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Apr
27

Here is TV Series Lounge’s exclusive Marvel The Avengers movie review.

And there it is! Oh yes, the punch line to a series of five blockbuster hits. It’s not just a superhero movie, The Avengers is the superhero movie of the year. Not that this is surprising considering all the hype that came with it, but with Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Hulk all packed in that movie ticket, Marvel did you just that favor to make your day.

 

Praise the Superheroes who saved New York City (yes, that’s the place) but Director Joss Whedon can sleep with a smile for a long time knowing that he has put up an ensemble line of actors, famous superheroes and millions of dollars into something the audience will remember for the same time that he can smile about it. Although the theme (that’s right: saving the world) and the superheroes are not unfamiliar to most of the people (and you know I’m not exaggerating), The Avengers is a hit for fans (dream come true) and strangers alike – and that is saying something.

 

The cliche of every superhero movie is that there is always a villain, and in this case, Loki of Asgard (Tom Hiddleston) is the unfortunate bad boy. Loki has set his eyes on the Tesseract, an unlimited source of power and energy, to be able to open a portal where his evil and creepy army can invade the Earth. And because he was successful in stealing it from S.H.I.E.L.D (otherwise we won’t have a story), Captain Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) was forced to call in the ragtag band of superheroes and assassins who played with the “hard to get” and “hard to work with” attitudes, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Oh and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) joined in later. With the hopes of maintaining peace, S.H.I.E.L.D now relies on these colorful suit-wearing heroes to do what every other superhero would and should do – save the world.

 

Right, so one thing that can be noticed in this action-packed movie is the balancing of character elements. Director Joss Whedon had all hands on deck for this one, and it’s obvious because of the universal pressure placed upon his shoulders to balance two things, the actors and the characters. The actors had big blockbusters up their sleeves going into The Avengers, although not all of them are great, (talking about The Incredible Hulk and Thor), and necessarily, sharing the load of acting isn’t as easy as anyone thinks it is. Egos had to be equalized. The characters’ screen presence and roles on the other hand had to be balanced in order to show that the film does not favor any of the superheroes, that’s why it’s The Avengers in the first place, not Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers or what have you. Fortunately, Whedon pulled it off, everything was balanced. Each actor had the moment to shine and each character had the opportunity to show off and take the stand for the entire world to see (seriously, who’s the greatest superhero in this movie?).

 

Another interesting point is that not normally does a superhero movie slap spectacular action, fresh humor and heart-warming drama in the audience’s faces all at the same time. But because The Avengers offered all of these in one basket, one can wonder how good this movie could get, and hands down, it was great – it was superb thanks to a carefully written script, a heavy dose of screen-blasting cinematography, and fighting scenes with “two thumbs up!” written all over them (It would be very unfortunate to miss Iron Man, Thor and Captain America fight each other!).

 

Then there is the actor’s performance evaluation segment. Robert Downey Jr.’s comedy antics really suited his happy-go-lucky Tony Stark character. With Chris Evans, Captain America never looked that cool and dazzling ever before. Chris Hemsworth finally nailed it with his Thor character. Tom Hiddleston never really wavered being Loki the first time and in this movie. And Mark Ruffalo? Well, Eric Bana or Lou Ferrigno would’ve been better suited for that green of a monster, Hulk. Mark Ruffalo being Dr. Bruce Banner felt forced in some way that it became uncomfortable watching him do so, but at least he tried. (Finally, something negative!) Samuel Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson (hot!) and Cobie Smulders (hot!) all did a great job performing their roles as members of S.H.I.E.L.D. What more can you ask for?

 

Who wouldn’t want to see a group of superheroes save the day? Better yet, who wouldn’t want to see them do just that in a movie full of action and energy? And best of all, who wouldn’t want to see The Avengers? Go ahead, indulge, and be ready for a ride in the cinema you will never forget.

 

Did you like The Avengers movie as well?

Jul
13

What a spectacular and spellbinding way to finish the franchise! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 gave us something epic, heartwarming and worth remembering. Let’s discuss. Warning spoilers ahead.

The franchise ends with Harry, Ron and Hermione facing off against Voldemort in spectacular fashion.

IGN: And so the most ambitious and expensive undertaking in film history draws to a close. 14 years on from the first book hitting UK shelves, a decade since the boy wizard made his debut on the silver screen, and over $6 billion in global box office takings later, the franchise finally reaches its conclusion with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

Mercifully, it’s a suitably spectacular finale to this most towering of celluloid achievements; an emotionally draining journey into the heart of wizarding darkness, with battles fought, lives lost, and secrets uncovered that call into question everything that has gone before.

The film hits the ground running, picking up where Part 1 left off, with Harry, Ron and Hermione hunting down the Horcruxes — items into which the Dark Lord Voldemort has embedded pieces of his soul — and the three Deathly Hallows, which “He Who Must Not Be Named” believes will grant mastery over death.

It therefore demands extensive prior knowledge on the part of the audience, but then again, if you are joining the story for the first time at Part 7.5, you must be a pretty strange Muggle.

Their quest initially takes them to Gringotts Bank where, with the help of tricky goblin Griphook (Warwick Davis, under a mountain of impressive make-up), they must pull off the most dangerous of heists.

This spectacular sequence calls for Hermione to knock back the Polyjuice to disguise herself, which in turn allows Helena Bonham Carter to have a ball pretending to be Hermione pretending to be Bellatrix Lestrange.

This hilarious scene is followed by a rollercoaster set-piece that owes more than a passing debt to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (and feels more like a theme park attraction than a sequence necessary to the plot) before a giant, fire-breathing dragon lights up the screen in one of the film’s many stand-out moments.

It’s then back to Hogwarts for the final time, though it’s no longer the happy, cosy refuge of previous instalments, but rather a Voldemort stronghold, with Death Eaters controlling the school, Dementors patrolling the perimeter, and the dastardly Severus Snape now headmaster.

Harry, Ron and Hermione join the underground resistance at work at the school, and the stage is set for war, with the teachers and pupils preparing to take a last stand against the forces of evil.

The second half of the film is therefore one huge, long battle, the Potter franchise turning into a war movie on an epic scale. Jaw-dropping sequences abound, from a dazzling broomstick escape to a stunning footbridge explosion to a dramatic attack on Hogwarts’ wand-generated force-field. Indeed, the building itself actually comes to life, with Professor McGonagall casting a spell that sends the school’s silent stone sentries into battle.

But while the effects are visually sumptuous, it’s the smaller moments that truly take the breath away, from Neville Longbottom finding his inner warrior when all seems lost to the two central couples stealing kisses as death looms large.

Elsewhere the dramatic revelation of Harry’s destiny gives the film its emotional core, while the disclosure of Snape’s true agenda is delicately handled, with Alan Rickman delivering the film’s stand-out performance as this most ambiguous of characters.

Indeed, Rickman has been the series MVP throughout, savouring each and every line of dialogue as he constantly wrong-foots the viewer. Alongside an actor of his stature, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson initially looked like the amateurs they were, and while the latter two improved as the series progressed, Radcliffe himself continues to struggle with the material.

This final instalment asks a lot of the young actor, and he’s certainly mastered the art of looking pensively into the distance. But when it comes to emotionally-charged back-and-forths he still seems out of his depth, which may go some way to explaining why the film’s finale feels somewhat underwhelming.

The series has been building towards the concluding conflict between Harry and Voldemort for nearly eight films, and yet when the pair finally commence hurling spells at each other in a fight to the death, the moment feels rushed and muted, as if in trying to tie up all the loose ends the filmmakers forgot to give this sequence the emphasis it deserves.

The battle between Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange similarly seems hasty, while elsewhere characters from previous instalments are wheeled out in clumsy fashion only to be quickly dispatched or bid farewell.

Director David Yates and his team obviously wanted to bring closure to the series by allowing the majority of the ensemble to have their moment, but the story may have been better served if he and screenwriter Steven Kloves had concentrated on the drama in the foreground rather than the cavalcade of characters backing it up.

The newcomers to the franchise fare better, most notably Kelly Macdonald as Helena Ravenclaw and Ciaran Hinds as Aberforth Dumbledore, though the latter’s chequered past with his brother Albus is hinted at rather than properly explored, which may disappoint fans of the source material.

As for the book’s infamous coda, the film retains the leap forward in time, and it’s handled with aplomb. The ageing effects on the main players are impressive, and the sweetly innocent sequence brings the story full-circle. However, it still seems awkward and unnecessary, a filling-in-of-the-blanks that robs audiences of the opportunity to let their imaginations do the work.

That said, in spite of such relative shortcomings, the film remains a rousing finale to this most incredible franchise. An ode to faith, friendship, loyalty and love, the movies have done justice to J.K. Rowling’s remarkable books, and Deathly Hallows – Part Two may just be the best of the lot.

Its quality somewhat justifies the studio’s decision to split the final book in two, part one meandering and incomplete to allow part two time to breathe, and when watched in conjunction they will doubtless play out as a bona fide epic.

Across the board, this final instalment is the crowning achievement of the series, with direction, script, performance, cinematography, effects, make-up, score, and even post-production 3D combining to make a truly spectacular cinematic achievement.

We will surely miss Harry Potter. And the way the franchise ended, I can say that I am fully satisfied. Kudos HP7!


You can check other Movie Reviews HERE.

May
16

First thing, why would they show Priest on 3D? It’s pointless. However, I can also say that its way better than Legion. So after these initial thoughts, let us now discuss Priest in detail.

IGN: Priest, directed by Legion’s Scott Stewart, is set in a post-apocalyptic, alternate world where a centuries-long war has waged between humans and vampires. The story follows Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany), a veteran of the vampire wars who now lives in obscurity in a walled-in city controlled by the Church (led by archbishop Christopher Plummer in a brief paycheck role).

After his niece Lucy (Lily Collins) is kidnapped by the monstrous outlaw Black Hat (Karl Urban) and his pack of vampires, Priest comes out of retirement to find her before she can be turned into a bloodsucker, a decision that puts him in violation of the Church’s laws and forces him to turn his back on them but not on God.

Joining Priest on his Searchers-esque journey across the desert wasteland is Sheriff Hicks (Cam Gigandet), who is also Lucy’s boyfriend, and Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q), another veteran of the vampire wars. Lots of vampire bloodletting ensues.

Priest is a cocktail made by an average bartender. It’s an amalgam of Matrix wire-fu, Star Wars costuming, post-apocalyptic Mad Max western trappings, vampires reminiscent of those in Blade 2, all set in a world not unlike that of Equilibrium. It’s a helluva mix, one which many fanboys will undoubtedly find cool, but it’s nevertheless derivative and, fittingly for a film about vampires, soulless.

Paul Bettany is miscast as the lead character. While casting against type should be encouraged, Bettany himself seems self-conscious throughout the movie, as if he can’t quite believe he’s playing the laconic, grizzled tough guy. His raspy voice is a bit much, but he at least he handles himself competently in the action scenes. His best moments are his scenes with Maggie Q, where what goes unspoken between them is better than their dialogue.

Gigandet is less squinty and obnoxious than he’s been in several of his past films, finding the meekness and foibles in his otherwise underwritten role. Maggie Q can play the ass-kicking babe in her sleep by now, while Collins is decent as the damsel in distress. A hammy Urban chews the scenery as Black Hat in one of the story’s most underwritten roles. (Look for genre notables Brad Dourif and True Blood’s Stephen Moyer in small, thankless roles.)

The movie offers different levels of vampires, from the eyeless bloodsuckers to “the familiars” who serve as the vampires’ human acolytes. Black Hat is something else entirely, a unique new breed that poses a whole new danger. Action-wise, there’s a sequence set in a vampire lair where Priest and Hicks find themselves on the wrong side of sundown that’s kind of cool. There’s also a bit where Maggie Q takes out some bikers with a rope dart that’s pretty sweet. The film’s being touted for its 3D, but it really doesn’t have any standout moments in that format so save your money and go 2D if you really want to see it.

On a visceral level, Priest offers enough action and cool bits to probably hold the interest of most 14-year-old boys, but its hodgepodge story and overall derivative nature make it feel like a movie that should have come out back in the ’90s. It’s just simply there, with no real life of its own to get you fully invested in it.

You can check other Movie Reviews HERE.

May
15

Finally, Captain Jack and the rest of the crew are back with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. After the long hiatus, we are treated with the same fun and action-packed scenes from our favorite Pirates franchise.

IGN: The last film – At World’s End – made a mint at the box office, but was pilloried for its crippling run-time and confusing plot. On Stranger Tides pulls back on the former and untangles the latter, but still fails to hit the effortlessly entertaining heights of the original Pirates flick, Curse of the Black Pearl.

Johnny Depp reprises his Oscar-nominated turn as the irrepressible Jack Sparrow, who bizarrely starts the film in judge’s robes, presiding over the trial of former partner-in-crime Gibbs who – following a potentially deadly case of mistaken identity – is on trial for being… Jack Sparrow.

There follows a spectacular chase scene through the streets of London and a brief bit of banter with his old sparring partner Barbossa (now peg-legged and working for King George as a privateer) before Jack finally reaches his natural habitat – the sea – and the story starts proper.

And while the plot isn’t as labyrinthine as either part two or three, it still takes some explaining, with multiple characters endeavouring to enlighten the audience, but sounding more like Basil Exposition from the Austin Powers movies than people having real conversations.

The central quest revolves around the legendary ‘Fountain of Youth’, with Captains Sparrow and Barbossa competing with a (somewhat pointless and ineffective) fleet of Spanish ships to reach the mythical, life-restoring water.

But there are inevitable obstacles in the way, the most immediate of which is Penelope Cruz as Angelica, a beautiful, manipulative, deadly pirate with whom Sparrow has crossed swords in a previous life. Bickering former lovers who are just as likely to kill as kiss each other, Cruz is an entertaining foil for Depp, although her motives remain unconvincing throughout.

Another spanner thrown into the works is Blackbeard, captain of the Queen Ann’s Revenge, and the pirate that all others apparently fear. Played by Ian McShane – best known to U.S. audiences for Deadwood and U.K. audiences for Lovejoy – he certainly looks the part with his piercing eyes and leathery skin. But this Blackbeard never truly strikes fear into the heart, his voodoo dolls little more than a novelty; his zombified crew more ill-tempered annoyance than terrifying incarnation of the walking dead.

Far more effective are the film’s mermaids, a new addition to the series and responsible for Pirates’ one truly stand-out moment. This mesmeric sequence introduces the stunning sea creatures in all their ethereal beauty before unleashing their furious brutality, and is a genuine show-stopper that’s over all-too-soon.

It’s at his point that the film loses all sense of momentum, proceedings slowing down to a snail’s pace as characters cross and double-cross each other as they navigate their way across an island in search of the mythical water.

This passage isn’t helped by an entirely unconvincing romance developing between mermaid-with-a-heart-of-gold Syreena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) and dull-as-dishwater missionary Philip (Sam Clafin). Clearly designed to fill the void left by franchise ever-presents Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, the attractive-but-underwritten pair bring nothing to the party short of allowing Depp to make a good ‘missionary position’ gag, and commit the heinous crime of actually making you miss Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.

There are fun discoveries along the way, including the shocking fate of the Black Pearl, the revelation of Sparrow’s time spent in a convent, and the now-inevitable appearance of Keith Richards as Captain Teague, himself endeavouring to explain a plot-point involving a pair of chalices.

But it all ends in somewhat underwhelming fashion, bowing out with a whimper rather than a bang and leaving loose ends flapping like sails in the wind.

Director Rob Marshall – replacing Gore Verbinski and hitherto best known for Chicago and Nine – does his best with the material, but seems more at home with the comedy and drama than the action for which the series is famed.

Indeed, the aforementioned chase scene and mermaid attack aside, Marshall’s action seems over-choreographed and under-cooked, having more in common with the dance sequences for which he made his name that the more spectacular jaw-droppers from the previous flicks.

Johnny Depp is on typically fine form as Sparrow, but one can’t help but feel that his rock star-pirate shtick is looking a little tired this time around, with Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa fast-becoming the most interesting and entertaining character in the series.

And while the run-time is down on part three’s colossal 169 minutes, it still clocks in at a butt-numbing 136, which could have been trimmed had a more brutal approach been taken to the young romance and the involvement of the Spanish fleet in the edit suite.

Overall,  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is way better than At World’s End. It’s more entertaining, maybe because of the mermaids and Cruz. What do you think?

You can check other Movie Reviews HERE.

Mar
03
Here’s a million-dollar question: how do you turn one setting and two actors into a movie? Straight to the point, get Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones to play the two lead roles, then throw in an engaging dialogue. HBO’s The Sunset Limited is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s theatrical play, and thus, one cannot expect a very entertaining movie out of it considering its elements, but with the star quality it boasts and through the brilliant direction of Jones, it came out as an award-winning movie in my opinion (I hope yours too).


The film opens in Black’s (Jackson) ramshackle apartment where he and White (Jones) sits across each other with a table in between. White is a suicidal and friendless school professor who sees nothing but death waiting for the living. In other words, he is an atheist. That day, he tried to kill himself by jumping in front of the speeding train named “The Sunset Limited” to relieve himself of human suffering, but for some unexplained reason, or maybe by divine intervention, he was saved by Black, an ex-convict turned into a strong God believer, and was brought into the apartment.

Here, they discuss the reasons for White’s unwarranted suicide attempt, the philosophical natures of religion, and their own perspectives of God. White keeps on bailing himself out one can count how many times he says “I have to go” but he is always enticed to stay by Black, desperately trying to let him see the light. Switch, engage, and then switch again, this is the basic trend of the discussion. Purpose, reasons, even history was tackled. What emerges afterwards is a deep debate about one’s faith and life that soon the questions come out rather to reveal dark and disturbing truths about each other.


First things first, the on-screen presence of both characters is unprecedented, something this movie greatly benefitted from. 90 minutes of talk, debate and discussion and yet you still find yourself wanting more. The film carries a lot of substance and thought that one is likely to forget the movie happened in one location. The individual performances of both superstars were very convincing that their personality was shouted even by their appearance alone. McCarthy took his own script and together with Jones, turned this theatrical play into one engaging and intelligent movie. Although The Sunset Limited offers an underlying tone of atheism, it also argues both sides of the case where religion is given a chance to conquer disbelief. It is a test of faith for both believers and non-believers alike.

The dialogue is subtly and precisely done that being someone who is religiously-attached, I was completely drowned by the ideals of both characters. Certain expectations can amount to this movie being a substitute for sleeping pills, but the result was way too far from tragic and boring. The intelligent discussions, the facial expressions, the seemingly climactic moments, the up and down tone of the delivery of lines and the added humor all contributed to that factor that keeps the audience engaged. One can keep wondering as to whether or not Black can make White believe in God, and to what White’s stand on religion really is in the whole 90 minutes.

Another factor that contributed to the success of The Sunset Limited (one which is noticeable throughout the film) is the plethora of camera movement. One can tell that each shot had meaning and purpose (unless of course you don’t pay much attention). The attitudes and charisma of both characters were perfectly captured they alone provided a window to the characters’ souls the audience can peek into.

In the end, White takes charge of the debate (where Black seemed to be in charge all the time) and reveals his philosophy that makes even a God believer like Black question his faith. The underlying dark and atheistic tone of the movie overpowers that of the religious and leaves a suspenseful moment where the audience is still kept on wondering where the debate led into.

All else, The Sunset Limited is not just a movie, it is an intellectually-motivating journey to finding one’s standing on faith, one’s purpose in life, and ultimately, one’s perspective of God.


You can check other Movie Reviews HERE.

Feb
25
Let’s get something straight here, if you are a fan of teen novels turned to screen adaptations, you already must and should know that not everything you read is given justice in the film (Of course the most obvious reason is of the time frame). I am Number Four is an American teen science fiction film, much like the Harry Potter series and the Twilight Saga, rooted from the intended six part novel of James Frey and Jobie Hughes. Primarily, what you have to watch for two hours in this movie won’t give you anything new or anything surprising other than the thought of having something else to watch.


Planet Lorien was destroyed by the Mogadorians and a few numbered from one to nine were able to escape along with their guardians. And where else could be a better place for them to escape? Bingo! Planet Earth! (You guessed it right) John Smith, aka Number Four (Alex Pettyfer) is the alien in focus together with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), and with the death of the first three in the hands of the Mogadorians who are in close pursuit, they had to move to Paradise Ohio where everything fictional unfolds. Against the wishes of Henri to be scrupulous, John falls in love with Sara (Dianne Agron) and as the Mogadorians come closer, John’s destiny reveals a lot of who he is and what powers lies beyond his human flesh.

I am Number Four, hmmm…. Basically what we have here is a bit of a shadow of Twilight with a touch of glimmering hands, a much ripped protagonist, Voldemort-looking Mogadorians and a morphing beagle. Want justifications? Let’s see: Supernatural guy turns up to study in highschool, falls in love with a focus-given girl, holds secret powers, and at the end, both of them end up getting caught in an on-going war of the Loriens and the Mogadorians. Yep, sounds like something you have seen before. But this isn’t Twilight (or some of it aren’t), the science-fiction speaks for the whole movie. Although, I am Number Four is an enjoyable movie for the boys and girls, it offers little to no surprise, nothing that can really make that “Wow!” pop out of the mouth.

There are some things I don’t get in I am Number Four, questions I would like to ask Director D.J Caruso (Eagle Eye) personally. First, Henri, the guardian of John, a warrior of Lorien, was easily taken hostage by two hillbillies? Here’s another one, particularly the numbering system of the Lorien survivors, why did they have to get killed in sequence? Are the Mogadorians strict in following numbers or what? The movie doesn’t delve much into that. Want some more? What’s with the 20 to 30-second clip of Number Six (Teresa Palmer) blowing up a house? The father of Sam (Callan McAuliffe) being abducted by aliens was not given any life in the film; it was clearly bypassed that as a viewer, I cannot help but ask what really happened to him. The story feels so much compressed in two hours and it’s pretty obvious that a sequel is necessary.

Also, there are crucial parts of the novel that were taken away by the movie, like John’s training to master his powers – It’s as if he learned to master them in . Some things also seemed pretty obvious to the viewers like the sudden appearance of the beagle – this already tells you the dog was there for a purpose. And what’s the deal with the “dark” Mogadorians? They didn’t appear as scary as they should be. They turned out to be these humongous cool-looking aliens who have a knack for killing. Nothing was ever explained about John’s powers, it was all “You can do this and that” at best.
With all those criticisms, I am not about to turn my back on the movie yet for like all movies, I am Number Four has some good attributes to it. The final battle scene of Number Four and Number Six against a group of Mogadorians was fantastic to say the least. Convincing battle scene effects were presented, and that is something you have to commend. Callan’s character Sam was a pretty good neutrality for John’s character, giving the latter enough escape to the Boy and Girl protagonist theme. As the new best friend of John, he offers roughly comical and humorous lines and dialogue (perhaps the only source of humour in this film), and I think it worked out pretty well. Performance-wise, all actors were fine and impressive. I might even throw in a possibility for Alex Pettyfer to be a huge icon for the girls in this movie.

For the pretty much hyped young audience, I am Number Four can be synonymous with excitement. But although it gives off impressive generated effects and a story to keep viewers interested, I don’t think it will make for a worldwide phenomenon like the Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga (unless the sequels improve). It is a workable and acceptable fun movie to watch, it may even bring out some comments adhering to the spectacular, but there seems to be an underlying tone all over that supposes it to be a resembling and forgettable film.

You can check other Movie Reviews HERE.

Feb
23
Jason Statham, what else can you say about this guy aside from his ripped muscular body, martial arts bravado and outstanding action movie hero persona? He grows more and more to be the eligible modern king of action movies, and he does it again in this year’s blockbuster remake of 1972’s Charles Bronson movie The Mechanic. The movie per se is not that swashbuckling as it seems (although the 1972 movie won’t have any two thumbs up remarks), but it is an epical waste of time to see Jason Statham’s “don’t you dare fuck with me” face at its best and witness bad-asses go against even more bad-asses.

The Mechanic presents Statham (Transporter Series, Crank) as Arthur Bishop, a mellifluous and deadly “mechanic” (in this context of the movie, it equals a hitman) who does the “without a trace” assassination jobs not even the CSI team can crack. He is hired by an unknown organization which the movie didn’t really give any picture in terms of temperament and disposition. Later in the movie, he finds himself at a dilemma when his boss Dean (Tony Goldwyn) tasks him to eliminate his close friend Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) due to a botched assassination attempt involving the latter. Ridden with guilt for completing the job, he finds himself left with Harry’s disappointment of a son Steve (Ben Foster) as his protégé in sculpting him to be a mechanic for avenging his father’s death.

All else, the plot of The Mechanic was pretty obvious and was needless to really scrutinize in order to determine what it is. He’s an uncanny assassin (after all it is Statham) hired to kill people and that’s all there is to it. His targets: the rival hitman, the drug cartel leader, and the swine of a religious leader, offer stories that aren’t really having much impact on the film. However, the twists and turns are what gave life to The Mechanic, therefore giving it a slight escape from the cliché. The moment where Steve becomes Arthur’s apprentice is the most interesting part of the film. Ironic isn’t it? Training the son of the man you killed just so he can avenge his father’s death is pretty much a twisted twist, but workable nonetheless. We all know Steve is going to find out sooner or later, the question is what happens when he does (and that’s for the ending). Also, the fact that one has no clear idea as to the real stand of Arthur being either an antagonist or a protagonist is something the film boasts all too well.


Regarding the role of Arthur Bishop, no one can do it exemplarily better than Jason Statham. His effortless portrayal of an enigmatic assassin with no moral attachments really paid off. It’s as if his character is his personality in real life. He talks like a hissing snake, he stares like he can devour anyone, and everything you see about him fits his role – just perfect. Then there is Ben Foster who is an unlikely tandem to Jason, but as it turned out, they got each other in a coalescent rhythm. Foster’s antagonistic sneers, evil-sounding voice and grimly face matched that of Arthur’s tough guy persona therefore making a good sidekick role.

And now we go to the violence, which apparently is an essential and ever existing element for action movies. The Mechanic fosters no censorship for violence and profanity, something Simon West (Director, Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) really gave life in this film. The strangulations, the asphyxiations, and the shootouts were bare and almost tangible, something unfriendly for the kids (Then again one might say this is not for the children! But who knows?). So hands down, The Mechanic is an R-rated film. Nevertheless, it is a film that can show you what violence really is, and that is something you can’t easily discard (Really? Hell yes!)
A lot of action movies come say ten times a year or more and a lot of them will really suck. So how did The Mechanic succeed in avoiding the death sentence? First and foremost, Simon West got Jason Statham to play Arthur Bishop, the supporting characters weren’t that bad, it’s rated R aspect is a much hyped turn on, and the ending was one hell of a bitch slap. Overall, I’d say it is one of those movies where one can be turned into a Jason Statham believer, grasping three stars out of five, and is one the rare few where violence is in the right place, something we all have to be thankful for.
You can check other Movie Reviews HERE.

Feb
23
Oh the irony! 127 Hours is a movie presenting a man stymied by a boulder from moving. Offering a story of drama and survival, it is the screen adaptation of the book based on the life of Aron Ralston entitled Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Interestingly, this film was able to nick nominations for the Oscar’s, Golden Globe Awards and several others, commending both the cinematography and the performance of James Franco. Firing away, I agree with the nominations, and with its second-look worthiness, 127 Hours may well be worthy of awards (not that everybody agrees of course).


James Franco (Spiderman, Milk) stars as Aron Ralston, the 28 year-old hyperactive man who thrills himself by trekking and mountaineering land forms. In April of 2003, he set for another adventure in the unbelievable landscapes of Blue John Canyon in Utah. The sceneries captured in this film were nothing short of spectacular – proof that there is still a touch of heaven on Earth. But this heaven stays not for long. With a little but costly climbing mistake, Aron stumbles down a crevasse and a prehistoric predator of a boulder crushes his hand, trapping him. Then hell takes over. As desperation to defeat the boulder grows in his five-day predicament, he finds nothing more than the resilience of his spirit to cling on.

15 percent into the movie is the revelation of Aron’s personality, admiring the beauty of Blue John Canyon, and the two girls he meets who apparently didn’t matter in the film. Danny Boyle’s (Director, Slumdog Millionaire) attempt to add a preamble to this story of survival was pretty obvious but clever nonetheless. The rest was focused on depicting Aron’s one on one death match with the only antagonist of the film that is the boulder, giving a clear picture of the dread and swelling psychosis he had to endure. Let’s face it, the story does not commensurate entertainment movie material, and one cannot be blamed for being bored for most of the film (at least for first time viewers that is). But having a second look, we find that the movie wasn’t really meant to give out a five star entertainment value, rather it supposes a dishing out of a message – the will of the human mind to live.
One cannot immediately expect 127 Hours to be an instant movie hit from a story of a man stuck in a crevasse having his hand crushed by a huge rock. How then did Danny Boyle do it? The pivotal factor he succeeded on was getting James Franco to play the lead role. His performance was enough to make it to the Oscar’s. Such critical expressions like horror, demise, fear, anxiety and even humour were lucidly displayed upon his face – proof that he gets better and better every time he gets himself into the frame.

I have to give it to Danny Boyle for attempting to pull off his camera and scenery tricks to add that entertainment value we all are searching for to this story of survival. Along with the central theme, he inserted Aron’s hallucinations and flashbacks of his family along with his girlfriend, serving as his roots for self-discovery and inspiration to live and survive. The race against food and water, the tools he had to free himself, the camera he used to record his day to day five-day suffering, the imaginary talk show where he played as both host and guest, even the cut back to the refreshing Gatorade beverage he left at the back of his truck were tools of the trade Boyle had to use in order to complete the story’s metamorphosis into a movie. Imagine if these things didn’t exist at all. Of course if he lets the story stand alone, we won’t have a movie to watch at all considering there was only one protagonist and one antagonist.

For its title and all its offers as a film, one cannot expect 127 Hours to be an R-rated film – which it is. I don’t care what your foundations are made of, but when you see a man amputate his crushed arm with a blunt Chinese-made utility knife and a pair of pliers without any censorship, the brutality and gore gets into you and that is one factor sure enough to never leave your mind as a viewer – a gift Boyle gives the story. It offers you an idea as to what horror Aron Ralston really went through. You might even find yourself lucky you didn’t share the same fate as he had.

As for the score, a well deserved three and a half stars out of five were caught by this film. True enough, we cannot really appreciate what Aron had for the 28th year of his hyperactive life unless we share the same dilemma in reality. 127 Hours gives you the chance to be inspired and step into Aron’s shoes to have a feel for what he went through at that exact moment where death seems to be certain and life is in question.

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Feb
15
Ok, here is another sexually intrepid date movie of which appeal depends on how high you are on drugs. While Anne Hathaway stars as a woman suffering from stage one Parkinson’s disease, Love and Other Drugs has a medical condition of a confusing and delayed main theme introduction. Nonetheless, the pairing of Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway in this film proved to be hotter than any pepper or chilli out there, considering their raucous and rampant sexual intercourses won’t leave their entertainment dignities the same (not that Gyllenhaal hadn’t done that before in Brokeback Mountain). Their chemistry will give them an A+, although sad to say, that is the only A+ the film can boast.


With the movie set in the 90’s Viagra blast, Jake stars as Jamie Randall, a slick, young and money-driven pharmaceutical representative of Pfizer. Determined to sell his products effectively, he shadows a highly recommended doctor (Hank Azaria) for sales and practice. In his course of pursuit however, he meets Parkinson’s disease-staggered Maggie Murdock (Hathaway) in a medical breast check up encounter (one hell of a way to meet). After several cheesy calls and charming effects, he won Maggie over (otherwise we won’t have a love story) and they instigated a purely sexual relationship – no strings attached. But eventually, that relationship turned to something much deeper, and both of them were placed in a struggle to find the answer on how to keep a relationship when an incurable illness is in the way – something that requires more than love to bear.

Love and Other Drugs has three nominees for the attention revolver awards: First, the character development of Jamie Randall (surprisingly taking up a big portion of the movie), second, the medical factor of this film featuring the boom of Viagra, and third, of course the drama of being in a relationship with a sick woman. With Parkinson’s disease being incurable, the viewer’s are given a clue as to where the rest of the movie might lead, and that is keeping up with an illness-ridden relationship. But it’s a bit confusing to determine the main theme because the first two aspects seemed to be given more attention than the third one, which is supposed to be what we’re looking for. For a film that spent much time focusing on the establishment of the relationship, it didn’t give much on its keeping. The first two aspects were a big factor in the movie, and then suddenly they disappeared. It’s like a stapled transition of unconnected stories. Also, the genres darted from self-search to romantic comedy to drama, all happening at different times in the movie.


One might argue that if it weren’t for the bold and surprising sex scenes (especially on Hathaway’s end), Love and Other Drugs would’ve lost a lot of appeal. The drama itself wasn’t enough to squeeze tears out of the viewer’s eyes. (Jake Gyllenhaal wasn’t even brought to tears in this movie. Go check!) The pivotal drama scene where Jamie tells Maggie the real score (also known as the bus chase) lacks depth and is as always an anticipated slice. One factor, I may add, that debilitated the drama scenes were the annoying and inappropriate music and sound cues – they totally killed the atmosphere.

Although Pfizer allowed its name to be used in the film, there was somehow a hint of ridicule and mockery on their products and way of selling things. Want a clue? Here, Jake seduces women to utterly sell Pfizer’s products (actually that’s the answer). The supporting characters like Jake’s brother Josh and Azaria’s character also weren’t given much depth; they were like the rest houses of the film, visited only when the movie tends to lie low. They come and go, then come and go again, serving as a distraction instead of character support. If they didn’t exist, Love and Other Drugs would’ve been a better film.

Conversely, the film boasts an A+ performance by the two central actors in this film. If the sex scenes didn’t satisfy you, I don’t know if this movie has something else to offer. Anne Hathaway did a commendable job of being forthcoming in taking her clothes off and engaging on sexual intercourses while the camera rolls. Jake didn’t appear as a lousy jerk in this film, considering his character was tainted with the “soon you’ll be mine” personality – again, a commendable performance.

Love and Other Drugs is ridiculous in its own ways but somehow, it doesn’t leave you empty handed. It was still able to exude a profusion of charm, especially if you’re fans of Gyllenhaal and Hathaway, only that the film could have been so much more with the right focus, the correct track choice and the doing away of a duplicable story.

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Feb
12

Who would have thought Zack Snyder would create a child-friendly movie? I mean seriously, the transition is quite baffling. Sin City, The Watchmen, 300, and then Legend of the Guardians? We’re talking about owls here! Nevertheless, Snyder proved there is little to worry about. After all, his fervent penchant for Computer Generated Images and slow motion action can give the non-believers some “you got served” effect. He managed to pull off an enchanted world we’d expect to come from a Disney production line, but with his signatures written all over it. Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga’Hoole is certainly one of the good watch-worth movies of Snyder, but not the best. Why? Because amidst the stunning visuals and graphics (if the movie was a woman, she’d be gorgeous) lies a stale fantasy book theme.


Legend of the Guardians opens mainly with two young owls, Soren (Jim Sturgess), the main protagonist, who is an ardent fan of the stories about the Guardians and can speak about them any chance he gets, and Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) his brother. With a failed attempt to fly, both were abducted by the Pure Ones, a cryptic and sadistic group of owls rival to the Guardians. Kludd saw the dark light and decided to side with them while Soren refused to embrace their ways and decided to escape to go in a search for the Guardians. Between the two brothers, a war between the Guardians and the Pure Ones dictating the balance of the owl world was at hand.

I may not be an expert of animated films (I wish I was…), but the way I see it, there were two main flaws in Legend of the Guardians. First, the creators chose to stick with the conventional protagonist journey to find good against evil, ridden by prophecies, sidekicks and a little bit of romance. As the title suggests, it’s about a legendary group of sentient owls said to be the protectors of the owl world. Of course the conventional way to do this is to present a search for these owls (because they’re a legend after all), therefore riding along with a hackneyed theme. Of course, there wouldn’t be action in this movie unless the filmmakers stir up a battle (imagine an owl movie without a battle scene, sheesh!), so naturally, the good against the bad comes in a long way. Naturally, the good ones triumph in the end (you guessed it right). Although Legend of the Guardians was a screen adaptation of the novels written by Kathryn Lasky, its stand should have been independent.

And second, unlike other animated movies such as the Ice Age series, one won’t have a chance to have a feel for the owl world. The movie had such a fast pace, it seemed like a world where owls were only a part of it, not a world where owls ruled – and this is supposed to be a world of owls. It dashed from one scene to another without really giving much focus on the rhythm of the landscape and characters. In the Ice Age series, one can already determine what world the story would revolve around (of course the vast amounts of ice and the mammoths are your biggest clues). In Legend of the Guardians, it just didn’t work out so well. Also, one can have a difficult time identifying with the characters, for unfortunately, they lacked development. Each character was only given a little background check, some didn’t even have one. But then again, the main target audience of this movie are the kids, who I think wouldn’t really care if they can relate to a character or not (seriously).



Other than that, I think nothing more repulsing can be said about the movie. And you have to give it to Snyder and the people behind the art of this film; the visuals were outstandingly beautiful, especially his slow motion trademark scenes. The battle gears of the owls are one of Snyder’s attention grabbers. The slip-in metal talons, the crafted helmets, and the mid air clash scenes, they are the lot that makes you open your mouth and say “Wow, that’s cool!” The colours of every scene and landscape were fantastic, effectively adding affection and some eye candy.

With Legend of the Guardians, having a less appealing story and underdeveloped characters, one might ask “Why should I watch an owl movie?” The answer is simple. The kids will love it, and Zack Snyder created it.


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