REVIEW: ENDER'S GAME

The science-fiction genre in films is my favourite to review. As a kid, my love for movies is very much influenced by science-fiction films such as the Star Wars and Back to the Future film series. I also liked to read science-fiction books as a kid, and one of them is Ender's Game. I vaguely remember the contents of what I read but I do remember how the central character of the story had strong moral values which taught a thing or two to me about life.

Ender's Game is a series of books written by Orson Scott Card. It has now been adapted to film by producers Alex Kurtzman ad Roberto Orci. Ender's Game is written and directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine). The film stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, and Ben Kingsley.

Will this novel adaptation satisfy someone like me who has read the book? Do read on...

Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff facing off Asa Butterfiled as Ender

SYNOPSIS:
During the late 21st century, there was an attempted invasion of Earth from an alien race called the Formics. Earth forces managed to defeat the invaders and resulted in taking precautionary measures by establishing the International Fleet in case the aliens return. Fast forward a few years, a young cadet named Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is singled out as the chosen who could possibly lead a battle against the Formics. Ender's superiors put him through various rigorous training and battle situations in order to mold him into becoming a commander.

Ender (Butterfield) and Colonel Gruff (Ford) before a training simulation

SCRIPT:
In my opinion (and as I have mentioned in previous blog postings), science fiction film writing can contain a lot of scientific jargon which I feel might disinterest the audience. For this film, it is a bit of both. At some parts, there were some technical jargons that we need to follow but it was not overdone and kept to a minimal. Other dialogues were easy to understand. Good characterization of the main leads Butterfield and Ford. Very-well told stories of positive moral values within the script.

Asa Butterfield in the lead role as Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin

ACTING:
Strong performance from Asa Butterfield (that boy from Martin Scorsese's Hugo) as the lead character Ender. Pretty good performance from Harrison Ford too, especially during scenes when it was intense. The supporting cast fared well. This film reunites Asa Butterfield and his Hugo co-star Ben Kingsley.

Director Gavin Hood on the set with Asa Butterfield

FILMING:
Nice work by director Gavin Hood. Though the book as I remembered it had more violence and action, this was toned down a little bit to aim to younger viewers. He utilized the visual effects well as a good support to the story. The visual effects was pretty well done, I mean of course it is, the main visual effects company is the renowned Digital Domain. There's a decent amount of action but only towards the end.

Part of the simulation training room in the film

PACING:
The movie gets straight into the motif the very first 10 minutes. It was good and garnered interest. It got a little draggy in the middle. However, it did make it up with a decent climactic ending.

TONE (MOOD):
A young teenage boy who is believed to be a 'chosen one' learns how to become a military leader while discovering himself in the process.

Hailee Steinfeld as Petra Arkanian during a scene in the film

DOWSIDE:
Might not be the cup of tea for non science-fiction fans. Quite a lot of talk in the middle.

UPSIDE:
Pretty good underlying themes of leadership, courage, and teamwork. These themes are strongly evident in the film.

Part of Ender's colleagues in the film.

OVERALL:
Enjoyable and a good popcorn film. Should be fun for adults and kids alike.

RATING:
7.5 out of 10

REVIEW: CARRIE (2013)

When it comes to movie remakes in Hollywood, expectations are always very high. There have been many movie remakes over the years and the majority of it were failures at the box office. The movie I am going to review is a remake of a cult classic from the 1970s.

World renowned best-selling author Stephen King is famous over the years for writing suspense thriller stories. One of his earliest novels, Carrie, was adapted for the screen under the direction of famed director Brian De Palma. The film was released in 1976 and starred Sissy Spacek in the title role. Rounding up the supporting cast were Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, and a very young John Travolta. I did watch this film adaptation many years ago.

The remake this time around is directed by Kimberly Peirce. Carrie (2013) stars Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, Hugo) in the title role. Other cast members include Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Gabrielle Wilde, Ansel Elgort, Portia Doubleday, and Alex Russell.

Will this remake live up to expectations? I will review this film as though I am watching it for the first time and not compare to the original film. Do read on...

Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie and Julianne Moore as her mother Margaret

SYNOPSIS:
Carrie White (Chloe Moretz) is in her senior year in high school and will soon graduate. Despite being a student for so many years, she still has the difficulty of adapting with fellow students and constantly bullied. This is attributed partly to being brought up by an overbearing religious mother who controls her. One day, she discovers that he has the ability to move objects known as telekinesis. She uses this ability to her advantage towards the people around her with unexpected consequences.

Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie

SCRIPT:Weak and lack imagination. The plots were scattered and the dialogue was uninteresting. The motif was not clearly outlined and were not engaging enough for the audience.

ACTING:
Despite a lame script, there was some fine acting. Chloe Moretz did very well as Carrie and so did Julianne Moore as Carrie's mother. The supporting cast were relative newcomers in acting. Their roles were uninteresting though some played critical parts towards the plot. I would have preferred some prominent actors fill in the supporting cold.

Carrie's nemesis Chris Hargensen (right) played by Portia Doubleday

FILMING:
Mediocre and lack of style. Kimberly Peirce, who directed the award winning Boys Don't Cry (1999) which garnered Hilary Swank her Best Actress Oscar, should have done better. I do understand the need for the director to distinguish herself from the previous film but even if she did, the movie felt boring. The visual effects were mediocre too.

Julianne Moore as Margaret

PACING:
Draggy and boring from the start until the end. Even the climax was uninteresting.

TONE (MOOD):
A teenager fueled with vengeance who has temptations to destroy things while juggling learning the meaning of being a teenager.

Moretz and Moore in a scene from the film

DOWNSIDE:
Poor script and poor pacing.

UPSIDE:
Very good acting from Chloe Grace Moretz.

Carrie gets angry.

OVERALL:
This not the best of movie remakes but if you are a fan of Chloe Grace Moretz, this film might interest you.

RATING:
4.5 out of 10

REVIEW: HIGHLAND TOWER - Malaysia

As revealed in some of my previous blog postings, I do amateur ghost hunting. I am not an expert but I do have some knowledge in the field. Therefore, when it comes to horror flicks being shown in cinemas, I always look forward to it. My review of this film will be particular interesting because it is based in-part (not storyline) by an actual incident in Malaysia.

The film is called Highland Tower. It is directed by Pierre Andre. It stars Mikael Andre, Niezam Zaidi, Eddy Rauf, Atikah Suhaime, Shima Anuar, Adibah Yunus, dan Zairi Zainal. It is produced by Metrowealth Pictures and produced by famed local producer, David Teo. Here's the trailer:-

Will this film scare me and the audience? Do read on...

SYNOPSIS:
In December 1993, a luxury condominium tower block collapse after ground erosion from the neighbouring hillside. About 50 people lost their lives and to this day has become one of the darkest and saddest tragic incidents in Malaysian history. Twenty years later in 2013, a group of documentary filmmakers venture into the remaining two blocks that is left standing to do a ghost hunting expedition. What they discovered is not for the faint-hearted.

SCRIPT:
The film's plotline is pretty straight forward. Investigate a supposedly haunted place and get some footage. Understandable but even the most straight forward plotline films need a good structure. This one had its script all over the place and it felt messy. 80% of the film feels like it is unscripted or ad-libbed which I am okay with it since it fits with the concept. More thoughts on this in the 'FILMING' section of my review.

ACTING:
Stagnant and unconvincing with the exception of one or two actors. I liked the actress Shima Anuar's performance in this film. I do applaud the casting of relative unknowns in this film but I felt the producers could cast totally unknowns. This would have made the film sweeter.

FILMING:
The shooting method for Highland Tower is done in a 'found footage' style. This style was first brought to prominence in The Blair Witch Project (1999), an awesome award winning horror flick. This style has slowly influenced other genres besides horror films, notably Cloverfield (2008) which involved an alien monster from outer space. I don't mind local filmmakers adapting this over-used 'found footage' style for Malaysian cinemas. I think it is creative. However, even a messy style of film-making has its structure in some form of paperwork. This film felt like it had no preparation. The editing was not too bad but the visual effects was pretty poor. Some nice scare moments but could have been more.

PACING:
For a film that is rooted in fast cuts, scare moments, and short duration time, this film was draggy as hell! (Pun intended)

TONE (MOOD):
Scaring audience during unexpected moments while characters experience intense panic situations.

DOWNSIDE:
Draggy and poor visual effects. Predictable storyline. I may be biased since I am an amateur ghost hunter but my friends who are not into ghost hunting also found this film horrible.

UPSIDE:
A new breath of fresh air with a different concept (rather than the regular ones) when it comes to Malaysian horror flicks.

OVERALL:
Quite a poor film and mildly satisfying with the plot. Go watch it if you like being scare at unexpected moments. If you want to know more about ghost hunting at Highland Towers (I feel the title should be plural instead of singular like the film since there are two towers still standing), you can read the 'NOTE' section below.

RATING:
5.5 out of 10


NOTE:
If you are interested to read an ACTUAL ghost hunt at Highland Towers, you can read my friend Adam's blog by clicking here. Some nice photo evidence in this posting. Also some more photo postings in a ghost investigation which Adam participated in by clicking here.

For more on the Highland Towers incident, you can click here.

I apologize of lack of photo stills as the movie company only released a few which were too small in resolution. Will update from time to time.

 

REVIEW: THOR: THE DARK WORLD

My first movie review on this blog was Iron Man 3, the sequel to the massively popular comic book hero of the same name. Therefore, I am pretty looking forward to reviewing this film.

 The Norse God of Thunder, Thor, thunders into theatres in the movie Thor: The Dark World, a sequel to the box-office hit Thor (2011). This film is part of the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe we have come to know and is highly anticipated by comic book fans alike.

This time around, the responsibility of directing falls onto Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones TV series). Thor: The Dark World reunites the casts from the first film; Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Jaimie Alexander, Stellan Skarsgaard, Kat Dennings, and many more. Christopher Eccleston and Zachary Levi (who replaces Josh Dallas as Fandrall) rounds up the casts. The films is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures (instead of Paramount Pictures) and Marvel Studios.

How will this sequel fair up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do read on...

Chris Hemsworth the lead role as Thor.

SYNOPSIS:
It has been two years since Jane Foster (Portman) has seen Thor (Hemsworth) and both are longing for each other. During this period, it is discovered that a universal cosmic event would occur and there are some powers that be want to control it, notably Malekith, the Dark Elf. Foster stumbles onto this event and as a result of it, is reunited with Thor. Little did they know that now Foster holds the key to saving the universe and this forces Thor to seek out help from his imprisoned adopted brother Loki (Hiddleston) for help.

Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor

SCRIPT:
The script was okay but it was quite overly fantasized. Then, it is a movie about the 'gods'. Interestingly enough, it was well understood. Good plot outline and not complicated. I liked the fact that character dynamics are switched because we see more Jane Foster on Thor's home Asgard and Loki playing the good guy. It is well documented on the internet that writer and director of The Avengers, Joss Whedon, did some uncredited rewrites on the script. This is clearly evident with the witty jokes in the film which made it enjoyable to watch. Take the jokes out of the equation and it could have been a lame script.

Natalie Portman and Rene Russo as Frigga, Thor's mother

ACTING:
Hemsworth was just being Thor from the previous film. As usual, Hiddleston shines as Loki as he did in Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012). I liked the fact that the supporting characters were given more prominence compared to the first film.

Hemsworth as Thor sharing a scene with Anthony Hopkins as Allfather Odin

FILMING:
Since the film is a sequel, it would be no surprise that it is given a bigger budget by the studio. Alan Taylor utilized it well with more visual effects, costumes, and elaborate sets. He did well in this and I have to give high commendation to Taylor since he is known more for TV work rather than film work. However at times, the visual effects became more of trying to showcase a 3D effect rather than help the story.

Director Alan Taylor directs Chris Hemsworth on the set of Thor.

PACING:
Not too draggy. Good start, good middle, but the ending was a little draggy. I felt that the movie took a bit long to find a resolution as it already had a good build-up.

TONE (MOOD):
Heroes attempt to rescue the universe before plunging into darkness.

Christopher Eccleston as Malekith was outstanding, me thinks.

DOWNSIDE:
Despite its massive production, the ending lacked a little Marvel 'oomph', so to speak. It was not good a sequel as Iron Man 3 when it was released earlier this year. I was a little disappointed with the ending.

UPSIDE:
Good visual effects and some great acting from its supporting characters.

Tom Hiddleston as the evil adopted brother Loki.

OVERALL:
It is not the best of sequels but it is enjoyable. Stay tune for some extra scenes. There are two. One midway through the credits and one at the end of all the credits.

RATING:
7.5 out of 10

REVIEW: BALADA PENCINTA - Malaysia

 

Here I am again, reviewing another local Malaysian film. This time the movie is called Balada Pencinta. The title is loosely translated to Ballad of a Lover. Judging by the title, it falls under the genre category of romance drama.

Balada Pencinta is written and directed by actor Khir Rahman. It stars Johan As'ari, Siti Saleha, Sein (Ruffedge), Jalaludin Hassan, Dian P. Ramlee, Iedil Putera, Miera Liyana, and Faizal Hussein. It is distributed by local distributor Grand Brilliance. Check out the trailer below:-

Will this romance drama strike a chord with its audience? Do read on...

Actress Siti Saleha and actor Johan As'ari as the two leads

SYNOPSIS:
A struggling street musician falls in love with a young woman who often comes to see him play his guitar. The musician soon finds out that the woman is due to be married to another guy. This sparks a love triangle of two men out to win the heart of a beautiful lady.

SCRIPT:
Pretty straight-forward plot and not too complicated storyline. Despite that, it is quite predictable and lacked good dialogue. It is your basic formula of a love story.

Siti Saleha as Aisyah

ACTING:

Not too bad for an ensemble cast. Some supporting actors were not utilized to the max. Sein (Ruffedge) as the villain did well. Siti Saleha as the female lead did good too.

Sein as Boy and Siti Saleha as Aisyah

 

FILMING:

Shots were okay. The editing could have been a little tighter to create some tension. Good musical soundtrack accompaniment.

Director Khir Rahman guiding his two lead stars.

PACING:

Good start but draggy in the middle and end.
TONE (MOOD):

A story of overcoming the odds the battle to seek love.

Johan As'ari as the male lead Amir

 DOWNSIDE:

Draggy and predictable storyline.
UPSIDE:

Some good acting and a happy ending. Good soundtrack of old local songs.

Johan As'ari and Siti Saleha sharing a scene

 OVERALL:

Just your typical romance drama.
RATING:

6.5 out of 10

REVIEW: INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2

When it comes to movie sequels, there is always the pressure put on to filmmakers for it to be better than its predecessor. I don't think this should be the case. If you are a filmmaker or a wannabe, and encounter such a situation, don't succumb to the pressure. Just do the sequel you feel like doing and can be a good continuation to your initial story.

The film I am about to review is Insidious: Chapter 2. It is a sequel to the hit horror film Insidious (2011). Once again, the film is directed by James Wan and reunites him with all his main casts, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, and Ty Simpkins. The movie is again co-written by Leigh Whannell (who also acts in the film) and James Wan.

Will this sequel be better than the first? Do read on...

The Lambert family. L-R (front): Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne.
Actor Angus Sampson as Tucker in the background

SYNOPSIS:
After the cliffhanger ending of the first film, the Lambert family moves in with Josh's (Patrick Wilson) mother. During their stay, more strange and haunting incidents continue to occur. This time, Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) and Lorraine Lambert (Barbara Hershey) must try to keep the family together as Josh seems to be acting strangely. Some more secrets are revealed about the family's past and the hauntings keep getting stronger and stronger.

Shhh... I am the main antagonist of the film.

SCRIPT:
Firstly, I must remind all that this film is a DIRECT CONTINUATION of the first film and it is essential to watch the first film before the sequel. It has an okay structured script but felt sporadic. It does its best to try to make the film a stand-alone (to benefit audience member who has not seen the first film) but failed miserably at it. The story does try to tie up loose-ends but ultimately bombards the story with too much dialogue.

Ty Simpkins (Dalton) looking out for his dad, Josh (Patrick Wilson)

ACTING:
Nothing prominent from any of the actors. Good screen-time attribution to each. Nice performance from Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne but not memorable enough. I've liked Lin Shaye's work since I saw her in There's Something About Mary (1998) and it is nice to see her on-screen.

The absolutely gorgeous Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert

FILMING:
James Wan brings his unique horror film-making style here and it is evident tremendously. There were some good scare moments, though I felt that there should be more. Editing and make-up were good. The use of less visual effects should be commended to the director.

Child actor Ty Simpkins with a bunch of ghost. (NOT A SPOILER)

PACING:
Boring at the beginning, draggy in the middle, reasonable good climax towards the end.

TONE (MOOD):
A horror and 'who-done-it' mystery solving film that might scare the weak-hearted individual.

The film's co-writer Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson in supporting roles as Specs and Tucker

DOWNSIDE:
Quite a weak script and too much talk which I felt shouldn't be too much of a focus in horror films.

UPSIDE:
It ties up a lots of pending questions from the first film and a few scary moments.

(L-R): Leigh Whannell, Lin Shaye, and Angus Sampson

OVERALL:
It is an okay horror-film. If you are a fan of the first film, this should be a good watch. Remember, it is important to watch the first film before this film to get a better understanding.

RATING:
6.5 out of 10.

REVIEW: GRAVITY

The autumn season movie line-up is here and Hollywood is starting to serve up Oscar-worthy films for the world to see. And what a great start to the season with an amazing movie. Here's the teaser trailer:-

The film is titled Gravity. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It is directed by one of the finest directors of our time, Alfonso Cuaron, who rose to fame with critically acclaimed films such as Children of Men and Y Tu Mama Tambien (Spanish).

How great is Gravity? Do read on...



Lets work together and go home.

SYNOPSIS:
United States astronauts on a routine mission above Earth encounters a massive mishap after their space shuttle is hit by debris. Two astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) struggles to stay alive even when the odds of survival seems very slim.

When tragedy strikes.

SCRIPT:
An original material and beautifully crafted. The dialogue was simple and understandable. The storyline plot was clearly outlined. We get into the story in the first 10 minutes of the film. I was locked with full intensity from then on until the finish.

Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone

ACTING:
An award worthy performance from Sandra Bullock. Despite being confined in a spacesuit through the film, she manages to carry her character's emotions effectively.

Sandra Bullock looking at the horizon. Nice lighting.

FILMING:
In my opinion, it was excellent. Going into the film, it will be obvious to many that it is dependent on visual effects. But as the film progresses, it doesn't feel like it. Cuaron attempts to simulate what it feels like to be in space and honours the rules that come with it. For example, there is no sound in outer space because of its vacuum atmosphere. Cuaron is famous for doing shots with long takes and he did it again in this film, the opening 10 minutes, which was spectacular. I foresee that this film is going to sweep a lot of technical awards at the Oscars, such as Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Editing, and Cinematography.

One of the best directors in the business, Alfonso Cuaron and his actors.

PACING:
With a runtime of 90 minutes, it did felt short. But it was just enough and not boring nor draggy at all.

TONE (MOOD):
Very strong and repeated elements of not giving up and fighting against all odds.

The keywords here are: Don't let go.

DOWNSIDE:
Probably the length but I can't seem to find any negative viewpoints.

UPSIDE:
A thrill ride from start to finish and see how the director tries to emulate life in outer space and it worked. Good strong underlying themes of courage, not giving up, and not letting go.

Must get home.

OVERALL:
One of the best films of the year and will surely make you talk about it after the movie.

RATING:
9.5 out of 10