Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

For some reason, this movie didn't get released here in Malaysia alongside with other potentially awesome movies (ie. Easy A, Social Network etc.). So I had to resort to other 'means' of watching this epic movie of epic epicness. The movie is based on a graphic novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley that revolves around Scott Pilgrim who must defeat his new new girlfriend's seven evil exes in order to win her heart. Sounds pretty bad ass no?



This movie uses the elements of video games and comics to its very best. From words in the air, to power upgrades to the very old school "K.O" announcement. People who dont read comic books or play video games probably wont appreciate it as much as those who do. I felt the choices of actors were good, each of them fitting their role. The jokes were funny, nothing was way too over the top. The story was a little to rushed in the first 15 minutes or so but subsequently it slowed down to a normal pace.


The highlight of this movie would most probably be (well at least to me) the fight scenes with all the exes. The comical nature of the fights were awesome to say the very least. Again, the element of video games and comics really made this movie what it is, an epic in its own way. The fights were like the ones you used to play in video games in the arcade. The cinematography (or how the fights were capture/filmed) helped alot if augmenting the effects. My favourite battle was between "Sex Bob-Omb and the Katayanagi twins". The effects though simplistic, was very very cool. The on I liked least was against Todd, which involved way too much talking.


So, to put it down in a few words, this movie is definitely an epic in its own way. The elements of video games and comics (I cannot stress this enough) really worked well (almost perfectly). The characters played their role really well. Everything was pretty much simplistic without trying to be more than it is. Nothing was too over the top. The movie felt quite long, but it wasn't boring. So if you want something epic to kill time or is just sick of what the cinemas in Malaysia are showing, go get Scott Pilgrim vs The world and enjoy the ride of epic epicness.




Rating: 7.5/10

Megamind (2010)

Megamind is DreamWorks's latest offering in their battle against fellow animation giants, Pixar. Megamind tells a story of a super-villain, Megamind (Will Ferrell) who gets his butt kicked by Metroman (Brad Pitt) on a daily basis. But when a more evil super-villain 'appears', Megamind has to take an unfamiliar role, to be the Hero and no longer the villain.


You would think that this movie is straight forward and predictable. And you're right! It is straight forward and totally predictable. The cliched story of a villain turn good and developing feelings for his most frequent kidnap victim. Jokes are unoriginal and repetitive. This is not to say that the movie sucked. It just failed to embody any 'WOW' factor to it. Simply put, its just another superhero cartoon.


The animation is definitely pleasing on the eye. The detail, the colours, the whole environment is spectacular to say the very least. Voices of characters are well-chosen, each voice fitting each character. SOME jokes and comedic moments are funny, but I definitely did not laugh my ass off. The characters (ie. Megamind, Metroman, Roxanne etc.) are all very unoriginal. I hoped for something a little bit more original.


Well, in a nut shell, this is no where near the likes of DreamWorks's best work (Shrek 1 and How to Train Your Dragon). But neither is it one of the worse ones (eg. Shrek 3 and 4). Its a very watchable cartoon but not one that will remain with you like Shrek. However, it is safe to say once again, DreamWorks have failed outshine titles from Pixar (ie. Up, Toy Story 3). Pixar is still number 1 in my book when it comes to amazing animation.

Rating: 5.5/10

Red (2010)

Red, is a supposedly action-packed, kick-ass movie derived from a graphic novel by the same name. Red is a basically about four top CIA agents - Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) - who have all retired and are now hunted by the CIA itself as well as the secret services. To put it simply, the movie promises a whole 115 minutes of non-stop action.


The movie itself did have its ups and downs. It started off pretty linear with Frank hitting on a social worker, while the story explains that he is living all alone -retired and all-. This is followed by a couple of spies breaking into Frank's house and literally shot it to the ground. And the rest of the movie is pretty much predictable from start to finish. The first hour felt really really draggy. The movie wasted too many minutes introducing each character in a slow and somewhat painful manner. The story lacked any real character to it, it was neither here nor there (not an entirely action-packed movie nor an entirely comedy-drama type movie).


Fortunately though, the movie gained pace with the introduction of Malkovich. He added the quirky humour and a tad bit of bad-assery, particularly the part where he shot at the Bazooka. Most of the laughs from the movie were from him. So I figured he was the clown of the group, quite obviously. Morgan Freeman did pretty well with his short (it seemed short to me) time on screen and Mirren was awesome - given her age, she still does significantly better than other younger actresses -. Subsequently, the movie got only slightly better and ended off 'OKAY'.


Well, it did'nt turn out to be the bad-ass movie I anticipated it to be, especially with the trailer and the "Retired, Extremely Dangerous" tag. But it had a couple of pretty nice moments, mostly involving guns and grenades. Story-wise, could have been worse, and definitely could have been much better. A little more feeling would have been nice. But I guess at the end of the day, it's still a very watchable movie in my view.

Rating: 6/10

Buried (2010)

*SPOILER*

First off, I would like to say something to Malaysian Movie-goers, you would most probably NOT like this movie because it requires some acceptance of something rather new. Something which most Malaysians are not accustom to (sometimes even I myself). I ended this movie listening to jeers and remarks like : "Lousy movie". But I, have a totally opposite take on this movie. A much wider take than the box in which the movie focuses mainly (only) on.

I thought the idea of this movie was great and as soon as rottentomatoes gave a review, I decided then on that I will definitely catch this movie once it hit the cinemas. And so I did. I didnt know that Ryan Reynolds was acting until I checked the cast. He's more synonymous to sappy rom coms and soft humour, so I had my doubts. So on to the review for Buried.

The movie started out with a pitch black screen, which strangely caused audience to panic... they thought it was some technical glitch or something *sigh*. Then soon appeared Reynolds's panicked face with a flicker of a Zippo (lighter). Subsequently, his 90-minute fight for survival begins as he struggles to stay calm and find where and why he is buried alive. With numerous calls he gets no where near to any clear cut answer and his anxiety attack kicks in. With depleting oxygen supply and time running out, the everyday truck driver only has a lighter, a glowstick and Blackberry running low on battery.


The story itself really captured the essence of claustrophobia. It felt very real - the feeling of being trapped inside a small box underground -. *SPOILER* Yes, the whole entire movie was filmed ONLY inside the box *SPOILER*. I felt somewhat agitated by the very real feel of claustrophobia. I also liked how the movie was made so as to make the lights from the torch and the cellphone more glaring to the eye. The flow of the storyline started out well, then it went down abit but managed to get back up towards the end, and the ending was just perfect. I liked every bit of it (though some might disagree). It requires the audience to think outside the box (pun intended).


As for Ryan Reynolds, I must say that I was really impress with his performance in this movie. For once, I can actually say his acting was really good. He really outdid himself. He really portrayed the frustration and claustrophobia really really well. He made it all a little more convincing, which was a very good thing for both him and I (as one of the audience).

To cut things short, I really enjoyed this movie. I felt that they could have shown something from outside of the box but I guess that would defeat the whole direction and purpose of this movie. Also, some of the things probably Ryan Reynolds could have done earlier on in the movie but I guess it would cut the movie too short. If you're the typical Malaysian (I say this cause Malaysian are generally no open to something different, something new) movie go-er, then you will most probably end up not liking this movie. But I beg to differ. This movie is definitely one of the best releases this month.


PS: I was really irked at some people in the cinema who could'nt shut up and who ended up disappointed because they expected something more like Repomen (pfftt!)

Rating:
7.5/10

The Other Guys (2010)

One of the few comedies this year that actually received good reviews. That itself made me want to watch this movie, and also the fact that I've not watched a comedy at the cinema for quite sometime (if memory serves me right). Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell play as the 'Other Guys', kind of like the scapegoats of the police force. Wahlberg being this uptight, hot-head and Ferrell, the nerdy, pseudo-cop with a bad history. The movie included cameos by hollywood heavyweights in the form of Dwayne Johnson and L. Jackson (i say cameo because they didnt really last that long - This being the funniest bit in the movie).


So, as comedies usually start off, you have a short intro to whos who, whats the movie about. You eventually get the idea of how funny or how stupid the movie will be. This movie started pretty good with a hint of comedic mindlessness. I enjoyed mostly the early parts due to the fact that Jackson and Johnson were in it. The movie then took a slight decline as to its intereting-ness. It just threw in some pretty mindless scenes that are tired, predictable and down-right bullshit (but with this movie being a comedy, I forgave it). So many times we see the nerdy, mysteriously strange character ending up with a hot partner/wife/whatever.


And Mark Wahlberg's lines were just bad. The guy shouldnt act in any comedies anymore. Dont get me wrong, I like Marky Mark, even if most of his movies are'nt blockbusters or chart-toppers. But his role in a comedy is to be left undesirable. I felt the role should have been reversed. Instead, Ferrell played this clueless, somehow chick-magnet which did not fit in well wit the movie at all.


Furthermore, I personally felt the movie lost its direction about three quarters in. It was not a comedy nor a serious movie. It started to try and fit it some 'story' into the movie. It did;nt fail too miserably thankfully. It actually got pretty interesting. I laughed at some scenes. Some I yawned. But this movie is in no way a bad movie. Its just decent. Just ENOUGH to make it worth watching in the cinema.

To be fair, the end bit was pretty okay (quite good, no where near great). Safe to say the movie failed to save itself from the earlier downfall. A decent comedy. Bad storyline. Not enough jokes. Too many bullshit.


PS: People in the cinema did'nt get the TLC reference.

Rating:
5.5/10

Sammy's Adventure: The Secret Passage (2010)

Basically the reason I went to watch this kiddy animation is due to the fact that during my previous two 3D-movie encounters, it appeared as a trailer and the 3D effects were eyegasmic to say the very least. So I thought, "hey, why not? it could be better than I expect it to be...". Well, to cut things short, I was right and wrong.

(This review will be from an Adult's point of view)

On to the storyline first. Come on, a story about a turtle going on an adventure? Seems pretty far-fetched, if not cliched (animals going on so called 'adventures'). The story starts off with an elderly turtle talking to the audience about something I cant for the life of me remember right now.


The story starts off well, with cute baby turtles struggling to make their way from the beach to the ocean to begin their 'journey'. But sadly, the storyline got worse. After the first hour of the movie the plot just became somewhat, mindless and felt really really draggy (but maybe i was just a little tired). Jokes weren't even funny, lines were corny, plot predictable, nonsense story that only a kid could appreciate. But it got a little better in the last 15 minutes or so (still a downer though). The story still felt lost.


But amidst all these mindless childish plot (its nothing bad), the movie subtly (I think so) and sneakily put in some real world adult-appreciated issues like whaling, overfishing, the hippies, climate change, deforestation and the lot. I don't think it was necessary but I guess it'll be something for parents who bring the kids to appreciate.

So, Conclusively, for the storyline and the story as a whole... for an 'adult', I would say it's just about watchable... nothing great.... but understandably so. I accepted the 'fact' that this movie was all about exploiting the 3D frenzy, which i'll soon talk next.

Rating: 5.5/10


As for the 3D effects of this movie, I felt it was THE BEST 3D movie yet. The 3D scenes and effects were utilized to a great extent. Alot of 'in-your-face' moments too. I appreciated the amount of 3D moments in the movie though it gave me a little of a headache and sore eyes... but it was worth it, with effects of this caliber. So, if you're planning to watch a 3D flick just for the 3D, this is the one to watch!

Rating for 3D effects: 8/10

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)

" Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" based on... Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" based on the beloved Guardians of Ga'Hoole books by Kathryn Lasky. The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga' Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones" - Rottentomatoes.com

At first instance, the idea of Owls battling Owls to conquer Owl 'kingdoms' appeared rather dumb. I mean, come on, birds? kingdom? fighting? soldiers? (yes, I do know that it is based on a novel) Regardless, the trailer was convincing enough (mostly thanks to 30 seconds to Mars's "Kings & Queens") to me. And so I decided to take the journey with these owls in Digital 3D. On a side note, digital 3D has become a necessity in movie-making these days and it is not always a good thing.



Well, the movie started rather cliched, with a father owl telling stories of epic battles of the Guardians to his owlets, embedding in them aspirations to one day be a Guardian themselves. Another cliche is that one owl happens to be less competent than his brother and turns jealous and subsequently evil. Well, to get to the point, the story was not THAT bad, a little boring, but still good enough to be a decent movie. The visuals were eyegasmic, down to the last microscopic detail. The Owls feathers actually 'looked' soft and movements on ground and in-flight looked really really true to life. The choice of voice-overs were good (Owls have British accent) and really fit the feel of the movie. The atmosphere of the scene were amazing, from the first scene right down to the last (at times almost feels a little bit LOTR-ish).


The storyline stayed interesting and up in the air only until the first 45 minutes, then it went downhill. The story got tired, boring and draggy, almost to a point where it would seem unbearable. It became confused about what it wanted to be. It wanted to convey an emotional tale while forcing in tired jokes that even a 12 year-old would not appreciate. It does not mean that there aren't any humorous scenes in the movie, of course there are, but most parts of it just seemed 'meh' (Jutt and Jatt were funny though).

However, fortunately, like most Owls plunging mid-air, the movie regained its flight and ended on a high - well, sort of - . The battle at the end proved to be of epic proportions with stylishly awesome slow-mos and the final blow by Soren was kind of awesome (though obviously predictable). Most of the good parts in this movie were its slow-mo effects scenes.


All in all, a very beautiful movie visually but fails to impress with its storyline. If there's anything to shout about its the stunning slow-mo effects with backgrounds and environment to die for. Story-wise it was draggy in the middle and overall quite predictable.


3D Verdict - Alot of 3D scenes but none long enough to actually embrace the 3D technology. In my honest opinion, not worth the premium price.

Favourite Scene: All the slow-mo scenes especially one where a Guardian attacks an owl from behind and only the Helmet is seen flying (slow-mo) in mid air. Sort of reminded of 300.


IN A NUTSHELL:
Pros: Eyegasmic visuals (environment, the owls, everything), very nice final battle scene, atmosphere of emotional and tense moments | Cons: Got a little boring in the middle, dry humour, predictable plot | Rating:

6.5/10