ALLEGIANT - cinema

REVIEWED
Got the chance to see this movie at a good theater of GSC in Tropicana City Mall yesterday with my son Adam. Why so ?

Well I manage to get 2 tickets free show from a relative and so there we were spending it for this movie. It could have Kung fu Panda 3 but then I had seen it, pity to my son for not seeing it, I decided to watch this one instead. I expected we could be both not enjoying it at all. But surprise, surprise.. it did not and it got even a thumbs up for my smiley. Even my son enjoyed it and he had no clue what this was all about as it is the 3rd segment of the Divergent series.

The plus point for this movie on this outing is that we saw it at a good theater GSC, the sound is first class when compared to TGV movies and superior tol MBO movies. The minus point to counter that was that I was wearing a below perfect vision spectacles due to my eye infection. So this should balance out each other to give a fair opinion of the movie, for me  :)

I know the movie reviews on it is not too promising. But who cares as they had been proven wrong from time to time. We are the one to enjoy not they. If they did not and we did, thats too bad. Same when its the other way round, we see movie based on their good opinion and we end up not enjoying. So whos to blame ?

Now let us get to the nitty grities of this movie.
I am not a craxy fan of the Divergent. Happened to saw them on download movies (thank god the good version ones). The previous one has Kate Winslet as the bad ass administrator and for this one you have Jeff Daniels as the bad ass Director. A different looking Niomi Watts was also in this one.

The able acting heroine Shailene Woodley was as always head the cast. Previous comments on her on this movie series that she tend to overact as thou to win an oscar (which she could but not in this movie series). Fortunately this one she did not which is good. If not, she would felt akward when compared to the rest of the cast.BTW, there was a scene where she was stripped naked bathing to clean off toxic gasses and sediments.

This movie is in the genre of Young adult film like The Hunger Games and Maze Runner and many more. What I like it better than the others even its predecesors, it has the techno part right and no overdressing or overacting like the yucky Hunger Games. The special effect is also good and the plot interesting. The pacing is all right and even through out the movie. You wont hear complaints that the film brought us to sleep in the first part but was ok in the 2nd part. The action was great too. So what is there to complain ?

The Whiplash/Fant4tic guy Miles Teller is in here and very effective.

For sure there will be the 4th instalment coming and JD remain alive and ready to avenge another day. 

So thats one good unexpected cinema movie that I saw.

GUNS FOR HIRE

http://bit.ly/1PCV0r5

THE PREPPIE CONNECTION

http://bit.ly/1PCUKIM

CHEWIE, WE'RE HOME ! (SWTFA)

http://bit.ly/1Rgva1B

WAFFLE STREET

http://bit.ly/22oNoFa

REVIEWED

I expected this movie to be good but it was not so. Chose this movie hoping it to be another one about somebody who made it in the financial sector like "Secret of my Success". However the plot is not like that but i could had like it if it was presented better. Well, its about Jim Adams who was a big shot in the financial world of wall street who got sacked and tried to recoup his life in doing something different and what he thought was honest from the challenge thrown  by his father and grandpa. As I said the plot is interesting enough, it could have been good. This was based on a true story about Jimmy Adams, so thats not much running you can do.

 

It has Danny Glover whom to me was good in this one. His usual self but his character brought the charm which still he has as a veteran black actor. Dont know much about the lead guy J Lafferty but he acted in TV series. Not much on acting but with hard work and luck he has that cut to make as a young action hero guy.

 

Now lets get to movie..

The movie is slow and nothing much interesting happen. With the way its directed, it could have well fit as a TV movie or those DVD released ones.

 

One plot that is believable unlike some financial go broke movie is that when Jim got fired he was still ok financially as of course he still has his savings. Unlike some movie who went berserk after got fired. Dont they thought or prepared that anything could happen ? Anyway as this is based on a true story so thats how it should be.

 

And eventually (as in real life would be) he had to let go his nice house and car and even his good office shoes. 

 

But good or no good film, you could really admire Jim Adams (he actually existed right?) courage and spirit to do something other than the life he knew on the Wall Street. Really hard working and goal orientated, how he wanted to reach his goal. That is what I like about the character.His wife was also super supporting thou not agreeing right away, she morally supported her husband anyway.

 

So thats my review. See this to understand that shit happens in real life. Its how you take it that matters.

ANOMALISA

http://bit.ly/1R1zjoG

REVIEWED

This movie had numerous nomination and wins of awards. Its not your straight forward animation thats for sure. More like the puppets type but with fluider movement. Yet still it looks stiff. Dont forget a 7.5 IMDB ratings !

When starting to watch this film, I knew something is not right. Seem that all except one (lisa of course) of the female characters sounded in male voices and looked like male in female dresses and hairs. Thou the film is animated, it dont want to be one where theres nothing to the characters that a real actor cannot do and maybe do it better. But then audience will not have the "admiration" that real actors do a crappy and pointless film.

This film is about a consultant by the name of Michael Stone who traveled to Cicinati and put up a night in a hotel called The Fregilo. There he met one of his audience named Lisa.  He has his marital problems and doubts.

Kids, please do not watch this as it is X Rated ! It has view of old protruding man's  penis. And dont forget a harmless love making scene too.

Still I dont get why are their faces (definitely MS) are like wearing a mask ? Are they robots ?  

The good I got from watching was a very brief but useful lectures on Selling by Michael Stone.

This movie is pointless without any direction and definitely over rated. Real people could carry this film with ease and prove its unworthiness just the same. But people would then know its a crap. But you did it this way and people say that its a masterpiece !

See this if you want to know how bias can IMDB ratings be and how a below par film become a gem. Make it so pointless that audience felt that they missed the whole point of the film cause they aren't intellect enough to understand a film like this. Thats how I felt anyway.

POINT BREAK (2015)

http://bit.ly/2229FZs
2nd download link
http://bit.ly/1YZ87tY

REVIEWED

So I finally saw this film after an unusual long months of waiting for a good download copy. Watched this with my son as before it came out in the cinema he wanted to see it. Too bad it came with a rating 18 (he's only 13). But after watching this movie at home, it should not have got the 18 ratings. That goes the same for Need of Speed a few years ago. There are politics going on in the censorship board for sure. As I complained on a Malays film with foul, bad language, shootings, knives, hitting police and all the the other stuffs got into the cinema with a PG13. When asked why ? The director says because somebody had leaked the film over the internet and if they are tagged with 18, then income would be less. Just because the father of the director is closed with the Police does not mean that you can make that as an excuse. But anyway the film went through with a PG13 ! Well forget about this local hypocritical bullshit for a while and talk about the film instead.

But still why it took so long for it to come out with a clear copy. Just the opposite of Star Wars: TFA, this movie has very bad reviews from Youtube reviewers JJ and CS. They even say they fell asleep watching this. Gimme a break. Anyway, maybe the reason is because the producers were afraid to spend more money making blu rays and nobody buys ? 

OK lets talk about the movie.

It is a remake of a 90's hit of the same name starring Keanu Reeves and the late Patrick Swayze. KR played Johnny Utah and PS played Bodhi. In this film you have not too popular actors playing the 2 parts. But if you read IMDB, the parts were actually offered to known actors but they declined due to one reason or the other. I think the physicality requires for this film is the best explanation.

The film could have been better. The actions are fantastic thou. It looks so real and you wonder which one is the special effects. It was spectacular watching on LED TV and cant imagine how it was at the cinema. It makes you wonder in awe that there are places like this in this world. The waterfalls, the mountain top, the sea waves (which could be fake) and many more. 

This remake does not follow exactly what the original story was although there are familiar part. But to me nothing could beat the part when KR (without a parachute) jump the plane to catch PS (with parachute).

I agree with the reviews in saying that character development was lacking. Not that their acting were poor rather than their character were not interesting or they did not do anything to make them memorable. Also I would caution the director to do some timeline story telling when two scenes which are years or months apart but are back to back. Audience might miss the Time imprint to tell how long it was from the previous one especially when the first was 7 years apart and the 2nd one 7 months apart. They look the same and that was the problem.

I enjoy the film despite the handicap above. Its an action film which try to have serious acting and serious story line of what made them do the thing they did. Anyway who cares for that and it miss the mark. But 5.4 on IMDB is on the low side for me.

IP MAN 3

 

http://bit.ly/1TQKTqL

REVIEWED

This is the 3rd installment of the IP man. It started with a confrontation from Bruce Lee who wanted IP man to teach him Wan Shu but he was still reluctant. Nevertheless, somewhere in the movie, IPM asked a favor from BL which I think have some effect why IPMan finally agree to teach Bruce Lee. I reckon if there is an IPMan 4, it'll be about Bruce Lee and IP Man. But this story has got nothing to do with Bruce Lee but something else. Mike Tyson showed his boxing skills with IP Man but I doubt if a boxer can be in the same ring with a Martial Arts expert. However, the film didnt want to belittle MT even though he is now a has been. Fatty Sgt Po is quite a familiar face in Hong Kong film circuit.

I like this film. Too bad its in Chinese with subtitles for I have to read the subtitles to understand and this took away the concentration on the acting which is actually good. Donnie Yen can act as the "couldnt care less" Martial Arts master. You can feel his character even when he is with his wife who is taller than him in the movie. Maybe the film dont want to hide the height difference as its according to real people or simply dont have the incentive to do it. 

The background music is also commendable. Its not totally chinese flavored but very soothing when the scenes warrant it. Also effective during the fight scenes.

The strength of the film is definitely the fighting and there are lots of em (including with Mike Tyson of course). What make the fight "pleasant" is that its not superficial with less use of ropes, adequately use of slo mo with excellent editing and camera angles. Its even better than Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger 2 which I saw recently. Perhaps the artistry of the fights lies in Wan Shu itself. But superbly done bravo.

Dont forget the love and family elements of the film. Donnie Yen pulled off as being one cool very committed husband and father. 

See this as its good but ensure you have the subtitles on unless you know chinese. 7.9 on IMDB very appropiate.

A BIT OF BAD LUCK

http://bit.ly/2229UUr

PRIDE PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES

http://bit.ly/1R90pNX

MONK COMES DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

http://bit.ly/1QOoW5B

JANE GOT A GUN

http://bit.ly/1R94D1G

CAMINO

http://bit.ly/1nyXcJK

DADDY'S HOME

http://bit.ly/DaddysHome_15Br

REVIEWED

Just finished watching this movie and honestly I expect this to be a letdown, but it aint !

First Mark Wahlberg and Will Farrel had been paired before in a cop comedy movie which I think named Hard Cop. I remember Dwayne Johnson was also in that too and thats how MW teamed up with him in Pain and Gain. Anyway it was just pure coincidence that this is again another movie produced by Red Granite which was also behind The Wolf on WS. So Najib's step son is in this too.

This movie nearly get a 2 thumbs from me if not for the slow start which plot is far too familiar in other movies of this nature. But through this movie you will see some real stunt just for seconds but brief enough to bring the respond - did that happened ?

Beside MW and WF, Christen Hayden Church and Bob C who acted as the son in that Pacino's Collins movie were in here. Also stay right till the very end because there is another familiar face, you dont want to miss this for it got me laughing out loud literally.

Like I said, the rivalry of the biological and adopted dads took a different turn and thats what made the difference than other movies of this type. Sure enough, if not for both the main actors the movie may not be as good. But its depend on individuality of course.

Fun with  family value morale in this one

 

JURASSIC WORLD

http://bit.ly/JurrasicWorld_15Br

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM

http://bit.ly/TheForbiddenRoom_15WebDL

CAPTURE THE FLAG

http://bit.ly/CaptureTheFlag_15Br

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS : THE ROAD CHIP

http://bit.ly/AlvinAndTheChipmunksTheRoadChip_15Br

AMY

http://bit.ly/Amy_15Br

ROAD GAMES

http://bit.ly/RoadGames_15HDr