Movie Review: Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph is a 2012 American computer-animated family-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 52nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.

Watching this movie is such a trip! Nostalgia began to kick in upon seeing the characters in Atari resolution. From its opening scene in ‘Bad Anon’ - a support group for digi-villains such as Bowser, M Bison, and Doctor Robotnik to its Game Central Station setting (a city populated by hundreds of classic characters travelling from game to game), this is a world created with the sort of love, precision and cheeky referencing that, especially if you’ve ever been a gamer like myself, you’ll never want to leave.

But underneath the its facade , there is such depth that struck me about the movie, the characters, and the role they play. Ralph has been unhappy all these years because he wanted to become someone else. He is governed by envy and frustration - all because he could not accept the fact he is a bad guy and that being a bad guy serves a function to the big picture. It was not until he met The Glitch where his journey began by teaching one another some valuable lessons in life and their destination end up at themselves with a full realisation that self-acceptance is key to happiness. We must learn to accept who we are, what we can be, and what we cannot. Once we that's done, everything else will come forth and follow through. 

What lesson did you learn from the movie?

Movie Review: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

We accept the love we think we deserve is perhaps the most striking line in the movie. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age comedy-drama set in the 80s. It stars Logan Lerman, Emmat Watson, and Ezra Miller as lead characters.

The story revolves around young Charlie (Logan Lerman), a freshman who reads a lot and isn't popular at high school. When he meets his new senior best friends, played by Ezra Miller (Patrick) and Emma Watson (Sam), things begin to turn around for Charlie, as he makes his way through some big changes in his life. All the experiences of high school are here for the plundering, football games, dances, first kisses, and sexual experiences, all the makings of a normal high school experience. And yes, there's a few unique bits thrown in as well, exploratory forays into homosexuality, recreational drugs, jaunts to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, crippling depression, and various coping mechanisms.

Emma's role in the movie was so fitting that it took her out of the shadow of her Hermione (Harry Potter) character, thus, re-introducing her as a mature, brunette wide-eyed actress. In this role of hers, she becomes one of my girl crushes. Ezra's performance was truly was exceptional and natural. With his theatre background helping him internalise the character of Patrick, he delivered a plausible and stunning performance. Patrick's character is the one I draw the most resemblance with: his external antics, behaviour, coping mechanism, perception; to his sorrows, pain, joy, all of which are something I could totally relate with.

It also gave me a glimpse of our lives before all these technology came into play - life was a lot simpler and it was still fun. Watching this movie made me feel nostalgic about my younger years.

What was your experience like?

Movie Review: Burlesque

Burlesque stars the singer Christina Aguilera as a plucky Midwesterner making it big in a Los Angeles burlesque club and Cher (or is that a life-sized Cher mannequin?) as her mentor. The movie has three potential audiences. None will leave empty-handed. None will be truly sated.

Musical fans excited to see an all-singing, all-dancing rags-to-riches rollercoaster spectacular will probably feel least cheated. With form in music videos and live burlesque, debut writer-director Steven Antin knows how to put on a show and mean it. He throws spangly, ‘Chicago’-style production numbers at the screen like King Kong hurling cars down Fifth Avenue.

Connoisseurs of the compellingly bad and/or outrageously camp will find a fair bit to savour: notably, thudding exposition, naff design touches and a nocturnal car-park scene involving Cher, a crowbar, mutant lungs, memories, adultery and vomit. But too much of the movie is simply banal or inept. The leads are inert, the production design boringly glossy. Crucially, the script is devoid of tension, badly paced and stuffed with distracting supporting characters, of whom only Stanley Tucci, reprising his GBF shtick from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, is remotely memorable. Worst news for schlock fiends: no actual tits, no bona-fide bitches.

The third potential audience – adolescent girls in search of aspirational escapism – is the crowd to whom the film’s coy dissembling about the actual nature of burlesque does a real disservice. Even if they admire Aguilera’s powerful voice, this ain’t the way professional singers are discovered. But there it is: try to make ‘Showgirls’ for 12 year olds and you please no one. What a tease.

Movie Review: Amphetamine

Amphetamine is the second installment of a Scud Trilogy. The sequel examines the limit of passion as oppose to it's prequel Permanent Residence which examines the limit of life. 

The movie stars newbie actors: Thomas Price, a half HK-Chinese/half British actor who also now appears as a Channel [V] video jockey; and Byron Pang who was a former model and a runner-up from Mr. Hong Kong 2005 pageant.

With Scud's infamous style of frontal nudity in his films, this movie defines the line between a pornographic material and an artistic perception of sexuality. Although I must admit that it is Thomas Price that gave me the urge to hunt this movie down. 

I get the story of two men, one who's in struggle of his sexuality and one who's struggling to find the love he's always wanted. With Daniel (Price) being the more stable of the two, he supports and guides Kafka (Pang) and share him his life. In return, Kafka gives his best to return the love that Daniel is showing him despite the traumatic past he had previously. Kafka and Daniel do share another thing aside from their sexuality and love -- drugs. Amphetamine in particular. They use this substance to enjoy their togetherness and sometimes to escape whatever that is bothering them esepcially Kafka. Not knowing that the love they have is more than addicting than the substances they are taking in. 

Amphetamine is your typical gay HK movie but this time it involves drugs which has always been happening in reality but remains a taboo. 

I was drawn to this movie because of Tom Price as mentioned above and have learned to realised that Byron Pang is hot himself. If you like some eye candy, manly body, or even a softcore porn with a good plot -- this movie might suit your palette. Sex scenes are both homo male-to-male and hetero. There also scenes where Daniel and Kafka first met, I've always yearned for that feeling and every time I feel it, it just makes you want to fall in love! 

If you can get this movie on DVD, it's worth the money! Both guys are enough compensation for your eyes for the story's lack of thrill it gives your brain cells. 

What do you think?

Movie Review: Despicable Me

I got dragged into watching this movie one Friday night when my best friend Jason Tomas though of treating is a movie night (then there was hoping for free dindin as well - but didn't happen)

The whole evening I've been thinking what this movie Despicable Me is all about. I thought it was a horror or thriller type. As my tinkering went on, I remember seeing some positive tweets about it but didn't really paid much attention. During dinner we talked about our goals, where we are in achieving it, milestones in life now that we're on the latter years of our 20s and I couldn't help but segued a couple of questions about the movie. So finally our other friend Martin mentioned a few deets on the movie just to get me shush'd long enough 'til screening time.

After entering the cinema, I realised we're doing a 3D movie. On the movie onset, it only dawned on me that it's an animated movie. So I just sat back and enjoyed this free movie. 

The cast looked interesting... Steve Carrell, Russel Brand to name a few. The yellow things who are the minions of the lead are just the cutest and funniest. One highlight of the movie is the kid Agnes and her fascination about unicorns. For a while, her lines in the movie remained in my thoughts "it's sooo fluffffyyyy I could die" 

This is a story of a villain trying to prove that he is still the best villain in the world. Suffering from the lack of attention/appreciation from his mother when he was a child, he developed this sense of compulsory feeling of needing to be validated. Unintentionally using the innocent orphans for his plans against his rival. Towards the end, he realised he loves the children more than the will to execute his plan. 

Moral of the lesson is that even the most ruthless, evil person can be tamed and changed by love.

What do you think?

Movie Review: Salt

Originally casted for Tom Cruise as Edwin Salt but he had to turn it down as it was very close to Mission Impossible. The production then turned to Angelina Jolie and now it became Evelyn Salt. Cruise's loss is Jolie's gain. 

The movie's plot revolves around the life of a double agent, which side that agent is loyal to, how they live their lives and perhaps how it ends. 

Jolie's performance on the movie is yet another top notch. She gave justice to the role and the character of Salt as spy, as wife, as a comrade, friend and a woman. 

I thought the movie was quite short. Though it is a 90-minute run type of movie, I can't help but feel hanging. I could the ending was very effective because you have a lot more room to think about what can happen next. And probably this serves as a teaser for a sequel. 

I recommend this movie. It might be your typical Hollywoodish action movie but believe me, it's worth seeing this movie. The twists, the turns, the action-packed, estrogen-filled ass-kicking woman that Salt is -- worth your hard-earned moola.

What do you think?

Movie Review: Dear John

Dear John is an endearing story between two young lovers who fell in love in a short time and was away from one another all the time. It also tackles relationship between parent, children and friends.

Based on Nicholas Sparks book, yes he is the same guy who gave us The Notebook, do expect to shed at least a few tears on this movie. 

At first I didn't think it was from Nicholas Sparks but when I saw from the beginning credits, I psyched myself to be crying over this movie - and I did. Surprisingly, I did cry more though than I did on The Notebook. 

Channing Tatum, that ever delish stud was quite fit for the role of John. Reserved and an introvert, with a bad boyish past engaging in street fights and tousles. Whilst Amanda Seyfried is this ravishing young woman, Savannah who caught John's heart in an instant.

There are a number of scenes in the movie that are touching and you aren't human at all if you didn't feel like crying or at least get teary-eyed by it. 

Wasn't able to catch these in the movies earlier this year due to busy sched with work but I did see it courtesy of my good friend who copied me the file of the movie. 

There was also a time when I mixed up Dear John with Letters to Juliet and called it Letters to John. Can't blame me though since both do involve letters and letter-writing. 

I'd say this is a good stay-in movie. Watch it alone or with someone special for some good tear-jerk moment.

What do you think?

Movie Review: Inception

One word -- Brilliant! Inception is one of Leo's movies that I highly anticipated this quarter. I've always been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio. Since the last movie of his that I watched, Shutter Island is another disturbing yet brilliant masterpiece with long-time collaboration director Martin Scorsese.

The cast are superbly exquisite from the likes of the talented Marion Cotilliard (Academy Award best actress for La Vien Rose), the then adorable Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 Things I Hate About You, 500 Days of Summer - boy he loves movies with numbers, doesn't he?), the ever witty Ellen Page (X3 as Kitty, Juno) and the devislishly delicious Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins, Red Eye) amongst others. 

Leo's acting was very apt for the character. Although he is not the an ideal character actor, he's always fascinated me with the way he portray his roles. As for Ellen Page, though she doesn't really become the character I still like the way she does her craft and every time she does it I always see that Juno girl in her. I was a little weirded out seeing Cillian's character with no conviction, reserved and almost the victim contrary to his other roles in Batman Begins as Scarecrow and Red Eye as a disturbed villain wanting some revenge.

At first I thought the movie would be dragging - but it wasn't. The run time was more than two hours but towards the end of the movie, it didn't feel like you have been sitting on your ass for such a long time. That's an indication of a great movie. It was actually quite easy to keep up with the movie compared to how I imagined it. Not really a fan of movies where you need to think and analyse. The key to this one if just keeping track of the dream levels. 

After watching the movie, my brain cells were stressed and decided to so something totally mindless with my friends. Headed to McDonald's for a late night dessert. And then that's the time we started to recap the scenes in the movies. I think that is the after effect of Inception -- there's this recall factor in it that you would want to talk about more after the movie and maybe perhaps consider watching it for a second time around.

Do share your thoughts---

Movie Review: Dorian Gray (2009)

This modern adaptation of an Oscar Wilde novel sure will whirl you into a world of vanity and hedonism. Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian [Narnia], Dunstan [Stardust]) is a perfect epitomy of the character. 

I first watched this movie when I was on business trip in Bangkok, February 2010. After my meeting, which ended early, I decided to wait around for my colleagues instead of heading back to the hotel as the travel on the road would have only eaten up my time knowing the traffic jam situation in Bangkok. So I decided to watch a movie and sleep inside. I selected the movie based on the time that will commence screening ASAP. It happened to be Dorian Gray. Paid my tix, thought that the main cast is cute so I was, like, what the hell -- I'm just gonna sleep anyway. I did sleep really soundly. 

Months later, my friend and I traded some downloaded movies and saw Dorian Gray and copied it onto my lappie. I decided to watch the movie since I got some extra time. I ended up liking the movie and was surprise to the twists that were not really present on the original plot.

Dorian Gray is believed to be one of the most graced face that ever-lived. With actors who portrayed the role: Helmut Berger (Dorian Gray 1970); Stuart Townsend (League of Extraordinary Gentlement); Ben Barnes (Dorian Gray 2009), these men were the finest looking and fit for role.

Take a step in to the world of vanity, hedonism, love, friendship and betrayal. The gay twist, the opium -- hedonism at its finest. This movie is worth your penny. I regret not watching it the first time I had the chance to.

Would love to know your 2 cents on the movie --

Movie Review: Sex and the City 2

Watched Sex and the City 2 with my friends on 05 June 2010. Finally after the heavy anticipation of the movie to be shown on 27 May, to finally finding out it will have been shown in Manila by 02 June 2010, we decided to book a good date when everyone in our group is available to watch it with us. Some of us even had some private screening invites, advance screening invites but had to refuse the offer as we all wanted to watch it together as a group. It's a great movie to watch with your friends and that's what we did!

With the first movie disappointed the critics and still pleased the fans, the second one has the same scenario. The first movie was better but the sequel had a lot of fun parts in it and a few highlights that gives them quite the upper-hand against the first movie. First was Miranda's transformation in terms of character's involvement on the plot (the first movie I feel like her character took a backstage) and her wardrobe's style was through the roof! Among the 4 girls, Miranda is my favourite as I also could see most of me in her.

The movie felt like a stretched out episode that at some point it feels really dragging and then it kind of ends in a snap!

Overall, my movie experience is the best because I was in the company of some of the greatest people in my life -- my friends.