Director

Stars: Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Callum Blue

Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes

Genre: Action / Drama

Location watched: The Mall Cineplex

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:

A beautiful girl named Cataleya grows up to be a ruthless, stealthy and stone-cold assassin to avenge her parents’ death that she witnessed first hand as a child in Bogota.  Taken up by her Uncle, killing is her job as she works to get the attention of the mobsters responsible for the deaths in her family.

Mell Says:

***** (5/5)

After a looong hiatus from blogging movie reviews, Colombiana was the movie that got my blood going again. I hadn’t stopped watching movies all this while; I guess I just needed something to activate my fingers on the keyboard. Transformers didn’t cut it, neither did Harry Potter or Abduction or Contagion.

… Then came along this assassin movie set in believable days. A woman so driven by acceptable vengeance that you get drawn into the skillfulness of it all.

I tell you, Zoe Saldana will have your attention after this one. The scary thing is, she didn’t just play this movie well; the role was so right for her that you forget that she’s acting. I have this eerie suspicion that she’s just doing this movie on the side of her real day job. The role was effortless that she was probably telling the director what the best capturing angles are for her scenes. Please please please… I wanna meet Cataleya!

If there is anything the movie skimmed on, it may have been a little bit more story in between her transformation from young to killer woman, but that unshown part may have actually been to her advantage. You’ll just enjoy the action more than you need to.

And to think I didn’t really know what to watch that Saturday night.

You’re a loser if you don’t go to see this one. Even more so if you don’t agree with how good it is.

***** (5/5)

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard

Runtime: 1 hours 45 minutes

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Location watched: Empire Cinema

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:

Hal Jordan is an irresponsible and cocky pilot who quickly learns the meaning of overcoming his major insecurity of fear when he is chosen by the ring to be a Green Lantern Corps member. When a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, Hal as earth’s Green Lantern has to step up to the occasion.
Mell Says:

***~~ (3/5)

I read and heard from a few candid reviews that this movie was stupid (i.e. sucked). I was prepared to walk into the theater feeling dragged to do a review.  All hopes for uninfluenced thoughts were lost.

Funny enough, my guard came down as the movie went by. It didn’t suck. And it wasn’t stupid. I mean, when you think about Iron Man, Transformers and other CGI or Marvel-Comics-turned-movie flicks, their premises are actually stupid. Yet they get away with it because everything else was well-played.

So if there is anything that went wrong… it was the thin script. Much of the movie was spent trying to explain Hal’s internal struggles, but it was lazy with most of the time spent flying around in green. My nephew said that the movie seemed to go by fast. Nevermind it was 2 hours; even he recognized that there was much to be explained. Reynolds was otherwise great for the job – he had the sarcasm, the physique and the heroic narcissism that most heroes are founded upon.

At times the CGI did seem ridiculous. Like it was unfinished or they really had to work on giving it a more “realistic” feel. I laughed seeing the Green Lantern Guardians with their huge heads. I didn’t need to be reminded of how ridiculous it all was.

But make no mistake. I love the comic. I just felt they needed to pack it in a bit more in the movie. Just a few tweaks here and there… like less on the “I’ve got fears”, all the macho hoorah among the Corps and the injected girl troubles… then maybe it would’ve been on par with the likes of Transformers or Iron Man.

***~~ (3/5)

Basically he’s the guy that absorbs my ideas and does the hands-on work so that people can access it online. I just blog and click “publish”.

This project took nearly a year to come together. He’s a busy guy and my thanks knows no bounds for his patience and insight throughout. I actually had a Mell Says site before this, but it took me a while to get the right inspiration and person to help me out with it.

Thank You. Terima Kasih. Gracias. Merci.

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Bill Milner, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence.

Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi

Location watched: Empire Cinema

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:

Piggybacking on the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we are told the story of Charles Xavier (Dr. X), Eric Lensherr (Magneto) and other mutants who come out and discover the strength of their powers long before the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Mell Says:

****½ (4.5/5)

Should you have any qualms about the antiquated feel of this movie (since this is supposedly set in the 60s) and the storyline of the mutants’ discovery, be pleasantly warned that it is worth the 2+ hours of watching in on the younger Magneto and Dr. X we are so well-acquainted with today. The movie is very well-paced that you revel in watching the reason for these mutants today (the who, where, why, when and how) as if grandpa was giving you a travel through time and you’re standing in as one of the characters.  The setting has a lot of respect for the circumstances of the time but you’re reminded that it’s history class.  Much like a little boy playing with toy soldiers and he just goes with it because it matters there and then.

*Spoiler coming up* I was surprised to find that the storyline of this movie does not parallel that of the comic. Fortunately, I found this out after returning from the cinema so I could judge the movie for what it was. And I must say, “First Class” was quite convincing in selling the story, honing in on Eric’s unmanaged struggles.  At times, his logic for wanting to go to the dark side was brushed over but Xavier’s serenity balances the volatility of this shaky bit of the story ‘cos we are convinced Eric has chosen the better ways, only to get an unprecedented jolt at the end.  Yes he goes off on a killing spree to find Shaw (played by Kevin Bacon) at the beginning, but the return to good was so convincing that you’re annoyed at the pace that he returns – a very stark contrast to James McAvoy’s serenity… he seems so comfortable playing Charles but it wasn’t really Eric’s fault either. As for the other characters, they are introduced here and there. It’s exciting, but you won’t get overly hung up on them as we quickly sift through introductions, their showy powers and the threat of Armageddon. If you can forget about the details of the characters in the other X-Men movies, you can stomach this one without questioning everything.

All-in-all, a very convincing movie that seeps your attention throughout. My only worry is whether this storyline is sustainable, but I’m reminded that, unless we stumble upon more “past” X-Men stories, the saga has saved itself with all the future trilogies we’ve already seen.

****½ (4.5/5)

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Stars (voices): Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan

Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

Genre: Animation / Family / Adventure / Comedy

Location watched: Empire Cinema

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:

Po and his fellow Kung Fu comrades are living the life protecting the Valley of Peace when Po’s inner tranquility is threatened by bouts of his murky past no thanks to the presence of a villain threatening to take over the whole of China with a new and modern weapon.

Po and the Furious Five journey across China to destroy the secret weapon, while Po comes face to face with a formidable enemy who goes to the heart of his identity insecurities.

Mell Says:

***** (5/5)

I hate to say it, but an animation sequence actually manages to grab my attention for the whole hour and a half! Thinking that this would just be a favour to my niece and nephews, I was overwhelmed with both joy and embarrassment that the experience turned it into something very positive for me.

Being a martial arts enthusiast, I was pleased that the fighting sequences garnered just as much detail as a real kung fu film would. I was left squinting and pondering over certain moves (“is that possible?”). Often times sequels, particularly animated ones, are overshadowed by accusations of just wanting to cash in from the kids but you were more than willing to forgive by virtue of the strong plot as well.

We have much to thank the first installment for setting it up insidiously, i.e. the fact that Po is a Panda raised by a duck, so the transition to the identity issue in Kung Fu Panda 2 wasn’t a surprise or rather appeared to have come from left field. His hidden traumas and identity issues were well entangled in his quest to deal with a sneaky peacock but I would have had just as much to relate to than real life characters could otherwise act out. But make no mistake, Po’s self-deprication is just as much fun to watch as the animators are well in tuned with the Po that we were initially introduced to.  In other words, not too much character development yet just enough to keep us teary-eyed.

The attention to detail wasn’t left to just Po either. We are introduced to the villain who is ever so evil and ridden with darkness in the form of a peacock.  The creators certainly did utilize the idea of the distracting feathers as a weapon and martial arts style.  He was just as intriguing to watch as Po’s Furious Five bunch.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say except a big cheesy double thumbs up coming from me.

***** (5/5)

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:

Johnny Depp returns to play the iconic character of Captain Jack Sparrow.  This available-in-3D-adventure witnesses Captain Blackbeard, Captain Barbossa and the Spanish fleet racing to find the Fountain of Youth with Jack as their compass, crossing paths with deceiving mermaids on their way.  Penelope Cruz makes her appearance in this film as his love interest.

Mell Says:

(4/5)

Highly entertaining and mindless are things that come to mind when I try to recollect this movie I watched last night.  In most cases, that would do the job for me. After all, cinema-going is meant to be a form of escape. But the good things that were supposed to stand out in this movie could actually be turned inside out to be a one-star loss for me.

Captain Sparrow had the usual drunken swagger we’re accustomed to; not to mention his silly antics swinging from tree to tree. You don’t get caught up in the details of the stunts, but character development was not touched here. At centre stage was really the chase for the Fountain of Youth, which shares its deep moments with various stories across. Each scene and character was well introduced as spending too much time on each of the 10 backdrops would’ve been overkill. The plot would’ve been chaotic if it weren’t so entertaining and we have to give Rob Marshall a high five for that.

Bad news for the youngsters used to pretty icons in Pirates of the Caribbean (read: Orlando Bloom): you’ll get old haggards running the ships and leave you cringing if it weren’t for the Disney quality of the screenplay. You forget about them as I did about my aching bladder halfway into the film. It’s a two-hour flick, like I said and you won’t remember it being so. You will walk away, though, wondering if Jack was really needed. I was left being reminded that Pirates of Caribbean will have a never ending sequel and yet I’m left thinking that’s okay simply because I still can’t discern what ‘On Stranger Tides’ was really about (yes yes, the Fountain of Youth). *Spoiler coming up*: I mean, was Penelope Cruz’s character really Jack Sparrow’s love interest? Or Rob Marshall’s attempt to throw in some excitement?

Four out of five stars for making me stay in my seat.

(4/5)

Click here for the audio version

If you think that’s horrible, you haven’t seen anything yet. After 3 days in bed watching You Tube uploads of Gordon Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares” (yes I’m behind), I don’t feel so guilty.

Besides – who wouldn’t swear knowing that they were nearly poisoned by food they were just served? Weeks old to be specific. Ramsay has the balls and the repute to tell it straight up where we would otherwise just file a complaint.

You Tube the “Kitchen Nightmares Fiesta Sunrise” episode to see what I’m talkin’ about.

Director:

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:
A seemingly trapped Sergeant Colter wakes up to find that he is part of a government experiment called the “Source Code” where his mission is to prevent an explosion attack on the city. Colter is made to reawaken multiple times on the Chicago bound train as we soon discover that the science of today (or tomorrow) is able to connect his brain synapses to that of a Sean Fentress for the last 8 minutes of his life during the commute. Colter returns each time as Sean to gather clues of finding the perpetrator and preventing the next deadly attack.

Mell Says:

***½~ (3.5/5)

Here we have an example of a preposterous premise that is both perplexing and seat-edging. Colter’s confusion of assuming another man’s identity transcends between that of the experiment and the 8 minutes he has on his train mission, and it is smartly left for us to ponder throughout just as urgently as it’s on his mind.

Vera’s character as Captain Goodwill is neither sympathetic nor hard-lined as expected of an army experiment controller, but she is a central part of this movie representing the audience as the conscience of having him in mental torture. And Dr. Rutledge is adept to playing a creepy experiment fanatic without the need to delve into his mind’s scientific recluse. I mention the other characters because whilst Gyllenhaal and Farmiga have the star spotlight in this one, the sophistication of the theme has more to do with implications of each scene than being star struck. We of course sympathize with Colter’s need for answers but it is exactly the crossing between the Sergent and Sean Fentress that keeps the right balance to throwing us off the way the code intends. Is it really just reliving memories a different way, or is it time travel? They vehemently deny it’s the latter, but we begin to see an uneasy truce between the two questions as every 8 minutes gets played out.

We’re not always meant to question theories in movies. How else did Inception and Star Trek work for the masses? That said, I didn’t need to be reminded that the idea of source code is beyond us for the time being and still live in reality. Nonetheless, a good start to a new way of looking at things.

***½~ (3.5/5)

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:
Valerie finds herself caught between the man she always loved and the man she is to marry, against the backdrop of an unsettling truce between her village and an increasingly vicious werewolf. The people call upon Father Solomon and his troops to expel the werewolf only to be faced with a rising death toll and other unintended consequences.

Mell Says:

**~~~ (2/5)

Catherine Harwicke must really be reminiscing her directing days of Twilight, ‘cos her obsession for men with ubiquitous hairspray and blood red was rampant in this movie.

Sadly, the budget spent in creating a village in the woods and costumes was better dedicated to a play-version on stage than an epic-like movie that they were showcasing in the marketing of it all. It worked for Bella and Edward, but this one seemed like Harwicke’s need to just get it out of her system. The seclusion of the people and their incestuous relations were easily forgettable despite attempts to widen them like Valerie’s eyes. We knew that this was not meant to be a direct translation of the storybook, so why the PG on the special effects, intimate details and succulent scandals. It was original, but the acting and scenery were bland despite the clarity of it all. The guy next to me was playing out a snoring noise and I was rather annoyed that I had to agree with him. The premise of the movie was very innovative and I hated to see it shortchanged by playing it safe.

Rating:
**~~~ (2/5)

Audio Version:
Red Riding Hood Review – Audio

Director:

Showtimes | Trailers

Synopsis:
The Marvel comic “Thor” comes to life in this action-packed adventure as Thor, an arrogant warrior, goes on a journey to being dethroned by his noble father, has to reconcile his existence in the universe while exiled in earth and falling in love with a mortal who seeks scientific truth. In the meantime, the dark forces of neighbouring Jotunheim find their way to Asgard’s realm by way of a sinister force living amongst the house of Odin.

Mell Says:

***~~ (3/5)

So I walked into the cinema on Saturday night thinking how much of a dud I am for not knowing anything about viking mythology or the slightest bit about the comic. I made a note to myself to google it after the show. But it was a good signal to me that I could finally write a review on something I know peanuts about (so-called objectivity).

Formula-wise, Thor had the right ingredients: the wise King who wants his eldest son to step up, the jealous brother seeking to overthrow good, a kingdom explained in its most grandiose of splendor, the world (Earth) that we could relate to, a God-like actor to play the God and oh…. the girl. Surprisingly, all the ingredients actually served to ridicule the Thor movie itself. I was laughing to myself when Thor’s comrades were being stared at for their costume contest upon landing on earth. Not because it was a funny scene, but because it was the answer to all my movie troubles. Trying to bridge Asgard and Earth was put a little too much in a way that seemed like time traveling gone wrong. Unexplained. Just trust that it’s there. We all know that it’s based on a comic, but the depths of explaining the 4 Ws (who, where, when, why) and HOW were taken for granted. At most, 2 minutes are dedicated to how our worlds collide, soaked in an attempt of romantic moment between Thor and Jane Foster. Mind you, he could write with that pen just as easily as throwing that hammer. And in all consideration for Asgard’s norse qualities with a great appreciation for advanced technologies (rather than godly, I might say), the CGI got a little too obvious. The beautiful scenery in the background and citizenry stuck as long as it was a backdrop. But the repeat of Asgard’s need for tranquility was in the hands of only Thor and his trigger-happy friends. I was given the impression that there was great urgency needed. I had more of a feel of the Frost Giant’s Jotunheim existence than the former.

The God turns human-like in every quality in less than halfway through the movie, which is often not a problem until a dud like me needs to register 100 thousand working ingredients. I repeat, working ingredients, which saves this movie from flunking. But this movie didn’t do much to sell me the mythology either. Please do explain the dark brother’s internal troubles, Thor’s deepened passion for Jane and the King’s pride for his arrogant first-born. A 3-hour reel may have been appropriate to stretch the depths of each theme. Director Kenneth Branagh was allowed to go crazy on this one, even crazier.

***~~ (3/5)