ADD MOVIE

Movie:The Blind Side

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:18:00 +0000

Reviewed by: Joshua Starnes
Rating: 6 out of 10
Movie Details: View here

Cast:
Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Touhy
Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy
Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher
Jae Head as S.J. Tuohy
Lily Collins as Collins Tuohy
Ray McKinnon as Coach Cotton
Kim Dickens as Mrs. Boswell
Adriane Lenox as Denise Oher
Kathy Bates as Miss Sue
Catherine Dyer as Mrs. Smith
Andy Stahl as Principal Sandstrom
Tom Nowicki as Literature Teacher

Review:
The old saying is there are only seven original plots, repeated over and over again. When it comes to the sports film, there are really only two: the players overcome all obstacles and win, or they lose but discover their own strength in the process. And maybe that's a good thing, as it forces filmmakers to focus more on their characters and what sets them apart from everyone else, rather than the mechanics of the narrative.

Which makes the true story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) such an excellent starting point. A young man from the poor side of Memphis, he had no family or home to speak of--sleeping in empty buildings or the odd acquaintances couch--and seemed destined for a life on the streets. His obvious physical gifts are enough to get him enrolled in a private high school, but the strange new social situation and the psychological damage of his youth may have proved to be insurmountable if he hadn't been stopped on the side of the road one day by maybe the least likely person imaginable, a wealthy white upper class socialite and mother (Sandra Bullock).

It's an inspiring story to say the least, and one in which the sport aspect while important is only tangentially related to the actual drama. Whether or not Michael will ever be good at sports is ultimately besides the point, the real question is whether or not he can get over his own past as well as truly accept and be accepted by the family he has been brought into regardless of their differences.

Stuff that sounds so obviously inspiring is tricky, though, when it comes to bringing it to the screen with film's easy ability to over emote, to blow up every emotion till its 30 feet high. And that is the one great failing of John Lee Hancock's ("The Alamo") adaptation of Michael Lewis' "The Blind Side." It is pat, through and through.

The Tuohy's, to their credit, immediately take to Michael despite some rational reservations, but then they quickly and efficiently steam roll over every problem thrown in their way, usually through matriarch Leigh Anne's perspicacity and straight-talking. A car wreck injuring Michael and her youngest son (Jae Head)? Only a momentary annoyance. His difficulty understanding his role on a football field? Leigh Anne's got the answer for that, too, thanks to a fortunately exacting personality profile that pegged his protective impulse at 95% (how exactly do you quantify that?).

It's got the easy set up and return volley of an after school special, with little in the way of real drama. The closest approximation is Michael's confusion and fear of the world he came from - but he returns to it so seldom it's more of a mood piece that is touched on now and again than it is a conflict.

Which is probably because Michael himself isn’t much of a character. He’s in the film a lot, he reacts to what happens around him, but he tends to keep everything bottled up inside, so much so that there’s no clue as to what he actually thinks and feels about anything. It's fine for him to keep that from the other characters, but not from the audience. And what little we do get from him tends to come entirely through the lens of Leigh Anne.

There's a lot that should be great about "The Blind Side." Leigh Anne is a great idea for a character, just as it's a great idea for a movie. She reacts to the world around her with bravery and humanism, taking people as they are and treating them as human beings regardless of the gulf in class, wealth or relatable experience.

But it's done so lazily; it's a drama without drama, more of a day dream with a happy ending than a story. Real inspiration requires real struggle and while the real Michael Oher certainly did, that's only hinted at in "The Blind Side," and hints aren't enough.

"The Blind Side's" heart is in the right place--how could it not be, it's got so much to go around--but that's about all that is. It's a little too clumsy, a little too 'feel good' for its own good. There's a good story in there, one that's probably worth experiencing, but load up on insulin before you go.

Movie:Terminator Salvation

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Terminator Salvation

Release Date: May 21, 2009
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: McG
Screenwriter: John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Helena Bonham Carter
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language)
Official Website: TerminatorSalvation.com
Review: 7.5/10 rating | 6.5/10 rating | 6/10 rating
DVD Review: 7.5/10 rating
DVD: Blu-ray Disc (Director's Cut) | DVD (Full Screen Edition) | DVD (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Poster: Poster | Banner | Teaser 2 | Teaser 1
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: The highly anticipated new installment of "The Terminator" film franchise is set in post-apocalyptic 2018. John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

Teaser (7.17.08):
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Trailer 1 (12.10.08):
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Trailer 2 (3.2.09):
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3 TV Spots (4.6.09):
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TV Spot 4 (4.7.09):
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TV Spot 5 (4.27.09):
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TV Spot 6 (4.27.09):
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TV Spot 7 (4.27.09):
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TV Spot 8 (5.1.09):
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TV Spot 9 (5.4.09):
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TV Spot 10 (5.4.09):
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TV Spot 11 (5.20.09:
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TV Spot 12 (5.20.09):
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4 Minute Internet Trailer (5.7.09):
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Five Minute Footage (Scene + Behind-the-Scenes Clip) (5.11.09):
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Featurette (5.20.09):
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10 Clips (5.13.09):
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Clip 11 (5.14.09):
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Clip 12 (5.15.09):
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Clip 13 (5.20.09):
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Clip 14 (5.20.09):
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Movie:Old Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:57:00 +0000

Old Dogs

Release Date: November 25, 2009
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Walt Becker
Screenwriter: David Diamond, David Weissman
Starring: John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Seth Green, Ella Bleu Travolta, Lori Loughlin, Matt Dillon
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG (for some mild rude humor)
Official Website: Disney.com/OldDogs
Review: 4.5/10 rating
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: View here
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: Two best friends -- one unlucky-in-love divorcee (Robin Williams) and the other a fun-loving bachelor (John Travolta) -- have their lives turned upside down when they're unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kid-savvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins (newcomers Ella Bleu Travolta and Conner Rayburn), leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what's really important in life.

Teaser (6.11.09):
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Internet Trailer (10.17.09):
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Clip 1 - 'Pill Spill' (10.30.09):
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Clip 2 - 'Baby Proofers' (11.2.09):
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Clip 3 - 'Nut Job' (11.4.09):
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Clip 4 - 'Stink Eye' (11.17.09):
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Clip 5 - 'Penguins Attack' (11.25.09):
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Movie:It's Complicated

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:55:00 +0000

It's Complicated

Release Date: December 25, 2009
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenwriter: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, Lake Bell
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for some drug content and sexuality. PENDING APPEAL)
Official Website: ItsComplicatedmovie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: One-Sheet | Teaser
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: Writer/director Nancy Meyers ("What Women Want," "Something's Gotta Give," "The Holiday") directs Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in "It's Complicated," a comedy about love, divorce and everything in between.

Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman.

Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane's kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he's become part of a love triangle.

Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It's... complicated.

Teaser (8.6.09):
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Trailer (11.5.09):
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Movie:Nine

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:52:00 +0000

Nine

Release Date: December 18, 2009 (NY, LA; wide: Dec. 25)
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Director: Rob Marshall
Screenwriter: Michael Tolkin, Anthony Minghella
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Sophia Loren
Genre: Drama, Musical
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content and smoking)
Official Website: Nine-movie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: Poster 1 | Poster 2 | Poster 3
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: "Nine" is a vibrant and provocative musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), a young American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson) and his mother (Sophia Loren). The original 1982 Broadway production of "Nine," nominated for twelve Tony Awards and winning five, including Best Musical, was directed by Tommy Tune, choreographed by Thommie Walsh, starred Raúl Juliá with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Arthur Kopit. The 2003 Broadway revival of "Nine" received eight Tony Award nominations and won two, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Teaser (5.14.09):
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Trailer (11.16.09):
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Rehearsal Montage (10.19.09):
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Movie:The Spy Next Door

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:51:00 +0000

The Spy Next Door

Release Date: January 15, 2010
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: Brian Levant
Screenwriter: Jonathan Bernstein, Jim Greer
Starring: Jackie Chan, Madeline Carroll, Alina Foley, George Lopez, Billy Ray Cyrus, Amber Valletta, Katherine Boecher
Genre: Action, Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG (for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor)
Official Website: TheSpyNextDoorfilm.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: One-Sheet | Teaser
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: Lionsgate's family action comedy "The Spy Next Door" stars Jackie Chan as Bob Ho, an undercover CIA superspy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian (Amber Valletta). But Bob has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him: winning over her three opinionated kids.

When Gillian suddenly has to leave town, Bob volunteers to babysit the children so he can earn their approval. But when one of the kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula from his computer, Bob's archenemy, a Russian terrorist, moves in for the attack, forcing Bob to juggle the roles of spy and prospective stepfather in the most challenging mission of his career!

Trailer (10.16.09):
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Movie:Sherlock Holmes

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:42:00 +0000

Sherlock Holmes

Release Date: December 25, 2009
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenwriter: Michael Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material)
Official Website: Sherlock-Holmes-movie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: One-Sheet | Holmes poster | Watson poster | Adler poster | Blackwood poster
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters, "Sherlock Holmes" sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

Teaser 1 (5.18.09):
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Teaser 2 (7.15.09):
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TV Trailer (10.20.09):
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Trailer (11.4.09):
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TV Spot 1 (11.3.09):
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TV Spot 2 (11.3.09):
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TV Spot 3 (11.27.09):
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International Featurette (11.20.09):
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Movie:Ninja Assassin

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Release Date: November 25, 2009
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: James McTeigue
Screenwriter: Matthew Sand, J. Michael Straczynski
Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi, Rick Yune
Genre: Action
MPAA Rating: R (for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language)
Official Website: Ninja-Assassin-movie.com
Review: 6/10 rating | 6/10 rating
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: View here
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: Raizo (Rain) is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them...and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive...and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

Trailer (7.23.09):
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Restricted Trailer (11.24.09):
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Behind-the-Scenes Video (8.2.08):
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TV Spot 1 (9.10.09):
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TV Spot 2 (10.19.09):
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TV Spot 3 (10.19.09):
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TV Spot 4 (10.29.09):
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TV Spot 5 (11.10.09):
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TV Spot 6 (11.10.09):
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TV Spot 7 (11.24.09):
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Featurette 1 (10.28.09):
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Featurette 2 (11.18.09):
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Featurette 3 (11.18.09):
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Movie:Avatar

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Release Date: December 18, 2009 (conventional 3D theaters and IMAX 3D)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: James Cameron
Screenwriter: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking)
Official Website: Avatarmovie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: Poster 2 | Poster 1
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: "Avatar," a live action film with a new generation of special effects, takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads an epic battle to save a civilization. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of "Titanic," first conceived the film years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of actual production work, "Avatar" delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

The story's hero is Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. Bitter and disillusioned, he's still a warrior at heart. All Jake ever wanted was something worth fighting for, and he finds it in the place he least expected: on a distant world. Jake has been recruited to join an expedition to the moon Pandora, which corporate interests are strip-mining for a mineral worth $20 million per kilogram on Earth. To facilitate their work, the humans use a link system that projects a person's consciousness into a hybrid of humans and Pandora's indigenous humanoids, the Na'vi. This human-Na'vi hybrid – a fully living, breathing body that resembles the Na'vi but possesses the individual human's thoughts, feelings and personality – is known as an "avatar."

In his new avatar form, Jake can once again walk. His mission is to interact with and infiltrate the Na'vi with the hope of enlisting their help – or at least their acquiescence – in mining the ore. A beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, albeit reluctantly, because even in his avatar body, Jake represents to her the human encroachment on the Na'vi's unspoiled world.

As Jake's relationship with Neytiri deepens, along with his respect for the Na'vi, he faces the ultimate test as he leads an epic conflict that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

Teaser (8.20.09):
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Trailer (10.29.09):
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Japanese Trailer (11.4.09):
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TV Spot 1 (11.5.09):
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TV Spot 2 (11.5.09):
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TV Spot 3 (11.9.09):
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Extended TV Spot 4 (11.12.09):
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Featurette 1 (10.29.09):
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Featurette 2 (11.16.09):
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Featurette 3 (11.19.09):
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Featurette 4 (11.21.09):
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Coke Zero Commercial (11.5.09):
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60 Minutes Profile (11.23.09):
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Extended Clip & CNN Segments (11.24.09):
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Interactive Trailer with New Profiles (11.24.09):
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10-Minute Behind-the-Scenes Clip (11.27.09):
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Movie:G.I Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:51:00 +0000

Starring: Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols

Director: Stephen Sommers

Genre: Action

Big, loud and recycled, this movie based on the popular toy line would have played better if it hadn't been released in the same year as a Transformers movie. Hardware overload, now.

Release Date: 6-Aug-2009

URL: http://www.gijoemovie.com/

Language: English

Distributor: United International Pictures

Synopsis:

A crooked arms dealer plans to unleash a superweapon upon an unsuspecting world, and only the elite military force known as G.I. Joe stands in his way.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols

This one might have played better if it hadn't come out at the tail end of a hardware-laden, explosion-torn summer from the likes of Terminator Salvation and, of course, Transformers: ROTF.

Right, that last one means it's all on Hasbro for getting TWO effects-heavy blockbusters into theatres not just in the same year but in the same season.

If you haven't been suffering from hardware overload since Transformers: ROTF, this one will surely drive that railroad spike all the way home into your skull.

NINJA JOES: 'You can get mad all you want, Snake-eyes, but I know the truth ... those pectorals aren't real, they're molded into your body armour!'

Don't blame anyone but yourself; you know what you're letting yourself in for when you go for G.I. Joe: TRoC, a big, loud hodge-podge of recycled action scenes from various CGI-enhanced blockbusters of the past.

There's no room for the real world in this cartoon universe where the good guys wear black and the bad guys have hearts so black, that they were even killers as little kids.

The Joes – based on the Hasbro action figures and resulting cartoon/comic series – are an elite military force made up of top warriors from all over the world. Their nemesis, as yet unnamed in this "origin" movie of sorts, is an evil organisation funded by the world's largest arms manufacturer.

SECRET OF HER SUCCESS: 'And my strut is why I'm No. 2, Zartan, and you're just a jabroni who stands around gawking at stuff.'

The tale is simple enough: there are these four warheads of enormous destructive potential which said arms maker intends to use against an unsuspecting world. They're filled with millions of deadly little nanobots, which are like manmade versions of those nasty world-ending buggers from The Day the Earth Stood Still remake.

And of course, said arms dealer's army of super-soldiers, plain old mercenaries, plus his hired uber-ninja and lovebird femme fatale, clashes with the Joes who are sworn to protect all that's good, bright, noble and freedom-loving in the world.

I went into the first Transformers movie a non-fan who got blown away and had a fantastic time. With G.I. Joe, the experience was not nearly as enjoyable; I went in as a non-fan and left feeling only somewhat entertained.

The good: the butt-kicking gals (Miller and Nichols) and their, er, form-fitting wardrobes; the ninjas (Lee and Park) and their whirlwind duels; and …uh, that's it, really.

The rest of the film is taken up with a lot of posturing, a couple of interesting gun battles, and one totally overblown chase scene through Paris that seems even less necessary than your appendix.

Most of this "epic" conflict is seen through the eyes of two new Joe recruits, Duke (Tatum) and Ripcord (Wayans). Duke is important to the team because he's got past history with the evil Baroness (Miller), while Ripcord … let's just say his skills are needed for the finale.

G.I. Joe: TRoC is not the train wreck that those early Internet rumours made it out to be, but most of the interesting bits – the characters' respective backstories, the sowing of seeds for their respective conflicts, etc – are crowded out to the edges of the frame by all that excess.

TAKE THAT, PISA: 'Now, those Italians aren't the only ones with a leaning tower! Oops! Er, maybe we overdid the leaning bit.'

For example, Snake-eyes and Storm Shadow's first meeting is a somewhat unsettling whirlwind of two little boys trying to kill one another followed by a bizarre moment when a monk, an apparent relic from the TV series Kung Fu, shows up and starts spouting … well, Kung Fu stuff.

And when you talk excess, there's that whole Paris chase sequence that wears out its welcome after they've gone a few blocks. Really, there are more suspenseful ways to film a pursuit; to just pack it with dozens of hurtling and exploding vehicles reeks of … sheer cinematic laziness.

But, why am I griping? It's almost a given that the hordes will just eat this up. Perhaps not on the level of those transforming robots, but well, that's probably just because they're molded in a different scale.

Surfing: http://www.gijoemovie.com/

Making The Grade:

Movie:District 9

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Starring: Sharlto Copley, Louis Minnaar, Mandla Gaduka, David James (not the goalie) and many more fine folk whose names you won't recognise

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Genre: Science Fiction

A thought-provoking, if somewhat icky, sci-fi thriller featuring scenes of relentlessly brutal inhumanity – and yet, hope shines through this grim portrait of our own species.

Release Date: 13-Aug-2009

URL: http://district9movie.com/

Language: English

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Synopsis:

In South Africa, a bureaucrat attempting to relocate a shanty town full of extraterrestrial refugees becomes inextricably involved in the aliens' own struggle for survival. Numerous human bodies explode as a consequence ....

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Sharlto Copley, Louis Minnaar, Mandla Gaduka, David James (not the goalie) and many more fine folk whose names you won't recognise

Not a film for the squeamish or easily disoriented, this effort is a multilayered film that works as everything it tries to be: science fiction thriller, allegory, pseudo-documentary, thought-provoking exploration of man's inherent inhumanity … it deserves an A for ambition.

Set in Johannesburg, the film looks at the city's peculiar problem that truly has made it unique in the world. About 20 years ago in the story's timeline, a massive alien vessel appeared, seemingly immobile, over Johannesburg.

HOUSE CALL: 'Do not be alarmed, sir. I'm from Publishers Clearing House ...'

Its occupants were found half-starved and frightened, and a humanitarian mission was mounted immediately to relocate them to a camp on Earth – the titular District 9.

Twenty years later, a clever montage of interviews at the beginning tells us, the aliens –called by the derogatory name "Prawns" owing to their appearance and eating habits – are about to be relocated again, further away from the city because of the human sentiment against them.

A petty executive for the huge corporation MNU is chosen to lead the eviction exercise. Initially gung-ho and somewhat short on respect or regard for the stranded creatures, Wikus Van De Merwe (Copley) performs the job with enthusiasm.

MNU – like other monolithic movie corporations before it – may seem benevolent but it's actually interested only in harvesting alien technology (read: weapons) and DNA.

HANDS OFF: 'Nooo get away! I watched Cloverfield! I know what happens when you @#$%^ in the suits show up in this kind of movie.'

When a strange turn of fate gives Wikus something in common with these forcibly confined, exploited and mistreated ETs, he realises they are his only hope.

That's about half the plot of District 9 right there but it doesn't even scratch the surface of what this movie has to offer.

As mentioned earlier, there are many facets to the film, but don't expect them to run into one another. Blomkamp – who was initially tipped to direct Peter Jackson's proposed Halo movie production – deftly weaves everything together, even the faux documentary bits, into a narrative that is at once jet-propelled and yet laden with drama, pathos and allegory.

There are times when things start to get a bit maudlin (Wikus is such a crybaby for so much of the movie) and also when the madcap situations threaten to turn ludicrous, but it's all reined in nicely for a finale that is memorable for two reasons.

First, it gets you biting your nails, rooting for a pair of sympathetic aliens to succeed in their mission; second, it's simply a wild ride, people, with everything from highly armed professional soldiers to Nigerian gangsters to a way-cool battle-mech suit thrown in.

What really struck me about the effects – courtesy of Weta Digital – is how seamlessly integrated they are into each shot. You know that the aliens, the mech suit, the mothership have to be mostly CGI but they fit into each frame so naturally, that it's almost as if they're really there.

But District 9 is not just about exploding bodies and organic special effects. It's a smart, and smartly made, sci-fi thriller that expects you to do a little work piecing stuff together, and it also gives you pause to search your own conscience.

NOW THAT'S A BFG: 'It also has a can opener, a flashlight, a place to keep my change, and it can drill for oil, too.'

While Blomkamp and Jackson insist the film is not meant to be political, its South African setting will inevitably draw comparisons with apartheid, and how this makes it a bit outdated.

We just need to remember that some things never get old, because mistreatment of those who are different, or weaker, or who come to a place in the mistaken belief it can offer them sanctuary, is prevalent the world over.

Hearteningly, District 9 reminds us in its poignant, bittersweet moments that hope can thrive even amidst crushing inhumanity.

When you look beyond the exploding bodies and fountaining blood, and consider the abject circumstances of these alien visitors, it may strike you that they’re the perfect analogy for the displaced, marginalised and disenfranchised in our world.

They are different, they are exploited, they are forced to live in squalor and you could say they remain alive only at the whim of others. Yet they still yearn for home, cling to the vestiges of their hope, and have a capacity for compassion.

Like the brutality shown by the film's antagonists, these desires and qualities too are not the exclusive domain of any one species … or nationality … or race.

Surfing: http://district9movie.com/

Making The Grade:

Movie:Orphan

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jimmy Bennett, Aryana Engineer, CCH Pounder

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Genre: Thriller

A dynamite performance by young Isabelle Fuhrman makes this horror-thriller worth watching; you'll believe a kid can freak you out.

Release Date: 20-Aug-2009

URL: http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com/

Language: English

Distributor: 20th Century Fox/Warner Bros. Pictures

Synopsis:

A family adopts a girl from an orphanage and soon, everyone except the Clueless Dad realises there's something wrong … really, really wrong … with the kid.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jimmy Bennett, Aryana Engineer, CCH Pounder

The more I thought about this movie over the days since I watched it, the more I appreciate what a great job young Isabelle Fuhrman does as the title character – an outwardly charming but sinister, manipulative and of course murderous little girl.

Sure, there is a lot about her performance that is immediately obvious and commendable, but when you think about the way this (then) 11-year-old totally owns the role, then she becomes the overriding reason to watch the film.

If you consider it in the context of the twist that comes near the end, then Fuhrman's achievement here is even more praiseworthy.

Orphan is not too different from previous weirdo-in-our-midst, family-in-distress tales, with the difference being perhaps the short stature of its antagonist. (Okay, there was Leprechaun, but let's get back down to Earth a bit here.)

Just don't let Esther's (Fuhrman) well-mannered-little-girl looks deceive you; in my humble opinion, this villainess is truly one of the most memorable new movie "monsters" to come our way in a long time.

Esther makes her way into the Coleman household shortly after Kate (Farmiga) suffers a miscarriage while pregnant with her third child. Hubby John (Sarsgaard) chances upon Esther at a meet-the-prospective-parents party at a nearby orphanage, and soon the girl is one of the Colemans.

ROOM WITH A VIEW: 'Oooh, I just love my new room. I'll put my shrine to Daddy over here, my Alienate & Torment Mommy message board right there, and the bed's big enough to hide a corpse under.'

While Esther seems so sweet and eager to please, her new kid brother Daniel (Bennett, Star Trek's young young James T. Kirk) isn't too thrilled.

Kid sister Max (Engineer) is thrilled to have a big sister around the house, but it's not long before the poor child gets caught up in Esther's web of deceit and manipulation.

Now, given Fuhrman's excellent job as the creepy kid and director Collet-Sera's knack for wringing suspense out of the most innocuous moment of domestic prying, Orphan would seem to have the makings of a really excellent film.

Indeed it does, except for two things I had a problem with. One, and I'm not up on psychology so I could be wrong, but it seems a bit odd that a family grieving over the loss of an infant would seek to adopt a 12-year-old girl.

DETENTION TIME: 'Sent to the principal again ... I *have* to remember that it's not on to jam pencils into my classmates' ears when they make fun of my ribbons.'

Another, is that John is written as such a, well, write-off that it seems like a lazy way to neutralize the one character who could conceivably counter Esther's nastiness: make him so stupid/clueless that he can't see what's going on even when it – well, you'll see; and make him such a d*ckhead that the audience doesn't give a crap what he does or what happens to him.

Backing up Fuhrman ably are Farmiga (excellent as a semi-hysterical foil to Esther) and adorable little Engineer, who is hearing impaired in real life, as Max.

The Max-Esther dynamic may seem quite disturbing and stir up its share of controversy over the extremes that the younger child gets forced into because of her big "sister", but I'd say this is one of the times when "It's only a movie" applies.

Orphan, let down only by the familiarity of its premise and the seemingly arbitrary blockheaded nature of several key characters, is still for the most part a well-acted and suspenseful thriller.

And it's got the creepiest little girl I can remember since Wednesday Addams – though nowhere near as charming.

Surfing: http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com/

Making The Grade:

Movie:The Ugly Truth

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerald Butler

Director: Robert Luketic

Genre: Comedy

A romantically-challenged morning show producer (Katherine Heigl) is embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.

Release Date: 10-Sep-2009

Language: English

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Synopsis:

Synopsis – A romantically challenged morning show producer (Heigl) is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent (Butler) to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerald Butler, Bree Turner, Eric Turner, Bonnie Somerville

Abby Richter (Heigl) is an award-winning producer whose morning show, although filled with thought-provoking journalistic segments, is not attracting the viewers. To her dismay, her bosses decide to sensationalize her show by teaming her with Mike Chadway (Butler), a crude TV personality who bluntly talks about relationships on his late-night programme, The Ugly Truth.

Abby feels that Mike is over-rated even though she is unlucky in love herself. So to prove that his theories are right, he helps Abby hook up with her sexy neighbour Colin (Winter), following his un-chauvinistic rules. To her surprise, it works but a love triangle evolves. Naturally, as in all romantic comedies, there is no such thing as platonic help.

The Ugly Truth would have been a whole lot better if there was an ounce of chemistry between Abby and Mike. Maybe it's poor editing or choppy storytelling, but the romance hardly seems to be there and there is no indication or suggestion that they even remotely like each other until pretty late in the movie – and then, it seems to have crept in by accident.

The failure to create any chemistry between the characters aside, this romantic comedy is on point with decent acting, eye candy and great supporting characters.

Bree Turner is excellent as Joy, Abby’s cute, bubbly and efficient associate producer who lives vicariously through her boss’ life, and really enhances the show with her perfect comedic timing. Winter perfectly epitomizes the surface aspects of a perfect boyfriend, since Colin is smart, handsome and dresses well.

The Ugly Truth works the romantic comedy formula pretty well and is worth catching if you just want a leisurely watch. And of course, you should watch it to see if Mike’s theories about women ring true for you. Do his stereotyped views have a ring of truth? Is it right for women to think they can change the men in their lives, or are men unchangeable?

Although the movie may feel rushed and a little confusing, that is because it tries to say a lot in such a short time. You should get its point by the end though.

Making The Grade:

Movie:Dance Flick

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Starring: Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, Shoshana Bush, Essence Atkins and Affion Crockett, Ross Thomas

Director: Damien Dante Wayans

Genre: Comedy

Before you watch a movie that is a parody of other films, you need to watch the films that the spoof makes fun of for it to make sense and actually be funny. Yes, I like stating the obvious.

Release Date: 19-Aug-2009

Language: English

Distributor: Damien Dante Wayans

Synopsis:

Street dancer Thomas Uncles is from the wrong side of the tracks, but his bond with the beautiful Megan White might help the duo realize their dreams as the enter in the mother of all dance battles.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, Shoshana Bush, Essence Atkins and Affion Crockett, Ross Thomas

Before you watch a movie that is a parody of other films, you need to watch the films that the spoof makes fun of for it to make sense and actually be funny. Yes, I like stating the obvious.

Dance Flick pokes fun at many of the song-and-dance movies we've been treated to in recent years and even in the past, from Fame to Step Up to High School Musical. It is almost like you're having constant déjà vu flashes watching Dance Flick because it feels like you have seen it all before. And you probably have, though not with this kind of spin.

It is uncanny how you feel like you are watching a cast-off version of Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) from Honey when you first set eyes on Megan (Shoshana Bush) who also resembles Sara (Julia Stiles) from Save the Last Dance. Or the uneasy feeling when you watch Ross Thomas’ character Tyler because he walks, talks and broods like Channing Tatum’s Tyler in Step Up.

There are so many of these look-alikes in Dance Flick that it becomes funny how all these characters can co-exist in one movie.

Then you start to notice that Dance Flick even spoofs iconic dance and musical scenes from Singing in the Rain. It is an endless stream of parodies and you cannot help but laugh because you took those scenes so seriously before.

It does not help that the storyline for Dance Flick is also oh-so-familiar: the girl wants to become a professional dancer but takes to the streets to do a dance-off and gains street credibility instead. Romance and gangsters are thrown in for good measure.

Although this film relies very much on its slapstick elements, it is smart comedy at the same time because the Wayans Brothers have included savvy pop culture references that make it even funnier. They have a knack for good comedy not because they try hard to make something stupid but because they obviously took time to fine-tune the gags.

Some of the lyrics for the songs are well-written too, so although you may be apprehensive at first about watching Dance Flick, you will come out with a smile on your face.

Remember White Chicks? That was pure genius and Dance Flick is no exception. The Wayans Brothers know how not to take themselves seriously.

So this review is not half as funny as Dance Flick. It is not even a third as funny. In fact this review is quite serious for such a light-hearted movie. There is not a dull moment in Dance Flick, which is even more enjoyable if you love the movies it spoofs.

Making The Grade:

Movie:UP

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai.

Director: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter

Genre: Animation

From the Academy Award®- nominated director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.), Disney•Pixar’s "Up" invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth.

Release Date: 20-Aug-2009

Language: English

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Synopsis:

A comedy adventure about 78- year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai.

An original and imaginative masterpiece, Up is the movie to catch this summer. A refreshing change from the gore and slapstick screenings saturating the cinemas, Up tells a story of grief, hurt and joy but most of all, love.

Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Asner) takes the journey of his life when he decides to fly to South America with his house and a bunch of balloons as his mode of transport rather than get bundled off to a retirement home.

To his dismay, eight-year-old Wilderness Explorer scout, Russell (Nagai) happens to be on his porch when he takes off on his grand adventure; but Carl's not about to let Russell spoil his escape into the dark and dank depths to a lost world.

You can tell that Up has been crafted with a lot of tender careful thought for detail, and there are no hints of cliché. The storytelling is beautifully and lovingly told. The characters are lovable and emotionally, we can relate to them too; they're almost like people we know.

Disney / Pixar have always achieved this result if you think of movies like Finding Nemo and Wall*E for example, where the relationships and characters are life-like in how they express themselves. It is surprising how yearning is so well expressed in Up: yearning for the loss of a loved one is really the driving force of the film.

Up is a story that you may find yourself wishing you could live through. In fact, it tells you that you are never too old to do what you have always dreamed of doing because if Carl Fredrickson can do it at 78, so can you.

The sky's the limit to what we can achieve, Up tells us, yet ultimately it is the little everyday relationships that matter. How inspiring is that?

This review is very brief compared to the rich storytelling that Up has to offer so the suggestion is to go watch it. Enough said.

Making The Grade:

Movie:Aliens in the Attic

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:05:00 +0000

Starring: Carter Jenkins, Ashley Tisdale, Austin Butler, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Robert Hoffman, Andy Richter, with the voices of Thomas Haden Church, JK Simmons and Josh Peck

Director: John Schultz

Genre: Comedy

Yes, it's cheesy and the CGI is just passable and it's got that whole 80s vibe, but this tale of kids vs aliens has some goofy moments that work, somehow.

Release Date: 13-Aug-2009

URL: http://www.aliensintheatticmovie.com/

Language: English

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Synopsis:

A misunderstood teenager and his vacationing family encounter pint-sized aliens who are out to conquer the world – but not if the kids can help it.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Carter Jenkins, Ashley Tisdale, Austin Butler, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Robert Hoffman, Andy Richter, with the voices of Thomas Haden Church, JK Simmons and Josh Peck

Originally entitled They Came From Upstairs, this movie is – like the vastly bigger-budgeted G.I. Joe – a veritable feast of corn. Oddly enough, it has a higher quantity of goofy fun.

It has some cheesy, clichéd moments, dodgy CGI and another retread of that whole "kids are wired differently from grownups" angle so prevalent in movies where the youngsters save the day while the clueless adults stand around gawping.

Think of it as some kind of variant on those 80s movies like Explorers, Critters and the like, only, unfortunately, without the services of Joe Dante or, er, the massive amounts of gore from those other alien invasion tales of that decade.

'They've been just standing there arguing and completely ignoring us. These alien invaders should know better than to send married couples as the advance guard.'

The central character here is brilliant high school student Tom Pearson (Jenkins, of the short-lived TV sea-monster series Surface), a deliberate underachiever in his studies because he longs to be cool instead of being a geek.

Sheesh, has the kid not been riding the wave of TV shows like Chuck, Reaper and to a lesser extent, Heroes and CSI?

It's simple, Tom: geeks rule. Where've you been the last few years?

Anyway, Tom's archaic youthful angst is just one reason why this film has such an 80s vibe.

Another one is the remote setting, with Tom, his sisters and parents, cousins, uncle and grandmother stuck in a lakeside holiday house for a week.

It just so happens that this house harbours a secret that is sought by a quartet of invading aliens.

Never mind that these guys are only knee-high to a pre-growth-spurt teenager; they – at least three out of the four – make up for their vertically challenged nature with extraordinary amounts of meanness.

Toss in some alien mind control device that turns anyone over 18 into a meat puppet for the baddies, and you've got the makings of a silly, goofball effort that won't melt your brain, but it won't exactly charm your socks off either.

'Trust me, it looks like we're some bizarre human-alien hybrid, but we're just two happy individuals.'

The kids needed to be a little edgier and with more personality, the aliens needed to get more screen time, and the adults ... well, they could all get zapped with alien vanishing rays and we wouldn't miss a single one of them.

Some of the funniest bits, God help me, are all about slapstick and involve Robert Hoffman as Tom's sister's boyfriend, after he falls under the mind control thingamajig. These moments are so corny that they become … almost charming somehow, helped along by Hoffman's effectively goofy expression.

This is mostly for the kids, with a few gross moments that might need a bit of explaining, but on the whole, parents ought to be able to get through it with their brains set in neutral.

Surfing: http://www.aliensintheatticmovie.com/

Making The Grade:

Movie:The Final Destination

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

The Final Destination

Starring: Bobby Campo, Mykelti Williamson, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Krista Allen

Director: David R. Ellis

Genre: Horror

Warning for the squeamish: you may want to get off at an earlier stop. But if you get off on gore, by all means stay on the bus.

Release Date: 3-Sep-2009

URL: http://www.finaldestinationmovie.com/

Language: English

Distributor: 20th Century Fox/Warner Bros

Synopsis:

Death is at it again – going after those "fortunate" enough to cheat it. In this case, it's a group of teens and others who survive a horrible accident at the race-track only to get pulped in various gory, squishy ways.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Bobby Campo, Mykelti Williamson, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Krista Allen

And by "sting", we mean "con".

Now, haven't you wondered, through the last three FD flicks, what the heck is it that keeps sending out these premonitions? And leading the nice-looking young people who feature in these tales to get pulped, squished, fried, grilled and shishkebab-ed in such creative ways?

Let's think about it. Death gets cheated of his/her/its rightful harvest by some precognitive chap.

SKEWERED: 'Argh ... next time, when a 3D movie says it's so real you can feel it, I'll believe it.'

Then, Death goes all out to violently retrieve those doomed souls that rightfully belong to him/her/it.

And in the FD universe, Death is so powerful as to affect such manipulation of things and events necessary to claim those scalps.

Now, then … how in the blue blazes did Death allow him/her/itself to get cheated like that in the first place?

Maybe my thought processes were just dulled by all those inventive but disturbing death scenes from the previous movies, or galvanized into action by the much more gruesome and yucky ones in this new outing, but the thought did strike me.

What if this was all just some sadistic con game on Death's part? What if Death wasn't cheated, but if Death … simply cheated?

Something went horribly wrong on the set of 'Girls Gone Wild at the Car Wash IV'

And all for the sake of putting these poor souls through the motions of trying to break some absurd chain, like those "send this e-mail to 24 people in your address book within 24 hours or lose your left testicle to a rabid squirrel" chain-letter things.

Pardon me for belabouring this point, but I've run out of things to say about the Final Destination movies, and I really did have all those thoughts running through my head during the movie.

At least, when I wasn't recoiling from the intense yuckiness of the death scenes. (SPOILER ALERT: At least the movie's ending, colossally stupid though it may be, bears out this theory.)

This time, the "Death cheating" moment occurs when Nick O'Bannon (Campo, who makes it through the film with two expressions – puzzled and not so puzzled) has a premonition of carnage at the race track.

His warning flash saves some lives, and the whole culling-the-survivors process of the earlier movies then starts up again.

It also leads to some hilarious moments. One involves the fate of a drunken redneck. Another one involves the drainage hole of a swimming pool and the butt of a guy who's a total arse. A flying gas cylinder turns a chain-link fence into a French-fry-maker (only with a human torso instead of a potato).

The most nail-biting setup, involving a hot soccer mom (Allen) getting her hair done, is actually quite neatly handled and in keeping with the spirit of the earlier FD movies. The only trouble is, it's been spoiled for anyone who has already watched the trailer.

The Final Destination, directed by Snakes on a Plane helmer David R. Ellis, could have done with a bit more creepiness and less in-your-face gore.

Safety at the mall was never the same after the management fired Paul Blart.

It could also have used the services of a more wickedly humorous script and better actors, though Mykelti "Bubba" Williamson can be singled out for making the best of these slim pickings.

With its cardboard cut-out characters and paper-thin plot, without even the cleverly inventive setups of the previous movies, TFD will have to rely solely on its gore factor to get by.

A good thing, then, that the ride doesn't last too long. The movie clocks in at a lean one and a quarter hours, which kind of signals that the end is nigh for the series.

After all, there's not much more this premise can be milked for – especially now that we're wise to this whole premonition con-game. Then again, dumb and wooden movie characters are always in plentiful supply.

Surfing: http://www.finaldestinationmovie.com/

Making The Grade:

Movie:Gamer

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:56:00 +0000

Gamer

Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Kyra Sedgwick, Amber Valetta, Ludacris, Terry Crews, John Leguizamo, Logan Lerman

Director: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor

Genre: Science Fiction

This is a sci-fi action movie with something to say; in this case, about our increasing disconnect. Now, if only it didn't have to bludgeon us over the head while speaking its piece.

Release Date: 10-Sep-2009

URL: http://www.gscmovies.com.my/

Language: English

Distributor: Golden Screen Cinemas

Synopsis:

In a desensitized, bloodthirsty future, a sinister genius invents a system that lets game-players control actual people. He has a dark agenda, but his best "meat puppet" could prove to be his undoing.

My Comment/Review:

Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Kyra Sedgwick, Amber Valetta, Ludacris, Terry Crews, John Leguizamo, Logan Lerman

This movie, the credits tell us, was written and directed by a combine known as "Neveldine/Taylor".

The names are probably unfamiliar to most Malaysian moviegoers, since their most famous output before this was the unseen-in-local-cineplexes Crank series starring Jason Statham.

Well, either those movies were banned, or the potential distributor just didn't bother trying to get them through the censors.

Those who somehow managed to sample Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's brand of twitchy, hyperkinetic and totally off-the-wall storytelling, though, should know what to expect.

THIS IS MADNESS: 'And now, for all my "300" fans, a THIS IS SPARTAAAA moment.'

Think of them as sort of like this decade's Wachowski Brothers, only, um, not related and who regard an "R" rating as a licence to push the envelope – and leave it ripped open in several places.

Neveldine/Taylor's latest opus is set in a not-too-far, somewhat foreseeable future where an eccentric genius named Ken Castle (Hall) has invented a form of nanotechnology that allows gamers to take control of real live people.

Think of your favourite first-person shooter game, only where you control an actual person who has no direct control over his/her actions (thanks to said nanotechnology overriding most voluntary motor control).

Throw in a Death Race-type scenario where Death Row convicts are offered a chance to become Slayers (a true "meat puppet" that goes beyond the online context of the term) and earn their freedom by surviving 30 battles.

THE FILTH ELEMENT: 'I don't get it ... why are all these people calling me Leeloo?'

The top Slayer is Kable, a meld of convict Tillman (Butler) and young arrogant gamer Simon (Lerman). Tillman has a handful of battles left before earning his freedom, but it seems he knows stuff that Castle doesn't want to be made public.

In a subplot, Tillman's wife Angie (Valetta) is unable to keep custody of their daughter because of her day job: an actress in another Castle creation, a bizarre city populated by more meat puppets where clients get to live vicariously – and sensuously, and depravedly, and every-other-kind-of-badly – through someone else's body.

Through both forms of morally deviant entertainment, Gamer tells us, people become able to plug into other people's lives and existences like never before … and yet, as the intimacy of the connection becomes closer, the disconnect between our actions and our humanity grows ever larger.

It's an interesting idea, if not exactly new to science fiction fans, but regular audiences may find it an intriguing thought. And of course, those weaned on current raw, edgy methods of disseminating information may find the film's visuals quite … arresting.

Some of us, however, may ask that Neveldine/Taylor be arrested instead.

As the movie unfolded, I became accustomed to the pair's frenetic visual style; the pounding in my head eased up and I found I could follow Gamer without having to turn away or close my eyes every few seconds.

That focus, however, served to show how underdeveloped the Tillman/Simon connection is – it should be the centrepiece of the film, since Simon is the real Gamer here – while highlighting Neveldine/Taylor's preoccupation with gratuitous "shock" images.

THROAT CLUTCHING: 'Bet you didn't expect someone under your mind control to show such DEXTER-ity ... heh, geddit?'

So it is that in fulfilling their need to assault the viewer, unintentionally hilarious moments ensue.

One of these involves Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia as the human equivalent of the Megan-Fox-leg-humping robot from Transformers: ROTF. At other times, you may cackle over the extremely over-the-top action sequences or the movie's cartoon henchman, a musclebound goon named Hackman (Crews).

There are more unusual and gross bits, but there are some places we're just not allowed to go. Love the song-and-dance number by Castle, though.

When all is said and done, though, you may conclude that Gamer was full of sound and fury, ultimately signifying … a little.

Probably the film's best trick is that it could lure the videogame- and virtual life-crazy to go see it expecting a celebration of their favourite pastimes, only to find themselves being made to endure a bit of social commentary about where they're headed instead. Ain't that a kick in the head….

Surfing: http://www.gscmovies.com.my/

Making The Grade:

Movie:Tsunami At Haeundae

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:53:00 +0000

Tsunami At Haeundae

Starring: Sul Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won, Pak Joong-hoon, Uhm Jung-hwa

Director: JK Youn

Genre: Drama

In 10 minutes a super-tsunami will hit that very spot you're standing on. What will you do? Where would you go? Can you save the one you love?

Release Date: 17-Sep-2009

Language: Korean

Distributor: RAM Entertainment

Synopsis:

Popular vacation spot, Haeundae draws over one million visitors to its beaches every year. This year, every single visitor's and resident's lives will change forever as a super-tsunami heads straight for them at over 500-miles per hour.

My Comment/Review:

Starring: Sul Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won, Pak Joong-hoon, Uhm Jung-hwa

There has been only two movies that has left me in tears – Old Yeller (a Disney classic I caught on TV several years back) and the 1998 doomsday movie, Deep Impact, which left the entire cinema in tears, not having even a drop running down your cheek meant you were heartless.

Now I can add Korean film Tsunami At Haeundae to my list.

RUN: Run all you like but some of you are going down

This is a disaster movie so expect the massive body count. But as with many disaster filcks, there's also the human story. This one begins with Man-sik promising a fellow fisherman, as a giant wave approaches their fishing vessel, that he would look out for his daughter, Yeon-hee.

Fast forward four years on and Man-sik and Yeon-hee remain friends with the former still keeping an eye over his trust. The audience is afforded a glimpse into the ordinary lives of the people of Haeundae before all Hell breaks loose.

In the few seconds when the tsunami hits, you get a sense of what it must have felt like for those caught up in the real tsunami that ripped through this region in 2004.

HOLD ON: So are you going to survive this?

Director JK Youn has done an excellent job of drawing his audiences into the lives of the movie's characters because when the imminent disaster strikes, you feel for these people and that's when your eyes will start to well up.

Tsunami At Haeundae is Korea's very first disaster movie and its most expensive at a whopping US$11 million. While you wait for director Roland Emmerich's blockbuster doomsday movie to hit our shores later this year, don't overlook this Korean movie. And don't forget that box of tissues.

Making The Grade:

Movie:Sorority Row

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:38:00 +0000

Sorority Row

Starring: Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge, Carrie Fisher

Director: Stewart Hendler

Genre: Thriller

The sisters of Theta Pi will remember their graduation forever.

Release Date: 2-Oct-2009

Language: English

Distributor: Tayangan Unggul

Synopsis:

Five sorority sisters, Cassidy, Jessica, Claire, Ellie and Megan take the sorority oath to trust one another, keep each other's secret and to remain true to each other. But this trust is tested when one of the girls is killed during a house party prank that goes horribly wrong. The remaining girls decide to keep mum so they can go on with their lives. A year later at graduation, horror returns as one by one the girls are targeted by a mysterious killer out to seek revenge on not only the girls but anyone who knows their little secret.

My Comment:

Starring: Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge, Carrie Fisher

I've been waiting for a great slasher flick since I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream. After watching Hollywood's latest blood fest, Sorority Row, it looks like my wait is going to last a little longer.

Cassidy, Jessica, Ellie, Claire, Chugs and Megan are Theta Pi sisters who live by the sorority's code of trust, secrecy and solidarity no matter what. Their loyalty is put to the test one night when Megan is killed when a prank goes wrong.

To safeguard their futures, the girls decide to ditch Megan's body and to never speak of it again.

As with all slasher movie, sometime in the future, just as the girls are about to go their separate ways, their secret comes back to haunt them in the form of a cloaked murderer – a la Scream.

You can see where this is headed so I shall not torture you with the bloody details.

THE LUCKY ONE: Thank God I'm leaving this scene, babes!

The only worth-while mention for Sorority Row is Carrie Fisher's no-nonsense, gun-packing housemother role, but alas even her short presence is not enough to save this movie that should have remained in the imagination of its writers.

Making The Grade:

Movie:New Moon

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:56:00 +0000

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Dakota Fanning

Director: Chris Weitz

Genre: Action

Heartache, blood loss and Shakespeare. All in the first few minutes of the most anticipated movie this year. Pick your team, will it be Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Release Date: 27-Nov-2009

Language: English

Distributor: Tayangan Unggul

Synopsis:

After Bella recovers from the vampire attack that almost claimed her life, she looks to celebrate her birthday with Edward and his family. However, a minor accident during the festivities results in Bella's blood being shed, a sight that proves too intense for the Cullens, who decide to leave the town of Forks, Washington for Bella and Edward's sake. Initially heartbroken, Bella finds a form of comfort in reckless living, as well as an even-closer friendship with Jacob Black.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Dakota Fanning

I’ve not read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga and I honestly doubt I ever will. So this review will not be a comparison of the novel and the sequel to Twilight's, New Moon.

Is the book better than the movie? I have no idea, but what I can tell you is that the movie is enjoyable. It’s not Oscar worthy ... unless it’s for the awesome visual effects and CGI used for the werewolf scenes, but the movie does have its moments like when Jacob reveals his secret or when Edward gets into a fight with the Volturi.

New Moon is first and foremost a romantic movie. The opening scene sets the tone for what’s to be expected. Bella’s and Edward’s literature class is studying Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet. And just like the characters in the book, Bella and Edward too must face the difficulties of their forbidden love.

TRUE LOVE "I love you so I have to leave and go far, far away to party in Brazil."

At the heart of the story is Bella’s fear of growing older as Edward remains forever 17. To solve her aging problem our damsel in distress asks Edward to turn her into a vampire so they can forever remain young and in love. Edward refuses saying he will love her no matter what and forever ... blah, blah, blah ... But when a planned birthday party at the Cullen’s goes wrong, Edward is quick to decide that he must forever remain far away from his true love. With that, the Cullens leave Folks ... without Bella. Gasp!

As Bella nurses a seriously broken heart, she finds a friend in Jacob, who secretly is in love with her. As months pass Bella finds herself liking Jacob as more than a friend and just as she begins to care for him, she learns his secret. Will this girl ever have a normal relationship?

WOOF! WOOF Jacob you've got muscles!

Mixed in with the “Romeo, Romeo where for art thou Romeo” scenes are some great adrenaline-pumping shots mainly courtesy of our neighbourhood wolf pack which I think was one of the few highlights in the movie. The transformation from man to wolf was superb and the details especially with the fur almost makes you overlook the fact that it’s all CGI.

I wish the movie would have explored in more detail the wolf pack and Volturi characters, especially the latter because I expected more screen time for Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen who played Jane and Aro. Here’s hoping we see more of them in the third instalment, Eclipse.

Although I’m still undecided if I’m in Team Edward or Team Jacob, I have come to the conclusion that this movie belongs to Taylor Lautner. He has more screen time, a whole lot more lines than the ones he had on the previous movie and he had more opportunities to show off that buffed body he worked so hard to get. Watch the big reveal and I dare you not to go “Oh dear!”

As for Robert Pattinson’s Edward, R Patz fans will still go week in the knees. I have a feeling when fans buy the DVD they’re gonna pause and replay the scene shot in Italy at high noon outside the Volturi complex. Look out for that shot and you’ll know why. There were a couple of ladies sitting beside me who went wild (they were literally grabbing each other with choruses of “Oh my God! Oh my God! He’s gorgeous!). I kid you not.

BOLLYWOOD MOMENT Cue music. Cue Edward and Bella!

I shall not say much about Kristen Stewart’s Bella except that she is getting more and more on my nervous. She’s whiney, indecisive and a really confused teen. There were times when I wished I could get up there and shake some sense into her. After all she’s been through with Edward and after all he’s told her, she actually believes he could stop loving her at the drop of a hat ... or in this case a few drops of blood? Honestly ...

Though I give New Moon three stars, I give the eye candy scenes with the wolf pack and Taylor Lautner five huge stars ... hey, does that mean I’m in Team Jacob!?

Making The Grade:

Movie:G-Force

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:51:00 +0000

G-Force

Starring: Bill Nighy, Zack Galifianikis, Will Arnett, and the voices of Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan, Jon Favreau and Steve Buscemi

Director: Hoyt Yeatman

Genre: Fantasy

Talking furballs and "weaponised appliances" make this a fun outing for the kids, but it offers nothing really new or edgy enough to keep their accompanying adults occupied.

Release Date: 17-Sep-2009

URL: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/

Language: English

Distributor: Buena Vista International

Synopsis:

A top-secret menagerie of intelligent animals - mostly guinea pigs - trained to be spies attempt to bring down a crooked corporate type, but have to contend with their human comrades in the intelligence community too.

My Comment/Review(s):

Starring: Bill Nighy, Zack Galifianikis, Will Arnett, and the voices of Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan, Jon Favreau and Steve Buscemi

Mission: Impossible meets Alvin and the Chipmunks in this passably entertaining piece of fluff that doesn't exactly break new ground in the CGI-furball sub-genre.

TINY TORPEDOES: 'And this scene was inspired by our favourite 007 flick, Thunderfurball.'

The title refers to a group of highly trained intelligence operatives, only they're a bunch of critters, not people: three guinea pigs, a mole, a fly and an army of trained cockroaches. No kidding.

Their funding is under review by the higher-ups (what's new) so G-Force needs to make one big case before they get disbanded and sent back to the pet store ... or sewer, in the case of some.

The target: billionaire industrialist Leonard Saber (Nighy), who is up to some grand sinister scheme that could lead to global extermination.

Something goes wrong, though, and G-Force finds itself disbanded and our guinea-pig heroes – Darwin (Rockwell), Juarez (Cruz), Blaster (Morgan) and their mole pal Speckles (Cage) – end up in a pet store. With time running out, G-Force needs to escape, reunite with their human handler, and stop Saber.

WHAT THE: 'I fell asleep for a minute and some @#$% glued a Pokemon critter on the end of my snout.'

There's not much that's exceptional about the movie, even with the 3D, and it can only be described as mildly engaging for grownups.

Kids may find the sight gags and G-gas jokes a riot, but this is one movie that really made me feel like some kind of curmudgeonly old coot, as I was growing increasingly impatient for the flick to be over and done with itself.

Still, any movie with the line "Yippee-ki-yay, coffeemaker!" in it isn't all hum-drum all the time.

Surfing: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/

Making The Grade:

Movie:Pandorum

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Starring: Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le

Director: Christian Alvart

Genre: Horror

Suspenseful, terrifying and claustrophobic, this survival-horror yarn set on a spaceship will have you jumping out of your seat – when you're not cowering in it.

Release Date: 15-Oct-2009

URL: http://www.gscmovies.com.my

Language: English

Distributor: Golden Screen Cinemas

Synopsis:

Two men are awakened from suspended animation on board a seemingly deserted spaceship, and soon realise they're sharing it with some really nasty … beings.

My Comment/Reviews:

Starring: Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le

I don't like watching movies like this. Let me qualify that. I don't like watching movies like this in freezing cold cinemas, because then I'll need to take a bathroom break and that would mean missing out on some important development.

Sure enough, that happened while I was watching Pandorum, thereby ensuring a second trip to the cinema, or at least rushing to get the DVD when it comes out.

DREAM DATE: 'Yes, I *am* covered in crap and clearly, you're not catching me at my best.'

Why? Simply because it's that well crafted as mysteries and survival-horror yarns go, dropping tantalizing morsels of information along the way.

It's fun trying to piece together the mystery while alternately jumping out of your seat and cringing in it, and the characters' predicament is sufficiently high-stakes that you'll find yourself well invested in it.

The tale takes place almost entirely in the confines of a spaceship, the Elysium, which is kind of an ark carrying thousands of colonists to the promised land, a rare planet capable of sustaining human life. (No spoiler here; that much is obvious from the opening.)

Two men (Foster and Quaid) are suddenly awakened from suspended animation. It seems they're members of the flight crew, but something is not quite right. The ship seems deserted, but it soon becomes frighteningly apparent that there are others around – people and things.

The enigma surrounding the Elysium unfolds through the eyes of both, after they get separated while trying to figure it out.

It's a cleverly concocted tale, atmospheric and smart without getting smart-alecky. The story unfolds on two levels – the real as well as the imagined – with the title referring to a kind of space-faring stir-crazy condition that sets in when starship crews are cooped up for too long on deep-space missions.

The madness becomes more apparent as the film races to its white-knuckle climax, though just who is nuts and who is on the level can be a bit tricky to figure out – more power to the movie then.

FREE FALL: 'Dammit, I forgot - I only have wings in the X-Men movies!'

Director Alvart is to be praised for getting so much out of the same old bowels-of-a-spaceship setting that has become all too familiar since Alien without resorting to wacky camera angles or showy technique. He just concentrates on deftly juggling the suspense, terror and action, dragging the viewer along as a disturbed but eager passenger.

Just a couple of things got in the way of geeky bliss. First, the cuts – why trim to a PG-13 when this should have been left as an 18PL or SG? Secondly, the creatures just look unoriginal and too I Am Legend-ary to live up to the story. No matter what the cause – drug, virus, sinister alien scheme, radiation – it's clear by now that human mutation in science fiction and fantasy needs to evolve fast or be rendered … dull.

Still, these quibbles pale alongside the fizzy cocktail of blood, guts (both literal and figurative) and non-stop excitement that Alvart and Co. have served up.

Clearly a movie to be watched and enjoyed, from a filmmaker to watch out for.

Surfing: http://www.gscmovies.com.my

Making The Grade:

Movie:Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:42:00 +0000

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris. James Caan, Mr. T. Tracy Morgan

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Genre: Animation

The world's first ever animated disaster movie comes to the big screen when an outcast inventor creates a machine that rains food on his hungry town and gets the attention of the girl he’s always loved.

Release Date: 22-Oct-2009

Language: English

Distributor: Sony Pictures

My Comment/Review:

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris. James Caan, Mr. T. Tracy Morgan

One thing you cannot deny is that Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is original. The idea of food falling from the sky, although something we can only dream of, is quite a sight in reality; or rather, cinematic reality.

Flint Lockwood (Hader), an inventor with a good heart but crazy ideas, creates a machine that makes food out of water. However, things go amiss and food starts raining from heaven. At first it is seen as a good thing and the townspeople are happy. It brings them hope but when the machine starts to take on a life of its own, Lockwood has to again find a way to save the day.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, based on a children's book, is interlaced with humour and is great family fun with its believable characters who are colourful and nicely fleshed out.

We have, for example, Flint’s dad Tim (Caan), who reminds us a lot of technologically challenged people we might know; and Sam Sparks (Faris), the aspiring weathergirl who actually has more to her than meets the eye.

The animation is top-notch with the scenes becoming more elaborate and intense as the rain of food begins to overwhelm the small town.

A film with a heap of morals for people in general, young and old alike, it touches on aspects of wastage, gluttony, greed, family unity, understanding and so much more that you would have to watch it to really grasp all that it has to tell amidst the hilarity of the story.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is worth watching once and even twice - but with all that food on display, it will depend on whether or not you have the stomach for it.

Making The Grade:

Inglourious Basterds

noreply@blogger.com (AMSYAR) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:37:00 +0000

Starring: Brad Pitt, Christophe Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Eli Roth, BJ Novak, Til Schweiger

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Genre: War

More revenge fantasy than war epic, Tarantino's peppery pot of violence and intrigue is ab-fab fun for anyone who grew up on the cheapo European-made war movies of the 70s.

Release Date: 22-Oct-2009

URL: http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/

Language: English

Distributor: United International Pictures

Synopsis:

While a squad of elite, scalp-taking Jewish commandos wreaks havoc on German morale in occupied Europe, one young woman plots to exact a terrible revenge on the Nazi high command.

My Comment:

Inglourious Basterds struck a chord in me, and I say this not to sound hip and pro-Tarantino but because I grew up watching so many of the cheapo war "epics" that are referenced, sampled, caricatured and paid tribute to here.

Many an afternoon was spent in the darkened halls of the Cathay, Ruby, Federal and other cinemas watching folks like John (Gianni) Garko, Klaus Kinski, Fred Williamson, Bo Svenson (the last two being original Inglorious Bastards), Frederick Stafford, Helmut Berger, Daniela Bianchi, Sylva Koscina and Edwige Fenech in an orgy of burning kisses and blazing Schmeissers.

They weren't just Inglorious Bastards, either. They were 5 For Hell, Dirty Heroes and Suicide Commandos going From Hell to Victory - all shining examples of the "macaroni combat" sub-genre, by and large so bad that they can only be remembered with fondness.

Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds brought all those memories flooding back for me, only with the added benefit of polished filmmaking to gloss over the relentlessly talky bits, and the over-the-top acting here being deliberate rather than unfortunate.

Be forewarned that it's more revenge fantasy than WW2 action epic. The pacing is slow and deliberate, periodically erupting in short, sharp spurts of violence, winding up the tension until the final orgy (that word again!) of fire and hot lead.

RED REVENGE: 'I'm such a badass femme, the director used a song from Cat People just for me.'

It starts off quietly, with a protracted conversation between an SS Colonel (Waltz, simply brilliant) and a French farmer. The seemingly mundane dialogue, embellished with subtly menacing tones and gestures, builds towards a sudden act of evil that sets in motion the events which will bring so many of the players in this happy roadshow to its fiery finale.

Then we have the Basterds, whose exploits unfortunately take place mostly off-screen and in flashback (a nod, perhaps, to those macaroni combat flicks' lack of budget and cast numbers).

Led by Lt Aldo Raine (a howlariously OTT Pitt), they are Jewish-American soldiers dropped behind enemy lines for one purpose only: to kill Nazis. And no, neither the movie nor its characters seem in any hurry to make the distinction.

Those they kill, they scalp. Those they let live, they carve a swastika onto their foreheads so the whole world will know what they were even after they burn their uniforms when the war's over.

FRIGHT CLUB: 'And by the time ah'm through with yuh, y'all gonna be able to smirk as smugly as this.'

The Basterds, a revengeful Jewish survivor named Shosanna (Laurent, speaking volumes with her wonderfully expressive eyes), a half-arsed British covert operation orchestrated by a forefather of Austin Powers, and Colonel Landa's complexity all come crashing together after a series of neatly orchestrated (but messy) events.

In this case, the payoff is well worth putting up with the leisurely pacing, the circuitous dialogue, the larger-than-life characters and their exaggerated mannerisms. Pay close attention and you will find a lot to like along the way – it's both journey and destination that are rewarding.

And lest all this talk fool you into expecting any fuzzy warm moments, let me stress that this is not a movie about nice people.

A shame that one of my favourite not-nice people, Til Schweiger's squinty-eyed cauldron of repressed rage named Hugo Stiglitz, is not on-screen nearly enough. Oh well, we've still got Waltz's multifaceted Colonel Landa, Laurent's single-minded angel of vengeance and so many other characters and moments to savour.

JEW GOTTA BE KIDDING: 'I wonder, is this one of those hard pipes that my friend Marsellus Wallace was talking about?'

The good thing here is that, while the script doesn't bother to note that "Nazi" was just an unfortunate subset of "German", the so-called villains are given much more than mere one-dimensional treatment. Besides Landa, you'll want to take a proper gander at the egomaniacal Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) and Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl), an accomplished sniper and war hero who becomes the unwitting linchpin in Shosanna's sinister plot.

Time and repeated viewings will tell if this can achieve the iconic status of Pulp Fiction, but I'm sure the journey to that point will be quite rewarding in itself. Meaning, I'm up for another fun trip with the Basterds – anyone else game?

Surfing: http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/

Making The Grade: