5-IN-1 MINI REVIEWS (PART-7)

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (2011) - HANNA (2011) - LET ME IN (2010) - BLACK SWAN (2010) - BLUE VALENTINE (2010)

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (2011)

MyRating: YYY

Director: George Nolfi
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terence Stamp

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image

What if, there are unseen forces that control our whole destiny? On who we will become, on where we will end up in life, on whom we will fall in love. A promising young politician running for the U.S. Senate, David Norris (Matt Damon), finds out that there are mysterious people under an organization who seem to overly interested in his life and future. When he falls in love with a beautiful ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt), David learns that these people are conspiring to keep them apart. For the love of a woman, he has to decide whether he has to run against his fate, that seems to be fully controlled by this bureau, and lose his bright career and future, or to lose the woman that may never come twice in his life.

An interesting and original idea about how our fate is being determined. Do we run our life with our own free will? Or do we not? Good story but a bit slow in execution. Good performance by Matt Damon and a lovely performance by Emily Blunt as well. Their chemistry worked well and their love story was involving, as we wanted them to have a good end. But are they suppossed to be? This movie has a huge potential, but in my opinion it never really reached a maximum climax. It could be made more dramatically with a more dramatic result. However, it was exciting to see Damon & Blunt running from one door to another, didn't know exactly where those doors will lead them, just reminding us of Monsters, Inc. A good and unique movie, but could have been better. (MJ)

HANNA (2011)

MyRating: YYY

Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual material and language

A teenage girl, Hanna (Saoirse Ronan), has been trained to become a perfect assassin all her life. Raising and trained by her father Erik (Eric Bana), a former CIA agent, in the wilderness of Finland, she has all the strength, agility and fighting abilities that no other normal teenagers possess. When her time comes, she has to embark a journey across Europe on a mission, all by her own. Chasing by a ruthless CIA agent, Marissa (Cate Blanchett), and her henchmen, Hanna has to stay alive with all the surviving skills that she has been equipped, and finish her mission. But at one point of time, she starts to question about her true self and all her incredible abilities, on how she could possibly possess them and how she could become the way she is.

An action spy thriller with an intriguing storyline and a thick European film atmosphere. This movie has its own style, including the camera works and the cinematography, sometimes felt a bit artistic. The movie was well acted, with good character development. Saoirse Ronan kicked asses and gave a terrific performance as the teenage assassin. She looked innocent but lethal. Eric Bana gave a good performance himself as the father, with his own moments in the film. The actions were decent, interesting but not spectacular, and maybe not as much as what you expected. The ending of this movie may left some questions unanswered. Overall a good one, but not great. (MJ)

LET ME IN (2010)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Matt Reeves

Cast: Kodi-Smit McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas
MPAA: Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation

A remake from 2008 Swedish horror film Let the Right One In, about a frienship between Owen (Kodi-Smit McPhee), a bullied 12-year-old lonely boy, with Abby (Chloe Moretz), a girl who has been 12 years old for a very long time. When he finds out that she is a vampire, he has developed a pure friendship with the girl and falls for her, but at the same time also starts to fear her. And when a murder investigation leads a police detective all the way to his new neighbor, Owen may react to protect her existence. But can he? As he may be the one that needs the protection from the girl.

This movie has its charms as an intelligent vampire movie with a bittersweet young romance. A gripping dark story that gets better and better as the story goes. It's a different look of a vampire story, as it focused on the drama side. It was almost a precise remake from the original with many exactly similar scenes, but it has never a dull moment even if you have watched the original, due to the very well-made movie and the faster pace, including the charming performance by Chloe Moretz. She was really-really good in capturing the loneliness and the pain inside as a vampire, with her strong face expressions. A very talented and promising young actress. The scene in the swimming pool at the end of the movie still captured the chills effectively, which is also the most iconic scene of the movie. This is a little gem, as was its original. An excellent and brilliant remake. Even though it could not beat the original in terms of originality (for sure), but for some reasons, I liked this remake more than the original. (MJ)

BLACK SWAN (2010)

MyRating: YYYY1/2

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
MPAA: Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use

Natalie Portman gave an Oscar winning performance in this psychological thriller as Nina Sayers, a New York City ballerina who takes her obssessions towards perfection a bit too far that turns her into psychotic. When being offered a role as the prime ballerina by the artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) in the upcoming season of the prestigious ballet production Swan Lake, to play both the innocent White Swan and her evil twin Black Swan, Nina knows that this is her time to shine. But Nina is not the only choice available in the company, as she has to face a competition with another young talented dancer Lily (Mila Kunis). Desperately wants the role, as she lives to dance more than anyone else, Nina pushes herself towards her edge of perfection in order to prove that she is the right choice for the role. However, the pressure of a big production and a competition may be a bit too difficult for her to handle, as she starts to mingle with her dark side that may break her totally apart.

A well crafted direction by Darren Aronofsky, who successfully translated the great script into a great movie. The story was dark and mysterious, disturbing at times, which blurred the line between reality and hallucination that Nina was in. It took its time to develop the characters, as it slowly moved into more and more bizarre situations that drove the characters further beyond the limit, and ended up with a haunting and dramatic ending. A perfect role for Natalie Portman, who played her character brilliantly and elegantly, blended deep inside her character as a perfectionist obssessed ballerina. And she danced beautifully. In one scene, you can see her evil expressions bursted out while she danced fearlessly. Not only Portman, the other supporting casts were wonderful as well. Vincent Cassel gave an awesome performance and nailed every scene he was in. And Mila Kunis was great with her driven and competitive character. The hot scene between Portman and Kunis was becoming the hot talks. One of the great and memorable films of 2010 that will leave you think about it. (MJ)

BLUE VALENTINE (2010)

MyRating: YY1/2

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Faith Wladyka, John Doman, Mike Vogel
MPAA: Rated NC-17 for a scene of explicit sexual content (original rating); Rated R (re-rating after appeal)

A young married couple, Dean and Cindy Pereira (Ryan Gosling & Michelle Williams), trying hard to work out their troubled relationship, finds out that their love towards each other may not be enough to save their marriage from falling apart. Both came from a dysfunctional family, they are going through hard times in their lives and relationship. Dean, who never finished high school, is a rude and frustrated guy, often drunk and has no real ambition in his life outside of his mediocre work. While Cindy, who works as a nurse, used to believe that Dean has so much potential in his life, but due to years of their constant quarelling, she has burned out towards their relationship and him. Even though deep down inside, they still love each other, but the pains they are going through are destroying them. Can they get a second chance for their marriage, for the sake of their love?

This is a bleak and devastating love story about 'love' that slowly turns into 'hate' in a supposed to be happily ever after marriage. But life was never easy to them. The story was told back and forth in time, from the old time when they started to know each other and fell in love, to the current time where they have to fight for what was left in their marriage. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, who have great chemistry together, gave wonderful performances as the worn out couple, who were helplessly hurting each other despite the love they have. And when the story was flashback to the past, it also showed the romantic side of the two. But aside from the actings that worked well, I have to give my honest opinion on my feeling towards this movie. The story didn't exactly work for me, as I felt the plot was minimal, and more on showing the emotional and devastating atmosphere of the couple throughout the movie, with the 'let it flow' storyline. I didn't like the camera works that seemed to shoot to many close-ups, gave a feeling like a documentary filmmaking. In overall, I didn't really like the movie, even though I like the two stars in it. There were steamy sex scenes between Gosling and Williams, in which originally this film got an NC-17 rating, before finally being downgraded to R rating. (MJ)

MYMOVIE CRITIC - REVIEWING MOVIES FROM THE AUDIENCE'S STANDPOINT

5-IN-1 MINI REVIEWS (PART-6)

UNKNOWN (2011) - I AM NUMBER FOUR (2011) - BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (2011) - THE LINCOLN LAWYER (2011) - PAUL (2011)



BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (2011)

MyRating: YY1/2

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Ne-Yo, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language

Our world is being invaded by aliens when thousands of meteors suddenly crash into the Earth's oceans. The meteors turn out to be extraterrestrial spacecrafts and they start to destroy and kill everyone in sight. In the middle of the chaos, a platoon of U.S. Marines in Los Angeles is assigned on a mission to rescue some civilians trapped inside a police station. But they have to finish the mission fast within three hours and get out, before the U.S. Air Force bombs the territory. As the soldiers step into the alien hunting ground on their mission, they are being ambushed mercilessly by the alien forces. And that hunting ground soon will become their burial ground.

A promising and intriguing premise is not enough without a proper script and execution, and this movie was the prove. Despite quite good special effects, this movie ends up to become an average sci-fi movie. A plain and sour one, despite the noisiness that this movie created with men shot aliens and aliens shot men back, and machine guns bombarding in the background and men shouting all over the place, orchestrated the hell out of a fight, in a big mess. As soon as the movie began, it battled till the end. But without a proper story, the movie was just not engaging and involving enough, and the not enough character developments made the audience didn't care much on who will die. It was also difficult to differentiate one soldier from another, as there were many characters involved but all just look the same in the battle. They died before we even got to know them better, or maybe we confused on who actually has just died. The aliens themselves were not more than war machines and robots. It's like Terminator Salvation meets Black Hawk Down. This is not a totally bad and unwatchable movie, as we may still enjoy the battle and the messy fights. For me, it was just not memorable. Next time when aliens plan to attack our world again, remember to tell them that 'all actions and no story' is never enough. (MJ)

I AM NUMBER FOUR (2011)


MyRating: YYY

Director: D.J. Caruso
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe, Kevin Durand, Jake Abel
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and for language

A movie based on the novel written by Jobie Hughes and James Fre with the same title, about John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), a teenage boy came from planet Lorien, who finds himself next in line to be killed, after three of his kinds were being murdered by the enemies who hunt them since they were toddlers. He is Number Four. Living in runaway all his life with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), they move from one town to another and changing their identities each time. When they move to a small town in Ohio, John feels that it's time to settle down as he falls in love with Sarah (Dianna Agron). But it's just only a matter of time before his ruthless enemies will track him down to his latest place. Before that happens, he has to decide whether he has to run again or stay, while he has to sharpen his powerful new abilities. And when he meets with Number Six (Teresa Palmer), John realizes that they have bigger chance to stay alive by joining force together.

A fun enough teen action sci-fi movie. It has a decent script to back the story, while the action sequences were quite cool, especially the final battle between Number Four, Number Six and the Mogadorians. Watching these super teenage fighting while launching lights from his hands to attack the enemies can turn out to be enjoyable to watch. There was also beast versus beast scene, it may look clumsy, some may feel ridiculous, but it was there as the part of the thin-paper light story. For teenage girls, Alex Pettyfer maybe hot, but for guys, there were the very beautiful and refreshing Dianna Agron (the girl from Glee) and Teresa Palmer. Don't take this movie too seriously (it was not a material to be praised out loud, but at the same time easy to mock). I was just having some good time and I don't think the story was bad. Don't mind at all if they continue the story. (MJ)

UNKNOWN (2011)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) wakes up from a coma after an accident in Berlin, only to find out that his identity has been stolen by another man. No one recognizes him, including his beautiful wife (January Jones). Desperately wants to prove that he is 'him' and he is not insane, Martin suddenly finds himself becoming a target of some people who want to kill him. Trying to stay alive, and with the help of a woman (Diane Kruger), the only person who seems to trust him, he slowly discovers that there is even a major grand plan behind his amnesia and loss of identity. But why him?

Neeson is back with another action thriller after the successful Taken (2008), and this is another good one. A suspenseful movie with an interesting mystery and intrigue, as we also tried to guess and find out what was actually happening to him. A good portion of actions add up to the good thriller. Neeson was great and he looked comfortable in this kind of role. And don't mess with him, even when he is having an amnesia. He was tough, resourceful in critical situations, and he definitely kicked asses. The story gave a twist at the end, not totally unpredictable, but it was a good one. The movie may not be totally plausible, but it was a good fun and entertaining that will keep you on your seat. (MJ)

PAUL (2011)

MyRating: YYY

Director: Greg Mottola

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen (voice of Paul), Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Blythe Danner
MPAA: Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use

The dynamic duo is back. After horror (Shaun of the Dead, 2004) and action (Hot Fuzz, 2007), this time these two funny men, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, took the sci-fi genre in a comedic way (like their first two movies), as they have to bring Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an alien who has stuck on earth for more than 60 years, back to his mother ship. As two English comic book and sci-fi nerds, Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost), taking a road trip in their rented RV to America, their close encounter with Paul also has crashed their world with unbelievable and crazy adventure, as not only they now know that the extraterrestrials do exist, but the alien also causes them to be chased by FBI agents and a religiously fanatic father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap.

A decent film by Pegg & Frost (who also wrote the script), but the humors were inferior as compare to their first two movies. The absent of Edgar Wright in the chair of director as well as the co-writer proved that the movie, even though starred by the same guys, was not the same without him. Something is missing. If Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz made me laugh hilariously, I hardly laughed or find something very funny to be laughed in this movie. The script and the dialogues were just not as funny, especially if you have high hopes to laugh as much as their two earlier movies. I tell you, it will not. But I think both Simon Pegg and Nick Frost appeared well in their ignorant trademark. They are funny and the ones who made this movie still worked (maybe one, no, two of the funniest comedians nowadays), they were just not very supported by their own script to make continuous laugh bombs. This made the movie fall short as a completely satisfying comedy, but it still has its funny moments. And despite the high expectations, the story was actually quite enjoyable. I like the second half better than the first half (the second half was also funnier), when it gets to the chase scenes and I started to accept that this movie was not in the same aura with the first two. The movie was closed with a cliche, but still a good enough ending. Now, what made me like still this movie despite the below expectation that I got? Pegg & Frost. (MJ)

THE LINCOLN LAWYER (2011)

MyRating: YYY1/2

Director: Brad Furman

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena
MPAA: Rated R for some violence, sexual content and language

Matthew McConaughey is back in his top form in this crime thriller, adapted from Michael Connelly's best selling novel, about Mickey Haller (McC), a slick and successful criminal defense lawyer operates around Los Angeles in a Lincoln Town Car, who receives a case to defend Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a son of a wealthy and powerful real estate mogul, accused of brutally beating and raping a prostitute. As Haller studies the evidence against his client, he finds out that the case may not be as simple as it seems. And when he further investigates the case as his ethical conscience being knocked, he discovers that his actions may just put him and his family in great danger.

McConaughey was the real charmer here. He was terrific and convincing as the smart and cocky lawyer, who puts 'right' and 'wrong' next to each other in a very thin line. He shined and sparked on screen with his fun to watch acting. He is indeed a good actor and this is one of his best performances, after straying away for so long in many roles that did not really bounce his career into the next level. Another good performance surprisingly came from Ryan Phillippe as the innocent client, who also pulled his role out in a good way. The script was well written and executed, even though I have to say that it was not exactly perfect and there were times when the story slightly lose its focus. But overall, a good and satisfying court room thriller with a performance to be remembered. (MJ)

MYMOVIE CRITIC - REVIEWING MOVIES FROM THE AUDIENCE'S STANDPOINT

5-IN-1 MINI REVIEWS (PART-5)

SPLICE (2010), EAT PRAY LOVE (2010), SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010), THE NEXT THREE DAYS (2010), THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (2010)



SPLICE (2010)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Vincenzo Natali
Cast: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chanéac, Brandon McGibbon, Abigail Chu
MPAA: Rated R for disturbing elements including strong sexuality, nudity, sci-fi violence and language
US Gross: US$ 17.0 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 25.7 Million

Two genetic scientists, Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley), broke the forbidden and cardinal sin in science when they blended human DNA in their experiment on splicing animal genes, which could revolutionize science and medicine for the human being's benefits. The result is a new female hybrid animal that they named Dren. At the beginning, she grows to become like a lovely human girl, with a tail. But when the animal instinct inside her bursts out, the unthinkable happens.

This is a sexy thriller with a sci-fi touch. I like the movie for it's interesting story, even though the theme was a classic one that we have seen so many times, about a science experiment goes wrong. But the formula worked. Decent performances from Brody and Polley, and both the young Dren (played by Abigail Chu who will make you care for her loveliness) and the adult Dren (played by Delphine Chanéac who will make you beware for her growing weirdness). The movie also tried to give a twisted final outcome, even though not difficult to be guessed. Some people may not like how the end turns out, but in overall, it was a good and satisfying thriller for me. (MJ)


EAT PRAY LOVE (2010)

MyRating: YYY1/2

Director: Ryan Murphy
Cast: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, Hadi Subiyanto, Christine Hakim
MPAA: Rated PG-13 on appeal for brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudityUS Gross: US$ 80.6 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 204.5 Million

Adapted from the best seller memoir of Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (2006).

Julia Roberts played as the author, who despite of having a husband, a house and a career, yet still feels unhappy and so lost in her life. Decided to divorce her husband, she then takes a trip to travel around the world to find her true self and what she really wants in life. From Italy, where she finds the excitements of eating good foods, to India, where she learns how to control her uneasy mind and heart through praying, and finally Bali, where she discovers the harmony of her life and maybe, her true love.

Some people thought that this movie was boring, but for me it was quite an enjoyable one, as I like travelling, and I like to see new and beautiful places, and the story behind the roadtrip. The reason why Liz Gilbert chose an extreme path to find herself, including took a divorce, may not make any sense, but that was one 'brave' decision, despite whether it was right or wrong, that if she stayed in her comfort zone, she may forever trap in her unhappiness. And she may never experience all the things that she experienced, if she decided that 'life is not too short to let the things flow as the way they are'.

Another thing that made this movie special for me was because one third of the movie took place in the beautiful island of Bali, the island of the gods, the proud of my country, Indonesia. It is an exotic and culturally-rich island with lots of breathtaking views, beautiful beaches, sacred temples, and friendly people. Julia Roberts, even though not outstanding, appeared lovely here, as the Julia Roberts that we love. And there was also an interesting and natural performance by the first time actor, Hadi Subianto, as Ketut Liyer, Liz's toothless advisor in Bali. Christine Hakim, a senior Indonesian actress, appeared as Wayan, Liz's best friend in Bali. If you haven't visited Bali, then you should, especially if you like travelling. This island is a place to visit before you die. A place to be in the 'bucket list' of every traveller. Don't believe it! Then you have to come and experience the island yourself. (MJ)

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010)

MyRating: YY1/2

Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references
US Gross: US$ 31.5 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 47.6 Million

Adapted from the graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley, the film is about Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a young bass guitarist of a band aspires to be famous, who meets and falls in love with the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But to win the girl, he has to fight the 'seven evil exes', who are also the seven ex-lovers of Ramona. And the battles that he has to go through are the battles to the death, as they are really pissed off and do not hesitate to wipe him off the earth.

This is a stylistic movie with innovative, colorful, and eye-popping visuals for MTV generations. A lot of actions with comical interpretations, yet violence. But the script was not as impressive as the visuals. And the story somehow felt repetitive when Scott has to deal and defeat the seven enemies, even though I realize that those were also the main attractiveness for many people and fans. Interesting appearances by Chris Evans, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzman as three of the 'seven exes', but the performance of Michael Cera was really annoying for me. He may fit his timid character, I don't know, but the way he acted and sounded just gave me a confirmation that he is a bad actor. Not really liked the story. Maybe not my cup of tea. (MJ)

THE NEXT THREE DAYS (2010)

MyRating: YY1/2


Director: Paul Haggis
Cast: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde, Michael Buie, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence, drug material, language, some sexuality and thematic elements
US Gross: US$ 21.1 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 41.7 Million

Russell Crowe played as John Brennan, a husband who tirelessly tries to find a way to free her wife from jail by proving that she is not guilty. Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) was arrested for murdering her boss after they had a quarrel at work. But all the evidences at the crime scene, including the fingerprints on the murder weapon, indeed proved that she was guilty. After years of wasted efforts, while the hopes for her wife to ever walk out of prison free start to fade away, John becomes obsessed with the idea of breaking her out of jail. And when he realizes that all doors have closed for them and there is no other way out, John decides to really break her out.

This is a remake of the 2007 French film Pour Elle (Anything for Her) by Fred Cavayé. A very promising story but with a not so satisfying result. The story development was too slow and repetitive, including showing how Crowe again and again failed in his attempts to free his wife, in which some of the scenes, in my opinion, were unnecessary to repeat. The story also made itself to become complicated, while it actually should not. I was hoping something big will happen up until near the end of the movie, but when the end result did happen, it was nothing big. It rather fell flat actually. Good performance by Russell Crowe, as usual, and I always like him. But this is not a very good movie of Crowe, which I could take the conclusion only after finishing the whole movie, which was below the expectation. (MJ)

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (2010)

MyRating: YYY

Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, Laura Brent, Tilda Swinton
MPAA: Rated PG for some frightening images and sequences of fantasy action

The world of Narnia returns with its third installment of the C.S. Lewis' epic fantasy masterpiece series. This time Lucy and Edmund Pevensie (Georgie Henley & Skandar Keynes) are transported back to Narnia along with their unfriendly cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter). There, they join with Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) and his men, in their quest across the sea aboard the royal ship of The Dawn Treader, in order to rescue the seven lost Lords of Narnia. A perilous journey that once again brings them to encounter various kinds of wonderful and magic creatures, as well as deadly enemies that will endanger their lives.

A good family film and follow-up in the Narnia series. An enjoyable story, with good and beautiful special effects, some decent battles, and some good laughs. There were also plenty of fantasy creatures, like the talking warrior mouse, the dragon, minotaurs, fauns, sea creatures, and of course, Aslan the Lion, a guarantee for kids' delights. But I have the feeling that I've seen all these before. What interesting the most was the performance of Will Poulter as the obnoxious and stubborn cousin. He was very-very good, with his natural and fun to watch acting. He actually stole every scene he was in, and made the scenes without him becoming less interesting. This is a standard and decent Narnia movie, nothing really standout and not that memorable, except for the Eustace Scrubb character. Nonetheless, still a good one though. (MJ)

MYMOVIE CRITIC - REVIEWING MOVIES FROM AN AUDIENCE'S STANDPOINT

5-IN-1 MINI REVIEWS (PART-4)

FROZEN (2010)

MyRating: YYY1/2

Director: Adam Green
Cast: Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell
MPAA: Rated R for some disturbing images and language
US Gross: US$ 0.2 Million

A terrifying thriller about three young skiers, Dan Walker (Kevin Zegers) and girlfriend Parker O'Neil (Emma Bell), and his childhood buddy Joe Lynch (Shawn Ashmore), stranded on a ski chairlift and forgotten by the lift attendant when the ski resort has to close early due to the coming storm. When they realize that no one is coming for them and they could be stuck up there in the wild and open nature for all week, as the resort is closed on weekdays, they have to choose whether to stay on the chairlift but the cold will slowly kill them, or to leave the chair but don't know how.

This is an interesting original story about life and death decision to be made in an extreme situation. And stranded in height in a tiny chair, surrounding by open and freezing air, with night and storm coming by, added with the endangerments by frostbite and wolves, is something indeed interesting to see, but you would never wish it to be happened to you in real life. Some long chit-chat for character introduction, but once it comes to the tense moments, it will haunt you till the end, with some quite disturbing scenes. Overall, a good and scary thriller. (MJ)

LETTERS TO JULIET (2010)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Gary Winick
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Vanessa Redgrave, Gael Garcia Bernal, Franco Nero
MPAA: Rated PG for brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking
US Gross: US$ 53.0 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 79.2 Million

A sweet romantic comedy about an American girl, Sophie Hall (Amanda Seyfried), who goes on a vacation with her chef fiance, Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal) to Verona, Italy. Left alone and ignored most of the time by her workaholic fiance, the lonely Sophie accidentally discovers a 50-year old unanswered letter written by a woman named Claire. It is one of the thousands "Letters to Juliet" left at the lover's Verona courtyard, which are actually answered by the "Secretaries of Juliet". Touched by the story in the letter, Sophie decides to answer the letter as "Juliet", and she quickly finds out that what she wrote has moved the heart of the now elderly Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), that makes the woman to come to Verona with her handsome grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan). And soon Sophie goes on a quest with Claire and her grandson to find the woman's long lost love as referred in the letter, who is unknowned whether the man is still alive or already dead. But that quest also shakes Sophie's heart, as her growing friendship with Charlie has made her start to question herself, whether she is still in love with her fiance.

A delightful and funny romantic movie with an enjoyable story and charming performances by the actors. The cinematography was gorgeous and breathtaking, that explores the romantic side of Italy. Amanda Seyfried has never been so lovely and adorable, and looked so beautiful, as she was in this movie. She has that aura which confirmed to me again that she is a good young actress with a bright future. There were also great performances by the veteran actors, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero. And Christopher Egan, with his British accent, also looked charming as the skeptic Charlie. Watching this movie is like eating a sweet cake that will stay lingering in your mouth. A light but a feeling good movie. Definitely my favorite romantic comedy of the year. (MJ)

KILLERS (2010)

MyRating: YY

Director: Robert Luketic
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Sellect, Catherine O'Hara, Katheryn Winnick, Kevin Sussman, Lisa Ann Walter, Casey Wilson, Rob Riggle
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violent action, sexual material and language
US Gross: US$ 47.1 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 92.6 Million

A half-baked action comedy about a young woman, Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl), who meets her ideal dream man, Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher), in a vacation. They both quickly fall in love and get married. But their seems to be perfect marriage life is starting to get disturbed when they discover that their neighbors could be assassins, who are contracted to kill them. And another 'little' surprise for Jen is, her own husband is turned out to be a CIA assassin too.

If there is a movie trailer that ruins the movie itself, then this is the one. I've watched the trailer of this movie so many times before I watched the movie myself, and thanks to the trailer, it spoiled the whole movie! The trailer has shown all the best parts, it actually told everything, from the movie plot, the most exciting actions, the surprised enemies, up to the right moments to laugh, that once you saw the trailer, you don't have to see the movie anymore. The story also was not that good, the jokes was not that funny, and the ending was disappointing. And the best parts of the actions, again, have been ruined by the trailer. There is no chemistry between Kutcher and Heigl. I am find with Ashton Kutcher, but I don't like Katherine Heigl. She has that aura that I dislike as an actress, which I can't really explain (sorry to Heigl's fans!). I think she is only a mediocre actress, who tends to be overacting. Carrying almost the same theme about killers that was released almost at the same time, Knight and Day of Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz was much-much better and more fun movie to watch. (MJ)

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD (2010)

MyRating: YYY

Director: Burr Steers
Cast: Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Augustus Prew, Donal Logue, Kim Basinger, Ray Liotta
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references, an intense accident scene and some sensuality
US Gross: US$ 31.2 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 45.9 Million

A romantic drama based on Ben Sherwood's best-selling novel, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, about a young sailor named Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron), who can't let go of his grief and guilt towards the death of his younger brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan). He becomes a caretaker of the cemetary where his brother is buried, lets go of his future, and stays stuck in his town. And as he has made a promise to Sam before his brother died, Charlie meets up with his dead brother every night to play baseball catch and talk. This is a special gift and bonding for Charlie, as only he that can see Sam, as if his brother is still alive. When Charlie meets with Tess Carroll (Amanda Crew), a sailor who has a dream to sail around the world one day, he feels his heart falling in love with the girl. But Charlie is torn between a promise to Sam that he has to keep and to chase the girl that he loves, and let go of his past.

A pretty decent drama by Zac Efron, who gave a good performance in this movie as Charlie St. Cloud, trapped between the past that he won't let go and his future. It was a touching story about the bonding between two brothers that never dies. A bit predictable and flat at some points of time, but the story was enjoyable. If many people hate Efron just because he was the alumnus of the Disney's hit High School Musical, I actually has a different opinion about this young actor. I think he has a complete package to become a bigger star than he is right now, who people still see him more as a teen heartthrob. But by involving into more serious movies like this, and also more selective in chosing his roles, it will surely polish his acting to become a better actor. And I see him as one of the young actor that will have a very promising career in the future. But only time will tell. Kim Basinger, as Charlie's mother, and Ray Liotta have little screen times here. I recommend this movie. First reason, it was a beautiful film. Second, this movie may be the beginning of the metamorphosis of the star, Zac Efron. (MJ)

VAMPIRES SUCK (2010)

MyRating: BOO...

Director: Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
Cast: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader, Chris Riggi, Ken Jeong, Anneliese van der Pol
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for crude sexual content, comic violence, language and teen partying
US Gross: US$ 26.7 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 78.3 Million

An extremely stupid and silly spoof movie that was a ripped off from the original Twilight series. The story itself was based on the first two movies in the series, Twilight and New Moon, that told a triangle love story between the human girl Becca Crane (Jenn Proske), the vampire Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter) and the werewolf Jacob White (Chris Riggi). And the rest, you know best.

This movie was really-really bad, pointless, and totally a waste of time. I don't think it was funny at all, as I don't remember really laughed at any single scene. Some of the scenes were disgustingly moron, and I even feel ashamed myself to watch some of the idiotic scenes. The key to laugh more in a spoof movie is, you have to watch the original movie that is being spoofed first. I have watched all the movies of the Twilight series, but still Vampires Suck was a total bored and no laugh inducer. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, both as the writer and the director of this movie, took almost scene by scene from the original movies, with similar settings, and poured them all in one movie with all the stuffs that they thought were funny. But again, they ain't funny. Even though both Friedberg and Seltzer have made so many spoof movies, but I don't think they are creative or inspiring. I'm sorry to say that they are actually bad writers and directors for spoof movie genre. This movie was definitely the worst movie I've watched this year. It was a total disaster and deserved to win the first prize of Razzie Award next year. I really hope it will. Even though I am not a fan of the original Twilight series, especially New Moon, but watching the original series was a thousand times better than watching Vampires Suck. No, no! It was actually a million times better. This movie sucks, big time. (MJ)

MYMOVIE CRITIC - REVIEWING MOVIES FROM THE AUDIENCE'S STANDPOINT

5-IN-1 MINI REVIEWS (PART-3)

MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D (2009), FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009), THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009), DRAG ME TO HELL (2009), A PERFECT GETAWAY (2009)



MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D (2009)

My Rating: YYY

Director: Patrick Lussier
Cast: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue, Megan Boone, Edi Gathegi
MPAA: Rated R for graphic brutal horror violence and grisly images throughout, some strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language
US Gross: US$ 51.5 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 100.7 Million

The earlier years of slasher movies actually did not only introduce the super villains like Michael, Jason and Freddy, but also one brutal killer in the mining costume that kills his victims with a pickaxe in the less popular slasher movie, My Bloody Valentine. Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) disappeared from his hometown for 10 years in order to forget the trauma that he had, as he witnessed the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people 10 years ago. When he finally returns home to sell his father's mine, he finds out that his old nightmare is somehow starting all over again, as the killer also comes back to continue the unfinished massacre on the Valentine's Day. To make things worse, Tom is suspected of committing the murders. And now, he has to possibly face the killer in order to prove that he is innocent.

This is a remake from the 1981 original version. The 3D gimmick made me very excited to watch this movie in the theater. A 3D horror film? Which horror-fan that will not get excited. And Jensen Ackles made me want to see it even more, as Dean Winchester is my favorite character in "Supernatural". And apparently, the 3D was good. There were some chilling 3D stuffs shown, including throwing a pickax at you, and a flying body part out of the screen. The 3D did make some scenes becoming scarier. The tension was well made. My favorite scene was when the killer hunts Jamie King and Megan Boone in a mini market. It's a memorable adrenalin-pump scene. This movie also tried to give some twist by making the audiences to guess who the killer was, but it was a bit predictable to me. In overall, this is an enjoyable slasher movie. (MJ)

FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

MyRating: YYY1/2

Director: Marcus Nispel
Cast: Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, Aaron Yoo, Derek Mears
MPAA: Rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material
US Gross: US$ 65.0 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 91.4 Million
Jason Voorhees is back! And this time, he starts the killings all over again, as Friday the 13th's franchise took a reboot. After giving a quick introduction on how Jason turned into a killing machine, as he was neglected and let drown in the lake by the camp counsellors, and witnessing his mother being killed, the story then begins to roll and the killing spree begins. Jared Padalecki takes a trip to Crystal Lake to find his sister that mysteriously gone missing. There, he meets with a group of young adults, who spend their weekend in the family cottage of one of their rich member. They do all the sinful things, partying, drinking, drugs and sex, that perfectly provoke Jason to take a rampage on them.

I liked the old Friday the 13th series, and I found myself also to like this reboot. This was a good slasher movie that did not dishonor and butchering its predecessor, like many remakes did. The story was actually standard, with only different characters. Young people come, they do nasty things, and one by one they get killed. But somehow the storyline was interesting, thanks to the good script. The murders were gruesome, with the victims being killed with all kinds of tools by Jason. And this monster was still charismatic and skillful as ever. Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester from "Supernatural") surely did not want to lose from his brother, Dean, that they appeared in two different slasher movies at almost the same time. The result was Friday the 13th won over My Bloody Valentine 3-D in the U.S. box office. But the total worldwide result was the other way around. Nevertheless, this movie was cruelly and brutally fun. And the slashing will definitely continue, as always. (MJ)

THE LAST HOUSE IN THE LEFT (2009)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Dennis Iliadis
Cast: Tony Goldwin, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt, Aaron Paul, Spencer Treat Clark, Riki Lindhome
MPAA: Rated R for sadistic brutal violence including a rape and disturbing images, language, nudity and some drug use
US Gross: US$ 32.8 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 45.3 Million
This is another remake from the 1972 original version with the same title. A husband, a wife and their seventeen-year-old daughter go on a vacation to their house nearby the lake, without ever realizing that they will experience the worst thing that could happen in their lives, as a bunch of highly dangerous criminals kidnaps her daughter and her local girl friend. The daughter and her friend were then brutally assaulted, and raped. After the incident, the criminals come to her parents' house, in coincidence, and ask to stay for the night as strangers. When the parents discover what has happened to their beloved daughter, they do the things that they never thought they could, which is to take revenge for their daughter in a gruesome way, that will make the criminals to regret what they have done to their daughter.

The good script made this become an outstanding remake, that will hold your breath while seeing the sadistic violence. Yes this movie was full of violence. But the most interesting ones were on how the parents pull the tactical revenge, that will make you yell at heart. You will definitely want to see the bad guys to eventually receive some kinds of punishments. They should meet their fates on what they've done. And that is the climax. The performances were solid, including Tony Goldwin and Monica Potter as the parents. And the beautiful Sara Paxton played as the daughter. If you are a horror fan that do not mind with some violence, then I would recommend this movie. (MJ)

DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)

MyRating: YYYY

Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, Adriana Barraza, Reggie Lee
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language
US Gross: US$ 42.1 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 90.8 Million

Do not mess with gypsies! Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a bank loan officer, found out her life never the same again, the day she was assaulted and got a curse from an angry old gypsy lady, Mrs. Ganush, to whom she refused to extend the loan that caused the old lady to loss her house. She begins to encounter some strange hallucinations and supernatural attacks. Worried for her life and to understand what is actually happening, Christine and her boyfriend (Justin Long) consult to a psychic. But what she learns is even more absurd, as the psychic tells her that her soul will be taken away to hell in three days time by a demon named Lamia. And the way to save her soul is to get rid of the curse.

This is an old school horror movie with the vibe of 1980s' horrors. Great story. Great scares. Great fun. All is cooked with a perfect formula by the master Sam Raimi, who came back to his root of horror (The Evil Dead) after the successful Spider-man trilogy. This man definitely knows how to make a good horror movie. And this piece is the prove. Besides the interesting premise and great script, the actings were also outstanding. Lorna Raver really chilled us with her scary look as Sylvia Ganush. And Alison Lohman was a perfect cast for her mild-mannered character, but has the ability to think of wicked things in her heart. There were many memorable chilling scenes, including Mrs. Ganush tapping her fingers on the office table, Christine and Mrs. Ganush's furious fight at the basement, and Christine digging a grave under a heavy rainfall. This is one great horror movie from one great director. For sure, you will get scared. So, do not mess with Sam Raimi! (MJ)

A PERFECT GETAWAY (2009)

MyRating: YYY1/2

Director: David Twohy
Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth
MPAA: Rated R for graphic violence, language including sexual references and some drug use
US Gross: US$ 15.5 Million
Worldwide Gross: US$ 22.9 Million

A newlywed, Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich, choose the perfect-wrong place for their honeymoon, as they head off to Hawaii for vacation and discover that there are psychopath killers roaming around the islands and murdering tourists. On their way through the lush jungles of the island, they meets with two other mysterious couples. First couple is a wild and odd war veteran, Timothy Olyphant, and his girlfriend, Kiele Sanchez. The second is the disgruntled and suspicious Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton. Their journey soon becomes terror as the killers start to make their moves, and they realize that the killers could be someones close and someones they just knew. But who?

This is a clever thriller that may keep you on your seat and guess who the real killers are. The characters were interesting and well developed, and the performances were good. The movie also will spoil your eyes with the beautiful scenery of beaches, jungles, waterfalls and mountainsides. The tension were slowly built, with some twists that you may never expected. The actions were also tense enough with those exotic scenery in the background. This is indeed a perfect getaway. (MJ)

MYMOVIE CRITIC - REVIEWING MOVIES FROM THE AUDIENCE'S STANDPOINT