WEEKEND PIC - May 1 - 3, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK:

a. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (Fantasy actioner with Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan and Lynn Collins) Rated * * * (3 stars): This action-packed tale about the origins and relationship between Wolverine and Sabretooth should please Marvel comics fans. (Reviewed below)

b. MAKE IT HAPPEN (drama with Mary Elizabeth Winstead (pic, right), Riley Smith, Tessa Thompson, John
Reardon, Ashley Roberts and Julissa Bermudez) Rating * * (2 stars): A derivative saga about how a girl fulfils her dream of becoming a dancer. Reminiscent of Coyote Ugly, Flashdance and Step Up, it is destined for DVD.

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. THE UNINVITED (psychological thriller remake with Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn, Jesse Moss and Dean Paul Gibson) Rated * * * (3 stars): This Hollywood version of Korean horror, A Tale of Two Sisters, is not as scary as the original but it is engaging, nevertheless. (Reviewed below)

2. THE SNIPER (actioner with Richie Jen (right), Edison Chen, Huang Xiaoming, Jack Kao and Bowie Lam) Rated * * * (3 stars): Testosterone-filled thriller about a sniper out for revenge. The movie was delayed due to the Edison Chen sex pix scandal. Mainly for action fans. (Reviewed below)

3. PAUL BLART: MALL COP (comedy with Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Rannazzisi and Shirley Knight) Rated * * * (3 stars): Lightweight comedy by a heavyweight 'hero' makes a pleasant watch. It is actually a spoof on the Die Hard actioner. (Reviewed below)

4. FAST & FURIOUS 4 (action thriller with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso) Rated * * * (3 stars): Right from the opening, we are plunged into the F&F world of fast cars, spectacular crashes and hot chicks. Plus, there's chemistry between Diesel and Walker as two feuding rivals caught on the same side of an FBI investigation. (Reviewed below)

5. SHINJUKU INCIDENT (action drama with Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Naoto Takenaka, Fan Bingbing, Jack Kao, Masaya Kato and Xu Jinglei) Rated * * * (3 stars): No longer the kungfu comedian, this is Jackie's first foray into a serious role in Derek Yee's story about the Chinese refugees in Japan. Contains some violent scenes. (Reviewed below)

6. CROSSING OVER (drama with Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis, Jaysha Patel, Jim Sturgess, Alice Eve, Alice Braga and Justin Chon) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This ensemble flick of US Immigration stories aims to be like the Oscar-winning Crash but turns out rather messy and unfocused.

7. NAAK (action thriller with Jesdaporn Pholdee, Ploy Jindachot, Passin Ruangvuth and Sakda Kaewbuadee) Rated * * (2 stars): This multi-genre effort by a first-time director combines ancient Naga myth with modern jungle warfare, science fiction and even romance. In short, a Thai rojak movie. (Reviewed below)

8. COMING SOON (horror thriller with Chantavit Dhanasevi, Vorakan Rojchanawat and Sakulrath Thomas) Rated * * (2 stars): Offering a movie-within-a-movie, this Thai horror is about a
projectionist's attempt to videocopy a movie - with near fatal results. (Reviewed below)

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE - Fast, Furious & Feral

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (fantasy actioner)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan and Lynn Collins
Director: Gavin Hood
Time: 106 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)


PREAMBLE: If you are one of those who have bought those 'clear' pirated DVDs of this movie, you have been suckered! What you have is an incomplete version of the film with many important parts and spectacles missing. The audio-visual feast that you would expect from the Marvel comic book series will just be an unsatisfying snack, trust me.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? A sickly Jim Logan (Troye Sivan) discovers his mutant characteristics when a tragic incident occurs during his childhood in the 1850s. Together with his half brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber), Logan (Hugh Jackman) joins the military, taking part in the major wars and conflicts. Their lives change when they join a team of mercenaries led by Col Stryker (Danny Huston), a ruthless maniac who would stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Soon Logan gets tired of being a part of Stryker's atrocities - and he retires to Canada where he works as a lumberjack, living with his girlfriend Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Of course, Victor and Stryker would not leave him alone - and they work out a plan to lure him back into action.

HITS & MISSES: Except for the special effects, watching the first half of this prequel is a lot like sitting trhough TV's Heroes and the Highlander series. Like Heroes, Logan, aka Wolverine, and Victor, aka Sabertooth, are being hunted for their 'gifts'. And like Highlander, they are virtually immortals, stuck in the prime of their lives in their 30s.

Still, this origin tale grabs us because it has a nice balance between style and substance. The love story between Logan and Kayla is touching - especially the part where Logan adopts the name Wolverine from a folklore told by his loved one. And I like the 'brotherly rivalry' caper between the half-men-half-animals. Under Gavin Hood's direction, the fight sequences are fast-paced and mind-boggling.

The aim of this movie is to 'justify' Wolverine's indestructible powers and memory loss - and we learn about an 'out-of-this-world' element called adamantium (which explains Wolverine's blades). We also get to meet other mutants like Wade Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), The Blob (Kevin Durand), John Wraith (Will.i.am), a young Scott Summers (later known as Cyclops), Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) and Emma Frost (Tahyna Tozzi), a girl with diamond-hard skin.

Don't be in a hurry to leave the cineplex when the end credits appear. As usual, there is a scene that provides a narrative hook for a future film.

THE LOWDOWN: It's not the most Marvel-lous of Origin films, but close enough.

SELL OUT: A Refreshingly New Black Comedy

SELL OUT! (black comedy)
Cast: Jerrica Lai, Peter Davis, Hannah Lo, Kee Thuan Chye and Lim Teik Leong
Director: Yeo Joon Han
Time: 86 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)


PREAMBLE: If Singapore has its Jack Neo, Malaysia may soon find its equivalent in Yeo Joon Han, a film-maker who writes, edits, directs and composes the songs as well. And from the critical and international film fest accolades, his first feature movie has received so far, Sell Out! (or $Ell.Ou7!) may be to Malaysia what Slumdog Millionaire was to India.

Okay, that may be trying to oversell Sell Out! but there were reports of the movie being well received by viewers in Singapore (at the Singapore International Film Fest), the Venice International Film Festival 2008 (where it won the Altre Visioni Award), the Golden Horse Festival in Taiwan (where it won NETPAC Award) and in Thailand.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? There are two main storylines running parallel, and they are connected to the FONY Corporation headed by two CEOs (played by Kee Thuan Chye and Lim Teik Leong). One thread deals with Rafflesia Pong (Jerrica Lai), a struggling TV arts show host who would do anything to compete with vivacious Eurasian reality show host Hannah (Hannah Lo) for the survival of her show.

The other is about Eric Tan (Peter Davis), FONY's product engineer who has just built an eight-in-one soyabean machine that is rejected by his two bosses because it works well and is supposed to last indefinitely.

HITS & MISSES: Like Jack Neo at his wild, wild best, nothing is sacred to Yeo too. He opens the movie poking fun at 'himself' - and at art-house movie makers. Then he seems to be aiming for everything and anything - and especially at violence and death! Yes, this is film noir at its weirdest when we see Rafflesia hunting down prospective suicide cases and dying people for her new 'reality show'. Ironically, the movie's best laugh comes from the scene where she interviews a man on his death bed, seeking his opinion about local politics.

There are times when Yeo goes amok (which, ironically again, is the name of the movie's website at www.amokfilms.com) and takes potshots at disappearing sales people; at the lengths people would go through to get a taxi; at irritating idiots who dial wrong numbers; at unscrupulous doctors who would do anything for a quick buck; at Chinese 'bomohs', etc. Why, the characters, including those who are dying, even break into song - and therein lies the surreal and infectious charm of the movie.

Thanks to Yeo's good sense of timing, most of these scattershot gags find their mark. Some may not evoke the laugh-out-loud reactions but many are 'giggly-funny'. Of course, there are some minor irritants - like the repetitious "Don't but me, I hate people who but me" gag and some 'empty' moments - but we can let them go.

Performance-wise, Yeo manages to get a great deal out of his cast - with Jerrica Lai standing out from the others. Jerrica has that gutsy, try-anything attitude that would be at home with the kiasu-crowd of Singapore. Peter Davis, a model, looks promising in his first endeavour. However, to most people, the best part of Sell Out! is its refreshing new take on local comedy - the absence of stupid slapstick, and a script that does not insult our intelligence.

THE LOWDOWN: Sell Out! has been making waves overseas and all over Asia. Don't miss it when it opens in Malaysia.

WEEKEND PIC - April 24 - 26, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK:


a. THE UNINVITED (psychological thriller remake with Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn, Jesse Moss and Dean Paul Gibson) Rated * * * (3 stars): This Hollywood version of Korean horror, A Tale of Two Sisters, is not as scary as the original but it is engaging, nevertheless. (Reviewed below)

b. THE SNIPER (actioner with Richie Jen, Edison Chen, Huang Xiaoming, Jack Kao and Bowie Lam) Rated * * * (3 stars): Testosterone-filled thriller about a sniper out for revenge. The movie was delayed due to the Edison Chen sex pix scandal. Mainly for action fans and those interested in catching Chen's 'last' movie. (Reviewed below)

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. PAUL BLART: MALL COP (comedy with Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Rannazzisi and Shirley Knight) Rated * * * (3 stars): Lightweight comedy by a heavyweight 'hero' makes a pleasant watch. It is actually a spoof on the Die Hard actioner. (Reviewed below)

2. FAST & FURIOUS 4 (action thriller with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso) Rated * * * (3 stars): Right from the opening, we are plunged into the F&F world of fast cars, spectacular crashes and hot chicks. Plus, there's chemistry between Diesel and Walker as two fueding rivals caught on the same side of an FBI investigation. (Reviewed below)

3. SHINJUKU INCIDENT (Cantonses action drama with Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Naoto Takenaka, Fan Bingbing, Jack Kao, Masaya Kato and Xu Jinglei) Rated * * * (3 stars): No longer the kungfu comedian, this is Jackie's first foray into a serious role in Derek Yee's story about the Chinese refugees in Japan. Contains some violent scenes. (Reviewed below)

4. HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (romantic comedy with Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Kris Kristofferson and Justin Long) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Another ensemble effort about five women in pursuit of love. This one has a cast of top-liners but they are largeky wasted here. We are just not that into them either. (Reviewed below)

5. CROSSING OVER (drama with Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis, Jaysha Patel, Jim Sturgess, Alice Eve, Alice Braga and Justin Chon) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This ensemble flick of US Immigration stories aims to be like the Oscar-winning Crash but turns out rather messy and unfocused.

6. PASSENGERS (psychological thriller with Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, David Morse, Andre Braugher and Dianne Wiest) Rated * * (2 stars): Obviously another star vehicle for Hathaway but with a badly-written story. The atmosphere is appropriately eerie and the acting is fine. However, the plot, including the twist at the end, is so full of holes. (Reviewed below)

7. NAAK (action thriller with Jesdaporn Pholdee, Ploy Jindachot, Passin Ruangvuth and Sakda Kaewbuadee) Rated * * (2 stars): This multi-genre effort by a first-time director combines ancient Naga myth with modern jungle warfare, science fiction and even romance. In short, a Thai rojak movie. ((Reviewed below)

8. COMING SOON (horror thriller with Chantavit Dhanasevi, Vorakan Rojchanawat and Sakulrath Thomas) Rated * * (2 stars): Offering a movie-within-a-movie, this Thai horror is about a projectionist's attempt to videocopy a movie - with near fatal results. (Reviewed below)

9. FRIDAY THE 13th (horror thriller with Jared Padalecki, Daneielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo and Amanda Righetti) Rating * * (2 stars): Yet another remake of the 80s slasher horror that tries to outdo the gruesomeness of Saw. Only for horror fans who can't get enough of blood and gore.

THE SNIPER: Cocky, But Still A Hit

THE SNIPER (action thriller)
Cast: Richie Jen, Edison Chen, Huang Xiaoming, Jack Kao and Bowie Lam
Director: Dante Lam
Time: 86 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)

PREAMBLE: Cocky, cocky, cocky! This is the impression I get when I see Edison Chen, Huang Xiaoming and Dante Lam strut their stuff in The Sniper. And no, I am not referring to the Sex Picture Scandal of 2008 that derailed Chen's acting career and delayed the release of this film.

I am talking about the trio's attitude in this movie. Chen goes through the paces with a perpetual arrogant pout, thinking that he is better than everybody in the sniper unit; Huang maintains a totally-pissed-at-everyone look; and as for director Lam, I shall discuss him in the Hits & Miss section.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The plot deals with three members of the elite Sniper Unit of HK Police. Hartman (Richie Jen), the unit leader recruits OJ (Chen, pictured below) into the squad after being impressed by him during an operation. Hartman takes it upon himself to teach OJ the ropes but the young upstart is soon drawn into the rivalry between Hartman and the unit's former commander Lincoln (Huang) that started four years ago.

Lincoln, who has served time for a manslaughter charge arising from a hostage crisis, is bent on wreaking revenge not only for his incarceration but also for the suicide of his wife. His vengeance is rather elaborate and it involves a criminal mastermind named Tao (Jack Kao).

HITS & MISSES: Dante Lam is a director with an attitude. He has this take-it-or-leave-it style that overwhelms his substance, and he doesn't seem to care what his viewers think. His forte is in his action set pieces incorporating slow-mo bullet scenes and blood splashes. Lam is not bothered about plot exposition: he just dispenses his series of seemingly unconnected sequences - and expects the audience to make sense of it.

According to media reports, Lam takes pride in researching his material. Here, he delves into sniper jargon and procedures and comes up with grandiloquent stuff like holding one's breath while taking multiple shots, how much pressure to apply to the trigger, etc.

Another example is Lam's subplot about Lincoln's wife - which appears like flashbacks at first. Then there is another one dealing with Hartman's estranged wife which also touches on suicide. Regrettably, none of these is developed well enough for us form a proper story.

Lam, however, vindicates himself with a seat-gripper of a climax. For action fans, the showdown should be exhilarating enough for them to overlook the flaws and the attitude.

THE LOWDOWN: Probably the last Edison Chen movie for a long time.

'17 Again' Tops US Weekend Box-Office

WEEKEND TOP 5 STUDIO ESTIMATES, APRIL 17-19, 2009
(Courtesy of Box-Officemojo.com)


Rank. Movie Title (Distributor) Weekend Gross | Theatres | Total Gross | Week #

1. 17 Again (Warner Bros) US$24.1 million | 3,255 | $24.1m | 1

2. State of Play (Universal) US$14.1m | 2,803 | $14.1m | 1

3. Monsters Vs. Aliens (Paramount) US$12.9m | 3,662 | $162.7m | 4

4. Hannah Montana The Movie (BV) US$12.7m | 3,118 | $56.1m | 2

5. Fast and Furious 4 (Universal) US $12.3m | 3,674 | $136.7m | 3

THE UNINVITED: Another Tale of Two Sisters

THE UNINVITED (psychological thriller)
Cast: Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn, Jesse Moss and Dean Paul Gibson
Director: Charles and Thomas Guard
Time: 86 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)

Emily Browning and Arielle Bebbel in THE UNINVITED

PREAMBLE: Remember Kim Jee-Woon's A Tale Of Two Sisters (or Changhwa, Hongryon) that was released in Malaysia in 2003? That classic Korean horror thriller is adapted as The Uninvited by British film-makers, Charles and Thomas Guard, better known as The Guard Brothers.

The ambiguous title aside, this remake is more of a psychological thriller than a horror flick like the original. It is easier to understand, more absorbing and well-paced. On the minus side, there are not as many jolts and scares as the Korean effort.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The Uninvited starts off like a 'wicked stepmom versus naughty girls' story. Anna (Emily Browning) lands in mental hospital after trying to kill herself over the accidental death of her mother in a fire. However, after a few months, she is considered well enough to return home to her book-author dad (David Strathairn) and sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel) at their sprawling house beside the sea.

There is a problem, though. Anna's hope of a happy family reunion is dashed when she meets Rachel (Elizabeth Banks), her mother's private nurse who is now Dad's live-in girlfriend. Soon, Anna starts getting nightmarish visions of dripping blood and of a trio of murdered kids. She suspects that Rachel had something to do with the death of these children - and that she may have killed her mother so that she can marry her father.

HITS & MISSES: It is interesting that the Guard Brothers have included subplots of their own to make the movie more palatable to American taste. One of these is Anna's love interest in grocery boy Matt (Jesse Moss). This helps to provide the 'cute guy' factor for the young girls in the audience as well as heighten the mystery.

For the males in the audience, Arielle Kebbel provides some eye candy scenes as well as lend solid support as the rebellious elder sister. Banks, meanwhile, manages to look both sexy and sinister as the seductive interloper. The most important star of the movie is of course Emily Browning who puts her innocent and vulnerable looks to good use as Anna the 'victim'.

After Coming Soon, Naak and other Asian horrors, I am tired of getting sudden loud noises to jolt us. Thankfully, we don't have these here - and the scripters (Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard) have laid out each piece of the puzzle with care. This is a change, considering the plotholes and loose ends that abound in Passengers.

THE LOWDOWN: A watchable, well-paced film for whodunit fans.

WEEKEND PIC - April 17 - 19, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK:

a. PAUL BLART: MALL COP (comedy with Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Rannazzisi and Shirley Knight) Rated * * * (3 stars): Lightweight comedy by a heavyweight 'hero' makes a pleasant watch. It is actually a fun spoof on the Die Hard actioner. (Reviewed below)

b. PASSENGERS (psychological thriller with Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, David Morse, Andre Braugher and Dianne Wiest) Rated * * (2 stars): Obviously another star vehicle for Hathaway (like Rachel Getting Married) but with a badly-written story. The atmosphere is appropriately eerie and the acting is fine. However, the plot, including the twist at the end, is so full of holes. (Reviewed below)

c. NAAK (action thriller with Jesdaporn Pholdee, Ploy Jindachot, Passin Ruangvuth and Sakda Kaewbuadee) Rated * * (2 stars): This multi-genre effort by a first-time director combines ancient Naga myth with modern jungle warfare, science fiction and even romance. In short, a Thai rojak movie. (Reviewed below)

d. COMING SOON (horror thriller with Chantavit Dhanasevi, Vorakan Rojchanawat and Sakulrath Thomas) Rated * * (2 stars): Offering a movie-within-a-movie, this Thai horror is about a projectionist's attempt to videocopy a movie - with near fatal results. (Reviewed below)

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. FAST & FURIOUS 4 (action thriller with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso) Rated * * * (3 stars): Right from the opening, we are plunged into the F&F world of fast cars, spectacular crashes and hot chicks. Plus, there's chemistry between Diesel and Walker as two fueding rivals caught on the same side of an FBI investigation. (Reviewed below)

2. SHINJUKU INCIDENT (action drama with Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Naoto Takenaka, Fan Bingbing, Jack Kao, Masaya Kato and Xu Jinglei) Rated * * * (3 stars): No longer the kungfu comedian, this is Jackie's first foray into a serious role in Derek Yee's story about the Chinese refugees in Japan. Contains some violent scenes. (Reviewed below)

3. CARAMEL (Lebanese dramedy with Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Sihame Haddad, Adel Karam, Gisèle Aouad, Aziza Semaan and Fadia Stella) Rated * * * (3 stars out of 4): For a first-time effort, this ensemble film is surprisingly absorbing, with an exotic Middle-Eastern flavour centred around five women and a beauty salon in Beirut. At GSC International Screens only (Reviewed below)

4. SOUL MEN (musical comedy with Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Jennifer Coolidge, Sean Hayes, Ken Davitian, Sharon Leal and Isaac Hayes) Rating * * * (3 stars): A crude and brash take about two members of a 70s soul band. The many cuts many cuts may send viewers to get the DVD, though.

5. HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (romantic comedy with Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Kris Kristofferson and Justin Long) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Another ensemble effort about five women in pursuit of love. This one has a cast of top-liners but they are largeky wasted here. We are just not that into them either. (Reviewed below)

6. RIGHTEOUS KILL (cop thriller with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): With two fiery stars, De Niro and Pacino, in the cast, one would expect sparks to fly out of the screen. But no. It's just your regular thrilla and a letdown.

7. FRIDAY THE 13th (horror thriller with Jared Padalecki, Daneielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo and Amanda Righetti) Rating * * (2 stars): Yet another remake of the 80s slasher horror that tries to outdo Saw. Only for horror fans who can't get enough of blood and gore.

NAAK: Trans-Genre Thai Rojak

NAAK (action/romance)
Cast: Jesdaporn Pholdee, Ploy Jindachot, Passin Ruangvuth and Sakda Kaewbuadee
Director: Teerawat Rujeenatham
Time: 93 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

Ploy Jindachot, Passin Ruangvuth (left & centre) in NAAK

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Perhaps Naak is what you get when you have a cameraman co-write and direct a movie. Teerawat Rujeenatham was the cinematographer of the thriller, In the Shadow Of The Naga, which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008. Using the same theme from the Naga (serpent) folklore, Teerawat blends the ancient human-serpent myth with modern jungle warfare, illegal scientific experiments and romance to come out with a cinematic 'rojak' called Naak.

This Thai trans-genre fantasy is also marketed as 'Deep In The Jungle', highlighting its love story.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Naak opens with flashbacks to a mythical past where a voice-over tells us that snake-god siblings, Jin and Jai, are destined to roam the earth until such a time when the nine planets align, whereupon they must return to their cave in the mountains and transform into giant serpents. (Or something like that).

Fast forward to modern day and we find an evil army general named Manus (Passin Ruangvuth) hot on the trail of Jin and Jai (played by Ploy Jindachot and Sakda Kaewbuadee, pic, right). Manus wants to capture Jin so that the people he works for can harness her supernatural power. However, Jin is not entirely helpless. She has a former Thai Special Forces agent in the form of Nawin (Jesdaporn Pholdee) to help and protect her...

HITS & MISSES: Sitting through the first 40 minutes of Naak is like being in an intellectual limbo. We don't know what is going on with all that shooting and fleeing in and around the jungles and slums of Thailand. Gradually, however, we learn that the handsome Manus is the villain and the tattooed Nawin is the hero who invariably falls in love with Jin (who could well pass for a zombie, given the way Ploy Jindachot portrays her).

However, the jigsaw pieces start falling into place when Nawin joins Jin at her tribe's hillside village - where we get the customary romantic interlude and comic relief. This is just before the big showdown involving man and mythical beast. As director, Teerawat is rather strong on visuals but lacking in narrative substance. Many of his scenes are extremely violent and disturbing. One massacre scene has soldiers brutally shooting and hacking innocent women and children.

The much-awaited monster sequence comes late in the movie and turns out disappointing. The effects are crude and the scene is too brief to be effective.

THE LOWDOWN: Naak, Naak! Who's there? - It's Naak, the Thai movie rojak.

COMING SOON: A Movie-Within-A-Movie

COMING SOON (horror thriller)
Cast: Chantavit Dhanasevi, Vorakan Rojchanawat and Sakulrath Thomas
Director: Sophon Sakdaphisit
Time: 83 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

A scene from the movie-within-a-movie, Vengeful Spirit

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Coming Soon is directed by Sophon Sakdaphisit, the screenwriter of previous Thai horrors like Shutter and Alone. You probably knew this already (as it has been splattered over the movie's ads and poster) but I am repeating it here because this seems to be the selling point for this movie.

Sophon was the guy who wrote the scripts for Shutter and Alone - and now he is directing his own script. Big deal!

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Coming Soon offers two movies for the price of one! The main plot concerns Shane (Chantavit Dhanasevi), a projectionist who resorts to pirating an upcoming horror movie titled 'Vengeful Spirit' in order to pay off his gambling debts. However, while video-recording the advance print off the cinema screen, his accomplice, Yod, mysteriously disappears, leaving behind the camera with some disturbing images.

To get to the bottom of the mystery, Shane teams up with his estranged girlfriend Som (played by singer Vorakan Rojchanawat), to investigate the truth behind 'Vengeful Spirit' and check out the location where it was shot.

The subplot, or the movie-within-the-movie, is about a crippled and psychotic woman who kidnaps children in her village and mutilates them. This is supposed to be based on a 'true story'.

HITS & MISSES: Five years ago, the scares in Asian movies were provided by long-haired kids with their faces painted white and wearing dark eye make-up. These days, it is long-haired women with slit-mouth or scarred faces. We get a lot of such images here, accompanied by loud, irritating music, of course. After a while, they cease to be scary and become irritating, especially the 'quick cuts' that skip parts of the action. Indeed, Sophon uses the loud creepy soundtrack so much that it seems to be the main devise in his bag of tricks. The young, inexperienced cast do not help matters.

Sophon's idea for Coming Soon is to explore a situation where the reel world merges with the real world - as in what if the scary scenes on the screen were not just in your imagination? What if you were to find yourself in the movie? These are interesting concepts but Sophon fails to capitalise on them or develop them. In the end, Coming Soon feels like an experimental theatre with half-baked ideas mixed with some borrowed from films like The Screen At Kamchanod.

The same half-baked treatment goes for the movie piracy subplot too. The cinematography looks professional enough, with most of the scenes shrouded in dark hues.

THE LOWDOWN: Sophon shows promise as writer and director. Perhaps he just needs more practice.

PAUL BLART: MALL COP - Light Comedy About Fat Guy

PAUL BLART: MALL COP (comedy)
Cast: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Rannazzisi and Shirley Knight
Director: Steve Carr
Time: 87 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)


WHAT'S IT ABOUT? A bunch of armed robbers take over a building and hold some customers at a bank hostage. A cop stumbles on to the scene and discovers that his loved ones are among the hostages. Instead of relying on the SWAT team to take action, he single-handedly thwarts the villains' plans and tries to rescue the hostages.

A remake of Die Hard?

Not really. This is actually a spoof of it.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Well, ladies and gentlemen, meet our latest hero, Paul Blart, a security guard at a New Jersey shopping mall. Played with gusto by Kevin James (Adam Sandler's other half in I Pronounce You Chuck & Larry), this movie raked in about US$40 million on its opening weekend (Jan 16-19, 2009) - a feat that surprised even its producers. Paul Blart: Mall Cop stayed at Number One over the next weekend and has collected US$163 million (RM570 million) worldwide so far. Not bad for a movie produced at US$26 million (RM90 million).

Hence, what we are looking at is the breakthrough of James as a bankable actor, a far cry from his days as TV's King Of Queens.

HITS & MISSES: Apparently the well-rounded Kevin James has become America's Next Top Comedy Star (as opposed to comedian). James is easy to like because his brand of comedy is not as crude and crass as Sandler, and he is not so full of himself as Jim Carrey. His humour is mainly self-deprecating and as Paul Blart, he has a problem with hypoglycaemia, a medical condition resulting from dangerously low levels of sugar in the blood. This means he tends to 'run out of battery' everytime he gets an attack - and he must counter it by constantly eating sweet stuff.

Besides the Die Hard rescue action, which tends to be rather ridiculous, we also have a cute courtship with Jayma Mays playing Paul's love interest, Amy. If anything, this attempt at romantic comedy helps to win our sympathy for the bumbling Blart who has always dreamt of being a real cop.

Another plus for this movie is its PG rating - no foul language and no fart or toilet jokes. There aren't many laugh-out-loud situations either but there is a sense of upbeat fun watching a fat guy riding a Segway (electric carrier) and pretending to kick bad ass.

THE LOWDOWN: Lightweight humour about a heavyweight security guard.

PASSENGERS: Unexplained Mystery

PASSENGERS (mystery thriller)
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, David Morse, Andre Braugher and Dianne Wiest
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Time: 98 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson in PASSENGERS

PREAMBLE: This is the movie that Anne Hathaway is probably trying to forget after her Oscar-nominated performance in Rachel Getting Married. The screenplay by Ronnie Christensen, tries to stir up mystery and suspense, but ends up a complete washout when we get to the 'big twist' ending.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Claire Summers (Anne Hathaway) is a trauma counsellor called upon to help passengers of a commercial airliner that crashed on a beach in an unnamed American city. Most of her patients are angry or unresponsive, except for stockbroker Eric (Patrick Wilson), who doesn't want her professional help but wants to get closer to Claire.

Against her professional judgement, Claire starts to fall for Eric, partly because he seems to know her so well, even to the point of how she likes her coffee. Claire soon begins to suspect that something is wrong, and starts investigating — working on a patient's belief that the crash wasn't caused by the pilot but by a covered-up explosion.

Meanwhile, she has to contend with a sinister airline executive (David Morse), a creepily helpful neighbour (Dianne Wiest) and a scary-looking dog that trails Eric.

HITS & MISSES: Apparently, the main reason to catch this movie is Hathaway, in the main role. She manages to provide the requisite screen chemistry with Wilson. The rest of the cast are watchable too. Clea DuVall shines in a small role as one Claire’s difficult patients. However, the movie is just a series of illogical build-ups - to a ridiculous and disappointing twist that won't ever explain the gaping holes in the plot.

Directed by Rodrigo Garcia (who helmed Nine Lives in 2005), Passengers has supernatural elements, bits of romantic comedy and suspense reminiscent of The Sixth Sense and The Others.

THE LOWDOWN: If you are a Hathaway fan, it is better to wait for Rachel Getting Married.

WEEKEND PIC - April 10 - 12, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK:

a. CARAMEL (Lebanese dramedy (right) with Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Sihame Haddad, Adel Karam, Gisèle Aouad, Aziza Semaan and Fadia Stella) Rated * * * (3 stars out of 4): For a first-time effort, this ensemble film is surprisingly absorbing, with an exotic Middle-Eastern flavour centred around five women and a beauty salon in Beirut. At GSC International Screens only (Reviewed below)

b. SOUL MEN (musical comedy with Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Jennifer Coolidge, Sean Hayes, Ken Davitian, Sharon Leal and Isaac Hayes) Rating * * * (3 stars): A crude and brash take about two members of a 70s soul band. The many cuts many cuts may send viewers hunting for the DVD, though.

c. HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (romantic comedy with Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Kris Kristofferson and Justin Long) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Another ensemble effort about five women in pursuit of love. This one has a cast of top-liners but they are largely wasted here. We are just not that into them either. (Reviewed below)

d. FRIDAY THE 13th (horror thriller (pic) with Jared Padalecki, Daneielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo and Amanda Righetti) Rating * * (2 stars): Yet another remake of the 80s slasher horror that tries to outdo Saw. Only for horror fans who can't get enough of blood and gore.

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. FAST & FURIOUS 4 (action thriller with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso) Rated * * * (3 stars): Right from the opening, we are plunged into the F&F world of fast cars, spectacular crashes and hot chicks. Plus, there's chemistry between Diesel and Walker as two feuding rivals caught on the same side of an FBI investigation. (Reviewed below)

2. SHINJUKU INCIDENT (action drama with Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Naoto Takenaka, Fan Bingbing, Jack Kao, Masaya Kato and Xu Jinglei) Rated * * * (3 stars): No longer the kungfu comedian, this is Jackie's first foray into a serious role in Derek Yee's story about the Chinese refugees in Japan. Contains some violent scenes. (Reviewed below)

3. RIGHTEOUS KILL (cop thriller with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): With two fiery stars, De Niro and Pacino, in the cast, one would expect sparks to fly out of the screen. But no. It's just your regular thrilla and a letdown.

4. KNOWING (sci-fi thriller with Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Chandler Canterbury, Ben Mendelsohn, Adrienne Pickering and Lara Robinson) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): The plot is messy and defies logic but the action sets are the highlights of this combination of X-Files and Independence Day thrillers. (Reviewed below)

5. CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (romantic comedy with Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow and Kristin Scott Thomas) Rating: * * (2 stars): Shoddily written rom-com that is neither funny nor romantic. Doesn't come close to The Devil Wears Prada.

6. THE UNBORN (horror thriller with Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Jane Alexander, Idris Elba and Carla Gugino) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): Shameless copycat horror that allows you to play a game guessing which famous movie a particular scene comes from. (Reviewed below)

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU: So Are We!

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (romantic comedy)
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly (pictured below), Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Kris Kristofferson and Justin Long
Director: Ken Kwapis
Time: 125 mins
Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 4)


PREAMBLE: This ensemble rom-com, adapted from a popular book by 'Sex And The City' authors Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, works like an instructional flick for today's yuppies. It is not that romantic or funny but some guys and gals could sure learn a thing or two about to navigate the waters of modern-day relationships.

However, if you are not that into educational stuff at the cineplex, you may want to opt for Caramel (reviewed below) instead...

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The movie deals with five Baltimore women whose lives are somehow intertwined. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin of TV's Big Love) is Gigi, a girl who is so desperate to be in a relationship that she waits eagerly for a phone-call from her date (Kevin Connolly as Connor) just 20 minutes after leaving him. Her next few days are spent waiting by the phone and finding consolation from her co-workers, Beth (Jenniffer Aniston) and Janine (Jennifer Connelly). Eventually Gigi seeks counsel from Alex (Justin Long), a bartender at the pub where she goes to stalk Connor.

The bossy Janine is married to Ben (Bradley Cooper) and they are fixing up their new home. However, it is their sex life that needs fixing because they are not having any. Things get worse when Ben meets yoga instructor Anna (Scarlett Johansson), and finds her attractive and available.

Gigi's other friend, Beth, has been living with her boyfriend, Neil (Ben Affleck), for seven years. Beth desperately wants him to propose, but he is adamant on keeping the status quo. Meanwhile, Connor is very much into Anna but she is just not into him. Lastly, there is Mary (Drew Barrymore), an ad executive who communicates through e-mail and texting, and views "having coffee with someone" as chatting with them online while sipping from a cup.

HITS & MISSES: The common theme here is that the guys (except for Connor) do not want to commit, and the gals (except for Anna) are desperate to marry. This is today's social predicament summed up in the book as "if you have to be the aggressor, if you have to pursue, if you have to do the asking out, nine times out of 10, he's just not that into you." Nothing else, in this effort directed by Ken Kwapis (of TV's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) is new or refreshing.

Those snippets about Ben stealing a puff is old hat; and so is the one about sneaking a shag at the office. Goodwin's Gigi has the most screen time but she turns out to be so pathetic that it is incredulous. The cast of big names and heart-throbs - the two Connollys, Aniston, Affleck, Barrymore and Cooper - are wasted in a perfunctory comedy and uninteresting situations. Still, it is a surprise to see singer Kris Kristofferson in a cameo as Beth's dad.

THE LOWDOWN: I have not finished reading the book, but if this movie is anything to go by, I don't think I would be that much into it either.

CARAMEL: Sweet and Charming 'Hen-Flick'

CARAMEL (dramedy)
Cast: Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Sihame Haddad, Adel Karam, Gisèle Aouad, Aziza Semaan and Fadia Stella
Director: Nadine Labaki
Time: 95 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)

Nadine Labaki (left) as Layale in CARAMEL

PREAMBLE: The title refers to the sweet gooey stuff they put in your popcorn. In this movie, it is heated up and used like wax - to remove unwanted hair (ouch!). Yes, Caramel, which is centred around a beauty salon in Beirut, is about beauty, pleasure and pain.

And if you have seen films about hair salons like Steel Magnolias and Beauty Shop, you will know that it deals with boosting self-confidence among women - and not so much about beauty or hairstyling. However, what's special about Caramel is that it is co-written and directed by first-timer Nadine Labaki who also plays the lead character.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Basically, it deals with the problems of a bevy of women involved with the Si Belle beauty shop owned by Layale (Nadine Labaki), a single woman who is having an affair with a married man. Although the charming and sexy Layale has her share of admirers, including a drop-dead handsome cop (Adel Karam), she is so stuck on Rabih that she spends her waking moments waiting for his call and for his arrival.

Layale's assistant, Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) is a Muslim and her forthcoming marriage poses a problem: she is no longer a virgin. Shampoo girl Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is tormented by her attraction to women and especially to a lovely customer (Fatme Safa) with long hair. Aunt Rose (Siham Haddad), a tailor in a neighbouring shop, also finds herself attracted to a handsome customer but she has to choose between her happiness and familial duties to her demented elder sister Lily (Aziza Semaan). Lastly, there is Jamale (Gisele Aouad), a small-time actress who just refuses to grow old.

HITS & MISSES: There is nothing really exceptional about Caramel. However, with five subplots vying for our attention at the same time, Caramel is a 'busy' and energetic movie. Of course, some stories, like those of Layale's affair and Nisrine's wedding, are more interesting than others. Still, there are many fascinating insights into Lebanese culture and lifestyle, as well as some comic relief provided mainly by Aziza Semaan's senile Lily.

The rest of the non-professional cast, especially Labaki herself, are charming and watchable, if not talented. It makes us wonder if they had been meticulously selected for their roles.

The most remarkable thing about Caramel is that Labaki, a first-time feature film director, has managed to make it look like a professional job. The movie, which garnered critical acclaim when it was released in 2007, was selected as Lebanon’s official submission for the Academy Award's best foreign film of 2007.

THE LOWDOWN: A heart-warming 'hen-flick' (as in hen-party) to enjoy with friends.

WEEKEND PIC - April 3 - 5, 2009

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK:

a. FAST & FURIOUS 4 (action thriller with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso) Rated * * * (3 stars): Right from the opening, we are plunged into the F&F world of fast cars, spectacular crashes and hot chicks. Plus, there's chemistry between Diesel and Walker as two feuding rivals caught on the same side of an FBI investigation. (Pic above, Reviewed below)

b. SHINJUKU INCIDENT (action drama with Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Naoto Takenaka, Fan Bingbing, Jack Kao, Masaya Kato and Xu Jinglei) Rated * * * (3 stars): No longer the kungfu comedian, this is Jackie's first foray into a serious role in Derek Yee's story about the Chinese refugees in Japan. Contains some violent scenes. (Reviewed below)

c. RIGHTEOUS KILL (cop thriller with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): With two fiery stars, De Niro and Pacino, in the cast, one would expect sparks to fly out of the screen. But no. It's just your regular thriller and a letdown.

STILL GOING STRONG:

1. 12 ROUNDS (action thriller with John Cena, Ashley Scott, Brian J. White, Taylor Cole, Aidan Gillen, Steve Harris, Lara Grice and Billy Slaughter) Rated * * * (3 stars): It is heart-pounding action from start to end in this race-against-time story about a criminal out for revenge. Wrestling star Cena makes a refreshing new action hero. (Reviewed below)

2. THE INTERNATIONAL (suspense thriller with Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Brían F. O'Byrne) Rated * * * (3 stars): Tom Tykwer's 'expose' on an international bank that deals in arms and murders people is serviceable, sans humour and romance. Its piece de resistance is a shootout at the Guggenheim Museum that has the Tykwer trademark. (Reviewed below)

3. TALENTIME (local comedy with Jaclyn Victor, Adibah Noor, Mahesh Jugal Kishor, Mohd Syafie Naswip, Pamela Chong, Azean Irdawaty and Sukania Venugopal) Rated * * * (3 stars) Another serving of Malaysiana by Yasmin Ahmad. This time around, the stories are centred around a talent contest organised by a school in Ipoh. Draggy but still funny. (Reviewed below)

4. TAKEN (action thriller with Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace and Xander Berkeley) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 out of 4 stars): This daddy-to-the-rescue-of-kidnapped-girl story has its own built-in emotional power but the one-man-against-Paris thingy is incredulous. It's like Neeson doing a Jack Bauer.

5. KNOWING (sci-fi thriller with Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Chandler Canterbury, Ben Mendelsohn, Adrienne Pickering and Lara Robinson) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): The plot is messy and defies logic but the action sets are the highlights of this combination of X-Files and Independence Day thrillers. (Reviewed below)

6. CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (romantic comedy with Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow and Kristin Scott Thomas) Rating: * * (2 stars): Shoddily written rom-com that is neither funny nor romantic. Doesn't come close to The Devil Wears Prada.

7. THE UNBORN (horror thriller with Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Jane Alexander, Idris Elba and Carla Gugino) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): Copycat horror that allows you to play a game guessing which famous movie a particular scene comes from. (Reviewed below)

8. RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (sci-fi fantasy with Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds and Tom Everett Scott) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): A re-imagined version of the Witch Mountain series of the 70s, this one is pure Disney fare, catering to the undemanding family audience.