THE BACK-UP PLAN - A J-Low Comedy

THE BACK-UP PLAN (romantic comedy)
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Eric Christian Olsen, Noureen DeWulf, Donal Logue, Melissa McCarthy, Harold Gould, Jennifer Elise Cox and Linda Lavin
Director: Alan Poul
Screenplay: Kate Angelo
Time: 98 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

J-Lo and Alex O'Loughlin in The Back-Up Plan

PREAMBLE: Usually, you meet your Mr Right, get courted, fall in love, marry and then start a family. However, when this fails to happen, you go for the Back-Up Plan: You start a family in the reverse order by having a baby first.

And then you discover that back-up plans can backfire...

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: New York pet-shop owner Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) is tired of waiting for Mr. Right to come along before she becomes a mother. At 30-something, her clock is ticking and time is running out, so Zoe opts for the sperm bank to get pregnant. Within hours of the procedure, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) an attractive and sexy cheese-farmer who seems to charm the pants off her. Soon a budding relationship becomes a full blown courtship.

Then Zoe finds out that she is pregnant with twins and she must find a way to tell Stan without scaring him away.

HITS & MISSES: It is easy to see where the gags are heading: they are aimed squarely at women who have been pregnant or are considering being in the family way. We have exaggerated gags about cravings and hormonal fluctuations and even desperately contrived situations like setting fire to the dinner table just to liven things up. Some work but many don't.

J-Lo looks great in most of her scenes but she is no Sandra Bullock. Her Zoe and her 'problems' (like, whether to let the hunk into her life) appear unconvincing and unrealistic. O'Loughlin fares a little better but his Stan seems to have more 'Wrongs' than is required of Mr Right. And what is the script-writer thinking, using a 'crippled' dog-on-wheels to get the laughs?

THE LOWDOWN: Treat this Back-Up Plan as the Last Resort.

Lots of Buzz over Entourage The Movie

Jerry Ferrera, Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly and Adrian Grenier in ENTOURAGE

JUNE 29, 2010 - HBO series Entourage has just opened its seventh season (which will have porn star Sasha Grey in its cast) and executive producer Mark Wahlberg has hinted on making Entourage - The Movie just like Sex And The City did two years ago.

Wahlberg has been quoted as saying: "I am more focused on making that movie than my own films. I just think we can make a great movie. ... We just have to end strong, and this season is, by far, the best season. ... We're going to have six episodes next year and end with a bang and then in the trailer you see waking up in bed together in Vegas not knowing what happened."

Jeremy Piven, who stars as Ari Gold in the series, was quoted as saying: “People come up to me and say the (TV) show isn’t long enough. I think a 90-minute or two-hour format would serve us well. People want to sit and watch us a couple hours. … There’s a lot we can do. Ari (Gold) will do anything to sign a client, so I can see him going to the far reaches of the world.”

Indeed, the idea has generated lots of interest among its fans and on movie blogs. However, many have worried that Entourage The Movie may go the way of Sex And The City 2 and came out with advice and tips on avoiding the curse of SATC2.

Here are some of them:

http://movie-critics.ew.com/2010/06/24/the-entourage-movie-heres-some-advice/

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/entourage-movie-10-rules-success/story?id=10925350

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/06/five-mistakes-the-entourage-movie-should-avoid.html

Toy Story 3 Tops US B-O Again

JUNE 28, 2010 - As expected, Toy Story 3 topped the North American box office for the second weekend with an estimated US$59.0 million.

New releases Grown Ups and Knight and Day only managed and estimated US$41 million and US$20.5 million respectively to take second and third place.

Meanwhile, the Karate Kid is still strong, kicking up an estimated US$15.5 million in its third weekend.

Here is the Top 5 North American B-O estimates for June 25 - 27, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.

1. Toy Story 3 (Buena Vista) $59.0 million ($226.6 million) 2

2. Grown Ups (Sony/Columbia) $41.0 million ($41.0 mil) 1

3. Knight & Day (Fox) $20.5 million ($27.8 million) 1

4. The Karate Kid (Sony/Columbia) $15.4 million ($135.6 mil) 3

5. The A-Team (Fox) $6.0 million ($62.8 million) 3

RIP Mr Toh Kim Hock

JUNE 24, 2010 - I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family, friends and relatives of Mr Toh Kim Hock, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of MCAT Box Office Sdn Bhd and Managing Director of Regilent Sdn Bhd, who passed away peacefully on Monday, June 21.

I have known Mr Toh for over two decades since those Smile-UA days and shared our love for movies and the cinema. Over the years, he had become a personal friend. My thoughts are with his loved ones, especially his wife and daughters, during such times.

May he rest in peace.

'Jonah Hex' Axed In Malaysia

JUNE 24, 2010 - Warner Bros has announced that Jonah Hex will not be released in Malaysia. The movie, starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox (pictured) and John Malkovich, was slotted an Aug 5 date for KL release before the pullout.


No reason was given. Jonah Hex is about a gun-slinging tough-talking bounty hunter (Brolin) adapted from a little-known 1970s DC Comics series. It opened in the US on June 18 and got a lukewarm reception, collecting just US$5 million over the weekend. Looks like Megan Fox was no match for the toys of Toy Story 3.

WEEKEND PIC - June 25 - 27, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) KNIGHT AND DAY (action thriller with Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Maggie Grace, Peter Sarsgaard, Marc Blucas, Paul Dano and Viola Davis) Rated * * * (3 stars): Spiced with more action than reason, this is somewhat like a Mission: Impossible caper and Vanilla Sky put together. It is a typical summer action flick but with bubbly screen chemistry from Cruise and Diaz. (Reviewed below)

b) SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE (romantic comedy with Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, Lindsay Sloane, Krysten Ritter, Mike Vogel, Geoff Stults, Nate Torrence and Hayes MacArthur) Rating * * * (3 stars): A raunchy and sometimes funny rom-com for the young crowd - once they accept the conceit that a girl rated 10 (Eve) can go for a 5-rated guy (Baruchel). The comedy is uneven and vulgar but it has characters we can really root for.

STILL GOING STRONG

1) TOY STORY 3 (Computer animated comedy in 3D with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger and Estelle Harris) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): This is a winner of a comedy for both young and old right from start to finish. I had not expected it but Pixar has done it again with this highly creative and mischievous sequel greatly enhanced by 3D. Yup, it is fun and enchanting to be back with the toys again.

2. THE KARATE KID (kungfu drama with Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Han Wenwen and Wang Zhenwei) Rated * * * (3 stars): Consider this remake as a warm-hearted but lightweight tribute to Jackie Chan and you will enjoy the movie which sort of updates the original, taking the venue to China and showing kungfu instead of karate. Jaden Smith may not act like a pro but he still has his boyish Happyness charm that clicks well with Jackie's. (Reviewed below)

3. THE A-TEAM (action drama with Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, Patrick Wilson, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Maury Sterling, Gerald McRaney) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): As can be expected, this one is a loud, mindless and uninspired adaptation of the TV series (that was also loud and mindless). After an initial hurrah, the A-Team is likely to go into C-minus territory at the box-office.

4. KILLERS (romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Rob Riggle and Lisa Ann Walter) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This mix of 'Mr & Mrs Smith' and 'The Ugly Truth' is packed with crazy chases and ridiculous fights. The plot, about an ex-CIA guy getting hunted down by the baddies, is a one-idea story stretched to feature-length film. Its main attraction is a shirtless Kutcher and Heigl playing Izzie Stevens all over again.

5. SEX AND THE CITY 2 (Comedy with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone and Willie Garson) Rated * * (2 stars): The first impression I got from watching this sequel is that the cast has aged so much since the first movie. Then I realised that even the comedy and gags are repetitive and dated. It was like watching an episode of the Pre-Golden Girls. And to make things worse, it is dragged to almost two-and-a-half hours long. (Reviewed below)

6. MARMADUKE (comedy with Owen Wilson, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan, Fergie, et al) Rating * 1/2 (1.5 stars): The film-makers probably thought that with Wilson voicing the title character, the movie will probably do as well as Marley & Me. It doesn't. It is mainly about dog havoc, trite gags and a silly CGI scene of hundreds of dogs dancing in the park. Adapted from a comic strip that is not even funny.

KNIGHT AND DAY - Cruise & Diaz Sizzle

KNIGHT AND DAY (action thriller)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Maggie Grace, Peter Sarsgaard, Marc Blucas, Paul Dano, Viola Davis, Olivier Martinez, Stream and Nicole Signore
Director: James Mangold
Screenplay:Patrick O'Neill
Time: 110 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)


WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL: Somewhat like Mission: Impossible topped up with generous helpings of humour, globe-trotting and incredulous action, Knight And Day obviously set out to be a summer actioner and accomplishes its mission. Its strength is the pairing of Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise (last seen together in Vanilla Sky) and the chemistry is both bustling and bubbly. Don't anybody ask for more.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: June Havens (Diaz), a 30-something Mid-West woman, is on her way to her sister's wedding, when she finds her life turned upside down after a chance encounter with Roy Miller (Cruise), a secret agent on the run from rival spies and hit-men.

HITS & MISSES: After the opening scenes, where Roy knocks out an entire jet plane of baddies (all while June is in the restroom), we realise that nothing bad is ever gonna happen to him and the sense of danger dissipates. What is left is the comedy and the touch of ridiculousness in its action pieces that rivals some of Bond's best.

I like the shootouts on motorbike and in the factory. Indeed, in a movie which starts off with a plane crash, director James Mangold seems forced to up the ante with one crazy stunt after another. Having Cruise and Diaz around helps too. Cruise has not aged a bit since his Ethan Hunt (of M:I2) days and here he looks even more suave and relaxed as he calms June down before each action piece. If not for his height, he would have made a great Bond.

Initially, Diaz does not have much to do except scream a bit but she warms up later when she gets guns in her hand. And yes, she is still hot in a bikini.

THE LOWDOWN: One of the better Summer hits.

Toy Story 3 Tops US Weekend B-O

JUNE 21, 2010 - Pixar Animation Studios broke the piggy bank again with Toy Story 3, raking in an estimated US$109 million over the weekend. Overall weekend business was up 29 percent over the same time last year, and, with around US$195 million, it was the industry's largest-grossing third weekend of June ever.

Pixar's track record extended to 11 consecutive blockbusters, reaffirming yet again the role that consistent, universal storytelling plays in branding and commercial success. Toy Story 3 delivered the studio's highest-grossing launch yet, surpassing The Incredibles' $70.5 million. Toy Story 3 also generated the second biggest-grossing start ever for an animated feature, behind Shrek the Third's $121.6 million. The latter, though, had the advantage of opening in mid-May, when business is more concentrated on the weekends than at this time in June (when most kids are off from school).

The weekend's other nationwide debut, Jonah Hex, was a complete misfire, rustling up a paltry estimated US$5.1 million at 2,825 locations and ranking eighth.

Here are the Top 5 North American B-O studio estimates for June 18-20, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.


1. Toy Story 3 (BV) $109.0 million ($109-mil) 1

2. Tne Karate Kid (Sony) $29.0 million ($106.2-mil) 2

3. The A-Team (Fox) $13.7 million ($49.7-mil) 2

4. Get Him To The Greek (Universal) $6.1 million ($47.8-mil) 3

5. Shrek Forever After (Paramount/DW) $5.5 million ($222.9-mil) 5

Kristen Stewart to Replace Jolie in 'Wanted 2'

JUNE 20, 2010 - Can Kristen Stewart, who often acts by just blinking her eyes, fill the shoes of Angelina Jolie, in Wanted 2?

The sequel's director Timur Bekmambetov is eyeing a new actress to fill the role of Jolie in ‘Wanted 2' and is reported to be very interested on Kristen Stewart to replace Jolie. The reports continue to confirm that Bekmambetov has no plans of bringing Jolie back to reprise the role.

Stewart has told MTV thst she is very keen to take up offer to star in the sequel.' “Yes. Definitely [I'm interested], as long as it was good," she was quoted as saying.

Stewart and co-star Taylor Lautner (pictured above) are on tour duty to promote 'Twilight: Eclipse' in Europe. The movie opens June 30.

Stewart came into recognition when she co-starred as Jodie Foster's daughter in Panic Room (2002). She also starred in Zathura before becoming a global heart-throb in Twilight.

SEX AND THE CITY 2 - Overindulgent and Overdrawn

SEX AND THE CITY 2 (comedy)
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone and Willie Garson
Director: Michael Patrick King
Screenplay: Michael Patrick King
Time: 145 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

Cattrall, Parker, Nixon and Davis in SATC 2

PREAMBLE: When I first saw the four SATC women at the opening of this sequel, I thought, 'Gawd, they seem to have aged a decade since the first movie'. Despite all those make-up, the girls look like they are on the top side of middle-age.

Then, when Liza Minelli appeared (as herself, pictured below) ostensibly to spice up Sex And The City 2 with a song-and-dance, it almost looked like a cinema remake of The Golden Girls! Except for a handful of verbal gags, everything was so tried and tired that I would be surprised the franchise could go on to Number Three. And to make things worse, director Michael Patrick King has to drag the movie to almost two and a half hours long (as timed at a cineplex in Bloomington, Indiana, US).

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: Fashion, friendship, shopping, overcoming marital problems, motherhood, gay wedding, hormones, sex, braless maids and old flames. Yes, the same old things. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) runs into former lover Aidan (John Corbett) in Abu Dhabi where Samantha (Kim Cattrall) takes her best friends, including Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis), on a luxury junkett. They kiss - and that becomes one of the many mini-crises for the four friends to tackle in this sequel where nothing much happens except endless images of dresses, shoes, jewelry, shirtless men and so forth.

And director King lingers the cameras on wardrobe accessories and other merchandise rather than the stars.

HITS & MISSES: When Sex And The City started on TV, it offered a fresh and witty look at the dating scene in Manhattan. It even managed to keep its wit and audience interest for many seasons until the usual 'aging' and casting problems crept in. Not so the movies. The first film was tolerable. It offered fans (like yours truly) a touch of nostalgia. This one is an overly indulgent and insufferable drag, intermittently peppered with a few verbal quips.

I like it when Samantha likens the dashing Dane she meets in the desert as "Lawrence of my labia"; when Carrie refers to "Jude Law" in a crack at hanky-panky with the nanny (played by Alice Eve) and a reference to Bedouin Bath and Beyond.

I hate it when they have to use the 'cameltoe' quip when Charlotte falls of a camel; when they get insensitive about local (Muslim) customs; when Samantha goes on and on about menopause; and when the four go ga-ga over the opulent hotel fixtures and staff in Abu Dhabi. This sequel smacks of sloppy writing, cultural stereotyping and lazy pacing. It goes on for so long but accomplishes so little.

THE LOWDOWN: Only for diehard female fans.

Twilight's Breaking Dawn Split into Two Parts

Why Make One Film When They Can Charge Fans for Two?

JUNE 11, 2010 - The fourth Twilight Saga, 'Breaking Dawn', will be broken into two parts, with the first half scheduled for release on November 18, 2011, its distributor Summit Entertainment confirmed yesterday.

It said Bill Condon will be directing both and shooting them consecutively. There is no release date given for the second film.

The announcement, coming ahead of the June 30 release of the third film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, will not surprise Twilight fans. Stephenie Meyer's 900-page 'Breaking Dawn' book is simply too complex to be adapted into a single movie. Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in the Twilight series. Divided into three parts, the first and third are written from heroine Bella Swan's perspective while the second is written from the perspective of Jacob Black.

The studio had reportedly signed the cast for only four movies and had to renegotiate costly deals with the cast before it could officially announce the new plan.

In addition to leads Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart (pictured above), and Taylor Lautner, other returning cast members include Peter Facinelli as Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Nikki Reed as Rosalie, Ashley Greene as Alice and Kellan Lutz as Emmett. Word has it that Tinsel Korey (who plays Emily), Alex Meraz (who plays Paul) and Julia Jones (who plays Leah) will reprise their roles from Eclipse in the first Breaking Dawn film.

The first two films of the Twilight franchise grossed over US$1.1 billion at the box office, Summit said. By the time it gets to its fourth and fifth instalments, dare we hope that Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner would have learnt how to act?

WEEKEND PIC - June 11 - 13, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) THE KARATE KID (kungfu drama with Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Han Wenwen and Wang Zhenwei) Rated * * * (3 stars): Consider this remake as a warm-hearted but lightweight tribute to Jackie Chan and you will enjoy the movie which sort of updates the original, taking the venue to China and showing kungfu instead of karate. Jaden Smith may not act like a pro but he still has his boyish Happyness charm that clicks well with Jackie's. (Reviewed below)

b) THE A-TEAM (action drama with Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, Patrick Wilson, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Maury Sterling, Gerald McRaney) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): As can be expected, this one is a loud, mindless and uninspired adaptation of the TV series (that was also loud and mindless). After an initial hurrah, the A-Team is likely to go into C-minus territory at the box-office.

STILL GOING STRONG

1. SHREK FOREVER AFTER (animated comedy with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph and Amy Sedaris) Rated * * * (3 stars): With the franchise going into its 'mid-life' crisis after three instalments, it is time for Shrek, Fiona and friends to live happily Forever After. This swan song is a fitting goodbye to the inhabitants of Far Far Away, with a story about Shrek being cast into an alternate world where his existence is threatened. (Reviewed below)

3. PRINCE OF PERSIA: The Sands Of Time (fantasy adventure with Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton and Alfred Molina) Rated * * * (3 stars): Typical Bruckheimer actioner with almost non-stop stunts and chases to satisfy the adrenalin addict. After milking the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, it is now the Sands Of Time videogame franchise and the going looks good. (Reviewed below)

4. LETTERS TO JULIET (love story with Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, Lidia Biondi and Daniel Baldock) Rating * * * (3 stars): An entertaining and engrossing romantic fantasy about an aspiring writer (Seyfried) helping to trace and reunite a pair of star-crossed lovers while she is in Verona. Of course, this sets off a chain of events that changes her life too.

5. KILLERS (romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Rob Riggle and Lisa Ann Walter) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This mix of 'Mr & Mrs Smith' and 'The Ugly Truth' is packed with crazy chases and ridiculous fights. The plot, about an ex-CIA guy getting hunted down by the baddies, is a one-idea story stretched to feature-length film. Its main attraction is a shirtless Kutcher and Heigl playing Izzie Stevens all over again.

6. MARMADUKE (comedy with Owen Wilson, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan, Fergie, et al) Rating * 1/2 (1.5 stars): The film-makers probably thought that with Wilson voicing the title character, the movie will probably do as well as Marley & Me. It doesn't. It is mainly about dog havoc, trite gags and a silly CGI scene of hundreds of dogs dancing in the park. Adapted from a comic strip that is not even funny.

KARATE KID - To Honour Jackie Chan

THE KARATE KID (kungfu drama)
Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Han Wenwen and Wang Zhenwei
Director: Harald Zwart
Screenplay: Christopher Murphey
Time: 140 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)

Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith

PREAMBLE: If there is any valid reason for this remake of the 1984 Pat Morita movie it is to honour Jackie Chan in the role of kid's kungfu mentor. And yes, with Jackie in the flick, you should have sussed it out by now that it is the Kungfu Kid rather than the Karate Kid. Call it the Karate Kid: Foreign Exchange Version.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is forced to move from Detroit to Beijing when his mother (Taraji P. Henson) is transferred to China. The 12-year-old Dre falls for his violinist classmate Mei Ying (Han Wenwen) but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of Cheng (Wang Zhenwei), the class bully and kungfu prodigy.

With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kungfu. As Han teaches Dre that kungfu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

HITS & MISSES: Although the film-makers pay suitable tribute to its predecessor (like having Mr Han forcing Dre to repeatedly put on and remove his jacket in lieu of the original's car-waxing sequence), this remake offers more in terms of locations, scenery and cinematography.

Next, it is the charms of the two leads, Chan and Smith. It is easy to root for Jackie in such a mentor role where he is definitely comfortable in. Just look at how much he is enjoying himself in the father-son relationship. As for Smith, it is difficult to believe that he is in real danger from the bully but we still sympathise with him (especially when we have seen him in The Pursuit of Happyness (which he starred with his father Will). And the most important thing is that the two have screen chemistry.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A worthwhile remake.

'New Moon' Wins 5 MTV Movie Awards

JUNE 7, 2010 - New Moon, the vampire romance sequel won five prizes at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, just as the first picture, Twilight, did a year ago. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" was named best movie, while its stars Kristen Stewart (pic) and Robert Pattinson picked up multiple honours.

Fans were also treated to an exclusive preview of the third film, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," which opens on June 30.

Stewart won for best female performance and best kiss, sharing the latter award with Pattinson. The real-life lovers staged a deliberately awkward smooch for the benefit of the overly excitable Twilight fans who seemed to dominate the crowd at the Gibson Amphitheatre near Hollywood. Pattinson also won for best male performance, and was named global superstar.

Here are the winners:

BEST MOVIE

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon"

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE

Kristen Stewart ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon")

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE

Robert Pattinson ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon")

BEST BREAKOUT STAR

Anna Kendrick ("Up in the Air")

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover")

BEST VILLAIN

Tom Felton ("Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince")

BEST FIGHT

Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter ("Obsessed")

BEST KISS

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon")

BEST WTF MOMENT

Ken Jeong ("The Hangover")

GLOBAL SUPERSTAR

Robert Pattinson ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon")

BEST SCARED-AS-S**T PERFORMANCE

Amanda Seyfried ("Jennifer's Body")

BIGGEST BADASS STAR

Rain ("Ninja Assassin")

The Ogre Hogs US Box-Office

JUNE 7, 2010 - Shrek Forever After topped the weekend again with an estimated US$25.3 million.

Newbies, Get Him to the Greek and Killers opened weak, with Sex And The City 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time making up the Top Five list.

Here are the Top 5 North American B-O studio estimates for June 4 - 6, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.

1. Shrek Forever After (Paramount/DreamWorks) $25.3 million ($183.0 million) 3

2. Get Him to the Greek (Universal) $17.4 million ($17.4 million) 1

3. Killers (Lionsgate) $16.1 million ($16.1 million) 1

4. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (Buena Vista) $13.9 million ($59.5 million) 2

5. Sex and the City 2 (WB/New Line) $12.7 million ($73.4 million) 2

WEEKEND PIC - June 4 - 6, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) KILLERS (romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Rob Riggle and Lisa Ann Walter) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This mix of 'Mr & Mrs Smith' and 'The Ugly Truth' is packed with crazy chases and ridiculous fights. The plot, about an ex-CIA guy getting hunted down by the baddies, is a one-idea story stretched to feature-length film. Its main attraction is a shirtless Kutcher and Heigl playing Izzie Stevens all over again.

b) MARMADUKE (comedy with Owen Wilson, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan, Fergie, et al) Rating * 1/2 (1.5 stars): The film-makers probably thought that with Wilson voicing the title character, the movie will probably do as well as Marley & Me. It doesn't. It is mainly about dog havoc, trite gags and a silly CGI scene of hundreds of dogs dancing in the park. Adapted from a comic strip that is not even funny.

STILL GOING STRONG

1. SHREK FOREVER AFTER (animated comedy with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph and Amy Sedaris) Rated * * * (3 stars): With the franchise going into its 'mid-life' crisis after three instalments, it is time for Shrek, Fiona and friends to live happily Forever After. This swan song is a fitting goodbye to the inhabitants of Far Far Away, with a story about Shrek being cast into an alternate world where his existence is threatened. (Reviewed below)

2. ROBIN HOOD (adventure reboot with Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins and Max von Sydow) Rated * * * (3 stars): Like Batman, Iron Man and Superman, this origin movie starts a new series of Sherwood Forest tales. It is not the comedic adventures we know but one steeped in English history with Crowe playing Gladiator in tights. (Reviewed below)

3. PRINCE OF PERSIA: The Sands Of Time (fantasy adventure with Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton and Alfred Molina) Rated * * * (3 stars): Typical Bruckheimer actioner with almost non-stop stunts and chases to satisfy the adrenalin addict. After milking the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, it is now the Sands Of Time videogame franchise and the going looks good. (Reviewed below)

4. LETTERS TO JULIET (love story with Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, Lidia Biondi and Daniel Baldock) Rating * * * (3 stars): An entertaining and engrossing romantic fantasy about an aspiring writer (Seyfried) helping to trace and reunite a pair of star-crossed lovers while she is in Verona. Of course, this sets off a chain of events that changes her life too.

5. THE BOUNTY HUNTER (Romantic comedy with Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Christine Baranski, Jason Sudeikis, Natalie Morales and Cathy Moriarty) Rated * * (2 stars): It is a one-gag movie that is not romantic, nor is it funny. However, to sustain viewer interest, director Andy Tennant throws in lots of action stunts and chases, and of course constant glimpses of Aniston's famous twin assets. (Reviewed below)