Review: Real Steel (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

Real Steel tells the story of Charlie Kenton played by Hugh Jackman who travels around with his fighting robots in tow. It is loosely based on the short story by Richard Matheson entitled Steel where fighting robots are the new form of entertainment through the sport of boxing.

While Charlie is on the road, he received bad news about the death of his old beau leaving him an 11-year old son named Max who now needs a guardian. He was then summoned to attend the custody hearing of his son whom he willingly gave to his sister-in-law in exchange of $100,000. His sister-in-law’s husband offered him half the money to take care of Max while they were on vacation. Charlie agreed and took Max with him who proves to be a very strong-willed kid and whose love for video games helps train his robots and Atom, a sparring robot found by Max in a junkyard and successfully fielded it into the World Robot Boxing Championship.

Dakota Goyo who played Max was an absolute darling on the big screen. His immense passion was clearly established with his relationship to Atom. I thought the dancing scenes were funny and it gives you that giggling feeling about the kid that served as an appetizer to an impending good fight, sort of like waiting for a Manny Pacquiao versus a Mexican boxer bout.

Hugh Jackman really delivered his role’s full potential. There were pretty touching moments that simply do magic into the film’s action-packed sequences. These sequences are well executed, as they do not exaggerate real battles but conform into the flow of the film.

The support was also impressive coming from Charlie’s love interest Bailey (played by Evangeline Lily) and his sister-in-law played by Hope Davis.

Another good thing about this film is that it has a vision. The cohesive storyline made it an enduring two-hour flick; you won’t even notice that it was that long. It was a normal story that does not need any twists or shocking scenes to lure you into watching it. It simply is just about robots and the father and son relationship. It may be the result of excellent special effects or good cinematography or maybe even good soundtrack but it boils down to the fact that it was one heck of a film that surely adults and kids alike would enjoy.

My Rating: 9/10

This film review was first posted at Pinoy Exchange. Read all my film reviews atPinoy Exchange Official PEx Movie Reviews.

@Gateway Cinema 5 w/D

Oct13,2011

Director: Shawn Levy
Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand

Review: Contagion (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

Contagion is a film based on the premise of a SARS / AH1N1 virus-like epidemic, its outbreak and the world’s attempt to contain the disease.

I didn’t actually expect that I would enjoy watching this film because I wasn’t so thrilled about the trailer. I thought it was lackluster and some kind of an I Am Legend story kind of thing in a more “human way” if you know what I mean. In addition, the film boasted an all-star ensemble led by Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law and Marion Cottilard to name a few. This isn’t always the case about “good” films.

I was however very surprised with the flow of the story and the characters that are easily relatable. Its premise is very possible to happen and it is actually a very scary thought. I also love how the film maintained its realistic approach until the end. Some scenes are a  bit long and draggy at times but the intermittent scenes between the characters in focus will compensate for it.

Jennifer Ehle kind of reminds me of Meryl Streep in this film. Perhaps, it’s because they have similar features that is why I tend to compare her to La Streep. She was great though and very believable. Gwyneth, Kate and Marion are in unison of providing commendable performances. Jude Law was annoying in this film but I’ve to say that it works really well with his character.

@Gateway Cineplex 7, P191

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Ehle

Overall, I did enjoy the film and I’ll give it a very complimentary 8/10 ratings.

2014 Oscars – The 86th Academy Awards Full List Of Nominees!

American Hustle and Gravity leads this year's list with 11 nods each!

American Hustle and Gravity leads this year’s list with 11 nods each!

Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street
12 Years a Slave

12 Years A Slave garnered 10 as expected!

12 Years A Slave garnered 10 as expected!

Best Actor
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actor

Best Actress
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best S Actor

Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Best S Actress

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Director

Best Animated Feature Film
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises

Animated Film

Best Foreign Film
The Broken Circle Breakdown, Belgium
The Great Beauty, Italy
The Hunt, Denmark
The Missing Picture, Cambodia
Omar, Palestine

Foreign

Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle, Eric Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine, Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club, Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
Her, Spike Jonze
Nebraska, Bob Nelson

Best Adapted Screenplay
Before Midnight, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips, Billy Ray
Philomena, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
12 Years a Slave, John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street, Terence Winter

Best Original Score
The Book Thief
Gravity
Her
Philomena
Saving Mr. Banks

Best Original Song
Alone Yet Not Alone, from Alone Yet Not Alone
Happy, from Despicable Me 2
Let It Go, from Frozen
The Moon Song, from Her
Ordinary Love, from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Prisoners

Best Costume Design
American Hustle
The Grandmaster
The Great Gatsby
The Invisible Woman
12 Years a Slave

via http://oscar.go.com/nominees – view the full list here!

Review: Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

This film was based on the FOX TV show Glee and its characters performing during their Glee Live in Concert Tour. It also focuses on how big the influence of this show to its audience where it features three different stories that include a girl with Asperger syndrome, a cheerleader with dwarfism and a teenage gay guy.

Since this was a concert film, it features most of the songs that they’ve sung on the show including Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, Katy Perry’s Teenage Dreamand Lady Gaga’s Born This Way. Watching the film feels like watching a Gleeepisode since the cast are all in character throughout the concert with the montage of their fans being shown in between every production number.

The standouts for me are Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) and Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones) who I think are the three best singers on the show who can really sing good live. Brittany S. Pearce (Heather Morris) was also a scene-stealer as she danced a mind-blowing Britney Spears number while lip-synching I’m A Slave 4U. The rest sound auto-tuned and I am almost sure that most of the songs were lip-synched. There are also great moments though with a very special appearance of one of their professor that you have to watch out for.

Now, if you’re an avid fan of Glee, you’d truly enjoy the film since it’s on 3D, making you feel like you’re watching them live; but if you’re just a regular viewer of the show itself, watching this film isn’t that spectacular of an experience but it is good enough to have you locked on your seat for an hour and a half.

With that being said, I would give it a gleeful 7/10 rating.

The film will open on September 21st in the Philippines.

This film review was first posted at Pinoy Exchange. Read all my film reviews atPinoy Exchange Official PEx Movie Reviews.

Review: King And The Clown (2005)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

I just finished watching this one. It’s the story of two male street clowns and tightrope walkers, Jangsaeng (Gam Wu Seong) and Gonggil (Lee Jun Ki) whose fate led them to perform in front of the King in Soule who fell inlove with Gonggil and from there – the king’s tyranny and his court’s corruption where revealed leading to the death of the clowns. [spoiler – err sorry]

The film lacks narrative – I was actually waiting for the back story to Gong-li’s character but I didn’t get any until the film ends tragically.

The actors were really good and I’m really impressed with Gam Wu Seong – he’s a fine actor! The rest were as good as well, even the crazy king.

On the technical aspects, Costume and Set designs are exemplary as well as the cinematography. It’s just too bad that those won’t make up for a royally flat story. I wished they elaborate more about each characters.

On DVD – 2005 / Korea

Director: Lee Jun-ik
Starring: Gam Wu-seong, Jeong Jin-yeong, Kang Seong-yeon, Lee Jun Ki, Kwon Won-tae, Lee Jun-ik

With that, I’d give it a 6/10 rating.

Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

This was the first time that I’ve seen any “Planet Of The Apes” films. It started with Will (James Franco), a scientist who is trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease hoping that it would cure his father who is suffering from the it. They experimented the virus with chimpanzees and it mutates giving the chimpz a human level of intelligence. One of the subjects who secretly gave birth became upset and causes chaos into the lab and into the board meeting where Will was presenting, thinking that her baby is in danger. Will’s boss, Mr. Jacobs orders to put all the chimpanzees down but Robert, who was tasked to do it cannot bring himself to kill the baby so he gave it to Will who names him Caesar and raises him in his house. From then on, Caesar displayed the intelligence of a human that he inherited from his mother.

The film was actually a nice combination of technology and human emotions. The Chimpanzees all look real especially Caesar. Andy Serkis who played Caesar was very effective in portraying all the emotions that his character felt. I didn’t get much of James Franco but I love his command on the film. The whole “evolution becomes revolution” thingy was a very interesting plot but I find it too anti-climactic. The “revolution” was like 30mins of the film only. I love how the chimpz terrorize the San Francisco Bridge. Tom Felton was actually really good in here playing the cruel son of the primate facilities where Caesar was brought to after causing havoc at Will’s neighborhood.

Other than my cravings for more “Chimpz Terror,” I’d say the film execution was actually good. The graphics are amazing! I just wished that the film didn’t end like that, or perhaps – there would be a sequel huh?

Director: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, Andy Serkis
Rating: 8/10

Review: Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

Cowboys and Aliens is based on the 2006 graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, which I haven’t read prior to watching this film. The movie starts with a stranger (Daniel Craig) who wakes up in the desert town of Absolution with no memory at all. The only clue to who he might be is a weird bracelet attached to his wrist. Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) whose power is feared by the town’s people ran the town of Absolution.

At the night when the mysterious alien spaceships arrive in town and abduct most of its people one by one, the stranger whose name is Jake and is wanted for several crimes according to the town’s sheriff, discovers the use of his bracelet and collaborates with the cowboys to hunt the aliens and save those who were abducted.

I was thinking upon seeing the film’s trailer that it’d be a really interesting watch and something that would be a mash-up between Indiana Jones and James Bond boasting both actors who played each character. I was however a bit disappointed with the several loopholes presented in the film. Everything got mixed-up for me. First, the aliens’ objective to attack to accumulate gold lacks narrative (this is from someone who have not read the book.)

Ella’s scenes (Olivia Wilde) were a bit off because she would just pop out and it was distracting in the serious tone of the film. She always looks good and clean in the film’s dusty setting which kind of reminds me of Megan Fox in Transformers. Although her character is somewhat important because she knows stuff about Jake and the aliens, her dialogue didn’t give much information. Moreover, what exactly do the aliens want from Jake? They remind me of the prawns in District 9 but more grotesque and cartoon-like. Also, the scene which I’m just totally clueless about was the “light” the abductees are looking at. Exactly what is that? A hypnotism device of some sort?

Both Craig and Ford were actually okay and delivered most parts like how they should be delivered, it’s just that you will not feel for them because there’s no connection from them at all. I am not saying that it is a bad film. In general, it took me to that level where I’m expecting a lot of guns shooting and killing with the humans winning. I am just surprised with its mediocrity. The concept may be new to the ear but the scenes – I have seen them before.
Based on the graphic novel of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
Director: John Favreau
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine, Noah Ringer
Rating: 5/10
@ the Philippine Premiere of Cowboys And Aliens
SM Noth Edsa IMAX Cinema c/o Pinoy Exchange

This review was first posted at the Official PeX Movie Reviews at Pinoy Exchange.

 

Review: Larry Crowne (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

I have always been a huge fan of Julia Roberts and her works so I was very excited to watch this film directed by her co-star Tom Hanks whom I equally adore as an actor. The whole scenario of the film is about Larry Crowne, an ex-Navy played by Hanks who got fired from his job because he lacks college education despite his good performance at work.

Losing his job and almost losing his home, Larry decided to enroll at the community college to get an education. There he met his unhappy married teacher Mercedes (Roberts) whom he immediately fell inlove with.
For some reason, I find the plot a bit too boring and very much ordinary. It only offers a bit of humor that I did not expect from Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks! I was maybe expecting some witty lines to come from them. Instead, the scenes of economic professor Dr. Matsutani played by George Takei entertained me more.
It’s still an okay film to say the least. I mean, both Roberts and Hanks are still very charming but it is just not a very spectacular one. After watching it, it’s like – so that was it? It’s like I kinda wasted my money on watching it. This directorial stint of Hanks isn’t what I’ve expected to see. There’s too much unnecessary lines and scenes! However, I still commend the way Tom Hanks effectively portrayed Larry Crowne as described in the film, it’s just too bad that everything about it is forgettable.
Director: Tom Hanks
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson,
Rating: 4 out of 10
This review was first posted at www.pinoyexchange.com
Please read more film reviews at PINOY EXCHANGE Official Pex Moview Reviews

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

I was never truly a big fan of this franchise but I am always fascinated to watch each movie. I have never even read the books so I rely solely on IMDB, Wikipedia and the movies itself of course.

I have seen the part one of the Deathly Hallows last year but I fell asleep halfway thru the movie. For some reason, I just slept and woke up during the credits. A big epic fail for me, I know.

This time though, Harry Potter’s final film left a big impression on me that I am now considering on finally reading the books! This finale was perfectly created to leave something for its fans that would truly stay with them forever.

Harry, Ron and Hermionie were all so grown up here that you feel so attached to them watching them grow over the years that you feel like crying when the end credits started rolling.

The visuals are exemplary, the score – we all know how uniquely good it was and of course, the actors are simply superb.

This film though gave a very special homage to Severus Snape who had been one of the villains of this movie series from the start but his character was the perfect example of true redemption! His scenes really made me cry.

The magic, spells, the side characters all made this film a worthwhile film to really enjoy! And ofcourse the ending of Harry’s story will always live on as this franchise come to its end, it just gained a new fan in me.

Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Bonnie Wright, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Julie Walters

My Rating: 9/10

Review: The Tree Of Life (2011)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

The Tree Of Life which won this years’ Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival aptly closes the 16th French Film Festival in Manila yesterday, and from the looks of it the film may garner varied reactions from its Manila audience come opening day.

The film is about the meaning of life from the main perspective of one family with Brad Pitt playing the dominating but loving father, his passive wife played by Jessica Chastain and their three little boys.

Technically, the film boasts of an enormous greatness from its cinematography, musical score and its wonderful shots but I was almost at a loss of words seeing all the imagery used by Malick to convey the beginning of everything. It was eye-catching but then I find all the symbolism way too many that it almost drowned the film.

Its direct dialogues to the audience were almost religious and felt quite empty at times since most of the images were distracting, though, in a pleasant way.

Sean Penn, whom I truly admire, got lost in this film. Why is he there in the first place? I thought that Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain worked it big time together with their effective and relatable portrayals along with the boys. I love how realistic their scenes were.

I’m afraid though, that the film’s too abstract narrative was too high of an art that it may jeopardize its connection to the audience. I asked myself, did I enjoy watching it? The answer was not a certain yes or no but I have polarizing feelings towards it. I love that all the “family” scenes were all inspired and very heartwarming but the surrealist approach that the director is inserting every now and then was a bit too much for my taste. I feel that this film would be considered by some as a snooze fest flick like the Hurt Locker but it will actually force you to watch its entirety with the film’s almost magical presentation.

Director: Terrence Malick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sherida, Kari Matchett, Joanna Going, Michael Slowers, Kimberly Whalen, Jackson Hurst, Fiona Shaw, Crystal Mantecon

This review was posted at the Pinoy Exchange Official Movie Reviews where I regularly contribute. Please visit the site to read more film reviews!