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)
"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
"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
"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
Not a lot to look forward to apart from several interesting blockbusters...
Jupiter Ascending (Feb 6-USA, Feb 6-UK, Feb 5-Singapore)
The film was delayed for about 7 months previously, and honestly, I do not know what that implies about this film. The trailers so far does seem to point out that this film has great visual effects and action sequences, too. The scale seems big with a lot of the film supposedly set outside Earth, and there some interesting characters & casting, too. So far, the trailers point in the right direction, but whether this film will actually be awesome...I am well ready to be surprised when this comes out in cinemas very soon.
Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THVFkk-sEus (Teaser)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLyk00gFPdQ (Trailer #2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQHKolIqBGs (Trailer #3)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (Feb 13-USA, Jan 29-UK, Feb 12-Singapore)
Now, this is a film that intrigues me quite a lot. Initially, it seems like a cheesy, violence-oriented, pseudo-comedy action flick. Well, it may still be something like that, but initial reviews are very, very positive indeed...and I can't imagine why. There looks to be a lot of fun along the way, with some amazing cast as well, but the humour & action looks very cheesy indeed. So, it really intrigues me...what does this movie did right? With all that, interesting cast, awesome director...well, I can't wait to have some fun with this film.
Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4NCribDx4U (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl8F-8tR8to (Trailer #2)
Other Movies:
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (February 6)
-I was never a fan of SpongeBob...never! But some people are...I think...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGjbpO1toTc)
Fifty Shades of Grey (February 13)
-Somehow, this February has more movies I'm not interested in...I'm staying away...not sure about you...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfZWFDs0LxA)
Focus (February 27)
-An comedy-drama with a very interesting premise & great cast...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vY9UPiI4eQ)
"This isn't about money, this isn't about politics"
Not as exciting as I thought it'd be, but a solid piece of work. The film has its moments, but most of the time lacks the thrill & suspense as an action thriller.
There are some moments in the film, especially towards the fight sequences, that are entertaining. But other times, it just lacks the suspense. The scale could have been big, but they played it small. And a thriller should have been fast-paced, yet this one is slow. There are moments that thrill & surprise, but when it is over, the pace suddenly slows down again.
This is neither a good point nor a bad one, but the film does feel authentic. The fights feel authentic, meanwhile the language fits according to the region and situation, too. But as a movie, they have the privilege of making it a bit more over-the-top and people would still believe it. But they didn't.
Some of the minor plot points seem less believable and less significant. There were some humour & drama in the mix, but not enough of them. Meanwhile, the characters were pretty dull, except for Chris Hemsworth's and Viola Davis'. Both characters have their moments, but otherwise, the film feels like there is no proper character to invest in.
In the end, there are some moment that thrills, some that surprise, and some that excites. But as an action thriller, you expect more of it, more suspense & more thrills. The plot works but could have been improved in scale & scope, meanwhile most of the characters are full. A movie that can be enjoyed, but is not one of the most exciting films in recent time.
VERDICT:
Good: Thrilling & exciting moment, Decent plot
Bad: Lacks suspense, Dull characters
SCORE: 6.5
"An order of noble knights combating the forces of darkness"
Being delayed year after year, you could be forgiven for thinking that this movie would have got it right. The visual effects were a bit too exaggerated, and that's the best aspect of the film. Almost nothing else works, and I was sleepy for almost half of the duration of the film.
Just to make it easy, I start off with some of the good stuffs. They did put effort in the visual effects (though maybe a bit too much). Guess that's what you get when you delay a movie for too long. But it comes in with some nice action sequences as well, so there's some points won for that. And another thing is the quite likeable main character. Not the best main protagonist, but the kid does have his moments. So, some exciting action sequences and a likeable protagonist, is about all that you can get.
The plot didn't work so well. It was super straightforward, and too fast-paced. It goes from one scene to the other, without giving viewers time to breath and experience the characters. So, don't even make me say anything about drama or humour.
And then there's the characters. Firstly, there are too many, that they become less significant and less interesting to the viewers. Yet, most of the characters themselves do not work, especially the character played by Jeff Bridges. The character tried to be charming, but it didn't work. Most of the enemies didn't really work either, except for the one character played by Djimon Honsou. Every other character is just....boring.
VERDICT:
Good: Exciting action sequences
Bad: Most characters are boring & insignificant, Dull plot
SCORE: 3.5
