Stars Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, David Oyelowo, Richard Jenkins, Jai Courtney with Werner Herzog and Robert Duvall Directed by Christopher McQuarrie The last time director Christopher McQuarrie was behind the camera, we got the much under appreciated, critical and cult fave, The Way Of The Gun. Of course, McQuarrie is better known as a writer, particularly for the other cult fave, The Usual Suspects. He also wrote a previous Tom Cruise project, Valkyrie, Brian Singer's upcoming Jack The Giant Slayer, and he was working on Top Gun 2 before Tony Scott's untimely demise and rumor has it that Cruise has given him the next Mission: Impossible to write and direct. He definitely has the chops to put together an action film with solid characters, as it is on display in Jack Reacher, an adaptation of the novel, One Shot by Lee Child. Taking a slightly old-school approach to the story structure (maybe it's just the way the book was done) and filming, McQuarrie puts together an intense little thriller that isn't unlike the action thrillers of the 70s. The bravura opening gambit sets the tone and tells a lot, constantly revisited throughout the movie as the investigation is carried out. The pacing is a little stretched at times, but the action set-pieces make up for it. There is the much talked-about car chase in the middle of the movie. Every character has a part to play and the dialogue sizzles, particular where Reacher is concerned. The danger, however, was in the casting of Cruise as the titular character. Is he going to put out a variation of any of his previous characters? That brash and cocky pro who just might be that little bit damaged; on the edgy fringes of insanity. Much has been touched on where the casting of Cruise is concerned, mainly from the fans of the books series. But Cruise does make the character his own, taking the characteristics down to a minimum, making Reacher an intriguing and compelling character. Subtle, unassuming and yet deadly and highly intelligent. A slight step away from the characters that he might be commonly identified with, and yet, a mix of several other characters he's touched on. The rest of the cast lend able support with reliable turns from Richard Jenkins and Robert Duvall, while Rosamund Pike lends some girl power to the proceedings. David Oyelowo keeps things understated which plays into the film's ideas of perception and assumptions, but there's genius at work in the casting of Werner Herzog as the fearsome villainous mastermind, The Zec. Herzog's dry line delivery burrows every bit of his dialogue into your brain while remaining so very understated, lurking in the background and still stealing the scenes. This is not quite the modern action film that the trailer might have made it out to be. Even with Cruise headlining the movie, it's not quite in the genre of Mission: Impossible either (that's a good thing). The pacing is deliberate, although some might find it slow. Others might feel it's classic touches where looks might say more than actions. Dialogue is terse and often to the point with purpose. Like Reacher himself, the film moves with a purpose, and delivers where it counts.
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Stars Jackie Chan, Kwone Sang Woo, Laura Weissbecker, Yao Xing Tong, Liao Fan, Zhang Lan Xin with Steve Yoo Seung Jun and Oliver Platt Directed by Jackie Chan For his (reportedly) last major full feature action adventure (it's not like he's going to stop making movies, just purely action loaded ones), writer-producer-director Jackie Chan revisits one of his enduring characters, although you wouldn't really know it at first. His character here goes by JC, but there is a quick mention of "Hawk" and those Chiclets do appear tying this to the "Armour Of God" adventures. A major difference is that JC works with a proper team here instead of flying solo and drawing a team together for the adventure. Following a spectacular stunt-filled opening involving a full body roller-suit (see it to believe it), the movie takes a moment to settle into the job at hand - a hunt for several pieces of bronze sculptures that represent the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. A hunt that takes our hero and his team on a globe trotting adventure. And in the spirit of its predecessors, there are gag-filled fights, crazy stunts, exotic locales, outrageous set-pieces (one involving pirates, another over an active volcano no less) and lots of henchmen to punch out. The degree of the action is variable tho, as Chan fields out some of the action set-pieces to co-stars. A particular standout being Zhang Lan Xin, a Taekwondo champion making her feature film debut. You can't really begrudge Chan slowing down a little and sharing the load given how age catches up on a person. The set-pieces are still fun, although there is little in way of innovation - except in the technology on display. It's still old-fashioned physical action on display, and the usual end credits outtakes really showcase the years taking their toll on Chan's body. Problem being that a lot of what he's trying has been done, often by Hollywood and their special effects teams. Still… Still… it's an old-fashioned Jackie Chan adventure, and most likely the last one we'll get. He still entertains. There's still a little preaching tied into the story. There is a little case of redemption for the character. It's a little of everything that worked before, put together with a little flair and class, with a whole lot of spirit and good-will. This one really is for the fans, and even Jackie himself tags on a personal message over the end-credits, once in Mandarin (I think, might be Cantonese) and then later in English. Some fans might find it a little disappointing, probably expecting the Chan of old to show up for heart-stopping derring do. Others might get the hint of nostalgia that Chan was probably going for. The youngsters in the audience did seem to react positively, and it's probably a good way for them to discover the rest of his older movies. It's not likely to be vintage Jackie Chan, but it is a decent effort. A tribute to the greatest hits and misses. Entertaining on its own, but not if you hold it up to everything else that has come before. Stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and really a lot more with special appearances by familiar faces Directed by Peter Jackson NB: The cinema I frequent only had the standard film version and Digital 3D version. Not the HFR (48 fps) 3D, which I would love to check out but am not willing to travel to KL just for that. If the movie is filmed in 3D with the proper cameras, I'm more than likely to choose that version. Not always tho. If they had brought the HFR 3D to Penang, I would have chosen that since it is the director's preferred version. Also - I never did read the book, and barely got through half the graphic novel, so my approach would be purely from the cinematic standpoint. As I was watching the movie, I did wonder… If they had made The Hobbit first, before they made The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, would The Hobbit still have been split into three movies? The Lord Of The Rings is three books, adapted into three movies, but The Hobbit is one book, being split across three movies. And in watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there is sense that ... For a change, I'm posting the review on my Wordpress blog, so head on over there to read the rest... Thanks. Stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Adil Hussain, Tabu with Rafe Spall and Gérard Depardieu Directed by Ang Lee So Ang Lee tackle the impossible by adapting a book that's supposedly unadaptable. When most of the story is of Pi on the water with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker for company in a lifeboat (It's the cover of the book and most of the poster designs, it's not a spoiler). Movies that take place on the water are notoriously difficult to shoot, never mind having to work with animals too. Just look to James Cameron about the production of Titanic, or Steven Spielberg on Jaws. I've never read the book despite that cover constantly calling out to me, so let's instead look at the movie as a movie. As the title says, it's about a young man named Pi (Suraj Sharma) and the movie covers most of his life as he relates it to a writer (Rafe Spall) who is having writer's block and is in search of a story. While Pi does relate portions of his childhood, a majority of it is focussed on his over 200 days at sea with the Bengal Tiger for company (a combination of real live tigers and some amazing as expected work from Rhythm and Hues). Ang Lee's direction feels rather staged for most of the movie but there is no denying the visual aesthetics that he applied to bring the story to life, and this does include the decision to film in 3D. The opening titles play over what might appear to be some wildlife preserve with animals flitting about the screen, and this makes the 3D fairly obvious as a window into the world, not so much of the eye-poking variety. Although, that being said, there was one sequence in particular where I did notice the framing shift to allow the flying fish to appear to extrude from the screen by crossing the framing. (A similar effect was employed in Dredd 3D to allow blood to splatter off the screen.) Problem is, the sequence is a flurry of activity, and while impressive in 3D, it's also easy to miss most of the effects going on there. Still, the 3D is used in impressive ways to enhance the depth of the picture and impresses quite often. The cinematography by Claudio Miranda (who did Tron Legacy as well) is beautiful and typically colourful with some truly gorgeous production designs and ideas filling the screen. Accompanied by Mychael Danna's music and there's a sense of wonderment that permeates throughout the movie. The movie runs just over two hours and despite how the story plays out, the pacing is nicely edited so that you don't feel the length. The performance by Suraj Sharma is extremely engaging since he does have to carry a majority of the movie himself. Coupled with the narration by the dulcet tones of Irrfan Khan as the older Pi, it's easy to get absorbed into the story, and the movie, itself. What you take from the movie, ultimately, is what you're willing to put in or how much you might give in to the movie. I can think of a few people who might find it boring, but I might be wrong about them. After all, even as the movie puts it, everything comes down to perception. Stars (Vocally) John C Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman, Denis Haybert, Ed O'Neill and Alan Tudyk Directed by Rich Moore If Tron and Toy Story got together and had an offspring, this just might be the result. Wreck-It Ralph takes place inside the world of computer games at an arcade, and we get to see what those arcade game characters get up to when the arcade is closed and the customers have left. Of course, part of the fun is spotting those characters that we're more familiar with, having played such games in the past. Why, there's Sonic the Hedgehog, and the loveable Pong bars still bouncing that little 'ball' between themselves even in their off-hours. Ryu and Ken are hanging out, and there's Chun-Li, Cammy, M Bison, Q-Bert and so many more hanging together. Unfortunately, cameos and background is all that it amounts to for these favoured characters while the core story locks on one Wreck-It Ralph (John C Reilly). Like Donkey Kong, he's not the hero. He's the one causing the trouble from atop a high structure while a diminutive hero, Fix-It Felix Jr (Jack McBrayer), struggles to the top of the structure to defeat him. After 30 years of being on the losing end, however, Ralph just wants a little respect. Respect, he thinks, that would come if he could prove he's a hero. So Ralph leaves his game and heads off in search of a hero's medal. Despite it's premise and the idea of visiting various games, we actually spend the majority of the story in one particular game - Sugar Rush, a candy coloured and coated world where cute little (and seemingly precocious) little girls race along a candy track in candy cars. There is another game featured in the movie, Hero's Duty, which is a sci-fi FPS styled game typical of most arcades these days, but it's there more as a plot device than part of the overall story. It also provides a secondary character in Calhoun (Jane Lynch, pretty much doing a variation on her Sue Sylvester character from Glee) who teams up with Felix to go in search of Ralph, who's roped into helping Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) out in Sugar Land. There is a little more there, but, well, best you watch for yourself. If you feel like it. Best to prepare an insulin shot if you're diabetic. Ralph is an intriguing and sympathetic character. he's just in search of some recognition, maybe find a friend and know that his position and purpose in life is not just being the bad guy, pointlessly wrecking a building that's always - ALWAYS - going to be fixed by Felix and his magic hammer. At the same time, he's also got a volatile temper, and pairing him with overbearingly effervescent cutie Vanellope is just a recipe for your typical buddy movie. There are a few surprises throughout the movie even though it is fairly predictable as for the most part. It almost feels like a typical Disney feature, mixed with a touch of Pixar schmaltz, not that it's necessarily a bad thing depending on your point of view. It just feels… safe. The animation is quite good, but severely overshadowed by the little feature (Paperman) that preceded the main feature. While the design of the new characters are pretty good - given the complexity of human characters - it's the cameos that steal most of the movie whenever they appear. The overall design of the featured worlds is quite impressive, given the little time we spend in Hero's Duty and the fair amount of time spent in Sugar Rush - which looks like it wears its Japanese influences on its sleeve (right down to the theme song in Japanese that plays over the end credits). Still, it is entertaining, a little fun for those who used to play those arcade games to spot the various cameo and easter eggs peppered throughout the crowded scenes. It just might be a little too 'sweet' for some who might have been expecting a little more, but ultimately, it's typically Disney. A word on Paperman. If you're lucky, you might catch the short that's on before the main feature which features a combination of hand-drawn animation with some CG effects. It's a very effective and impressive combination. The story is simple and slight, but beautifully and sublimely done in a practically wordless manner (despite having some stars credited as the characters) I enjoyed it so much that it's mostly monochromatic and simplistic animation out-classed the main feature. But that's just the animation fan in me. |
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