WEEKEND PIC - Feb 1 - 3 2008

Your Guide to the Weekend Viewing:

1. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (political drama with Ulrich Mühe (right), Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch and Ulrich Turkur) Rated * * * 1/2 (out of 4): This 2007 Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language film is set in East Berlin in 1984 and is one of the best films dealing with character transformations. With solid performances and a top-notch screenplay by director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.

2. ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (historical drama with Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush and Abe Cornish) Rated * * * (3 stars): This sequel to the 1998 "Elizabeth" offers more court intrigues and some swashbuckling action. Not historically correct but worth a watch for those who enjoyed the first movie. (Reviewed in Dec 2007, see Archive)

3. EASTERN PROMISES (crime drama with Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): Despite having the best parts of the movie chopped off at local cinemas, I am still giving it the rating I gave for its DVD (reviewed below). Terribly violent, but there are nice twists and insights into the Russian mob in London. Those interested in watching a nude Mortensen may want to get the DVD.

4. CLOVERFIELD (disaster drama with Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas and Michael Stahl-David) Rating: * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): After months of curiosity over its teaser of a trailer, the monster that attacks New York is finally revealed. No, we are not disappointed over the hooha. It's a hit similar to "The Blair Witch Project" of 1999 with shaky camerawork.

5. SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (musical with Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter and Alan Rickman) Rated * * * (3 stars): You won't be tapping your feet to the songs of this dark, macabre and bloody musical (adapted by Tim Burton from stephen Sondheim) but there are enough humour and wit to make it worthwhile. (Reviewed below).

6. JOHN RAMBO (action sequel with Sylvester Stallone) Rated: * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Wanna see a 61-year-old Stallone kick ass as an ex-Green Beret? If so, go for it and wallow in the nostalgia. (Reviewed below)

7. MEET THE SPARTANS (comedy spoof with Carmen Electra, Kevin Sorbo and Sean Maquire) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): There are lots of skin and brawns in this spoof of "300" but wit and brain are painfully lacking. The scattershot comedy also takes potshots at vidgames, scandalous celebs and reality shows but none are really funny. (pictured)

JOHN RAMBO: Dinosaur Hero Returns!

JOHN RAMBO (actioner)

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Paul Schulze, Graham McTavish & Matthew Marsden

Scripter/Director: Stallone

Time: 85 mins

Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 4)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? First, a bit of world history is in order. In the 70s, America lost the war in Vietnam and had to leave with its tail behind its back. The gungho US Marine spirit was at its ebb. Hollywood then decided to refight the war in the fantasy celluloid world - and it sent in John Rambo (Sly Stallone) in the movie "First Blood" to single-handedly wipe out squads of armed Vietcong.

"First Blood" became a hit and the Rambo sequels followed, with one taking our hero to fight the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Nice way to allow the Yanks to be hero - or feel like one again. It was also good for the career of Stallone, who, with his Rocky franchise, was one of the most successful action star of the 80s and early 90s. When the Berlin Wall fell, the usefulness of Rambo seem to have vanished...

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? But not quite the career of Stallone. After showing that he can revive the "Rocky" franchise at age 60, he is doing an encore for John Rambo in this tale that takes the ex-Green Beret hero from Thailand to Burma where kicks more bad asses as he guides his Christian missionary friends, Michael and Sarah (Paul Schulze of TV's "24" and Julie Benz, as a popular TV actress, respectively), on their way up the Salween river. He takes some persuading but ultimately can't resist a pretty face.

Rambo has to wipe out a lot of nasty pirates to keep them from raping Sarah and beheading her colleagues. Michael doesn't approve of Rambo's tactics and, once they reach their destination, he fires our hero. Of course, the missionaries are soon captured and Rambo is retracing his path upriver with a bunch of mercenaries in tow. The rest are typical Rambo moments and the climax has a rather high body count.

HITS & MISSES: We must credit Stallone for not having Rambo go to Iraq to help in the war there. That would have been politically messy. What we have here are the usual ridiculous Rambo tradition of cutting, shooting, and blowing his way through enemy lines from start to end. If you want more than these, you are in the wrong movie. Also, there is the nostalgia element in seeing Stallone staring daggers at the villains, before kicking their butts.

THE LOWDOWN: This is one movie where you can take your kids or grand kids to see a dinosaur action hero trying to redifine his place in the movie world.

WEEKEND PIC - Jan 25 - 27 2008

Your Guide To The Weekend Viewing:

1. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (political drama with Ulrich Mühe (right), Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch and Ulrich Turkur) Rated * * * 1/2 (out of 4): This 2007 Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language film is set in East Berlin in 1984 and is one of the best films dealing with character transformations. With solid performances and a top-notch screenplay by director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.

2. EASTERN PROMISES (crime drama with Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): Despite having the best parts of the movie chopped off at local cinemas, I am still giving it the rating I gave for its DVD (reviewed below). Terribly violent, but there are nice twists and insights into the Russian mob in London. Those interested in watching a nude Mortensen may want to get the DVD.

3. CLOVERFIELD (disaster drama with Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas and Michael Stahl-David) Rating: * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): After months of curiosity over its teaser of a trailer, the monster that attacks New York is finally revealed. No, we are not disappointed over the hooha. It's a hit similar to "The Blair Witch Project" of 1999 with shaky camerawork.

4. SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (musical with Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter and Alan Rickman) Rated * * * (3 stars): You won't be tapping your feet to the songs of this dark, macabre and bloody musical (adapted by Tim Burton from stephen Sondheim) but there are enough humour and wit to make it worthwhile. (Reviewed below).

5. AMERICAN GANGSTER (crime drama with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Ted Levine) Rated: * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): Two Oscar-winning stars, a gripping crime drama about a cop versus a black mobster, and insights into the drugs scene of the 70s. What more can we ask for? That the movie is not censored? (Reviewed below)

6. THE GAME PLAN (comedy with Dwayne Johnson, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick and Madison Pettis) Rated: * * * (3 stars): See how a hotshot quarterback the likes of The Rock faces off against a cute Pettis who claims to be his daughter. A well-planned Disney family flick with all the ingredients of feel good fun and games. (Reviewed below)

PS: This piece is posted from Bloomington, Indiana USA, where the bloody temperature is 16 degrees below freezing. My missus and I are awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild due anytime now!

Many Walk Out of 'Cloverfield' Despite BO Hit

21 Jan – “Cloverfield” may be the first monster hit of 2008, marking a record opening for January at US$41 million (RM130 million) but many cinemas in the US saw patrons walking out midway through the movie.

This is due to motion sickness caused by the shaky scenes of the movie which is shot from the perspective of a partygoer's hand-held videocam, capturing the mayhem as a monster tears through New York City.

Joceline Lim, 26, a retail manager from Oklahoma City, told this blogger by phone that she walked out of the screening hall about 20 minutes into the movie because the shaky camerawork of the movie made her seasick. “I tried closing my eyes and listen to the dialogue but that did not work. I had to walk out, leaving my boyfriend to continue watching the movie,” she said. “I managed to get my money back from the box-office after explaining my problem. The counter guy told me that many patrons walked out of the movie since it opened last Thursday.

Many cinemas in the US posted warning notices that “Cloverfield” may cause motion sickness to some patrons. Despite this, some cinemas allowed patrons toclaim a ‘rain check’ (a voucher for another show) while others allowed a refund if reasons given were valid.

Typically, January is the slowest month for the movie industry. However, creature-feature “Cloverfield” managed to surpass the US$35.9 million premiere weekend of “Star Wars: Special Edition” in 1997, the previous record taker for January. It reminds us of the sleeper hit "Blair Witch Project" (1999) which was also shot with a hand-held cam.

WEEKEND PIC: Jan 18 - 20 2008

Your Guide To The Weekend Viewing:

(NB: For the next two months, I will be in Indiana, USA, and posting from there. Pse stay in touch, thank you).

1. CLOVERFIELD (disaster drama with Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas and Michael Stahl-David) Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 4): After months of curiosity over its teaser of a trailer, the monster that attacks New York is finally revealed. No, we are not disappointed over the hooha. It's a groundbreaking movie for disaster/monster fans.

2. AMERICAN GANGSTER (crime drama with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Ted Levine) Rated: * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): Two Oscar-winning stars, a gripping crime drama about a cop versus a black mobster, and insights into the drugs scene of the 70s. What more can we ask for? That the movie is not censored? (Reviewed below)

3. THE GAME PLAN (comedy with Dwayne Johnson, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick and Madison Pettis) Rated: * * * (3 stars): See how a hotshot quarterback the likes of The Rock faces off against a cute Pettis who claims to be his daughter. A well-planned Disney family flick with all the ingredients of feel good fun and games. (Reviewed below)

4. ATONEMENT (romance drama with Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai and Saoirse Ronan) Rated: * * * (3 stars): Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan, this searing love story is timeless and universal, a romantic tragedy that will tug at your heartstrings. It won Best Movie at the Golden Globes. (Reviewed below)

5. IN THE NAME OF THE KING (sword-and-sorcery fantasy with Jason Stratham, Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, and John Rhys Davies) Rated: * * (2 stars): Adapted from the vidgame, this is a rojak effort with huge helpings borrowed from "Lord Of The Rings" and even "Matrix". Only for sword-fighting fans. (Reviewed below)

6. THE HOUSE aka BANPEESINK (Thai horror with Inthira Chaloenpura) Rated: * 1/2 (1.5 stars): A docu-drama styled psychological thriller about three murders and a haunted house. Few scares but lots of boring repetitive scenes. You've been warned. (Reviewed below)

7. GABRIEL (action thriller with Andy Whitfield, Samantha Noble, Erika Heynatz and Dwaine Stevenson) Rated: * (1 star): This graceless flick about the battle for souls between Archangels and Fallen Angels is sheer disaster. Watch it if you like to experience boring Hell at the cineplex.

SWEENEY TODD: It's Johnny Razorhands

SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (musical)

Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter (pic), Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen & Timothy Spall

Director: Tim Burton

Time: 115 mins

Rating: * * * (out of 4)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Johnny Depp goes from Edward Scissorhands to 'Sweeney Razorhands' in Tim Burton's dark and dank adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical about the notorious Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The role requires Depp to sing and he rises to the occasion with his harsh and husky voice that helps to make us empathise with his character, despite him being a mass murderer bent on giving his clients 'the closest shave'.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The opening credits, with generous sprays of blood on the screen, give us an idea of what we are in for from Burton's bloodiest production yet, and the opening song, 'No Place Like London' indicates that we are not to expect the usual tour of London's West End theatres. Indeed, this may be the most macabre and goriest musical we have ever seen...

A voiceover narrates the background of the Demon Barber: Benjamin Barker (Depp) leads a happy life with his beautiful wife and baby daughter. An envious and vile Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who has lustful designs on Barker's wife (Laura Michelle Kelly), sends Barker to jail in Australia on trumped up charges. Years later, upon his release, Barker returns to London as Sweeney Todd and learns that his wife is dead and his daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener) is Turpin's ward.Sweeney swears revenge. Teaming up with Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), he opens his barbershop on the floor above Lovett's meat pie deli - and provides what we may call a highly successful co-operative business supplying the main ingredients for her pies.

The subplots deal mainly with children, often seen as the main victims of squalid London during the days of Industralisation. One involves Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower), Sweeney's young shipmate who happens to fall in love with Johanna and plans to run away with her. The other is Toby (Ed Sanders), the assistant of showman barber Adolfo Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen) who becomes the first 'client' of Sweeney Todd. When Toby is hired by Lovett as her errand boy, he becomes a potential witness to the mass murders and crimes of cannibalism.

HITS & MISSES: Original composed for the stage, Sondheim's songs are not the catchy types like those of "Chicago" or "Dream Girls". You won't walk away humming the tunes, but they have an inherent grisliness and a whimsical wit that sometimes border on comedy. The crowd-pleasing number, 'The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd', has been pared away by Burton, probably to maintain the diabolical coherence of the movie which moves at a rather fast pace (even for a two-hour film).

The cast is remarkable. Throughout the movie, we never stop caring for Depp's character or Bonham Carter's. As the 'practical' Nellie Lovett, her view is that Sweeney's victims "will never be missed". Alas, Bonham Carter is no Sarah Brightman and her songs are there to lend meaning rather than melody. Rickman gives a well-balance performance as the deceitful judge, supported with oomph by Timothy Spall as his assistant, Beady Bamford. If there is a casting flaw, it may be that of Miss Wisener who appears more of a wallflower than an excited girl in love

THE LOWDOWN: The legend of Sweeney Todd is a fable about world where one has to take justice into one's own hands. There had been many movie renditions of the legend, the more recent being the 2006 BBC production starring Ray Winstone. However, even having watched that gruesome film, there are still many surprises and twists in Burton's musical. After all, Burton has always been known for dishing out 'perverse fun', only that he is now doing it to music.

HVO: Eastern Promises; Irreversible & London To Brighton

DVD Movies for Your Home Viewing Options

EASTERN PROMISES (2007 DVD, action thriller)
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Sinead Cusack
Director: David Cronenberg
Time: 96 mins
Rating: * * * 1/2 (Out of 4)


AFTER "The History Of Violence", Cronenberg teams up with Mortensen again for another violent but engrossing expose on the exploits of the Russian mob in London. Some of the action sequences are definitely brutal and not for the squeamish.

One segment of the plot deals with Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife at a London hospital who goes in search for the relatives of an unwed mother who dies at childbirth. Her quest brings her into contact with the Russian mob, presided over by a restaurant owner named Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), and his creepy son (Vincent Cassel). They pretend to be nice to her, but their goal is to obtain an incriminating diary possessed by the dead mother. To do their dirty work, they employ Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), whose official role is as Semyon’s driver, but who is also referred to as “the Undertaker.” Nikolai
has his own agenda, leading to a twist in the plot.

This movie will be remembered for its no-holds-barred tussle between a nude Mortensen and a couple of thugs in a public bath. Nope, Watts does not go topless here but there are some bare breasts by the extras in this tale about the rape and abuse of a Russian girl.

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IRREVERSIBLE (2004, actioner, on DVD)
Cast: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel
Director: Gaspar Noe
Time: 95 mins
Rating: * * 1/2

IF you are prone to seasickness watching shaky sequences, the first half of this movie will make you want to puke. You may even want to shut it off. "Irreversible" is a story shown in the reverse - from end to beginning - and it has one of the most graphic, sickening rape scenes I have ever seen on film.

The movie opens in a hardcore gay club (called the Rectum) with the murder of a man presumed to be the person who brutally raped a young woman (Bellucci). The murder is shocking and downright brutal and viewers wil be wondering what's happening. The middle segment explains why while the third shows Bellucci and her real-life husband Cassel in some lurid love-making sequence. I believe this French effort offers a tour de force of Bellucci's range of acting and we can't help but take our hats off to her.

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LONDON TO BRIGHTON (2006, drama)
Cast: Lorraine Stanley, Georgia Groome and Johnny Harris.
Director: Paul Andrew Williams
Time: 86 mins
Rating: * * *

"London To Brighton" deals with prostitutes, perverts and paedophiles in the seamier side of Britain. Joanne (newcomer Groome) is a 12-year-old runaway who agrees to 'entertain' a client with hooker Kelly (Lorraine Stanley, pic). The 'deal' goes awry and the two flee to Brighton to escape the wrath of a gangster and her gun-toting pimp.

The screenplay is tight and gripping, moving hard and fast without resorting to genre stereotypes or getting up on the social-realist soapbox. This effort is said to reinvent the British crime movie — "an urban film noir with a heart of gold and balls of steel". Also, kudos to the acting of Stanley and Groome who tug at our heartstrings as a 'mother-and-child' pair even though they are not related.

AMERICAN GANGSTER: Intense and Compelling

AMERICAN GANGSTER (crime drama)

Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Ted Levine Director: Ridley Scott

Time: 155 mins

Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 4)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? With two Oscar-winning actors in the cast and Ridley Scott at the helm, expectations are invariably high for this movie. It won't disappoint but movie fans will be wishing that there won't be too many cuts from this print.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Set in the 70s, the plot deals with two guys in New York City, a white cop and a black gangster, played by Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts, and Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, respectively. Richie is best known as the cop who returns US$1 million in bribe money to the authorities, making him a pariah in the force. Transferred to a newly-formed narcotics division, Richie sets his sights on nailing drugs kingpin Lucas, even as he wrestles with his ex-wife (Carla Gugino) over the custody of his son.

Lucas, on the other hand, rises from being a driver for a mobster to Harlem druglord, after securing a heroin deal with the producers in Thailand, shipping out the contraband via his contacts in the military. Soon, Lucas even has the Mafia boss Dominic Canttano (Armand Asssante) working for him.

HITS & MISSES: The sequences involving Lucas are interesting and intense, with lots of insights into the drugs trade and personal angles like his relationship with his wife (Lymari Nadal) and family, especially his mother. Washington fleshes out his character pretty well, both as 'businessman' and 'family man'. And even as the criminal, he gets us rooting for him. One particularly gripping moment has him eliminating a rival in a busy street, whereupon, he returns nonchalantly to his friends at a restaurant. The co-stars, like Ruby Dee as his mother, also put up credible perfs.

Segments involving Richie are rather personal and not as dramatic but the subplot about corrupt cop Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) can make our blood boil. Brolin takes to the role with relish - suggesting that the title may be more about his cop Trupo than Washington's Lucas.

THE LOWDOWN: All in all, Scott has given us a compelling look at the 'hood gangster' that is markedly different from those of the Italian mobs of "The Godfather".

WEEKEND & HOLIDAY PIC: Jan 10 - 13 2008

Your Guide To The Holiday & Weekend Viewing:

1. AMERICAN GANGSTER (crime drama with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Ted Levine) Rated: * * * 1/2 (out of 4): Two Oscar-winning stars, a gripping crime drama about a cop versus a black mobster, and insights into the drugs scene of the 70s. What more can we ask for? That the movie is not censored?

2. RENDITION (drama with Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Meryl Streep) Rated * * * (3 stars): A rivetting and thought-provoking political drama about the controversial torture of terror suspects in foreign countries by the CIA. With interesting insights into a terror network. (Reviewed below)

3. THE GAME PLAN (comedy with Dwayne Johnson, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick and Madison Pettis) Rated: * * * (3 stars): See how a hotshot quarterback the likes of The Rock faces off against a cute Pettis who claims to be his daughter. A well-planned Disney family flick with all the ingredients of feel good fun and games. (Reviewed below)

4. ATONEMENT (romance drama with Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai and Saoirse Ronan) Rated: * * * (3 stars): Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan, this searing love story is timeless and universal, a romantic tragedy that will tug at your heartstrings. (Reviewed below)

5. NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (adventure with Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight & Helen Mirren) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Like its predecessor, this sequel offers the same rollercoaster ride with a mix of fun and thrills. However, it is somehow devoid of any sense of danger... (Reviewed below)

6. IN THE NAME OF THE KING (sword-and-sorcery fantasy with Jason Stratham, Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, and John Rhys Davies) Rated: * * (2 stars): Adapted from the vidgame, this is a rojak effort with huge helpings borrowed from "Lord Of The Rings" and even "Matrix". Only for sword-fighting fans. (Reviewed below

7. ALIENS VS PREDATOR 2 (Action sequel with Reiko Aylesworth, Steven Pasquale, Gina Holden & David Hornsby) Rating * * (2 stars): Predictable and unavoidable, this vidgame-to-movie franchise is mainly for fans of the game. It gets stupider as it goes along...

8. THE HOUSE aka BANPEESINK (Thai horror with Inthira Chaloenpura) Rated: * 1/2 (1.5 stars): A docudrama-styled psychological thriller about three murders and a haunted house. Few scares but lots of boring repetitive scenes. You've been warned. (Reviewed below)

IN THE NAME OF THE KING: It's A Boll Flick

IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE (fantasy adventure)

Cast: Jason Statham, Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, and John Rhys-Davies

Director: Uwe Boll

Time: 128 mins

Rating: * * (out of 4)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? "In The Name Of The King" is a 'rojak' (mix-and-match) sword-and-sorcery flick adapted from the videogame by German director Uwe Boll. Those familiar with the works of Boll - like his 2005 "BloodRayne", "House Of The Dead" (2003) and last year's "Seed" - would consider this bad news since Boll has been known for churning out turkeys and D-grade stuff year after year.

However, the 'good news' is that this is an improvement on the rubbish Boll has been serving lately. At least he has the good sense to 'borrow' ideas from epic blockbusters like "Lord Of The Rings" and recycle them in this unabashedly derivative flick.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The hero of the piece is a man called Farmer (Jason Statham), a guy who just wants to till his land, harvest his crops and take care of his wife (Claire Forlani as Solana) and son. However, his plans change when a horde of zombie-like soldiers pillages his village and kidnaps his wife. Farmer soon realises that in order to rescue his wife, he must also help to save the kingdom of King Konreid (Burt Reynolds) from the evil designs of sorcerer Gallian (Ray Liotta).

Teaming up with his foster father Norick (Ron Perlman), brother-in-law Bastian (Will Sanderson) and the king's wizard Merick (John Rhys-Davis), Farmer has to go through the same sort of odyssey as Frodo the Hobbit to fulfil his destiny. Of course, this odyssey involves a whole lot of Orc-bashing like those of "LOTR", an encounter with nubile tree-dwelling nymphs led by the elf-like Elora (Kristanna Loken) and the usual palace intrigues provided by the deceitful Duke Fallow (Matthew Lillard). As if these were not enough, Boll also throws in some "Matrix"-type moves and Jedi swordplay from "Star Wars".

Don't expect too much from the action in this US$60 million (RM200 mil) production. All through the movie, we would remain detached from the proceedings because it has nothing to get us involved in. The sword-fighting scenes are rudimentary - with just a glimpse of Statham doing a flying stunt - and some rather ridiculous 'magic' sequences.As expected, Boll demands very little of his cast. Statham is miscast and he has the emotional depth of a fashion mannequin. We half expect Reynolds and Liotta to burst into laughter while mouthing those lame lines. Among the A-list cast, only Lillard seems to earn his keep as the low-life nephew of the King. Rhys-Davis does his usual eye-popping schtick in his Merlin-type role while Leelee Sobieski provides a little eye candy as his beautiful daughter, Muriella.

Technically, "In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale" offers delightful cinematography and some breath-taking landscapes. The background music can be rousing at times. It is just too bad that it is so deficient in other departments like acting, scripting and editing. At over two hours, the repetitious and irrelevant sequences are too much of a bore to bear.

THE LOWDOWN: To be fair, we should not write off this Boll effort like we did his previous outings. It is passable for a mindless pastime, just like the videogame upon which it is based.

THE GAME PLAN: Dwayne Really Rocks!

THE GAME PLAN (family comedy)

Cast: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick, Morris Chestnut and Madison Pettis

Director: Andy Fickman

Time: 95 mins

Rating: * * * (out of 4)

(Pic: Johnson & Madison Pettis)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Arnie Schwarzenegger did it in "Kindergarten Cop", Vin Diesel did it in "The Pacifier", and Hulk Hogan in "Mr Nanny". In Hollywood's tradition of pitting celebrity tough guys against cute little kids, we have Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson being thrown into the domestic minefield of this "Game Plan" that obviously follows the Disney family comedy formula.Yes, this 'Game Plan' is highly predictable stuff, and many of the gags look contrived.

The main question is: Can The Rock pull it off as a comedy actor without having to strain those facial muscles of his? The answer is yes! Unlike Hogan and Diesel, Johnson is flexible enough as a performer to take on such a demanding role - and he even manages to charm us in the process.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Johnson is Joe Kingman, star quarterback of the Boston Rebels who has led his team into the football playoffs. He is big on talent and even bigger on ego, calling himself 'The King' - after his pop idol, Elvis Presley. As the top player, Joe has everything - the latest Mercedes sports car, a posh apartment, great friends and women swooning after him. He also has an eight-year-old daughter he doesn't know about. Peyton (Madison Pettis) shows up at Joe's doorstep one day, with proof of his paternity and tells him that he has to put her up for one month while her mum is on an overseas trip. Joe's new parental duties upset everything in his life, and those of his team members and agent Stella Peck (Kyra Sedgwick) as well. These changes in Joe's routine, which are in conflict with his plug for a burger brand, offers some light moments and a few hearty laughs as our People's Champion tries to adapt to his new role as Daddy.

HITS & MISSES: Director Andy Fickman and his scripters go for the jugular as they try to squeeze every opportunity for comedy out of The Rock. One of the funniest scenes has footballer Joe donning tights for a ballet performance with Peyton and her ballet teacher Monique (Roselyn Sanchez). Why, there are also intimations of sexual attractions between Joe and Monique who, incidentally, is unimpressed by the man's football credentials. Thankfully, Fickman puts this love interest subplot aside in favour of story flow, concentrating on the heart-to-heart scenes between Johnson and Madison.

Basically, "The Game Plan" works because of the chemistry between the father and newfound daughter. Fickman opts for spontaneity rather than 'forced comedy' and we can even overlook certain scenes that seem contrived. This includes a sequence in which Joe sings an Elvis number ('Are You Lonesome Tonight') to pacify his little girl and win her heart. No parent in the audience can fault Johnson for his effort.Having established the bond between Joe and Peyton, the climactic sequence - in which Joe's team competes for the championship - seems redundant, with its outcome a foregone conclusion. It is obviously to satisfy football fans in the audience and to wrap up the comedy with the usual feel-good tugs at our heart-strings. Anyway, we can afford to be indulgent with The Rock and his love for Elvis' songs at the closing credits

THE LOWDOWN: It is what you'd expect of a Disney comedy and you will walk out of the cineplex with the tune of 'hunka, hunka burning love' burning in your mind...

WEEKEND PIC: Jan 4 - 6 2008

Your Guide To The Weekend Viewing:

1. RENDITION (drama with Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Meryl Streep) Rated * * * (out of 4): A rivetting and thought-provoking political drama about the controversial torture of terror suspects in foreign countries by the CIA. With interesting insights into a terror network. (Reviewed below; Pic: Streep & Alan Arkin)

2. ATONEMENT (romance drama with Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai and Saoirse Ronan) Rated: * * * (3 stars): Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan, this searing love story is timeless and universal, a romantic tragedy that will tug at your heartstrings. (Reviewed below)

3. THE GOLDEN COMPASS (fantasy adventure with Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards and Eva Green) Rating * * * (3 stars): While not as popular as "Lord Of The Rings" or the Harry Potter series, this adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel, His Dark Materials, is visually captivating. Forget the religious controversies and see it as a satire on political constraint. And enjoy the ensemble cast, especially Kidman and young Richards. (Reviewed below)

4. I AM LEGEND (psychological thriller with Will Smith) Rated * * * (3 stars): Smith plays a military scientist left alone in a devastated NY City to battle the zombie population. The images of a deserted Manhattan are eerie enough and the story passable as the best adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel. (Reviewed below)

5. NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (adventure with Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight & Helen Mirren) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Like its predecessor, this sequel offers the same rollercoaster ride with a mix of fun and thrills. However, it is somehow devoid of any sense of danger... (Reviewed below)

6. ALIENS VS PREDATOR 2 (Action sequel with Reiko Aylesworth, Steven Pasquale, Gina Holden & David Hornsby) Rating * * (2 stars): Predictable and unavoidable, this vidgame-to-movie franchise is mainly for fans of the game. It gets stupider as it goes along...

7. CODENAME THE CLEANER (Comedy with Cedric The Entertainer, Nicollette Sheridan and Lucy Lui) Rated: * 1/2 (1.5 stars): A mindless, ridiculous 'spy' comedy evidently aimed at the DVD market. Only for those with time to waste. (Picture: Lucy & Cedric)

RENDITION: Rights Vs Security

RENDITION (political drama)

Cast: Reese Witherspoon (pic), Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Meryl Streep and Omar Metwally
Director: Gavin Hood

Time: 115 mins

Rating: * * * (out of 4)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? The title refers to the ‘handing over’ of persons or property to from one jurisdiction to another. However, in this case, it is about the transfer of suspects from US soil to another country to facilitate torture of the suspects for information. This practice, also known as "extraordinary rendition," was authorised by the Clinton administration. After 9/11, there is reason to believe that the Bush administration uses it frequently in its War on Terror. Thus “Rendition” treads into the minefield of debate over American Constitutional Rights versus National Security, offering no clear-cut verdict to its audience…

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), an Egyptian-born American chemical engineer, is ‘abducted’ by the CIA while on a flight home to Chicago from a conference in South Africa. He is taken to a country in the Middle East where he is tortured for information by police chief Abasi Fawal (Igal Naor) about a suicide bombing that killed dozens of people, including a CIA agent. It is learnt that Anwar’s cell phone received calls from a terrorist, or from someone with the same name.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, his heavily pregnant wife, Isabella (Reese Witherspoon), and young son wait in vain for his arrival. When he fails to show up, Isabella goes through a bureaucratic nightmare in Washington, seeking the help of her college friend Alan Smith (Peter Sarsgaard) to get to a CIA boss (Meryl Streep) for news of her husband.

Also involved in the questioning of Anwar is CIA analyst Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) who soon becomes concerned that Anwar may be innocent – and that if you torture a man long enough, he may just tell you what you want to hear. However, expert torturer Abasi believes otherwise. “Just keep beating your wife, if you don’t know why, she does,” he says.

Abasi also has a personal problem on his hands. A subplot, told in flashbacks, reveals that his daughter Fatima (Zineb Oukach) is involved with a young terrorist named Khalid (Moa Khouas) and has run away from home…

HITS & MISSES: With three angles of the story running simultaneously, “Rendition” is a riveting drama that offers many surprises along the way. The most interesting is the insight into Khalid’s indoctrination into the terrorist group, complete with details on how a suicide bomb works. The torture scenes can be dreadful and dreary, keeping us wondering about Anwar’s claims of innocence, while we empathise with Isabella’s plight in trying to trace her hubby.

Director Gavin Hood’s filming structure, slipping flashbacks of the bombing plans into the main story flow, can be confusing at times but audiences should be able to complete the jigsaw puzzle once the pieces are all in place. Hood has an accomplished cast the likes of Streep, Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal but the note-worthy performances are provided by second-stringers like Naor and Oukach. Streep, who has a forgettable outing here, is obviously used for her box-office pull, while Witherspoon utilises her steely resolve to the max here. Gyllenhaal is captivating enough as the CIA agent stricken by his conscience, and Alan Arkin is compatible in a minor role as Alan’s boss, Senator Hawkins.

I am rather glad that the scripters have left the question of Anwar’s innocence open to debate – just as they have left open the controversy about ‘extraordinary renditions’ and Constitutional Rights versus National Security. This allows the audience to consider the merits of both sides in the light of increasing incidents of suicide bombings all over the world. After all, film-makers need not have to provide answers to moral questions such as these. It is enough that they provoke thought and provide entertainment.

THE LOWDOWN: "Rendition" is the first of two movies about the plight of pregnant wives dealing with missing husbands. The other is "A Mighty Heart" which has Angelina Jolie as Marianne Pearl in the docudrama about the kidnap of journalist Daniel Pearl.

Uncut DVD of 'Lust, Caution' on Sale Now!

Jan 1, 2008 – The much-awaited pirated DVD of Ang Lee’s steamy spy drama, “Lust, Caution”, has hit the streets of major towns – three months after the movie’s release on 27 September last year.

The local cinema release, which had about 12 minutes of its torrid sex scenes snipped off, had been a disappointment for movie-goers who had read about the love scenes following the movie’s screening at the Venice Film Festival last year. It is learnt that since its release in Malaysia, pirated DVD dealers were inundated with requests for the original uncut version.



One illegal disc pedlar in Petaling Jaya said pirated DVDs of a censored version (142 minutes) was available last November. “Since most of our customers were asking for the uncut version, we were careful to tell them that it was the censored version and that the ‘original’ one was not yet available – until now,” he said, adding that copies of the uncensored film were selling well, especially to regular customers.

One of his customers, who had seen the DVD of the uncut movie, said: “The DVD has all the reported sex scenes intact. Some of them look like scenes from a softporn flick, complete with pubic hair. However, it is not for those who do not understand Mandarin as the subtitles in the disc were really crap. It was apparently a rush job and the guy or guys who did the translation must have (excreta) for brains because most of the subtitles do not make sense. Also, there were no subtitles on the main print.”

The customer, who declined to be identified, added that the image quality of the DVD was “acceptable” but the sound quality of the 157-minute film was poor. “After watching the movie in the cinema, I was very curious to see what was censored from the original version. I found that Ang Lee was even more controversial here than in his “Brokeback Mountain” where he dealt with gay issues. In ‘Lust, Caution’ he pushed even further the boundaries of acceptable sex in the mainstream cinema,” he said.