WHAT'S SYOWING THIS WEEK?

SCREENING SKEDS of what's in Iloilo Theaters this Week...
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|| Robinsons Movieworld ILOILO || SM Cinema Iloilo ||
[all screening skeds are subject to change without prior notice]

Thursday, March 22, 2012

MOVIE GUIDE FOR THIS WEEK [03-22-2012]

by Reymundo Salao

Some people often ask me if I should recommend this movie or that movie; if I think this movie would be great, or if that one would suck. Well, I thought I should put out my pre-view opinions on some movies that are opening this week, and notes on movies that are on extended run.

THE HUNGER GAMES is a film based on a young adult futuristic action-adventure book of the same name written by Suzanne Collins. Its story is set in a dystopian future where every year, the government forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

This is an immensely anticipated film, and it is predicted to create the same degree of gigantic hype as "Twilight" did. But unlike "Twilight" the "Hunger Games" is being made with careful concern for cinematic quality, as it is based off a really well-written book series. Great steps are being made by the Lionsgate Production Company to ensure that the film series would not only be a “cash cow movie-of-the-week” kind of flick the way Twilight is; but instead, it seeks to be timeless and great, perhaps like the way the Harry Potter series was made. I actually grew more excited when I found out that an advance critic screening was made and caused a 100% positive critics consensus for the movie on the rottentomatoes website. When I did finally watch it last night (Thursday), it confirmed all the positive hype; it was more story-rich rather than action-rich. It was like a more cerebral version of (the popular Japanese movie) “Battle Royale”, but has its own brand of uniqueness that sets itself apart from the usual concepts that Hollywood puts out. This has the potential to be the next big popular film franchise that will replace “Twilight”. I seriously hope it will; coz this one is thought-provoking and has some serious deep subplots. OVERALL: DON’T MISS THIS MOVIE IF YOU LOVE SERIOUS TEEN ACTION-DRAMA
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THE MUPPETS is a live-action musical feature film starring Jim Henson’s Muppets which popularly include Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy which were very popular during the 1980s. This is the first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years, as well as the third Disney-produced Muppets film. This movie was officially released Late November of 2011.

In the movie, the world's biggest Muppet fan named Walter, along with his friends Gary and Mary discover the nefarious plan of an oil businessman to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways.

The Muppets has received positive reviews and became one of the best-reviewed films of 2011. Some have hailed it as the best Muppet film since the 1984 "The Muppets Take Manhattan". Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 96% of 192 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.9 out of 10, and is the highest rated film in the Muppets series.
OVERALL: PURE FAMILY FUN & GOLDEN TO THOSE SEEKING MUPPET NOSTALGIA
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MIRROR, MIRROR is on extended run this week. If you haven’t seen this movie, I suggest you go do so already if you don’t want to miss out on such a fun light-hearted movie. MIRROR, MIRROR is a fantasy adventure movie adaptation of the fairy tale SNOW WHITE (AND THE SEVEN DWARVES) It’s directed by Tarsem Singh, who directed “The Cell”, “The Fall” and “Immortals”, and stars Lily Collins as Snow White, the ever-funny Nathan Lane, Armie Hammer, and Julia Roberts as the wickedly amusing Evil Queen.

There are two Snow White movies coming off of Hollywood this year. This one looks like the better and more fun version. At least MIRROR, MIRROR looks like a more sincere approach to Snow White than the other movie “Snow White and the Huntsman” which looks like it’s a hipster attempt to tell a pretentious alternate “extremely unique” story; it wants to be desperately different. In MIRROR, MIRROR, when Snow White wields a sword, she looks like she does it in a more classical swashbuckling type, and still has that girly poise, while in the other movie; Snow White is Conan the Barbarian (with armor!).

This movie has not yet opened in the United States and Canada (their official scheduled release date is March 30). I have already watched this movie; and it’s really something for those who are looking for genuine fairy tale-inspired comedy-adventure . OVERALL: THE MOVIE IS SOMETHING EVERYBODY WILL ENJOY
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CORAZON: ANG UNANG ASWANG is also on extended run. It’s a movie written and directed by Richard V. Somes, the man who created the ground-breaking indie movie YANGGAW. CORAZON explores the origin of the creature known as the Aswang. The story is set in the post Japanese rule of the Philippines. Corazon and Daniel are a married couple who yearn to have a child. Corazon got pregnant, but the baby died on delivery. This frustration drove Daniel and Corazon’s life into misery and darkness, until it led up to the rise of the first Aswang.

I already watched this movie and it gave me mixed reactions. If I was going to base my judgment on a basis that considers the mass audience, I can say that this movie is indeed one that is highly superior to your usual tagalog mainstream horror movie. But in my own personal strict standards, the movie has around two demerits that have kept this movie from being groundbreaking; the awful make-up and the final 10 minutes of the movie including its ending, which for me, destroyed the movie. Aside from that, the movie has really high points. OVERALL: IT’S RECOMMENDABLE, BUT PROCEED WITH CAUTION
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JOHN CARTER is a bland, not-so-interesting version of AVATAR and FLASH GORDON; EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE is a great drama that is indeed worthy of its Academy Award nominations; THE WITNESS is a super typical murder suspense.

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