WEEKEND PIC - Feb 6 - 8, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW This Week:

a. CHANGELING (police drama with Angelina Jolie (right), John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly and Amy Ryan) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5/4 stars): Directed by Clint Eastwood, this is a parable of wronged innocence and abuse of power reminiscent of L.A. Confidential. And of course, there's Jolie's Oscar-nominated performance to watch out for. (Reviewed below)

b. PINK PANTHER 2 (comedy with Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Lily Tomlin, John Cleese and Jeremy Irons) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This sequel is an improvement over the scattershot comedy of the (2006) first movie. Or perhaps it is the star-studded supporting cast who provided the glitter to the famous diamond nicknamed Pink Panther. (Reviewed below).

c. ONG BAK 2 (martial arts actioner with Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree and Nirut Sirichanya) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Again it is teeming with action, courtesy of Tony Jaa, the Jackie Chan of Thailand. A bigger and better production than the first but still lacking in finesse and plot development.

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. RED CLIFF 2 (war drama with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Chang Chen, Zhang Fengyi, Vicky Zhao and Lin Chi Ling) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5 out of 4 stars): It is indeed worth the six-month wait for this final instalment to John Woo's war epic based on the Chronicles of The Three Kingdoms. The battle sequences, although a bit long, are breath-taking. (Reviewed below).


2. INKHEART (fantasy adventure with Brendan Fraser, Sienna Guillory, Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren and Eliza Hope Bennett) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): A rather by-the-book and CGI-filled rendition of Cornelia Funke's bestseller that would probably appeal to children more than adults. Despite the big names, the adventure is not as rousing as The Mummy series... (Reviewed below).

3. UNDERWORLD 3: RISE OF THE LYCANS (prequel with Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh and Kevin Grevioux) Rating * * (2 stars): This prequel into the origin of the Vampire-Werewolf war borrows from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and is rather ho-hum and cliched. Actionwise, it even falls short of its predecessors.

4. BRIDE WARS (sneak previews, comedy with Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, Bryan Greenberg, Chris Pratt and Steve Howey) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This story about two Best Friends Forever turning Bitter Enemies Forever over a clash wedding date is exaggerated and silly. Nothing much to laugh at too. (Reviewed below).