The Conjuring 2 Review

I just cant help but talk about the one movie that everybody has been talking about this week; The Conjuring 2! [hit the jump to continue]

Warcraft Review

Warcraft (alternatively known as Warcraft: The Beginning) is directed by Duncan Jones and written by Jones, Charles Leavitt and Chris Metzen. It stars Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky and Daniel Wu. [hit the jump to continue]

When Common Sense Gets TAK3N Away [A Taken 3 Review]

Taken 3 is the third and final installment in the Taken trilogy which stars Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, an ex-government operative who has been fighting kidnappers who targeted his daughter in the previous two films. Inasmuch as I think the trailer pretty much gives out a spoiler to the movie, let's just say that Mills (Neeson) is being framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and now everybody seems to want to kill him. The story did divert from the first one, but it's still quite familiar coz this time it looks like it's ripping off "The Fugitive". [CLICK HERE to read the Full Review]

Seventh Son Review

The Seventh Son is one of those movies with trailers that are unquestionably awesome, but the finished product itself, the film in full, is officially my first bad movie of the year. [CLICK HERE to read the Full Review]

The Search for Weng Weng: A Tale of Exploits and Exploitation

Andrew Leavold’s documentary “The Search for Weng Weng” is not only this fascinating documentary about the onscreen exploits and off-screen exploitation of the legendary two-foot-nine-inch Filipino action star, but at the undertone of documentary, is an eye-opener that tells us a lot about Philippine cinema. At the surface of it is this fascinating story of an unusual human being named Ernesto De la Cruz who was born with some sort of size abnormality, his existence coated with influences of superstition and religion, and linking him to the likeness of the Santo Niño. And how his family’s poverty led him to be “adopted” and used by a wealthy couple who were film producers. [hit the jump to continue]

300: Rise of an Empire Review

I thought I was probably going to dismiss this film as an immensely unnecessary sequel. A sequel which comes awfully too late, right when everybody else has already gone weary of seeing the imitated look of the first movie (from that TV series Spartacus to The Immortals, to The Legend of Hercules). But 300: Rise of an Empire did not turn out to be the garbage I was expecting to see. While I would not say that it was a good movie in critique standards, I wouldn’t deny that I did find myself having a great time with the movie. The key is to appreciate it for what it was: a cheap standard, eye candy spectacle. And even though it was just that, I can appreciate the effort to try to elevate it to a more respectable degree.
[read the FULL REVIEW, CLICK HERE]

Thor: The Dark World Review

THOR 2 is ANOTHER MAGNIFICENT SUPERHERO MOVIE
by Reymundo Salao

In THOR: THE DARK WORLD, the Dark Elf Malekith sought to return the universe to a state of pure darkness. To do this, Malekith has to wield the power of the force called the Aether, which has embedded itself within the body of Jane Foster. Thor has to do everything to protect Jane Foster, preserve the peace of Asgard, and ensure that the universe does not fall into sheer darkness, and to do this, he must seek the help of his brother Loki. [CLICK HERE to Read the Full Review]

SALVI: ANG PAGPADAYON Review

The story of SALVI is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and civilization has seemingly become non-existent. Most of the characters cannot even remember (or choose not to remember) how the world has come to that bleak point. The main character of the movie is a girl named Salvi, who chooses to make herself look like a boy, and sets out on a journey to search for her missing sister who was kidnapped long ago by a marauding gang from the “Campo”. Along the way, she meets a thief named Abet who knows the location of the Campo. Salvi’s journey leads her to a slave camp run by a transvestite queen named Madonna. There, they meet another mysterious companion named Kardo.  Salvi soon faces the end of her journey with horrifying revelations. [CLICK HERE to read the full review]

ON THE JOB (OTJ) Review

Some people who have described this movie as a return to the classic 80’s Pinoy action movies may not have remembered how those old movies were; Most of those old tagalog action movies were too plain, too stereotypical, and too predictable. In contrast; OTJ breaks the norm and defies the stereotype; it is highly unpredictable, uniquely realistic and very unclear who the good guys actually are, which is a good thing actually. We can safely say that ON THE JOB is that great cinematic hope to change the game in Philippine cinema. [read THE FULL REVIEW click HERE]

Kick-Ass 2 Review

Just like the first movie, it is not easy to classify KICK-ASS 2; it could perhaps be best described as a comedy with some really dark action elements, and cold-blooded violence. A more simple way to describe it is that it's a violent superhero comedy that will most probably find its market among teens and lovers of the superhero genre. The comedy elements and the colorful costumes may be bothersome for audiences who are not open-minded towards this genre. But it really is a well-made story about characters who are trying to find their true identity and the consequences of whatever reckless lives they live.

KICK-ASS 2 is a strong superhero movie. Much of the movie's strength lies on how good the source material is. Mark Millar (the writer of the comicbook/graphic novel) has a material that creates twists, turns, and action suspense that can keep your balls sweating. [read the FULL REVIEW, CLICK HERE]

Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters Review

In PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, Percy Jackson, son of Greek god Poseidon, embarks on a journey with his friends to retrieve the Golden Fleece to save a magical tree containing the spririt of Zeus's daughter Thalia who died at the gates of Camp Half-Blood whilst saving Annabeth and Luke and Grover. This tree protects their training ground, Camp Half-Blood. They must travel to the Sea of Monsters to save it, and find the challenges that may await them.

I have not seen the first movie, nor have I read the book. Regardless of which, I enjoyed SEA OF MONSTERS nonetheless. The few references to the previous movie did not pose as a hindrance to understanding the movie. One has just to use some common sense to understand that many of these characters do know each other from the previous adventure, and some may have existing qualms to settle.
[to read the FULL REVIEW, CLICK HERE]

THE PURGE Review

THE PURGE is more of a slasher suspense thriller, but not as gory as the standard slasher movies. Much of the movie's strength centers on the thrilling suspense, build-up of things to come, and how the story and the events in the movie unfold. The twist and the turns that are sure to generate an audience reaction, whether their reactions may hate the movie or admire it. [read the rest of the review, click HERE]

The Wolverine review

THE WOLVERINE seeks to revitalize the comic book character Wolverine with a treatment designed to correct the wrongs of the previous movie, one that will render it "done right this time" And yes, it does accomplish that job.

Aside from the action, The Wolverine is more character-driven. People who expect the same kind of "fantastic fun" in other superhero movies may find the movie dragging, or even mediocre. Especially in the first half of the movie wherein which I loved the drama and the complex evolution of fates, following the journey of one man who is lost and feeling cursed by the pain of the past, and  has to live with it (eternally).
[Read the Full Review HERE]

MAN OF TAI CHI Review

This film has not yet been released in the US, so its a treat to see this movie already. MAN OF TAI CHI has a tone of simplicity; it does not aspire or have pretensions to achieve anything else except for just being a straight-to-the-point martial arts movie. And it does accomplish its task with flying colors. But despite its simplicity, the evidence of achieving an impressively well-directed movie is clear; the story of its main character is weaved beautifully, following him in his life from being a sort of an underdog in his menial job, from being a simple humble man, and into his journey into darkness, his innocence gradually being corrupted. [read the FULL REVIEW]

Pacific Rim review

I actually loved the concept. If I were to judge the movie only by concept and eye candy factor, the movie does score high. But unfortunately, I was not impressed by the rest of it. The movie suffers from bland acting and a sloppy script. There is a lack of chemistry between the main characters Becket and by Mako; actor Charlie Hunnam and Academy Award Nominated actress Rinko Kikuchi (for her performance in the movie BABEL) are certainly great performers, but their acting in this movie feels so uninspired and so amateur-ish. [read the full review HERE]

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Review

I was extremely impressed how Nolan has created a movie that is as epic and as grand as The Dark Knight. It's mind-blowing for me how I felt that Nolan has made lightning strike twice, and has managed to conclude his Batman trilogy with a truly magnificent movie chapter. Director Christopher Nolan has completed his trilogy; his trilogy joins the ranks of the very very few movie trilogies in cinema history that are flawlessly magnificent (I count only 2- The Godfather & Lord of the Rings... on the other hand many argue that Godfather 3 was bad, but I still respected it). THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is a must-see moive. This could potentially be the best movie of the year for me.
READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

MIRROR, MIRROR

MIRROR, MIRROR is Immensely Fun!
by Reymundo Salao

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.

This movie is something that has a little too many of almost everything you can get from a movie that promises pure fun and entertainment. It’s got funny bandit dwarves, evil magic, a monster that haunts the forest, and swashbuckling action. It is one of those movies where all the elements of the movie work so harmoniously. From the acting, to the lavish and pleasantly bizarre costumes, to the special effects, the concept, the story, and the direction itself. All these factors complement each other to create such an enjoyable masterpiece.

[READ THE FULL REVIEW]

CORAZON: Ang Unang Aswang

IS 'CORAZON' BOUND TO BE A CLASSIC? [review]
by Reymundo Salao

CORAZON is a movie that I was hoping would be as good as YANGGAW. My initial fear was on the notion that no matter how good a director or a writer is, if it goes through studio execs and producers just like any mainstream Tagalog movie does, the original concept for the film becomes adulterated. The creative process undertaken by a writer and/or director can easily be altered by producers who are more concerned in altering the cast, creative process, and the story, without regard. And this meddling can damage the creativity of the finished product.

The movie itself is highly impressive, and if you count on a comparative scale, there are very very few Pinoy mainstream horror movies that are this good. That is why I will not be surprised if this joins the ranks of the top ten best Pinoy horror movies ever made. My judgment on it is partially on a level that considers the mass audience and was slightly adjusted to fit Pinoy cinema standards.

John Carter

JOHN CARTER FROM BOREDOOM
by Reymundo Salao

Everything that you saw from the JOHN CARTER movie looks like a mash-up of various different carbon-copies of things you already saw in other sci-fi movies. Even in the trailers, JOHN CARTER looks like it was a montage of different sci-fi movies; nothing in it stands out to be unique or interesting.

The setting and action sequences looked like one of the atrocious “Star Wars” prequels, the feel of the story was very much “Avatar” and the love story was exactly like one of those idiotic Walt Disney princess love stories. Oh right, this IS a Disney movie. And Disney has such an expertise in the field of shallow and superficial definitions of love. In the end, the love story stood out as just annoying and made the characters less appealing.

READ THE FULL REVIEW