

SCORE: 7.0

MORTDECAI

"What's in it for me, as they say?"



          Johnny Depp's eccentric roles has apparently overstayed its welcome, and this film proves just that. Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter are his billion-dollar roles, but his other roles doesn't seem to appeal anymore, especially so in the case of Mortdecai. Fans of Depp, worry not...Alice in Wonderland sequel will come next year, followed by another Pirates of the Caribbean film the year after. We shall hope to see Depp back at his best very soon.

          In the meantime, Mortdecai...is perhaps his worst film in recent memory. It's not that its entirely grim or depressing - I had a little fun with it - but a slapstick comedy...in this modern era...not a good idea! People nowadays require a bit more intelligence in humour, so creating a slapstick comedy is indeed brave...but foolish indeed. The cast is probably not to be blamed so much as the general idea is.

          In another movie with a different tone, this film could be entertaining. But as it stands, watching Mortdecai is watching a very weird character doing unexpected things with unbelievable outcomes. In its defense, I kind of like the energy of the film, supported by its cool, energetic music. And once in a while, I did find myself slightly amused. But overall, its not really the film you want to spend your bucks for. This film has already failed even before it begins production, because even the idea itself doesn't really appeal to a modern audience, much less to critics.

VERDICT:

Good: Energetic tone & music, Some humour

Bad: Slapstick comedy fails, Weird character, Even weirder action & outcome

SCORE: 4.0