'Last Exorcism' & 'Takers' Go Neck And Neck

AUGUST 30, 2010 - The Last Exorcism and Takers delivered sizeable debuts in a near photo finish for the North American weekend top spot, while Avatar's Special Edtion relaunch yielded modest numbers. Overall weekend business was off six percent from the same time-frame last year, when The Final Destination led.

Grossing US$20.5 million at 2,874 locations, The Last Exorcism, reinforced the seemingly perennial popularity of supernatural horror, particularly serious ones about hauntings or exorcisms. Its opening ranked well above average for the sub-genre, grossing more than Exorcist: The Beginning and The Unborn (2009).

Here are the Top 5 North American B-O studio grosses for Aug 27-29, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo. (Updated on 31 Aug).

1. The Last Exorcism (Lion's Gate) $20.5 million ($20.5 million) 1

2. Takers (Screen Gems) $20.3 million ($20.3) million) 1

3. The Expendables (Lion's Gate) $9.5 million ($82.0 mil) 3

4. Eat Pray Love (Sony) $6.8 million ($60.5 mil) 3

5. The Other Guys (Sony) $6.2 million ($99.0 mil) 4

Coppola to get Lifetime Achievement Oscar

AUGUST 26, 2010 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced that it will present a lifetime achievement Oscar to movie-maker Francis Ford Coppola (pic) to add to his stack of five Academy Awards.

Coppola, 71, who won most of his five Oscars for The Godfather series, also wrote and directed Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now and the 1974 thriller The Conversation. He will receive the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award at a dinner in November in Los Angeles, ahead of the main Oscar ceremony in February 2011.

The lifetime achievement award is given to "a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production."

Coppola was also credited for launching the career of Star Wars creator George Lucas when he produced Lucas's first two feature films, "THX 1138" and American Graffiti."

Honorary Oscars will also be handed out to French director Jean-Luc Godard, whose films include Breathless and The Seven Deadly Sins; character actor Eli Wallach, 94, and film historian and documentary maker Kevin Brownlow.

"Each of these honorees has touched movie audiences worldwide and influenced the motion picture industry through their work," AMPAS president Tom Sherak said in a statement. "It will be an honour to celebrate their extraordinary achievements and contributions."

WEEKEND PIC - Aug 27 - 29, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) STOOL PIGEON (HK crime thriller with Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung, Kwai Lun-Mei, Yi Lu and Liu Kai Chi) Rated * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): With a riveting plot and tensed action from start to end, this Dante Lam effort looks like his best work so far. It also helps to have Nick Cheung and Nicholas Tse in the leads, with Tse giving one of his best portrayals (of the title role). This is one of the few gems to have come out of Hong Kong this year. (Reviewed below)

b) GROWN UPS (comedy with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph) Rated * * * (3 stars): Dare we hope that with this comedy, Sandler has become more matured or grown-up? Well, as script-writer, he has curbed his subversiveness and crude gags. Instead, he opts for 'friendly banter' with his Saturday Night Live buddies who make up the cast. Why, even Schneider is more bearable here. (Reviewed below)

c) PHUA CHU KANG THE MOVIE (local comedy with Gurmit Singh, Irene Ang, Lim Kay Siu, Neo Swee Lin and Charlie Tan) Rating * * (2 stars): Over the past years, PCK the TV series, had been rolling downhill both in quality and viewership. That is why it is a surprise to me why anyone would want to make a movie of it. What is not surprising is that this feature, shot entirely in KL, is a messy, hastily-concocted and half-baked caper about some murder at an old folk's home.

d) VAMPIRES SUCK (comedy spoof with Jenn Proske, Ken Jeong, Matt Lanter, Charlie Weber, Marcelle Baer, Chris Riggi, Wanetah Walmsley and Michelle Lang) Rated * * (2 stars): Another uninspired and misguided effort from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the guys behind lame lampoons like Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet The Spartans and Disaster Movie. The one thing that does not suck is the performance of Proske who does a magnificent job of spoofing Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Bella Swan. She has all of Stewart's 'acting' down pat - her blinking, pouting and blank reactions. (Reviewed below)

STILL GOING STRONG

1. THE EXPENDABLES (action thriller with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Steve Austin, et al) Rating * * * (3 stars): Most of Hollywood's action stars of yesteryear are gathered for this 'nostalgic thrill outing' for their fans. If you have high expectations, you are gonna regret, but if you are just happy with some popcorn entertainment, you are in for a treat.

2. REPO MEN (sci-fi thriller with Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Joe Pingue, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten and Liza Lapira) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): The world of Repo Men recalls that of The Surrogates, with its 'hell-to-pay' system of health care service instead of robotic clones. Technically, the movie is up to scratch but the narrative runs out of steam halfway - thanks to a weak script. (Reviewed below)

3. THE DESCENT 2 (horror thriller with Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Krysten Cummings, Gavan O'Herlihy, Joshua Dallas and Anna Skellern) Rating * * (2 stars): This B-grade horror is for two kinds of viewers: those who have seen the first and are unreasonably curious about this sequel; and those planning to 'score' with their dates. Other than these, I cannot see any reason why we have to descend again into an abyss of mindless conceit.

4. THE LAST AIRBENDER (fantasy thriller with Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel and Katharine Houghton) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 star): M. Night Shyamalan sinks to a new low with this insepid adaptation of the Nickelodeon TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Its childish dialogue and mispronunciations of names will not please any of the series' fans and won't win any new ones either. The special effects, especially its stunts with water are pretty fantastic though. (Reviewed below)

5. LOVE IN DISGUISE (romantic comedy with Wang LeeHom, Crystal Liu Yi-Fei, Joan Chen and Chen Han Dian) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): Directed by singer Wang LeeHom himself, this one is a right royal mess of over-the-top performances, an infantile script and juvenile jokes. LeeHom fans would probably like his music and songs here - and its promotion of traditional Chinese instrumental music. (Reviewed below)

GROWN UPS - Light and Family-Friendly

GROWN UPS (comedy)
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph
Director: Dennis Dugan
Writers: Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf
Time: 102 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)

SNL buddies: Rock, James, Schneider, Spade and Sandler

PREAMBLE: I must confess that I had not thought much of Grown Ups, judging from its trailer I saw in the US. I mean, what hopes could I have for an Adam Sandler flick that reunites his Saturday Night Live buddies of the early Nineties at a lake resort for a 4th of July holiday? It barely has a storyline, much less a plot - and it reminded me of the disappointing vacation film Couples Retreat (2009).

This is why I was pleasantly surprised when I got about 10 minutes into Grown Ups and found it funny enough to be entertaining instead of just tolerable. Indeed, it is one of the BETTER Sandler films I have seen in a long while...

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Five members of a junior high basketball team, Lenny (Adam Sandler), Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), Marcus (David Spade), and Rob (Rob Schneider) gather at a posh lakeside resort for the funeral of their former coach. The coach is special to the five pals because he had led the then 12-year-olds to the only victory of their sporting lives.

Now, 30 years later, Lenny is a hotshot Hollywood agent married to fashion designer Roxanne (Salma Hayek, right) and have three spoilt brats; Eric is married to Sally (Maria Bello) who is still breastfeeding their four-year-old son; Kurt is a house-husband under the control of his wife Deanne (Maya Rudolph) and mother-in-law; Rob is 'happily' married to Gloria (Joyce Van Patten) a Sixties-era hippie old enough to be his mother; and Marcus is still single because he doesn't seem to have grown up!

HITS & MISSES: Unlike his previous films, where Sandler aims way below the belt to get the laughs, he is more matured (or grown-up) and less subversive here. Most of the laughs are pursued at the expense of the five friends, especially Schneider's Rob who has three eye-catching teenage daughters. Oh yes, Steve Buscemi also shows up for a bit of 'punishment', Sandler-style, of course. The much-touted backside-baring scene of David Spade has been snipped.

Other jibes are at how kids of today are addicted to the TV and Playstations; at how a bunch of 40-somethings try to relive the old days by doing stuff they did when they were 12; etc. Director Dennis Dugan, a longtime Sandler co-conspirator, seems content to let the comedians do their schtick and as a result, we get lots of friendly banter that endear us to the five pals. With the comedic duties spread among them, each is allowed to shine, even for 'try-too-hard-to-be-funny' Schneider.

The movie opens with a basketball game - and it predictably ends with one too.

THE LOWDOWN: Grown Ups is mainly for men who like their beer and comedy light.

STOOL PIGEON - Lam's Crowning Glory

STOOL PIGEON (crime thriller)
Cast: Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung, Kwai Lun-Mei, Yi Lu and Liu Kai chi
Director: Dante Lam
Screenplay: Jack Ng Wai Lun
Time: 115 mins
Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 4)

Nicholas Tse and Kwai Lun-Mei in STOOL PIGEON

PREAMBLE: A 'stool pigeon' is another name for a police informer - and this Dante Lam-Jack Ng collaboration smacks of the 2002 hit Infernal Affairs. After watching it, I get the feeling that some Hollywood studio would be buying the rights for a remake, just like it had been done with The Departed, Martin Scorsese's 2006 remake of Infernal Affairs.

After Beast Stalker (2008), Sniper (2009) and Fire of Conscience, this one looks set to cap Lam's career as film-maker. It grips its viewers from start to end - and never lets go!

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Police Inspector Don Lee (Nick Cheung) relies very much on his 'stool pigeons' to provide information for his drugs and criminal cases. However, an act of betrayal involving his last informant (played by Liu Kai Chi) leaves him wrecked with guilt. Don resolves to be more careful with his next 'stoolie', an ex-convict nicknamed Ghost (Nicholas Tse), whom Don plans to plant as getaway driver for a gold heist gang led by Barbarian (Lu Yi).

Ghost, a street-racer who is determined to save his sister from loan sharks, looks like the man for the job. Problem is can they trust each other enough to see the job through?

HITS & MISSES: Movies about snitches, moles and informers are nothing new. However, Lam gives the genre a new dimension by delving deeper into the intricate relationship between police handler and informant. One sequence has Don telling his rookie officers to be friendly with their informers to win their trust, but not to be too close or they would lose their objectivity. This, of course, is easier said than done when lives and limbs are at stake.

Lam also takes great care with character development. The backgrounds of Don Lee and Ghost are nicely fleshed out (with even a twist or two) - and there is an emotional connection between Ghost and Barbarian's girlfriend Dee (Kwai Lun-Mei). This romantic touch not only lends narrative power and depth to the movie but also sets up the groundwork for the explosive and breath-taking ending.

Of course, for any movie to be compelling, it has to have a great cast. Nick Cheung has won Best Actor awards for his role in Beast Stalker and now it looks like Tse's turn. Nicholas gives Ghost such a powerful portrayal that it reminds me of a young Robert De Niro. His character is so full of anger and angst that it threatens to explode at any time. Cheung, as expected, has the audience rooting for him all the time, while Kwai steals the show everytime she appears as the scheming gang moll.

There are some awkward and over-the-top scenes here and there but they do not mar the overall flow of the movie.

THE LOWDOWN: Arguably, the crowning glory of Dante Lam's career and a must for Hong Kong action fans.

'Expendables' Overtakes Newcomers at US B-O

AUGUST 23, 2010 - The Expendables continues to flex its B-O muscles in North America in a weekend of weak opening releases. It scored an estimated US$16.5 million (down 53 per cent from last weekend) against newcomers Vampires Suck and Lottery Ticket.

Vampires Suck was the top grosser among new releases, collecting an estimated US$12.2 million from approximately 3,400 screens at 3,233 locations for a five-day haul of $18.6 million. With marketing that mostly honed in on Twilight and the vampire craze, the spoof's start was twice as much as Disaster Movie's debut in August 2008.

Inception, meanwhile, collected an estimated US$9 million to stay at No 9 over the weekend. All in all, it made US$619.5 million worldwide.

Here are the Top 5 North American B-O studio estimates for Aug 20-22, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.

1. The Expendables (Lion's Gate) $16.5 million ($64.8 mil) 2

2. Vampires Suck (Fox) $12.2 million ($18.5 million) 1

3. Eat Pray Love (Sony) $12.0 million ($47.1 mil) 2

4. Lottery Ticket (WB) $11.1 million ($11.1 mil) 1

5. The Other Guys (Sony) $10.1 million ($88.1 mil) 3

VAMPIRES SUCK - So Does The Movie

VAMPIRES SUCK (comedy spoof)
Cast: Jenn Proske, Ken Jeong, Matt Lanter, Charlie Weber, Marcelle Baer, Chris Riggi, Wanetah Walmsley, Michelle Lang and Bradley Dodds
Directors: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
Screenplay: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
Time: 80 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

Jenn Proske and Matt Lanter in VAMPIRES SUCK

PREAMBLE: Made by the guys who lampooned popular movies with limp efforts like Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet The Spartans and Disaster Movie, this one takes a crack at the hugely popular Twilight sagas, Twilight and New Moon. If you have not seen these two hits, you will probably be lost in this mess of a spoof.

As I have expected, there are very few laughs to be had in this largely unfunny satire that recaps the two films.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? It pokes fun at the triangle relationship among the Twilight heart-throbs, renamed Becca Crane (Jenn Proske), Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter) and Jacob White (Chris Riggi) in the Pacific Northwest town of Sporks.

IS IT FUNNY? Nothing to laugh out loud, but a few sniggers at some of the pop culture (or under-the-belt) references to people like the Kardashians, Lindsay Lohan, Tiger Woods and the Black Eyed Peas. Indeed, these references get to the audience more than the silly sight gags and fart jokes.

Writers-directors Friedberg and Seltzer plot the movie along the same narrative structure as the two Twilight movies, making the spoofs look tedious and more predictable than funny. The comedy lacks wit and some of the gags look like that have been recycled from the earlier movies.

However, the one thing that does not suck here is the performance of newcomer Proske who does a magnificent job of spoofing Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Bella Swan. Proske has all of Stewart's 'acting schtick' down pat - her blinking, pouting and blank reactions. Well, at least we share Becca's dilemma - a boyfriend who wouldn't want to have sex with her and the other who would rather chase cats!

THE LOWDOWN: Only if you don't mind that the comedy sucks.

WEEKEND PIC - Aug 20 - 22, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) REPO MEN (sci-fi thriller with Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Joe Pingue, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten and Liza Lapira) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): The world of Repo Men recalls that of The Surrogates, with its 'hell-to-pay' systemof health care service instead of robotic clones. Technically, the movie is up to scratch but the narrative runs out of steam halfway - thanks to a weak script. (Reviewed below)

b) THE DESCENT 2 (horror thriller with Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Krysten Cummings, Gavan O'Herlihy, Joshua Dallas and Anna Skellern) Rating * * (2 stars): This B-grade horror is for two kinds of viewers: those who have seen the first and are unreasonably curious about this sequel; and those planning to 'score' with their dates. Other than these, I cannot see any reason why we have to descend again into an abyss of mindless conceit.

STILL GOING STRONG

1. THE EXPENDABLES (action thriller with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Steve Austin, et al) Rated * * * (3 stars): Most of Hollywood's former action stars are gathered for this 'nostalgic thrill outing' for their fans. If you have high expectations, you are gonna regret, but if you are just happy with some popcorn entertainment, you are in for a treat.

2. SALT (spy thriller with Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alex Pettyfer, Gaius Charles, Victor Slezak and Marion McCorry) Rated * * * (3 stars): Jolie gives a jolly good account of herself as a double/triple agent in this Cold War spy caper. Expectedly, the plot has to be taken with more than the proverbial pinch of Salt but the action and the twists go well wit Coke and popcorn. (Reviewed below)

3. MONGA (Taiwan gangster drama with Ethan Juan, Mark Chao, Ma Ju-lung, Ko Chia-yen, Rhydian Vaughan, Jason Wang, Tsai Chang-hsine, Huang Teng-hui, Chen Han-tien and Hsing Feng) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Touted as Taiwan's New Wave cinema, Monga deals with a bunch of young gangstas in the 'hood downtown. It is interesting but rather amateurish compared with similar Hong Kong efforts. The main attraction for Taiwanese is the cast of TV heartthrobs. Not so attractive for others. (Reviewed below)

4. TEKKEN (action thriller with Jon Foo, Luke Goss, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Chiaki Kuriyama, Mircea Monroe, Gary Daniels, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Cung Le and Ian Anthony Dale) Rated * * (2 stars): Made in the style of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, Tekken is strictly for action addicts, with a weak and predictable plot and eyefuls of sexily-clad girls. The fight sequences get repetitive after a while but I guess its audiences wouldn't mind. (Reviewed below)

5. THE LAST AIRBENDER (fantasy thriller with Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel and Katharine Houghton) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 star): M. Night Shyamalan sinks to a new low with this insepid adaptation of the Nickelodeon TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Its childish dialogue and mispronounciations of names will not please any of the series' fans and won't win any new ones either. The special effects, especially its stunts with water are pretty fantastic though. (Reviewed below)

6. LOVE IN DISGUISE (romantic comedy with Wang LeeHom, Crystal Liu Yi-Fei, Joan Chen and Chen Han Dian) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): Directed by singer Wang LeeHom himself, this one is a right royal mess of over-the-top performances, an infantile script and juvenile jokes. LeeHom fans would probably like his music and songs here - and its promotion of traditional Chinese instrumental music. (Reviewed below)

REPO MEN - More Brawn Than Brain

REPO MEN (sci-fi thriller)
Cast: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Joe Pingue, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten and Liza Lapira
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Screenplay: Eric Garcia and Garrett Lerner, based on Garcia's novel The Repossession Mambo
Time: 111 mins
Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 4)


PREAMBLE: Those who have seen the trailer to Repo Men would know what there is to know about the movie's plot - except for the twist at the ending. And those who have seen the movie would probably be sorely disappointed with the twist at the ending. Yup, Repo Men is one film that is technically sound but narratively flawed. Halfway through, you will wish that you have left your brain at the door.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Remy and Jake (Jude Law and Forest Whitaker, above) are a couple of reposessors working for a big corporation (called The Union) that provides mechanical organ transplants to people on an instalment plan. Those who renege on payments get their organs brutally ripped off their bodies by the repo men.

One day, while on his last repo job, Remy has an accident - and wakes up in hospital to find that he has been supplied with an ArtifOrg heart, on loan from the Union! With this 'change of heart', Remy finds himself losing his appetite for violence. And when he can't make the hefty payments for his new heart, his former colleagues come after him...

HITS & MISSES: The first half-hour can be a seat-gripper, full of fast-paced, visually-engaging and gory action as we follow Law and Whitaker on their rounds. The duo exude a nice screen chemistry that we have come to expect of them. The same goes for Liev Schreiber who gives his 'salesman' Frank a delectable sort of villainy. Alice Braga (right) provides the requisite feminine allure as the fugitive Beth.

The narrative excitement starts to taper off after Remy gets on the other side of the repayment plan - and the plot holes become apparent. Like, why does the company go about fitting organs into people who apparently can't pay? Why does the Government allow such repo men to operate? And so on.

It is evident that there is not enough material to stretch the movie to its present length - and director Miguel Sapochnik fills the footage with borrowed stuff from famous sci-fi hits like The Blade Runner and AI. The Repo Men opened in the US last March 19 at a time when President Obama pushed his healthcare reforms through Congress. However, the timing failed to boost the box-office clout of Repo Men. The movie, made with a production budget of US$32 million (about RM100 mil) grossed only US$6.1 million at its opening weekend. Overall, it grossed US$17.8 million so far.

THE LOWDOWN: More of a miss than a hit.

Expendables Muscle into Top US Weekend B-O

AUGUST 16, 2010 - The Expendables muscled in to the top spot of the North American weekend box-office. Eat Pray Love takes second place, but it was nearly game over for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

The Expendables' opening weekend at US$35 million was a bit less than Inglourious Basterds' US$38.1 million last August, but it was greater than The A-Team's US$25.7 million and nearly doubled Rambo's US$18.2 million. It also was the highest-grossing debut of Sylvester Stallone's career, although not in terms of attendance.

Here are the Top 5 North American B-O studio estimates for Aug 13-15, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.

1. The Expendables (Lion's Gate) $35.0 million ($35.0 mil) 1

2. Eat Pray Love (Sony) $23.7 ($23.7 mil) 1

3. The Other Guys (Sony) $18.0 million ($70.5 mil) 2

4. Inception (WB) $11.3 million ($248.5 mil) 5

5. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (Universal) $10.5 million ($10.5 mil) 1

WEEKEND PIC - Aug 13 - 15, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) THE EXPENDABLES (action thriller with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Steve Austin, et al) Rating * * * (3 stars): Most of Hollywood's former action stars are gathered for this 'nostalgic thrill outing' for their fans. If you have high expectations, you are gonna regret, but if you are just happy with some popcorn entertainment, you are in for a treat.

b) LOVE IN DISGUISE (romantic comedy with Wang LeeHom, Crystal Liu Yi-Fei, Joan Chen and Chen Han Dian) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 stars): Directed by singer Wang LeeHom himself, this one is a right royal mess of over-the-top performances, an infantile script and juvenile jokes. LeeHom fans would probably like his music and songs here - and its promotion of traditional Chinese instrumental music. (Reviewed below)

STILL GOING STRONG

1. INCEPTION (sci-fi thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Lukas Haas) Rated * * * * (4 stars!): By now, it is impossible for one to escape reading or listening to people taking about Inception, Christopher Nolan's 'dream-travel' masterpiece. The tale is so intriguing and complex that it may take more than one viewing for one to appreciate its nuances and conceits. The special effects are top class and so are the performances and plot. (Reviewed below)

2. DESPICABLE ME (animated comedy with Jason Segel, Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Julie Andrews, Danny R. McBride, Kristen Wiig and Jack McBrayer) Rating * * * (3 stars): With its tale about a villain named Gru, it's quite the opposite of The Incredibles but just as funny and fun. It represents the inaugural entry for Universal into the field of 3D CGI and will give Pixar a run for the money.

3. SALT (spy thriller with Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alex Pettyfer, Gaius Charles, Victor Slezak and Marion McCorry) Rated * * * (3 stars): Jolie gives a jolly good account of herself as a double/triple agent in this Cold War spy caper. Expectedly, the plot has to be taken with more than the proverbial pinch of Salt but the action and the twists go well with Coke and popcorn. (Reviewed below)

4. TEKKEN (action thriller with Jon Foo, Luke Goss, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Chiaki Kuriyama, Mircea Monroe, Gary Daniels, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Cung Le and Ian Anthony Dale) Rated * * (2 stars): Made in the style of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, Tekken is strictly for action addicts, with a weak and predictable plot and eyefuls of sexily-clad girls. The fight sequences get repetitive after a while but I guess its audiences wouldn't mind. (Reviewed below)

5. MONGA (Taiwan gangster drama with Ethan Juan, Mark Chao, Ma Ju-lung, Ko Chia-yen, Rhydian Vaughan, Jason Wang, Tsai Chang-hsine, Huang Teng-hui, Chen Han-tien and Hsing Feng) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Touted as Taiwan's New Wave cinema, Monga deals with a bunch of young gangstas in the 'hood downtown. It is interesting but rather amateurish compared with similar Hong Kong efforts. The main attraction for Taiwanese is the cast of TV heartthrobs. Not so attractive for others. (Reviewed below)

6. THE LAST AIRBENDER (fantasy thriller with Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel and Katharine Houghton) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 star): M. Night Shyamalan sinks to a new low with this insepid adaptation of the Nickelodeon TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Its childish dialogue and mispronounciations of names will not please any of the series' fans and won't win any new ones either. The special effects, especially its stunts with water are pretty fantastic though. (Reviewed below)

LOVE IN DISGUISE - Amateurish Debut for LeeHom

LOVE IN DISGUISE (romantic comedy)
Cast: Wang LeeHom, Crystal Liu Yi-Fei, Joan Chen and Chen Han Dian
Director: Wang LeeHom
Screenplay: Chen Hung-chieh and Du Xin Yi
Time: 92 mins
Rating: * 1/2 (out of 4)

Wang LeeHom and Crystal Liu in LOVE IN DISGUISE

PREAMBLE: Wang LeeHom should stick to singing, dancing, making records or whatever he does best - but not directing films. I came to this conclusion just 10 minutes into Love In Disguise, a right royal mess of a love story in which he plays a guy almost like himself. Even a veteran film-maker like Joan Chen could do nothing to salvage this wreck of a movie...

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Heart-throb pop singer Du Ming-Han (who looks a whole lot like Wang LeeHom) lives the lonely existence of the pop star, always in the limelight and under the scrutiny of the media and his legions of fans. His manager Joan Chen (who is Joan Chen) tries to protect him being mobbed but DMH has a habit of disguising himself in his bid to escape from his pursuers.

When his vehicle accidentally knocks into music student (Crystal Liu as Song Xiao Qing), DMH envisions "exotic music and butterflies" and decides that she is his 'soul-mate'. Abetted by his friend and band member Wei Zhi Bo (Chen Han Dian), the duo
masquerade as country bumpkins (what were they thinking?) and enrol at the Far East Music Academy where Xiao Qing is learning Chinese traditional music.

HITS & MISSES: Talking about disguises, it would take a complete idiot not to see through the silly wig and spectacles that DMH wears to play the rural student. And how else do I loathe this flick? Let me count the ways:
(i) The acting, as directed by Wang, is way below normal Taiwan/Hong Kong comedy standards. Everyone in the cast seems to be hamming it up, including Ms Joan Chen herself, and some even raised my goose-pimples!
(ii) The plot, script and dialogue suck big time. This kind of love story has been told throughout the history of moving pictures and here no one bothered to tweak it up a bit.
(iii) Throughout the film, we get the feel of an amateurish effort - almost like putting up a school musical.
(iv) I can go on but that would be overkill.

On the plus side, we have some agreeable music written by Wang himself. For such mercies, I am indeed thankful.

THE LOWDOWN: Only for diehard LeeHom fans.

James Cameron Working on Avatar Novel

Cameron directing Sam Worthington on the set of AVATAR

AUGUST 10, 2010 - Film-maker James Cameron has told MTV that he is working on finishing his Avatar novel before getting started on the sequel to the blockbuster epic.

Deals for an Avatar sequel -- or two -- are being planned, he said, hinting that that the final two parts of the planned trilogy could be lumped together into a single production.

"We're actually talking about that. That's not a decision yet," he said. "That is something that makes a lot of sense, given the nature of these productions, because we can bank all the capture and then go back and do cameras over a period of time."

News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch had said that his Fox studio is eyeing a sequel and has held first talks with Cameron about financial and other details. (Agencies)

The Other Guys Ends Inception Reign at US B-O

AUGUST 9, 2010 - Inception loses its dream steam in its fourth weekend, overtaken by newbie The Other Guys at the North American box-office. Capturing an estimated US$35.6 million on approximately 4,900 screens, The Other Guys opened well above the average for a cop comedy sub-genre, and it nearly doubled the last entry, Cop Out.

Inception, which has passed its US$200 million mark, eases about 30 percent, drawing an estimated US$18.6 million, while Step Up 3-D kicked up an estimated US$15.5 million at around 3,000 screens.

Here are the Top 6 North American B-O studio estimates for Aug 6-8, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.

1. The Other Guys (Sony) $35.6 million ($35.6 mil) 1

2. Inception (WB) $18.6 million ($227.7 mil) 4

3. Step Up 3-D (BV) $15.5 million ($15.5 mil) 1

4. Salt (Sony) $11.1 million (91.9 mil) 3

5. Dinner For Schmucks (Paramount) $10.5 million ($46.7 mil) 2

6. Despicable Me (Universal) $9.4 million ($209.4 mil) 5

WEEKEND PIC - Aug 6 - 8, 2010

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

a) TEKKEN (action thriller with Jon Foo, Luke Goss, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Chiaki Kuriyama, Mircea Monroe, Gary Daniels, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Cung Le and Ian Anthony Dale) Rated * * (2 stars): Made in the style of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, Tekken is strictly for action addicts, with a weak and predictable plot and eyefuls of sexily-clad girls. The fight sequences get repetitive after a while but I guess its audiences wouldn't mind. (Reviewed below)

b) THE LAST AIRBENDER (fantasy thriller with Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel and Katharine Houghton) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 star): M. Night Shyamalan sinks to a new low with this insepid adaptation of the Nickelodeon TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Its childish dialogue and mispronunciations of names will not please any of the series' fans and won't win any new ones either. The special effects, especially its stunts with water are pretty fantastic though. (Reviewed below)

STILL GOING STRONG

1. INCEPTION (sci-fi thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Lukas Haas) Rated * * * * (4 stars!): By now, it is impossible for one to escape reading or listening to people taking about Inception, Christopher Nolan's 'dream-travel' masterpiece. The tale is so intriguing and complex that it may take more than one viewing for one to appreciate its nuances and conceits. The special effects are top class and so are the performances and plot. (Reviewed below)

2. DESPICABLE ME (animated comedy with Jason Segel, Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Julie Andrews, Danny R. McBride, Kristen Wiig and Jack McBrayer) Rating * * * (3 stars): With its tale about a villain named Gru, it's quite the opposite of The Incredibles but just as funny and fun. It represents the inaugural entry for Universal into the field of 3D CGI and will give Pixar a run for the money.

3. SALT (spy thriller with Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alex Pettyfer, Gaius Charles, Victor Slezak and Marion McCorry) Rated * * * (3 stars): Jolie gives a jolly good account of herself as a double/triple agent in this Cold War spy caper. Expectedly, the plot has to be taken with more than the proverbial pinch of Salt but the action and the twists go well wit Coke and popcorn. (Reviewed below)

4. CHLOE (suspense thriller with Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Julianne Moore, Nina Dobrev, Max Thieriot, Meghan Heffern and Laura DeCarteret) Rated * * * (3 stars): Remade from the French film Natalie, Chloe may be remembered for the real-life tragedy Neeson suffered when his wife, Natasha Richardson, died after an accident and interrupted the filming schedule. It is also director Atom Ergoyan's rather titilating effort about a doctor (Moore) who hires an escort to seduce her husband (Neeson) to verify his fidelity. I watched this on DVD some time ago and expect some cuts in the screening here. (Reviewed below)

5. THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE (fantasy thriller with Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Toby Kebbell, Nicole Ehinger, Peyton List and Monica Bellucci) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): This Disney cartoon, with its title from the 1940 Fantasia segment, is loud, noisy and largely uninspired. Still, the kiddie crowd may be enthralled by the cute special effects, in this tale about how a boy is told he is apprentice to the magician Merlin's protege (Cage).

6. MONGA (Taiwan gangster drama with Ethan Juan, Mark Chao, Ma Ju-lung, Ko Chia-yen, Rhydian Vaughan, Jason Wang, Tsai Chang-hsine, Huang Teng-hui, Chen Han-tien and Hsing Feng) Rated * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Touted as Taiwan's New Wave cinema, Monga deals with a bunch of young gangstas in the 'hood downtown. It is interesting but rather amateurish compared with similar Hong Kong efforts. The main attraction for Taiwanese is the cast of TV heartthrobs. Not so attractive for others. (Reviewed below)

TEKKEN - Fix For Adrenaline Addicts

TEKKEN (action thriller)
Cast: Jon Foo, Luke Goss, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Chiaki Kuriyama, Mircea Monroe, Gary Daniels, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Cung Le, Ian Anthony Dale and Lateef Crowder
Director: Dwight H. Little
Screenplay: Michael Colleary, Alan B. McElroy and Mike Werb (based on videogame series)
Time: 92 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)

PREAMBLE: In the tradition of Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter and other fighting video-game series comes Tekken to the big screen. If you expect a cinematic treat the likes of The Dark Knight or Iron Man, you are on the wrong planet. However, if Tekken conjures for you visions of some handsome underdog hero fighting against grizzled hunks, and scantily-clad women attempting motions of kick-boxing and kicking-ass, you are on the right track.

And you may even be Tekken up by the action, at least in the first half of the movie.

THE SKINNY: Mainly, it deals with a handsome and rebellious Jin Kazama (Jon Foo) who gets reluctantly drawn into the Iron Fist tournament organised by the mighty Tekken Corp. Jin learnt to fight from his mother Jun (Tamlyn Tomita) who also warns him to stay away from Tekken and the Iron Fist tourney!

Of course, one thing leads to another and Jin finds himself in the highly-publicised tournament where he must fight contestants twice his size and having triple his experience. These are heavies like the 'bionic' Bryan Fury (Gary Daniels) and Russian contender Sergei Dragonov (Anton Kasabov). No prizes for guessing if Jin would tip the odds.

And oh yes, he also meets curvy femmes like Christie Monteiro (Kelly Overton, pictured right with Jon Foo) and Nina Williams (Candice Hillebrand) who provide the requisite teaser and eye candy. In the course of his battles, he learns the truth about himself!

HITS & MISSES: With fast-paced action, brief dialogues and some dazzling fight sequences, one can easily get taken away by the Tekken action, even if they are ludicrous and downright incredulous. The plot is predictable, even with its twist involving Jin and chief villain Kazuya Mishima (Ian Anthony Dale) and his father Heihachi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa). Indeed, the plot barely helps to sustain the action sequences - and the fighting scenes get repetitive and stale in the second half of the film.

But then with a second-rate cast of relative unknowns, it is unrealistic to expect anything more than the visual delights of DOA. What we can be thankful for is that director Dwight Little has kept the flick within 90 minutes and does not show too many bloody and gory scenes (yes, some vid-game enthusiasts may find Tekken tame).

THE LOWDOWN: For fighting game fans and adrenaline addicts.

LAST AIRBENDER - Time To Call It A Night

THE LAST AIRBENDER (fantasy actioner, reposted for Malaysia)
Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel and Katharine Houghton
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan
Time: 103 mins
Rating: * 1/2 (out of 4)


PREAMBLE: After watching this movie, many Shyamalan fans would wish it was the Last Shyamalan Film. After the promising trilogy of Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs, the once Hollywood maverick has gradually fallen from grace with his audiences. The Village, Lady In The Water and The Happening were all 'not happening' to both critics and the public. The Last Airbender 'sucks' so much it may earn him the label "the most childish writer-director".

I caught the movie in 3D in the States last month. However, watching it again in 2D in Malaysia, I find it easier to digest without the distraction of 3D. Shyamalan's weaknesses, as mentioned below, are still evident.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: Based on the Nickelodeon TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, the action is set in the mythical world of four tribes named after the elements: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. When the Fire nation launches a brutal war against the others, all hope falls on the missing boy, Aang (Noah Ringer, pictured left), an avatar who can presumably control (or 'bend') all four elements.

When the movie opens, Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), members of the Water tribe, discover the boy buried under the ice while on an expedition. Not knowing that he is the Avatar, they bring him home. However, before they can arrange to return him to his people, they are attacked by Fire tribe led by the rebel Prince Zuko (Dev Patel). Aang is captured but being the Avatar, he breaks free and...

HITS & MISSES: The visuals and special effects are commendable. The action reminds me of the classic tales of the Monkey God and should please juvenile fantasy fans. However, the narrative and dialogue are so badly written that we wonder if Shyamalan has targeted the movie for morons. The explanations are lame and long-winded and the 3D effects seem to have been included at the last minute.

Shyamalan tends to go for the shallow-focus techniques, with a figure in the foreground presented with sharp clarity against a blurred background. This looks totally weird in the deep-focus world of 3D. A romance seems to develop out of nowhere for characters we don't care about. Among the cast, there is no one that has any emotional resonance with the audience and the whole movie is just a blur of mindless action and ridiculous stunts that get tedious after a while.

THE LOWDOWN: With the Last Airbender, Shyamalan seems to have sink so low that the only way is up. Or at least that's what we hope for his sake.

'Inception' Still Tops in Third Weekend

AUGUST 2, 2010 - Inception continued its hold on moviegoers' minds for the third weekend in a row while Dinner for Schmucks took second placing and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore was neutered at No. 5. Overall business was up 12 percent over the same weekend last year when Funny People led, but was still weak for the time of year.

Slipping just 36 percent, Inception drew an estimated US$27.5 million, elevating its total to US$193.3 million in 17 days. Christopher Nolan's dream caper was the fourth movie of the year to spend three weekends at No. 1, following Avatar, Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Shrek Forever After. Like Shrek, its reign was aided by facing new releases that weren't up to snuff as summer contenders, particularly for this latest weekend.

Meanwhile, the Zac Efron vehicle, Charlie St. Cloud, takes the Sixth spot, coasted by with a decent estimated $12.1 million at 2,718 locations.

Here are the Top 6 North American B-O studio estimates for July 31-Aug 1, 2010 weekend, in terms of rank, Movie name (studio), Weekend takings in USD, (Cumulative gross, USD) and week on chart, courtesy of Boxofficemojo.

1. Inception (WB) $27.5 million ($193.3 million) 3

2. Dinner For Schmucks (Paramount) $23.3 million ($23.3 mil) 1

3. Salt (Sony) $19.2 million ($70.8 mil) 2

4. Despicable Me (Universal) $15.5 million ($190.3 mil) 4

5. Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore (WB) $12.5 million ($12.5 million) 1

6. Charlie St. Cloud (Universal) $12.1 million ($12.1 million) 1